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- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Audie Murphy became a national hero during World War II as the most decorated combat soldier of the war. Among his 33 awards was the Medal of Honor, the highest award for bravery that a soldier can receive. In addition, he was also decorated for bravery by the governments of France and Belgium, and was credited with killing over 240 German soldiers and wounding and capturing many more.
Audie Leon Murphy was born in Kingston, Hunt County, Texas, to Josie Bell (Killian) and Emmett Berry Murphy, poor sharecroppers of Irish descent. After the death of his mother and the outbreak of WWII, Murphy enlisted in the army on his 17th birthday in June 1942 after being turned down by the Navy and the Marines. His eldest sister had provided a false affidavit that he was a year older (18) than his actual age.
After undergoing basic military training, he was sent first to North Africa. However, the Allies drove the German army from Tunisia, their last foothold in North Africa, before Murphy's unit could be sent into battle. His first engagement with Axis forces came when his unit was sent to Europe. First landing on the island of Sicily, next mainland Italy, and finally France, he fought in seven major campaigns over three years and rose from the rank of private to a battlefield commission as a second lieutenant.
Part of Murphy's appeal to many people was that he did't fit the "image" most had of a war hero. He was a slight, almost fragile-looking, shy and soft-spoken young man, whose boyish appearance often shocked people when they learned, for example, that during one battle he leaped on top of a burning tank--which was loaded with fuel and ammunition and could have exploded at any second--and used its machine gun to hold off waves of attacking German troops, killing dozens of them and saving his own unit from certain destruction and the entire line from being overrun.
In September 1945, Murphy was released from active duty, promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and assigned to inactive status. His story caught the interest of superstar James Cagney, who invited Murphy to Hollywood.
Cagney Productions paid for acting and dancing lessons but was reluctantly forced to admit that Murphy -- at least at that point in his career -- didn't have what it took to become a movie star. For the next several years he struggled to make it as an actor, but jobs were few --specifically just two bit parts in Beyond Glory (1948) and Texas, Brooklyn & Heaven (1948). He finally got a lead role in Bad Boy (1949), and starred in the trouble-plagued production of MGM's The Red Badge of Courage (1951), directed by John Huston. While this film is now considered a minor classic, the politics behind the production sparked an irreparable fissure within the ranks of the studio's upper management.
Murphy proved adequate as an actor, but the film, with virtually no female presence (or appeal), bombed badly at the box office. Murphy, however, had already signed with Universal-International Pictures, which was putting him in a string of modestly budgeted Westerns, a genre that suited his easygoing image and Texas drawl. He starred in the film version of his autobiography, To Hell and Back (1955), which was a huge hit, setting a box-office record for Universal that wasn't broken for 20 years until it was finally surpassed by Jaws (1975)). One of his better pictures was Night Passage (1957), a Western in which he played the kid brother of James Stewart. He worked with Huston again on The Unforgiven (1960).
Meanwhile, the studio system that Murphy grew into as an actor crumbled. Universal's new owners, MCA, dumped its "International" tag in 1962 and turned the studio's focus toward the more lucrative television industry. For theatrical productions, it dropped its roster of contract players and hired actors on a per-picture basis only. That cheap Westerns on the big screen were becoming a thing of the past bode no good for Murphy, either. The Texican (1966), his lone attempt at a new, European form of inexpensive horse opera, to become known as "the Spaghetti Western", was unsuccessful. His star was falling fast.
In addition to his acting career -- he made a total of 44 films -- Murphy was a rancher and businessman. He bred and raised thoroughbred horses and owned several ranches in Texas, Arizona and California. He was also a songwriter, and penned hits for such singers as Dean Martin, Eddy Arnold, Charley Pride, and many others.
During his postwar life, he suffered from what is now called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but was then called "combat fatigue", and was known to have a hair-trigger temper. He woke up screaming at night and slept with a loaded M1911 .45 semi-automatic pistol nearby. He was acquitted of attempted murder charges brought about by injuries he inflicted on a man in a bar fight. Director Don Siegel said in an interview that Murphy often carried a pistol on the set of The Gun Runners (1958) and many of the cast and crew were afraid of him.
He had a short-lived and turbulent marriage to Wanda Hendrix, and in the 1960s his increasing bouts of insomnia and depression resulted in his becoming addicted to a particularly powerful sleeping pill called Placidyl, an addiction he eventually broke. He ran into a streak of bad financial luck and was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1968. Admirably, he campaigned vigorously for the government to spend more time and money on taking care of returning Vietnam War veterans, as he knew, more than most, what kinds of problems they were going to have.
