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Fuel (band)

Fuel is an American rock band from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, formed by guitarist-songwriter Carl Bell in 1993. After several independent releases, the band signed with 550 Music and Epic Records to release their debut studio album Sunburn (1998), which was supported by their first hit single, "Shimmer". The song peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100, while their 2000 single, '"Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" peaked at number 30. The latter, along with the moderate hit "Bad Day" spawned from the band's second album, Something Like Human (2000). Their 2003 single, "Falls on Me", led their third album, Natural Selection (2003), which was met with moderate success and followed by several lineup and personnel changes.

Fuel has had multiple videos in frequent rotation on MTV, performed on numerous live networks in the US, Canada, and Australia, and recorded songs for film soundtracks such as Scream 3, Daredevil, Godzilla, and A Walk to Remember. Sunburn has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), while Something Like Human has been certified double-platinum. Bell, despite having written and produced each of the band's releases, assigned the role of lead vocalist to American singer Brett Scallions, who did so from 1993 to 2010, and once again since 2020.

In 2013, "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" became the No. 6 Alternative Rock song of the past 25 years according to Billboard's Alternative Chart 25th Anniversary: Top 100 Songs.

Early years (1989–1997)
What would become Fuel was formed in 1989 in the western Tennessee town of Kenton when childhood friends Carl Bell and Jeff Abercrombie began playing music together in junior high school and played in various garage bands. After graduating high school, Bell (who was a few years older than Abercrombie) headed to college where he met drummer Jody Abbott. Bell and Abbott formed a college campus band, Wanted (along with Robert Wagner and Mark Crawford), in Henderson, Tennessee. After college, Bell and Abercrombie – at the time, attending college at the University of Tennessee at Martin – reunited with Abbott and formed the band Reel Too Real, playing cover songs at local clubs in Tennessee and eventually becoming a national touring club circuit band. Bassist Jeff Abercrombie saw vocalist-guitarist Brett Scallions performing in a bar in Jackson, Tennessee in 1992 and later recruited him to join the band in early 1993.

With the simultaneous addition of keyboardist Erik Avakian, the first proper iteration of the band was formed. That same year, the band moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where they performed at local Pennsylvania bars & nightclubs under the name Reel Too Real, playing cover songs. The band made a choice to perform under a different name when showcasing its own original material. That name, for the time being, would be Small the Joy, which produced one self-released EP, a self-titled cassette tape, in 1994. The band then once again decided to change its name, this time settling on the name Fuel, before self-releasing their second EP, Porcelain, in 1996 as well as repackaging their first EP, Small the Joy, with the "Fuel" name on it. Porcelain sold well locally, spawning a small local radio hit with "Shimmer" even before being signed to a major label. The popularity of the EP brought them to the attention of Sony's 550 imprint, which released their third EP, Hazleton, the following year in 1998.

Sunburn and Something like Human (1998–2001)
Upon signing to Epic, the band entered Longview Farm recording studios in Massachusetts, along with producer Steven Haigler and session drummer Jonathan Mover; Abbott had been ousted from the band prior to recording. The band's full-length debut, Sunburn, came out in 1998. A re-recorded version of "Shimmer" was again included and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks charts, No. 11 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, No. 37 on the Adult Top 40 chart and at No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the other singles ("Bittersweet", "Jesus or a Gun" and "Sunburn") received some airplay. Guitarist and songwriter Carl Bell said in a 2018 interview that the record company wanted to push "Shimmer" to top 40 radio but the band fought them on this, mentioning that at the time, rock bands were worried about protecting their image. The songs "Shimmer" and "Sunburn" are also featured on the charitable album Live in the X Lounge. "Sunburn" was also featured in the movie Scream 3, and the band contributed the non-LP track "Walk the Sky" to the 1998 American Godzilla film. The band then toured in support of the release with new drummer Kevin Miller, who had joined the band from the Lehigh Valley-based bar band The Armadillos. Sunburn was later certified Gold and then Platinum by the RIAA.

In 2000, Fuel returned with their second album, Something Like Human, featuring the single "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" which was No. 1 for 12 weeks on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. The single was also named Billboard's No. 5 Rock Song of the Decade according to their Best of the 2000s Rock Songs chart. In 2013 "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" became the No. 6 Alternative Rock song of the past 25 years according to Billboard's Alternative Chart 25th Anniversary: Top 100 Songs. Something Like Human peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA on September 25, 2001.

Natural Selection, line-up changes and Angels & Devils (2002–2007)
In 2002, prior to the recording of their third studio album, Scallions underwent vocal cord surgery. He reportedly had to relearn how to sing entirely post-surgery, with Miller later alleging that Scallions was lip syncing while on tour to compensate. The album, Natural Selection was released in 2003. Its lead single, "Falls On Me", was the band's final song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 52, as well as their final song to chart internationally. The album peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and sold 71,000 copies in its first week.

Drummer Kevin Miller was dismissed from the band in 2004. On February 7, 2006, Fuel announced through their website singer Brett Scallions had left the band. Fuel had already laid the instrumental tracks for their fourth album and soon began auditioning singers so the band could move forward. Abercrombie and Bell took notice of American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry, after he performed "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" on the show. The single achieved the iTunes Top 10 download list, remaining a number of days and sparking interest in other Fuel songs, which began to appear on the iTunes Top 100 download chart. On March 3, 2006, American Idol judge Randy Jackson stated in an interview Daughtry had been offered the opportunity to become Fuel's new lead singer. Fuel confirmed their interest on their official website as well as interviews appearing on CNN Entertainment Tonight. On May 11, 2006, Abercrombie and Bell appeared on the TV show Extra to officially offer Daughtry the job. However, though "flattered", Daughtry turned down this offer to pursue a solo career. By this time also, Tommy Stewart, formerly of Godsmack, was named on Fuel's Myspace page as Fuel's drummer.

On June 8, 2006, The Band announced the band had found a new lead singer but was awaiting confirmation from the record label to announce it. Still, they officially entered the studio in mid-August with producer Scott Humphrey to start recording their fourth album. Due to other commitments Stewart was not available to play drums on the album, so Tommy Lee and Josh Freese performed drums in his place. The band posted photos from the studio fairly often on the band's website and MySpace.

On March 9, 2007, The Band officially announced Fuel's next album, complete with new band members, was fully mixed and going to mastering, and on April 19, 2007, he posted on Fuel's official website their new lead singer was Toryn Green.

On May 15, 2007, The Band announced the title of the new album—Angels & Devils. On June 19, 2007, Fuel's first single from their new album, "Wasted Time", was released into rock radio and internet download, peaking at No. 24 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. The album was released on August 7, 2007. A second single, "Gone", was released on October 23. Angels & Devils debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 42, selling roughly 15,000 copies in its first week. On October 20, 2008, Sony's catalog division Legacy Recordings released the album Playlist: The Very Best of Fuel on their Playlist series.

The return of Brett Scallions and Puppet Strings (2010–2020)
On April 8, 2010, the reformation of Fuel was confirmed in an official press release. The band consisted of Scallions with an entirely new lineup.

"There is only one original of anything," says Scallions, "and that includes Fuel. The original lineup with Carl, Jeff, Jody, and myself will always be something special to all of us, and our first Fuelies (a term for Fuel fans) but it has been thirteen years since the original lineup was intact, and since then many great musicians have come and gone. The lineup I put together for Fuel is not meant to replace or diminish what any of the original members created. Just the opposite, it is to give our fans a live destination and to keep the Fuel name alive for a new generation to discover. Maybe someday we'll all get on the same page and play together again, but life happens, and the next thing you know you just can't jump on a bus and take off for a month, let alone a year."

It was later announced on June 25, 2010, former Shinedown guitarist Jasin Todd had joined the band to replace Yogi Lonich on lead guitar. Lonich returned to the band in January 2011. Todd left the band on good terms.

In March 2011, Brett Scallions started a new band called World Fire Brigade. The group was a writing team of Brett Scallions, Eddie Wohl, and Smile Empty Soul's Sean Danielsen. Scallions and Danielsen shared vocal duties, Danielsen played guitar parts, Scallions played bass, and Ken Schalk performed all drum tracks. Guest guitar solos were contributed by Rob Caggiano of Volbeat, Andy Andersson who played with Scallions in Fuel during the Puppet Strings era, and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam.

The re-formed Fuel performed at The Bamboozle in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on May 1, 2011.

The band played Bethlehem Musikfest alongside Buckcherry, however, Yogi Lonich was not on stage. A friend of Scallions, Martin Estrada, filled in for the show. Brett Scallions announced on his official Facebook page that Yogi Lonich and Scallions were parting ways amicably and it was best for Fuel to search for a replacement. Scallions also hinted there to be new music in the works and also introduced the band's new lead guitarist, Andy Andersson. The band continued its tour and played new material during their shows.

Fuel entered the studio on March 8, 2012, to record their fifth full-length studio album, Puppet Strings. Eddie Wohl, co-producer of the World Fire Brigade album alongside Scallions and Danielsen, co-produced the new Fuel album with Scallions. In late September, the band re-entered the studio to complete the guitar and bass tracks for the record. As of February 2013, the band was still in the studio finishing vocal & guitar tracks. Originally planned for a 2012 release, the album had been pushed back to a possible mid-2013 release. This marked six years since the band released their previous album Angels & Devils.

On April 30, 2013, drummer Ken Schalk announced his departure from the band to spend more time with his family. On that same day, Scallions announced new drummer Bryan "Keelgood" Keeling, formerly of the band Mr. Rocket Baby. The band, however, kept Schalk's drum tracks, as referenced by Keeling in his first interview since joining the band. On April 30, 2013, Brett Scallions announced a new Fuel single was targeted for a mid-summer release via download once the "details have been worked out and handshakes have been made".

On June 26, 2013, Scallions announced that Bryan Keeling was going out on tour with Eric Sardinas in Europe and that Shannon Boone (current drummer for Puddle of Mudd) had joined the band. Scallions also commented on the new album; "The record has been recorded and is so close to being released for all of you I can taste it. There will be big announcements very soon regarding release dates, singles, videos, and much much more. Take care and we will see you all soon at a venue near you!"

