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- Actress
- Soundtrack
Mercedes McCambridge was a highly talented radio performer who won a
best supporting Actress Oscar for her film debut.
Mercedes McCambridge was born in Joliet, Illinois, to Marie (Mahaffry)
and John Patrick McCambridge, a farmer. She was of mostly Irish (with a
small amount of English and German) ancestry. Despite a career full of
supporting roles, she later became something of a cult figure. Her
memorable voice-over for the demon child in
The Exorcist (1973) has secured her
place in movie history. Ironically, she took Warner Bros. to court over
her being uncredited for the role, which was probably the most
important in the film.
Mercedes enjoyed a quiet retirement starting from the early 1980s. She
was a special guest star at the 70th Annual Anniversary Academy Awards
in 1998 along with many other Oscar winners. Mercedes also made special
television appearances to discuss her role in
The Exorcist (1973) at the 30th
Anniversary of the film's release.
She died in La Jolla in California on 2nd March 2004 from natural
causes.- Actor
- Producer
- Executive
A marvelous character actor with intense eyes, a sly grin and somewhat grizzled appearance, Golden Globe-winner Fred Ward had nearly 90 appearances under his belt in many tremendous films and television programs. He first became interested in acting after serving three years in the US Air Force and studied at New York's Herbert Berghof Studio. Ward then went to Europe, where he dubbed many Italian movies, and first appeared on-screen in two films by Roberto Rossellini. He then returned to the United States, and got his first decent role alongside Clint Eastwood in the nail-biting prison film Escape from Alcatraz (1979). Ward's looks often saw him cast as law enforcement or military characters, and he put in noteworthy performances in Southern Comfort (1981), Uncommon Valor (1983), as astronaut Gus Grissom in The Right Stuff (1983) and scored the lead in the interesting spy/martial arts movie Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), which unfortunately was not as successful as had been the mega-selling series of Remo Williams books.
However, during "Remo", Ward demonstrated a great knack for comedic timing and satirical performance, and this ability was used to great effect in several films, including playing Kevin Bacon's fellow giant-worm-fighting handyman in the light-hearted sci-fi hit Tremors (1990), as "Walter Stuckel" in Robert Altman's The Player (1992), as TV anchorman "Chip Daley" in Tim Robbins' razor-sharp political satire Bob Roberts (1992) and as a vicious, but incompetent, gangster menacing Leslie Nielsen in Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994).
Ward's abilities as both a supporting player and truly versatile character actor ensured that he would be in steady demand, and he continued to turn up in a wide variety of roles utilizing his skills. Keep an eye out for Fred Ward in the action-filled The Chaos Factor (2000), as David Spade's dad in Joe Dirt (2001), in the tongue-in-cheek Corky Romano (2001) and in the Reese Witherspoon romantic tale Sweet Home Alabama (2002). His last three films were more action-oriented, Armored (2009), [link=tt1622547, and 2 Guns (2013), and he subsequently mostly retired from acting until his death in 2022.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Dale Robertson, the actor who made his name in television Westerns in
the 1950s and '60s, was born on July 14, 1923, in Harrah, Oklahoma.
After serving in a tank crew and in the combat engineers in North
Africa and Europe during World War II, the twice-wounded Robertson
started his acting career while still on active duty in the U.S. Army.
While stationed at San Luis Obispo, California, had a photograph taken
for his mother. A copy of the photo displayed in the photo shop window
attracted movie scouts, and the six foot tall, 180-lb. Robertson soon
was on his way to Hollywood. Will Rogers Jr., whose father is the most famous
son of Oklahoma, told him to avoid formal training and keep his own
persona. Robertson took his advice and avoided
acting classes.
Robertson was typecast in Western movies and TV shows when the genre
was still America's favorite. He headlined two TV series, Tales of Wells Fargo (1957), in
which he played the roving trouble-shooter Jim Hardie, and Iron Horse (1966), in
which he won a railway in a poker game. He also served as one of the
hosts, along with Ronald Reagan, of the syndicated series Death Valley Days (1952) during the
1960s. Robertson later appeared in the inaugural season of Dynasty (1981).
