August 25: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

August 25, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1944, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “A second material witness in the fatal stabbing of David Kammerer, college instructor, was free on bail today as Lucien Carr, 19-year-old Columbia University student, was indicted for the murder. The second witness released in $2,500 bail is William Seward Burroughs, 30, of 69 Bedford St., Manhattan. Police said Carr told Burroughs the story of the slaying, but that Burroughs did not report it. John Kerouac, former Columbia student also said to have heard the story, is also being held as a material witness in default of $5,000 bail.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1946, the Eagle reported, “The total expended on Gabriel Pascal’s Technicolor production of Bernard Shaw’s ‘Caesar and Cleopatra,’ due Sept. 5 at the Astor Theater, exceeds that ever spent on any picture anywhere, Hollywood included. As the figures received from London indicate, the cost was approximately $6,000,000. Picture makers on both sides of the Atlantic are now asking whether this enormous figure doesn’t represent the top amount that’s likely to be devoted to a single production for years to come. The gross returns on films have several times exceeded that figure, as in the case of ‘Snow White’ and ‘Gone With the Wind.’ But producers are wondering whether a higher figure than this wouldn’t make it difficult to get back the original investment. They incline to the belief that the top limit has been reached by ‘Caesar and Cleopatra.’’

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ON THIS DAY IN 1949, the Eagle reported, “‘The Girl From Jones Beach,’ Warner Brothers’ exciting romance, starring Ronald Reagan, Virginia Mayo and Eddie Bracken, is currently playing to capacity audiences at the Brooklyn Strand Theater where it will be held for a second week, beginning Saturday.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1950, the Eagle reported, “WILLIAMSPORT, PA. (U.P.) ― Bill Martin, 12-year-old hurler from Houston, Texas, was the star of the Little League World Series after pitching two consecutive no-hit, no-run games in the tournament for eight to 12-year-old ball players. Martin turned in his second no-hit performance as his Houston team blanked Westerly, R.I., yesterday, 3-0. Earlier this month, he pitched a 3-0 no-hitter to eliminate San Diego, Cal., in regional competition. Another 12-year-old pitcher, Gordon Andrews of Pensacola, Fla., struck out 21 batters yesterday only to lose the game, 2-1, to Kankakee, Illinois.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1952, the Eagle reported, “Dwight D. Eisenhower said today the United States is in its greatest peril in history because Soviet Russia is ‘insatiable in its lust for conquest.’ The Republican Presidential nominee, in an address prepared for delivery before the 34th annual American Legion convention in Madison Square Garden, said that ‘the fire of hope that flamed high in American hearts’ at the end of World War II has disappeared ‘under the monstrous advance of Communist tyranny.’ ‘This tyranny is primitive in its brutalism,’ Eisenhower said. ‘It is insatiable in its lust for conquest. It is committed to subversion and revolution and war until the continents are its slave camps and all humankind are its chattel.’ The G.O.P. nominee said America must be militarily and productively strong, must cooperate more closely with other nations of the free world, and must serve notice on the Kremlin that it does not recognize ‘the slightest permanence in Russia’s position in Eastern Europe and Asia.’”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1961, the Brooklyn Record reported, “Headquarters for the Abe Stark for Brooklyn Borough President campaign was formally opened at 123 Livingston Street, it was announced today by John J. Lynch and Herbert H. Pensig, co-chairmen of the campaign committee. Joining Council President Stark at the exercises were State Comptroller Arthur Levitt, the regular Democratic candidate for Mayor, Commissioner Joseph DiFede, candidate for City Comptroller, Senator Thomas Mackell, candidate for President of the City Council, and the local Democratic candidates. A second headquarters for the Stark campaign was opened simultaneously in the East New York section of Brooklyn at Avenue M and Rockaway Parkway. This campaign command post will be staffed by an independent group of backers who have organized as Volunteers or Abe Stark. The Stark campaign is geared to the theme, ‘A Man Who Cares,’ Mr. Lynch and Mr. Pensig declared.”

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Rachel Bilson
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Saturday Night Fever” director John Badham, who was born in 1939; Baseball Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers, who was born in 1946; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Gene Simmons (Kiss), who was born in 1949; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rob Halford (Judas Priest), who was born in 1951; Asia and Yes keyboardist Geoff Downes, who was born in 1952; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Elvis Costello, who was born in 1954; “Beetlejuice” director Tim Burton, who was born in 1958; “L.A. Law” star Blair Underwood, who was born in 1964; TV personality Rachael Ray, who was born in 1968; seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry, who was born in 1970; model and fashion designer Claudia Schiffer, who was born in 1970; “Game Shakers” star Kel Mitchell, who was born in 1978; “The O.C.” star Rachel Bilson, who was born in 1981; “Gossip Girl” star Blake Lively, who was born in 1987; former N.Y. Yankees pitcher Adam Warren, who was born in 1987; and “Black Lightning” star China Anne McClain, who was born in 1998.

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AMERICAN BEAUTY: The National Park Service was founded on this day in 1916. The Organic Act, which established the service within the Dept. of the Interior, stated that its purpose was to “promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments, and reservations … to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein.”

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THE CURTAIN GOES UP: “The Wizard of Oz” premiered on this day in 1939. Directed by Victor Fleming, the musical adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s book was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning for Best Original Music Score and Best Song, “Over the Rainbow.”

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Special thanks to “Chase’s Calendar of Events” and Brooklyn Public Library.

Quotable:

“I would urge all bands that say they only care about credibility and don’t care about money to send Gene Simmons every dollar that they don’t want. I’d be happy to take it off them.”

— Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Gene Simmons, who was born on this day in 1949