1959 in Film & Television

• Jan 12 KOED TV channel 11 in Tulsa, OK (PBS) begins broadcasting

• Jan 24 WHCT TV channel 18 in Hartford, CT (IND) begins broadcasting
• Jan 26 KOKH TV channel 25 in Oklahoma City, OK (IND/PBS) begins broadcasting
• Jan 29 Walt Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" released
• Feb 1 WVUE TV channel 8 in New Orleans, LA (ABC) begins broadcasting
• Feb 23 KVIE TV channel 6 in Sacramento-Stockton, CA (PBS) begins broadcasting

• Mar 6 11th Emmy Awards: Playhouse 90, Jack Benny Show, Raymond Burr win
• Mar 8 KUAT TV channel 6 in Tucson, AZ (PBS) begins broadcasting
• Mar 15 WILX TV channel 10 in Lansing, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting

• Mar 30 WNED TV channel 17 in Buffalo, NY (PBS) begins broadcasting
• Apr 6 31st Academy Awards: "Gigi", Susan Hayward & David Niven win
• Apr 14 KDIN TV channel 11 in Des Moines, IA (PBS) begins broadcasting


• Apr 24 WICD TV channel 15 in Champaign, IL (NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting
• Apr 28 KLOE TV channel 10 in Goodland, KS (CBS) begins broadcasting
• Apr 28 KPLR TV channel 11 in Saint Louis, MO (IND) begins broadcasting
• Apr 28 6th National Film Awards (India): "Sagar Sangamey" wins the Golden Lotus
• May 4 "The 400 Blows", French film directed by François Truffaut, starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, is released
• May 13 Kraft Music Hall with Milton Berle last airs on NBC-TV
• May 15 12th Cannes Film Festival: "Black Orpheus" directed by Marcel Camus wins the Palme d'Or
• May 16 WTOM TV channel 4 in Cheboygan, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Jun 13 "Sammy Kaye Show" last airs on ABC-TV
• Jun 18 New York City premiere of the film version of Kathryn Hulme's "The Nun's Story"
• Jun 26 9th Berlin International Film Festival: "The Cousins" wins Golden Bear
• Jul 1 WVTV TV channel 18 in Milwaukee, WI (IND) begins broadcasting
• Jul 6 WENH TV channel 11 in Durham, NH (PBS) begins broadcasting
• Jul 12 NBC uses cameras to show catchers signals during Yankee-Red Sox game

• Jul 24 500,000th Dutch TV set registered
• Aug 1 WAAY TV channel 31 in Huntsville, AL (ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting
• Aug 23 20th Venice Film Festival: "The Great War" directed by Mario Monicelli and "General della Rovere" directed by Roberto Rossellini jointly awarded Golden Lion
• Sep 12 "Bonanza" premieres on NBC-TV
• Sep 14 WQEX TV channel 16 in Pittsburgh, PA (PBS) begins broadcasting

• Sep 28 "Hennesey" debuts on CBS-TV
• Sep 29 "Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis" debuts on CBS-TV
• Sep 29 "Philip Marlowe" debuts on ABC-TV
• Oct 2 Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone" premieres on CBS-TV

• Oct 11 KTHI TV channel 11 in Fargo-Grand Forks, ND (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Oct 14 WMUB (now WPTO) TV channel 14 in Oxford, OH (PBS) begins broadcasting
• Oct 15 KNDO TV channel 23 in Yakima, WA (NBC) begins broadcasting
• Oct 20 WABG TV channel 6 in Greenwood-Greenville, MS (ABC) 1st broadcast
• Nov 8 KJTV (now KGET) TV channel 17 in Bakersfield, CA (NBC) 1st broadcast
• Nov 10 Corinne Rottschaeffer of the Netherlands elected Miss World

• Nov 19 "Rocky & His Friends" debuts on ABC
• Nov 20 WABC fires Alan Freed over payola scandal
• Nov 28 KOMC (now KSNK) TV channel 8 in McCook - Oberlin, NB (NBC) begins

