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Glynis Johns was the daughter of actor Mervyn Johns. Best known for her light comedy roles and often playful flirtation, Glynis was born in South Africa while her parents were on tour there (her mother was a concert pianist) but was always proud of her Welsh roots and took delight in playing the female lead (opposite Richard Burton) in the classic Under Milk Wood (1971). She was probably best known for her role as the suffragette mother in Mary Poppins (1964) although she is probably best loved for her fishy roles in Miranda (1948) and Mad About Men (1954). She had earlier showed she could take on the serious roles as well as in Frieda (1947). Most recently seen (at the time of writing) in Superstar (1999). Johns died in 2024, aged 100, having never received the damehood she had richly deserved for decades. Predeceased by her only son, she was survived by a grandson,Thomas Forwood, and three great-grandchildren.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
David Soul achieved pop icon status as handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed Detective Kenneth Hutchinson on the cult "buddy cop" TV series Starsky and Hutch (1975), Soul also had a very successful singing career recording several albums, with worldwide number one hit singles including "Silver Lady" & "Don't Give Up on Us Baby".
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, David Soul is the son of a minister who was at one time serving as the religious affairs advisor to the U.S. High Commission in Berlin. At 24 years of age, young Soul joined a North Dakota musical revue, was noticed by a keen-eyed talent scout, and signed to a studio contract. He went on to study acting with the Irene Daly School of The Actors Company, and with the Columbia Workshop in Hollywood. He first appeared on TV in small roles in shows including I Dream of Jeannie (1965), Flipper (1964) and All in the Family (1971). Regular TV work kept coming in for Soul including making masked appearances on The Merv Griffin Show (1962), as the popular singer known only as "The Covered Man."
In 1973, Soul was fortunate enough to be cast as one of the corrupt motorcycle cops in the Clint Eastwood thriller Magnum Force (1973), where his talents came to the attention of several TV execs who were looking for someone to play one of the lead roles in the upcoming Starsky and Hutch (1975) TV series. After four seasons, the show came to an end, yet Soul's talents were still in demand. He quickly went on to appear as the meek writer turned terrified vampire hunter Ben Mears in the chilling television mini-series Salem's Lot (1979), and then as Jake in the interesting television movie Homeward Bound (1980).
Several undemanding movies and TV series appearances followed for Soul. However in 1988 he scored rave reviews for his portrayal of real life, cold-blooded cop killer Michael Lee Platt in In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders (1988). It was considered highly controversial for its intense level of violence in a made for TV production.
David Soul remained very busy throughout the 1990s and beyond, in both film and on stage productions. He has toured internationally in several theater productions, including playing the narrator in the critically-acclaimed production of Willy Russell's Blood Brothers, plus a successful UK tour performing in Ira Levin's Deathtrap. Fans of the original TV series were glad to see Soul back with Paul Michael Glaser doing a cameo appearance in the big-budget movie version of Starsky & Hutch (2004).
Throughout his life, Soul has continually championed social causes often utilizing his own funds to raise awareness on issues including the impact of the Vietnam War, the shutdowns in the US steel industry, animal welfare, world hunger and HIV education. Soul has for several years made his home in the United Kingdom, where he has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival, on several British TV shows and has become a keen soccer fan supporting English club, Arsenal FC.- Pat McNamara was born on 22 July 1933 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Instinct (1999). He died on 5 January 2024 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
- Anna Strasberg was born on 16 April 1939 in Caracas, Venezuela. She was an actress, known for Stay Tuned for Terror (1965), The Rat Patrol (1966) and Riot on Sunset Strip (1967). She was married to Lee Strasberg. She died on 6 January 2024 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Crombie was born on 26 June 1952 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Se7en (1995), My Dog Skip (2000) and Rising Sun (1993). He was married to Nadine Kijner. He died on 10 January 2024 in Palm Springs, California, USA.- Attractive, willowy brunette Tisa Farrow was born Theresa Magdalena Farrow on July 22, 1951, in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of writer/director John Farrow and Maureen O'Sullivan and the sister of Mia Farrow. Tisa made her film debut in the obscure hippie counterculture drama Homer (1970). She gave an especially charming performance as sweet innocent "Jennifer" in the marvelously offbeat Some Call It Loving (1973). Farrow was impressive as the timid "Mouse" in the fun made-for-TV Carrie (1976) clone The Initiation of Sarah (1978) and solid as the spaced-out "Carol" in James Toback's fabulously gritty Fingers (1978). Tisa had small parts in both Manhattan (1979) and Winter Kills (1979). She ended her acting career with starring roles in three entertainingly trashy Italian exploitation features: feisty heroine "Anne Bowles" in Lucio Fulci's excellent horror classic Zombie (1979), spunky photojournalist "Jane Foster" in Antonio Margheriti's Vietnam action / adventure The Last Hunter (1980) and a standard woman-in-peril part in The Grim Reaper (1980).
Tisa Farrow called it a day as an actress after 1980, and went on to a successful career as a nurse in Vermont. - Actor
- Producer
- Director
Michael Macready was born on 3 October 1932 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Flesh of My Flesh (1969), Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) and Terror at Red Wolf Inn (1972). He was married to Greer Andrews, Pamela Murphy and Erica E Ebeling. He died on 10 January 2024 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Actress
April Ferry was born on 31 October 1932 in North Carolina, USA. She was a costume designer and actress, known for Maverick (1994), Elysium (2013) and Rome (2005). She was married to Stephen Robertson Ferry. She died on 11 January 2024.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Lynne Marta was born on 30 October 1945 in Somerville, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for Footloose (1984), Joe Kidd (1972) and Three Men and a Little Lady (1990). She was married to Brick Huston. She died on 11 January 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Throughout the 1970s and a good part of the 1980s, Bill Hayes and his second wife, Emmy-winning Susan Seaforth Hayes, reigned as the Lunt and Fontanne of daytime soaps. Prior to this he had become a noted singer/actor on the Broadway stage and in night clubs. Born William Foster Hayes III in Harvey, Illinois, on June 5, 1925, and raised in the Midwest, his father was a bookseller (for 41 years). He got his talent from his dad who enjoyed singing and local community theater performing on the sly. Bill entered WWII as a naval airman, then studied at De Pauw University, where he met and married first wife Mary. They went on to have five children. He later received his master's degree at Northwestern. Blessed with a sturdy tenor, his interest in a professional career was piqued after happening upon a tour of "Carousel" in 1947. From singing telegrams to barbershop quartets to choir directing to jazz group vocals, Bill persevered musically until earning his first big break on TV. A lead singing/stooge role in Olsen & Johnson's zany burlesque revue "Funzapoppin'" in 1949 led to him joining the pair on their short-lived TV show and, ultimately, his resident crooning on Your Show of Shows (1950) starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. In the meantime he also performed in vaudeville and broke into films with a supporting role in Stop, You're Killing Me (1952). Despite a wife and family to support, he left the show on his own volition for the chance to star in a new Broadway musical. "Me and Juliet" opened with moderate success in 1953 and lasted over a year, touring with the show in its aftermath. Bill also happened to record "The Ballad of Davey Crockett," which became a surprise #1 Billboard hit and sold over three million copies. A nightclub and TV-variety fixture in the late 1950s, he later managed to flex his vocal chords in such musicals as "Bye Bye Birdie" (national tour), "Brigadoon," "The Pajama Game" and "George M!" The 1960s were a slow, difficult time for Bill professionally and personally, which culminated in the breakup of his marriage. Luck and talent played a part when he was hired to join the cast of Days of Our Lives (1965) playing the role of Doug Williams. The character was originally a louse and con artist, but grew more reputable after his character fell in love with feisty troublemaker Julie Olson, played by Susan Seaforth. Their seesaw romantic relationship became one of daytime's top story lines of the 1970s. Off-screen the couple also ignited sparks and, despite their major age difference (she is 18 years his junior), they married on October 12, 1974. In 1984, after 14 years and two daytime Emmy nominations, he and Susan left the show due to their dwindling status. While Susan went on to join the cast of The Young and the Restless (1973) the following year, Bill refocused on his singing by performing on the cabaret circuit and recording a few albums. The couple returned on and off to their soap opera alma mater over the years, but in 1999 they became part of the regular cast again with a stronger story line. Bill is still performing on stage, more recently playing Beauregard in "Mame" and with his wife in productions of "A Christmas Carol," "Love Letters" and "Same Time, Another Year," which is a sequel to "Same Time, Next Year."- Lovely, sweet-natured Joyce Randolph will forever be etched in the minds of "Golden Age" television viewers as the Bowery-like fourth party of the classic husband/wife quartet on the enduring TV family comedy The Honeymooners (1955) starring Jackie Gleason as the irrepressible hothead bus driver Ralph Kramden. As Thelma ("Trixie") Norton, the dressed-down, beleaguered wife of sewer worker Ed Norton (played by the adorably goofy Art Carney) and best friend to equally stern realist Alice Kramden (played by equally lovely Audrey Meadows), Joyce participated in nearly 100 episodes of the beloved show before it left the air in 1957.
