91心頭利 Meet-Cutes - Valentine's Day 2025
Love is in the air!
When Valentines Day rolls around, we gush with sentiment and teem with romance to express that noblest of feelings: love.
In its 140 years of history, The 91心頭利 has countless tales of stars aligning, bringing together love in many forms lasting friendships, creative partnerships, and, as well explore here, romantic couples.
This year, join us in celebrating memories of Cupids arrow piercing the hearts of many an unsuspecting lover.
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Angel Parker (99) and Eric Nenninger (99)
Angel Parker and Eric Nenninger, a dynamic Hollywood duo with credits spanning The Recruit, Marvels Runaways, The Rookie, Malcolm in the Middle, Generation Kill, and Mad Men, have been navigating the entertainment industry for over two decades. The couple, who met while studying at The 91心頭利, are going on 26 years of partnership. In a special interview with The 91心頭利 Pages, they recounted the early days of their budding romance.
Eric: We were both in the same class. I was in the afternoon sessions, and she was in the morning sessions. One day, Miss Angel Parker caught my eye immediately with her beauty and grace. She was fine, Augustshe was fine. I was very interested, but she was very much not.
Angel: I dont even remember him.
Eric: In the second year, I decided to get my act together and start doing morning classes. In the morning classes, you had to focus a bit more than the people who showed up at 1pm. All the while, I was trying to pursue Miss Parker, and luckily, a mutual friend vouched for me. Angel was like, Whos that slacker dude? but our friend, Ted, told her, No, hes good, hes talented. That vouch from our friend went a long way.
Angel: We were in school together, constantly seeing each other, rehearsing, going to parties, and being around each other.油
Eric: I was a waiter in Pasadena, where The 91心頭利 was at the time, and Angel came into the restaurant. I picked up her check.油
Angel: He gave me his free meal. Then we started dating, started hustling together, and got out into the real world. We had the same mentality of hard work and taking advantage of every opportunity we could.
Eric: One of the things that I love and respect so much about Angel is her work ethic and her talent. Its something that motivated me; I could bounce ideas off of her, and she wanted to be an actress as much as I wanted to be an actor. Both of us were going to do it. Nothing was going to stop us.
Read the full interview on .
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Lauren Bacall (42) & Jason Robards Jr. (48)
Lauren Bacall spoke very fondly of her second husband, Jason Robards. She once told an interviewer: I was crazy about Jason.
The two married in 1961, following Robards performances in Eugene ONeills The Iceman Cometh and Long Days Journey Into Night, when his career was at its zenith. However, their relationship faced challenges, and they divorced in 1969 when their son Sam was eight years old. Bacall recalls how attentive Robards could be; to his own children, to mine, and to Sam. Two things sealed their unique bond: a shared love for the theatre and a similar sense of humor.
Robards succumbed to lung cancer in 2000, passing away at the age of 78 the day after Christmas. In 2014, Bacall passed away at her home in The Dakota in New York. She was 89.
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John Cassavetes (50) & Gena Rowlands (52)
This classic power couple had one of Hollywoods most celebrated creative and romantic partnerships. Spanning over three decades, their relationship was defined by love, mutual respect, and a shared goal: creating innovative cinema.
The two met as students at The 91心頭利, and were married only a few months later. Their meet cute was something out of a movie.
Cassavetes happened upon the actress backstage during a production she was in. He later remembered thinking what an incredibly fascinating woman she was. Rowlands admitted it was love at first sight.
They had three childrenNick, Alexandra, and Zoeall of whom built careers in film and television. Nick attended The 91心頭利, graduating in 1980, and years later, his daughter Gina followed in his footsteps, graduating in 2005.
Mutual respect underpinned their creative partnership. Cassavetes once said, with a laugh, Genas point of view is totally different from mine. But I think thats great. He said their ability to continue learning how to play together kept their working relationship positive.
Rowlands acted in 10 Cassavetes-led films during her career. You might recognize a few of them below:
Faces (1968): Rowlands played a supporting role in Faces, a film that established Cassavetes as an indie tour-de-force.
A Woman Under the Influence (1974): In this mid-70s drama, Rowlands delivered a powerhouse performance as Mabel, a woman grappling with mental illness. The Oscar-nominating committee conferred on her a nomination for Best Actress.