Robertson is a recipient of the Golden Boot Award in 1985, and was
inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers and the Cowboy Hall
of Fame in Oklahoma City. He is retired on a ranch near Oklahoma City,
not far from his birthplace of Harrah.- Heather Michele O'Rourke was born on December 27, 1975 in Santee, San Diego,
California, to Kathleen, a seamstress, and Michael O'Rourke, a construction worker. She had German, Danish, English, and Irish ancestry.
Heather entered American cinematic pop-culture before first grade. She was sitting alone in the MGM Commissary
waiting for her mother when a stranger approached her asking her name.
"My name is Heather O'Rourke," she said. "But you're a stranger, and I
can't talk to you". When her mother returned, the stranger introduced
himself as Steven Spielberg. She failed
her first audition when she laughed at a stuffed animal Spielberg
presented her with. He thought she was just too young (she had just
turned five), and he was actually looking for a girl at least 6 years
old, but he saw something in her and asked her to come in a second time
with a scary story book. He asked her to scream a lot. She screamed
until she broke down in tears. The next day at the commissary,
Spielberg told her and her family, "I don't know what it is about her,
but she's got the job." She instantly became a star overnight and was
easily recognized at her favorite theme park, Disneyland, and
everywhere in California. In the years that followed, Heather was a
familiar face on TV in
Happy Days (1974) (1982-1983),
Webster (1983) (1983-1984), and
The New Leave It to Beaver (1983)
(1986-1987), three shows in which she had recurring roles. In 1986, the
highly anticipated sequel to her first movie,
Poltergeist (1982),
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
debuted in theaters; it was her riveting performance in this film that
cemented her a place in Hollywood history. In January 1987, Heather
began to have flu-like symptoms and her legs and feet swelled. She was
taken to Kaiser Hospital, and they confirmed it was only the flu, but
when symptoms continued, they diagnosed her as having Crohn's Disease,
a chronic inflammation of the intestine. She was on medication
throughout the filming of her next project,
Poltergeist III (1988), and her
cheeks were puffy in some scenes. She never complained during filming
and did not appear sick to fellow cast members.
When filming was
completed in June, Heather and her family went on a road trip from
Chicago, to New Orleans, to Orlando and all the way back to Lakeside
where they lived at the time. Heather was well until January 31, 1988,
Super Bowl Sunday. She was unable to keep anything in her stomach and
crawled into bed with her parents that night, saying that she didn't
feel well. The next morning, February 1, sitting at the breakfast
table, she couldn't swallow her toast or Gatorade. Her mother noticed
her fingers were blue and her hands were cold. Kathleen called the
doctor's and was getting ready to put her clothes on when Heather
fainted on the kitchen floor. When the paramedics came in, Heather
insisted that she was "really okay" and was worried about missing
school that day. In the ambulance, Heather suffered cardiac arrest and
died on the operating table at 2:43 p.m. at the tender age of 12. Of
all her achievements, Heather was proudest of being elected student
body president of her 5th grade class in 1985. - Anyone who loves B-movies of the 1950s appreciates this lovely actress
Allison Hayes. She was born Mary Jane Hayes on March 6, 1930 in
Charleston, West Virginia. The auburn-haired beauty was the 1949
Washington, D.C. entry into the Miss America pageant. Shortly
afterwards, Mary Jane adopted the familiar first name of Allison. She
got her start on local Washington television before heading to
Hollywood in the early 1950s. Allison began her career with Universal
Pictures; the studio groomed her, but only on the path of B-movies. In
her film debut,
Francis Joins the WACS (1954),
she was a supporting actress to the speaking mule, which had the title
role. She played the devilishly alluring "Livia" in
The Undead (1957), and co-starred with
B-movie legend Tor Johnson in
The Unearthly (1957).
Allison achieved film immortality in
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958),
in which she tore the roof off the place, and killed rival
Yvette Vickers. After that, Allison was a
staple in classic B-grade horror films. She was in the exploitation
classic The Hypnotic Eye (1960),
which had a trailer showing an alleged hypnotist mesmerizing a
volunteer as he stuck long needles in her arms (this was some of the
typical ballyhoo going on at the time). However, Allison was a
versatile actress; she did drama very well, as when she guest-starred
on the television series
The Untouchables (1959), in
the highly-rated episode,
The Rusty Heller Story (1960).
Allison had a flair for comedy, which she demonstrated when she
appeared in the Dean Martin film,
Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963).