Randolph's real last name was Sirola, being of Finnish descent. As a teenager, her interest in acting grew and she eventually found her way to become a part of the Wayne University Workshop. After high school graduation, Joyce found employment in retail at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Detroit. Auditioning for a Workshop tour of the play "Stage Door" in Detroit, she won the part and traveled with the company. She followed that tour with another tour, a revival of "Abie's Irish Rose" that ran for a year.
At age 18, Joyce moved to New York City during war-time (1943) to try her luck. She made her Broadway debut in 1945 in the short-lived comedy "A Goose for the Gander" starring Gloria Swanson and Conrad Nagel at the Playhouse Theatre. She returned to Broadway with "Ladies Night at a Turkish Bath" in 1950. She also appeared in summer stock and once performed in the musical "No, No, Nanette" with Ms. Meadows.
She began on TV as early as 1946 at General Electric's experimental laboratory in Schenectady, NY. Having now changed her stage name from her christened name to the more inviting "Joyce Randolph," the actress began appearing on TV in 1950, finding parts on such regular programs as "The Colgate Comedy Hour," "Rocky King, Detective," "Buck Rogers," "The Clock," "I Cover Times Square" and "Famous Jury Trials." By sheer luck, Joyce was spotted in a Clorets chewing gum commercial by Gleason himself the following year and was asked to appear in a skit on the "Cavalcade of Stars," Gleason's variety show on the DuMont Network. He liked her, he cast her then as Trixie, and the rest is TV history.
Taking over the role played originally, and only once, by Elaine Stritch, when the part of Trixie was thought of as a burlesque girl, the skit format was changed to series form with The Honeymooners (1955). Caught in a terrible typecasting, Joyce would find it extremely hard obtaining other roles after the demise of the show. Interestingly, when "The Honeymooners" sketches were revived on a revamped Gleason variety show in the 1960s, the roles of Alice and Trixie were taken over by Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean. Only Carney remained. Joyce would later say she did not revive her Trixie role due to "personal and geographic reasons." Gleason had moved his company to Miami, Florida.
Joyce maintained her career for awhile on the musical stage, in commercials, and with a few solo appearances on such shows as "The Jack Benny Show," and "The Doctors and the Nurses," but eventually retired from acting altogether. She married Richard Lincoln Charles, a wealthy entrepreneur and marketing executive, on October 2, 1955, the day after The Honeymooners premiered. He died at age 74 in 1997. Their son, Randolph Richard Charles, born in 1960, followed in his father's, not his mother's, footsteps after attending Yale University. He became a marketing executive before taking over his father's business. Joyce is also the grand aunt of former Major League Baseball pitcher Tim Redding. - Buzz Martin was born on 25 June 1939 in New York, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Kraft Theatre (1947), Bachelor Father (1957) and The Twilight Zone (1959). He was married to Paula J. Mainwaring. He died on 15 January 2024 in Sonora, California, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
William O'Connell was born on 12 May 1929 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Paint Your Wagon (1969), Every Which Way But Loose (1978) and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). He died on 15 January 2024 in Sherman Oaks, California, USA.- Director
- Writer
Jean Brismée was born on 20 August 1926 in Pipaix, Leuze-en-Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. He was a director and writer, known for Monsieur Plateau (1967), Devil's Nightmare (1971) and Jean Rouch (1962). He died on 18 January 2024 in Waterloo, Belgium.- Actor
- Additional Crew
David Emge was born in 1946 in Evansville, Indiana. Emge studied drama at the University of Evansville and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While attending college David got drafted and served in the army during the Vietnam war. He began his acting career on stage at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in 1971. Emge made his film debut in the lowbrow comedy "The Booby Hatch." In addition, he briefly lived in Washington, D.C., where he performed in dinner theater. Emge moved to New York City in 1976. David was working as a chef at a New York City restaurant when he was cast as the meek and bumbling helicopter pilot Stephen in George Romero's outstanding "Dawn of the Dead." Emge went back to acting in live theater following his "Dawn of the Dead" stint. David Emge has acted in only two other movies to date: he's grotesquely malformed freak Half Moon in "Basket Case 2" and activist reporter Robert in "Hellmaster."- Director
- Producer
- Actor
Norman Jewison was an award-winning, internationally acclaimed filmmaker who produced and directed some of the world's most memorable, entertaining and socially important films, exploring controversial and complicated subjects and giving them a universal accessibility. Some of his most well-known works include the pre-glasnost political satire The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, the original The Thomas Crown Affair, the groundbreaking civil rights-era drama In the Heat of the Night (winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture), the first rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, the futuristic cult hit Rollerball, hit musical comedy-drama Fiddler on the Roof, the romantic comedy Moonstruck, the courtroom drama ...And Justice For All, the military drama A Soldier's Story, the labor movement picture F.I.S.T., the war dramas The Statement and In Country, and the masterfully told story of Reuben 'Hurricane' Carter, The Hurricane, among many others.
Jewison was personally nominated for four Oscars and received three Emmy Awards; his films received 46 nominations and won 12 Academy Awards. In 1999, Jewison received the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the Academy Awards.
In Canada, his life's work has been recognized with the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, and he was named a Member of the Order of Canada, an Officer of the Order of Ontario and a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour. In 2010, Jewison was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America.