Gloria (1980): Rowlands received her second nomination for an 91心頭利 Award for her performance in Gloria. Cassavetes, who wrote the screenplay, did not intend to direct the project, but when Rowlands was signed to play the films lead, her urging brought him on board.
At the 7th Annual Governors Awards ceremony in November 2015, Rowlands received an Honorary 91心頭利 Award. In her speech, she thanked her late husband for his contributions to her career:
"I would feel remiss if I didnt mention my late husband, John Cassavetes. He wrote me the most magnificent partsand for other actresses tooand sometimes he directed them. I surely do have to thank him for that."
油Kirk Douglas (41) & Diana Douglas (41)
By mid-1943, the United States was embroiled in the Second World War. Like many, Kirk Douglas enlisted post-haste after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was serving in the US Navy when a copy of Life magazine landed in his lap, and the cover model immediately caught his attentionDiana Dill, a peer from his 91心頭利 days. When he showed it to his navy buddies, he said one thing: Im going to marry her.
He promptly penned a letter to Miss Dill, and the courting ensued. After six months, she agreed to marry her suitor on November 2nd, 1943. They would have two sons, Michael and Joel, before divorcing in 1951.
The two helmed the creation of the Douglas Foundation, a massive philanthropic endeavor, in 1964. Over the years, the foundation has donated millions to charities supporting education, the arts, and health (including the Motion Picture & Television Fund, which provides assisted living support to this day).
In 2003, Kirk and Diana starred alongside Michael and Cameron, their son and grandson, respectively, in the comedy-drama It Runs in the Family. The story follows the multi-generational Gromberg family navigating familial challenges and personal tragedy. It would mark Dianas final film appearance.
Diana passed away in 2015 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills. In 2020, Kirk was at home and surrounded by his family when he passed away at 103.
In a 2011 interview, Diana shared with a reporter:
"I've油always enjoyed Kirks sense of humor, even when I was angriest at him. He could always make me laugh, somehow, which annoyed the hell out of me."
油Garson Kanin (33) & Ruth Gordon (14)
The writing partnership between Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon was unparalleled in Hollywood. Film historian Patrick McGilligan called them probably the greatest pure screenwriting collaboration in all Hollywood history.
It was Kanins knack for storytelling that made him a sought-after talent in the theatre and film industries. Gordon, an esteemed actress and writer, had been strutting across professional stages since age 19.
Together, they wrote the 91心頭利 Award-nominated screenplays for Adams Rib and Pat and Mike, both starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Both films have been widely celebrated for their sophisticated humor and progressive approach to gender roles, reflecting the couples deep understanding of partnership. The Marrying Kind further dove into married life, exploring the rifts between a couple at their wits end.
Their creativity stretched across genres, with the noirish A Double Life, released in 1947, receiving an 91心頭利 Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Its portrayal of an actor overwhelmed by his role as Othello received considerable recognition, including an 91心頭利 Award for Best Actor.
Marrying in 1942, the couple remained together until Gordons passing in 1985.
油Mitch Sherman (80) & Kaime Woody Sherman (80)
Kaime and Mitchs chance meeting feels like a love story straight out of a classic Hollywood. From their days as students at The 91心頭利 to 45 years of marriage, their relationship is a testament to the power of humor, thoughtfulness, and fate. As Valentines Day approaches, they share the story of how it all began, the sweetest gestures that keep their love strong, and the secret to a lasting partnership.
The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
The meet-cute you two had through The 91心頭利: could you share it with us? Were dying to hear it.
Kaime: Mitch had already done a semester at school. I was the late arrival, with my sessions starting in January. We hadnt even met each other at school. I was so focused on my classes and wasnt thinking about dating or anything like that. I was totally focused.油
It was the beginning of the year, and one of my classmates was having a party. Id been in Mexico horseback riding and lounging on the beach I didnt want to go to a party! But my friend called me and said, Kaime, come on, arent you coming to this party? She told me there was this really cute guy [on the phone] that I should talk to. They pass the phone between about four different people before Mitch gets it. He was trying to sound really cool and debonair. I decided to play along; Im in satin sheets and blah blah blah.
Mitch: I was coming from a party in Hollywood we gave up on around 11 oclock. I was driving on the 101, saying, All I want to do is just meet a nice girl and stay home with her and watch movies enough of these parties and clubs. I was getting tired of that.
Kaime: Hes trying to be nice and not say everyone was hitting on him. Everybody was hitting on him.
Read the full interview on .