George M. Cohan 07/03/1878 -11/5/1942 tradition has his bday as July 4, but it's actually July 3; actor, singer, composer: Little Johnny Jones; I'd Rather Be Right; The Song & Dance Man, The Yankee Doodle Boy; Ah, Wilderness!; subject of movie: Yankee Doodle Dandy, and Broadway show: George M!
Franz Kafka 07/03/1883 - 6/3/1924 source material - METAMORPHOSIS; Les Proces
Gilbert Miller 07/03/1884 - Jan 1970 writer, director, producer son of Henry Miller – THE GOOD FAIRY & VICTORIA REGINA (both Helen Hayes); EDWARD MY SON (Peggy Ashcroft, Robert Morley)
George Sanders – 07/03/1906 - 4/24/1972 performer – Conversation Piece; film's Academy Award-winning actor: All About Eve [1950]; The Quiller Memorandum, Picture of Dorian Gray, Village of the Damned, A Shot in the Dark, Samson and Delilah & in my fav top 10 Rebecca
Dorothy Kilgallen – 07/03/1913 as listed by NYT (IBDB lists her bd as 06/03/1913) - Nov 8, 1965; Broadway columnist, host of "Breakfast with Dick and Dorothy"; crime reporter; writer, columnist, journalist & panelist – book for DREAM WITH MUSIC (w/Sidney Sheldon & Ben Roberts); TV’s WHAT’S MY LINE
Leueen MacGrath 07/03/1914 - Mar 27, 1992 writer, performer; wife of George S. Kaufman (May 26, 1949 - 1957) divorced – also in orig. EDWARD MY SON, book for SILK STOCKINGS
Rae Allen 07/03/1926 performer – origs. PAJAMA GAME, DAMN YANKEES, OLIVER, replacements in FIDDLER & CLEAR DAY
Ken Russell 07/03/1927 director – film's Women in Love; The Boy Friend; Altered States TOMMY
Tom Stoppard (Thomas Straussler) 07/03/1937 writer - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, ARCADIA, INVENTION OF LOVE (left at intermission); Jumpers; Coast of Utopia 1, 2, & 3; Rock 'n' Roll
David Shire 7/3/1937 composer, husband of Didi Conn (? - present), Talia Shire (divorced) - The Unknown Soldier and His Wife; Baby (Liz Callaway, Beth Fowler, Philip Hoffman, Martin Vidnovic, Todd Graff); Company; Big; Salsation; tv's & film's Zodiac; Streets of Laredo; The Heidi Chronicles; Bed & Breakfast; 'night, Mother; Short Circuit; Norma Rae; Raid on Entebbe; All the President's Men; Farewell, My Lovely; The Fortune; The Taking of Pelham One Two Three; McCloud; Evening Primrose; Alice; The Promise; Saturday Night Fever; I'd Rather Be Rich
Betty Buckley 07/03/1947 performer – A diva is born! Actress-singer Betty Buckley, who will become one of Broadway's leading ladies, is born today. After making her debut in 1776, Buckley will win the 1983 Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Musical for her turn in Cats. Other memorable stage moments will include Song and Dance, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Carrie, Sunset Blvd. and Triumph of Love. TV’s 8 IS ENOUGH
Audra Ann McDonald 07/03/1970 performer; wife of Peter Donovan (Sep 10, 2000 - present) – CAROUSEL; MASTER CLASS; RAGTIME; 2004 A Raisin in the Sun; 2003 Henry IV; Marie Christine; 2007 110 in the Shade
Patrick Wilson 07/03/1973 performer; Husband of Dagmara Dominczyk (June 18, 2005 - present) – FULL MONTY; OKLAHOMA; The Gershwins' Fascinating Rhythm; Barefoot in the Park; 2008 All My Sons
Alexander Gemignani 07/03/1979 performer; Son of Paul Gemignani & Carolann Page - 2004 Assassins; 2005 Sweeney Todd; 2006 Les Misérables; 2008 Sunday in the Park with George
SHOWS THAT OPENED ON THIS DATE:
1959 Billy Barnes Revue with Bert Convy, Ken Berry, Ann Guilbert, Joyce Jameson, Jackie Joseph, Patti Regan, Bob Rogers and Len Weinrib
ON THIS DAY IN:
1940 The legendary comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello debuted with their network radio show on NBC. Now, I ask you, “Who’s On First?”
1941 Broadway producer Sam Harris, a longtime associate of George M. Cohan, dies today in New York at age 69. Collaborations between the two included Little Johnny Jones and Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway. Among Harris' other producing credits was the Pulitzer Prize winning You Can't Take It With You.
1957 A young Broadway performer Judy Tyler (24) dies today in an auto accident. Tyler had a major role in the Rodgers and Hammerstein's Pipe Dream. She had also recently completed shooting on the Elvis Presley film "Jailhouse Rock."
1971 Singer Jim Morrison of The Doors dies in Paris at 27.
(sources, IBDB, IMDB, NYT On This Day, playbill.com & 440.com’s Those Were The Days)