Today is the 99th birthday of Doris Day.  If you see nothing else that she has done, see “The Man Who Knew Too Much.” It gives you everything you could ever want from her. If you feel like going deep, watch “The Doris Day Show,” it is amazing. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

Today is the 97th birthday of Marlon Brando. He was brilliant and beautiful. Have you seen A Streetcar Named Desire or On The Waterfront lately? He did get kind of strange, but we all will if we are lucky to live long enough. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Sixty-three years ago today, the film The Long, Hot Summer premiered. A beautiful film in every way. During filming, Newman and Woodward got married. You should watch this movie.

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Today is the 130th birthday of the artist Max Ernst.  I love his work.  I believe that I first ‘discovered’ it in a large old volume about the history of 20th century art that I favored in the college library over my assigned course work of whatever classes I happened to be enrolled in.  I ‘discovered’ a lot of artists, writers, cafe girls, rogues, vagabonds, bon vivants, dancers, composers, and revolutionaries in that library.  Max is in great company. The world is a better place because he is in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Fifty-three years ago today, the film 2001: A Space Odyssey premiered. There is an endless number of reasons to love this movie. I love the design of it. The George Nelson for Herman Miller desk, the Arne Jacobsen cutlery, those red Djinn chairs, and the Eurostile Bold Extended font. You have to watch this movie.

Today is the 82nd birthday of a true original, Ali MacGraw.  She didn’t only represent the late 60s and early 70s Bohemian-meets-American-Prep style: she was one of the people that invented it. Looking back at photos and movies of her from that time makes you want to embrace winter, if not only for the chance to wear chunky knits and prep school blazers. Her effortless chic and classic relaxed looks makes me want to rake leaves or go clam digging or play touch football with my family. Maybe not the last one all that much, but basically, I want to live inside a J.Crew catalog. The world is a better place because she is in it.

Today is the 89th birthday of the triple-threat powerhouse Debbie Reynolds. Longevity. Reinvention. Stamina. She had it all. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

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Today is the 148th birthday of the composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. I have been fortunate enough to experience many performances of his works. I think one summer, everyone was rehearsing one of his concertos, so I experienced it daily, if not hourly in some amount. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Sixty-eight years ago this month, the film Glen or Glenda premiered. Historically, it has been referred to the worst film by the worst director by mainstream film critics. But on behalf of Ed Wood, mainstream film critics can go fuck themselves. The whole film is available on YouTube and posted below.

Fifty-two years ago today, the film Sweet Charity premiered. It is really very enjoyable and you need to see it again.