Jewison was committed to advancing the art of storytelling and filmmaking, both through his groundbreaking films, and through his creation of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) in 1986, which opened its doors in Toronto in 1988. The CFC is a charitable cultural organization which drives the future of Canadian storytelling.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Gary Graham was born on 6 June 1950 in Long Beach, California, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Robot Jox (1989), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) and The Jackal (1997). He was married to Becky Hopkins, Diane Patricia Vaughan, Caren Leslie Williams and Susan Lavelle. He died on 22 January 2024 in Spokane Valley, Washington, USA.- Actor
- Producer
Herbert 'Cowboy' Coward was born on 21 August 1938 in Haywood County, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Deliverance (1972), Ghost Town: The Movie (2007) and Hillbilly Blood (2013). He was married to Dorothy Eileen Ledford. He died on 24 January 2024 in Haywood County, North Carolina, USA.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Rod Holcomb was born on 28 May 1943 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was a director and producer, known for ER (1994), China Beach (1988) and The Six Million Dollar Man (1974). He was married to Jane Lucille Brackman, Suellen Maclean and Sandra Lavonne Avakian. He died on 24 January 2024 in Los Angeles, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
An accomplished and versatile actress/singer/dancer, Chita Rivera has won two Tony Awards as Best Leading Actress in a Musical and received eight additional Tony nominations for an exceptional 10 Tony nominations. She recently starred in The Visit, the final John Kander/Fred Ebb/Terrence McNally musical directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela Daniele on Broadway (2015), following the acclaimed production at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in the summer of 2014. She starred in the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer's Life, a dazzling new musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele and the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas. She trained as a ballerina (from age 11) before receiving a scholarship to the School of American Ballet from legendary George Balanchine. Chita's first appearance (age 17) was as a principal dancer in Call Me Madam. Her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story brought her stardom, which she repeated in London. Her career is highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink (Tony Award), Chicago, Jerry's Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award), and the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. On tour: Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, Can-Can with The Rockettes. Chita was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009. She received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in 2002 and is the first Hispanic woman ever chosen to receive this award. On November 6, 2015, Great Performances aired their special Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin' To Do, a retrospective on her extraordinary life and career nationally on PBS. Chita's current solo CD is entitled And Now I Swing. Her most treasured production is her daughter, singer/dancer/choreographer Lisa Mordente.- Annie Belle was born Annie Brilland on December 10, 1956 in Paris, France. Belle comes from a family of engineers and first developed an interest in acting while attending the Rue Blanche acting school in Paris. Annie acted in her first film while still in her teens in 1974. Among the notable directors that Belle starred in movies for are Jean Rollin, Joe D'Amato, Massimo Dallamano, and Ruggero Deodato. Known for her slender figure, porcelain complexion, and close-cropped hairstyle, Annie was especially memorable as the haughty Lisa in Deodato's brutal and controversial House on the Edge of the Park (1980). After acting in her last film in 1989, Belle received a college degree in psychology and subsequently went on to become a social worker for people diagnosed with mental illness.
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Carl Weathers was born on January 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. A famous and successful football star at San Diego State, he played with the Oakland Raiders and retired from the sport in 1974, in order to give full attention to his goal: to be a real actor.
Weathers first played small parts in two blaxploitation flicks, Friday Foster (1975) (in which he played "Yarbro") and Bucktown (1975) (playing "Hambone"), both made in 1975 and directed by Arthur Marks. However, his big break came the following year when producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff chose him to play "Apollo Creed" in the blockbuster "sleeper" Rocky (1976) (real-life boxing legend Ken Norton was originally signed for the part, but it eventually went to Weathers). He went on to play "Creed" in three other "Rocky" movies, and the characters' adversarial relationship eventually evolved into a warm friendship. After Creed's death in Rocky IV (1985), Weathers met with producer Joel Silver and agreed to play an important supporting role in Predator (1987), an action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The following year, Silver produced Action Jackson (1988), a first starring role for Weathers, but it performed poorly at the box office and was panned by the critics.
During the 1990s, Weathers starred in four In the Heat of the Night (1988) two-hour TV specials that were much better received by critics and viewers alike. In 1996, he played the part of "Chubbs Peterson" in the blockbuster Adam Sandler comedy Happy Gilmore (1996). He returned to his "action roots" in two TV-movies with Hulk Hogan: Assault on Devil's Island (1997) and Assault on Death Mountain (1999).
In addition to his acting career, Weathers is also a member of the Big Brothers Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee, handling the career of athletes of various sports such as gymnastics, wrestling, swimming and judo.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Wayne Kramer is a songwriter, producer and composer whose reputation writing music for television and film risks supplanting his legend as one of music's stellar guitarists. Rolling Stone Magazine recognizes him as one of the top 100 guitarists of all time and highlights from recent composing and playing can be heard in the upcoming Will Ferrell comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" for Sony Pictures. His signature song "Edge of the Switchblade" runs at the end title credits for the film.
On television, Wayne's 2003 title theme for Fox Sports Network's extreme sports program 5-4-3-2-1 was a bona fide hit and he now has three others running there - Spotlight, In My Own Words and Under the Lights. He has been building a catalog of cues for their network library throughout 2005 and 2006.
Wayne's songs have been featured in a wide array of shows, including MTV's Jackass series, Judging Amy for 20th Century Fox TV and Chris Carter's Fox series Millenium. Additionally, his songs are regularly heard in NFL, NBA and MLB Playoff events, as well as BMX extreme videos and many Food Network productions.
Wayne's songs can be heard in various feature films including Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous, the Ramones' Rock 'n' Roll High School, October Films' action film Detour, Mary Harron's I Shot Andy Warhol and Pump Up the Volume starring Christian Slater. His current film scoring work includes composing a jazz score for the full-length feature documentaries "The Narcotics Farm" and "Votergate."
Wayne founded the MC5, widely recognized as the prototype for punk rock and heavy metal. In 1969, they released the ridiculously controversial album Kick Out The Jams on Elektra Records, which included the hit of the same name. After leaving Elektra, they released two albums on Atlantic Records, Back In The USA, produced by Bruce Springsteen's manager Jon Landau, and the critically hailed High Time. Between world tours, Wayne wrote scores for the Caroline Films feature Gold and The Living Theatre's film production of Paradise Now.
Wayne spent the'80s in New York City, where he teamed up with the infamous Johnny Thunders for a short-lived, but headline grabbing, punk rock supergroup Gang War. Soon after, Wayne co-wrote the acclaimed R&B musical The Last Words of Dutch Schultz with Mick Farren, then he co-founded the revolutionary acid funk outfit Was (Not Was) with David and Don Was.
Wayne moved to Los Angeles in 1994, signed with Epitaph Records and recorded four records in as many years: The Hard Stuff (1995), followed by Dangerous Madness (1996), Citizen Wayne (1997) and a live album LLMF (1998). He also produced and co-wrote the album Full Circle with John Sinclair and His Blues Scholars and produced a retrospective collection for Rhino Records entitled The Big Bang: Best of the MC5 as well as the punk compilation Wayne Kramer Presents: Beyond Cyberpunk for MusicBlitz.
Wayne launched MuscleTone Records in 2001. Its flagship release for 2002 was his own album Adult World. In 2003, he music-directed a performance for the DVD entitled Sonic Revolution: A Celebration of the MC5. A 30-minute documentary of that reunion performance was produced by MuscleTone Records in partnership with Levi's Vintage Clothing and was broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom in 2004. The hour-long edit of the concert is now a broadcast staple for Trio Networks in the USA.