Birthdays 1 - 100 of 190

• Jan 4 Denise Matthews "Vanity", singer (Prince protege) and actress (52 Pick Up), born in Niagara Falls, Ontario (d. 2016)
• Jan 10 Fran Walsh, New Zealand screenwriter, born in Wellington, New Zealand
• Jan 17 Susanna Hoffs, actress/rocker (Bangles-Walk Like an Egyptian)
• Jan 17 Momoe Yamaguchi, Japanese singer and actress
• Jan 22 Linda Blair, American actress (Exorcist, Chained Heat, Savage St), born in St Louis, Missouri
• Jan 23 Tyrone Power Jr., American actor (Shag), born in Los Angeles, California
• Jan 24 James Roderick Moir (alias Vic Reeves), English comedian
• Jan 26 Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkish film director (Winter Sleep), born in Istanbul, Turkey
• Jan 27 Patti Cohoon, actress (Molly-Here Come the Brides), born in Whittier, California
• Jan 28 Frank Darabont, American filmmaker
• Jan 31 Kelly Lynch, American actress (Drugstore Cowboy), born in Golden Walley, Minnesota
• Jan 31 Anthony LaPaglia, Australian actor (Criminal Justice, Without a Trace), born in Adelaide, Australia
• Feb 3 Thomas Calabro, American actor (Michael Mancini-Melrose Place), born in Brooklyn, New York
• Feb 10 Tonga Fifita [Tonga 'Uli'uli Fifita], Tongan wrestler (WCW/WAR/WWF, Ming, Haku, Islanders), born in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
• Feb 12 Sigrid Thornton, Australian actress (Amelia Lawson-Guns of Paradise), born in Canberra, Australia
• Feb 15 Hugo Savinovich, Ecuadorian sports commentator and wrestler, born in Guayaquil, Ecuador
• Feb 22 Kyle MacLachlan, American actor (Blue Velvet, Dune, Twin Peaks), born in Yakima, Washington
• Feb 22 Susan Benjamin, American actress (Tracy-Accidental Family), born in San Marino, California
• Feb 24 Beth Broderick, Falmouth KY, actress (Aunt Zelda-Sabrina)
• Feb 25 Carl Marotte, Canadian actor
• Mar 5 David Fury, American television writer and producer
• Mar 6 Thomas "Tom" Arnold, American actor (Tom, True Lies) and former husband of actress Rosanne Barr, born in Iowa
• Mar 7 Donna Murphy, American actress
• Mar 8 Aidan Quinn, actor (Avalon, Desperately Seeking Susan, Mission)
• Mar 9 Kato Kaelin, American actor (Beach Fever), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Mar 9 Lonny Price, American actor (Muppets Take Manhattan), born in NYC, New York
• Mar 14 Tamara Tunie, American actress
• Mar 15 Renny Harlin, Finnish film director

• Mar 17 Christian Clemenson, American actor
• Mar 18 Irene Cara, Bronx actress/singer (Fame, DC Cab, Certain Fury), born in NYC, New York
• Mar 19 Shelley Burch, actress (One Life to Live, Identity Crisis), born in Tucson, Arizona
• Mar 20 Steve McFadden, British actor
• Mar 20 Sting [Steve Borden], American professional wrestler, born in Omaha, Nebraska
• Mar 22 Matthew Modine, Loma Linda Cal, actor (Full Metal Jacket)
• Mar 22 Carlton Cuse, Mexican-born American TV writer and executive
• Mar 23 Catherine Keener, American actress (Captain Philips, Get Out), born in Miami, Florida
• Mar 23 Philippe Volter, Belgian actor (d. 2005)
• Mar 28 Todd Curtis, American actor (Capitol, Skip-Young & Restless), born in Detroit, Michigan
• Apr 2 Yves Lavandier, French film writer and director, born in France
• Apr 3 David Hyde Pierce, American actor (Niles Crane-Fraiser), born in Saratoga Springs, New York
• Apr 12 Elissa Leeds, American actress (Cissy-Dorothy), born in NYC, New York

• Apr 15 Fruit Chan, Hong Kong film director, born in Guangdong, China
• Apr 15 Thomas F. Wilson, American actor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Apr 17 Elizabeth Lindsey, Polynesian actress (China Beach), born in Oahu, Hawaii
• Apr 17 Stephen Singleton, English rocker (ABC), born in Sheffield, England
• Apr 17 Teri Austin, Canadian actress (Terminal Choice, Knots Landing), born in Toronto, Ontario
• Apr 17 Sean Bean, English actor (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, A Game of Thrones)
• Apr 20 Clint Howard, American actor (Gentle Ben), born in Burbank, California
• Apr 22 Ryan Stiles, American actor (Lewis-Drew Carey Show), born in Seattle, Washington
• Apr 25 Dominique Blanc, French actress (Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train), born in Lyon, France
• Apr 30 Kamaran Abdalla, Iraq/Engl/Neth actor (Goede Tijden Selechte Tijden)

