Famous Faces on "Sanford & Son" (1972-1977) TV Series!
Some of the stars I have recognized that have stopped by "The Empire" aka Junkyard of Mr. Fred G. Sanford...that's S.A.N.F.O.R.D. Period. :)
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- Actor
- Composer
- Producer
A tall, lanky and twinkle-eyed African-American actor with wonderful onscreen charisma, Antonio Fargas has been appearing on stage and screen for nearly 60 years as of 2021. His film debut was in Shirley Clarke's The Cool World (1963), a gritty, uncompromising tale about African-American youth growing up in Harlem, New York. He then made his acting presence felt in many "blaxploitation" films of the early 1970s, including the classic Shaft (1971), the Mafia flick Across 110th Street (1972), the ultra-violent Pam Grier vehicle Foxy Brown (1974) and the classic tale of Huckleberry Finn (1975).
Around this time ABC-TV executives were looking for a capable actor to play the role of golden-hearted street informant "Huggy Bear" on Starsky and Hutch (1975), and Fargas scored the role with which he is most closely identified. His career continued to flourish after "Starsky and Hutch" wrapped up after four years, and he has appeared in over 50 movies to date, many TV shows and numerous stage productions. He has played a 90-year-old witch doctor in "The Great White Hope", was in Melvin Van Peebles' "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death", and appeared in productions of "The Rainmaker", "The Emperor Jones" and "Dream on Monkey Mountain". A strong advocate of the strength and diversity of African-American culture, Fargas holds positions on the boards of Rhode Island's Langston Hughes Center for the Arts and The Martin Luther King Center of Newport.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 15
Fred Sanford, Legal Eagle (11 Jan. 1974)
"Sonny Cochran"- Mary Alice was born on 3 December 1936 in Indianola, Mississippi, USA. She was an actress, known for The Matrix Revolutions (2003), Awakenings (1990) and Malcolm X (1992). She died on 27 July 2022 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA."Frances Victor"
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 20
My Brother-In-Law's Keeper (14 Feb. 1975) - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
A native of New Jersey and son of a mechanic, African-American John Amos has relied on his imposing build, eruptive nature and strong, forceful looks to obtain acting jobs, and a serious desire for better roles to earn a satisfying place in the annals of film and TV. He has found it a constant uphill battle to further himself in an industry that tends to diminish an actor's talents with severe and/or demeaning stereotypes and easy pigeonholing. A tough, often hot-headed guy with a somewhat tender side, John would succeed far better on stage than on film and TV...with one extremely noteworthy exceptions.
Born on December 27, 1939, John was first employed as an advertising copywriter, a social worker at New York's Vera Institute of Justice, and an American and Canadian semi-professional football player before receiving his calling as an actor. A stand-up comic on the Greenwich Village circuit, the work eventually took him West and, ultimately, led to his hiring as a staff writer on Leslie Uggams' musical variety show in 1969. Making his legit stage debut in a 1971 L.A. production of the comedy "Norman, Is That You?", John went on to earn a Los Angeles Drama Critics nomination for "Best Actor". As such, he formed his own theater company and produced "Norman, Is That You?" on tour.
The following year he returned to New York to take his first Broadway bow in "Tough To Get Help". By this time he had secured secondary work on the classic The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) as Gordy the weatherman. His character remained on the periphery, however, and he left the show after three discouraging seasons. On the bright side, he won the recurring role of the sporadically-unemployed husband of maid Florida Evans (played by Esther Rolle) on Norman Lear's Maude (1972) starring Bea Arthur. The two characters were spun-off into their own popular series as the parental leads in Good Times (1974).
Good Times (1974), a family sitcom that took place in a Chicago ghetto high-rise, initially prided itself as being the first network series ever to be created by African-Americans. But subsequent episodes were taken over by others and John was increasingly disgruntled by the lack of quality of the scripts and the direction Lear was taking the show. Once focused on the importance of family values, it was shifting more and more toward the silly antics of Jimmie 'JJ' Walker, who was becoming a runaway hit on the show as the aimless, egotistical, jive-talking teenage son JJ. John began frequently clashing with the higher-ups and, by 1976, was released from the series, with his character being killed in an off-camera car accident while finding employment out of state.
Amos rebounded quickly when he won the Emmy-nominated role of the adult Kunte Kinte in the ground-breaking epic mini-series Roots (1977), one of the most powerful and reverential TV features ever to hit television. It was THE TV role of his career, but he found other quality roles for other black actors extremely difficult to come by. He tried his best to avoid the dim-headed lugs and crime-motivated characters that came his way. Along with a few parts (the mini-movie Willa (1979) and the films The Beastmaster (1982) and Coming to America (1988)), he had to endure the mediocre (guest spots on The Love Boat (1977), "The A-Team", "Murder, She Wrote" "One Life to Live"). John also toiled through a number of action-themed films that focused more on grit and testosterone than talent.
He found one answer to this acting dilemma on the proscenium stage. In 1985, the play "Split Second" earned him the NAACP Award as Best Actor. He also received fine reviews in a Berkshire Theater festival production of "The Boys Next Door", a tour of O'Neill's towering play "The Emperor Jones", and in a Detroit production of Athol Fugard's "Master Harold...and The Boys". In addition, John directed two well-received productions, "Miss Reardon Drinks a Little" and "Twelve Angry Men", in the Bahamas. He took on Shakespeare as Sir Toby Belch in "Twelfth Night" at Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare and earned strong notices in the late August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Fences" at the Capital Repertory Company in Albany, New York. Overseas he received plaudits for his appearance in a heralded production of "The Life and Death of a Buffalo Soldier" at the Bristol's Old Vic in England. Capping his theatrical career was the 1990 inaugural of his one-man show "Halley's Comet", an amusing and humanistic American journey into the life of an 87-year-old who recalls, among other things, World War II, the golden age of radio, the early civil rights movement, and the sighting of the Comet when he was 11. He wrote and has frequently directed the show, which continues to play into the 2007-2008 season.
In recent years, John has enjoyed recurring parts on "The West Wing" and "The District", and is more recently appearing in the offbeat series Men in Trees (2006) starring Anne Heche. John Amos has two children by his former wife Noel Amos and two children. Son K.C. Amos director, writer, producer, editor and daughter Shannon Amos a director, writer and producer. Amos has one grand child,a grand-daughter, Quiera Williams.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 16
A Visit from Lena Horne (12 Jan. 1973)
"Luther"- Writer
- Producer
- Actress
Tina Andrews was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (2000), Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (2000) and Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998).Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 9
Sanford and Niece (8 Nov. 1974)
"Elizabeth"- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Slender, attractive actress Margaret Avery, spellbinding in her role of Shug in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), is certainly no "one-hit wonder". Although filmgoers may be able to trace her back only to that once-in-a-lifetime part, Margaret has been a talented player on the large and small screens for well over three decades.
Born on January 20, 1944, in Mangum, Oklahoma, the daughter of a Navy man, she was raised in San Diego, California, where she completed high school. Margaret demonstrated a certain passion for acting while in her teens but decided to pursue a more stable career in teaching. Graduating from San Francisco State University, she joined the Los Angeles public school system as a substitute teacher, but the "acting bug" continued to nibble away at her. She auditioned for commercials on the sly and managed to also segued into stage work and singing jobs. Her early 1970s L.A. plays included "Revolution", "Sistuhs", and 1973's "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?", the last for which she nabbed the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. Her skills as an actress helped her to move into TV roles, appearing in such established 1970s and 1980s series as The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971), Kojak (1973), Sanford and Son (1972), Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974), The Rookies (1972), Baby... I'm Back! (1977), Murder, She Wrote (1984), Miami Vice (1984), Spenser: For Hire (1985), a recurring part in Harry O (1973), and a regular role in the short-lived series A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977).
Her film career ignited during the popular "blaxploitation" era. She somehow managed to avoid the pitfalls of many a black actress of that time, however, despite her sexy and revealing roles in her first two films, Cool Breeze (1972) starring Thalmus Rasulala and Lincoln Kilpatrick, and Hell Up in Harlem (1973), in which she found herself in the clutches of brawny former footballer Fred Williamson. Margaret carried on with Magnum Force (1973) (as a hooker) and the comedies Which Way Is Up? (1977) and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979), establishing herself as a solid, reliable actress.
Music was never far away from Margaret as attested by her roles in Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style (1976), starring Ben Vereen as "Satchmo", and Scott Joplin (1977), which showcased Billy Dee Williams. However, it was her riveting supporting turn as the drug-riddled, fly-by-night singer Shug Avery in The Color Purple (1985) that put her on the map. Stories have long circulated that Spielberg wanted a star singer in the role and that Margaret received the role only after both Patti LaBelle and Tina Turner were approached and turned it down. She had previously worked with Spielberg in her first TV movie Something Evil (1972). He remembered her from this and cast her. Earning an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actress", it was expected that her career would hit major cinematic heights. Unfortunately, Margaret didn't make another film for three years, when she played a jazz singer in the little-seen Blueberry Hill (1988) with Carrie Snodgress.
On TV she continued to grace episodes of Amen (1986), The Cosby Show (1984), Roc (1991), JAG (1995), MacGyver (1985), Bones (2005), enhanced such commendable made-for-TV movies as Heat Wave (1990) with Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, and has been seen sporadically in films. She co-starred in The Return of Superfly (1990) -- a nod to her old blaxploitation days--Lightning in a Bottle (1993), White Man's Burden (1995) with John Travolta, the Mario Van Peebles feature Love Kills (1998)
Into the millennium, Margaret has been seen in Waitin' to Live (2006), directed by Travolta's brother, Joey Travolta; Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (2008) as well as Meet the Browns (2008) with Martin Lawrence and Angela Bassett, respectively; the crime drama Proud Mary (2018) and the family comedy Grand-Daddy Day Care (2019). She also appearing regularly alongside Gabrielle Union and Richard Roundtree on BET's Being Mary Jane (2013).
Divorced (74-80) from director Robert Gordon Hunt, Margaret has one daughter, Aisha.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 17
Strange Bedfellows (24 Jan. 1975)
"Denise"- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
John Barbour was born on 24 April 1933 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is an actor and writer, known for The JFK Assassination: The Jim Garrison Tapes (1992), American Media & The Second Assassination of John F. Kennedy (2017) and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000).Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 18
The Masquerade Party (31 Jan. 1975)
"Game Show Host"- Actor
- Writer
Harry Basch was born on 16 January 1926 in Trenton, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Star Trek (1966), That Girl (1966) and Coma (1978). He was married to Shirley Slater. He died on 23 June 2020 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 17
Fred's Cheating Heart (1 Feb. 1974)
"Dr. Jamison"- Actress
- Additional Crew
Beltran started her film career in Hollywood in the uncredited role of Miss Guatemala in the film Pan-Americana (1945) (1945). From 1945 to 2002, in addition to her film roles, Beltran played over 80 roles in film and television, often in smaller roles, always as Mexican women, and then later in her career, as family matriarch types or senoritas. These included guest roles in such popular TV series as The F.B.I. (1965), Bonanza (1959), Lou Grant (1977), Knight Rider (1982), The A-Team (1983) and The Jeffersons (1975). On the big screen, in film, she appeared in such films as Jubilee Trail, Marathon Man (1976), Oh, God! Book II (1980), and most recently in Ghost (1990) which co-starred Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg, and the 2002 comedy film Buying the Cow (2002). She died in Northridge, California in 2007."Mrs. Fuentes"
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 18
Watts Side Story (26 Jan. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 7
Fuentes, Fuentes, Sanford & Chico (26 Oct. 1973- Director
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Bonerz was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Elfrieda (née Kern) and Christopher Bonerz. He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Marquette University High School. Here, performing with the Prep Players, he gained his first theatrical experience. At Marquette University, he participated in the Marquette University Players. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1960, he decided to seek a career in theater, starting in New York City in improve with a troupe called The Premise. After compulsory service as a draftee in the United States Army, he worked with an improve troupe in San Francisco known as The Committee, whose members included Rob Reiner, David Ogden Stiers, Howard Hesseman and Hamilton Camp.Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 11
TV or Not TV (24 Mar. 1972)
"Doctor"- Actor
- Soundtrack
He was a master class in cerebral eloquence and audience command...and although his dominant playing card in the realm of acting was quite serious and stately, nobody cut a more delightfully dry edge in sitcoms than this gentleman, whose calm yet blistering put-downs often eluded his lesser victims.
Acting titan Roscoe Lee Browne was born to a Baptist minister and his wife on May 2, 1922, in Woodbury, New Jersey. He attended Lincoln University, an historically black university in Pennsylvania until 1942, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he served in Italy with the Negro 92nd Infantry Division and organized the Division's track and field team. He graduated from Lincoln University in 1946, and studied French through Middlebury College's summer language program. He received his master's degree from Columbia University, then subsequently returned to Lincoln and taught French and comparative literature, seemingly destined to settle in completely until he heard a different calling.
Roscoe relished his first taste of adulation and admiration as a track star, competing internationally and winning the world championship in the 800-yard dash in 1951. He parlayed that attention into a job as a sales representative for a wine and liquor importer. In 1956, he abruptly decided to become an actor. And he did. With no training but a shrewd, innate sense of self, he boldly auditioned for, and won, the role of the Soothsayer in "Julius Caesar" the very next day at the newly-formed New York Shakespeare Festival. He never looked back and went on to perform with the company in productions of "The Taming of the Shrew", "Titus Andronicus", "Othello", "King Lear" (as the Fool), and "Troilus and Cressida".