Scallions confirmed the new album was mixed by Ben Grosse who also collaborated with Fuel on Something Like Human. According to Scallions, the new album was currently in the mastering stage of production.

It was announced through Guitar World on December 5, 2013, the album indeed titled, Puppet Strings, would be released on March 4, 2014. Puppet Strings debuted at #1 on the rock charts, the band's first number one since Something Like Human. The song, "Yeah!", was released for free download on the website as well, although it was believed to be the first single, Scallions stated it is not the first single but rather a "teaser". The first single, "Soul to Preach To" was released in late January 2014.

In May 2015, as Fuel geared up to join Everclear on their Summerland Tour, ex-Filter bass player Phil Buckman temporarily replaced Brad Stewart, with Stewart himself filling in for the band Saliva. Although Brad stated he was scheduled to re-join Fuel on June 9, the temporary switch proved to be permanent with Stewart continuing his new role in Saliva, as did Buckman with Fuel.

Scallions made many posts on Facebook and Instagram of him working in the studio on new material. It was later announced it was to be released as solo material. The band toured the US in August and September 2017 and toured Australia and New Zealand in December 2017. Fuel toured throughout 2018, playing Sunburn in its entirety to commemorate its 20th anniversary.

On October 21, 2020, Scallions officially announced his departure from Fuel in a Facebook post :

"'Hey, everyone. FYI, I AM NO LONGER IN FUEL! It seems there are quite a few people posting on the Fuel Facebook page that think it's me. I am part to blame for that as I have not officially posted regarding this until now. Well, it's official. I will no longer be performing nor will I be supporting the Fuel brand in any way. Unresolved differences have finally come to a point to where it's best to simply walk away never to return. I'd like to thank each and every fan and friend I have made throughout my time fronting the band. It's been quite the ride, but now it's time to move on to greener pastures. As many of you may know, I've been working on solo material for some time now and I must say it's coming out amazing. I can't wait to present to you this true labor of love. And once this whole pandemic is over, I plan to be touring and performing not only the new solo material, but also the songs I've made famous over the years as well as many favorites from other great artists. The light ahead is quite bright and I look forward to many more fun moments musically with you all. Hugs and love and I hope to see you from a stage in the very near future!'"

Since his departure from Fuel, Scallions has made several posts on Facebook regarding his new project called RadioBot, formerly Melody Brothers. Originally planned for sometime in 2022, their first single, "This World’s on Fire", was released on December 8, 2023.

Bell and Miller's return, Anomaly, death of Jody Abbott and Corsale's departure (2020–present)
In 2020, founding member and primary songwriter Carl Bell decided to return to the band, forming a new version of the group. According to Bell, this was more or less a rebirth of Fuel and a new era for the band. Bell reunited with former drummer Kevin Miller to reform the group. Together they recruited a new singer, John Corsale, who at the time was the frontman for Miller's band Smashed. They began rehearsing in the summer of 2020 and later began working on what would become Fuel's 6th full-length album. During that time, the band also released Something Like Human on vinyl for the first time. Anomaly was released on October 22, 2021. Bell wrote and performed all instruments on Anomaly with Corsale performing vocals. Bell also produced and mixed the album. The first single, "Hard", was released on July 9. The album's second single, "Don't Say I", was released on August 20, 2021. On July 20, 2022, original drummer Jody Abbott died of Huntington's disease at age 55 after living with the disease for multiple years. In October 2022, John Corsale was removed from the band for publicly undisclosed reasons. He was later replaced by Aaron Scott, who had performed "Hemorrhage" on national television (in this instance, The Voice).

Band members
Current members
 * Carl Bell – lead guitar, backing vocals, occasional keyboards (1993–2010, 2020–present)
 * Kevin Miller – drums (1998–2004, 2020–present)
 * Mark Klotz – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (2020–present)
 * Tommy Nat – bass, backing vocals (2020–present)
 * Aaron Scott – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2022–present)

Former members
 * Brett Scallions – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1993–2006, 2010–2020)
 * Jeff Abercrombie – bass (1993–2010)
 * Jody Abbott – drums (1993–1998; died 2022)
 * Erik Avakian – keyboards, backing vocals (1993–1994)
 * Toryn Green – lead vocals (2006–2010)
 * Tommy Stewart – drums (2004–2010)
 * Ken Schalk – drums (2010–2013)
 * Brad Stewart – bass (2010–2015)
 * Andy Andersson – lead guitar, backing vocals (2011–2015)
 * John Corsale – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2020–2022)

Former touring musicians
 * Yogi Lonich – lead guitar, backing vocals (2010, 2011)
 * Phil Buckman – bass, backing vocals (2015–2020)
 * Bryan Keeling – drums (2013)
 * Shannon Boone – drums (2013–2020)
 * Jason Womack – lead guitar, backing vocals (2015–2020)
 * Jasin Todd – lead guitar (2010–2011)
 * Ronny Paige – bass (2007–2008)

Timeline

Discography

 * Studio albums
 * Sunburn (1998)
 * Something Like Human (2000)
 * Natural Selection (2003)
 * Angels & Devils (2007)
 * Puppet Strings (2014)
 * Anomaly (2021)

title: Fuel (band)


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1939 in film

The year 1939 in film is widely considered the greatest year in film history. The ten films nominated for Best Picture at the 12th Academy Awards (which honored the best in film for 1939)—Dark Victory, Gone with the Wind, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Love Affair, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Ninotchka, Of Mice and Men, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, and Wuthering Heights—range in genre and are considered classics.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1939 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events
Film historians often rate 1939 as "the greatest year in the history of Hollywood". Hollywood studios were at the height of their Golden Age, producing a number of exceptional motion pictures, many of which became honored as all-time classic films.

 * February 15 – John Ford's Western film Stagecoach starring John Wayne premieres in New York City and Los Angeles.
 * March 31 – Release of the 20th Century Fox film version of The Hound of the Baskervilles, first of a Sherlock Holmes film series starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson.
 * June 10 – MGM's first successful animated character, Barney Bear, makes his debut in The Bear That Couldn't Sleep.
 * August 10 – The Wizard of Oz premieres at the Orpheum Theatre in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Its Hollywood premiere takes place on August 15 at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.
 * October 17 – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington premieres in Washington, D.C.
 * November 6 – Hedda Hopper's Hollywood debuts on radio in the United States with gossip columnist Hedda Hopper as host; the show runs until 1951, making Hopper a powerful figure among the Hollywood elite.
 * December 15 – The epic historical romance film Gone with the Wind, starring Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland and Leslie Howard, premieres at Loew's Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, with a three-day-long festival. Based on Margaret Mitchell's best-selling novel of 1936, it is the longest American film made up to this date (at nearly four hours) and rapidly becomes the highest-grossing film up to this time.
 * Canada establishes a National Film Commission, predecessor of the National Film Board of Canada, with John Grierson as first Commissioner.

Nominations for the Academy Award for Best Picture and Director
The year 1939 was one in which the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated ten films for Best Picture:

 * Dark Victory
 * Gone with the Wind (Best Picture winner)
 * Goodbye, Mr. Chips
 * Love Affair
 * Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
 * Ninotchka
 * Of Mice and Men
 * Stagecoach
 * The Wizard of Oz
 * Wuthering Heights

These films came from a wide variety of film genres and sources for their stories and settings, including: historical fiction (Gone with the Wind), contemporary affairs (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Of Mice and Men), love stories, classic novels (Wuthering Heights), fantasies/musicals, (The Wizard of Oz), tragic plays (Dark Victory), westerns (Stagecoach), and comedies (Ninotchka).

Each of the five nominees for Best Director of 1939 were or went on to become a legendary film director with multiple acclaimed films to his credit: Frank Capra (previous winner of the award), Victor Fleming, John Ford (who won a record four Best Director awards), Sam Wood, and William Wyler (who leads all directors in nominations with 11 while having three wins).

Academy Awards
Gone with the Wind received in all ten Academy Awards (eight competitive, two honorary) from thirteen nominations.
 * Best Picture: Gone with the Wind – David O. Selznick; Selznick International, MGM
 * Best Director: Victor Fleming – Gone with the Wind
 * Best Actor: Robert Donat – Goodbye, Mr. Chips
 * Best Actress: Vivien Leigh – Gone with the Wind
 * Best Supporting Actor: Thomas Mitchell – Stagecoach
 * Best Supporting Actress: Hattie McDaniel – Gone with the Wind (first African American to win an Academy Award)

1939 film releases
United States

January–March

 * January 1939
 * 13 January
 * Son of Frankenstein
 * 14 January
 * Jesse James
 * 27 January
 * Idiot's Delight
 * 28 January
 * They Made Me a Criminal
 * February 1939
 * 3 February
 * Honolulu
 * 10 February
 * The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
 * Made for Each Other
 * 17 February
 * Gunga Din
 * The Three Musketeers
 * March 1939
 * 3 March
 * Stagecoach
 * 10 March
 * The Ice Follies of 1939
 * 13 March
 * Rough Riders' Round-up
 * 17 March
 * The Little Princess
 * 24 March
 * Midnight
 * Three Smart Girls Grow Up
 * Wuthering Heights, premieres in Los Angeles CA, for US released on April 13
 * 29 March
 * The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
 * 31 March
 * The Hound of the Baskervilles

April–June

 * April 1939
 * 1 April
 * Dodge City
 * 7 April
 * Love Affair
 * The Flying Irishman
 * Wuthering Heights
 * 11 April
 * Buck Rogers
 * 14 April
 * The Story of Alexander Graham Bell
 * 16 April
 * The Face at the Window
 * 22 April
 * Dark Victory
 * 29 April
 * A Girl Must Live
 * May 1939
 * 5 May
 * Rose of Washington Square
 * Sorority House
 * 6 May
 * Confessions of a Nazi Spy
 * 19 May
 * It's a Wonderful World
 * 20 May
 * You Can't Get Away With Murder
 * 25 May
 * Only Angels Have Wings
 * 26 May
 * The Gorilla
 * June 1939
 * 2 June
 * The Girl From Mexico
 * 9 June
 * Young Mr. Lincoln
 * 10 June
 * Juarez
 * 16 June
 * Tarzan Finds a Son!
 * 20 June
 * Good Girls Go to Paris
 * 23 June
 * Five Came Back
 * 30 June
 * Bachelor Mother
 * The Four Just Men

