Deaths: April 14
List activity
917 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
66 people
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Murray Melvin was born on 10 August 1932 in St. Pancras, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Phantom of the Opera (2004), A Taste of Honey (1961) and Barry Lyndon (1975). He died on 14 April 2023 in Westminster, London, England, UK.- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Abdel Aziz Mahmoud was born on 11 January 1914 in Egypt. He was an actor and composer. He died on 14 April 1991 in Egypt.- Abel Parentini Posse was born on 7 January 1934 in Cordoba, Argentina. He was married to Wiebke Sabine Langenheim. He died on 14 April 2023 in Argentina.
- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Anthony Newley was born in Hackney, London, England, to Frances Grace Newley and George Kirby, a shipping clerk. He was attracted to acting, after seeing an ad for a child actor in a Fleet Street window. He attended the Italia Conti Stage School from the age of 14 and, two years later, played the Artful Dodger in David Lean's film, Oliver Twist (1948). Newley was called up to the Army for his National Service and, by the late 1950s, had a hit song Idol on Parade (1959), while in the movie of the same name. He married his first wife, Tiller Girl Ann Lynn in 1956 but it was a rocky marriage and they divorced in 1963. He was in the pop charts seven times in 1960, twice at Number One with "Why?" and "Do You Mind?" written by Lionel Bart. In 1961, he collaborated with Leslie Bricusse on the hit stage show, Stop the World: I Want to Get Off (1966). After long runs in London and on Broadway, it was made into a film, starring Millicent Martin, with the hit song "What Kind of Fool Am I?". In 1963, he married Rank starlet Joan Collins. She described him at the time as "A half-Jewish Cockney git" and herself as a "half-Jewish princess from Bayswater via Sunset Boulevard". Newley's film career thrived, most notably with acting roles in Doctor Dolittle (1967) and The Cockleshell Heroes (1955), and as a writer and composer. His partnership with Bricusse continued with "The Roar of the Greasepaint: The Smell of the Crowd" and many other Oscar, Grammy and Ivor Novello award-winning collaborations. They had hit songs such as "The Candy Man" and "Goldfinger". His marriage to Joan Collins broke up in 1971. He had two of his four children with her. Tony was married a third time, to former air hostess Dareth Rich, only to divorce again. He once said "My only regret is that, in a show business career, you can have no private life". Alone and facing a battle against cancer, Newley moved in with his mother Gracie - now in her 90s - at her home in Esher, Surrey. The stage performances continued but were nothing to match his heyday. His last TV appearance was in "The Lakes" in February 1999. Anthony Newley died in April of that year.- Bernie Madoff was born on 29 April 1938 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. He was married to Ruth Madoff. He died on 14 April 2021 in Butner, North Carolina, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Her artistic dreams came early in life and were further supported by her older sister Gerd Andersson who became a ballet dancer at the Royal Opera and made her acting debut in 1951. Bibi, on the other side, had to make do with bit parts and commercials. She debuted in Dum-Bom (1953), playing against Nils Poppe. Eventually, she was able to start at the Royal Dramatic Theatre's acting school in 1954. A brief relationship with Ingmar Bergman made her quit school and follow him to the Malmö city theatre, where he was a director, performing in plays by August Strindberg and Hjalmar Bergman. Bergman also gave her a small part in his comedy Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), and larger roles in his Wild Strawberries (1957) and The Seventh Seal (1957). From the the 1960s she got offers from abroad, with best result in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977). During the civil war in Yugoslavia she has worked with several initiatives to give the people of Sarajevo theatre and other forms of culture.- Bill Wendell was born on 22 March 1924 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Mr. Saturday Night (1992), The Ernie Kovacs Show (1952) and What's It Worth (1952). He was married to Anne Wenzel. He died on 14 April 1999 in Boca Raton, Florida, USA.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Bruce Langhorne was born on 11 May 1938 in Tallahassee, Florida, USA. He was a composer, known for Idaho Transfer (1973), Fighting Mad (1976) and Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1981). He was married to Georgia and Janet Bachelor. He died on 14 April 2017 in Venice, California, USA.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Burl Ives was one of six children born to a farming family in Hunt City, Jasper, Illinois, the son of Cordellia "Dellie" (White) and Levi Franklin Ives. He first sang in public for a soldiers' reunion when he was age 4. In high school, he learned the banjo and played fullback, intending to become a football coach when he enrolled at Eastern Illinois State Teacher's College in 1927. He dropped out in 1930 and wandered, hitching rides, doing odd jobs, street singing.
Summer stock in the late 1930s led to a job with CBS radio in 1940; through his "Wayfaring Stranger" he popularized many of the folk songs he had collected in his travels. By the 1960s, he had hits on both popular and country charts. He recorded over 30 albums for Decca and another dozen for Columbia. In 1964 he was singer-narrator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), an often-repeated Christmas television special. His Broadway debut was in 1938, though he is best remembered for creating the role of Big Daddy in the 1950s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) when it ran on Broadway through the early 1950s.
His four-decade, 30+ movie career began with Ives playing a singing cowboy in Smoky (1946) and reached its peak with (again) his role as Big Daddy role in the movie version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and winning an Oscar for best supporting actor in The Big Country (1958), both in 1958. Ives officially retired from show business on his 80th birthday in 1989 and settled in Anacortes, Washington, although he continued to do frequent benefit performances at his own request. Burl Ives died in 1995.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
C.S. Rao was born on 20 December 1935 in Draksharamam, Andhra Pradesh, British India. He was a writer and producer, known for Akhandudu (1970), Pranam Kareedu (1978) and Mahalakshmi Mahima (1988). He was married to Surya . He died on 14 April 2020 in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Christian Rub was born on 13 April 1886 in Graz, Styria, Austria. He was an actor, known for You Can't Take It with You (1938), Peter Ibbetson (1935) and Girls' Dormitory (1936). He was married to Amy. He died on 14 April 1956 in Santa Barbara, California, USA.- Christine White was born on 4 May 1926 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She was an actress, known for Magnum Force (1973), Ichabod and Me (1961) and General Electric Theater (1953). She died on 14 April 2013 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
- Producer
- Director
- Actor
Dan Ireland began his career in 1976 by co-founding (with Darryl Macdonald) and running the Seattle International Film Festival from 1975-1986. Both Ireland and Macdonald immigrated from Vancouver in their late teens to take on the task of creating the festival, and opening a first run art theatre, The Egyptian. During his tenure he was responsible for co-booking the prolific World Premieres the festival launched, including Joel and Ethan Coen's 'Blood Simple', Richard Rush's 'The Stuntman', Irwin Kirshner's 'The Empire Strikes Back', Ridley Scott's 'Alien', Tobe Hooper's 'Poltergeist', Marek Kanevska's 'Another Country', Carl Franklin's 'One False Move', and the American Premieres of George Miller's 'The Road Warrior', Alan Rudolph's 'Choose Me', Hector Babanco's 'Kiss Of The Spider Woman', Akira Kurosawa's 'Ran', Paul Verhoeven's 'Soldier of Orange', 'Spetters' and 'The Fourth Man.' In 1983 Ireland was awarded the coveted Golden Calf Award (the Dutch equivalent to the Academy Award) for his contribution to advancing Dutch Films in the United States. His friendship with director Verhoeven helped save the distribution in America for the director's breakthrough US film, the World War II saga, 'Soldier of Orange.'