Her last film appearance was with "The King", himself,
Elvis Presley in
Tickle Me (1965), with a hilarious
script by the legendary writer
Elwood Ullman. However, Allison's health
declined steadily throughout the 1960s. Her death on February 27, 1977
was due either to leukemia or lead poisoning (due to doctor-prescribed
calcium supplements). Allison Hayes died far too young; her fans will
forever remember her legacy in films. - John Williams was a tall, urbane Anglo-American actor best known for
his role as Chief Inspector Hubbard in
Dial M for Murder (1954), a
role he played on Broadway, in
Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1954
film, and on television in 1958. Playing Hubbard on the Great White Way
brought him the 1953 Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play. "Dial
M for Murder" was the 27th Broadway play he had appeared in since
making his New York debut in "The Fake" in 1924, which he had
originally appeared in back in his native England.
Williams was born on April 15, 1903 in Buckinghamshire and attended
Lancing College. He first trod the boards as a teenager in a 1916
production of Peter Pan (1924). He
moved to America in the mid-1920s and was a busy and constantly
employed stage actor for 30 years. After "Dial M for Murder" in the
1953-54 season, though, he appeared in only four more Broadway plays
between 1955 and 1970 as he focused on movies and television.
In addition to "Dial M for Murder", he appeared in Hitchcock's
The Paradine Case (1947) and in
To Catch a Thief (1955) and in
10 episodes of the TV series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955).
For Billy Wilder, he appeared in
Sabrina (1954) and
Witness for the Prosecution (1957).
Beginning in the 1960s, most of his work was in television, including a
nine-episode stint on
Family Affair (1966) taking
over Sebastian Cabot's duties as
Brian Keith's butler when Cabot was
waylaid by health problems.
He retired in the late '70s, his last acting gig being an appearance on
Battlestar Galactica (1978)
in 1979. He was known by many in the last phase of his career for his
work on one of the first TV infomercials, when he served as the
pitchman for a classical music record collection called "120 Music
Masterpieces."
John Williams died on May 5, 1983 in La Jolla, California from an
aneurysm. He was 80 years old. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Character actor Milburn Stone, the beloved "Doc Adams" on TV's
long-running western classic Gunsmoke (1955), was born in Kansas on July 5,
1904. Acting must have been in his blood as the nephew of Broadway
comedian Fred Stone for Milburn left home as a teenager to find work with
touring repertory troupes. Emulating his famous uncle Fred, he appeared
in vaudeville as part of a song-and-dance team called "Stone and
Strain."
Following a minor appearance on Broadway in "The Jayhawkers,"
Milburn moved to Los Angeles in 1935 to try his luck in films. He
toiled for years in mostly unbilled parts for 'poverty row' Monogram
Pictures and a few major studios, apprenticing in a number of background roles as both benign
fellows (clerks, reporters, sailors, detectives) and bad guys
(convicts, robbers, henchmen) in such films as Ladies Crave Excitement (1935), The Fighting Marines (1935), The Princess Comes Across (1936), Banjo on My Knee (1936) and They Gave Him a Gun (1937)
Out of the blue he would occasionally nab a heroic film lead in films as the crime drama Federal Bullets (1937) and The Judge (1949) or serial thrillers as The Great Alaskan Mystery (1944) and The Master Key (1945), then would invariably go right back to unbilled status in his very
next role. One memorable featured part (which was also unbilled) was as
debater Stephen A. Douglass in John Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln (1939). In addition he played
a regular support role as pal/co-pilot "Skeeter Milligan" in the "Tommy Tailspin" airborne film quickies Mystery Plane (1939), Sky Patrol (1939) and Danger Flight (1939).
Other higher visible support roles occurred in such films as the Roy Rogers western Colorado (1940), as well as Captive Wild Woman (1943), The Frozen Ghost (1945), Roadblock (1951), Black Tuesday (1954), Smoke Signal (1955). He also went on to appear in a couple of John Ford's later features such as Simone Bär and The Long Gray Line (1955).
When the crusty but lovable role of "Doc Adams" finally landed at his feet in 1955, Milburn was only too appreciative to experience a steady paycheck. He became an "overnight" star and, along with Matt Dillon's James Arness, earned an Emmy Award for "supporting actor" and stayed a citizen of Dodge City throughout its entire 20-year run (500 episodes). In 1971, Stone was temporarily sidelined by a heart attack and briefly replaced by another "doc" played by Pat Hingle. The ever-durable Stone missed only seven episodes, however, and did return on a more limited basis.
