A quarter-century ago, audiences first watched Tim Burton”s tale about a gentle man, an inventor”s unfinished creation who has scissors for hands. “Edward Scissorhands” opened in theaters 25 years ago today.
The film was the first of Burton and Johnny Depp”s many collaborations, and it reunited Burton with Wiona Ryder, who was in “Beetlejuice,” the second film he directed.
As the fourth feature Burton directed, “Edward Scissorhands” further familiarized audiences with what Burton”s unique visual style full of the dark right next to the sweet and kooky takes on gothic elements. Edward is one of many memorable misunderstood misfit characters of Burton”s.
Other notable December 7 happenings in pop culture history:
• 1925: “Easy Virtue,” which Noel Coward wrote at age 25, opened on Broadway. It was later adapted into a film starring Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jessica Biel and Ben Barnes.
• 1967: Otis Redding recorded “(Sittin” On) The Dock of the Bay” in Memphis, Tenn.
• 1969: “Frosty the Snowman” first aired on CBS.
• 1969: Monty Python”s beloved Dead Parrot sketch first aired on BBC in an episode of “Flying Circus.”
• 1988: The 100th episode of “Highway to Heaven” aired on NBC.
• 1990: Fleetwood Mac performed at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. at what was supposed to be a send-off concert for Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie as they left the band, though the concert ended up also being memorable for Lindsay Buckingham rejoining the group onstage.
• 2001: “Ocean”s Eleven” opened in theaters.
Birthdays: “Requiem for a Dream” actress Ellen Burstyn (turns 83 today), “Roswell” actress Shiri Appleby (37), singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles (35), “Sucker Punch” actress Emily Browning (27), “Dexter” actress Jennifer Carpenter (36), “Togetherness” actor-writer-director Mark Duplass (39), “X-Men: First Class” actor Nicholas Hoult (26), Muse drummer Dominic Howard (38), “X-Men: First Class” actor Caleb Landry Jones (26), “Take Shelter” writer-director Jeff Nichols (37), musician Tom Waits (66), “The Hunger Games” actor Jeffrey Wright (50)