July–September

 * July 1939
 * 4 July
 * Beau Geste
 * 7 July
 * On Borrowed Time
 * 13 July
 * The Man in the Iron Mask
 * 21 July
 * Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever
 * 28 July
 * Goodbye, Mr. Chips
 * Frontier Marshal
 * August 1939
 * 4 August
 * The Four Feathers
 * 6 August
 * Cheer Boys Cheer
 * 10 August
 * The Wizard of Oz
 * 11 August
 * Lady of the Tropics
 * 18 August
 * In Name Only
 * 19 August
 * Each Dawn I Die
 * 26 August
 * The Angels Wash Their Faces
 * 28 August
 * Ask a Policeman
 * Daughter of the Tong
 * 31 August
 * The Women
 * September 1939
 * The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
 * 2 September
 * The Old Maid
 * 5 September
 * Golden Boy
 * 7 September
 * The Rains Came
 * 8 September
 * Blackmail
 * Full Confession
 * 9 September
 * Charlie Chan at Treasure Island
 * 15 September
 * Babes in Arms
 * 22 September
 * Fifth Avenue Girl
 * 29 September
 * The Arizona Kid
 * Dancin' Co-Ed
 * Honeymoon in Bali

October–December

 * October 1939
 * 6 October
 * Intermezzo: A Love Story
 * 13 October
 * Jamaica Inn
 * 17 October
 * Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
 * 20 October
 * At the Circus
 * 23 October
 * The Roaring Twenties
 * November 1939
 * 2 November
 * Drums Along the Mohawk
 * 3 November
 * The Flying Deuces
 * 10 November
 * Allegheny Uprising
 * The Cat and the Canary
 * First Love
 * 11 November
 * The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
 * 17 November
 * Another Thin Man
 * Tower of London
 * 22 November
 * The Amazing Mr. Williams
 * 23 November
 * Ninotchka
 * December 1939
 * 2 December
 * The Return of Doctor X
 * 8 December
 * Barricade
 * 15 December
 * Gone With the Wind
 * 16 December
 * Zorro's Fighting Legion
 * 22 December
 * Everything Happens at Night
 * Gulliver's Travels
 * 29 December
 * Destry Rides Again
 * The Hunchback of Notre Dame
 * Swanee River

Notable films released in 1939
United States unless stated

A

 * The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, starring Mickey Rooney and Rex Ingram
 * The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce
 * Allegheny Uprising, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne
 * Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever, starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden
 * The Angels Wash Their Faces, starring Ann Sheridan and the Dead End Kids
 * The Amazing Mr. Williams, starring Melvyn Douglas and Joan Blondell
 * Another Thin Man, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy
 * The Arizona Kid, starring Roy Rogers
 * The Arsenal Stadium Mystery – (GB)
 * Ask a Policeman, starring Will Hay, Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott – (GB)
 * At the Circus, starring the Marx Brothers

B

 * Babes in Arms, directed by Busby Berkeley, starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland
 * Bachelor Mother, starring Ginger Rogers and David Niven
 * Bad Lands, starring Robert Barrat and Robert Coote
 * Barricade, starring Alice Faye and Warner Baxter
 * Beau Geste, directed by William Wellman, starring Gary Cooper and Ray Milland
 * Bel Ami – (Germany)
 * Blackmail, starring Edward G. Robinson
 * Blue Montana Skies, starring Gene Autry
 * Boy Slaves
 * Boys' Reformatory, starring Frankie Darro
 * The Bronze Buckaroo, starring Herb Jeffries

C

 * The Cat and the Canary, starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard
 * Cesta do hlubin študákovy duše – (Czechoslovakia)
 * Charlie Chan at Treasure Island, starring Sidney Toler
 * Charlie Chan in Reno, starring Sidney Toler and Ricardo Cortez
 * Cheer Boys Cheer, starring Nova Pilbeam (GB)
 * Confessions of a Nazi Spy, starring Edward G. Robinson, Francis Lederer, George Sanders, Paul Lukas

D

 * Dark Victory, starring Bette Davis, George Brent, Humphrey Bogart, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Ronald Reagan
 * Daughter of the Tong, starring Evelyn Brent and Grant Withers
 * Days of Jesse James, directed by Joseph Kane, starring Roy Rogers
 * Destry Rides Again, directed by George Marshall, starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart
 * Dodge City, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland
 * Drums Along the Mohawk, directed by John Ford, starring Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert

E

 * Each Dawn I Die, starring James Cagney and George Raft
 * The Empress Wu Tse-tien – (China)
 * Eva tropí hlouposti (Eva Fools Around) – (Czechoslovakia)
 * Everything Happens at Night, starring Sonja Henie and Ray Milland
 * Fifth Ave Girl, starring Ginger Rogers and Walter Connolly

F

 * The Face at the Window, starring Tod Slaughter
 * First Love, starring Deanna Durbin and Robert Stack
 * Five Came Back, directed by John Farrow, starring Lucille Ball and Chester Morris
 * The Flying Deuces, directed by A. Edward Sutherland, starring Laurel and Hardy
 * The Flying Irishman, starring Douglas Corrigan
 * The Four Feathers, starring John Clements and Ralph Richardson – (GB)
 * The Four Just Men, directed by Walter Forde (GB)
 * Frontier Marshal, starring Randolph Scott, Caesar Romero, John Carradine
 * Full Confession, starring Victor McLaglen

G

 * The Girl from Mexico, starring Lupe Vélez
 * A Girl Must Live, directed by Carol Reed, starring Margaret Lockwood – (GB)
 * Golden Boy, starring Barbara Stanwyck, William Holden, Adolphe Menjou
 * Gone with the Wind, directed by Victor Fleming, starring Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard, Hattie McDaniel – Academy Awards for best picture, director, actress and supporting actress
 * Goodbye, Mr. Chips, directed by Sam Wood, starring Robert Donat and Greer Garson. Academy Award for best actor. – (GB)
 * Gulliver's Travels, starring Jessica Dragonette and Lanny Ross
 * Gunga Din, directed by George Stevens, starring Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Sam Jaffe

H

 * The Hardys Ride High, starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden
 * Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence, starring Glenn Ford
 * Hello Janine!, starring Marika Rökk – (Germany)
 * Hollywood Cavalcade, starring Alice Faye, Don Ameche, J. Edward Bromberg, Alan Curtis
 * Honolulu, starring Eleanor Powell, Burns and Allen
 * The Hound of the Baskervilles, first in Sherlock Holmes series starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce
 * The Hunchback of Notre Dame, directed by William Dieterle, starring Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara

I

 * I Met a Murderer, starring James Mason – (GB)
 * Idiot's Delight, starring Clark Gable and Norma Shearer
 * In Name Only, starring Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, Kay Francis
 * Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday, starring Gordon Harker and Alastair Sim – (GB)
 * Intermezzo, starring Ingrid Bergman and Leslie Howard
 * It's a Wonderful World, directed by W. S. Van Dyke, starring James Stewart and Claudette Colbert

J

 * Jamaica Inn, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara – (GB)
 * Jesse James, directed by Henry King (director), starring Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Nancy Kelly, Randolph Scott
 * Juarez, directed by William Dieterle, starring Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Claude Rains, John Garfield, Brian Aherne
 * Le Jour se lève (Daybreak), directed by Marcel Carné, starring Jean Gabin and Arletty – (France)
 * Judge Hardy and Son, starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden

K

 * King of the Underworld, starring Humphrey Bogart and Kay Francis

L

 * The Lambeth Walk, directed by Albert de Courville, starring Lupino Lane and Sally Gray – (GB)
 * The Last Turning (Le Dernier Tournant), starring Michel Simon – (France)
 * Lenin in 1918 (Lenin v 1918 godu) – (USSR)
 * Let Us Live, starring Maureen O'Sullivan and Henry Fonda
 * The Little Princess, starring Shirley Temple and Richard Greene
 * Love Affair, starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer (Academy Award nominee)
 * Lucky Night, starring Myrna Loy and Robert Taylor

M

 * Made For Each Other, starring Carole Lombard, James Stewart, and Charles Coburn
 * Maisie, starring Robert Young and Ann Sothern
 * The Man in the Iron Mask, starring Louis Hayward, Joan Bennett, Warren William
 * Man of Conquest, starring Richard Dix, Gail Patrick, Joan Fontaine
 * Mexicali Rose, starring Gene Autry
 * Midnight, starring Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche
 * The Mikado, a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, first British film shot in Technicolor – (GB)
 * Million Dollar Legs, starring Betty Grable
 * Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation, starring Peter Lorre
 * Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, directed by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains
 * Mr. Wong in Chinatown, starring Boris Karloff
 * The Mystery of Mr. Wong, starring Boris Karloff

N

 * Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, starring Bonita Granville
 * Never Say Die, starring Martha Raye and Bob Hope
 * Ninotchka, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Ina Claire, Bela Lugosi

O

 * Of Mice and Men, directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Burgess Meredith, Betty Field, Lon Chaney Jr.
 * Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise, a comedy short starring The Three Stooges
 * The Oklahoma Kid, starring James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Donald Crisp
 * The Old Maid, starring Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins
 * On Borrowed Time, starring Lionel Barrymore and Cedric Hardwicke
 * On Dress Parade, starring The Dead End Kids
 * On the Night of the Fire (aka The Fugitive), starring Ralph Richardson – (GB)
 * On Your Toes, screenplay by Lawrence Riley, starring Vera Zorina and Eddie Albert
 * Only Angels Have Wings, starring Cary Grant, Rita Hayworth and Jean Arthur

P

 * Prisioneros de la tierra (Prisoners of the Land) – (Argentina)
 * The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, starring Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland

Q

 * Q Planes, starring Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier – (GB)

R

 * The Rains Came, starring Tyrone Power and Myrna Loy
 * Range War, a Hopalong Cassidy western starring William Boyd
 * Remember?, starring Greer Garson, Robert Taylor, Lew Ayres
 * The Return of Doctor X, a horror film starring Humphrey Bogart
 * The Roaring Twenties, starring James Cagney, Priscilla Lane, Humphrey Bogart
 * The Rules of the Game (La règle du jeu), directed by Jean Renoir – (France)

S

 * The Saint in London, starring George Sanders
 * The Saint Strikes Back, starring George Sanders
 * Seven Little Australians, directed by Arthur Greville Collins – (Australia)
 * Son of Frankenstein, starring Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi
 * De Spooktrein (The Ghost Train) – (Netherlands)
 * The Spy in Black, directed by Michael Powell, starring Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson – (GB)
 * Stagecoach, directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Berton Churchill, John Carradine
 * Stanley and Livingstone, starring Spencer Tracy and Cedric Hardwicke
 * The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums (Zangiku monogatari), directed by Kenji Mizoguchi – (Japan)
 * The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
 * Susannah of the Mounties, starring Shirley Temple and Randolph Scott
 * Swanee River, starring Don Ameche

T

 * Tarzan Finds a Son!, starring Johnny Weissmuller
 * These Glamour Girls, starring Lew Ayres, Lana Turner, Tom Brown
 * They Made Me a Criminal, starring John Garfield
 * They Shall Have Music, starring Jascha Heifetz, Joel McCrea, Andrea Leeds, Walter Brennan
 * The Three Musketeers, starring Don Ameche and The Ritz Brothers
 * Three Smart Girls Grow Up, starring Deanna Durbin and Robert Cummings
 * Three Texas Steers, directed by George Sherman, starring John Wayne
 * Tower of London, starring Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price
 * Tsuchi (Japan)
 * The Trip to Tilsit (Die Reise nach Tilsit) – (Germany)

U

 * Union Pacific, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea

V

 * Vasilisa the Beautiful (Vasilisa prekrasnaya) – (U.S.S.R.)
 * The Vyborg Side (Vyborgskaya storona) – (U.S.S.R.)

W

 * Way Down South, directed by Leslie Goodwins and Bernard Vorhaus
 * Wilton's Zoo (Boefje), directed by Douglas Sirk – (Netherlands)
 * The Wizard of Oz, directed by Victor Fleming, starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Margaret Hamilton
 * The Women, directed by George Cukor, starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell
 * Wuthering Heights, directed by William Wyler, starring Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Flora Robson
 * Wyoming Outlaw, starring John Wayne, directed by George Sherman

Y

 * You Can't Cheat an Honest Man, starring W. C. Fields
 * Young Man's Fancy, directed by Robert Stevenson, starring Anna Lee – (GB)
 * Young Mr. Lincoln, directed by John Ford, starring Henry Fonda and Alice Brady

Z

 * Zenobia, directed by Gordon Douglas, starring Oliver Hardy
 * Zorro's Fighting Legion, starring Reed Hadley

Serials

 * Buck Rogers, starring Buster Crabbe
 * Dick Tracy's G-Men, starring Ralph Byrd
 * Daredevils of the Red Circle, starring Herman Brix and Charles B. Middleton
 * Flying G-Men
 * The Lone Ranger Rides Again
 * Mandrake the Magician, starring Warren Hull
 * The Oregon Trail
 * Overland with Kit Carson
 * The Phantom Creeps, starring Bela Lugosi
 * Scouts to the Rescue
 * Zorro's Fighting Legion, starring Reed Hadley

Comedy film series

 * Charlie Chaplin (1914–1940)
 * Lupino Lane (1915–1939)
 * Buster Keaton (1917–1944)
 * Laurel and Hardy (1927–1945)
 * Our Gang (1922–1944)
 * The Marx Brothers (1929–1946)
 * The Three Stooges (1934–1959)

Animated short film series

 * Krazy Kat (1925–1940)
 * Mickey Mouse (1928–1953)
 * Silly Symphonies (1929–1939)
 * The Practical Pig
 * The Ugly Duckling
 * Looney Tunes (1930–1969)
 * Terrytoons (1930–1964)
 * Merrie Melodies (1931–1969)
 * Scrappy (1931–1941)
 * Betty Boop (1932–1939)
 * Popeye (1933–1957)
 * Color Rhapsodies (1934–1949)
 * Donald Duck (1937–1956)
 * Barney Bear (1939–1954)
 * Walter Lantz Cartunes (also known as New Universal Cartoons or Cartune Comedies) (1938–1942)
 * The Captain and the Kids (1938–1939)
 * Goofy (1939–1955)
 * Andy Panda (1939–1949)
 * Nertsery Rhyme Cartoons (1939 only)
 * Crackpot Cruise Cartoons (1939 only)
 * Lil' Eightball (1939 only)
 * Count Screwloose and J.R. (1939 only)

Births

 * January 8 – Ruth Maleczech, American actress (died 2013)
 * January 9 – Susannah York, English actress (died 2011)
 * January 10 – Sal Mineo, American actor (died 1976)
 * January 17 – Maury Povich, American television personality
 * January 22 – Sonny Chiba, Japanese actor and martial artist (died 2021)
 * January 26 – Scott Glenn, American actor
 * January 30 – János Zsombolyai, Hungarian cinematographer, film director and screenwriter (died 2015)
 * February 3 – Michael Cimino, American director, producer and screenwriter (died 2016)
 * February 6 – Mike Farrell, American actor
 * February 9 – Janet Suzman, South African actress and director
 * February 16 – Angelo Infanti, Italian actor (died 2010)
 * February 20 – Antonina Girycz, Polish actress (died 2022)
 * February 24 – Marisa Mell, Austrian actress (died 1992)
 * February 28 – Tommy Tune, American dancer, choreographer and actor
 * March 4
 * John Moreno, British actor
 * Robert Shaye, American actor and producer
 * Carlos Vereza, Brazilian actor
 * March 5
 * Samantha Eggar, English actress
 * Benyamin Sueb, Indonesian actor, comedian and singer (died 1995)
 * March 7 – Michael Chow, Chinese-born British-American former actor
 * March 14
 * Raymond J. Barry, American actor
 * Héctor Bonilla, Mexican actor (died 2022)
 * March 21 – Marino Masé, Italian actor (died 2022)
 * March 26 - Phillip R. Allen, American actor (died 2012)
 * March 28 – Vic Vargas, Filipino actor (died 2003)
 * March 29 – Terence Hill, Italian actor, director, screenwriter and producer
 * April 1 – Ali MacGraw, American actress
 * April 5 – Roger Davis, American actor
 * April 7 – Francis Ford Coppola, director; producer; screenwriter
 * April 9 – Romeo Vasquez, Filipino actor (died 2017)
 * April 11 – Louise Lasser, American actress, writer and director
 * April 13 – Paul Sorvino, American actor (died 2022)
 * April 22 – Mark Jones, English actor (died 2010)
 * April 23
 * David Birney, American actor and director (died 2022)
 * Lee Majors, American actor
 * May 4 – Paul Gleason, American actor (died 2006)
 * May 7
 * Ruggero Deodato, Italian director and screenwriter (died 2022)
 * Marco St. John, American actor
 * May 13 – Harvey Keitel, American actor
 * May 15 – Barbara Hammer, American filmmaker (died 2019)
 * May 19
 * James Fox, English actor
 * Nancy Kwan, Chinese-American actress
 * May 22 – Paul Winfield, American actor (died 2004)
 * May 23 – Reinhard Hauff, German film director
 * May 25 – Ian McKellen, English actor
 * May 28 – Beth Howland, American actress (died 2015)
 * May 30 – Michael J. Pollard, American actor (died 2019)
 * June 4 – Henri Pachard, American film director (died 2008)
 * June 8 – Bernie Casey, American actor (died 2017)
 * June 11 – Christina Crawford, American actress
 * June 24 – Michael Gothard, English actor (died 1992)
 * June 25 – Barbara Montgomery, American actress and director
 * July 1
 * Karen Black, American actress, screenwriter and singer-songwriter (died 2013)
 * Ines Aru, Estonian actress
 * July 5 – Sergio Di Stefano, Italian actor and voice actor (died 2010)
 * July 15
 * Abdulhussain Abdulredha, Kuwaiti actor (died 2017)
 * Patrick Wayne, American actor
 * July 16 – Corin Redgrave, British actor, political activist (died 2010)
 * July 21 – Sondra James, American sound coordinator and actress (died 2021)
 * July 22 - Gila Almagor, Israeli actress
 * July 28 – Charles Cyphers, American actor
 * July 30 – Peter Bogdanovich, American director, producer and screenwriter (died 2022)
 * July 31 – France Nuyen, French actress
 * August 1 – Terry Kiser, American actor
 * August 2
 * Wes Craven, American director; producer; screenwriter (died 2015)
 * Robert Wall, American actor and martial artist (died 2022)
 * August 4 – Mapita Cortés, Mexican actress (died 2006)
 * August 7 – Anjanette Comer, American actress
 * August 9 – Bulle Ogier, French actress
 * August 12
 * Oliver Ford Davies, English actor and writer
 * George Hamilton, American actor
 * August 16 - Carole Shelley, English actress (died 2018)
 * August 20 – Fernando Poe Jr., Filipino actor (died 2004)
 * August 23 – Fernando Luján, Mexican actor (died 2019)
 * August 25 – John Badham, English-American director
 * August 29 – Joel Schumacher, American film director, producer and screenwriter (died 2020)
 * August 30 – Elizabeth Ashley, American actress
 * September 1 – Lily Tomlin, American actress; comedian; producer
 * September 5
 * William Devane, American actor
 * George Lazenby, Australian actor
 * September 8 - DeVeren Bookwalter, American actor and director (died 1987)
 * September 11 – Tom Dreesen, American actor and stand-up comedian
 * September 13 – Richard Kiel, American actor and voice artist (died 2014)
 * September 23 – Janusz Gajos, Polish actor
 * September 27 – Garrick Hagon, Canadian film, stage, television and radio actor
 * September 28 - Sandra Dorsey, American actress (died 2023)
 * September 30 – Len Cariou, Canadian actor and director
 * October 5 – Carmen Salinas, Mexican actress and comedian (died 2021)
 * October 6 – Ellen Travolta, American actress
 * October 8 – Paul Hogan, Australian comedian and actor
 * October 13 – Melinda Dillon, American actress (died 2023)
 * October 18 – Salme Poopuu, Estonian actress and filmmaker (died 2017)
 * October 21 - Peter Vere-Jones, English-born New Zealand actor (died 2021)
 * October 22 – Tony Roberts, American actor
 * October 23 – Stanley Anderson, American character actor (died 2018)
 * October 24 – F. Murray Abraham, American actor
 * October 25 – Nikos Nikolaidis, Greek film director (died 2007)
 * October 27 – John Cleese, English actor, comedian and producer
 * October 28 – Jane Alexander, American actress
 * October 29 – Elizabeth Moody, English-born New Zealand actress and director (died 2010)
 * October 31 – Ron Rifkin, American actor
 * November 1 - Barbara Bosson, American actress (died 2023)
 * November 8 – Meg Wynn Owen, Welsh actress (died 2022)
 * November 10
 * Anton Gorchev, Bulgarian actor (died 2000)
 * Russell Means, Native American actor (died 2012)
 * November 13 – G. R. Perera, Sri Lankan actor (died 2023)
 * November 15 – Yaphet Kotto, American actor (died 2021)
 * November 18
 * Max Phipps, Australian actor (died 2000)
 * Brenda Vaccaro, American actress
 * November 22 – Allen Garfield, American actor (died 2020)
 * November 23
 * Denis Arndt, American actor
 * Maria Gladys, Brazilian actress
 * November 26
 * Mark Margolis, American actor (died 2023)
 * Tina Turner, American-born Swiss singer, songwriter and actress (died 2023)
 * November 27 – Ulla Strömstedt, Swedish actress (died 1986)
 * December 13
 * Eric Flynn, British actor (died 2002)
 * Akiko Wakabayashi, Japanese actress
 * December 27 – John Amos, American actor
 * December 28 – Gloria Manon, American actress (died 2018)