Fully retired to his ranch in 1975 after the show's
cancellation, he was eventually awarded an honorary doctorate from St.
Mary of the Plains College in (of course) Dodge City, Kansas. Married
to Jane Garrison, the 75-year-old veteran died of a heart attack on
June 12, 1980 in La Jolla, California. His wife passed away much later in
2002.- Tyler Christopher was born on 11 November 1972 in Joliet, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for General Hospital (1963), Shouting Secrets (2011) and Into the West (2005). He was married to Brienne Pedigo and Eva Longoria. He died on 31 October 2023 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Actor
- Stunts
Despite being one of the smallest actors in Hollywood at 37 inches,
Josh proved quality early on in life. By creating and distributing his
own business cards before he was even a teenager, Josh landed a spot on
"The Dancing Baby" ice cream commercial, which led to his role in
Baby Geniuses (1999), where he played all the babies and did all the dancing. His
co-star in that, Peter MacNicol, introduced him to David E. Kelley, who
cast him as recurring guest Oren Koolie on Ally McBeal (1997), a child
lawyer who gives Ally a hard time. His role on Passions (1999) was his first
contract role in a TV series. He also appeared in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) with Jim Carrey.
His mother added recently: "Perhaps he didn't live many years but he
lived a life that was filled with big dreams most of which he lived as
a reality rather than only dreaming about. He said the only dream that
can't come true is one that no one dares to dream, other than that
every dream is possible. I hope that Josh will always be remembered not
because he died but because he really lived a life filled with love and
laughter and lots and lots of dreams. He made the most out of what he
had, he was larger than life and we should all be as wise as the little
guy with the big dreams."- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
With his funky Afro hairstyle, super cool attitude and superb karate
skills, Jim Kelly was instantly identifiable, and one of the top
martial arts film stars of the early 1970s. After appearing in a minor
film role, Kelly's second screen effort was as one of the invited
guests to the deadly Han's Island in Enter the Dragon (1973). Kelly quickly cropped up
in several more martial arts influenced "blaxploitation" films
including Three the Hard Way (1974), Golden Needles (1974) and Black Belt Jones (1974), with its interesting fight
finale in a soap filled car wash! He then appeared in several other
action films of the late seventies, however since 1980, Kelly has only
cropped up in two minor roles. A talented athlete, winning ranked
titles both in tennis and karate, Jim Kelly was an integral part of the
African-American & martial arts cinematic explosion of the
1970s.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
One-of-a-kind comedian Dick Shawn was as intriguingly clever and off-the-wall as they came. As such, he proved to be rather an acquired taste on film and TV. A counterculture favorite far ahead of his time, it became a hit-and-miss effort in proper vehicles for this man's eccentric genius. He certainly found his element on the live comedic stage, however, in between his offbeat on-camera assignments.
Born Richard Schulefand on December 1, 1923, in Buffalo, New York, Dick was raised in nearby Lackawanna where his father owned a clothing store. The family, including a brother, lived in the back room of the store. Athletics dominated his youth and, following high school, he tried out and won a contract with the Chicago White Sox. Before he could join the team, however, he was drafted into the Army where he sang and did comedy in USO shows. Following his discharge, he briefly attended the University of Miami, but the stand-up comedy stage seemed to beckon and he moved to New York City to follow his wacky desire.
Dick auditioned for Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts" show (he didn't win) and changed his sir name to an easier sounding "Shawn" at this point. He began appearing at all the New York clubs and even played the New York Palace. He also found work on the Vegas comedy stage, and finally made his TV debut in 1955 guesting on "The Ed Sullivan Show," making eight appearances in total over the years. Other late 1950's and 60's variety shows came his way, increasing his popularity on "The Tonight Show," "The Kraft Music Hall," "The Eddie Fisher Show," "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show," "The Jimmy Dean Show," "The Jerry Lewis Show," "The Judy Garland Show," "The Andy Williams Show," "The Pat Boone Show" and "The Joan Rivers Show," among others.
