Deaths: October 20
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- Director
- Actor
Jon McMurray was born on 28 July 1988 in Calgary, Canada. He was a director and actor, known for Jon James: The Life (2018) and Salad Days (2002). He died on 20 October 2018 in Westwold, British Columbia, Canada.- Actor
- Producer
After being a great success at age 25 portraying a high school baseball player he appeared in several small films in 2005 and 2006, but Angelos career didn't take off as expected. He gave up acting in 2006 in order to become the tour manager for several rock bands. He died at his residence in Los Angeles on Oct 20, 2007 of undisclosed causes.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Anthony Quayle was born in Ainsdale, Southport, Lancashire, England in September 1913. He completed his education at Rugby School and had a brief spell at RADA, before treading the boards for the first time as the straight man in a music hall comedy act in 1931. Tall, burly, round-faced and possessed of a powerful and resonant voice, he was mentored early on in his career by the well-known stage director Tyrone Guthrie. Letters of introduction led to steady employment with the Old Vic Company by September 1932, and a succession of small roles in classical parts. Quayle's reputation as an actor grew steadily, and, in 1936, he appeared on Broadway opposite Ruth Gordon in 'The Country Wife'. For the next few years, he consolidated his position as a Shakespearean actor. When the Second World War began, he was among the first in his profession to enlist, serving with the Royal Artillery and rising to the rank of major. Some of his wartime experiences, such as coordinating operations with Albanian partisans as part of the secret Special Operations Executive, were destined to be paralleled by his fictional post-war screen exploits as incisive army officers or spies. With the war still fresh in his mind, he subsequently published two novels (respectively in 1945, and in 1947), 'Eight Hours from England' and 'On Such a Night'.
In 1946, Quayle also made his debut as a theatrical director with a London production of 'Crime and Punishment'. Between 1948 and 1956, he had a distinguished tenure as director of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, bringing into the company some of the biggest stars of the stage, including Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud. Though acting in films from 1938, the theatre remained his favorite medium. He played diverse roles with great intensity and professionalism, achieving critical acclaim as Petruchio and Falstaff, Tamburlaine and Galileo (on Broadway) and the original role of Andrew Wyke in Anthony Shaffer's play 'Sleuth' (played in the first screen version by Olivier). In motion pictures Quayle tended to portray tough, dependable authority figures. He was good value for money as Commodore Harwood in Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956), as the enigmatic Afrikaner captain in Ice Cold in Alex (1958) and as the stuffy, by-the-book Colonel Harry Brighton, who nonetheless appears to have a degree of admiration for Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Due to his classical training, Quayle was often used in historical epics, giving one of his best performances as Cardinal Wolsey in Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), earning him an Academy Award nomination. His voice was heard as narrator of The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970) and on radio in anything from 'The Ballad of Robin Hood' to Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Purloined Letter'.
The year prior to receiving his knighthood, Quayle founded the touring Compass Theatre Company, and served as its director until a few months before his death from cancer in October 1989.- Aubrey Manning was born on 24 April 1930 in Chiswick, London, England, UK. He was married to Joan Herrmann and Margaret Bastock. He died on 20 October 2018 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
- Barbara Berjer was born on 12 June 1920 in Seattle, Washington, USA. She was an actress, known for As the Earth Turns (2019), Another World (1964) and From These Roots (1958). She was married to Lee Foley. She died on 20 October 2002 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
Veddy, veddy British stage and film actor Basil Radford (once dubbed "The Eternal Englishman") would actually become best remembered for his droll work in a couple of US films. Specializing in playing stuffy, mustachioed, well bred gents, he was a delightful presence in light, sophisticated comedies and breezy whodunnits.
