If they were alive today...

...these notables would be celebrating a birthday:

Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle would be 124.  One of Hollywood's most tragic figures, his actual screen work is far eclipsed by the scandal that swirled about him and ruined his career...and his life, dying broke and stigmatized at the age of 46.  He was one of the world's most beloved, highly-paid film comedians, on a par with Charlie Chaplin.  In 1921, he threw a debauched, booze-soaked, 3-day party in San Francisco.  A starlet by the name of Virginia Rappe mysteriously died at the party, and Arbuckle was blamed for raping and killing her.  After 3 protracted trials, Arbuckle was completely exonerated.  Not only that, the jury actually took the extraordinary step of penning an apology to him for this unjust prosecution/persecution.

"Acquittal is not enough for Roscoe Arbuckle. We feel that a great injustice has been done to him... there was not the slightest proof adduced to connect him in any way with the commission of a crime. He was manly throughout the case and told a straightforward story which we all believe. We wish him success and hope that the American people will take the judgement of fourteen men and women that Roscoe Arbuckle is entirely innocent and free from all blame."


It didn't matter.  He was forever tarnished, and only found work as a director of low-budget comedy shorts under an assumed name.  His legacy is that of a tragic victim of the twin injustices of the legal system...and a capriciously fickle public.



Maria Malibran would be 203.  She was the most famous and acclaimed opera singer of the 19th century, and gained infamy when she died at the age of 28 after a fall from a horse.

Harry Houdini was born (as Erik Weisz) 137 years ago, in Budapest.  He was one of the most famous showmen of the early 20th century, as a magician, escape-artist and stuntman.  He died in Detroit, on Halloween Day, 1926, after his appendix burst, when he had taken several blows to the abdomen from a spectator at one of his shows in Montreal.  Supposedly, Houdini dared anyone to take their best shot above his waist.  For once, he had seriously miscalculated his abilities.

Here's a brief, rare video clip of Houdini executing one of his escapes:


Steve McQueen would be 81.  Hard to imagine this "bad boy" actor would be in his 80's, isn't it?  He started out in television and B-movies (like The Blob) and went on to become one of the biggest, highest-paid and most talked-about stars of the 60's and 70's.  He has a wildly magnetic screen presence and seems remarkably contemporary in his style, even today.