In 1986, Ireland moved to Los Angeles to become the head of Film Acquisition for Vestron Pictures. During his three years tenure he Executive Produced (or spearheaded) such projects as John Huston's final film, 'The Dead', Bernard Rose's 'Paperhouse', and three of Ken Russell's best films of the 80's, 'Salome's Last Dance', 'Lair Of The White Worm', and D.H. Lawrence's 'The Rainbow'. Other notable films Ireland acquired during his time at Vestron include the Terry Jones sex comedy, 'Personal Services', Julian Temple's 'Earth Girls Are Easy', and Yurek Bogayevicz's 'Anna', starring Sally Kirkland, who went on to win a Golden Globe for her performance, and an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress.
After leaving Vestron Pictures, Ireland produced (with Ronaldo Vasconcellos) another film for director Ken Russell, Whore, starring Theresa Russell, and The Crew, for director Carl Colpaert at Cineville. In 1995, Ireland made the transition from producer to director with his critically acclaimed powerful film debut (Sundance 1996), 'The Whole Wide World', starring Vincent D'Onofrio and Renee Zellweger. It was her captivating performance in this film that caught the eye of producer James L. Brooks and director Cameron Crowe and launched Zellweger into the lead role opposite Tom Cruise in Crowe's 'Jerry Maguire.' 'The Whole Wide World' was awarded Best New American Film of The Seattle International Film Festival (1996), and won it's actor Vincent D'Onofrio Best Actor for his superb portrayal of Robert E. Howard, legendary author of Conan The Barbarian, and Best Actress for Zellweger at the Mar del Plata Film Festival (1996).
Over the past twenty years, Ireland's films include 'The Velocity Of Gary' (1998), 'Passionada' (2003), 'Mrs. Palfrey At The Claremont' (Audience Award Winner Best Film, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Newport Beach International Film Festival) (2006), and EL Doctorow's Jolene, starring actress Jessica Chastain in a dynamic debut performance which launched her career.
Ireland worked with Zellweger again on her entree into Executive Producing, 'Living Proof', the true story of oncologist Dr. Dennis Slamon who helped discover the Cancer drug Herceptin. The film was also produced by legendary producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan.
Ireland directed two short films, 'Hate From A Distance' (2014) the story of racism as seen through the eyes of a child, made for the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act; and 'A Most Peculiar Man' (2015) starring legendary stage actor Alan Mandel, about the friendship of an elderly Holocaust survivor and a young man on the verge of suicide.
Ireland's next film 'Life Briefly' (2016) is the ambitious, powerful true saga of Brian Knapp, a young man who had to overcome his blindness to become a world class drummer by the age of ten; eventually to become a guitar player who performed with Johnny Cash on stage seven times before his untimely passing at age fourteen. Ireland describes the film as the most significant of his career, and one that is challenging for all the right reasons. The film starts Bill Paxton, Ashley Judd and young actor Ty Simkins. With cameos by Chazz Palminteri as Buddy Rich and Mark Collie as Johnny Cash. The Director of Photography is legendary Dean Semler, (Oscar Winner, 'Dances With Wolves', 'The Road Warrior', 'Apocalypto').- David Brion Davis was born on 16 February 1927 in Denver, Colorado, USA. He was married to Toni Hahn and ???. He died on 14 April 2019 in Guilford, Connecticut, USA.
- Dean Parker was born on 20 August 1947 in Napier, New Zealand. He was a writer, known for Came a Hot Friday (1985), Old Scores (1991) and Life's a Riot (2009). He died on 14 April 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
The icon of breezy island entertainment, Don Ho became synonymous with Hawaii and all it represented...colorful leis and shirts, festive luaus, strumming ukuleles, flowing palm trees, beautiful hula dancers, and, of course, the song "Tiny Bubbles". A trip to the "Aloha State" seemed incomplete unless capped by a Don Ho performance, a tourist attraction unto itself. He delighted thousands upon thousands for nearly five decades and was dubbed that island's "goodwill ambassador".
Born in the small Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako on August 13, 1930, he was one of nine children blessed with a mixed ethnic heritage that encompassed the Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and German cultures. He was a high school football star by the time he left the state to study at Springfield College in Massachusetts. Chronic homesickness had him returning to his beloved island by year's end. Attending the University of Hawaii in 1954, he earned a BA in sociology, then served with the Air Force as a fighter pilot and was honorably discharged as a first lieutenant in 1959.
His parents owned a cocktail lounge, Honey's, in Honolulu and Don formed a small band to entertain the customers. The place started booming with business. He progressed to bigger hotels in the area ("Dukes", which became THE most popular night spot, thanks to him) and developed his own laidback style buoyed by easy, humorous banter and, above all, talented musicians. Reprise Records caught ear of his success and signed him up. Don's popular live albums "The Don Ho Show" in 1965 and the "Don Ho--Again!" were the results. "Tiny Bubbles" (1966), which he almost didn't record, became #8 on the Billboard charts and the signature song that opened and closed all his shows. Other popular tunes in his repertoire included "Pearly Shells", "I'll Remember You" and "With All My Love".
Extending himself further inland, he enjoyed the nation's top niteries in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Chicago and New York, often breaking attendance records in the process. A frequent guest on the TV variety and night-time talk show circuits, he earned his own ABC daytime comedy-variety show, The Don Ho Show (1976) which filmed in Waikiki Beach. He made fun cameo appearances on TV too, nearly always as himself, on such popular shows as "I Dream of Jeannie", "Batman", "The Brady Bunch", "Charlie's Angels", "Fantasy Island" and "McCloud".