He was born Arthur Basil Radford in Chester, England on June 25, 1897. He entered military service in 1915 and would serve as a commissioned officer for the British Army during World War I. He suffered a facial wound in the trenches that would later be obscured by clever camerawork and makeup over the years. Following military duty in 1918, he pursued an acting career and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Making his stage debut in 1924 with "Collusion." he subsequently appeared in such shows as "The Ghost Train," "The Love Pirate," "Night Must Fall," "Spring Tide," "Blind Goddess," "The White Falcon" and "A Man's House." By 1929, Radford was adding film work to his acting resume with his debut in Ain't It the Truth (1929). He subsequently found upper-class support parts in both comedies and dramas -- Seven Days Leave (1930) starring a young Gary Cooper, Leave It to Smith (1933) Foreign Affaires (1935), Broken Blossoms (1936), Dishonour Bright (1936), When Thief Meets Thief (1937) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Alfred Hitchcock's murder mystery Young and Innocent (1937).
Films became an even stronger focus when Hitchcock rehired Radford and memorably teamed him with actor Naunton Wayne. In one of his early cinematic masterpieces The Lady Vanishes (1938), the dry twosome hilariously portrayed a pair of cricket enthusiasts (Charters and Caldicott) who seem much more interested in reading and commenting on their favorite sport than they are concerned with the alarming number of bodies piling up aboard their train. They clicked so well with audiences in this classic whodunnit that they were asked to successfully reprise their roles in two more films: Night Train to Munich (1940) and Crook's Tour (1940) (in the latter the pair were top billed). Radford and Wayne would pair up again in seven more film outings: Millions Like Us (1943), Dead of Night (1945), Quartet (1948), Passport to Pimlico (1949), It's Not Cricket (1949) and Stop Press Girl (1949). They also showed up together in wartime shorts and radio programs.
Appearances sans Mr. Wayne include the films Dead of Night (1945), Johnny in the Clouds (1945), The Captive Heart (1946), The Winslow Boy (1948) and the comedy Whisky Galore! (1949), the last finding himself top billed. Following two top-billed character parts as a pompous boss in the working class comedy Chance of a Lifetime (1950) and the major in the racehorse yarn The Galloping Major (1951), the latter which he also co-wrote, Radford's health went into a severe decline and, by the summer of 1951, was forced to leave the screen. On the verge of a modest return in 1952, he suddenly collapsed from a heart attack on the set of the radio adventure "Rogues' Gallery" (which happened to pair him again with Naunton Wayne. He was taken to a London hospital where he died on October 20, 1952.
Only 55, a marvelous character career was lost much too soon. Long married (from 1926) to Shirley Deuchars, the couple had one son.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Burt Lancaster, one of five children, was born in Manhattan, to Elizabeth (Roberts) and James Henry Lancaster, a postal worker. All his grandparents were immigrants from the north of Ireland. He was a tough street kid who took an early interest in gymnastics. He joined the circus as an acrobat and worked there until he was injured. In the Army during WWII he was introduced to the USO and to acting. His first film was The Killers (1946), and that made him a star. He was a self-taught actor who learned the business as he went along. He set up his own production company in 1948 with Harold Hecht and James Hill to direct his career. He played many different roles in pictures as varied as The Crimson Pirate (1952), From Here to Eternity (1953), Elmer Gantry (1960) and Atlantic City (1980).
His production company, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, produced such films as Paddy Chayefsky's Marty (1955) (Oscar winner 1955) and The Catered Affair (1956). In the 1980s he appeared as a supporting player in a number of movies, such as Local Hero (1983) and Field of Dreams (1989). However, it will be the sound of his voice, the way that he laughed, and the larger-than-life characters he played that will always be remembered.- Cassie Gaines was born on 9 January 1948 in Oklahoma, USA. She died on 20 October 1977 in Gillsburg, Mississippi, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Christopher Stone was an occasional lead and supporting actor in films and on television throughout the 1980s and early 90s. He achieved his first major role as "Dr. Pooch Hardin" on the 1970s TV series The Interns (1970), and made occasional appearances in made-for-TV movies and guest-starring on such TV shows that included Mission: Impossible (1966), Hunter (1976) and Wonder Woman (1975). Stone later married actress Dee Wallace and co-starred with her in such theatrical feature films including The Howling (1981) and Cujo (1983), as well as the late 1980s TV series The New Lassie (1989). Stone continued appearing in TV guest-starring roles and made for TV films before he died of a heart attack at the age of 55 in 1995.- Singer Cory Wells was born Emil Lowendowski on February 2, 1941 in Buffalo, New York. He grew up in a rough neighborhood and hailed from a musical family. Cory's father died when he was a little boy and his mother struggled for a while before getting remarried. In the early 1960's Wells played in a few local bands in the Buffalo area. Cory joined the U.S. Air Force immediately after graduating from high school. He formed a multi-racial group during his stint in the Air Force.
