Today in History: Oct. 10

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

John Wesley Hyatt of Albany, New York, was granted a patent for his method of manufacturing billiard balls on this date in 1865. In the search for billiard ball materials other than ivory, Hyatt had invented celluloid, which was found to have many other uses in subsequent decades.
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Be Careful What You Don’t Wish For

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

I know nothing about the life of the actor Hugo Weaving, and I even had to look up his name before typing it. He is so famous that he is obscured by his success. He played Agent Smith in the three Matrix films, Elrond in the three Lord of the Rings films, V. in V for Vendetta, and provided the voice for Megatron in the Transformers franchise and Noah in the Happy Feet movies. I trust that the film industry has made him an extraordinarily wealthy man, given that these dozen films have earned approximately $8 billion dollars for that industry. Yet he could walk down my street unnoticed.

He disappears into roles that require makeup, prosthetic devices, masks, but always gives portrayals that are compelling, fully realized, quotable—not only quotable because the lines are memorable, quotable because of his delivery of them. Other actors may take on make-up-heavy parts, but, well, Gary Oldman is always Gary Oldman, the best Gary Oldman that there is, but always recognizable as himself.
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Today in History: October 9

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

“When they’ve tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can’t really function you’re so full of fear
 
“A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be …”―John Lennon, “Working Class Hero”

John Lennon would be 76 today. “Working Class Hero” after the jump:
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