Although he lost major clout after his 60s and 70s musical reign and was thereafter denounced/dismissed as little more than an outdoors lounge act, Don's natural charm and obvious charisma never lost for an audience back on his own Hawaiian turf, and he was hailed as Hawaii's equivalent of the "Rat Pack" in terms of style and sustained popularity. He was also a well-known restaurateur (Don Ho's Island Grill, which opened in 1998).
Don developed heart problems (cardiomyopathy) in 2005 but did not let it prevent him from doing what he loved best. He was a mainstay in Waikiki (for over 40 years) and the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel was his official stomping grounds, ever reliable behind his trademark Hammond organ, crooning tunes and teaching enthusiastic tourists simple Hawaiian language and traditions. In 2006 he had his pacemaker replaced. He died of heart failure at age 76 on April 14, 2007. Don had ten children in all with first wife Melvia; one of his daughters, singer Hoku (their seventh child, whose name means "star" in Hawaiian), often performed with him and went on to launch her own musical career. He married Haumea Hebenstreit, who produced his show at the Beachcomber, in 2006.- Donald Hotton was born on 29 March 1933. He was an actor, known for The China Syndrome (1979), Dances with Wolves (1990) and The Bodyguard (1992). He died on 14 April 1999.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Earle Hodgins was born on 6 October 1893 in Payson, Utah, USA. He was an actor, known for Oregon Trail (1945), The Sagebrush Family Trails West (1940) and Heroes of the Alamo (1937). He was married to Elizabeth Birss Ogilvie and Sue Henley. He died on 14 April 1964 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Ellen Corby was born Ellen Hansen on June 3, 1911, in Racine, Wisconsin. She played many uncredited bit parts from the late '20s through the '30s. Ellen would not be seen on the big screen again until 1945 in Cornered (1945). In 1946, she appeared in 14 films, although mostly in small, minor roles. One of them was in the Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946). One of the highlights of her career came about in 1948 in I Remember Mama (1948) as Aunt Trina. Ellen garnered a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, which was ultimately won by Claire Trevor in Key Largo (1948). The Oscar nomination didn't send her to the heights she had hoped. This wonderful actress continued in roles that were mostly minor compared to some of her contemporaries. However, it was television where she would receive the acclaim that had eluded her on the screen. Time after time she played parts that were absolutely outstanding. One of the funniest was as Myrt "Hubcaps" Lesh in The Andy Griffith Show (1960). She was the ringleader of a gang that stole cars and then sold them, and she sold Barney Fife a stolen car that turned out to be a real lemon. The series that brought her worldwide recognition, though, was the highly acclaimed The Waltons (1972) as Esther "Grandma" Walton. The role got her Emmy awards in 1973, 1974, and 1975. Although a stroke in 1976 slowed her down, Ellen still made appearances on the series. Her last TV appearance was in 1997 in the TV movie A Walton Easter (1997). On April 14, 1999, Ellen died at the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. She was 87 years old.- Frank Bren was born on 7 September 1943. He was an actor, known for Stingers (1998), Neighbours (1985) and Bony (1992). He died on 14 April 2018 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Fredric March began a career in banking but in 1920 found himself cast as an extra in films being produced in New York. He starred on the Broadway stage first in 1926 and would return there between screen appearances later on. He won plaudits (and an Academy Award nomination) for his send-up of John Barrymore in The Royal Family of Broadway (1930). Four more Academy Award nominations would come his way, and he would win the Oscar for Best Actor twice: for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). He could play roles varying from heavy drama to light comedy, and was often best portraying men in anguish, such as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman (1951). As his career advanced he progressed from leading man to character actor.- Born in New York on 7 May 1931; Wolf studied at Texas A&M for a few years before leaving to fight in the Korean War. On his return he finished his degree at the University of Houston. He worked as the editor of the professional journal Plant Engineering and was instrumental in inventing the machine that cooks Pringles potato chips. He pursued his own writing during his editorial tenure at Plant Engineering, taking a few years before one of his books gained wider notice in the science fiction community. Wolfe went on to write over 30 novels, with his best best-known work, The Book of The New Sun, spanning 1980-1983. Wolfe is survived by his daughters Madeleine, Teri and son, Matthew and 3 granddaughters, Rebecca, Elizabeth and Alison.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Writer
Born February 23 1685 in Halle, Germany, he was christened "Georg Friederich Händel" but always signed his name "Georg Friedrich Händel". His father intended for him to go into law, but Händel studied music clandestinely and was eventually allowed to study under an organist. He achieved some success early on, and toured Italy in 1706. He briefly worked in Hannover before departing for London in 1711. While in England Händel composed a number of anthems, operas, and church music, and in 1723 he became a British citizen. He premiered "Messiah" in Ireland as a charity aid, and this quickly became his most famous work. He died early in the morning on 14 April 1759, and was buried in Westminster Abbey under a monument that reads: "George Frederic Handel". 3,000 people attended his funeral.- George N. Neise was born on 16 February 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Valley of Hunted Men (1942), Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady? (1968) and Fort Massacre (1958). He was married to Danielle Dreyer and Lorna Thayer. He died on 14 April 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Gerald Nachman was born on 13 January 1938 in Oakland, California, USA. He is known for Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America (2009). He was married to Mary Campbell McGeachy. He died on 14 April 2018 in San Francisco, California, USA.
- Actor
- Executive
Hank Steinbrenner was born on 2 April 1957 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was an actor and executive, known for Henry & Me (2014) and Yankeeography (2002). He was married to Joan. He died on 14 April 2020 in Clearwater, Florida, USA.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Hiroshi Teshigahara was born the son of Sofu Teshigahara who was the founder of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana (flower arrangement). In 1950, he graduated from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in oil painting. In 1958, he became the director of Sogetsu Art Centre and took a leading role in avant-garde activities in many fields of art. Beginning in 1980, acting as movie director, he was the Iemoto (Headmaster) of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana.- Ingeborg von Kusserow was born on 28 January 1919 in Wollstein, Ostalbkreis, Germany. She was an actress, known for One Wild Oat (1951), Twilight Women (1952) and ITV Play of the Week (1955). She was married to Kenneth Slingsby-Fahn and Percy Friedrich Graf von Welsburg. She died on 14 April 2014 in Hove, East Sussex, England, UK.