Wayne runs the label, tours the world as a musician, speaker and activist. He regularly writes with, and produces, upstart rock `n' roll bands.- Actor
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- Producer
Don Murray is an American actor. He is best known for playing Governor Breck, the authoritarian ruler in the science fiction film "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (1972).
Murray was born in 1929 to Dennis Aloisius Murray and his wife Ethel Cook. Dennis worked as a dance director and stage manager, while Ethel was a singer. Ethel Cook served as a performer for the Ziegfeld Follies (1907-1931), an elaborate theatrical revue production in Broadway.
Murray attended the East Rockaway High School in East Rockaway, a village of Nassau County, New York. During his high school years, Murray served as a member of the school's football team, its track team, and its glee club. He graduated in 1947, at the age of 18. He later attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan, New York. He graduated in 1951.
Murray made his Broadway debut in 1951, when cast as Jack Hunter in a stage version of the play "The Rose Tattoo" (1951) by Tennessee Williams (1911-1983). In the play, Hunter is a sailor and the boyfriend of Rosa Delle Rose, the daughter of the play's female protagonist.
Murray's stage career was interrupted when he was drafted into the United States military. He registered as a conscientious objector during the Korean War (1950-1953), as he was a member of the Brethren Church. The Brethren Church is an Anabaptist Christian denomination, which strictly adheres to pacifism and non-violence. Murray was assigned to alternative service in Europe. He was honorably discharged from the military in 1954, and resumed his acting career.
In 1956, Murray made his film debut in the romantic drama film "Bus Stop". The film was an adaptation of a 1955 theatrical play by William Inge (1913-1973). Murray was cast in the role of Beauregard "Beau" Decker, a naive, overly enthusiastic, and socially inept cowboy from Montana. The film depicts Beau's infatuation with young singer Cherie (played by Marylin Monroe), which causes him to first kidnap her and then coerce her into marrying him. He is tragically unaware that Cherie barely knows him, and that his love is unrequited. The film was a box office success, and Murray was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1956, however the Oscar for that year was won by rival actor Anthony Quinn (1915-2001) for his role in Lust for LIfe.
Murray's successful debut helped him receive offers for more film roles. He was cast as Charlie Samson in the drama film "The Bachelor Party" (1957). Samson is the film's main character, a hard-working bookkeeper who struggles with the temptation to cheat on his wife. He was then cast as morphine-addict Johnny Pope in "A Hatful of Rain" (1957), a film about the then-innovative topic of drug addiction.
In 1958, Murray played in his first Western film, "From Hell to Texas". In the film, he was cast as Tod Lohman, an impoverished ranch hand who is suspected of murdering the son of a powerful cattle baron. The film deals with Lohman being hunted by the cattle baron's other son and his mercenaries, who seek revenge.
Murray's second Western film was "These Thousand Hills" (1959). The film depicts the rags-to-riches story of Albert Gallatin "Lat" Evans (played by Murray). But as Lat grows richer, he becomes a colder and harsher man. Leading him to betray his own lover, to alienate his only friend, and to marry a banker's daughter for her money.
Murray was also cast in a lead role in the war film "Shake Hands with the Devil" (1959), which depicts the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921). During the 1960s, Murray continued to appear regularly in films, often cast in period dramas. He played Wild Bill Hickok in the The Plainsman (1966), and ambitious ruler Justinian in "The Viking Queen" (1967).
In 1968, Murray gained a co-starring role in the Western television series "The Outcasts" (1968-1969). He played the character Earl Corey, an American Civil War veteran and formerly wealthy slave owner. In the series, Corey was cheated out of his wealth by a treasonous brother, and started making a living as a bounty hunter. He teams up with fellow bounty hunter Jemal David (played by Otis Young), an African-American freedman. The two men are not friends, but they are both social outcasts and need each other's skills to gain a profit. The series was considered groundbreaking for featuring an interracial team of characters, but was criticized for being overly violent. The series lasted only 26 episodes.
In 1972, Murray played the major role of Governor Breck in"Conquest of the Planet of the Apes". Breck is the authoritarian ruler of a human civilization using apes as a slave force, and he is the owner of the film's heroic protagonist Caesar. He eventually fails to defeat a slave revolt, and gets captured alive by his own slave. The film earned 9.7 million dollars in theatrical rentals at the North American box office.
Murray was offered the role of Breck in the film's immediate sequel, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (1973), but he refused to return. He reportedly felt that there was no fun in playing the tyrant twice. A character called Governor Kolp (played by Severn Darden) was introduced in the film as Breck's replacement.
In 1975, Murray starred in the thriller film "Deadly Hero", as the villainous protagonist Officer Lacy. In the film, Lacy is a veteran police officer of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) who has been demoted for violent tendencies and being overly trigger-happy. While on duty, Lacy kills the common mugger "Rabbit" (played by James Earl Jones) and briefly gains a heroic reputation. But a female witness to the death has seen that Lacy is a cold-blooded murderer, and that Rabbit was killed after disarming himself and surrendering to Lacy. Lacy decides to kill the witness in order to protect his reputation. The film was a box-office flop as film critics blamed its overly pessimistic attitude toward law enforcement. Among the few critics who actually liked the film was Gene Siskel (1946-1999), writing for the newspaper "Chicago Tribune".
In the late 1970s, Murray was reduced to mostly appearing in television films. In 1979, Murray had a career comeback when cast in the major role of Sid Fairgate in the soap opera "Knots Landing" (1979-1993). Fairgate was depicted as the owner of used car dealership Knots Landing Motors, and pater familias to a large family. Murray played this role until 1981, when he left the series due to a salary dispute. His character was written out as having died during a surgery.
During the 1980s, Murray had few appearances in theatrical films. They included the romantic drama "Endless Love" (1981), the mystery film "I Am the Cheese" (1983), the post-apocalyptic science fiction film "Radioactive Dreams" (1985), the time-travel film "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986), the spy film "Scorpion" (1986), the reincarnation-themed fantasy film "Made in Heaven" (1987), and the ghost film "Ghosts Can't Do It" (1989).
In 1989, Murray gained a new co-starring role in the comedy-drama television series "Brand New Life" (1989-1990), playing the character of wealthy lawyer Roger Gibbons. In the series Gibbons marries novice court reporter Barbara McCray (played by Barbara Eden). Each of them has three children from previous marriages, and they now struggle to raise 6 kids. The series' creator and show-runner was young screenwriter Chris Carter (1956-), and its themes were mostly based on the old sitcom "The Brady Bunch" (1969-1974). The series was not successful, and only a pilot and 5 regular episodes were ever broadcast.
Murray next had a recurring role in the short-lived comedy-drama television series "Sons and Daughters" (1991), concerning the struggles of a single mother who tries to maintain the peace between the members of a large extended family. The series only lasted for 13 episodes, but 6 of them remained unaired at the time of its cancellation.
For the rest of the 1990s, Murray had guest star roles in various television series, and appeared in a hand full of television films. During the early 2000s, he had roles in three theatrical films: the romantic comedy "Internet Love" (2000), the stalker-themed thriller "Island Pray" (2001), and the comedy film "Elvis is Alive" (2001). In 2001, the 72-year-old Murray went into retirement.