Deaths

 * January 19 – Tom Ricketts, 86, English actor, director, Love Bound, Thrill of Youth
 * January 25 – Helen Ware, 61, American actress, Morning Glory, Abraham Lincoln
 * February 22 – Joe Brandt, 56, American film producer and co-founder of C.B.C. which became Columbia Pictures
 * April 22 – Ann Murdock, 48, American actress, Outcast, Please Help Emily
 * May 5 – Clara Schønfeld, 82, Danish actress, Master of the House, Praesten i Vejlby
 * June 9 – Owen Moore, 54, Irish actor, A Star is Born, She Done Him Wrong, The Red Mill, Cinderella
 * August 23 – Sidney Howard, 48, American writer, Gone with the Wind, Dodsworth, Arrowsmith, A Lady to Love
 * September 24 – Carl Laemmle, 72, German producer, Frankenstein, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera
 * October 13 – Ford Sterling, 55, American actor, Tango Tangles, The Show-Off, Between Showers
 * October 23 – Zane Grey, 67, American writer, Fighting Caravans, Riders of the Purple Sage, Western Union, Born to the West
 * October 28 – Alice Brady, 46, American actress, My Man Godfrey, Young Mr. Lincoln, The Gay Divorcee, In Old Chicago
 * November 7 – Kirsti Suonio, 67, Finnish stage and film actress, Substitute Wife
 * November 13 – George Nicholls, Jr., 42, American director, Anne of Green Gables, Man of Conquest
 * December 12 – Douglas Fairbanks, 56, American actor, The Thief of Bagdad, The Black Pirate, Robin Hood, Mr. Robinson Crusoe, and the father of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

Debuts

 * Regina Bianchi – Rosa de Sangue
 * Robert Blake – Bridal Suite
 * Dirk Bogarde – Come on George!
 * Linda Brent – Coast Guard
 * Lillian Bronson – First Love
 * Ada Colangeli – An Adventure of Salvator Rosa
 * Richard Conte – Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
 * Peter Cushing – The Man in the Iron Mask
 * Linda Darnell – Hotel for Women
 * Diana Dei – Follie del secolo
 * Lupe del Castillo – United But Not Mixed
 * Charles Drake – Career
 * Glenn Ford – My Son Is Guilty
 * Greer Garson – Goodbye, Mr. Chips
 * Dabbs Greer – Jesse James
 * Anne Gwynne – Unexpected Father
 * Mary Beth Hughes – Within the Law
 * Ben Johnson – The Fighting Gringo
 * Veronica Lake – Sorority House
 * Bruni Löbel – Homeland
 * Diana Lynn – They Shall Have Music
 * Marcello Mastroianni – Marionette
 * Victor Mature – The Housekeeper's Daughter
 * Gerald Mohr – Society Smugglers
 * Rina Morelli – An Adventure of Salvator Rosa
 * Gene Nelson – Second Fiddle
 * Edmond O'Brien – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
 * David Opatoshu – The Light Ahead
 * Dina Sassoli – Le père Lebonnard
 * James Seay – Back Door to Heaven
 * Charles Smith – Nancy Drew... Reporter
 * Robert Stack – First Love
 * Robert Sterling – Blondie Meets the Boss
 * Craig Stevens – Coast Guard
 * Maris Wrixon – Off the Record
 * Mahmoud Zulfikar – Apple Seller

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: 1939 in film


text:
Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the term public service broadcasting (PSB) refers to broadcasting intended for public benefit rather than to serve purely commercial interests. The communications regulator Ofcom requires that certain television and radio broadcasters fulfil certain requirements as part of their license to broadcast. All of the television and radio stations have a public service remit, including those that broadcast digitally.

History
The BBC, whose broadcasting in the UK is funded by a licence fee and does not sell advertising time, is most notable for being the first public service broadcaster in the UK. Its first director general, Lord Reith introduced many of the concepts that would later define public service broadcasting in the UK when he adopted the mission to "inform, educate and entertain".

With the launch of the first commercial broadcaster ITV in 1955, the government required that the local franchises fulfilled a similar obligation, mandating a certain level of local news coverage, arts and religious programming, in return for the right to broadcast.

The next commercial television broadcasters in the UK, the state-owned Channel 4 and S4C, were set up by the government in 1981 to provide different forms of public broadcasting. Channel 4 was required to be a public service alternative to the BBC and to cater for minorities and arts. S4C was to be a mainly Welsh language programmer. Neither was required to be commercially successful as Channel 4 was subsidised by the ITV network and S4C received a grant from the central government. However, Channel 4 was later restructured under the Broadcasting Act 1990 to be a state owned corporation that is self-financing and from 2013 the BBC took over funding for S4C.

When the final analogue terrestrial broadcaster, Channel 5, was launched in 1997 it too was given a number of public service requirements. These included the obligation to provide minimum amounts of programming from various genres, minimum amounts of programming originally commissioned by the channel and of European origin, and maximum limits on the number of repeats.

Future viability
The advent of digital age has brought about many questions about the future of public service broadcasting in the UK. The BBC has been criticised by some for being expansionist and exceeding its public service remit by providing content that could be provided by commercial broadcasters. They argue that the BBC can distort the market, making it difficult for commercial providers to operate. A notable example of this is the Internet services provided by the BBC.

However, those who defend the BBC suggest that the BBC needs to provide new services and entertainment, to remain relevant in the digital age .

ITV has been attempting to significantly reduce its obligations to produce and broadcast unprofitable public service programming, citing the increased competition from digital and multichannel television. Similarly, Channel 4 has projected a £100m funding gap if it is to continue with public service broadcasting after digital switch-over. , Ofcom had been consulting on what direction public service broadcasting should take in the future.


text:
1938 in film

The year 1938 in film involved some significant events.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1938 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

 * January – MGM announces that Judy Garland will be cast in the role of Dorothy Gale in the upcoming The Wizard of Oz film. Ray Bolger is cast as the Tin Woodman and Buddy Ebsen as the Scarecrow. At Bolger's insistence, the roles are switched between the two actors. On July 25, MGM announces Bert Lahr has been cast as the Cowardly Lion.
 * January 21 – Pioneering French film director Georges Méliès, best remembered for groundbreaking films like A Trip to the Moon and The Impossible Voyage, dies in Paris, aged 76.
 * February 4 – Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first-ever full-length animated feature film, is released nationally in the United States, less than two months after its premiere in Los Angeles. The film is a huge box office success, and briefly holds the record as the highest-grossing sound film of all time.
 * February 24 – The entertainment trade newspaper Variety confirms that the film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) had bought the rights to adapt L. Frank Baum’s beloved children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for the screen
 * April 5 – Noel Langley completes the first script for The Wizard of Oz.
 * April 20 – Leonard Slye appears in his first starring role as Roy Rogers in Under Western Stars. He becomes one of the most popular Western stars being ranked number one from 1943 to 1952 and would become known as "King of the Cowboys".
 * May 7 – Lyricist Yip Harburg and composer Harold Arlen begin work on the musical score for The Wizard of Oz.
 * May 14 – Release of Warner Bros.' epic swashbuckler film The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Critically acclaimed for its vivid use of Technicolor, as well as its memorable action scenes, the film goes on to win three Academy Awards.
 * October 13 – Filming starts on The Wizard of Oz on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio lot in Culver City, California, initially with Richard Thorpe as director.
 * October 21 – Buddy Ebsen suffers from a near fatal allergic reaction to the aluminum dust used in his Tin Woodman make-up on the set of The Wizard of Oz. Ebsen is replaced by Jack Haley.
 * December 22 – MGM's first feature film in three-strip Technicolor, Sweethearts, starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, is released.
 * December 23 – Margaret Hamilton is severely burned during a mishap on the set of The Wizard of Oz. Hamilton, cast in the role of the Wicked Witch of the West, leaves the film for six weeks.
 * Orson Welles makes Too Much Johnson, starring Joseph Cotten. It is never completed and first released only in 2013.
 * Producer George Minter establishes Renown Pictures, a British film distributor.

