Year 1949 in Film & Television

Events in Film & TV

• Jan 1 KPRC TV channel 2 in Houston, TX (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Jan 1 KTTV TV channel 11 in Los Angeles, CA (MET) begins broadcasting

• Jan 2 KDKA TV channel 2 in Pittsburgh, PA (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Jan 3 "Colgate Theater" dramatic anthology series premieres on NBC TV
• Jan 10 1st Jewish family show "Goldbergs" premieres on CBS

• Jan 16 KNBH (now KNBC) TV channel 4 in Los Angeles, CA (NBC) 1st broadcast
• Jan 16 WTOP (now WUSA) TV channel 9 in Washington, D.C. (CBS) 1st broadcast
• Jan 17 Radio series "The Goldbergs" by Gertrude Berg premieres on US TV on CBS
• Jan 18 "They Stand Accused" courtroom drama premieres on CBS (later DuMont)

• Jan 20 1st inaugural parade televised, for Harry Truman, watched by 10 million people
• Jan 25 1st Emmy Awards: Shirley Dinsdale & Pantomime Quiz (KTLA) win
• Jan 26 WHIO TV channel 7 in Dayton, OH (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Jan 31 1st daytime soap on TV "These Are My Children" (NBC in Chicago)
• Feb 21 US TV soap opera "A Woman to Remember" is 1st broadcast on DuMont Television Network


• Mar 8 WAGA TV channel 5 in Atlanta, GA (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Mar 15 WICU TV channel 12 in Erie, PA (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Mar 15 WLWD (now WDTN) TV channel 2 in Dayton, OH (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Mar 16 KFMB TV channel 8 in San Diego, CA (CBS) begins broadcasting

• Mar 18 WGAL TV channel 8 in Lancaster, PA (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Mar 21 WTVJ TV channel 4 in Miami, FL (NBC/CBS) begins broadcasting

• Apr 3 KQW-AM in San Francisco CA changes call letters to KCBS
• Apr 3 WLWS (now WCMH) TV channel 4 in Columbus, OH (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Apr 4 WKRC TV channel 12 in Cincinnati, OH (ABC) begins broadcasting
• Apr 5 Fireside Theater debuts on US television.
• May 5 KGO TV channel 7 in San Francisco, California (ABC) begins broadcasting
• May 27 Martin Canine, cartoon character, spoofs Martin Kane
• May 29 Candid Camera, TV comedy show, moves to NBC
• May 29 1st British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAS): "The Best Years of Our Lives" Best Film
• May 29 2nd British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAS): "Hamlet" Best Film
• May 30 WRTV TV channel 6 in Indianapolis, IN (ABC) begins broadcasting
• Jun 1 KSL TV channel 5 in Salt Lake City, UT (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Jun 6 "It Pays To Be Ignorant" game show debut on CBS-TV


• Jun 6 WKY (now KTVY) TV channel 4 in Oklahoma City, OK (NBC) 1st broadcast
• Jun 14 WROC TV channel 8 in Rochester, NY (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Jun 24 "Hopalong Cassidy" becomes 1st network western (NBC)
• Jun 25 Long-Haired Hare is released in Theaters starring Bugs Bunny.
• Jul 1 WBRC TV channel 6 in Birmingham, AL (ABC) begins broadcasting
• Jul 1 WCCO TV channel 4 in Minneapolis-St Paul, MN (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Jul 2 "Red Barber's Clubhouse" sports show premieres on CBS (later NBC) TV
• Jul 7 "Dragnet" premieres on NBC radio; also a TV series in 1951 & 1967
• Jul 10 WJAR TV channel 10 in Providence, RI (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Jul 15 WBTV TV channel 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Jul 26 WCPO TV channel 9 in Cincinnati, OH (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Aug 11 10th Venice Film Festival: "Manon" directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot wins the Golden Lion (1st one)
• Aug 15 WOTV TV channel 8 in Grand Rapids, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Aug 30 WTVN (now WSYX) TV channel 6 in Columbus, OH (ABC) begins broadcasting
• Sep 1 KMTV TV channel 3 in Omaha, NB (CBS/NBC) begins broadcasting

• Sep 15 "Lone Ranger" premieres on ABC-TV. Hi-yo, Silver! Away!
• Sep 15 WJAC TV channel 6 in Johnstown, PA (NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting
• Sep 15 WJXT TV channel 4 in Jacksonville, FL (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Sep 16 KABC TV channel 7 in Los Angeles, CA (ABC) begins broadcasting
• Sep 17 WFAA TV channel 8 in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (ABC) begins broadcasting
• Sep 17 3rd Cannes Film Festival: "The Third Man" directed by Carol Reed wins the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
• Sep 19 "Late Spring", Japanese film directed by Yasujirō Ozu, starring Chishū Ryū, Setsuko Hara and Haruko Sugimura, is released in Japan
• Sep 22 WFMY TV channel 2 in Greensboro-High Point, NC (CBS) 1st broadcast

• Sep 29 "Front Page" debuts on CBS-TV
• Sep 29 "Inside USA With Chevrolet" debuts on CBS-TV
• Sep 29 Elia Kazan's "Pinky" starring Ethel Waters opens at Rivoli
• Oct 5 WBNS TV channel 10 in Columbus, OH (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Oct 5 WOR (now WWOR) TV channel 9 in NY-Secaucus, NY (IND) begins
• Oct 16 WDAF TV channel 4 in Kansas City, MO (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Oct 31 WOC (now KWQC) TV channel 6 in Davenport, IA (NBC) 1st broadcast

• Nov 11 WTTV TV channel 4 in Bloomington-Indianapol, IN (IND) 1st broadcast
• Nov 30 KOTV TV channel 6 in Tulsa, OK (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Dec 1 WBNG TV channel 12 in Binghamton, NY (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Dec 1 WKTV TV channel 2 in Utica, NY (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Dec 3 KRLD (now KDFW) TV channel 4 in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (CBS) begins

• Dec 11 WOAI (now KMOL) TV channel 4 in San Antonio, TX (NBC) 1st broadcast
• Dec 19 WJW TV channel 8 in Cleveland, Ohio (CBS) begins broadcasting

• Dec 28 20th Century Fox announces it will produce TV programs
• Dec 29 1st UHF television station operating regular basis Bridgeport, Connecticut

Birthdays in Film & TV

Birthdays 1 - 100 of 195

• Jan 2 Christopher Durang, playwright/actor (Sister Mary), born in Montclair, New Jersey
• Jan 7 Anne Schedeen, American actress, born in Portland, Oregon
• Jan 10 Teresa Graves, American actress (Laugh-in, Get Christie Love!), born in Houston, Texas
• Jan 12 Wayne Wang, American film director (Chan is Missing, Slamdance), born in Hong Kong
• Jan 13 Brandon Tartikoff, TV exec (NBC)
• Jan 14 Christine Belford, American actress (Banacek, Empire, 90210), born in Amityville, New York
• Jan 14 Lawrence Kasdan, American screenwriter & director (Accidental Tourist), born in Miami, Florida
• Jan 14 Paul Chubb, Australian actor, born in Arncliffe, Australia (d. 2002)
• Jan 15 Panos Mihalopoulos, Greek actor, born in Kalamata, Greece
• Jan 16 Caroline Munro, English actress & model (The Spy Who Loved Me, Maniac), born in Windsor, Berkshire
• Jan 17 Andy Kaufman, American comedian & actor (Latka Gravas-Taxi), born in New York City, New York (d. 1984)
• Jan 17 Debbie Watson, American actress (Karen, Tammy), born in La Mirada California,
• Jan 24 John Belushi, American comedian & actor (SNL: Animal House: Blues Brothers), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1982)
• Jan 26 Paul Nurse, English geneticist (Imperial Cancer Research Fund), born in Norwich, United Kingdom
• Jan 26 David Strathairn, American actor (LA Confidential, The Bourne Ultimatum), born in San Francisco, California
• Jan 31 Carol Hawkins, English actress (Dialing for Dingbats), born in Chipping Barnet, United Kingdom
• Feb 2 Sherry Mathis, actress (Search for Tomorrow)
• Feb 2 Brent Spiner, American actor (Data-Star Trek the Next Generation), born in Houston, Texas
• Feb 4 Michael Beck, actor (Hans Helms-Holocaust), born in Memphis, Tennessee
• Feb 6 Mike Batt, British director, actor, composer, and former Deputy Chairman (British Phonographic Industry), born in Southampton, England
• Feb 8 Brooke Adams, American actress (Cynthia-OK Crackerby, Body Snatchers), born in NYC, New York
• Feb 8 Julia Barr, Ft Wayne Ind, actress (Brooke-All My Children)
• Feb 10 Harold Sylvester, American actor
• Feb 15 Jess Walton, Mich, actress (Jill Foster Abbott-Young & Restless)
• Feb 20 Ivana Trump, Czech-American model and ex-wife of Donald Trump (1st Wives Club), born in Gottwaldov, Moravia, Czechoslovak Republic
• Feb 24 Manuel De Sica, Italian composer, chiefly of film scores, born in Rome (d. 2014)

• Mar 2 Gates McFadden, American actress (Beverly Crusher-Star Trek Next Generation), born in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
• Mar 12 Mary Alice Williams, American television news reporter and anchor (CNN; NBC; WNET; CBS; NJN), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Mar 12 Sara Lane, American actress (Elizabeth Grainger-The Virginian), born in NYC, New York
• Mar 12 Moctesuma Esparza, Mexican-American producer & filmmaker
• Mar 15 John Duttine, actor (Day of the Triffids)
• Mar 16 Erik Estrada, actor (CHiPs), born in NYC, New York
• Mar 16 Victor Garber, actor (Days & Nights of Molly Dodd), born in Montreal, Quebec
• Mar 17 Patrick Duffy, actor (Bobby-Dallas, Man from Atlantis), born in Townsend, Montana
• Mar 19 Denny Albee, American actor (Dr Janssen-One Life to Live), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Mar 22 Brian Hanrahan, British TV newsman (BBC)
• Mar 22 Fanny Ardant, Monte Carlo, actress (Australia, Confidentially Yours)
• Mar 26 Vicki Lawrence, American actress (Carol Burnett, Mama's Family), born in Inglewood, California
• Mar 26 Patrick Süskind, German writer and screenwriter, known for novel "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer", born in Ambach, Bavaria, Germany
• Mar 30 Leslie Joan Corn, theatre producer/director/writer
• Mar 30 Sue Cook, British broadcaster
• Mar 30 Naomi Sims, American fashion model and businesswoman
• Mar 30 Dana [Richenda Antoinette de Winterstein] Gillespie, English actress and singer (Jesus Christ Superstar), born in Surrey, England
• Apr 2 Pamela Reed, actress (Grand, Kindergarten Cop, Home Court), born in Tacoma, Washington
• Apr 3 Lyle Alzado, NFL defensive linesman (LA Raiders) and actor (Oceans of Fire, Hangfire), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1992)
• Apr 5 John Berg, American actor (Star Trek: Nemesis), born in Wichita Falls, Texas (d. 2007)
• Apr 6 Jane Actman, American actress (Barbara-Paul Lynde Show), born in NYC, New York
• Apr 8 Jim Lampley, Hendersonville NC, newscaster (Monday Night Baseball)
• Apr 11 Carl Franklin, American actor (Devil in a Blue Dress), born in Richmond, California
• Apr 11 Bernd Eichinger, German film producer and director, born in Neuburg an der Donau, Germany (d. 2011)
• Apr 14 Sonja Kristina [Shaw], English songwriter and actress (Hair, Curved Air), born in Brentwood, England
• Apr 14 John Shea, actor (Honeymoon, New Life, Lois & Clark), born in North Conway, New Hampshire
• Apr 14 Chris Langham, English comedian and actor (The Thick of It, Help), born in London, England
• Apr 15 Craig Zadan, American film producer, born in Miami, Florida
• Apr 16 Melody Patterson, American actress (F Troop), born in Inglewood, California (d. 2015)

• Apr 20 Veronica Cartwright, English-American actress (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), born in Bristol, England
• Apr 21 Patti LuPone, actress/singer (Evita, Life Goes On), born in Northport, New York
• Apr 23 Blair Brown, American actress (Altered States, Molly Dodd), born in Washington, D.C.
• Apr 23 Joyce DeWitt, American actress (Janet Wood-Three's Company), born in Wheeling, West Virginia
• Apr 26 Jerry Blackwell, American professional wrestler, born in Stone Mountain, Georgia (d. 1995)
• Apr 27 Doug Sheehan, American actor (Ben-Knots Landing, Joe Kelly-General Hospital), born in Santa Monica, California
• Apr 27 Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Japanese professional wrestler (NJPW/PWF/UWF), born in Iwate, Japan
• Apr 28 Paul Guilfoyle, American actor (CSI, Mrs. Doubtfire), born in Boston, Massachusetts
• Apr 28 Bruno Kirby, American actor (d. 2006)
• Apr 29 Anita Dobson, England, actress (Annie Watts-EastEnders)
• May 1 Douglas Barr, actor (Howie-Fall Guy), born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• May 2 Alan Titchmarsh, English gardener and broadcaster (Gardener's World), born in Iilkley, England
• May 3 Ken Hom, Chinese-American chef, author and BBC TV presenter (OBE for "services to culinary arts" 2009), born in Tucson, Arizona
• May 4 Sybil Danning, Austrian-American actress (Chained Heat), born in Wels, Austria
• May 5 Anna Bergman, Swedish actress (Agent 69), born in Stockholm, Sweden
• May 7 Stuart Marshall, British film director (Desire), born in Manchester (d.1993)
• May 13 Franklyn Ajaye, American comedian and actor (Car Wash, The Jazz Singer, Bridesmaids), born in Brooklyn, New York
• May 13 Zoe Wanamaker, American actress (Raggedy Rawney), born in NYC, New York
• May 15 Eric J Beekes, actor/singer (Hunk)
• May 24 Jim Broadbent, English actor (Iris), born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire

• May 26 Dayle Haddon, Montreal Quebec Canada, actress (Bedroom Eyes)
• May 26 Pam Grier, actress (Big Bird Cage, Tough Enough), born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• May 26 Philip Michael Thomas, actor (Miami Vice), born in Columbus, Ohio
• May 28 Sue Holderness, English actress (Marlene-Only Fools & Horses, Sandbaggers), born in London, England
• May 31 Steven Kampmann, actor (Kirk-Newhart), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• May 31 Tom Berenger, actor (Big Chill, Someone to Watch Over Me), born in Chicago, Illinois
• Jun 4 Gabriel Arcand, French Canadian actor (The Crime of Ovide Plouffe), born in Deschambault, Quebec, Canada
• Jun 6 Holly Near, American folksinger, actress and activist, born in Ukiah, California
• Jun 8 Jeffrey Mylett, American actor and songwriter, born in North Canton, Ohio (d. 1986)
• Jun 9 Francis Monkman, British film composer, musician and songwriter (Curved Air, Sky), born in Hampstead, North London
• Jun 10 Kevin Corcoran, actor (Swiss Family Robinson, Babes in Toyland), born in Santa Monica, California (d. 2015)
• Jun 14 Rochelle Firestone, American actress (Hellhole), born in Kansas City, Missouri
• Jun 15 Simon Callow, English actor (Four Weddings and a Funeral), born in London, England
• Jun 15 Jim Varney, American actor (Ernest Goes to Jail, Hey Vern), born in Lexington, Kentucky
• Jun 16 Kale Browne, San Rafael California, actor (Michael Hudson-Another World)
• Jun 22 Lindsay Wagner, American actress (Bionic Woman, Paper Chase, Nighthawks), born in Los Angeles, California

• Jun 25 Brenda Sykes, American actress (Ozzie's Girls, Getting Straight), born in Shreveport, Louisiana
• Jun 25 Kene Holliday, American actor (Tyler-Matlock, Carter Country), born in NYC, New York
• Jun 25 Phyllis George, Miss America (1971) and sportscaster (CBS), born in Denton, Texas (d. 2020)
• Jul 2 Hanno Pöschl, Austrian actor
• Jul 3 Jan Smithers, American actress (Bailey-WKRP), born in Hollywood, California

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Weddings in Film & TV

• Sep 15 Figure skater and actress Sonja Henie (36) weds Winthrop Gardner Jr

Divorces in Film & TV

Deaths in Film & TV

• Jan 31 Henri de Vries [Hendricus Van Walterop], Dutch actor (Cleopatra, White Cargo), dies at 84
• Mar 12 Maria "Beppie" Bakker, Dutch actress abd wife of Piet Vink Sr, dies at 95
• Mar 17 Felix Bressart, German actor (Ninotchka, Escape, Crossroads), dies from Leukemia at 57
• Apr 6 Seymour Hicks, British actor and theatrical impresario (Scrooge), dies at 78
• Apr 13 C. V. France, British actor (The Skin Game, Adventure in Blackmail), dies at 80

• Apr 18 Will Hay [William Thomson Hay], British comedian, actor and amateur astronomer, dies from a stroke at 60
• Jun 10 John T. McCutcheon, American cartoonist (Pulitzer Prize-1931), dies at 79
• Aug 9 Harry Davenport, American actor and director (Her Unborn Child, My Sin), dies at 83
• Aug 27 Arthur Chesney, actor (Lodger, Chelsea Life), dies at 67
• Sep 18 Frank Morgan, American actor (The Wizard of Oz), dies at 59
• Sep 19 Will Cuppy, American humorist (The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody), dies at 65
• Sep 20 Richard Dix, American actor (10 Commandments, Cimarron, The Ghost Ship), dies from a heart attack at 56
• Sep 22 Sam Wood, American communist fighter and director (For Whom the Bell Tolls), dies at 66

• Nov 27 Tom Walls, British actor and producer (A Cuckoo in the Nest, Undercover), dies at 66
• Dec 3 Maria Ouspenskaya, Russian actress (Spookies), dies at 62
• Dec 16 Sidney Olcott, Canadian film director (Ben Hur), dies at 76