Today in History: Sunday, August 27, 2023

Television
The police drama “Stand by for Crime,“ the first program to be transmitted from Chicago to New York, concluded on ABC in 1949. One of the stars was veteran newsman Mike Wallace, under his real name, Myron Wallace…In 1964, Gracie Allen of the Burns and Allen comedy duo passed away at the age of 69. Her beloved husband, George Burns, died on March 9, 1996 at the age of 100…Sitcom pilot of “The Art of Being Nick,” starring Scott Valentine, as his character of Nick from “Family Ties” aired as a special on NBC in 1987. It also starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The potential spin-off ultimately did not go to series and Valentine remained on “Family Ties”…Comedy “First Impressions” starring Brad Garrett as an advertising agency owner and divorcée launched on CBS in 1988. The series got pulled off the air after only five episodes…Real estate sitcom “Open House,” spun-off from “Duet” and starring Alison LaPlaca and Ellen DeGeneres debuted on Fox in 1989. It only lasted one season…Fox sitcom “Martin,“ starring Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell, began its five season run in 1992. In 1997, Campbell filed a lawsuit against her Lawrence and the show’s producers for sexual harassment and verbal and physical assaults, and she did not appear in most of the season five episodes…Western series “The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.” starring Bruce Campbell premiered on Fox in 1993. It ran for a single season of 27 episodes…Science fiction/fantasy sitcom “Homeboys in Outer Space,” starring Darryl M. Bell and Flex, debuted on UPN in 1996. It lasted just one season…On the CBS late-night talk show “The Late Late Show” in 2004, Craig Kilborn made his final appearance as its host, after five years at the position. Craig Ferguson was his successor.

Movies:
“Roman Holiday“, starring Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck and Eddie Albert, opened in theaters in 1953. In her firm movie role, Audrey Hepburn won the Oscar for Best Actress in Leading Role…Walt Disney’s “Mary Poppins” starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke premiered in Los Angeles in 1964…Hong Kong martial arts film “Hero” starring Jet Li opened in the U.S. and became the first Chinese-language film to go to No.1 at US box office in 2004…“Gravity,“ starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2013…“Birdman,“ starring Michael Keaton and Zach Galifianakis premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2014. It won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2015.

Music:
Jimi Hendrix created his last studio recording at Electric Lady Studios in New York, an instrumental called “Slow Blues”…“No Fences,“ the second studio album by Garth Brooks was released in 1990. It was named the Billboard Album of the Year in 1991… reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart: “Monkey” by George Michael in 1988; “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men in 1994.

Celebrity Birthdays
Actor-singer Tommy Sands is 87; actress Tuesday Weld (“Dobie Gillis”) is 80; actor G.W. Bailey (“The Closer”) is 79; actress Barbara Bach (“The Spy Who Loved Me”) is 76; actor-comedian Paul Reubens (aka “Pee Wee” Herman) is 71; actor Peter Stormare (“Fargo”) is 70; actress Diana Scarwid (“Mommie Dearest”) is 68; gospel singer Yolanda Adams is 62; fashion designer Tom Ford is also 62; former MTV host Downtown Julie Brown is 60; “Grey’s Anatomy” star Chandra Wilson is 54; professional dog trainer Cesar Millan (“Dog Whisperer”) is also 54; baseball Hall of Fame slugger Jim Thoms is 53; former host of MTV’s “The Challenge” Jonny Moseley is 48; actress Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs”) is 46; “Breaking Bad” star Aaron Paul is 44; actor Patrick J. Adams (“Suits”) is 42; R&B singer Mario is 37; actress Alexa Vega (“Spy Kids”) is 35.

Did You Know?
After Gracie Allen retired, the couple’s long-running sitcom “The Burns and Allen Show,” which aired from 1950 to 1958, continued  as “The George Burns Show” with the same supporting cast (including upcoming “Petticoat Junction” star Bea Benaderet). It aired for one season (1958 to 1959) on NBC.