Following his military tour of duty Wells returned to Buffalo and joined a garage rock called the Vibratos. He traveled to California with the group. The Vibratos changed their name to The Enemies and performed in clubs in Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Sacramento. The Enemies were the house band at the legendary Sunset Strip club the Whisky a Go Go for a year. They appear as themselves in the movie Riot on Sunset Strip (1967) and in an episode of the TV series The Beverly Hillbillies (1962). Moreover, The Enemies had minor hits with recordings of "Hey Joe" and "Sinner Man." In 1967 Cory moved to Arizona and formed the group the Cory Wells Blues Band. He moved back to Hollywood, California in 1968 and became a founding member of the hugely popular rock group Three Dog Night. Three Dog Night went on to enjoy enormous success throughout the early to mid 1970's before eventually breaking up in 1977. In 1978 Wells recorded the solo album "Touch Me" for A&M Records. Wells helped relaunch Three Dog Night in the mid-1980's and continued to perform with the band almost right up until his death at age 74 on October 20, 2015 in Dunkirk, New York. Cory and his wife Mary were the proud parents of daughters CoryAnn and Dawn Marie. Outside of singing, Wells was also an avid fisherman. - Producer
- Writer
- Director
Donald G. Jackson was born on 24 April 1943 in Tremont, Mississippi, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Return of the Roller Blade Seven (1993), The Roller Blade Seven (1991) and Rollergator (1996). He died on 20 October 2003 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Production Designer
Eduardo Lerchundi was born on 23 February 1926 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was a costume designer and production designer, known for Operación rosa rosa (1974), Ven mi corazón te llama (1942) and The Beast Must Die (1952). He died on 20 October 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Elisa Galvé was born on 25 July 1922 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was an actress, known for El misterioso tío Sylas (1947), Vacaciones en el otro mundo (1942) and Caras argentinas (1939). She died on 20 October 2000 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
- Actor
- Director
Federico Luppi was born on 23 February 1934 in Ramallo, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor and director, known for Cronos (1992), The Devil's Backbone (2001) and Pan's Labyrinth (2006). He was married to Susana Hornos and Haydée Padilla. He died on 20 October 2017 in Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina.- Freda Jackson was born in Nottingham, England in 1908, the daughter of a railway porter. After studying at High Pavement School and the University College there, she became a schoolteacher but gave up her career to study acting at the Royal College of Art, in London. Her first professional stage appearance was in Northampton, England in 1934, before moving on to London's West End in 1936. In 1938 she joined the prestigious Old Vic company, touring with them in Europe and Egypt. She played Shakespeare at Stratford on Avon in 1940, but it was in 1945 that she gained fame in 'No Room at the Inn' in London. Following this success she went on to play many starring roles. In total Freda Jackson appeared in some sixty two major stage roles in England and overseas.
At the same time she appeared in twenty six films, including Sir Laurence Olivier's 'Henry V', David Lean's version of Dicken's 'Great Expectations', Tony Richardson's 'Tom Jones', and the Hammer Horror classic 'Brides of Dracula'. Not content with this she also appeared in several classic British television shows, including Maigret, Adam Adamant Lives, and Blake's 7, together with a number of more serious dramas.
Freda Jackson, who was married to the painter Henry Bird ARCA, died in 1990. - Music Department
- Composer
- Producer
Herbert Chappell was born on 18 March 1934 in Bristol, England, UK. He was a composer and producer, known for Omnibus (1967), Sounds Magnificent (1984) and Shaun of the Dead (2004). He was married to Julia Cleare and Claire Snow. He died on 20 October 2019.- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Hua Yueh was born on 13 July 1942 in Shanghai, China. He was an actor and writer, known for Come Drink with Me (1966), The Monkey Goes West (1966) and Three Kingdoms (2008). He was married to Ni Tien. He died on 20 October 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Born in Scotland, Jack Buchanan made his stage acting debut in Britain in 1912, and on Broadway in 1924. Though he made his film debut in 1917 during the silent film era, Buchanan is probably best remembered for The Band Wagon (1953), co-starring with Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Nanette Fabray, James Mitchell, Oscar Levant and Robert Gist.
