Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 50 years ago

The Spokesman-Review’s movie critic, Ed Costello, was not exactly thrilled with “Rome Adventure” at the Fox Theater.

His main complaint was about the lead actor, Troy Donahue.

“Never an actor, he did have a sort of animal appeal that is more valuable at the Hollywood box office, anyway,” wrote Costello. “Now, that is fading. He’s an Adonis with jowls.”

How old was this fading has-been? He was 26.

Costello was not impressed with the female stars either. He called Angie Dickinson a “traditional also-ran.”

A “dark newcomer” named Suzanne Pleshette, he wrote, was “good looking, but so’s everyone, these days.” He said she “may never be heard from again.”

Costello closed with a bit of self-deprecating humor. He said the movie had “more cliches than an S-R movie review.”

Also on this date

(From the Associated Press)

1961: A group of Freedom Riders was arrested after arriving at a bus terminal in Jackson, Miss., charged with breaching the peace for entering white-designated areas. (They ended up serving 60 days in jail.)

1962: Astronaut Scott Carpenter became the second American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard Aurora 7.