Academy Awards

 * Best Picture: You Can't Take It with You – Columbia
 * Best Director: Frank Capra – You Can't Take It with You
 * Best Actor: Spencer Tracy – Boys Town
 * Best Actress: Bette Davis – Jezebel
 * Best Supporting Actor: Walter Brennan – Kentucky
 * Best Supporting Actress: Fay Bainter – Jezebel

January–March

 * January 1938
 * January 6
 * In Old Chicago
 * February 1938
 * February 4
 * Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
 * March 1938
 * March 26
 * Jezebel

April–June

 * April 1938
 * April 7
 * The Adventures of Marco Polo
 * April 22
 * Test Pilot
 * May 1938
 * May 14
 * The Adventures of Robin Hood
 * June 1938
 * June 2
 * Three Comrades

July–September

 * July 1938
 * July 8
 * Marie Antoinette
 * August 1938
 * August 5
 * Alexander's Ragtime Band
 * August 9
 * Four Daughters
 * September 1938
 * September 9
 * Boys Town
 * September 16
 * Too Hot to Handle
 * September 29
 * You Can't Take It with You

October–December

 * October 1938
 * October 14
 * Young Dr. Kildare
 * November 1938
 * November 11
 * If I Were King
 * December 1938
 * December 22
 * Sweethearts

Notable films released in 1938
United States unless stated

A

 * Adiós Buenos Aires – (Argentina/Spain/Canada)
 * The Adventures of Marco Polo, starring Gary Cooper and Basil Rathbone
 * The Adventures of Robin Hood, directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone
 * The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, directed by Norman Taurog
 * Águila o sol (Heads or Tails), starring Cantinflas – (Mexico)
 * Alexander Nevsky, directed by Sergei Eisenstein, starring Nikolai Cherkasov – (U.S.S.R.)
 * Alexander's Ragtime Band, starring Tyrone Power, Don Ameche, Alice Faye
 * Algiers, starring Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamarr
 * The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, starring Edward G. Robinson
 * Angels with Dirty Faces, starring James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart

B

 * Bank Holiday, starring Margaret Lockwood – (GB)
 * La Bête humaine (The Human Beast), directed by Jean Renoir, starring Jean Gabin and Simone Simon – (France)
 * The Big Broadcast of 1938, starring W.C. Fields, Martha Raye, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour
 * Billy the Kid Returns, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy
 * Block-Heads, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy
 * Blondie, starring Penny Singleton
 * Bluebeard's Eighth Wife, starring Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert
 * Boys Town, starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney
 * Bringing Up Baby, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn – number 14 on the American Film Institute list of best comedy films
 * The Buccaneer, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Fredric March

C

 * Carefree, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
 * Carmen, la de Triana (Carmen, the girl from Triana) – (Spain/Germany)
 * Charlie Chan in Honolulu, starring Sidney Toler
 * A Christmas Carol, starring Reginald Owen
 * The Citadel, directed by King Vidor, starring Robert Donat and Rosalind Russell – (GB)
 * Climbing High, starring Michael Redgrave and Jessie Matthews – (GB)
 * Cocoanut Grove, starring Fred MacMurray
 * College Swing, starring George Burns, Gracie Allen, Martha Raye, Bob Hope
 * Convict 99, starring Will Hay – (GB)
 * Crime School, starring The Dead End Kids and Humphrey Bogart
 * The Crowd Roars, starring Robert Taylor and Maureen O'Sullivan

D

 * Dangerous to Know, starring Anna May Wong and Akim Tamiroff
 * The Dawn Patrol, starring Errol Flynn
 * Diao Chan – (China)
 * The Divorce of Lady X, with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon – (GB)
 * The Drum, with Sabu and Raymond Massey – (GB)
 * Ducháček Will Fix It (Ducháček to zařídí) – (Czechoslovakia)

F

 * La Femme du Boulanger (The Baker's Wife), directed by Marcel Pagnol, starring Raimu – (France)
 * Ferdinand the Bull, a Disney animated short
 * Fools for Scandal, starring Carole Lombard
 * The Four Companions, directed by Carl Froelich, starring Ingrid Bergman (Germany)
 * Four Daughters, starring Claude Rains
 * Four Men and a Prayer, directed by John Ford, starring Loretta Young, Richard Greene, David Niven
 * Four's a Crowd, starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Rosalind Russell, Patric Knowles

G

 * The Gaunt Stranger, starring Sonnie Hale – (GB)
 * The Girl of the Golden West, starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy

H

 * Hard to Get, starring Olivia de Havilland and Dick Powell
 * Having Wonderful Time, starring Ginger Rogers and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
 * Her Jungle Love, starring Dorothy Lamour and Ray Milland
 * Here's Flash Casey, starring Eric Linden, Boots Mallory, and Cully Richards
 * Holiday, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant
 * Honeysuckle, starring Hugo del Carril and Libertad Lamarque (Argentina)
 * Hotel du Nord, directed by Marcel Carné – (France)

I

 * I Am the Law, starring Edward G. Robinson
 * If I Were King, starring Ronald Colman
 * In Old Chicago, starring Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche
 * Inspector Hornleigh, starring Gordon Harker and Alastair Sim – (GB)
 * International Settlement, starring Dolores del Río

J

 * J'accuse!, directed by Abel Gance – (France)
 * Jezebel, starring Bette Davis and Henry Fonda
 * Judge Hardy's Children, starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden
 * Just Around the Corner, starring Shirley Temple

K

 * Kentucky, starring Loretta Young, Richard Greene, Walter Brennan
 * Kentucky Moonshine, starring the Ritz Brothers
 * Kidnapped, starring Warner Baxter and Freddie Bartholomew
 * Kilómetro 111 – (Argentina)
 * King Kong Appears in Edo (Edo ni Arawareta Kingu Kongu) – (Japan)

L

 * The Lady Vanishes, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood – (GB)
 * Listen, Darling, starring Judy Garland and Freddie Bartholomew
 * Little Miss Broadway, starring Shirley Temple, Jimmy Durante, Edna May Oliver
 * Little Tough Guy, starring Robert Wilcox, Helen Parrish, Marjorie Main
 * Lord Jeff, starring Freddie Bartholomew and Mickey Rooney
 * Love Finds Andy Hardy, starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden

M

 * Mad About Music, starring Deanna Durbin and Herbert Marshall
 * The Mad Miss Manton, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda
 * A Man to Remember, starring Anne Shirley and Edward Ellis
 * Marie Antoinette, starring Norma Shearer and Tyrone Power
 * Men with Wings, directed by William Wellman, starring Fred MacMurray and Ray Milland
 * Merrily We Live, starring Brian Aherne, Constance Bennett, Billie Burke, Patsy Kelly
 * Mollenard, directed by Robert Siodmak – (France)
 * Mother Carey's Chickens, starring Anne Shirley
 * The Mountain Calls (Der Berg Ruft) – (Germany)
 * Mr. Moto's Gamble, starring Peter Lorre and Keye Luke
 * Mr. Wong, Detective, starring Boris Karloff
 * My Bill, starring Kay Francis, Dickie Moore

O

 * Of Human Hearts, starring Walter Huston, James Stewart, Beulah Bondi
 * Old Bones of the River, starring Will Hay, Moore Marriott, Graham Moffatt – (GB)
 * Olympia, a documentary by Leni Riefenstahl – (Germany)
 * Out West with the Hardys, starring Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden

P

 * Paradise for Three, starring Frank Morgan, Robert Young, Mary Astor
 * Paweł i Gaweł (Pawel and Gawel) – (Poland)
 * Port of Seven Seas, directed by James Whale, starring Wallace Beery and Maureen O'Sullivan
 * Port of Shadows (Le quai des brumes), directed by Marcel Carné, starring Jean Gabin and Michel Simon – (France)
 * Prison Break, starring Barton MacLane and Glenda Farrell
 * Professor Beware, starring Harold Lloyd
 * Professor Mamlock – (U.S.S.R.)
 * Pygmalion, directed by Anthony Asquith, starring Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller – (GB)

R

 * Radio City Revels, starring Jack Oakie
 * Rawhide, starring Lou Gehrig, Smith Ballew, and Evalyn Knapp
 * Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, starring Shirley Temple
 * Red River Range, starring John Wayne
 * Room Service, starring the Marx Brothers and Lucille Ball

S

 * The Saint in New York, starring Louis Hayward
 * Save a Little Sunshine, starring Patricia Kirkwood and Tommy Trinder – (GB)
 * The Shopworn Angel, starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan
 * Sing You Sinners, starring Bing Crosby, Fred MacMurray, Ellen Drew, Donald O'Connor
 * Sidewalks of London, starring Charles Laughton, Vivien Leigh, Rex Harrison – (GB)
 * The Sisters, starring Errol Flynn and Bette Davis
 * Sixty Glorious Years, starring Anna Neagle – (GB)
 * Škola základ života – (Czechoslovakia)
 * A Slight Case of Murder, starring Edward G. Robinson
 * Suez, starring Tyrone Power and Loretta Young
 * Sweethearts, starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy

T

 * The Terror of Tiny Town, starring Billy Curtis
 * Test Pilot, starring Clark Gable and Myrna Loy
 * That Certain Age, starring Deanna Durbin and Melvyn Douglas
 * There Goes My Heart, starring Fredric March, Virginia Bruce and Patsy Kelly
 * They Drive by Night, starring Emlyn Williams and Ernest Thesiger – (GB)
 * Three Comrades, starring Robert Taylor, Margaret Sullavan, Franchot Tone
 * Tom Sawyer, Detective, starring Donald O'Connor
 * Too Hot to Handle, starring Clark Gable and Myrna Loy

U-V

 * Urlaub auf Ehrenwort (Leave on Parole) – (Germany)
 * Valley of the Giants, starring Wayne Morris and Claire Trevor
 * Young Fugitives, starring Harry Davenport
 * Vivacious Lady, starring Ginger Rogers and James Stewart
 * Volga-Volga – (U.S.S.R.)