On May 18, 1971, Murphy was aboard a private plane on his way to a business meeting when it ran into thick fog over Craig County, Virginia, near Roanoke, and crashed into the side of a mountain, killing all six aboard. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. According to cemetery records, the only gravesite visited by more people than that of Murphy is that of assassinated President John F. Kennedy.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
World-famous, widely popular American humorist of the vaudeville stage and of silent and sound films, Will Rogers graduated from military school, but his first real job was in the livestock business in Argentina, of all places. He transported pack animals across the South Atlantic from Buenos Aires to South Africa for use in the Boer War (1899-1902). He stayed in Johannesburg for a short while, appearing there in Wild West shows where he drew upon his expertise with horse and lasso. Returning to America, he brought his talents to vaudeville and by 1917 was a Ziegfeld Follies star. Over the years he gradually blended into his act his unique style of topical, iconoclastic humor, in which he speared the efforts of the powerful to trample the rights of the common man, while twirling his lariat and perhaps chewing on a blade of straw. Although appearing in many silents, he reached his motion-picture zenith with the arrival of sound. Now mass audiences could hear his rural twang as he delivered his homespun philosophy on behalf of Everyman. The appeal and weight of his words carried such weight with the average citizen that he was even nominated for governor of Oklahoma (which he declined).- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Born of a Spanish father and French mother in Whitechapel. Although most often called upon to play the villain (due to his dark good looks and sinister beard), he also had a career as a voice actor on BBC Radio appearing on such programs as the "Morning Story". He was a notable 'The Master' in many series of Doctor Who (1963).- Actor
- Director
- Music Department
Christopher Gable was born on 13 March 1940 in London, England, UK. He was an actor and director, known for The Boy Friend (1971), The Devil's Crown (1978) and The Rainbow (1989). He was married to Carole Needham. He died on 23 October 1998 in Near Halifax, Yorkshire, England, UK.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
A former stage director, Basil Dearden entered films as an assistant to director Basil Dean (he changed his name from Dear to avoid being confused with Dean). Dearden worked his way up the ladder and directed (with Will Hay) his first film in 1941; two years later he directed his first film on his own. He eventually became associated with writer/producer Michael Relph, and together the two made films on themes not often tackled in British films, such as homosexuality and race relations. In the '60s Dearden embarked on a new phase of his career by directing large-scale action pictures, the best of which was Khartoum (1966), which was a critical and financial success. Not long after completing The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970), Dearden was killed in an automobile accident.- Production Designer
- Art Department
John Coleman was born in 1946. He was a production designer, known for The Mrs Bradley Mysteries (1998), Murder City (2004) and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2001). He died on 1 June 2005 in Port Gaverne near Port Isaac, Cornwall, England, UK.- Director
- Writer
- Actress
Larisa Shepitko was born on 6 January 1938 in Bakhmut, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine]. She was a director and writer, known for The Ascent (1977), Heat (1963) and You and Me (1971). She was married to Elem Klimov. She died on 2 July 1979 in near Redkino, Kalinin Oblast, Russian SFSR, USSR.- Ebrahim Raisi was born on 14 December 1960 in Mashhad, Iran. He was married to Jamileh Alamolhoda. He died on 19 May 2024 in near Varzaqan, Iran.
- Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was born on 23 April 1964 in Damghan, Iran. He died on 19 May 2024 in near Varzaqan, Iran.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Ben Lyon was your average boyish, easy-going, highly appealing film personality of the Depression-era 1930s. Although he never rose above second-tier stardom, he would enjoy enduring success both in the United States and in the UK.
Born Ben Lyon, Jr. in Atlanta, Georgia, the future singer/actor was the son of Alvine Valentine (Wiseberg) and Benjamin Bethel "Ben" Lyon, a pianist-turned-businessman, and the youngest of four. His maternal grandparents were German Jewish immigrants. Raised in Baltimore, he started performing in amateur productions as a teen before earning marquee value on Broadway opposite such stars as Jeanne Eagels.
Hollywood took notice of the baby-faced charmer and soon Ben was ingratiating filmgoers opposite silent film's most honored leading ladies. He appeared with Pola Negri in Lily of the Dust (1924), Gloria Swanson in Wages of Virtue (1924), Barbara La Marr in The White Moth (1924), Mary Astor in The Pace That Thrills (1925) and Claudette Colbert, in her only silent feature, in For the Love of Mike (1927). He advanced easily into talkies and was particularly noteworthy as the dashing hero in Howard Hughes' Hell's Angels (1930), in which Ben actually piloted his own plane (Ben had trained as a pilot during WWI) and filmed some of the airborne scenes for Hughes himself. That same year was also a banner year for him in his personal life after marrying Paramount Pictures film star Bebe Daniels, with whom he had appeared in Alias French Gertie (1930).