Suffering from spinal arthritis, Buchanan died in London four years later.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Colorful American character actor equally adept at vicious killers or grizzled sidekicks. As a child he worked in the cotton fields. He attended Santa Monica Junior College in California and subsequently became an accountant and, at one time, manager of the Bel Air Hotel. Elam got his first movie job by trading his accounting services for a role. In short time he became one of the most memorable supporting players in Hollywood, thanks not only to his near-demented screen persona but also to an out-of-kilter left eye, sightless from a childhood fight. He appeared with great aplomb in Westerns and gangster films alike, and in later years played to wonderful effect in comedic roles.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born in Campgaw, New Jersey, Jane Waddington Wyatt came from a New York family of social distinction (her father was a Wall Street investment banker and her mother was a drama critic). Jane was raised from the age of three months in New York City and attended the fashionable Chapin School and later Barnard College. After two years of college, she left to join the apprentice school of the Berkshire Playhouse at Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where for six months she played an assortment of roles. One of her first jobs on Broadway was as understudy to Rose Hobart in a production of "Trade Winds"--a career move that cost her her slot on the New York Social Register. Wyatt made the transition from stage to screen and was placed under contract at Universal, where she made her film debut in director James Whale's One More River (1934). She went back and forth between Universal and Broadway (and co-starred in Frank Capra's Columbia film Lost Horizon (1937) on loan out from Universal). In the 1950s, she co-starred with Robert Young in Father Knows Best (1954), the classic sitcom chronicling the life and times of the Anderson family in the Midwestern town of Springfield. Jane Wyatt died at age 96 of natural causes at her home in Bel-Air, California, on October 20, 2006.- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
One of the great stars of American Westerns, and a very popular leading man in non-Westerns as well. He was born and raised in the surroundings of Hollywood and as a boy became interested in the movies that were being made all around. He studied acting at Pomona College and got some stage experience at the Pasadena Community Playhouse, where other future stars such as Randolph Scott, Robert Young, and Victor Mature would also get their first experience. He worked as an extra after graduation from the University of Southern California in 1928 and did some stunt work. In a rare case of an extra being chosen from the crowd to play a major role, McCrea was given a part in The Jazz Age. A contract at MGM followed, and then a better contract at RKO. Will Rogers took a liking to the young man (they shared a love of ranching and roping) and did much to elevate McCrea's career. His wholesome good looks and quiet manner were soon in demand, primarily in romantic dramas and comedies, and he became an increasingly popular leading man. He hoped to concentrate on Westerns, but several years passed before he could convince the studio heads to cast him in one. When he proved successful in that genre, more and more Westerns came his way. But he continued to make a mark in other kinds of pictures, and proved himself particularly adept at the light comedy of Preston Sturges, for whom he made several films. By the late Forties, his concentration focused on Westerns, and he made few non-Westerns thereafter. He was immensely popular in them, and most of them still hold up well today. He and Randolph Scott, whose career strongly resembles McCrea's, came out of retirement to make a classic of the genre, Sam Peckinpah's Ride the High Country (1962). Scott stayed retired thereafter; McCrea made a couple of appearances in small films afterwards, but was primarily content to maintain his life as a gentleman rancher. He was married for fifty-seven years to actress Frances Dee, who survived him.- John Ringham was born on 10 February 1928 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for V for Vendetta (2005), Just Good Friends (1983) and The River Flows East (1962). He was married to Hedwig Felizitas Nowacki and Elizabeth Shepherd. He died on 20 October 2008 in England, UK.
