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You may recognize her from her memorable supporting role in 7 Faces of Dr. Lao.

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Having one of those days in which I'm thinking a lot (perhaps too much?) about character actress Minerva Urecal, don't mind me. (Born Florence Minerva Dunnuck, she assembled her stage name via her hometown: E*ure*ka, *Cal*ifornia.)

Minerva Urecal and Bela Lugosi in The Corpse Vanishes.

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bonus wacky rarity: birthday boy Larry Fine, and friends, in the 1939 edition of George White's Scandals, which also featured Willie and Eugene Howard, Ben Blue, Ella Logan, and Ann Miller

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today's nearly random theater photo: Lillian Gish and birthday girl Glynis Johns in the 1963 NYC revival of GBS's Too True to Be Good

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I can't tell if this is another special effects shot or an actual fancy hotel lobby, but it's very pretty. (They also didn't stint on extras for these things. They tend to be very well populated.)

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Fritz Lang, eat your heart out.

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bonus view of Buckwheat and Darla being adorable

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Also, speaking of Our Gang, I don't know why they felt the need to spring for this fancy glass matte effect for "Pups Is Pups," but it's most impressive.

an urban industrial view, much of which is a special effect

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Also: Hattie McDaniel cameo (as Buckwheat's mother)!

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Benjamin Dreyer @bcdreyer.social · 04/10/2026

Also, the excellent Olive and George Brasno were offered roles in The Wizard of Oz but declined because they were making lots of money touring in vaudeville.

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Wow. That was a whole era. Farewell to Marjoe Gortner.

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Benjamin Dreyer @bcdreyer.social · 04/10/2026

Happy Buster Keaton's birthday!

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Benjamin Dreyer @bcdreyer.social · 04/10/2026

today's not especially random theater photo: birthday boy Charlton Heston and Rosemary Harris in The Tumbler, by Benn W. Levy, directed by Laurence Olivier, 5 performances and au revoir (1960)

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I do miss the days of "Directed by THE AUTHOR," though.

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It's weird how there are a few different versions, some considerably better than others (and thus some considerably worse). At least Sam did OK on the marquee itself.

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Jackie Cooper and Norman Chaney: also dazzling.

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Mary Annicus, also Wheezer and Farinacus.

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I don't think that Mary Ann Jackson gets enough love.

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[appropriating this photo from my friend @hesherman.bsky.social] I (truly) can’t figure out why they even bothered.

the marquee for the new production of Much Ado About Nothing, with Shakespeare’s name (surname only) set in the tiniest possible type

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today's not quite random theater photo: birthday girl Nora Bayes in Ladies First (1918)

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If she'd been teamed up with Molly Picon, this production would still be running today.

advertising art for Gertrude Berg in Arsenic and Old Lace

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Happy Gertrude Berg's birthday!

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Elvia Allman, ladles and germsicles. Miss. Elvia. Allman.

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Not forgetting Gale, of course.

Gale Sondergaard presides over a seance in The Time of Their Lives.

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Today's also Spanky's birthday, so it's a big day for classic comedy.

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Let's celebrate Bud Abbott's birthday with a shoutout to one of my favorite films of all time!

advertising art for The Time of Their Lives

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bonus Groucho (and friends) in The Cocoanuts (1925)

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today's random theater photo: Mildred Dunnock and Beatrice Straight in Phèdre (1966)

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Happy Groucho Marx's birthday!

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today's nearly random theater photo: Arlene Francis and birthday boy Walter Matthau in Once More with Feeling (1958)

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Happy birthday to wonderful Julie Andrews!

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Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes did enough psychological damage to me when I saw Oliver! at age ten; imagine my seeing Tom Hardy in the role when I was considerably more than ten.

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Courtesy of @kevinddaly.bsky.social, a cool photo I don’t think I’ve ever seen before of the family Hitchcock.

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I think that I freshly relearn every year that Stanley Holloway and Julie Andrews share a birthday. And it's tomorrow. (Also present: Robert Coote and Rex Harrison, natch.)

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I cannot get over this doofus's smug puss.

Sen. Schmitt en route to stepping on his wee little dick.

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If you know her only from the one film, it's interesting to hop over to Wikipedia and read the rest of the story. (Among other things, she worked into her nineties.)

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bonus Druid Circle with Leo G. and the indispensable Ethel Griffies

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Happy birthday to the great Len Cariou (who is, significantly, a leftie).

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