March 1940 in Film & Television History

Events in Film & TV

Mar 2 The first televised intercollegiate track meet is seen in NYC on W2XBS; NYU wins the meet presented live from Madison Square Garden

Mar 14 "The Road to Singapore" directed by Victor Schertzinger starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, first of seven such films premieres

Mar 21 "Rebecca" based on the book by Daphne du Maurier, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine premieres in Miami, Florida (Oscar - Best Picture 1941)

Mar 2 Tony Croatto {Hermes Martinis], Italian-Puerto Rican folk song singer and composer (Los TNT; Haciendo Punto en Otro Son), and television presenter, born in Udine, Italy (d. 2005)
Mar 3 Owen Spencer-Thomas, English broadcaster, journalist and Anglican clergyman
Mar 4 Kas Garas, Lithuanian-American actor (Hamlyn-Strange Report), born in Kaunas, Lithuania
Mar 5 Malcolm Hebden, English actor (Coronation Street), born in Chester, England
Mar 6 Joanna Miles, Nice France, actress (Cross Creek, Delta County USA)
Mar 7 Daniel J Travanti, American actor (Hill Street Blues - "Capt. Frank Furillo"), born in Kenosha, Wisconsin
Mar 8 Susan Clark, actress (Night Moves, Webster), born in Sarnia, Ontario
Mar 9 Raul Julia, Puerto Rican actor (Addams Family, Kiss of the Spider Woman), born in San Juan, Puerto Rico (d. 1994)

Mar 10 American martial arts actor (Missing in Action), born in Ryan, Oklahoma

Mar 14 Eleanor Fount, English actress (Women in Love, Bedazzled)
Mar 16 Chuck Woolery, Ky, TV game show host (Love Connection)
Mar 18 Mark Medoff, American playwright, director, actor and professor (Children of a Lesser God), born in Mount Carmel, Illinois (d. 2019)
Mar 20 Vito Picone, American rocker (Elegants) and actor, born in Staten Island, New York
Mar 22 Haing S. Ngor, Cambodian-American obstetrician, author, refugee and actor (The Killing Fields), born in Samrong Yong, Cambodia (d. 1996)
Mar 24 Don Jardine, Canadian professional wrestler (d. 2006)

Mar 26 American actor (Brian's Song; The Godfather; Rollerball; Misery; Elf), born in The Bronx, New York

Mar 27 Austin Pendleton, American actor (Short Circuit; Simon; Hello Again), born in Warren, Ohio
Mar 27 June Wilkinson, English actress (Absolutely Glamorous), born in Essex, England
Mar 28 Tony Barber, English-Australian television personality, born in Oldham, Lancashire

Mar 7 Comedian Oliver Hardy (48) marries film assistant Virginia Lucille Jones (30)

Mar 1 Josef Swickard, German actor (The Wizard of Oz; Lost City; A Tale of Two Cities), dies at 73
Mar 10 Louis de Vries, Dutch actor (Blokkade, Ghetto, Merchant of Venice), dies at 68