BORN ON THIS DAY IN HORROR HISTORY

• 1979 – The writer/director of “District 9,” Neill Blomkamp. He’s also done visual effects work on the TV series’ “Smallville,” “Dark Angel” and “Stargate SG-1.”
• 1966 – Tracy Dali, has acted in “Paranormal Movie”, “Sexy Urban Legends (TV Series)”, “The Scorpion King”, “Back to the Future Part II.”
• 1965 – Writer/producer/director Bryan Singer, whose film credits include “X-Men,” “X-2,” “Superman Returns” and “Trick ‘r Treat.”
• 1965 – Kyle Chandler, who appeared in the 2005 remake of “King Kong” and the 2008 remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”
• 1951 – The horror hostess with the mostess Cassandra Peterson a.k.a. “Elvira.”
• 1945 – Bruce Spense who played the “Gyro Captain” (a.k.a. “Jedediah the pilot”) in “The Road Warrior” and “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.” He’s also appeared in “Dark City,” “Queen of the Damned” and “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.”
• 1938 – Paul Benedict, best known for playing “Jefferson’s” neighbor “Harry Bently,” and who appeared in the films “The Addams Family,” “The Devil’s Advocate” and the 1993 version of “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.”
• 1931 – Anne Brancroft, wife of “Mel Brooks,” who appeared in “Gorilla At Large” and “Dracula, Dead and Loving It.”
• 1928 – Curtis Harrington, who directed the films “Queen of Blood,” “Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell,” and various TV series including “Tales of the Unexpected,” “Logan’s Run” and the 1985 version of “The Twilight Zone.”
• 1928 – The late Roddy McDowall. He of course played “Cornelius” in the “Planet of the Apes” films and TV series and horror host “Peter Vincent” in the “Fright Night” films.
• 1917 – Writer/producer Ib Melchior whose credits include the films “The Angry Red Planet,” “The Time Travelers” and “Planet of the Vampires.”
• 1910 – John Dodsworth who appeared in “The Mole People,” “The Magnetic Monster” and “The 27th Day.”
• 1904 – Director Edgar G. Ulmer, whose films include “Daughter of Dr. Jekyll,” “The Man From Planet X” and the 1934 version of “The Black Cat” starring Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.

DIED ON THIS DAY IN HORROR HISTORY

• 2009 – Stuntman Dick Durock, whose films include “Battle” and “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” and “The Thing With Two Heads,” passed away at the age of 72. He played the “Swamp Thing” in the original film, “The Return of the Swamp Thing” and on the TV series of the same name.
• 1993 – Christian Nyby, who directed “The Thing From Another World,” passed away at the age of 80.
• 1984 – Richard Basehart who starred in the TV series “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” passed away at the age of 70.
• 1972 – Akim Tamiroff who appeared in the films “Mr. Sardonicus,” “The Vulture” and “The Black Sleep,” passed away at the age of 72.

FILMS RELEASED ON THIS DAY IN HORROR HISTORY

• Before I Hang 1940
  Sherlock Holmes Faces Death 1943
  Revenge of the Zombies 1943
  Godzilla vs. the Thing 1964 a.k.a. Mosura tai Gojira
• The House by the Lake 1976
  The Double-D Avenger 2001
  Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow 2004
  Messengers 2004
  Tales From Beyond 2004
  Bloodsucking Babes From Burbank 2006
• Devil 2010