Blessed with rich, mellifluous tones and an imposing, cultured air, Roscoe became a rare African-American fixture on the traditionally white classical stage. In 1961 he appeared notably with James Earl Jones in the original off-Broadway cast of Jean Genet's landmark play "The Blacks". Awards soon came his way -- the first in the form of an Obie only a few years later for his portrayal of a rebellious slave in "The Old Glory". Additionally, he received the Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle Award for both "The Dream on Monkey Mountain" (1970) and "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" (1989). Roscoe found less successful ventures on 1960s Broadway, taking his first curtain call in "A Cool World" in 1960, which folded the next day. He graced a number of other short runs including "General Seegar" (1962), "Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright" (1962), "The Ballad of the Sade Cafe" (1964), "Danton's Death" (1965), and "A Hand Is on the Gate: An Evening of Negro Poetry and Folk Music" (1966), which he also wrote and directed. He did not return to Broadway until 1983 with the role of the singing Rev. J.D. Montgomery in Tommy Tune's smash musical "My One and Only" in which his number "Kicking the Clouds Away" proved to be one of many highlights. Roscoe returned only once more to Broadway, earning acclaim and a Tony nomination for his supporting performance in August Wilson's "Two Trains Running" (1992).
Although he made an isolated debut with The Connection (1961), he wouldn't appear regularly in films until the end of the decade with prominent parts in the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton film, The Comedians (1967), Jules Dassin's Uptight (1968), Hitchcock's Topaz (1969) and, his most notable, The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970). Thereafter, he complimented a host of features, both comedic and dramatic, including Super Fly (1972) (and its sequel), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Logan's Run (1976), Legal Eagles (1986), The Mambo Kings (1992) and Dear God (1996)
Elsewhere, Roscoe's disdainful demeanor courted applause on all the top 70s sitcoms including "All in the Family", "Maude," "Sanford and Son", "Good Times" and "Barney Miller" (Emmy-nominated), and he played the splendidly sardonic role of Saunders, the Tate household butler, after replacing Robert Guillaume's popular "Benson" character on Soap (1977). In 1986 he won an Emmy Award for his guest appearance on The Cosby Show (1984). His trademark baritone lent authority and distinction to a number of documentaries, live-action fare, and animated films, as well as the spoken-word arena, with such symphony orchestras as the Boston Pops and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to his credit. A preeminent recitalist, he was known for committing hundreds of poems to memory. For many years he and actor Anthony Zerbe toured the U.S. with their presentation of "Behind the Broken Words", an evening of poetry and dramatic readings.
At the time of his death of cancer on April 11, 2007, the never-married octogenarian was still omnipresent, more heard than seen perhaps. Among his last works was his narrations of a Garfield film feature and the most recent movie spoof Epic Movie (2007).Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 4
Jealousy (6 Oct. 1972)
"Osgood Wilcox"- Morris Buchanan was born on 26 February 1923 in Riverside, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Coffy (1973), Panther Girl of the Kongo (1955) and St. Ives (1976). He was married to Noella Austin and Bessie K. Brown. He died on 14 August 2014 in Riverside, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 3
Ol' Brown Eyes (27 Sep. 1974)
"Police Detective" - Writer
- Director
- Actress
Migdia Skarsgård Chinea is an American awarded filmmaker born in Coral Gables, FL, president of Ciboney Productions, member of the TV Academy of Arts and Sciences (EMMY's) in the Writers category, member of the WGAW. She obtained a UCLA MFA in Film and Media Studies in 2012. Migdia's independent short films "anonymous (street meat)," "Kninth Floor" and "The Prince of Old Havana" have been semi-finalist at Cannes Un Certain Regard, the Phillip K Dick Film Festival (NY City and Lille, France), St. Petersburg Film Festival in Russia, among numerous others. She has written and produced "The Incredible Hulk" and has completed psychological horror short "Red on Red". Migdia wrote, directed and produced her first full length indie feature "When it Rains," a post sexual revolution film set in 1972 Hollywood, received (as a work-in-progress) the Individual Merit Award at the Richmond International Film Festival, in VA, along with The Prince of Old Havana. Her TV series "Alchemist of Boyle Heights" introduces us to a modern day alchemist -- a working mom who turns bad times into gold.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 18
Watts Side Story (26 Jan. 1973)
"Maria" (as Migdia Varela)- Additional Crew
- Actress
- Sound Department
Native New Yorker June Christopher was also raised in Germany and Jamaica. She started as a stage actress in New York and attended Barnard College at Columbia University there. She has acted at the renowned New York Public Theater and did "Threepenny Opera" off-Broadway. She was a member of the famed Negro Ensemble Company before going back to Germany to tour with "Porgy and Bess" and doing a television series while living in Munich.
June then moved to Los Angeles where she appeared on dozens of TV shows, including "Now We're Talking," "Rizzoli & Isles," "Close to Home," "JAG", "So Little Time," and "The Jamie Foxx Show." She has also appeared in roles in the films "Misery," "Free Willy II," "Dr. Dolittle," "Blankman," web series "Boxer," and more.
Her heart is her family, husband Michael Haney and her twins Angie and Alex. While raising her children, June became a popular voiceover actor in film and television. Some of her voiceover film credits include "Frozen," "Frozen II," The Angry Birds Movie 2," "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse," "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "X-Men: The Apocalypse, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2," "The Incredibles 2," "Big Hero 6," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," the Shield Computer voice on "Captain America," "Hidden Figures," "The Big Short," and more. She has also been a regular performer for voice on television, appearing often on the series "Law and Order," "24," "Chicago Med," "Chicago PD," "Chicago Fire," "Homeland," "Madam Secretary," "Orange is the New Black," "Power," "Snowfall," "Greenleaf," "The Resident," "Covert Affairs," the remake of "Roots," "Madam C.J. Walker," and others.
As a writer, June has had deals at HBO, NBC, and Motown Productions. For years, she wrote a one-hour, weekly national radio anthology on the history of black music called "Music of the City," which led to a 12-hour history of Motown for radio and a 10-history of The Apollo Theater, which became "Motown Returns to the Apollo" for television.
As a producer, June and her husband, Michael Haney, produced the anti-bullying film "Charity" which won Best Family Film at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, Gold Remi Award at the WorldFest Houston, Award of Merit at the Accolade Global Film Competition. "Charity" was invited as an Official Selection to the Irvine International Film Festival, Sedona International Film Festival, Kansas City FilmFest, Julien Dubuque International Film Festival, and was nominated for the Best Social Commentary Award and Best Outstanding Cast Performance Award at the Action on Film Festival. She and her family have an anti-bullying foundation, the Stop Bullying Foundation, which uses this film to present in schools, college, and youth conferences to speak out against bullying. Looking to make the world a better place, June seeks to touch hearts and minds in everything she does.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 18
The Masquerade Party (31 Jan. 1975)
"Brenda"- Actress
- Additional Crew
Miriam Colon was born on 20 August 1936 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She was an actress, known for Scarface (1983), Sabrina (1995) and Goal! The Dream Begins (2005). She was married to Fred Valle, George Paul Edgar and ???. She died on 3 March 2017 in New York City, New York, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 10
Julio and Sister and Nephew (15 Nov. 1974)
"Carlotta"- Actress
- Soundtrack
Corinne Conley was born in upstate Le Roy, New York, but was raised in Radford, Virginia. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 1949 with a degree in Dramatic Arts. She went on to spend the majority of her career in Canada and is notable for having won the Canadian Council of Authors and Artists' Best Actress Award. Her television, film, and voice career has spanned more than half a century, beginning in 1953. Her credits include Anne with an E (2017), Old Stock (2012), The Dark Years (2007), Christmas Rush (2002), RFK (2002), The Defenders: Payback (1997), Wind at My Back (1996), Butterbox Babies (1995), Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story (1993), War of the Worlds (1988), Hollywood Wives (1985), Quincy M.E. (1976), CHiPs (1977), Corinne Conley, Tales of the Wizard of Oz (1961), Encounter (1952), On Camera (1954), and The Berenstain Bears (1985).Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 10
Julio and Sister and Nephew (15 Nov. 1974)
"Woman"- Actor
- Soundtrack
Scatman Crothers was born Benjamin Sherman Crothers on May 23, 1910 in Terre Haute, Indiana. Songwriter ("Dearest One"), actor, composer, singer, comedian, and guitarist who, after high school, appeared in nightclubs, hotels, and films, and on television. He made many records, including his own compositions. He joined ASCAP in 1959, and his popular-song compositions also include "The Gal Looks Good", "Nobody Knows Why", "I Was There", "A Man's Gotta Eat", and "When, Oh When". Scatman Crothers died at age 76 of pneumonia and lung cancer at his home in Van Nuys, California on November 22, 1986.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 16
The Stand-In (17 Jan. 1975)
"Bowlegs"- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Excellent, prolific and versatile character actor Robert DoQui was born in 1934 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He attended Langston University on a music scholarship and was a member of the popular singing group, "The Langstonaires". Following a four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, DoQui went to New York to pursue a career in show business. He began appearing in films and TV shows in the mid 60s and soon amassed a long, diverse and impressive list of credits. DoQui frequently portrayed tough, hard-nosed, say-it-like-you-see-it characters with a great deal of fiery brio and steely conviction. Arguably best-known as the huffy, no-nonsense "Sergeant Warren Reed" in all three Robocop films, DoQui's other noteworthy film roles include the flamboyant pimp, "King George", in Jack Hill's terrifically trashy blaxploitation classic Coffy (1973), a former slave in the charming Disney outing Treasure of Matecumbe (1976), a fanatical religious cult member in the outrageously sleazy Guyana: Cult of the Damned (1979) and a hot-tempered short order cook in Miracle Mile (1988). Moreover, DoQui appeared in three movies for acclaimed director Robert Altman: Nashville (1975), Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976) and Short Cuts (1993). He supplied the voice of "Pablo Robertson" on the animated Harlem Globe Trotters (1970) TV series.
Among the many television programs DoQui has done guest spots on are NYPD Blue (1993), as a Klingon on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Picket Fences (1992), Starman (1986), Webster (1983), The Fall Guy (1981), Punky Brewster (1984), Hill Street Blues (1981), The Jeffersons (1975), Maude (1972), The Streets of San Francisco (1972), Sanford and Son (1972) Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) Mod Squad (1968), The Fugitive (1963), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964), I Dream of Jeannie (1965) and The Outer Limits (1963).
In addition to his substantial acting credits, DoQui served ten years on the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild, during which time he encouraged both women and minority groups to participate more in the media.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 21
The Headache (21 Feb. 1975)
"Psychologist"- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
David Fitzgerald Doyle was born in Lincoln, Nebraska December 1, 1929. He was the son of Mary Ruth Fitzgerald and Lewis Raymond (Lum) Doyle, a prominent Lincoln attorney. His maternal grandfather was John Fitzgerald, a prominent banker and railroad builder in Nebraska. His paternal grandfather was T. J. Doyle, also an attorney. He was one of three children, including brother John, an attorney, and sister Mary, an actress. He grew up in Lincoln and attended Cathedral grade school. He then went to Campion, a Jesuit prep school in Wisconsin. He made his acting debut at age six and played children's roles in local productions. He was a member of the Community Theater in Lincoln. He was in Life with Father (1947). Doyle entered the University of Nebraska in 1945 and he was expected to become a lawyer, as had four generations of Doyles. But the young Doyle preferred to spend him time in the theater department. A fellow classmate at the University of Nebraska was Johnny Carson. Doyle appeared frequently on his college buddy's late night talk show during the 1960s. Doyle ranked sixth in the state on his law school entrance exams. But the theater still called him and he chose acting over a career in law. He moved to New York after college. He got his break in 1956 when he replaced Walter Matthau in the Broadway production of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957). His first wife, Rachel, died after injuries in a freak fall from a stairway in 1968. While doing a revival of "South Pacific" a year later, he met Anne Nathan and they were married. After Broadway, Doyle moved to California and was cast as Walt Fitzgerald in the television series, Bridget Loves Bernie (1972). A string of character roles followed, and Doyle is probably best remembered as the lovable private detective, Bosley, on the Charlie's Angels (1976) series. Doyle couldn't escape the legal profession and portrayed an attorney, Ted Holmes, on the daytime soap opera, General Hospital (1963) during 1986. Doyle is best remembered for his distinctive, raspy voice which earned him the voice role in several animated series and movies. He died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on February 26, 1997 at age 67.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 19
Golden Boy (7 Feb. 1975)
"Clancy Fitzgerald"- Born Nathan Margolis in Boston Massachusetts, he was comedian best remembered for the role of Rodney Victor on the television comedy series "Sanford and Son". He began his career as a stand-up comic appearing on the "The Ed Sullivan Show" in the 1950s. He soon became a popular figure on "The Jackie Gleason Show", "The Dean Martin Comedy Hour" and "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson". For many years in the 1970's he performed in Las Vegas and opened for acts such as Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdink, Tony Martin, and Vic Damone. As a character actor, he appeared on numerous TV series including "Cheyenne", "The Good Guys", "Get Smart", "The Courtship of Eddie's Father", "He and She", and "Too Close for Comfort". He also played minor rolls in the films "Sex Kittens Go to Hollywood" (1960) and "Norman, Is That You? (1976). He died at age 64 in Los Angeles, California."Rodney Victor"
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 20
My Brother-In-Law's Keeper (14 Feb. 1975) - Actress
- Music Department
- Executive
Ja'Net DuBois was a multi-talented and diverse performer. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York and began her career on Broadway. She has appeared in various plays, including "Golden Boy" with Sammy Davis Jr. and Louis Gossett Jr., and "A Raisin in the Sun". She moved onto TV roles, receiving a Peabody Award for a 1969 CBS children's movie J.T. (1969). She then appeared in a daytime serial, Love of Life (1951); she is the first African American actress to have a regular serial role.
She was best known for her role as the sexy, confident, gossipy "Willona Woods" on Good Times (1974). She composed and sang the theme song, "Movin' On Up", for another Norman Lear series, The Jeffersons (1975). She appeared in many films, including the blaxploitation parody, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988), as a tough and loving mother. She also did voice-over work, for which she received two Emmys.
