Timelines for year 1966

Bruce Lee

His first major U.S. project was the role of Kato in the television series "The Green Hornet" . He joked that he got this role because he was the only Oriental actor who could properly pronounce the lead character's name: "Britt Reid.".

While "The Green Hornet" TV series was in production, Bruce made several promotional appearances as Kato, but made a point to never do the standard martial art stunts like breaking boards, which he felt had nothing to do with what martial arts are about.

Rock Hudson

He was very disappointed by the box office failure of Seconds , which he considered to be his best performance and had hoped would show the public that he could be a versatile film actor.

Candice Bergen

She came to Sidney Lumet's attention for The Group when the director spotted her in a Revlon advertisement hawking lipstick. He thought she was clutching a leopard, though it was really just a leopard print pillow.

Ellen Burstyn

Her third (and last) husband, Neil Nephew was a bright, talented upcoming actor and writer ("The Monkees" ). According to Ellen, he eventually degenerated into mental illness and became schizophrenic and violent. He left her just before she became a star. When she refused his pleas to get back together, he stalked and terrorized her for many years. He committed suicide in 1978.

Woody Allen

Wrote What's Up, Tiger Lily? , Take the Money and Run and Bananas with his childhood friend and first writing partner, Mickey Rose. Rose also co-wrote on all of Allen's earlier comedy albums and had a big hand in writing the famous "Moose" sketch.

Mariette Hartley

Mariette was not allowed to show her belly button in Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek" episode "All Our Yesterdays" due to censors. But Gene got even: he had Mariette show TWO belly buttons in Genesis II (TV).

Mike Nichols

Directed 17 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances:Elizabeth Taylor, Sandy Dennis,Richard Burton, George Segal,Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft,Katharine Ross, Ann-Margret, Meryl Streep,Cher, Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver,Joan Cusack, Kathy Bates, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Taylor and Dennis won Oscars for their performances in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? .

Walt Disney

Disney is credited as Retlaw Yensid for Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. 's original story. The pseudonym is Walter Disney reversed. The Disney family's company was named Retlaw Enterprises, Disney's first full name reversed.

Supported Ronald Reagan's run for governor of California in 1966.

Disney had been in bad health for a few months, before he finally entered St. Joseph Hospital in Burbank, California, on 2 November 1966, complaining of pain in his neck and back. An X-ray revealed a tumor on his left lung and surgery was advised. Disney, however, checked out to finish some studio business and re-entered the hospital on 6 November. Surgery was performed the next day and his left lung was found to be entirely cancerous and was removed.

It is Hollywood legend that, lying on his deathbed at St. Jospeh's Hospital in Burbank (across the street from the Disney Studios) his last words were about how shabby the studio's water tower looked. Visible from a nearby freeway, towering above the backlot, it is adorned with the image of his most beloved creation, Mickey Mouse. In adherance with what they believed were their founder's last wishes, studio executives have made sure the water tower was regularly repainted since he died in 1966.

Charlton Heston

Reports at the time suggested that Heston badly wanted to play Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons . The part went to Paul Scofield instead.

Was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1966-1971.

Ann-Margret

Rode a 500cc Triumph T100C Tiger motorcycle in The Swinger and the same model fitted with a non-standard electric starter in her stage show. A keen motorcyclist, she was featured in Triumph Motorcycles' official advertisements in the '60s--for obvious reasons!.

Walter Cronkite

Is the 1966 recipient of the prestigious Connor Award given by the brothers of the Phi Alpha Tau fraternity based out of Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He is also an honorary brother of the fraternity.

Elizabeth Taylor

She and Richard Burton starred together in 11 movies: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , The V.I.P.s , Under Milk Wood , The Taming of the Shrew , The Sandpiper , Hammersmith Is Out , Doctor Faustus , Divorce His - Divorce Hers (TV), The Comedians , Cleopatra and Boom! . She had an uncredited cameo in Burton's film Anne of the Thousand Days .