- Isabella Biagini was born on 8 December 1940 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She was an actress, known for F.F.S.S., cioè: '...che mi hai portato a fare sopra a Posillipo se non mi vuoi più bene?' (1983), Nick the Sting (1976) and Quelli belli... siamo noi (1971). She was married to Roberto Romagnani Cardella and Pietro Campagnola. She died on 14 April 2018 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
- Music Department
- Executive
- Actor
Jean-Claude Malgoire was born on 25 November 1940 in Paris, France. He was an executive and actor, known for Ridicule (1996), The Lady and the Duke (2001) and Une rébellion à Romans (1984). He was married to Renee. He died on 14 April 2018 in Paris, France.- Jimmy Webb was born on 28 August 1957 in Troy, New York, USA. He died on 14 April 2020 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Writer
- Producer
- Actress
As an actress, screenwriter Joan McCall had starred on Broadway as the ingénue lead in Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park" directed by Mike Nichols, "Star-Spangled Girl" also written by Neil Simon, and "A Race of Hairy Men" written by Evan Hunter. She starred in the national tours of Woody Allen's "Don't Drink the Water," "Barefoot in the Park," and "Star Spangled Girl." She starred in her first movie "The Devil Times Five," performed in "Act of Vengeance" and "Project: Kill," and starred in the runaway blockbuster "Grizzly."
As a screenwriter, she wrote a screenplay about race car driver Shirley Muldowney called "Shirley" which was produced as "Heart Like a Wheel." She has written over 250 scripts for film and television under the name Joan Pommer as well as Joan McCall. She was staff writer of "The Days of Our Lives" (NBC), "Santa Barbara" produced by Bridgit and Jerome Dobson, for New World Television. She became an associate writer for "Capitol," produced by Charlotte Savage for John Conboy Productions, and wrote a six-month story projection for "Search for Tomorrow" for Proctor & Gamble. As associate writer for NBC's "Another World," she wrote two scripts a week for a year and over 20 episodes of "Divorce Court."
She co-authored with David Sheldon the sequel to "Grizzly", which was filmed in Europe with George Clooney, Laura Dern, Deborah Raffin, Louise Fletcher, John Rhys Davies, Steve Inwood, Deborah Foreman, and Charlie Sheen. The production was not completed and the existing footage was pieced together crudely and released in 2020.
Born in rural Carter County, Kentucky, Joan graduated from Berea College with a B.A. in art and theater. She trained for the theater in New York, acting in summer stock at Gateway Theatre in Bellport, Long Island, where she met her future husband, producer-director David Sheldon. She studied acting with Lee Strasberg in New York, and in Los Angeles with Charles Conrad.
On radio, she performed as a regular on Sears Radio Theater for CBS along with many top stars, produced and directed by Fletcher Markle and Elliott Lewis.
As a novelist, Joan co-authored the bestseller "When I Knew Al: The Untold Story of Al Pacino" published by Harbor House.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Joel M. Reed was born on 29 December 1933 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Killer Zombies from the Titanic, The G.I. Executioner (1971) and The Renegade Ghouls of Kaplan's Swamp. He died on 14 April 2020 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA.- John S. Ragin was born on 5 May 1929 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Earthquake (1974), Quincy M.E. (1976) and The Parallax View (1974). He was married to Frances A Rasmussen. He died on 14 April 2013 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Jon Cedar was born on 22 January 1931 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Manitou (1978), The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979) and Capricorn One (1977). He was married to Barbara Joan Shandell. He died on 14 April 2011 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Jon Michelet was born on 14 July 1944 in Moss, Norway. He was a writer, known for Orions belte (1985), En Sjøens Helt and Thygesen (1996). He was married to Toril Brekke and Bente von der Lippe. He died on 14 April 2018 in Oslo, Norway.
- Jonathan Frid's career in drama began when he first "offered his soul" to the theater as a young boy at a preparatory school in Ontario, Canada. Following his graduation from McMaster University, he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in the UK and later earned a Master's Degree in Directing from the Yale School of Drama.
He was a leading actor in English and Canadian repertory and went on to work in many of the most celebrated regional theaters in the United States, including the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, and the American Shakespeare Festival under the direction of John Houseman, performing with Katharine Hepburn in "Much Ado About Nothing".
Frid appeared in major roles on-and-off Broadway, in such productions as "Roar Like A Dove", "Murder in the Cathedral" and "Wait Until Dark". However, it was his portrayal of a complex, conflicted vampire on ABC-TV's daytime drama series Dark Shadows (1966) (he also had a cameo role in the motion picture House of Dark Shadows (1970)) which garnered him his greatest fame in the United States. Other film credits included co-starring roles in The Devil's Daughter (1973) (with Shelley Winters) and Seizure (1974) (Oliver Stone's directorial debut).
In 1986, Frid joined the Broadway production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" (co-starring with Jean Stapleton). He won critical acclaim for his villainous turn as the homicidal nephew and spent ten months with the play's national tour. That same year, Frid founded his own production company, "Clunes Associates", to create and tour a series of one-man readers' theater shows across North America. Frid continued to perform his one-man shows, now under the banner of "Charity Associates", to raise money for a variety of charities. Combining the arts of his voice and his zest for entertaining", as one critic put it. In June 2000, he returned to the traditional professional stage in the play "Mass Appeal" at the Stirling Festival Theatre in Stirling, Ontario. - Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Kenny Young was born on 14 April 1941 in Jerusalem, Israel. He was a composer, known for Beaches (1988), The Lovely Bones (2009) and Mindhunters (2004). He died on 14 April 2020.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kerstin Meyer was born on 3 April 1928 in Stockholm, Sweden. She was an actress, known for Värmlänningarna (1957), Tag ditt liv (1995) and Capriccio (1976). She was married to Björn Bexelius. She died on 14 April 2020 in Oropesa del Mar, Castellon, Spain.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Kirk Simon was born on 25 July 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a director and producer, known for The Pulitzer at 100 (2016), 2015 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (2015) and Chimps: So Like Us (1990). He was married to Mina Farbood and Karen Goodman. He died on 14 April 2018 in New York City, New York, USA.- Director
- Producer