Murray returned to acting in 2017, when offered the recurring role of insurance-company executive Bushnell Mullins in the third season of the mystery series "Twin Peaks" (1990-1991, 2017). Mullins was the boss of insurance agent Douglas "Dougie" Jones, one of several doppelgangers to FBI agent Dale Cooper (the series' main protagonist). The season was critically praised but there were no plans for a fourth season.
In 2019, Murray reached his 90th year and was still appearing in some films and on television into 2021.- Born in Mexico City on the 18th of August, 1944, Helena Rojo has an extensive career in theater, film and television acting, in both domestic and international productions (notably collaborating with Werner Herzog in "Aguirre, the Wrath of God", as well as Arturo Ripstein in "Fox Trot").
She began her career in the 60's as a model whilst studying drama, and in 1968 made her cinematic debut in "El Club de los Suicidas" ("The Suicide Club"), followed in the same year with "Los Amigos" ("Friends"). In 1974 she made her first television appearance as Isaura in the telenovela "Extraño en su Pueblo" ("Stranger in Your Town").
Throughout the 70's and 80's she worked with some of the most renowned and prolific directors in Mexico, including Jorge Fons, Rafael Corkidi, Marcela Fernández Violante and Alberto Bojórquez.
The role that garnered her the most national acclaim was that of Luciana Duval in "El Privilegio de Amar" ("The Privilege of Love"), as well as Juliana in "Abrazame Muy Fuerte" ("Big Hug"), for which she also won a TV y Novelas award for Best Supporting Role. She also appeared prominently in "Ramona", which was widely regarded as the telenovela of the year in 1999.
More recently, in 2006 she appeared in "Vidas de Fuego", a show-within-a-show featured on the US comedy/drama series "Ugly Betty", portraying Patricia Rivera. - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
James Dixon was born on 6 March 1937 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for It's Alive (1974), Is There Sex After Death? (1971) and It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987). He was married to Margaret Mary Gibney. He died on 5 February 2024 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Michael was born in Nottingham where he was educated at Becket Roman Catholic Grammar School, West Bridgeford in Nottingham where he was known as Jimmy - his real name is Michael James - and where he was caned some 130 times. While that might have been a record, the one that went into the record books was scoring 60 of the under-13 football team's 120 goals in a season. In between canings and scoring goals, he acquired a great love of literature and the English language from a teacher at Becket Grammar School which he left at 17 with an A level in philosophy and became an accountant with the coal board. Before he took his accountancy finals, he left the Coal Board and went to work in the Nottingham Fish Market where the language he learned was a revelation to him.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Born July 8, 1961, Toby Keith Covel was the second child of Joan and Hubert Keith ("H. K.") Covel. He was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, and grew up with his brother Tracy and sister Tonnie in Moore, Oklahoma. After graduating from Moore High School, he didn't go on to college, but went to work in the Oklahoma oil fields with his father. He later met and married Tricia Lucas, whose child, Shelley Reeve, he adopted. He later had two children with Tricia -- daughter Krystal (born 1985, married in 2011) and son Stelen (born in 1997).
When Krystal was born, the Oklahoma oil industry had collapsed; leaving Toby, Tricia, and their two daughters in financial troubles. Touring with his band, the Easy Money Band, he got them all out of debt. After signing a deal at Mercury Records, his debut album "Toby Keith", which contained his first chart topper, "Should've Been a Cowboy", finally established him as a professional singer-songwriter. He then left Mercury for a period of three years. Coming back in 1997, he released his final studio album for Mercury, "Dream Walkin".
A year after his first Greatest Hits compilation came out from Mercury, he and producer James Stroud, left the label. He then signed a deal with DreamWorks Records, headed by his producer. Since releasing his fifth album, "How Do You Like Me Now?!", and its title track (written by Toby and Chuck Cannon); the then-DreamWorks, now-Showdog Tunes-signed singer and BMI-affiliated songwriter saw success like never before.
That success can be measured with at least five more studio albums since "How Do You Like Me Now?", more #1 singles, Academy of Country Music Awards (including two "Entertainer of the Year" awards) and other kinds of awards, and another Greatest Hits compilation (including songs from albums "How Do You Like Me Now?", "Pull My Chain", and "Unleashed", and a cover of "Mockingbird" with his daughter Krystal, who released her debut album in December 2011). He opened his own record label, the aforementioned Showdog Tunes.
Tragically, Toby Keith died after a battle with cancer at age 62 on February 5, 2024 in his beloved native Oklahoma.- Director
- Cinematographer
- Writer
Born in New York City. Made many award-winning documentaries including The Eskimo: Fight for Life (1970) and a documentary about the civil war in Angola. In 1978 he won the Camera d'Or at Cannes and Best Feature at San Sebastian for Alambrista! (1977).- Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Mojo Nixon was born on 2 August 1957 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Super Mario Bros. (1993), Astro Loco (2021) and Stag (1997). He was married to Adaire McMillan. He died on 7 February 2024 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.- Anne Whitfield was born August 27, 1938 in Oxford, Mississippi, USA. She was an actress, known for White Christmas (1954), numerous TV shows and commercials, and a long radio career beginning in 1945 when she was seven. Her TV appearances include One Step Beyond, 3 Perry Masons, Rawhide, Gunsmoke, 77 Sunset Strip, Dobie Gillis, 2 Cheyennes, and a Bonanza. When she left Hollywood in 1976, she went back to college, got a degree in Mass Communications, and began a new career as a water quality educator at the state Department of Ecology. Now retired, Annie is a climate activist and a proud but worried grandmother of seven.
- Lanny Flaherty was born on 27 July 1942 in Pontotoc, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Signs (2002), Miller's Crossing (1990) and Men in Black³ (2012). He died on 18 February 2024 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- Bobbie Wygant was born on 22 November 1926 in Lafayette, Indiana, USA. She was married to Phil Wygant. She died on 18 February 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Elegant, dark-haired Parisian Micheline Presle (billed in the U.S. as Micheline Prelle) was the daughter of a businessman whose surname was Chassagne. Taking acting classes as a teen, she was discovered by Georg Wilhelm Pabst and cast in Jeunes filles en détresse (1939) (portraying Jacqueline Presle, whose last name she chose as her own marquee name). Very early into her film career, she was awarded the Prix Suzanne Bianchetti as the "most promising young actress" in French cinema.
While Micheline proceeded to make movies during the Occupation with such offerings as Four Flights to Love (1939) (dual role), La comédie du bonheur (1940), Foolish Husbands (1941), La nuit fantastique (1942), Twilight (1944), and Paris Frills (1945), she was regarded as an important young French star in the post-war years when she appeared in the classic films Angel and Sinner (1945) and, in particular, Devil in the Flesh (1947), both gaining her world-wide notice.
After a brief post-war marriage to Michel Lefort, Micheline's second marriage to US actor-turned-producer William Marshall in 1949 led her to attempt Hollywood pictures. Receiving a 20th Century-Fox contract, none of the those pictures, which included Under My Skin (1950), American Guerrilla in the Philippines (1950) and Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951), the last one produced and directed by husband Marshall, captured the hearts of American audiences despite co-starring opposite Hollywood's top male superstars stars at the time -- John Garfield, Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn.
Divorced in 1954, Micheline never truly adjusted to the Hollywood way of life and returned quite willingly to Paris with her daughter, the future actress/director Tonie Marshall. She would, however, return briefly to the US in the early 1960s to appear in the Dee/Darin comedy fluff If a Man Answers (1962) and the spy drama The Prize (1963).
