On This Day

"The Last Emperor" directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring John Lone, Joan Chen and Peter O'Toole premieres at the

"The Last Emperor" directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring John Lone, Joan Chen and Peter O'Toole premieres at the Tokyo Film Festival (Best Picture 1988)

The Last Emperor (Italian: L'ultimo imperatore) is a 1987 epic biographical drama film about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. It is directed by Bernardo Bertolucci from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark Peploe, which was adapted from Puyi's 1964 autobiography, and independently produced by Jeremy Thomas.

The film depicts Puyi's life from his ascent to the throne as an infant to his imprisonment and political rehabilitation by the Chinese Communist Party. It stars John Lone in the eponymous role, with Peter O'Toole, Joan Chen, Ruocheng Ying, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun, Vivian Wu, Lisa Lu, and Ryuichi Sakamoto (who also composed the film score with David Byrne and Cong Su).

Historical Significance

The Last Emperor (Italian: L'ultimo imperatore) is a 1987 epic biographical drama film about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China.

Key People

Bernardo Bertolucci

film director and screenwriter

Italian film director and screenwriter

Peter O'Toole

actor

British actor

Events Before

  1. Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

    The Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart 73 seconds after launch, killing all seven crew members in one of the most devastating disasters in space exploration history.

  2. Bill Veeck dies

    Bill Veeck baseball executive, known for american baseball executive, died on 1986-01-02. William Louis Veeck Jr.

  3. Aruba gains independence from the Netherlands Antilles

    The Netherlands Antilles was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

  4. Inaugural class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Chuck Berry; James Brown; Ray Charles; Sam Cooke; Fats Domino

    Inaugural class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Chuck Berry; James Brown; Ray Charles; Sam Cooke; Fats Domino; The Everly Brothers; Buddy Holly; Jerry Lee Lewis; Elvis Presley; Little Richard; Robert Johnson; Jimmie Rodgers; Jimmy Yancey; Alan Freed; John Hammond; and Sam Phillips

  5. Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, includin

    Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, including Christa McAuliffe, who was to be the first teacher in space

Events After

  1. Czech-born tennis star Hana Mandlíková becomes an Australian Citizen

    Czech-born tennis star Hana Mandlíková becomes an Australian Citizen

  2. English Earl of St Andrews George Windsor marries Canadian academic Sylvana Tomaselli

    English Earl of St Andrews George Windsor marries Canadian academic Sylvana Tomaselli

  3. Panamanian General Manuel Noriega is indicted by a US federal grand jury for drug trafficking and racketeering

    Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno was a Panamanian military officer and politician who was the de facto ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989.

  4. The Soviet Union begins withdrawing its 115,000 troops from Afghanistan

    The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, later known as the Republic of Afghanistan, was the Afghan state from 1978 to 1992.

  5. Britain's Parliament passes Section 28 as law prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality. Repealed in 2001/2004.

    Section 28 refers to a part of the Local Government Act 1988, which stated that local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material...

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 4, 1987?
The Last Emperor (Italian: L'ultimo imperatore) is a 1987 epic biographical drama film about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. It is directed by Bernardo Bertolucci from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark Peploe, which was adapted from Puyi's 1964 autobiography, and independently produced by Jeremy Thomas. The film depicts Puyi's life from his ascent to the throne as an infant to his imprisonment and political rehabilitation by the Chinese Communist Party.
Why is "The Last Emperor" directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring John Lone, Jo... significant?
The Last Emperor (Italian: L'ultimo imperatore) is a 1987 epic biographical drama film about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China.
Who was involved in "The Last Emperor" directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring John Lone, Jo...?
Key figures include Bernardo Bertolucci (film director and screenwriter), Peter O'Toole (actor).

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