She co-founded the "Pan African Film & Arts Festival", which showcases global films about people of African descent and fine arts. She is a community activist whose DuBois Care Foundation's mission is to empower youth by supporting after-school programs. She was also a painter who regularly exhibited her work. She released a CD in 2008, "Hidden Treasures", which includes the well-known TV theme song, "Movin' On Up".Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 11
Sanford and Son and Sister Makes Three (1 Dec. 1972)
"Juanita"- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Judyann Elder graduated from Emerson College in Boston as the first recipient of the Carol Burnett Award in the Performing Arts. She began her professional career in New York off-Broadway as a founding member and resident actor with the Tony Award-winning Negro Ensemble Company. She originated roles in the premiere productions of The Song of the Lusitanian Bogey; Daddy Goodness; Kongi's Harvest; God is a Guess What; and Ceremonies in Dark Old Men and toured with the company to London and Rome. She later made her Broadway debut at the Ambassador Theatre as Coretta King opposite Billy Dee Williams in I Have a Dream. She returns to regional stages as frequently as possible in such plays as The Heliotrope Bouquet, An American Daughter, The Old Settler, The Story, and Fences. A television veteran with innumerable credits, her favorites include her stint on Murphy Brown as Candice Bergen's obstetrician; her recurring role as Gina's mother on the hit series Martin; her series regular as Harriet Winslow for the final season of Family Matters; and her guest turn as Terri Hatcher's psychiatrist on Desperate Housewives. A breast cancer survivor and former legislative ambassador for the American Cancer Society, her dramatic role as a woman confronted with breast cancer on the show ER remains her most personally enduring. Her feature films include, among others, A Woman Called Moses with Cecily Tyson, Forget Paris opposite Billy Crystal, and Seven Pounds opposite Will Smith. For radio, she most recently portrayed Lena Younger in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun for LA TheatreWorks national radio series which received a 2012 Audie Award. Ms. Elder's work as an actor led to her foray into directing. Among her directorial credits: The Book of the Crazy African (Skylight Theatre); The Meeting (Inner City Cultural Center, LA and New Federal Theatre, NY); Ceremonies in Dark Old Men (Beverly Canon Theatre); The Member of the Wedding (LA Theatre Works); How's Your Love Life? and A Private Act (Robey Theatre Company). Her direction of Ceremonies in Dark Old Men at the Skirball Cultural Center for LA TheatreWorks radio series was broadcast nationally in February of 2010. She is an alumna of the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women where she produced and directed the short film, Behind God's Back, based on an Alice Walker story and starring Beau Bridges. She is the recipient of a Screenwriting Fellowship with Walt Disney Studios, was honored in 2005 with a NAACP Trailblazer Award and in 2010 received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Emerson College. An accomplished filmmaker, her most recent short, A Private Act, had its World Premiere at the St. Louis International Film Festival and is available on Vimeo. Having last directed The Whipping Man for LATheatreWorks, she returns in January of 2017, to direct Seven.Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 7
A Pad for Lamont (25 Feb. 1972)
"Darlene"- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Angela Gibbs: Writer/ Director/Acting Coach
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Angela has a diverse background in the entertainment industry that spans 5 decades. As an actor, her credits include recurring roles on "Hacks," "On My Block," and "SWAT." As a regular on Aaron McGruder's "Black Jesus," her character, Ms. Tudi, broke out as one of the leads. Her films include "Love Jacked," in which she starred with her mother, Marla Gibbs; "Stone Cold Christmas"; and "Straight Outta Compton," in which she portrayed Ice Cube's mother. As an acting coach, Gibbs has worked with Alejandro G. Inarritu, coaching on both his Oscar-winning films, "Birdman" and "The Revenant." Gibbs coached newcomer Demetrius Shipp for the role of Tupac in the upcoming "All Eyes On Me," and Richie Merritt on "White Boy Rick" for critically-acclaimed director Yaan Demange.
While attending the American Film Institute, Gibbs cast the short film, "Last Breeze of Summer," that won an Academy-Award nomination, and she received AFI's Mary Pickford Award for directing. Her short film "Ties That Bind" won the HBO Shorts Award, was featured during BET's Best Short series, and won Best Short at the prestigious Pan African Film Festival.
When Angela produced the play "227," the success buzz caught the attention of Norman Lear, who helped develop it into the NBC hit series. Angela is the recipient of two NAACP Image Awards for producing "227" and for the Broadway play "Checkmates," starring Denzel Washington and Ruby Dee. Gibbs wrote the Trumpet Awards for its first 10 years and taught at Spelman College's Drama Department. Angela is developing two features that she will direct.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 18
The Party Crasher (8 Feb. 1974)
"Angel"- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Ron Glass was born on 10 July 1945 in Evansville, Indiana, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Serenity (2005), Barney Miller (1975) and Firefly (2002). He died on 25 November 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 6
The Card Sharps (27 Oct. 1972)
"Hucklebuck"
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 15
Once a Thief (27 Dec. 1974)
"Herman"- Music Department
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Eydie Gorme was born in New York on August 16, 1928 to Sephardic Jewish parents. Her father, Nessim Gormezano, was a Turkish-born tailor who changed his last name when he arrived in the United States. She began singing straight out of high school, with various big bands. But her big break came after she auditioned for, and joined, "The The Tonight Show (1953) Show" in 1953. There, for $90 a week, she sang solos and sang duets with the up-and-coming Steve Lawrence. The two performed on the show for five years, and married in 1957. After their "Tonight Show" stint, the pair had a short-lived TV show of their own, The Steve Lawrence-Eydie Gorme Show (1958). Then, Lawrence entered the Army leaving Gorme, a new mother, to frequent the night club circuit on her own. Two years later, when Lawrence was discharged, the couple came to a decision to enter show business more professionally. Their career took off, with audiences drawn to their penchant for the classics in favor of rock 'n' roll, as well as their spontaneous banter.Sanford and Son: Season 5, Episode 1
Earthquake II (12 Sep. 1975)
"Herself"- Producer
- Writer
- Music Department
Merv Griffin was a singer and band leader, movie actor, television personality and media mogul who in his time hosting The Merv Griffin Show (1962) was second in fame and influence as a talk show host only to Johnny Carson. Griffin was best known for creating the two most popular game shows in television syndication history, Wheel of Fortune (1983) and Jeopardy! (1984), which are watched by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. In the business world, he was identified as the visionary chairman of The Griffin Group.
Born in the San Francisco, California suburb of San Mateo, Griffin "came up through the ranks" in the classic sense, entering talent contests, writing songs, singing on local radio station KFRC-San Francisco, and later touring with Freddy Martin Orchestra. He became increasingly popular with nightclub audiences and his fame soared among the general public when he struck gold in 1950 with "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts", which reached the number one spot on the Hit Parade and sold three million copies.
Continuing to record hits, including "Wilhelmina" and "Never Been Kissed", Griffin made a foray into motion pictures after Doris Day saw his nightclub performance and arranged a screen test for him at Warner Bros. Studios. While under contract at Warner Bros., he appeared in a number of hit movies, including So This Is Love (1953) with Kathryn Grayson and The Boy from Oklahoma (1954) with Will Rogers Jr., and Lon Chaney Jr..
Television then discovered him. As a regular performer on The Arthur Murray Party (1950), The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957) and others, he was offered the opportunity to host his own television series, Play Your Hunch (1958). It was during this period that he conceived the idea for what was to become one of the most successful game shows in television history, Jeopardy! (1964). But it was in 1962 that his career took its most dramatic turn. He became a substitute host for Jack Paar on The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957) and scored some of the highest ratings in the show's history. As a result, NBC gave him his own hour-long daytime talk show program, The Merv Griffin Show (1962).
Griffin's name and talk show career will always be seen in the light of that of Johnny Carson, the "King of late night TV", with whom Griffin directly competed on CBS from 1969 to 1972. Griffin's first daytime talk show began on the same day Carson first hosted The Tonight Show (1962). While Carson's style was indebted to his long apprenticeship in Los Angeles in the 1950s, Griffin was based in New York, where he socialized with New York's theater and café crowds. Griffin's approach to television talk was influenced by two New York shows, David Susskind's The David Susskind Show (1958) and Mike Wallace's Probe and Night Beat (1956), and like Susskind and Wallace, he openly embraced controversial subjects. In 1965, Griffin was criticized as a "traitor" when he aired a special from London in which Nobel Prize-winning philosopher Bertrand Russell denounced the Vietnam War.
Despite his success on daytime television, it was late night that was The Holy Grail for talk show hosts. In 1969, CBS hired Griffin to directly compete with Carson in the 11:30 PM to 1:00 AM time slot that had proven a grave yard for other personalities. Not one to shy away from controversy, Griffin began to be harassed by CBS censors who objected to the antiwar statements of his guests and ordered him to feature pro-war guests for balance. "The irony of the situation wasn't wasted on me", Griffin recalls in his autobiography. "In 1965, I'm called a traitor by the press for presenting Bertrand Russell, and, four years later, we are hard-pressed to find anybody to speak in favor of the Vietnam War".
In March 1970, CBS censors pixilated antiwar activist Abbie Hoffman because he was wearing a shirt that resembled an American flag. The resulting blurred image meant that Hoffman's voice emanated from a "jumble of lines". CBS also pressured Griffin into sacking his long-term sidekick Arthur Treacher, who had been his television mentor, because he was too old. The censorship did not boost the ratings for Griffin, who was facing stiff competition from the genial Carson, who himself was criticized during the era for shying away from controversial subjects.
In 1972, a fed-up Griffin negotiated a syndication deal with Metromedia to move his talk show back to the daytime, and in the event he was terminated by CBS. The deal was signed in secret as a penalty clause in his CBS contract gave him $1 million in the event of his being fired. Later that year, CBS terminated Griffin's late-night talk show and Griffin immediately made the transition to Metromedia's syndicated network.
While Griffin may have been a washout in late night television (and he had LOTS of company - EVERYONE who went up against Carson lost the ratings race, and Johnny always came out the victor), Griffin's impact on daytime was immense, specifically through his production of game shows. An avid fan of puzzles since childhood, Griffin first produced a successful game show in 1964, Jeopardy! (1964) for NBC. After 13 seasons as a daytime talk show host, Griffin retired from his talk show in 1986 to devote himself to producing his highly profitable game shows.
Jeopardy! (2002) remains the second highest rated game show in television syndication while Wheel of Fortune (1983) continues to be the longest running game show to hold the number one spot in television syndication history. Other Griffin successes in the game show field included "One in a Million" and Joe Garagiola's Memory Game (1971), both airing on ABC, Let's Play Post Office on NBC, and Reach for the Stars (1967).
In 1986, Griffin sold his production company, Merv Griffin Enterprises, to Coca-Cola's Columbia Pictures Television unit for $250 million as well as a continuing share of the profits of the shows. At that time, the transaction represented the largest acquisition of an entertainment company owned by a single individual. Subsequently, Sony Pictures Entertainment purchased Columbia and he retains the title of executive producer of both "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" (for which he still creates puzzles and questions.) He served as Executive Producer of "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" (2000).
After his retirement from daytime chat, Merv became a real estate baron, acquiring the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, which is now the venue of choice for virtually all of the Tinseltown's most high profile events such as The Golden Globe Awards, The Soap Opera Digest Awards, and The American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Awards. He also owns the Hilton Scottsdale Resort and Villas in Arizona, and St. Clerans Manor, an 18th century estate once owned by director John Huston which is located near Galway, the premier resort destination in Ireland.
In January 1998, Griffin opened The Coconut Club, one of the country's hottest swing/dance clubs, at his Beverly Hilton Hotel. This weekend venue, fashioned after Hollywood's famed Coconut Grove (where Griffin headlined as a boy singer with The Freddy Martin Orchestra) features live Big Bands, Swing Orchestras, and Rock Bands amidst a glamorous nightclub setting.
He was honored with the prestigious 1994 Broadcasting and Cable "Hall of Fame" Award, alongside such figures as Diane Sawyer and Dan Rather. Winner of 15 Emmy Awards, Griffin was presented an Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show Emmy for 1993-1994 as executive producer of Jeopardy! (1984) He had also been the recipient of the coveted Scopus Award from the American Friends of Hebrew University, "The Duke Award" presented by the John Wayne Cancer Institute, and he had been honored by the American Ireland Fund and the SHARE organization. He was Lifetime Honorary Festival Chairman of La Quinta Arts Festival and recently donated his Wickenburg Inn and Dude Ranch to Childhelp USA.
In March 2001, the Gold Label released his new CD, "It's Like a Dream", for which he composed the title song. Among his private passions are his family, son Tony Griffin, daughter-in-law Tricia, and grandchildren Farah and Donovan Mervyn, his long-haired sharpei dog Charlie Chan, his La Quinta ranch near Carmel, where he raises thoroughbred racing horses, and his 135 foot, four-story high ocean going yacht, Griff. Merv Griffin died at age 82 of prostate cancer in Los Angeles, California on August 12, 2007.Sanford and Son: Season 5, Episode 1
Earthquake II (12 Sep. 1975)
"Himself"- A veteran actress, Lynn, a native of Yazoo City, Mississippi, made her film debut in Shadows (1958) directed by John Cassavetes. She may be best known for her role as "Donna Harris", a licensed practical nurse and girlfriend of Fred Sanford on Sanford and Son (1972), from 1972-77. Hamilton also had a recurring role as "Verdie" on The Waltons (1972), and made numerous appearances on such television sitcoms, soap operas and miniseries, including Dangerous Women (1991), 227 (1985), Generations (1989), Port Charles (1997), Roots: The Next Generations (1979), and The Golden Girls (1985).Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 7
A Pad for Lamont (25 Feb. 1972)
"Landlady"
As "Donna Harris":
Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 10
The Barracuda (17 Mar. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 13
The Return of the Barracuda (7 Apr. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 4
Jealousy (6 Oct. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 13
Fred & Carol and Fred & Donna (15 Dec. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 9
The Engagment/The Member of the Wedding (9 Nov. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 11
A House Is Not a Pool Room (23 Nov. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 12
Grady, the Star Boarder (30 Nov. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 1
The Surprise Party (13 Sep. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 9
Sanford and Niece (8 Nov. 1974) - Actor
- Soundtrack
An eloquent character actor who would become a celebrated TV camp icon of the late 1960s, Jonathan Harris was born Jonathan Daniel Charasuchin on November 6, 1914, in the Bronx borough of New York City. The son of impoverished Russian-Jewish émigrés, his father worked in the garment industry and young Jonathan contributed to the family income by working as a box boy in a pharmacy at age 12, which inspired him enough to, after graduating from James Monroe High School, earn a pharmacy degree at Fordham University in 1936.