The supremely talented Micheline continued to reign supreme back in Europe and appeared frequently on the stage as well. Some of her post-Hollywood films (mid-1950's on) included House of Ricordi (1954), Royal Affairs in Versailles (1954) (as Madame de Pompadour), Her Bridal Night (1956), Demoniac (1957), Mistress of the World (1960), Imperial Venus (1962) (as Napoleon's Josephine), Dark Purpose (1964), The Nun (1966), King of Hearts (1966), Donkey Skin (1970), The Legend of Frenchie King (1971), A Slightly Pregnant Man (1973), A Young Emmanuelle (1976), Démons de midi (1979), Thieves After Dark (1983), Good Weather, But Stormy Late This Afternoon (1986), High Finance Woman (1990), Fanfan (1993), Les Misérables (1995) and Diary of a Seducer (1996).
Into the millennium, Micheline graced a large number of French films such as Le coeur à l'ouvrage (2000), Charmant garçon (2001), Le diable dans la boîte (1977), Transfixed (2001), France Boutique (2003) (directed by daughter Tonie), Grabuge! (2005), Plein sud (2009), Just Like Brothers (2012) and her last, an unbilled part in Sex, Love & Therapy (2014).
Nominated for a supporting actress Cesar Award for her role as in the Venice Film Festival winner I Want to Go Home (1989), Micheline received an honorary César Award in 2004.- Actor
- Soundtrack
John Savident was born on 21 January 1938 in St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, UK. He was an actor, known for Coronation Street (1960), A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Hudson Hawk (1991). He was married to Rona Hopkinson. He died on 21 February 2024.- Actor
- Writer
Chris Gauthier was born on 27 January 1976 in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Freddy vs. Jason (2003), Watchmen (2009) and 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002). He was married to Erin Gauthier. He died on 23 February 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- A pert and glamorous redhead, Jacqueleen Loughery came to fame as the first ever Miss USA beauty pageant winner in 1952, held at Long Beach, California.
Just two years prior, the Brooklyn-born daughter and only child of Joseph Clark Loughery (a captain in the U.S. Navy) and Ellen (Avery) Loughery had been crowned Miss New York State. She wasn't especially keen to continue competing for further titles, but later claimed to have been talked into it by 'Uncle Miltie' (Milton Berle). She eventually finished in ninth place for the Miss Universe event. On the strength of this, she was hired by the Ward Kent modeling agency. Late that year, she also secured a contract with Universal-International, declaring "I want to become a dramatic actress".
For the first five years of her acting career, that ambition remained unfulfilled. Her appearances were merely confined to bit parts, walk-ons or cameos. Her fortunes improved a little when she was cast as the female lead in the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis comedy Pardners (1956). Jackie then scored a leading regular television role in a western series as Letty, the niece of Judge Roy Bean (1955). Her next film, The D.I. (1957), was a wartime drama about a tough drill instructor. It starred Jack Webb and featured Jackie as his romantic interest.
Real romance developed during filming and Jackie married Webb in June 1958 in Studio City (having divorced her previous husband, the actor and singer Guy Mitchell, on the grounds of mental cruelty and abusiveness). Ultimately, her second marriage proved equally turbulent and faltered in 1964, Jacqueline citing the same reasons for divorcing Webb as had his previous two wives, namely 'being married to his work'.
Dropped by Universal, she briefly found a supporter in Howard Hughes, who signed her for RKO. However, no film opportunities arose from this. As a freelancer, she found work in a couple of B-grade potboilers (even headlining in an obscure drama, The Hot Angel (1958)) and in five episodes of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950). The remainder of her tenure on the screen comprised only a few sporadic TV guest appearances in prime time shows like Bat Masterson (1958), Burke's Law (1963), and Perry Mason (1957) .
In 1969, now almost forty and finding fewer and fewer worthy roles, she threw in the towel, saying "you don't quit acting, acting quits you." That year, she was married to one Jack William Schwietzer. This union may have proved the adage of 'third time lucky', as it endured for four decades until his death in 2009. - Charles Dierkop was born on 11 September 1936 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for The Sting (1973), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984). He was married to Joan Florence Addis. He died on 25 February 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Ole Anderson was born on 22 September 1942 in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Pro Wrestling USA (1984), WCW Worldwide (1975) and World Championship Wrestling (1985). He was married to Suzanne Crowder. He died on 26 February 2024 in Monroe, Georgia, USA.- Art Frankel was born on 4 January 1928 in New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Magnolia (1999), The Back-up Plan (2010) and Critters (1986). He died on 26 February 2024 in Norco, California, USA.
- Michael Culver was born on 16 June 1938 in Hampstead, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), A Passage to India (1984) and Breakaway (1980). He was married to Amanda Ward and Lucinda Curtis. He died on 27 February 2024.
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Richard Philip Lewis was born on June 29, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Englewood, New Jersey. He went to Dwight Morrow High School and Ohio State University, graduating in 1969 with a degree in marketing and communications. Lewis wrote ad copy in New Jersey while also writing jokes for comedians such as Morty Gunty. He finally got the nerve to perform his own jokes in 1971 at New York's Improvisation and Pips.
After appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) in 1974, he continued to tour and hone his act with help from David Brenner and Robert Klein. His film Diary of a Young Comic (1979) aired in the Saturday Night Live (1975) time-slot. His work on cable "I'm in Pain" for Showtime in 1988, The I'm Exhausted Concert (1988) earned a nomination from American Comedy Awards for Funniest Male Performer in a Television Special (for HBO); Richard Lewis: I'm Doomed (1990) (HBO) won him a second Ace Nomination for Best Stand-Up Comedy Special. His Richard Lewis: The Magical Misery Tour (1996) was filmed at New York's "Bottom Line" in December 1996. In December 1989, he performed to an SRO crowd at Carnegie Hall.- Actress
- Soundtrack
She graduated from Marymount High School, Tarrytown, N.Y. and then from Adelphi College, NY. She married another Adelphi graduate, Lee Philips (actor, director) and were later divorced amicably. After studying with Sanford Meisner, she married F.X. Toole (the writer of Million Dollar Baby (2004) under the pseudonym used for Jerry Boyd), in Mexico City where daughter Erin was born. They later divorced amicably.
She did the play, Teach Me How To Cry, written by Patricia Joudry and was spotted by an agent, Doovid Barskin, who signed her. In 1960 she met the perfect man, Phil Toorvald, a Stanford University senior studying electrical engineering. She had two children with Phil in quick succession, Sven and Tina, raised another girl (adopted), and then raised that girl's two daughters.
Jean's first feature part had been in 1952 in the film Edge of Fury (1958) where she had met first-time cameraman Jack Couffer. Fifty years later, after each had survived the loss of long time spouses they now share their lives together in retirement.- Victoria Catlin was born on 23 September 1952. She was an actress, known for Twin Peaks (1990), Ghoulies (1984) and Howling V: The Rebirth (1989). She died on 28 February 2024 in Merriam, Kansas, United States.
- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Got his start known as Virgil, the Bodyguard of Ted DiBiase. Originally they were sparring partners and when DiBiase signed with the WWF he got him signed as well. Eventually, the two broke apart and feuded. Virgil won the Million Dollar Belt from Ted DiBiase at Summer Slam 1991. He lost it back to DiBiase by November of 1991. Later on, He jumped to WCW to be apart of the New World Order (NWO). He was known as Vincent, which was just a poke at WWF Owner Vince McMahon. Later on, he became apart of the West Texas Rednecks and was known as Shane, which was actually a poke at Vince McMahon's son, Shane.- Paul Vachon was born on 7 October 1937 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was an actor, known for Rustom-E-Rome (1964), WWF Championship Wrestling (1972) and The True Story of Eskimo Nell (1975). He was married to Deana 'Dee' Goddard. He died on 29 February 2024.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Brodel Franzalia, older sister to actress, Joan Leslie, turned 100 years old on February 5, 2020. Betty along with sisters Mary and Joan were actresses in Hollywood and Betty was in the following movies: 'Swing Hostess' (1944), 'Too Young to Know' (1945), 'Cinderella Jones' (Uncredited)(1946), 'Hollywood Canteen' (Uncredited)(1944), 'Cover Girl' (1944) and other roles. In 1948, Betty married Joe Franzalia. He passed away in 1999. Elizabeth "Betty" Ann Brodel Franzalia passed away early Sunday morning, March 3, 2024, peacefully, at age 104.- 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".- George Crise was born on 17 August 1933 in Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Science Fiction Theatre (1955), Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (1955) and Miami Undercover (1961). He died on 9 March 2024 in Prescott, Arizona, USA.
- Actress
- Producer
- Costume Designer
Julie Robinson was born on 14 September 1928 in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for Lust for Life (1956), Buck and the Preacher (1972) and A Safe Place (1971). She was married to Harry Belafonte. She died on 9 March 2024 in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Malachy McCourt entered the world in Brooklyn, New York - where his parents lived at the time - and was raised in Limerick, Ireland. He managed to fail every subject in school, except English and recess. In 1952, he returned to the United States and worked as a longshoreman, dishwasher, and laborer. Soon after, he became an actor, then established the first singles bar in America. He then began a tumultuous radio career in 1970 on WNYC, WMCA and WBAI. They said he was outrageous, opinionated. and a disgrace to the Irish, which were all quite true. Aside from temporary stints on WABC, WOR and WNYC, he was asked to do a regular show since he got fired in 1976, which celebrated the 200th anniversary of free speech in America.
Malachy appeared on stage in plays such as "DA", "The Hostage", "Mass Appeal", "Inherit the Wind", and "A Child's Christmas in Wales" On television, he was a semi-regular on The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957), with Jack Paar and Merv Griffin. He appeared in the soap operas Ryan's Hope (1975), One Life to Live (1968), as well as The Dain Curse (1978) and other made-for-TV movies. On screen, was seen in She's the One (1996), The Devil's Own (1997), Reversal of Fortune (1990), Green Card (1990), The Field (1990), and The Molly Maguires (1970). He later starred in Edward Burns's Ash Wednesday (2002), followed by another star turn in The Guru (2002). Malachy was the author of "A Monk Swimming", which was on the best- seller lists for months in the U.S., Europe and Australia. His second book, "Singing My Him Song", was published in October of 2000 by Harper Collins. Malachy and his brother, Frank McCourt, developed, staged, and acted in "A Couple of Blaguards", which was performed in St. Petersburg, Florida. The play got produced throughout the US, Australia and the UK.
Malachy was happily married to Diana and is the proud father of five and grandfather of three. He lived in New York City, where he wrote a weekly column for The West Side Spirit: "Sez I To Myself."- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Grant Page was born on 6 August 1939 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. He was an actor, known for Mad Max (1979), Gods of Egypt (2016) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). He died on 14 March 2024 in New South Wales, Australia.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Joe Camp was born on 20 April 1939 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA. He was a writer and director, known for Oh Heavenly Dog (1980), Benji (1974) and For the Love of Benji (1977). He was married to Kathleen Garrett and Carolyn H. Camp. He died on 15 March 2024 in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, USA.- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
Wonderfully talented, heavyset character actor (from New York, but regularly playing Southerners) M. Emmet Walsh has made a solid career of playing corrupt cops, deadly crooks, and zany comedic roles since the early 1970s.
Michael Emmet Walsh was born in Ogdensburg, to Agnes Katharine (Sullivan) and Harry Maurice Walsh, a customs agent. He is of Irish descent. Walsh first appeared in a few fairly forgettable roles both on TV and onscreen before cropping up in several well remembered films, including a courtroom police officer in What's Up, Doc? (1972), as the weird Dickie Dunn in Slap Shot (1977), and as a loony sniper hunting Steve Martin in The Jerk (1979). On-screen demand heated up for him in the early 1980s with attention-grabbing work in key hits, including Brubaker (1980), Reds (1981), and as Harrison Ford's police chief in the futuristic thriller Blade Runner (1982). Walsh then turned in a stellar performance as the sleazy, double-crossing private detective in the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen film noir Blood Simple (1984), and showed up again for the Coens as a loud-mouthed sheet-metal worker bugging Nicolas Cage in the hilarious Raising Arizona (1987). As Walsh moved into his fifties and beyond, Hollywood continued to offer him plenty of work, and he has appeared in over 50 movies since passing the half-century mark. His consistent ability to turn out highly entertaining portrayals led film critic Roger Ebert to coin the "Stanton-Walsh Rule," which states that any film starring Walsh or Harry Dean Stanton has to have some merit. And the "M" stands for Michael!- Born in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania--a small town just east of Pittsburgh--Ron Harper became valedictorian of his senior class and won an academic scholarship to Princeton University, where he supplemented his academic studies by appearing in a number of plays and musical comedies. He earned a fellowship to study law at Harvard, but the "acting bug" lured him instead to New York, where he studied with 'Lee Strasberg'. Next came a stint in the US Navy (mostly spent in Panama), followed by a return to New York. After several disappointments. he earned a job as Paul Newman's understudy in "Sweet Bird of Youth". Hollywood soon beckoned, and Harper appeared in a succession of TV series: 87th Precinct (1961), The Jean Arthur Show (1966), Wendy and Me (1964), Garrison's Gorillas (1967) and Planet of the Apes (1974).
Following "Apes", he had roles in several soap-operas and guest-starred on various TV shows. He now lives in California. - Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Jean-Paul Vignon was born on 30 January 1935 in Dire-Daou, French Somaliland [now Dire Dawa, Ethiopia]. He was an actor, known for Robin Hood (2010), The Devil's Brigade (1968) and Shrek (2001). He was married to Brigid Bazlen. He died on 22 March 2024 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Silvia Tortosa was born on 8 March 1947 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. She was an actress and director, known for La senyora (1987), Horror Express (1972) and Novela (1963). She was married to David Harper, Charles Davis and Hermann Bonnín. She died on 23 March 2024 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Louis Gossett Jr. was one of the most respected and beloved actors on stage, screen and television and was also an accomplished writer, producer and director. Off-screen, he was a social activist, educator, and author dedicated to enriching the lives of others. He was the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his unforgettable performance as drill Sergeant Emil Foley in "An Officer and a Gentleman".
Among his other awards were an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor for his portrayal of Fiddler in the groundbreaking ABC series "Roots", a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for "The Josephine Baker Story" and a Golden Globe for "An Officer and a Gentleman". He was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, one Academy Award, five Images Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards and in 1992 received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He received numerous other honors throughout his illustrious career.