Dick slowly moved into the forefront during the be-bop 50s and early 60s with a comical penchant for playing cool, hip cats, Dick made his film debut featured in The Opposite Sex (1956), the musical remake of "The Women," in which he had a cameo in "The Psychiatrist" sketch. A few years later he returned to co-star with equally "way out" comic idol Ernie Kovacs in the military spoof Wake Me When It's Over (1960) as a hustling soldier out to make a buck in the Far East. During this mild bid for film stardom, he found himself top-billed as a hip, laid back genie in the thoroughly anemic satire The Wizard of Baghdad (1960).
Dick made a distinct impression when he replaced the legendary Zero Mostel in the bawdy Broadway musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." On film, he stole a small scene as a deadbeat character in the all-star epic chase comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). By far, the one role that would completely overshadow all of his other film work was his mock, hammy portrayal of a singing Adolf Hitler in the show-within-a-show The Producers (1967), written and directed by Mel Brooks. In the film, which also starred Mostel and Gene Wilder as two con artists deliberately producing a stage "bomb" called "Springtime for Hitler," Shawn sang the absurdly narcissistic song "Love Power." This stroke of genius of matching actor to role would not happen again for him, but he certainly tried. For the most part, Dick's slick and smarmy persona got caught up too much in mediocre material.
On TV, Dick stepped up his visibility appearing on the well-oiled comedy shows of the day, including "The Lucy Show," "That's Life," "Love, American Style," "Mary," "Laverne & Shirley," "Private Benjamin," "Three's Company," and a regular role as Russian Premier Zolotov in the short-lived political satire Hail to the Chief (1985) starring Patty Duke as a female U.S. president. He also could show a serious, dramatic side on such programs as "The Bold Ones," "Medical Center," Magnum P.I.," "The Fall Guy" and "St. Elsewhere."
Dick seemed to be best taken in smaller doses. He provided a gallery of over-the-top oddballs during his three-decade career: a nerdy fiancé in the Rock Hudson battle-of-the-sexes comedy A Very Special Favor (1965); a wacky West Point captain alongside James Coburn in the slapstick war comedy What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966); a Russian counterpart to Brian Keith's space-chosen civilian in the sci-fi comedy Way... Way Out (1966); an unhappy husband married to Tina Louise in The Happy Ending (1969); a psychiatrist to Natalie Wood's title character in Penelope (1966); an adulterous Jewish husband in the family drama Looking Up (1977); an investigating officer in the vampire spoof Love at First Bite (1979) starring George Hamilton as Dracula; a very rare lead as a suicide-prone anchorman in the black comedy Good-bye Cruel World (1982); a rock-and-roller character called Weevil, King of Evil in Rock 'n' Roll Hotel (1983); an annoying college professor in Young Warriors (1983); an aging drag queen in the crime thriller Angel (1983); a patient of Bud Cort's title character in The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud (1984); a smug talk show host in Beer (1985); an equally smug psychiatrist in The Perils of P.K. (1986); an eccentric blueblood who hires Ally Sheedy in Maid to Order (1987); and a documentary filmmaker who, with Martin Mull, is forced to make porn in the comedy farce Rented Lips (1987). This final film of his was released posthumously.
The comedian's biggest fan base, however, was the result of his one-man stage tours which contained a weird mix of songs, sketches, satire, philosophy and even pantomime. A bright, innovative wit, one of Dick's most notorious shows was called "The Second Greatest Entertainer in the World." During the show's intermission, Shawn would lie visibly on the stage floor absolutely still during the entire time. By freakish coincidence, the 63-year-old Shawn was performing at the University of California at San Diego on the evening of April 17, 1987, when, during the show, he suddenly collapsed on stage. The audience, at first laughing and thinking it was part of his odd shtick, had suffered a fatal heart attack. A not surprising end for this thoroughly intriguing character, Dick was survived by his four children from a previous marriage.- Virginia Vincent was born on 3 May 1918 in Goshen, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for The Hills Have Eyes (1977), Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957) and The Return of Dracula (1958). She was married to Frank London and Jack Vincent. She died on 3 October 2013 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
One of the saddest tales ever to come out of Hollywood has to be that
of Barbara Payton. A blue-eyed, peroxide blonde sexpot who had a lot
going for her, her life eventually disintegrated, mostly by her own
doing. Things started out well enough for Barbara Lee Redfield, born on
November 26, 1927, in Cloquet, Minnesota. From a modest, blue-collar
background, she grew up to be a drop-dead gorgeous young woman and,
following a quickie marriage at age 19, decided to leave home for good
to try to capitalize on her good looks in Tinseltown. She headed for
Hollywood in 1948 and, within a short time, was placed under contract
by Universal, where she began the typical starlet route of bit parts.
