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1-9 of 9
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Gladys Cooper was the daughter of journalist William Frederick Cooper and his wife Mabel Barnett. As a child she was very striking and was used as a photographic model beginning at six years old. She wanted to become an actress and started on that road in 1905 after being discovered by Seymour Hicks to tour with his company in "Bluebell in Fairyland". She came to the London stage in 1906 in "The Belle of Mayfair", and in 1907 took a departure from the legitimate stage to become a member of Frank Curzon's famous Gaiety Girls chorus entertainments at The Gaiety theater. Her more concerted stage work began in 1911 in a production of Oscar Wilde's comedy "The Importance of Being Earnest" which was followed quickly with other roles. From the craze for post cards with photos of actors - that ensued between about 1890 and 1914 - Cooper became a popular subject of maidenly beauty with scenes as Juliet and many others. During World War I her popularity grew into something of pin-up fad for the British military.
In the meantime she sampled the early British silent film industry starting in 1913 with The Eleventh Commandment (1913). She had roles in a few other movies in 1916 and 1917. But in the latter year she joined Frank Curzon to co-manage the Playhouse Theatre. This was a decidedly new direction for a woman of the period. She took sole control from 1927 until other stage commitments in 1933. She was also doing plays, some producing of her own, and a few more films in the early 1920s. It was actually about this time that she achieved major stage actress success. She appeared in W. Somerset Maugham's "Home and Beauty" in London in 1919 and triumphed in her 1922 appearance in Arthur Wing Pinero's "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray". It was ironic that writer Aldous Huxley criticized her performance in "Home and Beauty" as "too impassive, too statuesque, playing all the time as if she were Galatea, newly unpetrified and still unused to the ways of the living world." On the other hand, Maugham himself applauded her for "turning herself from an indifferent actress (at the start of her career) to an extremely competent one". She also debuted the role of Leslie Crosbie (the Bette Davis role in the 1940 film) in Maugham's "The Letter" in 1927.
In 1934 Cooper made her first sound picture in the UK and came to Broadway with "The Shining Hour" which she had been doing in London. She and it were a success, and she followed it with several plays through 1938, including "Macbeth". About this time Hollywood scouts caught wind of her, and she began her 30 odd years in American film. That first film was also Alfred Hitchcock's first Hollywood directorial effort, Rebecca (1940). Hers was a small and light role as Laurence Olivier's gregarious sister, but she stood out all the same. Two years later she bit into the much more substantial role as Bette Davis' domineering and repressive mother in the classic Now, Voyager (1942) for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress - the first of three. Though aristocratic elderly ladies were roles she revisited in various guises, Cooper was busy through 1940s Hollywood.
She returned to London stage work from 1947 and stayed for some early episodic British TV into 1950 before once again returning to the US, but was busy on both sides of the Atlantic until her death. Through the 1950s and into the 1960s Cooper did a few films but was an especially familiar face on American TV in teleplays, a wide range of prime-time episodic shows, and popular weird/sci-fi series: several Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Twilight Zone, and Outer Limits. When Enid Bagnold's "The Chalk Garden" opened in London in 1955, Cooper debuted as Mrs. St. Maugham and brought it to Broadway in October of that year where it ran through March of 1956. Her last major film was My Fair Lady (1964) as Henry Higgins' mother. The year before she had played the part on TV. In the film, the portrait prop of a fine lady over Higgins' fireplace is that of Cooper painted in 1922. She wrote an autobiography (1931) followed by two biographies (1953 and 1979). In 1967 she was honored as a Dame Commander of the Order of British Empire (DBE) for her great accomplishments in furthering acting.- Charles Dale was born on 6 September 1881 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Manhattan Parade (1931), A Nag in the Bag (1938) and Nob Hill (1945). He was married to Molly Cahill. He died on 17 November 1971 in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA.
- Keith began his career as a child tap dancer. He made his first stage appearance in pantomime whilst still a boy. He later joined an acrobatic act touring Australia and New Zealand, incorporating comedy into his routines. He spent his formative years honing his abilities as a comedian/compere in night clubs, in both Sydney and Melbourne.