W

 * We're Going to Be Rich – starring Gracie Fields, Victor McLaglen and Brian Donlevy – (GB)
 * White Banners, starring Claude Rains and Fay Bainter
 * A Woman's Face (En kvinnas ansikte), starring Ingrid Bergman – (Sweden)
 * Woman Against Woman, starring Herbert Marshall and Virginia Bruce

Y

 * Yahya el Hub, directed by Mohammed Karim, starring Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Leila Mourad – (Egypt)
 * A Yank at Oxford, starring Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, Vivien Leigh – (GB)
 * You Can't Take It with You, directed by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore – Oscars for best picture and director
 * Young Dr. Kildare, starring Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore
 * The Young in Heart, starring Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Paulette Goddard

Z

 * La Zandunga, starring Lupe Vélez and Arturo de Córdova – (Mexico)

Serials

 * Dick Tracy Returns, starring Ralph Byrd
 * The Fighting Devil Dogs, starring Lee Powell and Herman Brix
 * Flaming Frontiers
 * Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars, starring Buster Crabbe
 * The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
 * Hawk of the Wilderness, starring Herman Brix
 * The Lone Ranger
 * The Secret of Treasure Island
 * The Spider's Web
 * Red Barry

Comedy film series

 * Harold Lloyd (1913–1938)
 * Charlie Chaplin (1914–1940)
 * Lupino Lane (1915–1939)
 * Buster Keaton (1917–1944)
 * Laurel and Hardy (1921–1945)
 * Our Gang (1922–1944)
 * Marx Brothers (1929–1937)
 * The Three Stooges (1934–1959)

Animated short film series

 * Krazy Kat (1925–1940)
 * Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1927-1938)
 * Mickey Mouse (1928–1953)
 * Silly Symphonies
 * The Moth and the Flame
 * Wynken, Blynken and Nod
 * Farmyard Symphony
 * Merbabies
 * Mother Goose Goes Hollywood
 * Screen Songs (1929-1938)
 * Looney Tunes (1930–1969)
 * Terrytoons (1930–1964)
 * Merrie Melodies (1931–1969)
 * Scrappy (1931–1941)
 * Betty Boop (1932–1939)
 * Popeye (1933–1957)
 * Happy Harmonies (1934-1938)
 * Color Rhapsodies (1934–1949)
 * Donald Duck (1937–1956)
 * Walter Lantz Cartunes (also known as New Universal Cartoons or Cartune Comedies) (1938–1942)
 * The Captain and the Kids (1938–1939)

Births

 * January 1 – Frank Langella, American actor
 * January 3 – Tom Bower, American actor (died 2024)
 * January 4 – Jim Norton, Irish character actor
 * January 6 – Larisa Shepitko, Soviet director (died 1979)
 * January 8 – Bob Eubanks, American television personality and game show host
 * January 9 – Nobuhiko Obayashi, Japanese filmmaker (died 2020)
 * January 12 – Lewis Fiander, Australian actor (died 2016)
 * January 13
 * William B. Davis, Canadian actor
 * Billy Gray, American actor
 * January 14 – Jack Jones, American singer, actor
 * January 16 - Michael Pataki, American actor (died 2010)
 * January 21 – Doug Lennox, Canadian actor and writer (died 2015)
 * January 26 – Henry Jaglom, English-born director and playwright
 * January 29 – Aminah Cendrakasih, Indonesian actress (died 2022)
 * February 1 - Sherman Hemsley, American actor (died 2012)
 * February 2 – Bo Hopkins, American actor (died 2022)
 * February 3
 * Marshall Efron, American actor (died 2019)
 * John Mahon, American actor (died 2020)
 * February 12 – Oliver Reed, English actor (died 1999)
 * February 16 - Barry Primus, American actor, director and writer
 * February 17 – Yvonne Romain, English actress
 * February 19 – René Muñoz, Cuban-born actor, Mexico-based screenwriter (died 2000)
 * February 20 – Richard Beymer, American actor and film maker
 * February 22 – Karin Dor, German actress (died 2017)
 * February 23
 * Jiří Menzel, Czech director (died 2020)
 * Diane Varsi, American actress (died 1992)
 * February 24
 * James Farentino, American actor (died 2012)
 * Robert A. Silverman, Canadian actor
 * February 25
 * Diane Baker, American actress and producer
 * Malcolm Tierney, English actor (died 2014)
 * March 4 – Paula Prentiss, American actress
 * March 5 – Fred Williamson, American actor
 * March 9 – Charles Siebert, American actor and television director (died 2022)
 * March 18 – Shashi Kapoor, Indian actor (died 2017)
 * March 25 – Hoyt Axton, American country music singer-songwriter, actor (died 1999)
 * April 2 – Hans-Michael Rehberg, German actor (died 2017)
 * April 6 – Roy Thinnes, American actor
 * April 15 – Claudia Cardinale, Italian actress
 * April 18 - Madge Sinclair, Jamaican actress (died 1995)
 * April 20 - Michael Greer, American actor and comedian (died 2002)
 * April 21 - Reni Santoni, American actor (died 2020)
 * May 5 – Michael Murphy, American actor
 * May 6 – Hartmut Becker, German actor (died 2022)
 * May 11 - Judy Farrell, American actress (died 2023)
 * May 12 - Luana Anders, American actress (died 1996)
 * May 13 – Buck Taylor, American actor
 * May 14 - Michael Preston, English actor
 * May 17 – Jason Bernard, American actor (died 1996)
 * May 19 – Bryan Marshall, British actor (died 2019)
 * May 22
 * Richard Benjamin, American actor, director
 * Frank Converse, American actor
 * John Nolan, British actor
 * May 24 – Tommy Chong, Canadian-American actor, writer, director, musician and comedian
 * June 7 – Ann Beach, British actress (died 2017)
 * June 12 – Tom Oliver, Australian actor
 * June 16 – Michael Culver, English actor (died 2024)
 * June 18 – Michael Sheard, Scottish actor (died 2005)
 * June 21
 * Ron Ely, American actor
 * Celia Rodriguez, Filipina actress
 * June 25 – Giampiero Littera, Italian actor
 * June 27 – Kathryn Beaumont, English-American actress and singer
 * July 6 – Luana Patten, American actress (died 1996)
 * July 8 – Andrey Myagkov, Soviet/Russian actor (died 2021)
 * July 9 – Brian Dennehy, American actor (died 2020)
 * July 11 – Jiří Krampol, Czech actor
 * July 18 – Paul Verhoeven, Dutch director
 * July 20
 * Diana Rigg, English actress (died 2020)
 * Natalie Wood, American actress (died 1981)
 * July 22 – Terence Stamp, English actor
 * July 23 – Ronny Cox, American actor, singer-songwriter
 * July 25 – Pilar Seurat, Philippine-American actress (died 2001)
 * July 27 - Danielle De Metz, French actress
 * July 29 - Enzo G. Castellari, Italian director, screenwriter and actor
 * July 30 – Michael Bell, American actor
 * August 6
 * Paul Bartel, American actor, writer and director (died 2000)
 * Peter Bonerz, American actor and director
 * August 8 – Connie Stevens, American actress, singer
 * August 9 – Burton Gilliam, American actor
 * August 14 - James Fargo, American film director
 * August 15
 * Ron Dean, American actor
 * Lucille Soong, Chinese-American actress
 * August 19 – Diana Muldaur, American actress
 * August 26 – Susan Harrison, American actress (died 2019)
 * August 29 – Elliott Gould, American actor
 * September 2
 * Clarence Felder, American actor
 * Giuliano Gemma, Italian actor (died 2013)
 * Mary Jo Catlett, American actress
 * September 8 – Philip L. Clarke, American voice actor (died 2013)
 * September 12 – Michael Leader, English actor (died 2016)
 * September 26 – Jonathan Goldsmith, American character actor
 * September 28 – Ben E. King, American soul singer (died 2015)
 * October 1
 * Tunç Başaran, Turkish screenwriter, film director, film producer and actor (died 2019)
 * Tony Darrow, Italian-American actor
 * Stella Stevens, American actress (died 2023)
 * October 2 – Rex Reed, American film critic and "actor"
 * October 4 – Loretta Long, American actress, voice artist and singer
 * October 10 – Steve Gordon, American filmmaker (died 1982)
 * October 12 - Geoff Murphy, New Zealand filmmaker, producer, director and screenwriter (died 2018)
 * October 13 – Christiane Hörbiger, Austrian actress (died 2022)
 * October 18
 * Barbara Baldavin, American actress (died 2024)
 * Dawn Wells, American actress (died 2020)
 * October 22
 * Derek Jacobi, English actor and director
 * Christopher Lloyd, American actor
 * October 30 – Ed Lauter, American actor and stand-up comedian (died 2013)
 * November 13 – Jean Seberg, American actress (died 1979)
 * November 20
 * Ardeshir Kazemi, Iranian actor
 * Dick Smothers, American actor, comedian, composer and musician
 * November 26 – Rich Little, Canadian-American voice actor
 * November 28 – Michael Ritchie, American director, producer and writer (died 2001)
 * December 6 – Patrick Bauchau, Belgian actor
 * December 12 - Leslie Schofield, English actor
 * December 14 – Hal Williams, American actor
 * December 16
 * Neil Connery, Scottish actor (died 2021)
 * Liv Ullmann, Norwegian actress
 * December 18 – Roger E. Mosley, American actor, director and writer (died 2022)
 * December 21 – Larry Bryggman, American actor
 * December 29 – Jon Voight, American actor