Larry Roemer was born on 16 January 1917. He was a director and producer, known for The Igor Cassini Show (1953), Willy McBean and His Magic Machine (1965) and The Daydreamer (1966). He died on 14 April 1995.- Leonard Mudie was a stalwart acting veteran who made nearly 150 appearances before the camera. He was from the Midlands of England and began on stage in 1908 at the Gaiety Theater (1884-1959) in Manchester. This was the first regional repertory theater in England and well noted for the spectrum of plays produced and the patronage of new plays by local writers. Mudie was well accomplished when he came to America and Broadway in 1914, where he first appeared in the original play "Consequences". He was active there off and on through 1948 in some twenty-five roles. Later in 1921 Mudie was lured to Hollywood and silent films, sampled two for a year and then returned to Broadway. But after late 1931 Mudie returned to Hollywood, not to return to the Great White Way until his last appearance in 1948. Hollywood sound era could use his efficient, somewhat nasal British intonation and did - profusely. He managed to appear as at least a featured extra - not always with lines - in many of the great and historic films of the mid 1930s. About half his roles to 1946 were uncredited, but his was a steady voice of realism in whatever the part: stiff British official, doctor, lawyer - lots of judges - but also many an everyman role. In 1935 alone he was in thirteen films. And in one of these he was a particularly noteworthy judge. Warner Bros. was gambling on a dashing but relatively untried and unknown Australian (well Tasmanian) actor named Errol Flynn for a hoped hit remake version of the Rafael Sabatini novel Captain Blood (1935). Production was combing Hollywood for character actors for the huge cast, and Mudie was picked for one of the most villainous yet historical characters of the film, Chief Judge George Jeffreys, Baron of Wem, the "Hanging Judge", who presided over the "Bloody Assizes", the wholesale trials of the followers of the Duke of Monmouth's Rebellion at the beginning of the film. Flynn's first big dramatic scene is his confrontation with Jeffreys, bewigged and looking ashen with the kidney disease killing him. It is a great scene with great lines for both actors. Mudie was busy with over ten roles per year from 1937 thru 1941 before he began to slow down, age bringing about fewer character roles -- four or so per annum in the ensuing years. He had a somewhat prophetic line playing an old traditional actor Horace Karlos in a Charlie Chan whodunit The Scarlet Clue (1945) when he makes a reference to appearing in the still infant television as "Well, it's a living!" Indeed by 1953 Mudie got his feet wet in TV, and by later 1955 he was more a fixture of that medium than film and visiting all the varied series with a full sprinkling of character roles-including judges. In fact in the super cast of Hollywood who's who in the film The Story of Mankind (1957), he was the Chief Inquisitor for the cosmic aliens putting humanity on trial. That bit of fantasy was director by future sci-fi and underwater adventure showman Irwin Allen. He finished off his long, busy life with a few more TV roles at 82 - it certainly was a living.
- Leonor Rinaldi was born on 11 September 1894. She was an actress, known for ¡Cómo te extraño...! (1966), La calle Corrientes (1943) and Ya tiene comisario el pueblo (1936). She was married to Augusto Codecá. She died on 14 April 1977 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Mario Donatone was born on 9 June 1933 in Tripoli, Libya. He was an actor, known for The Godfather Part III (1990), Phenomena (1985) and Kong Island (1968). He died on 14 April 2020 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
- Mario Sapag was born on 25 May 1935 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor and writer, known for El hombre que volvió de la muerte (1969), Somos novios (1969) and Vamos a soñar por el amor (1971). He died on 14 April 2012 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Markus Raetz was born on 6 June 1941 in Büren an der Aare, Bern, Switzerland. He was married to Monika Müller. He died on 14 April 2020 in Switzerland.
- Maudie Prickett was born on 25 October 1914 in Portland, Oregon, USA. She was an actress, known for Hazel (1961), The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1955) and The Jack Benny Program (1950). She was married to Cyril Bernard Cooper, Eakle W. Cartwright and Charles Fillmore Prickett II. She died on 14 April 1976 in Pasadena, California, USA.
- A dark, debonair, mustachioed, slick-looking leading man who cut a fine figure in 1930s Fox movies, Michael Whalen's good looks were interestingly offset by a slightly prominent Romanesque nose. Born Joseph Shovlin on June 30, 1902, in Wilkes-Barre, Penssylvania, he took piano lessons as a child but the talent never went anywhere. He eventually was hired by the Woolworths department store chain and worked his way up to manager by the time he resigned at the age of 23. During an extensive period of travel, he stopped in New York City and became hooked on acting after catching a Broadway show. He apprenticed and made his stage debut with Eva Le Gallienne's repertory company. To make do, the handsome hopeful worked as an artist's model, including the renowned 'James Montgomery Flagg'.
Whalen came to Hollywood in 1933 and started out on the L.A. stage with roles in "When Knighthood Was in Flower" (as the Dauphin) and "Common Flesh." Noticed by Twentieth Century-Fox talent agents, he made his debut with a second-lead role in Professional Soldier (1935) starring Victor McLaglen. On screen he appeared opposite a bevy of Hollywood lovelies, notably Alice Faye, Gloria Stuart, Claire Trevor and June Lang, in standard "B" filmmaking, playing a series of virile, flashy roles including Hollywood producers and sports editor types. He also had the adult male leads in two of little Shirley Temple's popular vehicles -- Poor Little Rich Girl (1936) and Wee Willie Winkie (1937). In 1938 he starred as newsman Barney Callahan in a string of murder mystery tales (Time Out for Murder (1938), While New York Sleeps (1938) and Inside Story (1939)) alongside love interest Jean Rogers.
By the early 1940s his leading man career started to falter. He went to Broadway for two years in "Ten Little Indians" (1944), then toured with the show on the road. By the 1950s he was appearing less frequently on film and more and more into character roles. TV became a source of income for him. His last movie was an unbilled bit in Elmer Gantry (1960), and in 1964 he made his final appearance on an episode of My Three Sons (1960).
Once engaged to sultry actress Ilona Massey, the couple never made it to the altar. Whalen remained a bachelor and lived with his mother until her death in the 1960s. He collected antiques and enjoyed gardening until his death of bronchial pneumonia in 1974 at age 71. - Actor
- Additional Crew
Miguel Galván was born on 13 October 1957 in Juan Aldama, Zacatecas, Mexico. He was an actor, known for Codicia mortal (1991), La hora pico (2000) and Ni de aquí, ni de allá (1988). He died on 14 April 2008 in Mexico City, Mexico.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Director
Mike Road was born on 18 March 1918 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor and director, known for The Roaring 20's (1960), Hawaiian Eye (1959) and The Fantastic Journey (1977). He was married to Ruth Brady and Norma Lehn. He died on 14 April 2013 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- A doctor's daughter, the versatile actress Minna Gombell had a successful career on the stage from 1912 to the end of the 1920's, appearing often in comedic roles, almost always in leads. She had a reputation as a fast learner, capable of reading and comprehending a script in a matter of hours. This ability served her well as an understudy early in her career. She made her Broadway debut in 1913 in 'Madam President' and later appeared in several productions of her stage director husband Myron C. Fagan (for instance,'Nancy's Private Affair',1930).