However, Jonathan's desire to act was quite strong at an early age and it proved overwhelming in the end, forsaking a steady pharmaceutical career for the thoroughly unsteady work in the theater. Self-trained to shake his thick Bronx accent by watching British movies and pursuing interests in Shakespeare and archaeology, Jonathan changed his surname to one much easier to pronounce. After performing in over 100 plays in stock companies nationwide, he finally made an inauspicious debut as a Polish officer in the play "Heart of a City" (1942) and also entertained World War II troops in the South Pacific. Other New York plays during this war-era decade would include "Right Next to Broadway" (1944), "A Flag Is Born" (1946), "The Madwoman of Chaillot (1948) and "The Grass Harp" (1952).
Following his introduction to live television drama in 1948, Jonathan ventured off to Hollywood. After appearing in a number of television anthologies such as "The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre", "Pulitzer Prize Playhouse", "Betty Crocker Star Matinee", "Goodyear Playhouse" and "Hallmark Hall of Fame", he made his film debut as part of a band of potential mutineers in the film Botany Bay (1952) starring doctor hero Alan Ladd and villainous captain James Mason. He wouldn't make another film for another five years, with a supporting role as Lysias in the biblical story of Simon Peter in The Big Fisherman (1959) starring Howard Keel.
However, it was television that would make keep Jonathan working and make a stronger impression. Remaining steadfast on classy anthologies dramas such as "Armstrong Circle Theatre", "Studio One in Hollywood", "Matinee Theatre", "Schlitz Playhouse", "Climax", "Colgate Theatre", "Kraft Theatre", "General Electric Theatre", as well as the role of Exton in a TV-movie version of King Richard II (1954), he began appearing on more popular television series such as Zorro (1957), Father Knows Best (1954), The Law and Mr. Jones (1960), Outlaws (1960), The Twilight Zone (1959), The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962) and Bonanza (1959), Jonathan got his first taste of television success and audiences got to witness the fusty, cowardly, uppity side of Jonathan in two archetypal regular roles: as cowardly assistant Bradley Webster on the crime drama The Third Man (1959) starring Michael Rennie and as persnickety hotel manager Mr. Phillips on the short-lived sitcom The Bill Dana Show (1963) starring the Latin-speaking comic as a bellhop.
This culminated in the television regular role that would make Jonathan a cult icon, as Dr. Zachary Smith, the dastardly, effete spaceship stowaway on Lost in Space (1965). Along with his straight man robot, Harris easily stole the show week after week as he botched and mangled all the good intentions of the Robinson family to get back home to Earth. Jonathan would find himself severely typecast as a plummy villain for the remainder of his career, and was seen usually in cryptic form on such television series as The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (1968), Land of the Giants (1968), Get Smart (1965), Bewitched (1964), McMillan & Wife (1971), Night Gallery (1969), Love, American Style (1969), Sanford and Son (1972), Vega$ (1978), Fantasy Island (1977), etc. He did reappear on the brief sci-fi series Space Academy (1977), as Commander Isaac Gampu, leader of a space academy in the year 3732. However, this character was the polar opposite of Dr. Zachary Smith -- wise, honorable and brave.
Jonathan's crisp, eloquent voice was also used frequently with great relish in commercials and for sci-fi and animated series purposes -- The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (1968), Battlestar Galactica (1978), Foofur (1986), Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light (1987), Problem Child (1993), The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995), Freakazoid! (1995) and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000). His voice was also used for the animated features Happily Ever After (1989), A Bug's Life (1998) and Toy Story 2 (1999).
A drama teacher and vocal coach in later years, Harris died of a blood clot to the heart on November 3, 2002, just three days before his 88th birthday. He was survived by his long-time wife (from 1938), Gertrude Bregman, and son Richard (born 1942). He was interred in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 22
Pot Luck (23 Feb. 1973)
"Emile Bonnet"- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Howard Hesseman was a leading counter-culture figure since the late 1960s. He was a member of the improv group, "The Committee", for a decade in the 1960s/1970s. A character actor for many years on different television shows since the 1960s, he took small parts in The Andy Griffith Show (1960), Dragnet 1967 (1967), Soap (1977), and Sanford and Son (1972). The role that brought him to prominence was Howard Johnson in the cult classic Billy Jack (1971).
He was a frequent guest star on The Bob Newhart Show (1972) but would become best-known for his role on the classic series WKRP in Cincinnati (1978), as anti-disco hipster DJ "Dr. Johnny Fever". Also in the 1970s, he appeared in The Sunshine Boys (1975), Tunnel Vision (1976), Silent Movie (1976) and The Big Bus (1976). After the cancellation of WKRP in Cincinnati (1978), he went on to star as the husband of Ann Romano in One Day at a Time (1975). After that series was cancelled, Hesseman starred in This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Doctor Detroit (1983), Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985), Clue (1985), and Flight of the Navigator (1986).
He then starred as history teacher Charlie Moore in Head of the Class (1986). He left that show in 1990 and appeared in a steady stream of television guest roles. In 1987, he appeared in Amazon Women on the Moon (1987). In 1991, he starred in Rubin and Ed (1991). Afterward, he appeared in other films, including Gridlock'd (1997) (with Tupac Shakur). His work in later years concentrated mostly on television, where he took mostly small guest roles, in such shows as That '70s Show (1998), Touched by an Angel (1994), The Practice (1997), and Crossing Jordan (2001).Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 25
The Family Man (25 Apr. 1975)
"Professor Stoneham"- Actor
- Additional Crew
Basil Hoffman was an American character actor, known for his work, often in classic films, with distinguished film directors including Peter Bogdanovich, Mario Monicelli, Richard Benjamin, Carl Reiner (twice), Peter Medak (five times) and Alan J. Pakula (twice); Academy Award winners Ethan and Joel Coen, Paolo Sorrentino, Michel Hazanavicius, Steven Spielberg, Delbert Mann, Blake Edwards, Stanley Donen, Sydney Pollack, Ron Howard and Robert Redford (twice); and many others.
A long-time private acting teacher and coach, he was also a frequent guest lecturer and teacher at prestigious academic institutions, including (among many others) the American Film Institute, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Emerson College, University of Southern California, the National University of Theater and Film in Bucharest Romania, Confederation College in Canada and the Academie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts in Beirut, Lebanon.
In 2008, he returned to Beirut as a U.S. State Department Cultural Envoy to Lebanon to teach acting and directing at the University of Balamand's Academie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts, Lebanese University, Notre Dame University and St. Joseph University's Institut D'Etude Sceniques Audiovisuelles et Cinematographiques.
He was a member of the Board of Directors of Screen Actors Guild and the Fine Arts Advisory Council of Loyola Marymount University. He was an Advisory Director of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and is a member of both the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Basil was the author of the acting textbooks, "Cold Reading and How to Be Good at It" and "Acting and How to Be Good at It" (and The Second Edition) with a foreword by Sydney Pollack.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 6
Going Out of Business (18 Oct. 1974)
"Store Owner"- Actress
- Soundtrack
Lena Calhoun Horne was born June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. In her biography she stated that, on the day she was born, her father was in the midst of a card game trying to get money to pay the hospital costs. Her parents divorced while she was still a toddler. Her mother left later in order to find work as an actress and Lena was left in the care of her grandparents. When she was seven, her mother returned and the two traveled around the state which meant that Lena was enrolled in numerous schools. For a time she also attended schools in Florida, Georgia and Ohio. Later she returned to Brooklyn.
Lena quit school when she was 14 and got her first stage job at 16 dancing and later singing at the famed Cotton Club in Harlem, a renowned theater in which black performers played before white audiences immortalized in The Cotton Club (1984)). She was in good hands at the club, especially when people such as Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington took her under their wings and helped her over the rough spots. Before long, her talent resulted in her playing before packed houses.
If Lena had never made a movie, her music career would have been enough to have ensured her legendary status in the entertainment industry, but films were icing on the cake. After she made an appearance on Broadway, Hollywood came calling. At 21 years of age, Lena made her first film, The Duke Is Tops (1938). It would be four more years before she appeared in another, Panama Hattie (1942), playing a singer in a nightclub. By now Lena had signed with MGM but, unfortunately for her, the pictures were shot so that her scenes could be cut out when they were shown in the South since most theaters in the South refused to show films that portrayed blacks in anything other than subservient roles to whites. Most movie studios did not want to take a chance on losing that particular source of revenue. Lena did not want to appear in those kinds of stereotyped roles and who could blame her?
In 1943, MGM loaned Lena to 20th Century-Fox to play the role of Selina Rogers in the all-black musical Stormy Weather (1943), which did extremely well at the box office. Her rendition of the title song became a major hit on the musical charts. In 1943, she appeared in Cabin in the Sky (1943), regarded by many as one of the finest performances of her career. She played Georgia Brown opposite Ethel Waters and Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson in the all black production. Rumors were rampant that she and Waters just did not get along well, although there was never any mention of the source of the alleged friction. However, that was not the only feud on that picture. Other cast members sniped at one another and it was a wonder the film was made at all. Regardless of the hostilities, the movie was released to very good reviews from the ever tough critics. It went a long way in showing the depth of the talent that existed among black performers in Hollywood, especially Lena.
Lena's musical career flourished, but her movie career stagnated. Minor roles in films such as Boogie-Woogie Dream (1944), Words and Music (1948) and Mantan Messes Up (1946) did little to advance her film career, due mainly to the ingrained racist attitudes of the time. Even at the height of Lena's musical career, she was often denied rooms at the very hotels in which she performed because they would not let blacks stay there. After Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956), Lena left films to concentrate on music and the stage. She returned in 1969 as Claire Quintana in Death of a Gunfighter (1969). Nine years later, she returned to the screen again in the all black musical The Wiz (1978) where she played Glinda the Good Witch. Although that was her last big-screen appearance, she stayed busy in television appearing in A Century of Women (1994) and That's Entertainment! III (1994).
Had it not been for the prevailing racial attitudes during the time when Lena was just starting her career, it's fair to say that it would have been much bigger and come much sooner. Even taking those factors into account, Lena Horne is still one of the most respected, talented and beautiful performers of all time.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 16
A Visit from Lena Horne (12 Jan. 1973)
"Herself"- Rick Hurst was born on 1 January 1946 in Houston, Texas, USA. He is an actor, known for Steel Magnolias (1989), The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) and In the Line of Fire (1993). He was previously married to Katherine Shelley Weir and Candace Kaniecki.Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 14
The Piano Movers (14 Apr. 1972)
"Police Officer" - Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Tall, graceful, supremely accomplished American actress, singer, dancer and choreographer Paula Kelly was born in Jacksonville, Florida, one of three daughters, to Ruth and Lehman Kelly. The family moved to Harlem in New York when she was six years old. Unlike her siblings, she had strong musical inclinations which were recognised early on by her father (himself a jazz musician), who enrolled her in the Fiorello LaGuardia High School of Music & Art. Paula excelled as a star pupil. This opened doors to an audition at the prestigious Juilliard School and led to a four-year scholarship. Having trained under the academy's first director of dance, Martha Hill, she graduated in 1964 and that same year made her debut on Broadway. During much of the 1960s, specialising in modern dance, she performed with such luminaries as Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey and went on tour as a dancer with Harry Belafonte.
The inevitable breakthrough to popular success came when she was cast as Helene (taxi dancer at the Fandango Ballroom) in London's West End production of "Sweet Charity" (1967), directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. Paula ended up winning the London Variety Award for Best Supporting Actress. The play itself enjoyed a healthy run but was ultimately eclipsed by the motion picture Sweet Charity (1969), for which Paula was able to recreate her stage role. Now firmly established on the screen, she went on to sing and dance in a number of musical television specials and/or variety shows headlining Gene Kelly (with whom she performed a duet), Dean Martin, Quincy Jones, Richard Pryor and former Sweet Charity co-star Sammy Davis Jr.. She also appeared as Tiger Lily, teaming up with Danny Kaye and Mia Farrow for the BBC production of Peter Pan (1976), as well as taking on the dual role of co-choreographer. In 1971, she starred in a Los Angeles stage production of the all-singing, all-dancing musical revue "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope", for which she won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award.
Since the popularity of musicals had waned by the early 1970s, Paula had little choice but to take on straight dramatic acting roles. On several occasions she provided the female interest in a series of fashionable, sassy, tough blaxploitation films, playing cool, happening chicks opposite action men like Robert Hooks, Paul Winfield and Thalmus Rasulala (and often rising above the routine dramatic material afforded her). She was Leggy Peggy in the cult comedy Uptown Saturday Night (1974) with Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor and had featured roles in the sci-fi classics The Andromeda Strain (1971) and Soylent Green (1973). She also appeared in many television guest spots, with notable recurring roles in The Streets of San Francisco (1972), Police Woman (1974) and the sitcom Night Court (1984), for which she received the first of two Emmy Award nominations. She retired from acting in 1999. Her husband was the British film and television director Don Chaffey, who predeceased her in 1990.
