California

Did you know? Two years after his Oscars for "The Deer Hunter", Michael Cimino was hailed as an untouchable directing genius. Then came "Heaven's Gate" — a western epic so lavish that its 1980 failure became a turning point. United Artists was sold soon after, and the freewheeling director-driven cinema of the 1970s was declared over. A single film made Hollywood history — as a cautionary tale.

Did you know? When Marlon Brando won the 1973 Best Actor Oscar for "The Godfather," he never walked onto the stage. Instead he sent Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather, who declined the award live on air — in protest of Hollywood's portrayal of Native Americans. It became one of the most famous political moments in Oscar history.

Did you know? To the world Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks were inseparable for seven decades. In Reiner's final years Brooks came over nearly every evening: dinner together, "Jeopardy!", then a movie. Reiner's very last evening, June 29, 2020, was the same – in front of the TV, beside his oldest friend.

Did you know? Before every single take of his career, Jack Lemmon whispered the same two words to himself: "Magic time." It was his quiet vow to give each scene everything he had — for decades, from his first slate to his last.

Did you know? Back in 1970, long before the internet or the smartphone, Alvin Toffler described in "Future Shock" the feeling of being overwhelmed by too much change in too little time – and coined the term "information overload." His most important collaborator was his wife Heidi, who co-wrote for decades uncredited before finally being named as co-author.

Did you know? Michael Jackson patented the gravity-defying forward lean from "Smooth Criminal" — made possible by a special shoe that hitches onto a peg rising from the stage floor, letting the dancer tip forward as if weightless. The U.S. patent is numbered 5,255,452.

Did you know? When Peter Falk was three, his right eye was removed because of a tumor – for the rest of his life he wore a glass eye that gave him his unmistakable gaze. As a boy playing baseball, after an umpire called him out, he plucked out the glass eye, handed it over and said: "Here, I think you need this more than I do."

Did you know? Jonas Salk developed the first polio vaccine — and deliberately chose never to patent it. Asked who owned the patent, he replied: "The people. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?" A fortune was within reach; he chose to give it to everyone.

Did you know? As a boy, Aaron Spelling lost the use of his legs for a year — a psychosomatic response to relentless antisemitic bullying. That same boy became the most prolific television producer in history: with "Charlie's Angels", "The Love Boat", "Dynasty" and "Beverly Hills, 90210" he created more than 3,000 hours of TV — a Guinness World Record.

Did you know? George Carlin's legendary „Seven Dirty Words“ routine reached the US Supreme Court. The 1978 ruling still shapes what may air on US broadcast media.