As both of their movie careers started to decline, the talented twosome decided to work up a husband-and-wife music hall and vaudeville act. They took their show to England and became a hit at the London Palladium. At one point he served in the U.S. Army Air Force and rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel in charge of Special Services for the U.S. Air Corps in England. Soldiers, sailors and airmen (from 1939) listened to Ben and Bebe weekly on the air waves with their popular, long-running BBC broadcast "Hi, Gang!" The couple remained in England throughout WWII performing on stage and doing their valid part to entertain and honor the troops.
After a brief postwar stay in Hollywood in 1946, where Ben had taken an executive position with Fox, the couple returned to England and headlined another popular 1950s radio show, "Life with the Lyons," which spawned two family-styled films that included children Barbara Lyon and Richard Lyon. In the early 1960s Bebe suffered multiple strokes and left the limelight, passing away in 1971. Ben remarried (to former actress Marian Nixon) and settled in the US, where he died in 1979 of a heart attack while on vacation.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Slapstick comedian known for his charming, white-painted face and clownish smile, mugged his way to being a very highly paid and popular actor. His career was marred by personal problems, and his fortune was lost to high spending. By the time he died, he'd already been hospitalized for a nervous breakdown and was penniless. He was 39 years old.- Stunts
- Actor
Scott Helvenston was born in 1965 in Ocala, Florida and raised in Leesburg, Florida. In 1982, he received special permission to join the U.S. Navy and, at 17, he became the youngest Navy SEAL in U.S. history. After graduating BUD/S, he deployed with SEAL Team Four, served for 2 years, and later moved to San Diego, California, where he deployed with SEAL Team One. Since his early years, Scott always excelled at physical fitness and athletics. As a result, he applied and became an instructor at BUD/S, leading PT (Physical Training) every morning for 4 years. With a fond memory for his airborne training, Scott later became an AFF (Accelerated Freefall) Instructor for 4 years until he was medically discharged from the Navy in 1994 for back, wrist, and ankle injuries due to a partially collapsed canopy malfunction.
With high aspirations, Scott recovered, resumed his fitness regimen, and became an actor and stuntman in Hollywood. His many credits include "Face-Off" and "G.I. Jane." Scott was the man who got Demi Moore into that incredible physical shape for the film.
In 1997, Scott founded Amphibian Athletics, a Navy SEAL Training and fitness company with the goal of teaching people the skills to excel in outdoor activities, and life, in general. His Navy SEAL Training Camps became quite popular and frequently were spotlighted on television and in the newspaper. Due to the success of the training camps, Scott drew from his PT background and designed a video workout series, allowing greater access to his fitness education. With 11 videos to his credit, Scott became quite well known in the fitness world.
In 2003, after the United States led a coalition to remove Saddam Hussein from power, Paul Bremer was named the head of the Provisional Coalition Authority. With a demand for experienced operators in Iraq, Scott was asked to join the security team tasked with protecting Ambassador Bremer. After heading back East to sharpen all his combat skills, Scott deployed to Iraq. Then, on March 31, 2004, the news returned to the States that Scott was one of four American contactors who were ambushed, brutally murdered, and set aflame in Fallujah, Iraq, while an angry Iraqi mob cheered on live TV. Scott left behind two young children.
In a short amount of time, Scott Helvenston accomplished many goals that we can all admire. In addition to his success as a Navy SEAL, he was a two-time, gold medal-winner in the pentathlon, and to this day, Scott remains the only human contestant on the popular TV program "Man against the Beast" to win, racing against three different chimpanzees on an obstacle course. Scott also represented the Navy SEAL Teams on the television program "Combat Missions." He always seemed to be the last man standing.- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Wolfgang Staudte was born on 9 October 1906 in Saarbrücken, Germany. He was a director and actor, known for Ciske de Rat (1955), Rotation (1949) and Murderers Among Us (1946). He was married to Angelika Hoffmann, Rita Heidelbach, Ingmar Zeisberg and Renate Praetorius. He died on 19 January 1984 in Zigrski Vrh near Sevnica, Slovenia, Yugoslavia.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Blanca Estela Pavón was born on 21 February 1926 in Minatitlan, Veracruz, Mexico. She was an actress, known for Cuando lloran los valientes (1947), Ustedes, los ricos (1948) and ¡Vuelven los García! (1947). She died on 26 September 1949 in near Popocatépetl, Puebla, Mexico.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Kyû Sakamoto was born on 10 November 1941 in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. He was an actor, known for The Double (2013), Charlie's Angels (2000) and Inherent Vice (2014). He was married to Yukiko Kashiwagi. He died on 12 August 1985 in near Tokyo, Japan.- Aribert Mog was born on 3 August 1904 in Berlin, Germany. He was an actor, known for Der Etappenhase (1937), Fährmann Maria (1936) and Der Sprung ins Nichts (1932). He died on 2 October 1941 in near Nova Trojanova, Soviet Union [now Russia].