Minna began her film career in 1929. Although her specialty was street-wise, tough-talking blondes, she displayed quite a repertoire of varied characters during her movie career. She was best friend and steadying influence on Sally Eilers in Bad Girl (1931), a conflicted and unhappy mother in After Tomorrow (1932), the cold wife of The Thin Man (1934), a waspish wife in Babbitt (1934), brassy burlesque performers in Stepping Sisters (1932), a spunky wagon-line owner in Doomed Caravan (1941), and a tough nurse presiding over The Snake Pit (1948). She also had occasional leads, for instance as the gold-digger Stella in Bachelor's Affairs (1932), a comedy with Adolphe Menjou. An underrated actress, she enlivened many a film with her presence. - Writer
- Additional Crew
- Script and Continuity Department
Neil Shand was born on 3 March 1934 in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Carrott's Lib (1982), Mike Yarwood in Persons (1976) and Carrott Confidential (1987). He was married to Judith Keppel, Pamela Reeves and Mary Massie. He died on 14 April 2018 in Winteringham, North Lincolnshire, England, UK.- Animation Department
- Actor
- Art Department
Oliver Martin "Ollie" Johnston was an American animator from Palo Alto, California. He was one of Disney's Nine Old Men, a group of senior animators which supervised production at the Walt Disney Animation Studios from c. 1945 to 1977. By the time of his death in 2008, Johnston was the last surviving member of the group. Johnston co-wrote the reference book "Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life" (1981), where he explained the twelve basic principles of animation. He helped to both preserve and popularize the knowledge of the techniques that were developed at the Disney studio over several decades.
In 1912, Johnston was born in Palo Alto, California. His father was Oliver Johnston, a professor at Stanford University. The younger Johnston attended Palo Alto High School. He received his college education at Stanford University, where he worked on the campus humor magazine "Stanford Chaparral". He befriended a co-worker at the magazine, the aspiring animator Frank Thomas (1912-2004). The two remained close friends until Thomas' death in the early 2000s.
In his senior year at college, Johnston transferred to the Chouinard Art Institute (1921-1970), a professional art school located in Los Angeles. Johnston was hired by the Walt Disney Animation Studios c. 1934. He served as an uncredited inbetweener in several Mickey Mouse short films, and as an assistant animator in the animated feature film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937).
After being promoted to a regular animator, Johnston's first major assignment was to animate the sentient puppet Pinocchio in the feature film "Pinocchio" (1940). Johnston animated the Centaurettes (female centaurs) and the Cupids in the "Pastoral Symphony" segment of "Fantasia" (1940).Johnston animated the key scene of the death of Bambi's mother in "Bambi" (1942). He animated "The Flying Gauchito" segment of "The Three Caballeros" (1944). He animated both the "Peter and the Wolf" and the "Casey at the Bat" segments of "Make Mine Music" (1946). Johnston animated Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear in "Song of the South" (1946). He animated Jiminy Cricket in "Fun and Fancy Free" (1947). He animated both Johnny Appleseed and his guardian angel in "Melody Time" (1948).
Johnston served as a directing animator in "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (1949). He also animated most of the film's major characters, including J.Thaddeus Toad, Ichabod Crane, Katrina Von Tassel, and Brom Bones. Johnston again served as a directing animator in "Cinderella" (1950). He was also the supervising animator for Cinderella's bratty stepsisters, Drizella Tremaine and Anastasia Tremaine. Johnston was tasked with animating Alice and the King of Hearts in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951). He animated the inept pirate Mr. Smee in "Peter Pan" (1953), with the character depicted as Captain Hook's first mate and personal assistant. Johnston animated the sentient dogs Lady, Jock and Trusty in "Lady and the Tramp". Johnston animated the heroic fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather in "Sleeping Beauty" (1959).
Jonston served as the directing animator for the sentient dog Perdita "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" (1961). He animated the wizard Merlin, his student Wart/Arthur, and the wizard's familiar Archimedes in "The Sword in the Stone" (1963). Johnston animated the penguins in "Mary Poppins" (1964). He served as the directing animator for Mowgli, Bagheera, Baloo, and Mowgli's unnamed love interest in "The Jungle Book" (1967).
Johnston served as the directing animator for most of the major characters in "The Aristocats" (1970), including Duchess, Thomas O' Malley, and the kittens Marie, Berlioz, and Toulouse. He also served as a directing animating for most of the major characters in "Robin Hood" (1973), including Prince John, Sir Hiss, Maid Marian, and Lady Cluck. Johnston animated Winnie the Pooh and Piglet in "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (1977). Johnston served as the directing animator for the co-protagonists Bernard and Bianca, and for the orphan girl Penny in "The Rescuers" (1977).
Johnston served as the supervising animator for the younger versions of the co-protagonists Tod and Copper in "The Fox and the Hound" (1981). This was his last involvement in the production of a Disney feature film. Following his retirement from Disney, Johnston started writing non-fiction about animation and its techniques. He served on the advisory board of the National Student Film Institute during the 1980s and the 1990s. In November 2005, Johnston received the prestigious National Medal of Arts by the then President of the United States George Walker Bush (1946-, term 2001-2009).
In April 2008, Johnston died of natural causes. He was 95-years-old at the time of his death, and he had survived many of his colleagues at Disney. Theodore Thomas featured biographical information on Johnston in the documentary films "Frank and Ollie"(1995) and "Growing up with Nine Old Men" (2012). Johnston is still fondly recalled by fans of traditional animation.- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Alabama-born Percy Sledge had a somewhat unusual introduction to the music business. Working as an orderly in a local hospital, he was touring with a local band called the Esquires Combo on weekends and working at the hospital during the week. A former patient at the hospital who knew both Sledge and local record producer Quin Ivy introduced them to each other. Ivy was impressed with Sledge's emotional style of singing and signed him to a recording contract. Sledge hit it big with his first record, the classic "When a Man Loves a Woman", released by Atlantic Records, which went on to become a worldwide hit (and, incidentally, the first Atlantic record to go gold). Although Sledge never had another hit as big as "When a Man Loves a Woman," he did manage to place several follow-up records on the charts. He still tours today, and has an especially large following in Europe.- Writer
- Additional Crew
Husband and wife writing team Pip and Jane Baker have enjoyed an extensive career as novelists, playwrights and film and television writers since the early sixties. The first film they worked on was "The Alibi" (1961) and from there they wrote episodes of a British-based American series called "The Pursuers" (1961-62). Other films they worked on included "The Break" (1962), "The Painted Smile" (1962), "Night of the Big Heat" (1967) and "Captain Nemo and the Underwater City" (1970). On television they have written for "The Expert" (1976), "Z Cars, Detective" (1968) and "Space: 1999" (1976) as well as three stories for DOCTOR WHO. They later worked on "Watt On Earth" (1991-1992) and a German production called "Ruby."- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Director
Rio Hackford was born on 28 June 1970 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Jonah Hex (2010), Raising Helen (2004) and Deja Vu (2006). He died on 14 April 2022 in Huntington Beach, California, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Roy Chiao was born on 16 March 1927 in Shanghai, China. He was an actor, known for Bloodsport (1988), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Game of Death (1978). He died on 14 April 1999 in Seattle, Washington, USA.- Simone Ernestine Lucie Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir was born on January 9, 1908, in Paris, France. She was raised in an upper class bourgeois Catholic family. Her father, named Georges de Beauvoir, had a passion for books and theatre. He taught Simone reading at the age of 3, and she attempted to write as soon as she could read. Her early development was that of a remarkably talented child.