She reached her peak with routine but promising co-star work opposite
James Cagney in Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950), Gary Cooper in Dallas (1950) and Gregory Peck in Only the Valiant (1951). Although
her talent was overshadowed by her brassiness and looks, her slightly lurid appeal seemed to be enough to carry her through.
Caught up in the glitz and glamour, however, her career started taking
second place to a reckless life full of capricious romances involving a
number of top stars and producers, many of them married. One of her
more famous trysts ended up making headlines for her, and none of them
favorable. She was juggling two boyfriends at the same time, classy "A"
actor Franchot Tone and muscular "B" actor Tom Neal, and they fought almost to
the death for Barbara's affections. On September 13, 1951, the men
engaged in a deadly brawl and when it was over, Tone was in the
hospital with broken bones and a brain concussion. Barbara ended up
with both a black eye and a tarnished reputation. She married Tone
after he recovered, but left him after only seven weeks and returned to
the violence-prone Neal. That abusive relationship lasted four years,
though they never married. During that time Barbara's career had
plummeted to the point where she was making such dismal features as
Bride of the Gorilla (1951). She went to England to try to rejuvenate her career, but no
dice; it was over and her life was skidding out of control. Her once
beautiful face now blotchy and her once spectacular figure now bloated,
Barbara sank deeper into the bottle. From 1955 to 1963 there were
various brushes with the law - among them passing bad checks, public
drunkenness and, ultimately, prostitution. She was forced to sleep on
bus benches, was beaten and bruised by her tricks, and lost teeth in
the process. In 1967, after failed efforts to curb her drinking, she
finally moved in with her parents in San Diego to try to dry out. It
was too late. On May 8, 1967, the 39-year-old former starlet was found
on the bathroom floor - dead of heart and liver failure. Somehow
through all this misery she managed a tell-all book ironically entitled
"I Am Not Ashamed" (1963).- Music Department
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Singer, composer and author Frankie Laine was born March 30, 1913 in
Chicago. His real name was Francesco Paulo LoVecchio and he lived in
Chicago's Little Italy. Frankie was the oldest of eight children born
to Sicilian immigrants John and Anna Lo Vecchio, who had come from
Monreale, Sicily near Palermo. His father first worked as a water-boy
for the Chicago Railroad and he was eventually promoted to laying
rails. His father subsequently went to a Trade School and became a
barber. One of his most famous clients was gangster
Al Capone. Frankie made his first appearance
in a choir at the Immaculate Conception Church where he was an altar
boy. At 15, he performed at the Merry Garden Ballroom in Chicago while
attending Lane Technical School. He supported himself by working as a
car salesman, bouncer in a beer parlor and as a machinist. He also sang
at a weekly radio station (wins) for $5.00 per week. The program
director for wins convinced him to change his name to Frankie Laine
after he auditioned for the radio. His name was stretched out to
Frankie because opera singer Frances Lane
(Dorothy Kirsten) and Fanny Rose
(Dinah Shore) were singing at nearby radio
station WNEW. At 18, he went to Baltimore and participated in a
marathon dance contest after coming off the heels of winning ones in
Stamford, CT. and Chicago. Laine set an all-time marathon dance record
of 3501 hours in 145 consecutive days in 1932 at Wilson's Pier in
Atlantic City, New Jersey and his competition was an Olympic miler
named Joey Ray and included 101 other contestants. Altogether, he
participated in 14 marathons, winning three, second once and fifth
twice. His last contest was back in Chicago at the Arcadia where a
14-year-old girl was disqualified because the judges found out her age.
She later became successful singer,
Anita O'Day.
Laine moved to Los Angeles, California and worked at a defense plant.
One day, he noticed a boy struggling in a neighborhood swimming pool
and saved him from drowning. His name was Ronnie Como, son of singer
Perry Como. Coincidentally, Laine replaced
Como on the Frankie Carlone band. Laine was working at Hollywood and
Vine in the Billy Berg Club when he was discovered by
Hoagy Carmichael after Carmichael heard
him sing his song "Old Rocking Chair". The house trio was led by none
other than Nat 'King' Cole. Laine introduced
the song "That's My Desire" at the Vine Street Club in Hollywood,
California. He was also a first class jazz singer and, by 1952, he was
among the top recording stars and had his own show at the London
Palladium. He also made a command performance for
Queen Elizabeth II. In 1950, he
married Nan Grey, an actress, and raised her
two children from a previous marriage. He joined ASCAP in 1952, and his
chief musical collaborator was Carl Fischer. He toured Britain in 1988,
singing as vigorously as ever. He has experienced open heart surgery
(quad by-pass) and still performs. In the 1980s, he observed children
in a park without shoes in the wintertime and petitioned radio stations
across the United States to raise money to buy shoes at Christmas time
for poor families with children. Thousands and thousands of dollars
have been raised to benefit this effort. Some of Laine's finest hits
include "That's My Desire" (1947), "Mule Train" (1949), "Jezebel, Cry
of the Wild Goose" (1950), "On the Sunny Side Of The Street" (1951), "I
Believe" (1953) and "Moonlight Gambler" in 1957. He sang the title song
for the hit TV series,
Rawhide (1959), that starred
Clint Eastwood in the early 1960s. He
co-wrote "We'll Be Together Again". His wife passed away in recent
years and he makes his home in San Diego, California.- Actor
- Producer
Talented American leading and supporting actor, though often
underrated, David Huffman was a familiar face in films and on
television in the 1970s and 80s. The great success he had achieved, was
cut short after he was tragically murdered in 1985.
He had been appearing on Broadway for a number of years and often seen
in supporting parts in television films and shows. He became known
after taking the title role in the 1979 made for TV historical film
"Tom Edison: The Boy Who Lit Up the World". Huffman's performance led
to a short, but successful career of leading and supporting roles in
films such as "Ice Castles", "F.I.S.T.", "Blood Beach", "St. Helens"
and "Firefox". He was married to Phyllis Huffman and had two children.
In 1985, he was murdered by a thief in San Diego, California. After
bringing cookies to say farewell to his "Of Mice and Men" cast-mates at
the Old Globe Theater, he spotted and chased the thief (who had broken
into a Canadian couple's motor-home) into a Balboa Park canyon. He was
subsequently stabbed twice with a screwdriver. The murderer was
sentenced to 26 years in prison in 1986. David was to begin the TV
miniseries "North and South" the following week. He was 39 years old.- Ben Davidson was born on 14 June 1940 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Conan the Barbarian (1982), Necessary Roughness (1991) and How the West Was Won (1976). He was married to Kathy. He died on 2 July 2012 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Born to a large Irish Catholic family (the fifth of nine children) and
raised in New York City, Lydon overcame a birth defect and alcoholic
father to begin a Broadway career in 1937, acting opposite Van Heflin,
Sidney Lumet and Uta Hagen in separate productions. After a number of films
with Paramount and RKO, Lydon hit his stride in the "Henry Aldrich" B
movie series of the early 1940s. After working increasingly in
television in the early 1950s, Lydon turned to production roles,
helping to create M*A*S*H (1972) and 77 Sunset Strip (1958). He is still active as a producer
and writer.- Writer
- Producer
- Music Department
Acclaimed writer, Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Wednesday, March 2nd, 1904. After attending Dartmouth College and Oxford University, he began a career in advertising. His advertising cartoons, featuring Quick, Henry, the Flit!, appeared in several leading American magazines. Dr. Seuss's first children's book, titled "And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street", hit the market in 1937, changing the face of children's literature forever. It was rejected 27 times before it was finally published by Vanguard Press in 1937.
Following World War 2, Geisel and his first wife Helen moved to La Jolla, California, where he wrote and published several children's books in the coming years, including If I Ran the Zoo and Horton Hears a Who! A major turning point in Geisel's career came when, in response to a 1954 Life magazine article that criticized children's reading levels, Houghton Mifflin and Random House asked him to write a children's primer using 220 vocabulary words. The resulting book, The Cat in the Hat, was published in 1957 and was described by one critic as a "tour de force." The success of The Cat in the Hat cemented Geisel's place in children's literature.
