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المومياء [Al-mummia / The Night of Counting the Years / The Mummy] (Chadi Abdel Salam, 1969)
Jan
11
Heritage Treasures Day
Men carrying the sarcophagi through the desert in a long, winding procession. Both the porters and the dead are dressed in white cloth. DP: Abdel Aziz Fahmy.
“You who go, you will return
You who sleep, you will rise
You who walk, you will be resurrected”
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The Anniversary (Roy Ward Baker + Alvin Rakoff, 1968)
Jan
10
National Houseplant Appreciation Day
Dear Mrs. Taggart (Bette Davis) takes a moment during the anniversary to water her many many houseplants in her winter garden. DP: Harry Waxman.
“Shirley my dear, would you mind sitting somewhere else? Body odor offends me.”
– Mrs. Taggart
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書を捨てよ町へ出よう [Sho o suteyo machi e deyō / Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets] (Shūji Terayama, 1971)
Jan
9
成人の日
Young adults rally in the streets. DP: Masayoshi Sukita.
“What the hell are you doing?”
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Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding, 1932)
Jan
8
World Typing Day
Despite Flaemmchen – Joan Crawford in her breakout role – is introduced as a “little stenographess”, that's clearly a typewriter on her desk. DP: William H. Daniels.
“Grand Hotel… always the same. People come, people go. Nothing ever happens.”
– Flaemmchen
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Le Pétomane du Moulin Rouge [The Fart Maniac] (1900)
Jan
7
National Pass Gas Day
Flatulist Joseph Pujol blowing out a candle with his derrière.
Witness the world famous pétomane shot on location at the Moulin Rouge (and amazingly not at Edison's Black Maria), as saved for prosperity by Edison Studios. The large trumpet-like contraption that can be seen on the left, the Edison Kinetophone, also present in The Dickson Experimental Sound Film (William Dickson, 1894/95), recorded the sound on a cylinder, that then could be played back in synch with the picture.
The original audio recording that accompanied this film is lost; do check your attic.
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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra, 1939)
Jan
6
National Smith Day
Mr. Jefferson Smith (a squeaky young Jimmy Stewart) holds up a travel-guide of Washington, D.C. to Saunders (Jean Arthur). DP: Joseph Walker.
“The Chair recognizes… Senator Smith!”
– President of Senate
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The Spider (Kenneth MacKenna + William Cameron Menzies, 1931)
Jan
4
World Hypnotism Day
A masked Alexander (Howard Phillips) seated on a curule on stage. DP: James Wong Howe.
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Le jour se lève [The Day Rises / Daybreak] (Marcel Carné, 1939)
Jan
3
Memento Mori Day
François (Jean Gabin) and Clara (Arletty). DPs: Philippe Agostini, André Bac, Albert Viguier & Curt Courant.
“People in love are said to be more alive than others. Is it true?”
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Z (Costa-Gavras, 1969)
Jan
1
Z Day
Hélène (Irene Papas) and Z (Yves Montand). DP: Raoul Coutard.
“A single cannon is fired and a teacher's monthly salary goes up in smoke.”
– Z