Paula Kelly died of heart failure on February 9, 2020 at age 77.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 17
Lamont Goes African (19 Jan. 1973)
"Olayia"- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Casting Director
John Kirby has appeared and shared his expertise in all media, including interviews on A&E's Biography, on Cameron Diaz, HBO, USA, Entertainment Weekly, The Learning Annex, as well as ITV's 8-part Documentary Series, Desperately Seeking Stardom, currently airing in London and soon to air in the United States. The son of Bruce Kirby and brother of Bruno Kirby, John is one of Hollywood's more prominent acting coaches and popular teachers. Aside from his stable of award winning actors and actresses, he has transformed the careers of many highly profiled athletes, rock stars, wrestlers, gold medalists, as well as lawyers, into actors. He began coaching in high school and it snowballed. His classes have been in existence for over twenty five years. John grew up in the industry which explains his keen insight for what works best for the actor. With a tremendous gift for seeing the human condition and behavior in scripts, John makes the process very clear, bringing out remarkable results in the actor without destroying the actor's spirit.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 25
The Family Man (25 Apr. 1975)
"Herb"- Actor
- Producer
- Composer
Singer, composer, actor and author, educated at Brooklyn's Thomas Jefferson High School and a student of saxophone and piano. Between 1958 and 1960 he served in the US Army and was a vocalist with the US Army Band and Orchestra based in Fort Myers, Virginia. After he was discharged, he commenced his singing career on television, night clubs and recordings, both as a single performer and with his wife Eydie Gormé. He appeared in the mid-1960s Broadway musical "What Makes Sammy Run?". Joining ASCAP in 1957, his popular-song compositions include "After Midnight Waltz"; "All Of My Life"; "At a Time Like This"; "Can't Get Over the Bossa Nova"; "The Chase"; "Damila"; "Hi-Ho, Steve-O"; "Hurry Home for Christmas"; "I Gotta Run": "I'll Follow You"; "I'll Never Be Alone"; "It's Easier Said than Done"; "Just For Now"; "Laugh My Face"; "Let Me Be the First"; " A Little Bit Bluer"; "Oh, How You Lied"; "Only You"; "Pity, Pity"; "The Second Time Around"; "The Shortest Love Song"; "Sittin' on the Fence of Life"; "Tall People"; "Tell Me"; "Time to Say Goodnight"; "Two on the Aisle"; "What's the Use of Talking"; "When You're in Love"; "While There's Still Time"; "The World of You"; "You Better Run"; and "Your Kisses Kill Me".Sanford and Son: Season 5, Episode 1
Earthquake II (12 Sep. 1975)
"Himself"- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Abundantly busy and much-loved Asian-American actor who became an on-screen hero to millions of adults and kids alike as the wise and wonderful Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid (1984), the sparkling Noriyuki Morita was back again dishing out Eastern philosophy and martial arts lessons for The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and even for The Next Karate Kid (1994). However, putting all that karate aside, the diminutive Morita actually first started out as a stand-up comedian known as the Hip Nip in nightclubs and bars, and made his first on-screen appearance in Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). He quickly adapted to the screen and showed up in small parts in such comedy films as The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), alongside Don Knotts, and in Evil Roy Slade (1972) supporting John Astin. He also appeared in such popular series as Sanford and Son (1972) and M*A*S*H (1972).
Morita got his next break playing the often-perplexed restaurant owner Matsho "Arnold" Takahashi in 26 episodes of the hugely popular sitcom Happy Days (1974) between 1975 and 1976, and again between 1982 and 1983. Morita was quite in demand on the small screen and also scored the lead in his own police drama Ohara (1987), and guest-starred on other high-profile television series including Magnum, P.I. (1980), Murder, She Wrote (1984), Baywatch (1989) and The Hughleys (1998). Although most often used as a minor character actor, he remained consistently busy and occasionally lent his vocal talents to animated features such as Mulan (1998). However, his real strengths lay in portraying slightly oddball or unusual characters in offbeat films. He died at age 73 of natural causes at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 24, 2005."Ah Chew"
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 5
There'll Be Some Changes Made (11 Oct. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 6
Going Out of Business (18 Oct. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 17
Strange Bedfellows (24 Jan. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 18
The Masquerade Party (31 Jan. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 24
The Over-the-Hill Gag (14 Mar. 1975)- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Joe Morton was born on October 18, 1947 in New York, New York, USA. He is a television, film, and theater actor, best known for The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Eureka (2006), and Scandal (2012). He also writes and directs, and is a singer/songwriter.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 25
The Family Man (25 Apr. 1975)
"Hal Marshall, Grady's Son-In-Law"- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Roger E. Mosley was born on 18 December 1938 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Magnum, P.I. (1980), A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) and Terminal Island (1973). He was married to Antoinette 'Toni' Laudermilk and Saundra J Locke. He died on 7 August 2022 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 10
Blood Is Thicker Than Junk (24 Nov. 1972)
"Norman Blood"- Actor
- Soundtrack
Burt Mustin was a salesman most of his life, but got his first taste of show business as the host of a weekly radio variety show on KDKA Pittsburgh in 1921. He appeared onstage in "Detective Story" at Sombrero Playhouse in Phoenix Arizona, and played the janitor in the movie version, (Detective Story (1951)), after moving to Hollywood. Hundreds of screen appearances later, he announced his retirement while filming an episode of Phyllis (1975). In the episode, his character married Mother Dexter, played by actress Judith Lowry. Lowry died one month before, and Mustin died one month after the episode aired.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 21
Home Sweet Home for the Aged (16 Feb. 1973)
"Mr. Malloy"- Actor
- Soundtrack
Dick O'Neill was born on 29 August 1928 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Jerk (1979), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) and The Front Page (1974). He was married to Susan Jacqueline (Jackie) Shaw and Dina Harris. He died on 17 November 1998 in Santa Monica, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 2
Whiplash (22 Sep. 1972)
"Mr. Sanderson"- Raymond O'Keefe was born on 15 October 1940 in the USA. He is an actor, known for 9 to 5 (1980), NYPD Blue (1993) and Meteor (1979).Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 17
Fred's Cheating Heart (1 Feb. 1974)
"Second Orderly" - Actress
- Soundtrack
Best known for her role as Aunt Esther Anderson on "Sanford And Son", she appeared in many films including "Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood" (1996), "Friday" (1995), "The Legend of Dolemite" (1994), "West From North Goes South" (1993), "The Meteor Man" (1993), "CB4" (1993), "Shakes The Clown" (1991), "My Blue Heaven" (1990), "Mausoleum" (1983), "Goodbye Cruel World" (1982), "Zapped!" (1982) and "Stonestreet: Who Killed The Centerfold Maid" (1977). Page also appeared in many television series' in her career, "Redd Foxx, The E! True Hollywood Story," "Biography," "The Parent Hood," "The Sinbad Show," "Martin," "Family Matters," "Amen," "227," "Starsky And Hutch," "Different Strokes," "The Love Boat," "Redd Foxx," "B.A.D. Cats," and "Sanford And Son.""Aunt Esther Anderson"
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 15
The Big Party (5 Jan. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 24
Rated X (16 Mar. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 9
The Engagment/The Member of the Wedding (9 Nov. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 13
Wine, Women and Aunt Esther (14 Dec. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 14
Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe (4 Jan. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 21
Tyranny, Thy Name Is Grady (1 Mar. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 22
Aunt Esther and Uncle Woodrow Pfftt... (8 Mar. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 1
The Surprise Party (13 Sep. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 5
There'll Be Some Changes Made (11 Oct. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 9
Sanford and Niece (8 Nov. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 11
Fred's Treasure Garden (29 Nov. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 12
Tower Power (6 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 13
A Little Extra Security (13 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 15
Once a Thief (27 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 16
The Stand-In (17 Jan. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 17
Strange Bedfellows (24 Jan. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 18
The Masquerade Party (31 Jan. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 24
The Over-the-Hill Gag (14 Mar. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 5, Episode 1
Earthquake II (12 Sep. 1975)- Dick Van Patten began acting as a child. He made his first of 27 Broadway appearances at age seven in "Tapestry in Grey." After, he appeared in numerous films, including Freaky Friday (1976), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), and Spaceballs (1987). His television credits include his best-known role on the 1980s comedy-drama Eight Is Enough (1977), on which he played Tom Bradford, the patriarchal head of the pack.
Van Patten authored several bestselling books, including "How To Get Your Child Into Show Business" and his autobiography, "Eighty Is Not Enough." He was also known for lending his name to "Natural Balance," a line of high-end dog food that is intended to be indistinguishable from stews and other dishes, that are normally intended for human consumption. He was married to Pat Poole (née Patricia Poole) for 61 years; the union produced three sons: Nels Van Patten, James Van Patten, and Vincent Van Patten.Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 8
The Great Sanford Siege (3 Mar. 1972)
"Hamlin" - Slim, lovely and beguiling brunette Joan Prather was born on October 17, 1950, in Dallas, Texas. She was a varsity cheerleader at Highland Park High School in her native Dallas and first began acting in grade-school stage productions. Moreover, she was a regular on the teen dance show "Somethin' Else" during her high school years. She graduated from Highland Park High in 1968.
Joan started acting in films and TV shows in 1973. Her most memorable movie roles are demure but eager virgin Lola in The Single Girls (1973), stuck-up rich heiress Jane Kingston in Big Bad Mama (1974) and naive beauty pageant contestant Robin in Smile (1975). She achieved her greatest enduring popularity with her recurring part as Janet McArthur Bradford on Eight Is Enough (1977). In addition, Joan has made guest appearances on episodes of such TV series as Sanford and Son (1972), Happy Days (1974), The Love Boat (1977), CHiPs (1977) and Fantasy Island (1977).
Prather quit acting in the late 1980s. She's married to lawyer Douglas J. Frye and lives in Malibu, California. In September 2008 she was arrested for felony hit-and-run in Malibu and was released on $50,000 bail.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 16
A Visit from Lena Horne (12 Jan. 1973)
"Tour Guide" - Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Donald Jay Rickles was born May 8, 1926 in New York. Following the Golden Era of Hollywood, he remained active until early 2017. He got his start in night clubs, toiling for over 20 years, until 1958, when he made his film debut in Run Silent Run Deep (1958). The movie was a big hit. Afterward, Rickles continued acting, starring in films like X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963), Bikini Beach (1964), Enter Laughing (1967), and Kelly's Heroes (1970). In 1973, Don became a regular on Dean Martin's Celebrity Roasts.
From 1973-84, he appeared frequently on Dean's show, paying tribute to some of his friends, like Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and was even the roast master on the roast for Dean Martin himself. In 1976, he had his own TV series CPO Sharkey (1976), which enjoyed a two year run. After 1984, he slowed down, appearing in a few minor film roles. In 1995, he made a comeback, appearing with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in Toy Story (1995) in the role of the grouchy Mr. Potato Head. In 1999, he returned as Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story 2 (1999). He died on April 6, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, aged 90. He is interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California, in the Courts of Tanach.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 15
Once a Thief (27 Dec. 1974)
"Fight Announcer" (uncredited voice)- Beah Richards left her native Vicksburg, Mississippi, for New York City in 1950. She would not acquire a significant role on stage until 1955,when she appeared in the off-Broadway show "Take a Giant Step" convincingly portraying an 84-year-old grandmother without using theatrical makeup. In 1962 she appeared in writer James Baldwin's "The Amen Corner" directed by noted actor/director/activist Frank Silvera, who told Richards "Don't act, just be." She credited Silvera with helping her further develop the subtlety and quiet dignity that distinguished all of her performances.
A prolific actress, poet and playwright, her first authored play was "All's Well That Ends" that delved into the issues of racial segregation. Always ahead of her time, she defined herself as "Black" when the term "Negro" was the preferred ethnic/racial label of Black Americans. Richards would bring her salutary satisfaction with being "Black" and her immense acting talents to the role of the peacemaking mother in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), a role for which she was nominated for an Oscar. Additionally, she appeared in "Purlie Victorious" by Ossie Davis and "The Little Foxes" by Lillian Hellman.
In 1988, she won an Emmy Award for her performance in Frank's Place (1987). Although stricken with emphysema, she delivered a tour-de-force performance on the ABC legal drama The Practice (1997) in 2000; she received her second Emmy Award for this performance three days before her death in her native Vicksburg.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 1
By the Numbers (15 Sep. 1972)
"Aunt Ethel"
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 14
The Light Housekeeper (22 Dec. 1972)
"Aunt Ethel" - Lanky, balding, intense American character actor of Puerto Rican ancestry, born in New York's Spanish Harlem. Deserted by his parents, Sierra was brought up by an aunt in a rough, predominantly Irish neighbourhood from the age of six. Though briefly tempted by gang life as a teenager, he took up acting classes after accompanying a friend to an audition and ended up playing Shakespearean roles with the National Shakespeare Company and in the New York Shakespeare Festival (playing, among many other parts, Macbeth and Romeo), as well as appearing off-Broadway. He later said "I would have been happy if I continued to do that for the rest of my life". However, in 1969, Sierra decided to move to Hollywood and began acting in episodic television where he was initially typecast as Latino heavies or cops.
Sierra made his breakthrough in the role of Julio Fuentes on NBC's Sanford and Son (1972), his character the perennial butt of bigoted jokes from the show's cantankerous lead, played by Redd Foxx. He then appeared in the original cast of the police sitcom Barney Miller (1975) as the passionate, proudly Puerto Rican Detective Sergeant Chano Amenguale. Written out of the show at the end of season two, he had further recurring roles in serial television, frequently alternating between comedy and drama. These included the short-lived hospital sitcom A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977), the controversial but hugely popular parody Soap (1977) (as South American counter-revolutionary "El Puerco"), Hill Street Blues (1981) (as Assistant District Attorney Alvarez), Zorro and Son (1983) (as garrison commander Paco Pico, one of the hero's chief antagonists), Miami Vice (1984) (as Don Johnson's erstwhile boss Lou Rodriguez, killed off by a hitman in episode four -- in fact, Sierra opted to leave the show because he disliked Miami) and the science fiction series Something Is Out There (1988) (as Captain Victor Maldonado). His numerous, varied and often highly entertaining guest appearances have included supporting roles as a Native American renegade on Gunsmoke (1955), a mutated religious leader living underneath irradiated New York in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), a professor of anthropology helping Mulder and Scully track down the Jersey Devil in The X-Files (1993), a Cardassian member of the sinister Obsidian Order on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), an Italian priest in John Carpenter's Vampires (1998) and an Iraqi gunboat captain in the Rambo spoof Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993).
