Daily Archives: September 25, 2012

‘The Longest Day’ premieres in France 50 years ago today (1962)

1960s, Movies 1960s, World War II


Video: 'The Longest Day' trailer

(Tuesday, September 25, 1962) — The Longest Day, a war film about D-Day, the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II, had its world premiere today in France (it would open in the U.S. on Oct. 4).

Directed by Ken Annakin (British and French exteriors), Andrew Marton (American exteriors), Gerd Oswald (parachute drop scene), Bernhard Wicki (German scenes), and Darryl F. Zanuck (uncredited), the film stars John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, Sean Connery, Eddie Albert, Curd Jürgens, Richard Burton, Donald Houston, Peter Lawford, Rod Steiger, Irina Demick, Gert Fröbe, Edmond O’Brien and Kenneth More.

Anne Frank writes farewell letter to friend 70 years ago today (1942)

1940s, The Holocaust, World War II


Video: 'Anne Frank Remembered (3/8)' (Sept. 25, 1942 at 0:18)

(Friday, September 25, 1942, part of The Holocaust during World War II) — On her 82nd day in hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, Anne Frank, a 13-year-old Jewish girl, wrote a farewell letter to her friend Jacqueline. Anne knew that she could not send the letter to her friend, so she placed it inside her diary.