• May 2 Alan Best, Canadian animation director and producer, born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
• May 3 Ben Elton, English actor and comedian (Blackadder Back & Forth, Friday Night Live), born in Fitzrovia, London
• May 4 Scott Armstrong, American professional wrestling referee, born in Marietta, Georgia
• May 5 Brian Phelps, American disk jockey and actor (Mark & Brian), born in Cambridge, Illinois
• May 6 Kate Collins, actress (Natalie Hunter-All My Children), born in Boston, Massachusetts
• May 7 Michael E. Knight, America actor (All My Children), born in Princeton, New Jersey
• May 7 Barbara Yung Mei-ling, Hong Kong actress, born in Hong Kong (d. 1985)
• May 11 Martha Quinn, MTV VJ (Tracey-Bradys), born in Albany, New York
• May 12 Ving Rhames [Irving Rameses Rhames], American actor (Mission Impossible), born in New York City
• May 14 Patrick Bruel, Algerian/French actor/rock vocalist (Coup of Sirocco)
• May 16 Mare Winningham, actress (St Elmo's Fire, Turner & Hooch), born in Phoenix, Arizona
• May 17 Jim Nantz, American broadcaster
• May 20 Bronson Pinchot, American actor (Perfect Strangers, Beverly Hills Cop), born in NYC, New York
• May 21 Nick Cassavetes, American actor and director (The Notebook), born in NYC, New York
• May 22 Ed Fry, American actor (Larry-As the World Turns, Adam Cory-Another World), born in Chicago, Illinois
• May 23 Linden Ashby, actor (Mortal Kombat)
• May 23 Robert "Bob" Mortimer, British comedian, podcast presenter, and actor, born in Acklam, England
• May 25 Cathryn Harrison, English actress (Old Woman in Black Moon), born in London, England
• May 25 Julian Clary, English television personality, born in Surbiton, Surrey, England
• May 26 Ole Bornedal, Danish film director, actor and producer
• May 29 Rupert Everett, British actor (Princess Daisy, Another Country)
• May 29 Tamayo Otsuki, actress (Mrs Yamagami-Davis Rules)
• Jun 6 Amanda Pays, actress (Max Headroom, Off Limits), born in London, England
• Jun 6 Colin Quinn, American comedian
• Jun 6 David Schultz, American wrestler (d. 1996)
• Jun 6 Josie Lawrence, British comedian and actress (Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Eastenders, Humans), born in Staffordshire, England
• Jun 10 Timothy Van Patten, American actor (White Shadow, Master), born in Brooklyn, New York

• Jun 12 Jenilee Harrison, American actress (Cindy-3's Company, Dallas), born in Glendale, California
• Jun 12 Kenneth Herdigein, Surinamese-Dutch actor (Say A), born in Paramaribo, Suriname
• Jun 12 Scott Thompson, Canadian comedian (The Kids in the Hall, Larry Sanders Show), born in North Bay, Ontario, Canada
• Jun 15 Eileen Davidson, Artesia California, actress (Kristen-Days of our Life)
• Jun 16 The Ultimate Warrior [James Brian Hellwig], professional wrestler, born in Crawfordsville, Indiana (d. 2014)
• Jun 22 Wayne Federman, American comedian
• Jun 25 Paris Themmen, American actor (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory - Mike Teevee), born in Boston, Massachusetts
• Jun 26 Mark McKinney, Canadian comedian and actor (The Kids in the Hall), born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

• Jun 30 Vincent D'Onofrio, American actor
• Jul 3 Andreas Wisniewski, Berlin German FR, actor (Living Daylights)
• Jul 4 Victoria Abril [Rojas], Spanish actress (Libertarias), born in Madrid, Spain
• Jul 5 Patricia Pease Jeffers, NC, actress (Kimberly-Days of our Life)
• Jul 7 Jessica Hahn, American model (playboy) and actress, accused evangelist Jim Bakker of rape, born in Massapequa, New York
• Jul 7 Billy Campbell [William Oliver], Charlottesville, Virginia, American actor (Once and Again, Dracula)
• Jul 8 Robert Knepper, American actor
• Jul 9 Kevin Nash, American professional wrestler, born in Detroit, Michigan
• Jul 15 Vincent Lindon, French actor

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• Jan 21 Carl Switzer, American actor (Our Gang, Beginner's Luck, General Spanky), shot by an acquaintance at 31

• Jan 22 A J Else Mauhs, German/Dutch actress (Hamlet, Nora), dies at 73
• Feb 1 Madame Sul-Te-Wan [Nellie Crawford], American actress (The Birth of a Nation, Uncle Tom's Cabin), dies of a stroke at 85
• Feb 4 Una O'Connor, actress (Banjo, Invisible Man), dies at 78
• Feb 5 Gwili Andre, actress (No Other Woman, Roar of the Dragon), dies
• Feb 13 William Axt, American film scores composer (The Prisoner of Zenda), dies at 70
• Feb 17 Kathryn Adams, actress (Meet the Chump, 5th Avenue Girl), dies
• Feb 22 Helen Parrish, American actress (Hour Glass, Three Smart Girls Grow Up), dies of cancer at 35
• Mar 2 Eric Blore, British actor (Great Gatsby, Bowery to Baghdad, Abie's Irish Rose, Love Happy), dies at 70