His film debut was in the 1961 classic movie "A Raisin in the Sun" with Sidney Poitier. Other film credits include "The Deep," "Blue Chips," "Daddy's Little Girls," Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married Too?," "Firewalker," "Jaws-3D," "Enemy Mine" and "Iron Eagle" 1-4, among many others. Television credits include "Extant," "Madam Secretary," "Boardwalk Empire," "Family Guy", and "ER", among dozens of others.
Gossett authored the bestselling autobiography "An Actor and a Gentleman", recounting the challenges and triumphs of his 50+ year career. Gossett was recognized as much for his humanitarian efforts as for his accomplishments as an actor. In 2006, he founded The Eracism Foundation which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating racism. The foundation provides young adults with tools to live a racially diverse and culturally inclusive life. Programs focus on fostering cultural diversity, historical enrichment, education and anti-violence initiatives.
Gossett was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and made his stage debut when he was 17 years old in "Take a Giant Step", which was selected as one of the 10 best Broadway shows of 1953 by the New York Times. He had two sons and resided in Malibu until his death in Santa Monica, California, in 2024, aged 87.- Casting Department
- Actress
- Casting Director
Barbara Baldavin was born on 18 October 1938 in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress and casting director, known for Star Trek (1966), Skeeter (1993) and The Bionic Woman (1976). She was married to Joseph D'Agosta. She died on 31 March 2024 in Manhattan Beach, California, USA.- The epitome of poise, charm, style and grace, beautiful brunette Barbara Rush was born in Denver, Colorado in 1927 and enrolled at the University of California before working with the University Players and taking acting classes at the Pasadena Playhouse. It didn't take long for talent scouts to spot her and, following a play performance, Paramount quickly signed her up in 1950, making her debut with The Goldbergs (1950).
Just prior to this, she had met fellow actor Jeffrey Hunter, a handsome newcomer who would later become a "beefcake" bobbysoxer idol over at Fox. The two fell in love and married in December 1950. Soon, they were on their way to becoming one of Hollywood's most beautiful and photogenic young couples. Their son Christopher was born in 1952.
While at Paramount, she was decorative in such assembly-line fare as When Worlds Collide (1951), Quebec (1951) and Flaming Feather (1952). She later co-starred opposite some of Hollywood's top leading males: James Mason, Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando, Dean Martin, Paul Newman, Richard Burton and Kirk Douglas. In most cases, she played brittle wives, conniving "other women" or socialite girlfriend types.
Despite the "A" list movies Barbara was piling up, the one single role that could put her over the top never showed its face. By the early 1960s, her film career started to decline. She married publicist Warren Cowan in 1959 and bore a second child, Claudia Cowan, in 1964. TV became a viable source of income for her, appearing in scores of guest parts on the more popular shows of the time while co-starring in standard mini-movie dramas.
She even had a bit of fun playing a "guest villainess" on the Batman (1966) series as temptress "Nora Clavicle". The stage also became a strong focus for Barbara, earning the Sarah Siddons Award for her starring role in "Forty Carats". She made her Broadway debut in the one-woman showcase "A Woman of Independent Means", which also subsequently earned her the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award during its tour. Other showcases included "Private Lives", "Same Time, Next Year", "The Night of the Iguana" and "Steel Magnolias". Rush continued to occasionally appear onscreen, most recently in a recurring role on TV's 7th Heaven (1996). She died on March 31, 2024, aged 97. - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Joe Flaherty was born on 21 June 1941 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Happy Gilmore (1996), Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Detroit Rock City (1999). He was married to Judith Ann Dagley. He died on 1 April 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
Bruce Kessler was born on 23 March 1936 in Seattle, Washington, USA. He was a director and assistant director, known for McCloud (1970), Knight Rider (1982) and Mission: Impossible (1966). He was married to Joan Freeman. He died on 4 April 2024 in Marina del Rey, California, USA.- Orenthal James Simpson, was an American former football running back, broadcaster, actor, advertising spokesman.
Simpson attended the University of Southern California, where he played football for the USC Trojans and won the Heisman Trophy in 1968. He played professionally as a running back in the NFL for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1977. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1978 to 1979. In 1973, he became the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He holds the record for the single season yards-per-game average, which stands at 143.1. He was the only player to ever rush for over 2,000 yards in the 14-game regular season NFL format.
Simpson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. After retiring from football, he began new careers in acting and football broadcasting. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Dickey Betts, born in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1943, was the oldest member of the Allman Brothers Band when they formed in 1969. He shared lead guitar duties with band founder and leader Duane Allman, also playing alongside bassist Berry Oakley, drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks, and Allman's younger brother, lead singer and organist Gregg. With his first contributions in 1970 to their repetoire, Betts proved himself an able composer of both instrumental and non-instrumental songs. After Duane Allman's death in 1971, he became co-leader and co-singer of the group with Gregg Allman. Starting in 1973, he became the Brothers' primary songwriter, until they disbanded in 1976 due to Gregg Allman's drug problems. Re-forming in 1979 and again in 1989, the group continued to rely on Betts to write songs, play guitar and occasionally sing for them... until, that is, he was asked to leave the group due to an alleged drinking problem in mid-2000.- Antonio Cantafora was born on 2 February 1944 in Crotone, Calabria, Italy. He was an actor, known for Carambola (1974), Diamond Pedlars (1976) and And God Said to Cain... (1970). He died on 20 April 2024 in Rome, Italy.
- Actor
- Director
- Music Department
Terry Carter, a native of Brooklyn, New York, is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School in New York City. He attended Hunter College, Boston University - School of Communications, U.C.L.A. - School of Theater, Film, and Television, and St. John's University School of Law. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Northeastern University (1983).
Carter studied acting with Howard DaSilva, Bret Warren, Uta Hagen, Herbert Berghof, and Stella Adler. He studied playwriting with Arnold Perl. He studied directing with Alan Schneider.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Michael Pinder was born on 27 December 1941 in Erdington, Birmingham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Losers' Club (2011), He Never Died (2015) and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013). He was married to Taralee Grant and Donna Roth. He died on 24 April 2024 in Roseville, California, USA.- Marla Adams was born on 28 August 1938 in Ocean City, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for Gotcha! (1985), The Young and the Restless (1973) and The Golden Girls (1985). She died on 25 April 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Duane Eddy was born on 26 April 1938 in Corning, New York, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Natural Born Killers (1994), Forrest Gump (1994) and Broken Arrow (1996). He was married to Diane Mary 'Deed' Abbate, Maureen A Power, Jessi Colter and Carol Fowler. He died on 30 April 2024 in Franklin, Tennessee, USA.- Stunts
- Actress
Jeannie Epper was born on 27 January 1941 in Simi Valley, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Romancing the Stone (1984), Quarantine (2008) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004). She died on 5 May 2024 in Simi Valley, California, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Bernard Hill is an English actor. He is well recognized for playing King Théoden in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Captain Edward Smith in Titanic, and Luther Plunkitt, the Warden of San Quentin Prison in the Clint Eastwood film True Crime. Hill was also known for playing roles in television dramas, including Yosser Hughes, the troubled "hard man" whose life is falling apart in Alan Bleasdale's groundbreaking Boys from the Blackstuff in the 1980s, and more recently, as the Duke of Norfolk in the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall.