April 1932 in Film & Television History

Events in Film & TV

Theater Premiere

Apr 4 George Bernard Shaw's comedy play "Too True To Be Good" premieres in NYC; runs for 59 performances

Film Premiere

Apr 12 "Grand Hotel" directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Greta Garbo and John Barrymore premieres in New York, includes the line "I want to be alone" (Best Picture/Production 1932)

Film Release

Apr 16 Short film "The Music Box" released in the US, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy (1932 Academy Award Best Live Action Short Film)

Apr 29 1st broadcast of "One Man's Family" on NBC radio, longest-running dramatic serial on US radio (ends 1959)

Birthdays in Film & TV

Apr 1 (Mary Frances) "Debbie" Reynolds, American actress and singer (Singin' In The Rain -"Kathy Selden"; The Unsinkable Molly Brown), born in El Paso, Texas (d. 2016)
Apr 1 Gordon Jump, American actor (WKFP -"Arthur Carlson"; Growing Pains; Maytag Repairman), born in Dayton, Ohio (d. 2003)

Anthony Perkins

Apr 4 Anthony Perkins, American actor (Psycho; Friendly Persuasion;, Fear Strikes Out; Pretty Poison), and singer, born in NYC, New York (d. 1992)

Apr 4 Andrei Tarkovsky, Soviet filmmaker (Andrei Rublev: Mirror; Stalker), born in Zavrazhye, Russia, Soviet Union (d. 1986)
Apr 9 Cheetah [Cheeta, Cheta, Chita], chimpanzee actor (1930s Tarzan franchise), is born (d. 2011)
Apr 10 Delphine Seyrig, French actress (Freak Orlando, Reperages), born in Beirut Lebanon (d. 1990)
Apr 10 Hari Rhodes, American actor (Mike-Daktari, Roots), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1992)
Apr 10 Omar Sharif [Michel Dimitri Shalhoub], Egyptian actor (Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia), born in Alexandria (d. 2015)
Apr 11 Joel Grey [Katz], American Tony, Grammy, and Academy Award-winning actor and singer (Cabaret; Remo Williams; 7% Solution), born in Cleveland, Ohio
Apr 14 Bob Grant [Robert St Clair Grant], British actor, comedian and writer (on the Buses), born in Hammersmith, London (d. 2003)
Apr 16 Goopy Geer, Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Rudolf Ising (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series), first debuts in "Goopy Geer"
Apr 21 Elaine May, American comedienne, writer and actress (New Leaf, Primary Colors), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 24 Coen Flink, Dutch actor (Pastorale 1943, Havinck, Honneponnetje), born in Amsterdam (d. 2000)
Apr 25 William Roache, British actor (Ken Barlow-Coronation Street), born in Basford, Nottinghamshire, England
Apr 26 Francis Lai, French film music composer (Love Story), born in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France (d. 2018)

Casey Kasem

Apr 27 Casey Kasem, American radio personality (creator of American Top 40), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2014)

Apr 27 Anouk Aimée, French actress (A Man and A Woman), born in Paris
Apr 29 King Hu, Chinese film director and actor (wuxia films), born in Beijing, Republic of China (d. 1997)