• Mar 6 Fred Stone, renowned American circus performer and broadway actor (Alice Adams), dies at 85
• Mar 27 Grant Withers, American actor (Rio Grande, Oklahoma, Annie), commits suicide with sleeping pills at 54
• Apr 2 Benjamin Christensen, Danish actor (Barnet, Mockery) and film director (Häxan), dies at 79
• Apr 12 James Gleason, American writer and actor (Bishop's Wife, Flying Fool), dies at 76
• Apr 16 Charles Halton, British stage actor (Dr Cyclops, Tugboat Annie Sails Again), dies at 83
• Apr 18 Irving Cummings Sr, American silent screen actor and director (In Old Ariz), dies at 70
• May 16 Joe Cook, Stage comedian, dies at 69
• May 26 Joe Kelly, TV host (Quiz Kids), dies at 57

• Jun 18 Ethel Barrymore [Blythe], American actress (None but the Lonely Heart), dies at 79
• Jul 20 Harry Fox [Arthur Carringford], American vaudeville dancer, comedian and actor (Talent Scout), dies at 77
• Aug 6 Preston Sturges [Edmund Biden], American director and screenwriter (Sullivan's Travels), dies at 60
• Aug 13 Henri Garat, French actor and singer (Les dieux s'amusent, Congress Dances), dies at 57
• Aug 31 Charles Delaney, American actor (Air Police, Lonesome Trail), dies at 67
• Sep 6 Edmund Gwenn, English actor (Miracle on 34th Street), dies at 81
• Sep 6 Kay Kendall [Justine McCarthy], British actress (Genevieve, The Constant Husband, Les Girls), dies of leukaemia at 32
• Sep 11 Paul Douglas, American actor (Adventure Theater, Clash by Night), dies from a heart attack at 52
• Sep 14 Wayne Morris, American actor and decorated WWII pilot (Paths of Glory, The Bushwackers), dies from a heart attack at 45
• Sep 20 Olin Howlin, American actor (Gone with the Wind, Them!, Circus Boy), dies at 73
• Sep 20 Olin Howland, American actor (Gone with the Wind, Them!, Circus Boy), dies at 73
• Sep 22 Jane Winton, actress (Hell's Angel, Patsy, Don Juan), dies at 53
• Sep 25 Helen Broderick, comedienne/actress (Swing Time, Top Hat), dies
• Sep 28 Gerard Hoffnung, German-born British artist/humorist/musician, dies at 34
• Sep 29 Harold Huber, actor (I Cover Times Square), dies at 49
• Sep 30 Taylor Holmes, American actor (Sleeping Beauty, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), dies at 81
• Oct 3 William Bishop, American actor (Black Eagle, Adventures in Silverado, It's a Great Life), dies of cancer at 42
• Oct 7 Mario Lanza [Alfredo Arnold Cocozza], Italian-American actor and singer (Great Caruso, Toast of New Orleans), dies of a heart attack at 38
• Oct 14 Errol Flynn, Australian actor (Captain Blood, Robin Hood), dies of a heart attack at 50
• Oct 20 Werner Krauss, German actor (Joyless Street), dies at 75 (b. 1884)
• Oct 23 Gerda Lundequist, Swedish actress (b. 1871)
• Oct 25 Bob Murphy, TV host (RFD America), dies at 42

• Nov 10 Lupino Lane, English actor (Deputy Drummer), dies at 67
• Nov 14 Thomas W Ross, American actor (Without Limit, Kings Row, 17, Mortal Storm), dies at 84
• Nov 18 Arthur Q Bryan, American voice actor, comedian and radio personality (Beulah, The Devil Bat), dies from a heart attack at 60
• Nov 19 Gerard J Arbous, actor/publicist (Bohemian Amsterdam), dies at 83
• Nov 25 Jean Grémillon, French film director, dies at 58
• Nov 27 Gérard Philipe, French actor (Caligula, Devil in the Flesh), dies of cancer at 36
• Nov 28 Lester Vail, American actor (Dance Fools Dance, Consolation Marriage), dies at 60
• Dec 6 Len Doyle, actor (Harrington-Mr District Attorney), dies at 66
• Dec 7 Charlie Hall, English comedic actor (Tit for Tat, A Chump at Oxford), dies at 60
• Dec 10 Henri Vidal, French actor (Fabiola), dies of a heart attack at 40
• Dec 12 Russell Simpson, American actor (San Francisco, Abraham Lincoln), dies at 82
• Dec 22 Gilda Gray, actress (Piccadilly), dies of heart attack at 60
• Dec 23 Lester Lonergan Jr, actor (Growing Paynes), dies at 65

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