Her bold and spontaneous classmate, Zaza (Elisabeth Le Coin), was her earliest and strongest friendship. Beauvoir and Zaza were both students of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, whom Zaza loved. That relationship was disrupted by Zaza's controlling parents. Zaza died of encephalitis at age 20, leaving Beauvoir shocked and depressed. Zaza's short life was described by Beauvoir in several versions and in various literary forms; revealing Beauvoir's own post-traumatic scars. As Beauvoir was trying to soothe the pain of loss, she drifted away from the restrictive social order of French class society. For the rest of her life, Beauvoir harbored her traumatized inner child, and played a game of rebellion by advancing her individual choices. She had issues with social rules regulating the impulses of her own life, or having a stable relationship; and her life really turned into a series of impulses.
She was a Sorbonne student when she met Jean-Paul Sartre at the study group in 1929. At that time she was nicknamed 'Castor' (Beaver), with the dual meaning of her last name as English for the animal and its reputation as a dedicated worker. Beauvoir and Sartre both learned to hate the restrictions of upper class life. Both favored an 'authentic state of being'. Her rebellious nature played a painful role in their relationship from the very start. Knowing that her teaching assignment would separate them, Jean-Paul Sartre proposed to her. His proposal and marriage would lead to their teaching assignments in the same area. To his dismay, she turned down his proposal and left.
In 1932 Beauvoir was teaching in Rouen. There she met Olga Kozakiewich and began a relationship. In 1935 she introduced Sartre to her 18-year-old student Olga Kozakiewich and the three formed the 'family'. Beauvoir merged both relationships into a trio, that led to an unexpected and overwhelming outcome. While she imagined the trio would illustrate the 'authenticity' of their relationships; in reality the inevitable competition from the younger and independent-minded Olga became a growing threat. Beauvoir saw Olga as an object, a mere cast member of the game. She also overestimated her own tolerance. Eventually the trio failed before the challenge to reciprocate in recognition of each one's 'authentic' consciousness. Each member wrote a different account of the same events in their 'family' life.
While her academic studies focused on the role of individual choice; the realities of her private life conflicted with her theory. The scenario that caused her earlier traumatic experience of her separation from Zaza was being replayed with variations. Beauvoir continued experimenting with her 'open family' by including her other students and Sartre's students too. Other family member's 'authentic' consciousness added to social inventiveness and a sort of a group-therapy during the occupation of Paris in WWII. "Existence causes transformation of consciousness" - commented Jean-Paul Sartre.
The Jean-Simone-Olga 'family' affair is immortalized in her first novel 'L'Invitee' (She Came to Stay, 1943). At that time they were living in an occupied Paris. The open 'family' included several former students of both Beauvoir and Sartre; forming a unique social group with Olga Kazakiewich, Nathalie Sorokine and Jacques-Laurent Bost. The complex manner of relationships in the 'family' was somewhat based on the intellectual connection between students and teachers, who also included sharing of cooking and other domestic duties. Beauvoir was forced into a rare experience of cooking only during the war, while being unencumbered with domestic duties for the rest of her life. The author of 'The Second Sex' ate at cafés and lived in good hotels, always being served.
Sartre and Beauvoir traveled to the South of France where they wooed André Gide and André Malraux to their underground group 'Socialisme et Liberte'. Their active resistance soon turned into writing for 'Combat', published by 'Albert Camus'. In 1945 Beauvoir joined the editorial staff at 'Les Tempes Modernes', a leftist journal named after the Chaplin's film. Sartre, being the magazine's founder among other intellectual friends, published Beauvoir's works first, giving her a steady platform and publicity. A that time she published 'Le Sang des Autres' (The Blood of Others, 1945) a reflection of Resistance during WWII. Her friend 'Albert Camus' wrote a positive review on Beauvoir's book. Her only play 'Les Bouches Inuites' (Useless Mouths, 1945) was also called 'Who Shall Die'. Her long project-study of the ethical question of immortality led to her book 'All Men Are Mortal'. She was shocked by the poor reception of her weak and confusing book.
In 1947 Beauvoir was on a 5-month lecture tour of American Universities. There she met writer Nelson Algren. Their relationship lasted 17 years, complicating her other relationships. She called him "crocodile husband" for his American smile. He called her "frog wife" for being French, both called it love. She wrote a book 'L'Amerique au Jour le Jour' (America Day by Day, 1948) critical of social problems, class, and racial inequalities in the United States. Around 1950 Nelson Algren proposed to marry her in a letter. Beauvoir once again declined an offer of marriage. They wrote over three hundred passionate letters from 1947 - 1964. She caused much pain to Jean-Paul Sartre; who wanted a family, and finally in 1962, he adopted a Jewish Algerian girl, named Arlette El Kaim.
In America Beauvoir learned of Alfred Kinsey and his gender studies in the 1930's and 1940's. She started writing 'The Second Sex' at the time of the 'Kinsey Report' (1948). In 1949 her first excerpts from 'The Second Sex' appeared in France in the May, June, and July issues of the Sartre's magazine 'Les Tempes Modernes'. Her book was published in November of 1949, and made a sensation on both continents. By the 1950's Beauvoir had started to doubt her attractiveness. Her affair with reporter Claude Lanzmann, 17 years her junior, brought her new energy of assurance. They moved in together for 2 years, but she also needed to keep both the "crocodile husband" and Jean-Paul Sartre. In 1954 she was awarded the Prix Goncourt for 'Les Mandarins' (The Mandarins) and purchased a small apartment in Montparnasse. There she would live with Sartre between her travels until her death.
In 'The Second Sex', first published in French in 1949, she presented a combination of 'feminism' with 'existentialism' with a 'Freudian' view of sexuality. The news was that it was written by a brilliant woman. She became recognized as one of the "founding mothers" of the modern day feminism. Her works were translated and published worldwide. The English translation of her main works were made by her principal English translator, Patrick O'Brian, the author of the story for the film 'Master and Commander'.