In 1952, Petersen joined the cast of "Ice Parade", where he worked alongside 'The Kermond Brothers' (Tibby and Normie), as well as Enzo Toppano and Peggy Mortimer. Petersen appeared in the Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne seasons of the show, for which he learnt to ice skate. During this period, he also played 'Buttons' for matinee performances, presented by the same company, in "Cinderella on Ice".
He was cast in the 1953/4 celebrated Tivoli circuit production - "Thanks for the Memory". Devised by renowned producer/director Harry Wren, Petersen worked alongside legendary names such as George Wallace (Snr), Jim Gerald, and Queenie Paul.
Petersen was part of the original Australian cast of the musical "The Pajama Game", produced by J. C. Williamson, for the Australian tour of 1957/58. He co-starred alongside Toni Lamond, Jill Perryman, and Ron Shand. He also appeared in the Melbourne and Sydney seasons of "Once Upon a Mattress" with Gloria Dawn and Sheila Bradley respectively. In the following 4 years, Petersen returned to variety and toured in productions shows including "Many Happy Returns" and "Yellzapoppin". Both shows were performed in Tivoli Theatres nationally with a stellar line-up including Gladys Moncrieff, Jenny Howard, and George Wallace (Jnr).
In 1963 Petersen appeared in the Australian production of the Cy Coleman musical "Wildcat", alongside Toni Lamond and Gordon Boyd. Three years later he starred in the Neil Simon comedy, "The Odd Couple", for both Melbourne and Sydney seasons.
Throughout the 60's, he was the resident comedian at the Sundowner Hotel, where he worked with Gloria Dawn and Frank Cleary. He also performed extensively on the NSW club circuit.
In 1966 he appeared in the film "They're a Weird Mob".
In 1967, Petersen announced he was 'Bringing Variety Back' with the opening of the "West Side Theatre Restaurant" in Sydney's inner-city suburb of Marrickville. Sadly, the venture failed.
In a newspaper interview he said, "I'm the manager and the leading actor". The interviewer wasn't convinced about the location - Marrickville? Implying: working class, migrant, Marrickville?
Petersen, however, was adamant that the people of Marrickville wanted variety entertainment as much as the people of Neutral Bay or Woollahra. Advertisements describe it as "the largest and most lavish theatre restaurant in the country", and also "the only restaurant with full dancing facilities".
The article also included details that Petersen, as a hobby, kept a pig farm near Campbelltown. However, he'd been so busy setting up the 'West Side', he'd spent much less time with his pigs. "And that's a pity," he said, "because my pigs are my relaxation."
In 1970 Petersen mounted a production of the pantomime "Dick Whittington" which starred his wife Lynette Keavney and a young performer named Johnny Farnham, who starred as Dick!
In 1971, Keith sadly passed away, in Campbelltown. - Director
- Writer
- Actor
Debaki Kumar Bose was born on 25 November 1898 in Burdwan, Bengal, British India [now India]. He was a director and writer, known for Sagar Sangamey (1959), Bhagaban Shrikrishna Chaitanya (1953) and Seeta (1934). He died on 17 November 1971 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India.- Fania Marinoff was born on 20 March 1890 in Odessa, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire [now Ukraine]. She was an actress, known for Life's Whirlpool (1916), One of Our Girls (1914) and New York (1916). She was married to Carl Van Vechten. She died on 17 November 1971 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA.
- Winifred Dennis was born on 21 September 1903 in Lambeth, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Gazette (1968), Die! Die! My Darling! (1965) and One Plus One (1961). She was married to Ernest Alfred Hugh Dennis. She died on 17 November 1971 in Sussex, England, UK.
- Sound Department
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lennart Hamberg was born on 7 July 1901. He was a producer and assistant director, known for House of Silence (1933), Falska Greta (1934) and Sten Stensson kommer till stan (1945). He died on 17 November 1971.- Alexander Notara was born on 19 July 1906 in Greece. He was an actor, known for Frøken April (1963). He died on 17 November 1971.
- J. Howard Edmondson was born on 27 September 1925 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. He was married to Jeannette Bartleson. He died on 17 November 1971 in Edmond, Oklahoma, USA.