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Film

Frank Sinatra clutches a bouquet of flowers handed to him by an admirer following his show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, 1990

How the Theme Song From a Maligned Martin Scorsese Movie Became New York City’s Unofficial Anthem

Frank Sinatra’s rendition of “Theme From New York, New York” still raises spirits through challenging times and marks joyous occasions 45 years after its release

Toy Story was the first full-length feature film to be produced entirely with computer animation.  

On This Day in History

On This Day in 1993, Production Began on This Groundbreaking Movie That Transformed Hollywood Forever

With “Toy Story,” computer animation began its rise to dominance

Works entering the public domain include The Sound and the Fury, the first recordings of Rhapsody in Blue, Popeye, Tintin and The Broadway Melody.

Happy Public Domain Day! Popeye, ‘Rhapsody in Blue,’ ‘The Sound and the Fury’ and Thousands of Other Captivating Creations Are Finally Free for Everyone to Use

On January 1, 2025, copyrights will expire for books, films, comic strips, musical compositions and other creative works from 1929, as well as sound recordings from 1924

Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, a new James Mangold film

Based on a True Story

The Real Story Behind ‘A Complete Unknown’ and Bob Dylan’s Early Career, From His Arrival in New York City to When He ‘Went Electric’

A new film starring Timothée Chalamet tracks Dylan’s evolution from an acoustic folk singer to a rock ‘n’ roll superstar

A portrait of Ian McKellen (center) hanging alongside depictions of (from left to right) Frances Barber, Charles Dance, Harriet Walter and Simon Callow

See How Talking Portraits Bring the Greatest Living Shakespearean Actors to Life

A collection of ten digital portraits of famous thespians—including Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Harriet Walter—are on view at the Red Eight Gallery in London

Beloved films like Dirty Dancing, No Country for Old Men, Beverly Hills Cop and Spy Kids are heading to the National Film Registry.

The National Film Registry Adds 25 New Movies, Including ‘Dirty Dancing,’ ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ and ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’

This year’s list includes a diverse set of American films celebrating various genres and storytellers

This gold wreath thought to be from Corinth, Greece, dates to the third to second century B.C.E.

Why Has Gold Dazzled So Many Cultures Throughout History?

An exhibition in Brooklyn examines gold’s ubiquitous appeal across thousands of years through art, artifacts, paintings, sculptures and fashion

Ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz on view at Heritage Auctions London

Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers From ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Sell for a Record-Breaking $28 Million

The iconic shoes, which went missing for more than a decade, are now the most valuable piece of movie memorabilia ever auctioned

The stone marked with the name "Ebenezer Scrooge" is located in a graveyard at St. Chad’s Church in Shrewsbury, England.

Vandals Destroy Ebenezer Scrooge’s Fictional Tombstone Featured in a Film Adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’

Located in an English churchyard, the stone was inscribed with the name “Ebenezer Scrooge” for the 1984 movie. Police are investigating the vandalism, which occurred earlier this month

Elliot Heffernan (left) and Saoirse Ronan (right) portray a mother and son in Steve McQueen's new film, Blitz.

Based on a True Story

The Real Story Behind Apple TV+’s ‘Blitz,’ a New Steve McQueen Movie About Britain’s Everyday World War II Heroes

Starring Saoirse Ronan as a young mother, the film celebrates Londoners’ resilience in the face of an eight-month Nazi aerial bombing campaign

Next May, Airbnb will host two nights of immersive, three-hour gladiator experiences.

Airbnb Plans to Host an Immersive ‘Gladiator’ Experience in the Colosseum, and Politicians in Rome Are Furious

The short-term rental giant will help pay for the Colosseum Archaeological Park’s educational programs in exchange for use of the monument

Paul Mescal as Lucius Verus in Gladiator II, which tells a heavily fictionalized story of the joint reign of brothers Geta and Caracalla

Based on a True Story

The Real History Behind Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator II’ and Life as a Fighter in the Ancient Roman Arena

The “Gladiator” sequel centers on Lucius Verus, the secret son of Russell Crowe’s character from the 2000 film. Both men achieve fame as enslaved fighters driven by their desire for revenge

Reflecting on Romare Bearden's art, playwright August Wilson wrote, “What I saw was Black life presented on its own terms, on a grand and epic scale, with all its richness and fullness.”

Based on a True Story

The Surprising Artwork That Inspired Netflix’s ‘The Piano Lesson,’ a New Movie Based on August Wilson’s Award-Winning Play

A Romare Bearden print served as a starting point for the American playwright’s 1987 drama, which follows a Black family’s struggle to decide the fate of an ancestral heirloom

The Island, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, single-channel video, color, 5.1 surround sound, 42 minutes, 2017

See a Film That Reimagines History on the Malaysian Island That Served as a Refugee Site After the Vietnam War

The work, now on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, tells the story of two characters on the island—the last people alive in the world

Surrounded (1996) is one of the early Burton artworks featured in the exhibition.

What Makes the Dark, Whimsical World of Tim Burton So Compelling?

An exhibition in London is showcasing more than 600 artworks and artifacts—including costumes, props and sketches—from the famous filmmaker’s career

“Cité Mémoire” is a digital multimedia installation illustrating the moments that have shaped Montreal’s last 400 years.

Cities Are Projecting Their History Onto Streets and Buildings After Dark

Pedestrians in Montreal, Grand Rapids and other locations can time-travel thanks to installations that map historical scenes directly onto the cityscapes

The theme of this year's creepy doll contest at the History Center of Olmsted County is "Circus After Dark."

The Creepy Doll Contest Is Back—and It’s Time to Cast Your Vote for the Most Terrifying Toy

Step right up and see the spooky circus dolls—from creepy clowns to frightening fortune-tellers—in a Minnesota museum’s vintage toy collection

The Endurance was discovered resting on the seafloor east of the Antarctic Peninsula in 2022.

See the Wreck of Ernest Shackleton’s ‘Endurance’ in Astonishing Detail With This New 3D Scan

Created from more than 25,000 high-resolution images, the digital model shows artifacts from the ill-fated expedition, including a boot, dishes and a flare gun

Kate Winslet as Lee Miller in Lee, a new film directed by Ellen Kuras

Based on a True Story

The Real Story Behind the ‘Lee’ Movie and Lee Miller, the Legendary Surrealist Photographer and World War II Journalist Who Inspired It

In a new biopic starring Kate Winslet, Miller’s many lives—as an artist, model, muse, cook and war correspondent—need little embellishment

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz eloped in 1940. Eleven years later, “I Love Lucy” premiered on CBS, and they would become one of the most iconic couples for decades to follow.

Desi Arnaz Is Getting a Much-Deserved Historical Marker in Miami Beach

The Cuban-American actor and producer has stars on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, but this new honor pays tribute to his start as a musician in South Florida

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