Sierra made his home in Laguna Beach, California, where he died of cancer on January 4 2021 at the age of 84."Julio Fuentes"
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 8
The Puerto Ricans Are Coming! (10 Nov. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 18
Watts Side Story (26 Jan. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 20
Pops 'n' Pals (9 Feb. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 3
Fred, the Reluctant Fingerman (28 Sep. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 5
This Little TV Went to Market (12 Oct. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 7
Fuentes, Fuentes, Sanford & Chico (26 Oct. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 16
This Land Is Whose Land? (18 Jan. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 23
The Way to Lamont's Heart (15 Mar. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 7
Home Sweet Home (25 Oct. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 10
Julio and Sister and Nephew (15 Nov. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 14
The Merger (20 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 15
Once a Thief (27 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 22
The Stung (28 Feb. 1975) - Actress
- Soundtrack
Cute, bubbly, and adorable actress Carol Speed achieved a considerable amount of cult cinema popularity with her often lively and delightful contributions to a handful of enjoyably down'n'dirty 1970s blaxploitation features.
She was born Carolyn Stewart on March 14, 1945, in Bakersfield, California. She holds the distinction of being the first black homecoming queen in Santa Clara County and was one of the first black people to receive a scholarship for the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. Carol got her start in show business as a back-up singer for Bobbie Gentry at Harrah's club in Reno, Nevada. She made her film debut as a hooker in The New Centurions (1972). Speed's most memorable movie roles include sassy prison inmate Mickie in Jack Hill's hilarious babes-behind-bars parody The Big Bird Cage (1972), pimp Max Julien's loyal prostitute girlfriend Lulu in the terrific The Mack (1973), sarcastic rock groupie Janyce in Bummer (1973), club owner Rockne Tarkington's sweet gal pal Leslie in the fun Black Samson (1974) and deaf-mute Sarah in Al Adamson's Dynamite Brothers (1974).
Carol gave an especially inspired and impressive performance as a minister's innocent wife who becomes possessed by the malevolent spirit of an evil demon in William Girdler's immensely entertaining horror flick Abby (1974). She had a recurring part on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives (1965) in the summer of 1970. Moreover, she made a guest appearance on an episode of Sanford and Son (1972), appeared in several TV commercials, and pops up in the made-for-TV films The Girls of Huntington House (1973), Love Hate Love (1971), Tenafly (1973), Getting Away from It All (1972), and The Psychiatrist (1970).
Outside of acting, Carol was also a successful writer (she's the author of the books "Inside Black Hollywood" and "The Georgette Harvey Story"), singer and songwriter (she sang her own compositions "I Can Make It" in "The Girls of Huntington House" and "My Soul Is A Witness" in "Abby"). After taking a regrettably lengthy hiatus from acting following Disco Godfather (1979) (she was slated to do a small role in Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown (1997), but backed out at the last minute), Speed made a welcome comeback with a supporting part in the independent thriller Village Vengeance (2006).
Carol Speed died at age 76 on January 14, 2022 in Muskogee, Oklahoma.Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 3
Here Comes the Bride, There Goes the Bride (28 Jan. 1972)
"Crystal"- Leonard Stone was born on 3 November 1923 in Salem, Oregon, USA. He was an actor, known for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), Soylent Green (1973) and I Spy (1965). He was married to Carole H. Kleinman. He died on 2 November 2011 in Encinitas, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 4
The Copper Caper (4 Feb. 1972)
"Otto" - Michael Talbott was born on 2 February 1955 in Waverly, Iowa, USA. He is an actor, known for Miami Vice (1984), Vacation (1983) and Carrie (1976).Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 25
The Family Man (25 Apr. 1975)
"Pete" - Clarice Taylor was born on 20 September 1917 in Buckingham County, Virginia, USA. She was an actress, known for Play Misty for Me (1971), The Cosby Show (1984) and Smoke (1995). She was married to Maxwell Glanville. She died on 30 May 2011 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 24
Hello Cousin Emma... Goodbye Cousin Emma (29 Mar. 1974)
"Cousin Emma" - Berlinda Tolbert was born on 4 November 1949 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. She is an actress, known for Goodfellas (1990), Patriot Games (1992) and Harlem Nights (1989). She has been married to Bob Reid since 14 February 1979.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 9
Sanford and Niece (8 Nov. 1974)
"Delores" - Herb Voland was born on 2 October 1918 in New Rochelle, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Airplane! (1980), Play of the Week (1959) and The Love God? (1969). He was married to Betty Jean Carlton and Laura Elizabeth Hale. He died on 26 April 1981 in Riverside, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 22
Pot Luck (23 Feb. 1973)
"Mr. Osborne" - Actor
- Composer
Danny Wells was born on 7 April 1941 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was an actor and composer, known for Magnolia (1999), The Last Kiss (2006) and Private Benjamin (1980). He died on 28 November 2013 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 14
The Merger (20 Dec. 1974)
"Haywood Jones"- Ned Wertimer was born on 27 October 1923 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) and Bad Company (1972). He was married to Skyne Uku. He died on 2 January 2013 in Valley Village, Los Angeles, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 8
My Kingdom for a Horse (1 Nov. 1974)
"Mr. Crenshaw" - The eldest son of the Reverend James D. Wheaton, a Methodist minister and Jessie O. Holmes, the daughter of a Methodist minister, James Lorenzo Wheaton was born on 11 January 1924 in Meridian, Mississippi. As an infant the family moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
He attended public schools in Hattiesburg, Meridian and Yazoo City, Mississippi. After graduating from Yazoo City High School #2 (where he was actively involved in student government), he began his college education at Wiley College, a Methodist institution located in Marshall, Texas. At Wiley, he served as senior class president. Upon his graduation in 1945, James was drafted into the U.S. Army at the tail end of World War Two. Stationed in the Philippines, he served as a chaplain's assistant for most of his time in the military. It was at this time he began to take a serious interest in acting. However, he turned down the opportunity to become involved in the Philippines's developing film industry, anxious to return back to the United States.
Upon his return to the United States, he was accepted into a Master's Degree Program at Columbia University, where he majored in speech communication and acting. Upon his graduation, he taught at the secondary school level and eventually at Wiley College, where he met his future bride, Helen Ruth Alford, who was a student at the time.
Shortly thereafter, they relocated to the Los Angeles area, where two children were born to this union (including his son Frank Kahlil Wheaton). It was also during this time where Wheaton began to work professionally as an actor. First working in radio, his big break came when he auditioned and was cast as a member of the Bishop's Company, a repertory theatre group that toured churches throughout the Mid-West and the South. His first year with the Bishop's Company was documented in his memoir, "Masks Before the Altar," which was published in 1999 by Xlibris Press.
In addition to his work with the Bishop's Company, he performed regularly in various stages throughout the Los Angeles area, most notably the Ebony Showcase Theatre, which was founded by actor Nick Stewart. His roles at the theatre included the father in the long-running hit, "Norman, Is That You?," a role later played by Redd Foxx in a feature film version. Mr. Wheaton also directed a touring production of the play starring Pat Paulsen. The late veteran actor Joel Fluellen once commented that Wheaton "brought class to the Ebony Showcase."
Making quite a name for himself in theatre, it was only a logical step that he began working in television. One of his first appearances was a television adaptation of the play, "Carnival Island," which he had performed at the Ebony Showcase.
He was the person originally cast as Bill Cosby's father in "The Bill Cosby Show," but lost the part due to a mix up with his message service. This however did not prevent him from appearing on the program. His first major film credit was as the voice of "OMM," in THX 1138 (1971)," directed by George Lucas. The director was so impressed with his work that he was chosen to play the role over Orson Welles, which was the studio's first choice.
During the late 1960s and 1970s, he appeared on some of the most popular television programs of the day including Room 222 (1969), Kojak (1973), Good Times (1974) and the final episode of Ironside (1967). However, he is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Nelson B. Davis, "The Friendly Undertaker" in the hit series, Sanford and Son (1972). Other feature film credits included Black Belt Jones (1974) and most recently, Guncrazy (1992) with Drew Barrymore. He also reteamed with Bill Cosby in A Piece of the Action (1977)," which also starred and was directed by Sidney Poitier.
In his later years, more time was devoted to his simultaneous career of teaching. However, he also expanded his resume into music videos and was developing a one man show on the life and work of Langston Hughes at the time of this death."Nelson B. Davis"
Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 9
Coffins for Sale (10 Mar. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 20
Pops 'n' Pals (9 Feb. 1973) - Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
From the grand old school of wisecracking, loud and lanky Mary Wickes had few peers while forging a career as a salty scene-stealer. Her abrupt, tell-it-like-it-is demeanor made her a consistent audience favorite on every medium for over six decades. She was particularly adroit in film parts that chided the super rich or exceptionally pious, and was a major chastiser in generation-gap comedies. TV holds a vault full of not-to-be-missed vignettes where she served as a brusque foil to many a top TV comic star. Case in point: who could possibly forget her merciless ballet taskmaster, Madame Lamond, putting Lucille Ball through her rigorous paces at the ballet bar in a classic I Love Lucy (1951) episode?
Unlike the working-class characters she embraced, this veteran character comedienne was actually born Mary Isabelle Wickenhauser on June 13, 1910, in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of a well-to-do banker. Of Irish and German heritage, she grew into a society débutante following high school and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in political science. She forsook a law career, however, after being encouraged by a college professor to try theater, and she made her debut doing summer stock in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The rest, as they say, is history.
Prodded on by the encouragement of stage legend Ina Claire whom she met doing summer theater, she transported herself to New York where she quickly earned a walk-on part in the Broadway play "The Farmer Takes a Wife" starring Henry Fonda in 1934. In the show she also understudied The Wizard of Oz (1939)'s "Wicked Witch" Margaret Hamilton, and earned excellent reviews when she went on in the part. Plain and hawkish in looks while noticeably tall and gawky in build, Wickes was certainly smart enough to see that comedy would become her career path and she enjoyed showing off in roles playing much older than she was. New York stage work continued to pour in, and she garnered roles in "Spring Dance" (1936), "Stage Door" (1936), "Hitch Your Wagon" (1937), "Father Malachy's Miracle (1937) and, in an unusual bit of casting, Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre production of "Danton's Death". All the while she kept fine-tuning her acting craft in summer stock.
A series of critically panned plays followed until a huge door opened for her in the form of Miss Preen, the beleaguered nurse to an acid-tongued, wheelchair-bound radio star (played by the hilarious Monty Woolley) in the George S. Kaufman/Moss Hart comedy "The Man Who Came to Dinner"; for once, it was Wickes doing the cowering. The play was the toast of Broadway for two wacky years and she went on tour with it as well. She also become a Kaufman favorite.
Hollywood took notice as well, and when Warner Bros. decided to film the play, it allowed both Wickes and Woolley to recreate their classic roles. The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941), which co-starred Bette Davis and Ann Sheridan, was a grand film hit and Wickes was now officially on board in Hollywood, given plenty of chances to freelance. At Warners she lightened up the proceedings a bit in the Bette Davis tearjerker Now, Voyager (1942) as the nurse to Gladys Cooper. Elsewhere, she traded quips with Lou Costello as a murder suspect in the amusing whodunit Who Done It? (1942); played a WAC in Private Buckaroo (1942) with The Andrews Sisters; and dished out her patented smart-alecky services in both Happy Land (1943) and My Kingdom for a Cook (1943).
Wickes returned to Broadway for a few seasons, often for Kaufman, and did some radio work as well, but returned to Hollywood and played yet another nurse in The Decision of Christopher Blake (1948), a part written especially for her. She appeared with Bette Davis for a third time in June Bride (1948), finding some fine moments playing a magazine editor. Wickes went on to perform yeoman work in On Moonlight Bay (1951) and its sequel, By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953); I'll See You in My Dreams (1951); White Christmas (1954) and The Music Man (1962), the last as one of the "Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little" gossiping housewives of River City.
Television roles also began filtering in for Wickes she continued to put her cryptic comedy spin on her harried housekeepers, teachers, servants and other working commoner types. She played second banana to a queue of comedy's best known legends in the 1950s and 1960s, notably Lucille Ball (who was a long-time neighbor and pal off-screen), Danny Thomas, Red Skelton, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Jimmy Durante, Peter Lind Hayes and Gertrude Berg. Her stellar work with Berg on The Gertrude Berg Show (1961) garnered Wickes an Emmy nomination. Among the Baby Boom generation, she may be best remembered as Miss Cathcart in Dennis the Menace (1959).
In later years her gangly figure filled out a bit as she continued to appear here and there on the small screen in both guest star and series' regular parts. Later in life she enjoyed a bit of a resurgence. Recalled earlier for her Sister Clarissa in the madcap comedy films The Trouble with Angels (1966) and its sequel, Where Angels Go Trouble Follows! (1968), both with Rosalind Russell, She donned the habit again decades later as crabby musical director Sister Mary Lazarus in the box-office smash Sister Act (1992) and its sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). She appeared in Postcards from the Edge (1990) as Meryl Streep's grandmother, and in Little Women (1994) as the matriarchal Aunt March. True to form, the last role in which she appeared was voicing the gargoyle "Laverne" in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), which was released after her death.
The never-married Wickes died in 1995 after entering the hospital with respiratory problems. She suffered a broken hip from an accidental fall and complications quickly set in following surgery. She was 85 years young.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 14
The Light Housekeeper (22 Dec. 1972)
"Mary" (as Mary Wicks)- A veteran professional actor who has co-starred as a television series regular in NINE, prime time, HIT series, and has established himself solidly in both the areas of comedy and drama. Hal's latest projects include Disney Family Channel's Snow 2: Brain Freeze (2008) and Hallmark's Generation Gap (2008).
His 25 year professional career has seen him firmly plant both feet in such dramas as Roots: The Next Generations (1979), The Waltons (1972), Harry O (1973) and L.A. Law (1986) while displaying his comedic genius in The Sinbad Show (1993), 227 (1985), Private Benjamin (1981), and Sanford and Son (1972).