In 1955 Beauvoir and Sartre went on official visits to the Soviet Union and to communist China. As left-leaning academics they accepted the official invitations from the communist governments. Sartre and Beauvoir met with Nikita Khrushchev. She accepted the commission from both communist governments and wrote her 'La Longue Marche' (The Long March, 1957). She wrote in her letter to her "crocodile husband", Nelson Algren, that "the book was written largely to obtain money." She was apparently unconcerned by the brutal nature of the communist dictatorships. Beauvoir praised communism, the Chinese government, and the achievements of the Revolution. In 1960 she and Sartre accepted the invitation of Fidel Castro and made a trip to Cuba. At the same time she actively supported the Vietnamese Communist party. In 1967 Beauvoir and Sartre joined Bertrand Russell in the 'Tribunal of war Crimes in Vietnam'.
Her mother, Francoise de Beauvoir, whom she loathed at times, caused her more emotional pain than the millions of victims of communism. Her book 'A Very Easy Death' (1958) recounts the death of her mother, which was her way of coping with her loss; while she barely mentioned her father's death. During the illness of her mother, Beauvoir bonded with Sylvie Le Bon and developed a ten-year relationship with feelings that inspired her beautiful book 'All Said and Done' (1972). She adopted 'Sylvie Le Bon de Beauvoir' in 1980. In her later years Beauvoir's dependence on alcohol and amphetamine drugs led to Sartre's alienation from her. Sartre bought a house in the South of France and moved there with his adopted Jewish daughter, musician Arlette El Kaim Sartre. After the death of Sartre in 1980, Beauvoir published his letters to her (Lettres au Castor, 1983) as well as a very cold book of memoirs 'Adieux: A Farewell to Sartre', written from 1981-1985. Her bitter disputes with Sartre's daughter, Arlette El Kaim, ended only with Beauvoir's death.
Beauvoir was certainly not the first brilliant writer who turned her promiscuity on both continents into a money-making business under the mask of "academic writing" and "social experiment." Her writings show her profound knowledge and powerful thought which could be above the delusional ideals of both her own bourgeois past and Sartre's "utopian" and "communist" present. Her form of denial eventually led to an ordinary path of drugs and alcohol. Simone de Beauvoir died of complications of alcoholism on April 14, 1986. She was laid to rest in the grave of Jean-Paul Sartre in the Cimetiere du Montparnasse in Paris, France. - Soundtrack
Stan Reynolds was born on 16 January 1926 in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, UK. He died on 14 April 2018 in Kingston upon Thames, England, UK.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Timothy Patrick Quill was born on 11 January 1958 in the USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 3 (2007) and The Quick and the Dead (1995). He died on 14 April 2021 in Franklin, Michigan, USA.- Wavy-haired, emaciated-looking Tom Fadden enjoyed a prolific screen career as a small part supporting actor with more than a fair share of scene-stealing moments to his credit. From the time he began with a stock company in Omaha in 1915, he remained continuously employed right up until his death in 1980. He was much in-demand in vaudeville, including on the Keith-Albee-Orpheum Circuit. He was also a regular performer on Broadway where he made his debut in a starring role in 1924 with 'The Wonderful Visit', written by H.G. Wells. The following year he again starred (as Alf Rylett) in 'Nocturne '. Other notable plays he appeared in were 'Elmer Gantry' (1928), 'The Petrified Forest' (1935) and 'Our Town' (1938).
From 1939, he was seen in numerous small roles on screen, usually as kindly 'average Joe' townsfolk, cab or truck drivers or rural types in the vein of Percy Kilbride. Tom was particularly good at the double-take and a befuddled look, perhaps best exemplified by his toll keeper's reaction to Henry Travers (as the angel Clarence) in Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Tom had a rare leading role as one of a trio hunting for an ancient skull with mystical powers in the comedy adventure Zanzibar (1940). Otherwise, there were memorable bits as a cafe waiter in Dark Passage (1947), his Sheriff Murdock in the comedy Murder, He Says (1945) and Uncle Ira Lentz, one of the first victims of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Tom also played Eben Kent, Superman's adoptive father in the first episode of the original Adventures of Superman (1952) on TV and even popped up for Disney as the uncle of the titular hero in Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks with a Circus (1960). Tom had recurring roles in Cimarron City (1958) and was perfectly cast as one of the bucolic characters of Petticoat Junction (1963). - Trader Faulkner was born on 7 September 1927 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor, known for Web (1957), A High Wind in Jamaica (1965) and A Killer Walks (1952). He was married to Bobo Faulkner. He died on 14 April 2021 in London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Trevor Bannister was born on 14 August 1934 in Durrington, Wiltshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Are You Being Served? (1972), Are You Being Served? (1977) and The Tomorrow People (1973). He was married to Pam Carson and Kathleen Cravos. He died on 14 April 2011 in Thames Ditton, Surrey, England, UK.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Marvelously quirky, distinctive and versatile character actor William Franklin Finley was born on September 20, 1940 in New York City. Finley attended Columbia University, where he first met future filmmaker Brian De Palma. The lanky 6'4" Finley first began acting on the New York stage. He made his film debut in De Palma's odd short movie Woton's Wake. Finley went on to play a deliciously rich and colorful array of strikingly idiosyncratic parts for De Palma: a slow-witted stage hand in Murder a la Mod (1968), the disapproving friend of a guy who was about to be married in The Wedding Party (1969), the wicked titular villain in Dionysus in '69 (1970); splendid as Margot Kidder's freaky psychiatrist husband in Sisters (1972); excellent and engaging in a rare substantial lead as the meek and nerdy struggling songwriter Winslow Leach in the delightfully outrageous Phantom of the Paradise (1974), and a seedy psychic in The Fury (1978).
Finley tackled a couple of equally memorable off-center roles in a pair of superior Tobe Hooper fright features: he was Marilyn Burns' deranged husband in Eaten Alive (1976) and a pathetic drunken carnival magician in The Funhouse (1981). Finley was once again fine as a geeky scientist in the exciting Chuck Norris horror/action hybrid Silent Rage (1982). In addition to acting, Finley composed the theme song for Murder a la Mod and co-wrote the script for the offbeat teen coming-of-age comedy The First Time (1983). Finley had a small, yet chilling part as a creepy private investigator in the disappointing The Black Dahlia (2006). William Finley died at age 71 on April 14, 2012; he was survived by his wife Susan and son Dashiell.