- Grace McHugh was born in 1898 in Golden, Colorado, USA. She was an actress, known for Across the Border (1914). She died on 1 July 1914 in near Canon City, Colorado, USA.
- Ferdinand Marian was born on 14 August 1902 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He was an actor, known for Jud Süß (1940), Ohm Krüger (1941) and Madame Bovary (1937). He was married to Maria Byk and Irene Saager. He died on 7 August 1946 in near Dürneck, Freising, Bavaria, Germany.
- David Bloom was born on 22 May 1963 in Edina, Minnesota, USA. He was married to Melanie Beal. He died on 6 April 2003 in near Baghdad, Iraq.
- Wilbert Awdry was born on 15 June 1911 in Romsey, Hampshire, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Thomas' Friendship Tales (2017), Thomas & Friends ERTL Adventures: The Rise of Spamcan (2023) and Thomas & Friends ERTL Adventures: Railway Clone Invasion (2022). He was married to Margaret Awdry. He died on 21 March 1997 in Rodborough, Near Stroud, England, UK.
- Fred Burns was born on 23 June 1957 in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. He was an actor, known for Stuck on You (2003) and I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant (2008). He died on 11 May 2007 in near Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
- Educated at Clifton and Magdalen College, Oxford, novelist Geoffrey Household spent four years as a merchant banker in Romania. Bored, he left for Spain to sell bananas, and then arrived in the US in time for the Depression. After writing children's plays for US radio, he returned to the UK, but shortly afterward was traveling again, selling printer's inks in Europe and South America. Meanwhile, encouraged by "Atlantic Monthly" he started to write professionally. His first novel, "The Third Hour", appeared in 1937, followed by a collection of short stories. One of his most successful novels was 1937's "Rogue Male", but he was unable to profit from its success as he had already been posted to Romania as an intelligence officer by the time it appeared. He was later transferred to the Middle East and remained there until 1945, after which he had almost to start again as a writer.
- Actor
- Writer
Dusan Janicijevic was born on 27 April 1932 in Gornje Grgure near Blace, Serbia, Yugoslavia. He was an actor and writer, known for Stojan Mutikasa (1954), Coriolanus (2011) and The Yellow One (1964). He was married to Jasna. He died on 5 July 2011 in Gornje Grgure near Blace, Serbia.- Alison Parker was loved by everyone who knew her. Born in Annapolis, MD, Alison grew up in Collinsville, Virginia and graduated from Martinsville High School in 2009. Her many accomplishments included Piedmont District Swimmer of the Year award and multiple academic awards. As a student at the Piedmont Governors School for Math, Science and Technology, she was a member of the award winning robotics team. Alison was a gymnast, a beautiful dancer, and a badass whitewater kayaker.
At James Madison University School of Media Arts and Design she was a news editor at the Breeze, a member of Alpha Phi Sorority, and was a tutor of freshmen calculus students. Before she even had her diploma in hand in 2012, she got got a job offer and joined the news team at WCTI12 in North Carolina as the Jacksonville bureau chief, covering Camp Lejeune and the surrounding area, where she relished the tough schedule and hard news.
Alison was recruited to return to WDBJ7 in Roanoke as the Mornin' Reporter in 2014, and she greeted viewers each weekday morning with a smile and her bubbly personality, hoping to make their day a little brighter. She loved her job and had such a bright future ahead in the field of journalism, but still found time to support her community.
Alison posthumously won two Emmys and two Edward R. Murrow awards for her outstanding work in journalism. As Steve Capus, CBS Evening News producer said at her memorial, "She was going to be with us one day".
But most of all, Alison lived life to the fullest in her short time on earth. - Stephen 'Cajun' Del Bagno was born on 30 April 1983 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Captain Marvel (2019). He died on 4 April 2018 in Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.