Williams works tirelessly to maintain a versatility that enables his career to remain both constant and current. His movie accomplishments continue to be displayed in co-starring roles in feature films like Guess Who (2005) with Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac, Private Benjamin (1980) with Goldie Hawn and The Rookie (1990) with Clint Eastwood."Officer 'Smitty' Smith"
Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 4
The Copper Caper (4 Feb. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 6
We Were Robbed (18 Feb. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 11
TV or Not TV (24 Mar. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 12
The Suitcase Case (31 Mar. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 2
Whiplash (22 Sep. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 7
Have Gun, Will Sell (3 Nov. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 9
The Shootout (17 Nov. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 3
Fred, the Reluctant Fingerman (28 Sep. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 20
Will the Real Fred Sanford Please Do Something? (22 Feb. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 3
Ol' Brown Eyes (27 Sep. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 11
Fred's Treasure Garden (29 Nov. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 12
Tower Power (6 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 14
The Merger (20 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 15
Once a Thief (27 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 20
My Brother-In-Law's Keeper (14 Feb. 1975) - Demond Wilson was born on 13 October 1946 in Valdosta, Georgia, USA. He is an actor, known for Sanford and Son (1972), The New Odd Couple (1982) and Me and the Kid (1993). He has been married to Cicely Loise Johnston since 3 May 1974. They have six children."Lamont Sanford"
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Redd Foxx began doing stand-up comedy on the infamous "Chitlin' Circuit" in the 1940s and 1950s. Foxx was one of the premier "blue humor" comedians. Blue humor was very dirty, too dirty for white audiences. For years his party albums were not available in white record stores. In the 1960s his records became available, although marginally in white record stores, leading to minor comedy work on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) (aka "The Ed Sullivan Show") and The Red Skelton Hour (1951), among other classic variety shows of the time. Foxx developed a fan base in the 1960s that led to increased notoriety. He received his own television series in 1972 called Sanford and Son (1972), which was a reworking of the British sitcom Steptoe and Son (1962). Foxx's character, Fred Sanford (was actually Foxx's brother's name), was a cranky old man who was set in his ways and would insult both friends and strangers at the drop of a hat. He ran a junkyard in Watts, a bad neighborhood in Los Angeles, with his son Lamont (played by Demond Wilson). The show broke down racial stereotypes and was a huge success, making Foxx and the show household names. Foxx fought a very public battle with the writers and producers of the show, claiming that they did not do enough to promote the black experience, and in general complained there were not enough black writers or producers in the entertainment industry. These highly publicized disputes led to the show faltering artistically, but not in the ratings. Foxx left the show in 1977 to accomplish his dream on ABC: his own variety show, which lasted less than a year. He also starred in the controversial film Norman... Is That You? (1976).
Foxx's trouble with the law and the Internal Revenue Service hampered his career in the early 1980s. He flopped yet again with the sitcom The Redd Foxx Show (1986) on ABC. He did, however, find success playing a ghost in the TV movie Ghost of a Chance (1987), with Dick Van Dyke. The late 1980s found Foxx on a rebound, as he starred with Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy in the popular Harlem Nights (1989), which showcased the three premiere black comedians of their respective generations. A whole new generation of comedians begin claiming Redd Foxx as a major influence on their careers, including Murphy and Pryor. Foxx looked like he was finding success 20 years after Sanford and Son (1972) with The Royal Family (1991). However, we will never know if the show would have been a success--while rehearsing for an episode, Foxx collapsed and was rushed to a hospital. He died in October of 1991. Redd Foxx will be remembered as a pioneering comedian who influenced generations of comedians and helped break down racial barriers in the the entertainment industry. His influence seems as strong as ever.Fred Sanford"- Actor
- Producer
Howard Platt was born on 5 June 1938 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Rock (1996), Nixon (1995) and Westworld (1973). He has been married to Gloria Parker since 9 May 1998. He was previously married to Alice Marugg."Officer 'Hoppy' Hopkins"
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 9
The Shootout (17 Nov. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 3
Fred, the Reluctant Fingerman (28 Sep. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 5
This Little TV Went to Market (12 Oct. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 20
Will the Real Fred Sanford Please Do Something? (22 Feb. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 3
Ol' Brown Eyes (27 Sep. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 6
Going Out of Business (18 Oct. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 11
Fred's Treasure Garden (29 Nov. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 12
Tower Power (6 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 14
The Merger (20 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 15
Once a Thief (27 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 20
My Brother-In-Law's Keeper (14 Feb. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 5, Episode 1
Earthquake II (12 Sep. 1975)- Nathaniel Taylor was born on 31 March 1938 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for Sanford and Son (1972), Black Girl (1972) and The Redd Foxx Show (1986). He was married to Loretta Taylor. He died on 27 February 2019 in Los Angeles, California, USA."Rollo Larson"
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 7
Have Gun, Will Sell (3 Nov. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 17
Lamont Goes African (19 Jan. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 24
Rated X (16 Mar. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 1
Lamont as Othello (14 Sep. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 4
Presenting the Three Degrees (5 Oct. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 6
Lamont, Is That You? (19 Oct. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 9
The Engagment/The Member of the Wedding (9 Nov. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 18
The Party Crasher (8 Feb. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 21
Tyranny, Thy Name Is Grady (1 Mar. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 1
The Surprise Party (13 Sep. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 3
Ol' Brown Eyes (27 Sep. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 11
Fred's Treasure Garden (29 Nov. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 18
The Masquerade Party (31 Jan. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 22
The Stung (28 Feb. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 24
The Over-the-Hill Gag (14 Mar. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 25
The Family Man (25 Apr. 1975) - Actor
- Soundtrack
Don Bexley was born on 10 March 1910 in Jamestown, Virginia, USA. He was an actor, known for Sanford and Son (1972), What's Up, Doc? (1972) and T.J. Hooker (1982). He was married to Patricia Bergeron, Gillian and Ruth. He died on 15 April 1997 in Hampton, Virginia, USA."Bubba"
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 1
By the Numbers (15 Sep. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 2
Whiplash (22 Sep. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 5
Tooth or Consequences (13 Oct. 1972)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 15
The Big Party (5 Jan. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 17
Lamont Goes African (19 Jan. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 21
Home Sweet Home for the Aged (16 Feb. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 1
Lamont as Othello (14 Sep. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 4
Presenting the Three Degrees (5 Oct. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 6
Lamont, Is That You? (19 Oct. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 10
The Blind Mellow Jelly Collection (16 Nov. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 11
A House Is Not a Pool Room (23 Nov. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 13
Wine, Women and Aunt Esther (14 Dec. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 15
Fred Sanford, Legal Eagle (11 Jan. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 1
The Surprise Party (13 Sep. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 3
Ol' Brown Eyes (27 Sep. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 18
The Masquerade Party (31 Jan. 1975)- Actor
- Soundtrack
Noted for portraying characters older than his actual age, Whitman Mayo was in his early 40s in the early 1970s when he first played the sexagenarian "Grady" on "Sandford & Son" -- a role that popularized the expression "Good Goobily Goop!" Nearly thirty years later his "Grady" role had just about caught up with him in terms of age and, in terms of Americana, had assumed something of a cult status. In 1996, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" hosted a tongue-in-cheek "Where's Grady" search for the actor who so well played the part. Though this single role tended to typecast his acting and contributions to the profession, Whitman Mayo did not let it define him. In fact, his professional growth took him some distance from the Watts junkyard of the ABC sitcom. He rounded out his career teaching drama at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born and grew up in Harlem and Queens, N.Y., moving at 17 to Southern California with his family. He served in the army from 1951-53, then did tours of study at Chaffey College, Los Angeles City College, and UCLA. He began doing a little acting at this time, but nothing stuck. He drifted and liked to boast that he played serious volleyball in Mexico for a year. During these times in his life of not being fixed in a career, he also worked as a probation officer counseling young people, picked grapes, waited tables, and other things for the railroad and a dairy, and not necessarily in that order. In the late 1960s, he joined the New Lafayette Theater repertory company in New York City and began settling down in an acting career. His call to "Sanford & Son" came shortly thereafter when a friend from the New Lafayette group who was by that time writing for Norman Lear recommended Mayo for a part in a single episode. His portrayal caught on and he lasted through the entire duration of the show, even filling in for Redd Foxx when Foxx took a leave. Having a plethora of experience with the tentative in his life, Mayo viewed his continuing success on the series as fleeting and ventured into other trades to assure financial stability; in 1975, for instance, he opened a travel agency in Inglewood, California. In 1994, "burned out," as he said, on Los Angeles, he continued to ply his trade in acting, but moved to Fayetteville, Georgia."Grady Wilson"
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 2
Libra Rising All Over Lamont (21 Sep. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 5
This Little TV Went to Market (12 Oct. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 7
Fuentes, Fuentes, Sanford & Chico (26 Oct. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 11
A House Is Not a Pool Room (23 Nov. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 12
Grady, the Star Boarder (30 Nov. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 13
Wine, Women and Aunt Esther (14 Dec. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 14
Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe (4 Jan. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 15
Fred Sanford, Legal Eagle (11 Jan. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 17
Fred's Cheating Heart (1 Feb. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 20
Will the Real Fred Sanford Please Do Something? (22 Feb. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 21
Tyranny, Thy Name Is Grady (1 Mar. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 22
Aunt Esther and Uncle Woodrow Pfftt... (8 Mar. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 23
The Way to Lamont's Heart (15 Mar. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 1
The Surprise Party (13 Sep. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 2
Matchmaker, Matchmaker (20 Sep. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 4
Grady and His Lady (4 Oct. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 8
My Kingdom for a Horse (1 Nov. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 11
Fred's Treasure Garden (29 Nov. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 12
Tower Power (6 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 13
A Little Extra Security (13 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 15
Once a Thief (27 Dec. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 17
Strange Bedfellows (24 Jan. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 18
The Masquerade Party (31 Jan. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 19
Golden Boy (7 Feb. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 23
The Older Woman (7 Mar. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 24
The Over-the-Hill Gag (14 Mar. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 25
The Family Man (25 Apr. 1975)
Sanford and Son: Season 5, Episode 1
Earthquake II (12 Sep. 1975)- Actor
- Stunts
Raymond Allen was born on 5 March 1929 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for Sanford and Son (1972), Darktown Strutters (1975) and Fight That Ghost (1946). He was married to Barbra Williams. He died on 10 August 2020 in California, USA."Uncle Woodrow 'Woody' Anderson"
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 22
Aunt Esther and Uncle Woodrow Pfftt... (8 Mar. 1974)- Milt was born at Beth Israel Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 10, 1936 to Eastern European immigrants, Mildred and Joseph Kogan. Joseph earned a degree as a pharmacist from Temple University and after one year moved his family across the Delaware River to Camden, New Jersey, where he set up a pharmacy that lasted for 40 years and became a neighborhood icon. Milt found success at Woodrow Wilson high school as a basketball player, winning choice on Camden, N.J. City All-Star Basketball Team in 1953. He won acceptance to prestigious Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., where he performed as leading scorer on his college freshman team. In his first game, the next year, for the varsity, unfortunately, he suffered a severe knee injury, before modern knee surgery, which essentially ended his high caliber performances. Still, in 1957, he was voted Captain of the Cornell Basketball Team. Milt went on to medical school, instead, and graduated with a D.O. degree and then an M.D. from the University of California, Irvine. It was in those early 1960 years that he serendipitously fell into acting in Hollywood. Early success in TV commercials brought him much respect, especially since his early roles were as dumb, working-class characters that incited much laughter. He married Dena Lambie, from Northern California, after a stint as a professor/physician on the University of the Seven Seas, a floating campus that went around the world. Two children followed, Magavin and Teidi, and because his TV career never floundered, he soon felt embarrassed about his success and decided to repay someone...but whom? He joined the United States Peace Corps and brought his young family to West Africa, now Burkina Faso, where he served the poor there for two and a half years. On his return to California, he enrolled in a Masters in Preventive Health program at U.C.L.A. and graduated with an M.P.H. Unfortunately, his marriage took a toll from his energetic lifestyle and Dena divorced him two years later. Dedicating himself, full energy, to his dual careers of medicine and acting, working with the homeless and mentally ill in Los Angeles, he was soon guest starring on many major TV shows, appearing in movies, and continuing his success in comedy in commercials. After returning from two years in Harlowton, Montana, where he accepted a position with the National Health Service Corps as a cowboy doctor, he met Susan Quast, a South Dakota small-town beauty, who agreed, after some effort, to be his wife. Milt shares two children with Susan, son Jamie and daughter, Millay. In effort to continue contact with all his children, Milt joined the U.S. Defense Department and served with the U.S. Army in West Germany for two years. He returned to Hollywood with his complete family and now has been married to Susan for 35 years. Because of his medical adventures, he can speak German, French and Spanish. He is a voting member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Emmy). Three of his four children have earned lawyer degrees and son, Jamie, is a successful film composer in Hollywood. Susan and Milt built a home and farm in Oceanside, California where he now practices, he says, as a farmer. He continues his efforts in medicine and acting, traveling to Los Angeles to participate in TVSanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 3
Ol' Brown Eyes (27 Sep. 1974)
"Hotel Detective" - Actress
- Soundtrack
Fritzi Burr was born on 31 May 1924 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for Chinatown (1974), 3 Ninjas (1992) and Driving Me Crazy (1991). She was married to Aaron Heyman. She died on 17 January 2003 in Fort Myers, Florida, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 5
There'll Be Some Changes Made (11 Oct. 1974)
"Maureen"
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 22
The Stung (28 Feb. 1975)
"Miss Cogley"
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 25
The Family Man (25 Apr. 1975)
"Mrs. Bradley"- Arthur Adams was born on 22 November 1915 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Coming to America (1988), Midnight Madness (1980) and The Last Flight of Noah's Ark (1980). He died on 3 May 1992 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 15
Fred Sanford, Legal Eagle (11 Jan. 1974)
"Judge" - Billy Allyn was born on 21 September 1932 in California, USA. He is an actor, known for Sanford and Son (1972)."Billy"
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 15
The Big Party (5 Jan. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 16
A Visit from Lena Horne (12 Jan. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 15
Fred Sanford, Legal Eagle (11 Jan. 1974) - Maureen Arthur was born on April 15, 1934 in San Jose, California, USA as Maureen Louise Arthur. She was an actress and singer, she appeared onstage on Broadway and in such films as How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967), The Love God? (1969), and How to Commit Marriage (1969).