Deaths

 * January 19 – Robert McWade, 65, American actor, The Kennel Murder Case, The Dragon Murder Case, Cappy Ricks Returns, Mr. Cinderella
 * January 20 – Émile Cohl, 81, French film pioneer
 * January 21 – Georges Méliès, 76, French film pioneer, The Impossible Voyage, A Trip to the Moon, The Merry Frolics of Satan, The Conquest of the Pole
 * January 26 – Matthew Betz, 56, American actor, The Wedding March, The Patent Leather Kid, The Big House, The Hurricane Express
 * August 4 – Pearl White, 49, American silent film star, The Perils of Pauline, The Exploits of Elaine
 * August 6 – Warner Oland, 58, Swedish-born actor, The Jazz Singer, Shanghai Express, Charlie Chan in London, Charlie Chan at the Opera
 * September 19 – Pauline Frederick, 55, American stage & film actress, Thank You, Mr. Moto, Smouldering Fires, This Modern Age, Devil's Island
 * October 1 – Conway Tearle, 60, American stage & film actor, The Hurricane Express, Romeo and Juliet, Stella Maris, The Lost Zeppelin
 * December 25 – Harry Myers, 56, American film actor and director, City Lights, Baby
 * December 28 – Florence Lawrence, 48, Canadian actress, Hollywood's first "star", Lady Helen's Escapade, The Taming of the Shrew, The Mended Lute, Betrayed by a Handprint

Debuts

 * Eddie Albert – Brother Rat
 * Jack Albertson – Next Time I Marry
 * Hans Conried – Dramatic School
 * Dora Doll – The Curtain Rises
 * Peter Finch – Dad and Dave Come to Town
 * John Garfield – Swingtime in the Movies
 * William Holden – Prison Farm
 * Bob Hope – The Big Broadcast of 1938
 * Glynis Johns – South Riding
 * June Lockhart – A Christmas Carol
 * Jeffrey Lynn – When Were You Born
 * Roddy McDowall – John Halifax
 * Shirley Mills – Child Bride
 * Peggy Moran – Gold Diggers in Paris
 * Tom Neal – Out West with the Hardys
 * Maureen O'Hara – Kicking the Moon Around
 * Jon Pertwee – A Yank at Oxford
 * Vincent Price – Service de Luxe
 * Dub Taylor – You Can't Take It with You

title: 1938 in film


text:
Mesabi Range

The Mesabi Iron Range is a mining district and mountain range in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iron Range of Minnesota. First described in 1866, it is the chief iron ore mining district in the United States. The district is located largely in Itasca and Saint Louis counties. It has been extensively worked since 1892, and has seen a transition from high-grade direct shipping ores through gravity concentrates to the current industry exclusively producing iron ore (taconite) pellets. Production has been dominantly controlled by vertically integrated steelmakers since 1901, and therefore is dictated largely by US ironmaking capacity and demand.

Name
The Mesabi Range was known to the local Ojibwe as ('Giant mountain'). Throughout the Mesabi Range, Mesaba and Missabe spelling variations are found along with places containing Giant in their names.

Geology
There are four iron ranges in northern Minnesota: the Cuyuna, the Vermilion, the Mesabi, and the Gunflint. Most of the world's iron ore, including that contained in northern Minnesota, was formed during the middle Precambrian. During this period, erosion leveled mountains. This erosion released iron and silica into the waters of a new sea. Marine algae living in this new sea raised the level of atmospheric oxygen. This oxygen catastrophe caused the eroded iron to precipitate into the banded iron formations found in northern Minnesota and other members of the Animikie Group. Over billions of years, geological forces left behind ore deposits of varied quality and concentrations – differences that would determine how the ore was mined from place to place. On the Mesabi Range, stretching 100 mi from Grand Rapids to Babbitt, soft ore lay close to the surface, where it could be scooped from open pit mines.

The overall structure of the range is that of a monocline dipping 5 to 15 degrees to the southeast. Key faults include the Calumet, La Rue, Morton, Biwabik, and the Siphon. The Duluth Gabbro complex to the east has caused metamorphic changes in the Biwabik formation. The natural iron ores and the magnetite taconites occur in this Precambrian Biwabik formation, which is a cherty layer 340-750 ft thick. The natural ores are located in elongated channels or tabular deposits, while the magnetite taconites occur in stratigraphic zones. Natural ores have an iron content of 51 to 57 per cent while the taconites are 30 to 35 percent iron, and are beneficiated to pellets contain 60 to 67 per cent. The natural ores are mainly mixtures of hematite and goethite. The most common silicate is Minnesotaite. Also of note are the presence of algal structures in the Biwabik formation.

Physical extent
The Mesabi Range is 110 mi long. Heights vary from 200-500 ft. The highest point, located about 5.6 mi northeast of Virginia, is Pike Mountain at 1950 ft. The range trends from the northeast to the southwest, extending from Babbitt to Grand Rapids.

Embarrass Mountains
The Embarrass Mountains are a small subrange of the Mesabi Range, spanning about 9 mi through northern White Township and Hoyt Lakes in St. Louis County. Heights vary from 200-400 ft. The highest point, at 1940 ft, is roughly 1.9 mi west of the unincorporated community of Hinsdale, near the former Erie Mining Company's pits and taconite processing plant.

Mining operations
Iron-bearing rocks were noted by the Minnesota State Geologist Henry H. Eames in 1866. Iron ore was discovered north of Mountain Iron, Minnesota on 16 Nov. 1890 by J. A. Nichols of the Merritt brothers. The range was defined by 1900. Initially underground mines were employed but these gave way to open pits so that by 1902, half the operations were conducted this way. The last underground mine closed in 1960. Natural ores eventually gave way to iron-ore concentrates from magnetite taconite so that by 1965 one third of production came from these pellets.

Iron ore is currently mined only from open pits, although some mines operated underground early on.

Much of the softer ore was formed close to the surface, allowing mining operations to be conducted via open pit mines. The world's largest open pit iron ore mine is the Hull–Rust–Mahoning Open Pit Iron Mine in Hibbing. In the early years of mining from the late 19th century until the 1950s, mining focus was on high grade ore that could be processed into steel without much change. However, when that supply dried up, focus shifted to lower-grade ore (taconite) which requires extensive processing at large mining-processing facilities before moving to port. The mined ore is then transported, primarily by the Canadian National Railway, to the ports of Two Harbors and Duluth, and by BNSF Railway to Superior, Wisconsin. At Duluth, trains of up to eighty 100-ton open cars are moved out on massive ore docks to be dumped into "lakers" of up to 60,000 tons weight for movement to steel mills in Indiana and Ohio. Dormant and exhausted open pit mines are a common feature along the Iron Range. Some of these sites have been redeveloped for other uses. For instance, the Virginia Pilot is a project which focuses on redeveloping the grounds adjacent to the old mines into low- to moderate-income residential space. The Hill-Annex Mine is now a state park and offers tours to visitors who wish to learn about mine operations. Tours are guided by former mine workers.

Currently, there are six mining-processing facilities in operation on the Iron Range. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. owns and operates Northshore Mining, which has mining operations in Babbitt and crushing, concentrating (grinding) and pelletizing operations in Silver Bay, along with United Taconite which has mining operations in Eveleth and crushing, concentrating and pelletizing operations in Forbes. Arcelor Mittal owns and operates the Minorca Mine and Plant with mining operations near Biwabik and Gilbert and a crushing, concentrating and pelletizing facility near Virginia (47.5428°N, -92.5169°W). United States Steel owns and operates both KeeTac (47.3992°N, -93.0759°W) and Minntac (47.4973°N, -92.61401°W) with mining and processing facilities in Keewatin and Mountain Iron respectively. The last facility is Hibbing Taconite which operates a mine and plant between the cities of Hibbing and Chisholm. Hibbing Taconite is majority owned and managed by ArcelorMittal USA, with minority stakes held by Cleveland-Cliffs and United States Steel.

In addition, Mesabi Metallics (controlled by Essar Steel) is constructing a mine/plant near Nashwauk to mine and process taconite. Steel Dynamics and Kobe Steel formerly owned and operated Mesabi Nugget (47.528°N, -92.1216°W) near Hoyt Lakes which did not mine its own material, but produced high-iron content nuggets from purchased iron ore concentrate. Magnetation, Inc. formerly produced iron ore concentrate reclaimed from tailings with company-designed high-power magnetic separators to produce concentrate to sell and ship throughout the world.

Rockefellers' interests
John D. Rockefeller had previously loaned money to his brother, Frank Rockefeller, and Frank's business associate, James Corrigan, to buy into the Franklin Iron Mine Company, which operated in the Mesabi Range. By late 1896 or early 1897, John D. took Corrigan's shares due to failure to repay loans. Frank and Carrigan were forced to sell the company. The market for ore from the Mesabi range was almost non-existent at this time because American steel furnaces were not built to deal with its powdery nature and steelmakers believed it to be poor ore. John D. invested $40 million to build up the Mesabi ore and transportation business. To reach the steelmakers in Pittsburgh, the ore had to travel across the Great Lakes to Cleveland. He invested $2 million into a railroad to transport the ore from the Mesabi range to Duluth on Lake Superior. By 1896, he controlled the Lake Superior Consolidated Iron Mines Company, which was a holding company of the Merritt brothers. He built a fleet of ore ships. In December 1896, he made a deal with Henry W. Oliver and Andrew Carnegie of Pittsburgh whereby they agreed not to go into the ore field or transportation business, and John D. agreed not to go into the steel business. The steelmakers adapted their mills to process the ore from the Mesabi range. Oliver broke with the agreement, and in response, John D. procured a monopoly of ore ship transportation on the Great Lakes. John D. sold his western ore holdings to J. P. Morgan for $90,900,000 soon after Morgan bought Carnegie's steel interests in 1901.

Labor strikes

Several large-scale strikes took place on the Mesabi Iron Range during the early 1900s. The first began on July 20, 1907 after the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) asked Oliver Iron Mining Company for, among other demands, an eight-hour work day and a pay raise. The strike lasted two months and resulted in thousands of workers being blacklisted.

On June 25, 1916, a miner left his shift after being paid less than the contracted rate. His action led to the Mesabi range strike of 1916. The Industrial Workers of the World quickly supported the strike for better pay and shorter hours. In September 1916, the workers voted to resume work, assuming a failed strike. However, shortly after returning to work a 10% raise in wages was issued for workers throughout the Range.

title: Mesabi Range