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Costume Designer
Jun Ashida was a costume designer, known for Yomigaeru kinrô (1979) and Kofukugo shuppan (1980). He was married to Tomoko Ashida. He died on 20 October 2018 in Tokyo, Japan.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
L.M. Kit Carson was a talented and versatile Texan writer, actor and producer whose career has taken a diverse and always interesting course. He was born in Dallas, to Louise (Roche) and Minor Lee Carson. His first appearance was the lead in the acclaimed David Holzman's Diary (1967). He moved into writing, with initially mixed results in The Last Word (1979) and Breathless (1983) before his beautiful adaptation of Sam Shepard's Paris, Texas (1982) tangibly showed his talent. Next up was the oddity The Chinese Box (1986) before associate producing and writing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986). It was back to acting in 1988 for an effective appearance in the acclaimed Running on Empty. A family friend of the Wilson brothers, their black-and-white 13 minute Bottle Rocket made its way into his hands in 1994. His championing of it was instrumental in Wes Anderson being given funding to shoot a full-length version in 1996, which he co-produced. Carson's output in was nothing if not varied - including several collaborations with his son, Hunter Carson, from his marriage to actress Karen Black; Hurricane Streets (1997) was a worthwhile drama of inner-city kids, Midsummer (1997) an interesting take on Shakespeare. He reprised his role of David Holzman for Grifin Dunne's industry mockumentary Lisa Picard is Famous (2000) then produced and wrote the disasterous Bullfigher (2000). Since then, Perfume (2001) was a behind-the-scenes look at the fashion industry, CQ (2001) a homage to European cinema of the 60s and staying in Paris the interesting low-budget thriller Tempo (2003).- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Larri Thomas was born on 23 January 1932 in Wayne, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), South Pacific (1958) and Curucu, Beast of the Amazon (1956). She was married to Bruce Hoy and John Bromfield. She died on 20 October 2013 in Van Nuys, California, USA.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Born Mary Jeanette Robison. She was the youngest daughter of Henry Robison of Penrith, Cumberland, England and Julia Schelesinger of Liverpool, Lancashire, England. Her father died in 1860 and her mother remarried. In 1866/67 they were living in St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and moved back to London, England in 1871. She ran away from home to marry Charles Leveson Gore in 1875 and in 1877 the young couple went to Fort Worth, Texas, USA to establish a cattle ranch. They survived for two years before moving to New York where her husband died about 1881.
In 1884 she took up acting to support her three children (only her son Edward Gore survived childhood). She played both leads and supporting roles on the road and on Broadway, and over several decades she became highly respected as a character actress. She appeared in a few silent films, then returned to the screen for good in 1926 and flourished in the subsequent sound era. She was usually cast as crusty, gruff, domineering society matron or grandmother. For her portrayal of Damon Runyon's Apple Annie in Frank Capra's Lady for a Day (1933), one of her rare starring roles, she received a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Ultimately she appeared in more than 60 films, the last of which was released the year of her death.- Mecha Ortiz is a legendary Argentinean actress whose real name was María Mercedes Varela Nimo Domínguez Castro de Ortiz. She was considered the Greta Garbo of the Argentine films and theatre world; born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on September 24, 1900. Her parents were Vicente Varela Nimo and Josefa Domínguez Castro. She married Julián Ortiz, a small farmer with whom she had a son, Julián, diplomatic, translator and playwright who was married to Violeta Bertina. She had a brother called José, who was a theatre director and a sister, Amanda who also was an actress. She had two more sisters called Josefa and Aurora. She was Argentine President Roberto M. Ortiz' relative. She attended courses at the National Drama School. Her debut was in 1929 and she made audiences familiar with plays written by several famous authors, among them: Terence Rattigan, Frank Voksper, Agatha Christie, James Barrie, W. Somerset Maugham, and Noël Coward. Amongst her films were: Women Who Work (1938), Safo: A Passion Story (1943), Camino del infierno (1946), Madame Bovary (1947), Bendita seas (1956) and Piedra libre (1976).
- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Merle Travis was born on 29 November 1917 in Rosewood, Kentucky, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Thank You for Smoking (2005), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) and From Here to Eternity (1953). He was married to Mary E. Johnson Edwards and Judy Hayden. He died on 20 October 1983 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, USA.- Michael Massee was born on 1 September 1952 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for The Crow (1994), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012). He was married to Ellen Sussdorf. He died on 20 October 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Writer
- Actor
Nick Tosches was born on 23 October 1949 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Hand of Dante, Two Family House (2000) and Sept mille années (2017). He died on 20 October 2019 in New York City, New York, USA.- Additional Crew
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Costume Designer
- Executive
Oscar de la Renta was born on 22 July 1932 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was a costume designer and executive, known for Ugly Betty (2006), Great Performances: Dance in America (1976) and Beautopia (1998). He was married to Annette Reed and Françoise de Langlade. He died on 20 October 2014 in Kent, Connecticut, USA.- Douglas Baker, better known by his moniker "Ox" was one of the meanest, vicious, hated and ugliest wrestlers ever. Bald, with a hairy chest, arms and back, Baker would deliberately grow his mustache long and curl his eyebrows up to gain a more "evil" look. It paid off as Baker was jeered and hated by wrestling fans all over. Known for his "love" of beating people up, Baker never won a major title, but was always perfect for feuds with more popular stars like André René Roussimoff, Dusty Rhodes, and Bruno Sammartino. Originally from Sedalia, Mo., Baker got his best national exposure playing Slag, Kurt Russell's opponent in the ring, in the cult classic Escape from New York (1981). Baker is pretty much retired from wrestling scene, but has made an appearance or two on the independent circuits in the 1990s.
- British character actor with radio and stage experience from 1951. Studied at University College in London and learned acting at the Old Vic Theatre School. Toured South Africa in 1952 and subsequently appeared in many Shakespearean roles in Stratford-upon-Avon. Busy television actor from the late 1950's, popular as ruthless tycoon John Wilder in The Plane Makers (1963). Also noted for his voice-overs for Winston Churchill in two documentary features.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Ronnie Van Zant was born on January 15, 1948 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was the oldest son of six children (3 sisters and 2 brothers - musicians Donnie and Johnny). Ronnie attended Lee High School in Jacksonville with fellow band members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins. They soon formed what would become Lynyrd Skynyrd. At the height of their fame, on October 20, 1977, their chartered plane crashed. Ronnie was killed along with band members Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie. His signature songs are "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama".- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Sergei Bondarchuk was one of the most important Russian filmmakers, best known for directing an Academy Award-winning film epic War and Peace (1965), based on the book by Lev Tolstoy, in which he also starred as Pierre Bezukhov.
He was born Sergei Fedorovich Bondarchuk on September, 25, 1920, in the village of Belozerka, Kherson province, Ukraine, Russian Federation (now Belozerka, Ukraine). He was brought up in Southern Ukraine, then in Azov and Taganrog, Southern Russia. Young Bondarchuk was fond of theatre and books by such authors as Anton Chekhov and Lev Tolstoy. He made his stage debut in 1937, on the stage of the Chekhov Drama Theatre in the city of Taganrog, then studied acting at Rostov Theatrical School. In 1942 his studies were interrupted by the Nazi invasion during WWII. Bondarchuk was recruited in the Red Army and served for four years until he was discharged in 1946. From 1946 - 1948 he attended the State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow (VGIK), graduating as an actor from the class of Sergey Gerasimov. In 1948 he made his film debut in Povest o nastoyashchem cheloveke (1948) then co-starred in The Young Guard (1948).
For his portrayal of the title character in Taras Shevchenko (1951) he was awarded the State Stalin's Prize of the USSR, and was designated People's Artist of the USSR, becoming the youngest actor ever to receive such honor. Then he starred in the internationally renowned adaptation of the Shakespeare's Othello (1956), in the title role opposite Irina Skobtseva as Desdemona. Bondarchuk expressed his own experience as a soldier of WWII when he starred in The Destiny of a Man (1959), a war drama based on the eponymous story by Mikhail Sholokhov, which was also Bondarchuk's directorial debut that earned him the prestigious Lenin's Prize of the USSR in 1960.