On television, she was seen in such series as Bourbon Street Beat, The Red Skelton Hour, Perry Mason, Branded, I Spy, The Monkees, The Flying Nun, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Love, American Style, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Sanford and Son, Alice, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Murder, She Wrote, and Matlock.
She was married to musician George William Weidler (elder brother of film actress Virginia Weidler), and then to Aaron Ruben, remaining with the latter until his passing in 2010. She had no children and died at age 88 in Beverly Hills, California, on June 15, 2022, after a long bout with Alzheimer's disease.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 1
Lamont as Othello (14 Sep. 1973)
"Marilyn" - African-American Beverly Hope Atkinson began her career on the New York stage with Cafe LaMama and toured in such productions as "The Skin of Our Teeth," "Lysistrata" and "The Blacks". She eventually made her way to Hollywood in the early 70s where she impressed in her very first film role, that of a streetwise hooker in The New Centurions (1972) with George C. Scott. She found steadier work, however, on TV. Her character career continued in the same flashy vein, playing angry women down-on-their-luck or caught up in drug addiction, notably as a recurring role on "Hill Street Blues" from 1984-1986. Beverly died of cancer in Los Angeles at the age of 66.Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 13
The Return of the Barracuda (7 Apr. 1972)
"Sheila" (as Hope Atkinson)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 21
Tyranny, Thy Name Is Grady (1 Mar. 1974)
"Girl #1" - Fuddle Bagley was born on 17 June 1931. He was an actor, known for Darktown Strutters (1975), The Bionic Woman (1976) and J.D.'s Revenge (1976). He died on 15 May 2018.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 1
The Surprise Party (13 Sep. 1974)
"Jessie" - Actor
- Soundtrack
Matthew 'Stymie' Beard was born on 1 January 1925 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Dogs Is Dogs (1931), Love Business (1931) and Free Wheeling (1932). He was married to Annie. He died on 8 January 1981 in Los Angeles, California, USA."Otis Littlejohn"
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 11
A House Is Not a Pool Room (23 Nov. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 15
Fred Sanford, Legal Eagle (11 Jan. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 13
A Little Extra Security (13 Dec. 1974)- Actress
- Soundtrack
Vivian Bonnell was born on 23 May 1924 in Antigua, British West Indies. She was an actress, known for Ghost (1990), Summer School (1987) and Teachers (1984). She was married to Austin Stoker. She died on 18 November 2003 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 2
Libra Rising All Over Lamont (21 Sep. 1973)
"Audrey"
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 20
Will the Real Fred Sanford Please Do Something? (22 Feb. 1974)
"Betty"- Actress
- Producer
Sherry Boucher was born on 25 July 1945 in Bossier City, Louisiana, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Five Days from Home (1978), Nursie (2004) and Sisters of Death (1977). She was previously married to George Peppard.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 8
Superflyer (2 Nov. 1973)
"Wendy"- Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 19
Lamont Goes Karate (15 Feb. 1974)
"Cookie" - Graham Brown was born on 24 October 1924 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Clockers (1995), Malcolm X (1992) and The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). He died on 13 December 2011 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 10
Julio and Sister and Nephew (15 Nov. 1974)
"Principal" - Philip Bruns was born on 2 May 1931 in Pipestone, Minnesota, USA. He was an actor, known for Flashdance (1983), Return of the Living Dead II (1988) and The Stunt Man (1980). He was married to Laurie Franks and Jill Owens. He died on 8 February 2012 in Los Angeles, California, USA."Calvin"
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 6
Going Out of Business (18 Oct. 1974)
Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 8
My Kingdom for a Horse (1 Nov. 1974) - Mel Bryant was born on 5 December 1924. He was an actor, known for Shoe Shine Boy (1943), Cannon (1971) and Sanford and Son (1972). He died on 15 May 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 9
The Engagment/The Member of the Wedding (9 Nov. 1973)
"Uncle Jake" - Actor
- Soundtrack
Harry Caesar was born on 18 February 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for A Few Good Men (1992), The Longest Yard (1974) and Bird on a Wire (1990). He was married to Marion Kane Bernot. He died on 12 June 1994 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 3
Fred, the Reluctant Fingerman (28 Sep. 1973)
" Voice of Burglar#1" (uncredited)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 7
Fuentes, Fuentes, Sanford & Chico (26 Oct. 1973
"Homeless Man at Mercy Mission" (uncredited)- Actor
- Director
Edmund J. Cambridge is the Founding Member of the Legendary "Cambridge Players" a Theater Troupe that First Produce James Baldwin's "The Amen Corner" on Broadway in 1965 which was produced by Nat King Cole Wife "Maria Ellington". The founding members of The Cambridge Players are Juanita Moore, Helen Martin, Esther Rolle, Helen Martin, Royce Wallace and Supporting Members Isabel Sanford, Beah Richards and Maya Angelou whom were Edward Cambridge Childhood friends. Juanita Moore whom were close friends with Marlon Brando and James Baldwin spoke to Marlon Brando about Lending the funds ($75) to Mr. James Baldwin to write "The Amen Corner". Kirk E. Kelleykahn is Now CEO-President of the Legendary Troupe with J.W. Nutting as Vice-President and Original Founding Member "Lynn Hamilton" as Artistic Director.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 17
Strange Bedfellows (24 Jan. 1975)
"Mr. Cambridge" (as Edmund Cambridge)- Patrick Campbell was born on 13 July 1924 in Waukegan, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977), Smokey Bites the Dust (1981) and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970). He died on 30 May 2003 in Covina, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 8
The Great Sanford Siege (3 Mar. 1972)
"Process Server" - Manuel Carrasco is known for Sanford and Son (1972).Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 10
Julio and Sister and Nephew (15 Nov. 1974)
"Roberto" - Dee Carroll was born on 2 December 1925 in Denver, Colorado, USA. She was an actress, known for The Stunt Man (1980), Emergency! (1972) and Bonanza (1959). She died on 28 April 1980 in Burbank, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 3
Ol' Brown Eyes (27 Sep. 1974)
"Cleaning Lady" - Jim Cato is known for Sanford and Son (1972), The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) and The Rosey Grier Show (1968).Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 4
Presenting the Three Degrees (5 Oct. 1973)
"Emcee" - Rudy Challenger was born on 2 October 1928 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for 'Sheba, Baby' (1975), Ironside (1967) and The Six Million Dollar Man (1974). He was married to Lisa Davis and Charlotte. He died on 22 August 2012 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 8
Superflyer (2 Nov. 1973)
"Mr. Menton" - Annazette Chase was born on 18 December 1941 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Truck Turner (1974), The Toy (1982) and The Greatest (1977).Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 8
Superflyer (2 Nov. 1973)
"Susan" - Alvin Childress was born on 10 September 1907 in Meridian, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Anna Lucasta (1958) and Darktown Strutters (1975). He was married to Sophronia Elizabeth Graham and Alice Childress. He died on 19 April 1986 in Inglewood, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 3
Here Comes the Bride, There Goes the Bride (28 Jan. 1972)
"Minister"
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 9
The Engagment/The Member of the Wedding (9 Nov. 1973)
"Reverend Trimble" - Actress
- Producer
Carol Cole was born on 17 October 1944 in West Medford, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), Sanford and Son (1972) and Grady (1975). She was married to Martin Kibbes and Charles Simon. She died on 19 May 2009 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 25
The Family Man (25 Apr. 1975)
"Ellie Marshall, Grady's Daughter"- Clancy Cooper was born on 23 July 1906 in Boise, Idaho, USA. He was an actor, known for The Wild North (1952), Street of Chance (1942) and Railroaded! (1947). He was married to Elizabeth Murray Keyser. He died on 14 June 1975 in Hollywood, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 4
The Copper Caper (4 Feb. 1972)
"Kelly" - Actor
- Production Manager
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
DeForest Covan was born on 9 September 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and production manager, known for Rocky (1976), Sanford and Son (1972) and The Bus Is Coming (1971). He died on 8 September 2007 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 9
The Engagment/The Member of the Wedding (9 Nov. 1973)
"Woodrow 'Woody' Anderson"- Actor
- Soundtrack
Keene Curtis was born on 15 February 1923 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He was an actor, known for Sliver (1993), I.Q. (1994) and Heaven Can Wait (1978). He died on 13 October 2002 in Bountiful, Utah, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 24
The Over-the-Hill Gag (14 Mar. 1975)
"Doctor Goodman"- Actor
- Soundtrack
Leroy Daniels was born on 28 November 1928 in Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for That's Dancing! (1985), Disco Godfather (1979) and Great Performances (1971). He died on 11 December 1993 in Los Angeles, California, USA."Leroy"
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 16
A Visit from Lena Horne (12 Jan. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 18
Watts Side Story (26 Jan. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 4
Presenting the Three Degrees (5 Oct. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 11
A House Is Not a Pool Room (23 Nov. 1973)
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 13
Wine, Women and Aunt Esther (14 Dec. 1973)- Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 4
Presenting the Three Degrees (5 Oct. 1973)
"Bouncer"
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 17
Fred's Cheating Heart (1 Feb. 1974)
"First Orderly" - Gloria Delaney was born on 15 June 1947 in the USA. She is an actress, known for Red Heat (1988), CBS Summer Playhouse (1987) and Black Girl (1972).Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 2
Matchmaker, Matchmaker (20 Sep. 1974)
"Janet" - Actor
- Additional Crew
Jack DeLeon was born on 19 December 1924 in New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), Temptress (1995) and Allyson Is Watching (1997). He died on 16 October 2006 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 24
Rated X (16 Mar. 1973)
"Director"- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Writer
The son of an Italian immigrant doctor, Gabriel "Gabe" Dell began his career singing in a boys church choir and then on a children's radio show. He made his stage debut in the play "Dead End" and, with the other juvenile members of the cast, was called to Hollywood for the film version. Dell was one of the more unusual members of what came to be known as the East Side Kids/Dead End Kids/Bowery Boys in that when he appeared in many of their films, he, unlike his colleagues, didn't always play a member of the gang. He often played a reporter, or a cop, or even a gangster, somebody who had either befriended the gang or used to be one of them but got out.
Dell took a leave from the film business during WW II and served in the Merchant Marine for 3-1/2 years. When he returned, he played in a few more of the Bowery Boys series but made his final film with them in 1950 and struck out on his own. He took roles in Broadway plays, formed a nightclub act with former East Side Kid Huntz Hall and studied for three years at the Actors Studio. He worked steadily in television and was a regular cast member of the The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1956). He alternated between TV and film parts, with one of his best roles being that of a sardonic hit man with a sense of humor in director Phil Karlson's action packed Framed (1975).Sanford and Son: Season 1, Episode 12
The Suitcase Case (31 Mar. 1972)
"Gunman"
Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 15
The Big Party (5 Jan. 1973)
"Leader"- Actor
- Make-Up Department
- Additional Crew
Noël De Souza grew up in Secunderbad in what is today the southern Indian state of Telangana. As a youth, he aspired to become a writer, first by submitting articles to his local newspaper and later writing reviews of Indian films. He entered the U.S. in 1948 to attend the University of California, Berkeley. While studying for a degree in architecture, he was hired by the Indian publication Cine Blitz to write about Hollywood, an activity he continued subsequently for the Times of India. Finding work hard to come by, he briefly returned the country of his birth to take up a managerial position with a paint company. Finding this job instantly distasteful, De Souza found himself back in the U.S. in 1955, determined to forge a career in Hollywood.
He began in show biz by taking an acting course at the Pasadena Playhouse. After Sabu, he became one of just two actors from India to have 'made it' in the film capital at this time, following his screen debut as a Mexican in an episode of The Loretta Young Show (1953). Often typecast in exotic ethnic roles, he later declared: "So I usually ended up playing Mexicans or Italians.Talk about diversity! I'd have to change my parentage for every role." Nonetheless, De Souza had no trouble making himself known in show biz, due to long-standing friendships with American producer Stanley Rubin and French director Serge Bourguignon who helped him to meet "nearly every actor, actress and director in Hollywood". De Souza played supporting roles of diverse ethnicity in several movies. More often, he appeared as clerks, porters, chauffeurs, officers or doctors in such popular TV shows as The Outer Limits (1963), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964), Mission: Impossible (1966) to Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) and Star Trek: Voyager (1995) (as a holodeck simulation of Mahatma Gandhi.
In addition to acting, De Souza has continued to work as a freelance journalist and occasional interviewer of people associated with the film industry (including actors like George Clooney and Christian Bale). He was associated for some years with the Golden Globe Awards, maintaining an affiliation with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and The Dick Clark Company, who, in collaboration, produce the prestigious Golden Globe Awards show. In 2016, he was nominated for an International Cinematographers Guild (ICG) Publicist Media Award.Sanford and Son: Season 4, Episode 5
There'll Be Some Changes Made (11 Oct. 1974)
"Salim"- Actress
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Cardella Di Milo was born on 15 March 1930. She was an actress and composer, known for Blackenstein (1973), Dolemite (1975) and Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999). She died on 5 January 2003 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 2, Episode 20
Pops 'n' Pals (9 Feb. 1973)
"Woman"
Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 6
Lamont, Is That You? (19 Oct. 1973)
"Lucille Pinkney"- Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 1
Lamont as Othello (14 Sep. 1973)
"Mrs. O'Neil" - James Driskill was born on 17 February 1946 in Nevada, USA. He was an actor, known for Your Three Minutes Are Up (1973), Barnaby Jones (1973) and Wonder Woman (1975). He died on 6 September 2008 in Sun City West, Arizona, USA.Sanford and Son: Season 3, Episode 15
Fred Sanford, Legal Eagle (11 Jan. 1974)
"Cop"