Bondarchuk shot to international fame with War and Peace (1965), a powerful adaptation of the eponymous masterpiece by Lev Tolstoy. The 7-hour-long film epic won the 1969 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and brought Bondarchuk a reputation of one of the finest directors of his generation. The most expensive project in film history, War and Peace (1965) was produced over seven years, from 1961 to 1968, at an estimated cost of $100,000,000 (over $800,000,000 adjusted for inflation in 2010). The film set several records, such as involving over three hundred professional actors from several countries and also tens of thousands extras from the Red Army in filming of the 3rd two-hour-long episode about the historic Battle of Borodino against the Napoleon's invasion, making it the largest battle scene ever filmed. Bondarchuk also made history by introducing several remote-controlled cameras that were moving on 300 meter long wires above the scene of the battlefield. Having earned international acclaim for War and Peace (1965), he starred in the epic The Battle of Neretva (1969) with fellow Russian, Yul Brynner, and Orson Welles, whom he would direct the following year.
By the late 1960s Bondarchuk was one of the most awarded actor and director in the Soviet Union. However, he was still not a member of the Soviet Communist Party, a fact that brought attention from the Soviet leadership under Leonid Brezhnev. Soon Bondarchuk received an official recommendation to join the Soviet Communist Party, an offer that nobody in the Soviet Union could refuse without risking a career. At that time he was humorously comparing his situation with the historic Hollywood trials of filmmakers during the 50s. Bondarchuk was able to avoid the Communist Party in his earlier career, but things changed in the Soviet Union under Brezhnev, so in 1970, he accepted the trade-off and joined the Soviet Communist Party for the sake of protecting his film career. In 1971 he was elected Chairman of the Union of Filmmakers, a semi-government post in the Soviet system of politically controlled culture. Eventually he evolved into a politically controlled figure and turned to making such politically charged films as Red Bells (1982) and other such films. Later, during the liberalization of the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev, Bondarchuk was seen as a symbol of conservatism in Soviet cinema, so in 1986 he was voted out of the office.
Bondarchuk was the first Russian director to make a big budget international co-production with the financial backing of Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis, such as Waterloo (1970), a Russian-Italian co-production vividly reconstructing the final battle of the Napoleonic Wars. This was his first English-language production, but several Soviet actors were cast, e.g. Sergo Zakariadze and Oleg Vidov. In this film, Orson Welles, his co-star in The Battle of Neretva (1969) made a cameo as the old King Louis XVII of France. But this time Bondarchuk was unable to control the advances of Rod Steiger, and the film was a commercial flop in Europe and America, albeit it gained the favor of critics.
After his dismissal from the office of Chairman of the Union of Cinematographers he started filming Tikhiy Don (2006) based on the eponymous novel by the Nobel Prize winner Mikhail Sholokhov, with Rupert Everett as the lead. At the end of filming, just before post-production, Bondarchuk learned about some unfavorable details in his contract, causing a bitter dispute with the producers over the rights to the film and bringing much pain to the last two years of his life. Amidst this legal battle the production was stopped and the film was stored in a bank vault, and remained unedited and undubbed for nearly fourteen years. The production was completed by Russian television company "First Channel", and aired in November 2006.
In his career that spanned over five decades, Sergei Bondarchuk had credits as actor, director, writer, and co-producer in a wide range of films. He suffered a heart attack and died on October 20, 1994, and was laid to rest in Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, Russia, next to such Russian luminaries as Anton Chekhov and Mikhail A. Bulgakov. His death caused a considerable mourning in Russia. Bondarchuk was survived by his second wife, actress Irina Skobtseva and their children, actress Alyona Bondarchuk, and actor/director Fedor Bondarchuk, and actress Natalya Bondarchuk, his daughter with his first wife, actress Inna Makarova.
As a tribute to Sergei Bondarchuk, his son, Fedor Bondarchuk called him "a father and my teacher," and dedicated his directorial debut, 9th Company (2005), set in war-torn Afghanistan, whereas Sergei's directorial debut was set in WWII.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Shirley Horn was a child prodigy who studied piano at Howard University in her hometown of Washington DC from the age of twelve to the age of eighteen. When she was unable to take advantage of a scholarship to Juilliard due to financial constraints, she returned to Howard with the intent to become a classical pianist. After graduation, she played piano in local bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, where her piano mastery along with her unique vocals soon gave her a name amongst many jazz greats, including Miles Davis, who invited her to open for him at the Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village in 1960. Although she stayed close to her home base of Washington to raise her daughter, Shirley Horn made many recordings with a number of jazz greats, including Davis, Theolonious Monk, Elvin Jones, Wynton Marsalis and his brother Bradford. Complications from diabetes led to the loss of her right foot in later years, but she never stopped playing and performing.- Stan Kowalski was born on 13 May 1926 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He died on 20 October 2017 in the USA.
- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Sound Department
Steve Gaines was born on 14 September 1949 in Miami, Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for A Way Back In (2010), Locked in! (1964) and Blue Surfari (1967). He was married to Teresa Gaines. He died on 20 October 1977 in Gillsburg, Mississippi, USA.- Born Susan Margery Jeaffreson Lloyd in Suffolk, England, on August 7, 1939, lovely model-turned-actress Sue Lloyd was the daughter of a medical doctor. Raised in Birmingham and trained in ballet, she began studying at the Sadler's Wells School at age 11. Since her height (5'8") decreased her chances of a ballet career, the statuesque Sue instead took her dancing prowess to the stage as a chorus girl and showgirl. At one point, she belonged to Lionel Blair's dance company.
After a few modeling assignments (she made the cover of Vogue magazine), the leggy, dark-haired (later blonde) actress earned ornamental bit parts in the raucous 1960's comedy films Go to Blazes (1962) and Nothing But the Best (1964) and broke into television as a sexy foil or tough-looking temptress in such early Brit TV series as "The Sentimental Agent," "Gideon C.I.D.," "The Saint" and "The Avengers." These spy programs propelled her into her own brief British secret agent series providing luscious eye-candy diversion as co-agent "Cordelia Winfield" opposite American star Steve Forrest in the one-seasoner The Baron (1966).
Sue was also involved in espionage tales on film, notably The Ipcress File (1965) starring Michael Caine as a stylish love interest to agent Harry Palmer. Later she proved fetching making fun of the genre in the "007" parody No. 1 of the Secret Service (1977) starring Nicky Henson and the slapstick spy comedy Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) with Peter Sellers as the ever-inept Inspector Clouseau. On stage, Sue made her West End debut in 1971 with a short-lived stage version of "The Avengers," playing the role of Hannah Wild, the partner of John Steed (played by Simon Oates.
The actress alternated between glamorous film and TV assignments for most her career, finding only a few worthy roles among the tantalizing ones usually given. Appearing in such movies as Attack on the Iron Coast (1968), Corruption (1968), Where's Jack? (1969), Percy (1971), That's Your Funeral (1972), Spanish Fly (1976), The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975), and Lady Oscar (1979) and finding recurring roles on the TV comedy series His and Hers (1970) and The Two Ronnies (1971), Sue's career began to decline after a couple of Joan Collins' cult vehicles The Stud (1978) and The Bitch (1979).
Lesser seen in later years, Sue did have a recurring role in the popular 1980's TV series Crossroads (1964) playing the wife of Ronald Allen. Their story line was dropped from the series in 1985. They were both spotted later on film in the comedy caper Eat the Rich (1987). Sue married Mr. Allen in March of 1991, after he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He died a few months later. This made tabloid news as Allen had been long involved with actor Brian Hankins, also of Crossroads (1964) fame.
In later years, Sue focused on painting, which she began in the mid-1970s. She made a nostalgic appearance in the TV movie Bullet to Beijing (1995), which again starred Caine as (retired) private eye Harry Palmer, and wrote her own biography "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time" in 1998. Last glimpsed in the film Beginner's Luck (2001), Sue herself was diagnosed with cancer and died after a lengthy illness on October 20, 2011, in London, at age 72. - Actor
- Writer
- Director
Ugo Fangareggi was born on 30 January 1938 in Genoa, Liguria, Italy. He was an actor and writer, known for The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971), Ho un buco giovedì (2013) and Il letto in piazza (1976). He was married to Antonietta Ermini. He died on 20 October 2017 in Rome, Italy.- William Boo was born on 15 March 1927 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He died on 20 October 2006 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.