In the following years, Geisel wrote many more books, both in his new simplified-vocabulary style and using his older, more elaborate technique, and including such favorites as Green Eggs and Ham and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966). In 1966, with the help of eminent & longtime cartoonist, Chuck Jones, The Grinch was immediately adapted into an animated film & Boris Karloff was the narrator, (& as the evil Grinch, that turned away from its bitterness, as the special begins) of the half-hour Christmas animation special.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and three Academy Awards, Seuss overall was the author and illustrator of 44 children's books, some of which have been made into audio-cassettes, animated television specials, and videos for people of all ages. Even after his death in Autumn of 1991, Dr. Seuss continues to be the best-selling author of children's books in the world.
Following the death of his first wife Helen Geisel in 1967, Geisel wed Audrey Geisel, who remained his wife until his death on Tuesday, September 24th, 1991, at the age of 87 years 6 months and 22 days. His full life-time was 31,982 days, equaling 4,568 weeks & 6 days.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
William Gargan was an American actor, better known for playing fictional detectives Ellery Queen, Martin Kane, and Barrie Craig. He was once nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Gargan was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City. He attended St. James School in Brooklyn. While he was the younger brother of actor Edward Gargan (1902-1964), Gargan was not initially interested in an acting career. He worked as a salesman of bootleg whiskey during the Prohibition, and later as a professional detective. His life changed through a visit to his brother on a musical comedy stage/ Gargan was offered a stage job of his own, and he accepted.
Gargan started out as a theatrical actor, appearing in the play "Aloma of the South Seas". His film career started in the 1930s, and he was often typecast as as a stereotypical Irishman. He played policemen, priests, reporters, and adventurers. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Joe in the romantic drama "They Knew What They Wanted" (1940). The film was an adaptation of a 1924 play by Sidney Howard (1891-1939), and Joe was depicted as a womanizing foreman who has an affair with a woman engaged to one of his workers. While Gargan's role was critically well-received, the award was instead won by rival actor Walter Brennan (1894-1974).
In the 1940s, Gargan portrayed popular detective Ellery Queen in three films: "A Close Call for Ellery Queen" (1942), "A Desperate Chance for Ellery Queen" (1942), and "Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen" (1942). "Enemy Agents" was the final entry in the Ellery Queen film series. Gargan spend the rest of the decade mostly playing supporting roles in film.
Gargan found another major role as a detective, playing protagonist Martin Kane in the radio series "Martin Kane, Private Eye".(1949-1952). He also appeared in the television adaptation of the series, which lasted from 1949 to 1954. While he was the originator of the role, Gargan was eventually replaced by actor Lloyd Nolan (1902-1985). Nolan was eventually replaced by actor Lee Tracy (1898-1968). The final actor to portray Martin Kane in the original series was Mark Stevens (1916-1994). Gargan returned to the role in the sequel series "The New Adventures of Martin Kane" (1957).
Gargan also played detective Barrie Craig in the popular radio series "Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator" (1951-1955). Unlike the hard-boiled detectives of the genre (popularized by Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe), Craig was noted for his laid-back personality. The series was suggested for adaptation to a television series, but only an unsuccessful pilot episode was filmed.
Gargan's acting career ended abruptly in 1958, when he was diagnosed with throat cancer. His larynx was surgically removed in 1960. This saved his life, but Gargan lost his distinctive voice. He spend the rest of his life speaking through an artificial voice box. He became a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, warning people about the dangers of smoking. Meanwhile he established his own production company, William Gargan Productions.
In 1979, Gargan suffered a mid-flight heart attack, while flying from New York City to San Diego. He died due to the heart attack, at the age of 73. He was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in San Diego, California.- Lew Brown was born on 18 March 1925 in Goltry, Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for Airport (1970), Topaz (1969) and Days of Our Lives (1965). He was married to Toby Adler. He died on 27 July 2014 in La Jolla, San Diego, California, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Pioneering actor who was among Hollywood's first - years ahead of
Sidney Poitier - to crush the
Stepin Fetchit stereotype of black males
as shiftless illiterates. Although in some pictures Edwards would
portray subservient characters (e.g. "General" George C. Scott's valet
in Patton (1970)), he delivered true
dignity in his performances. He is especially remembered for his
leading role in
Home of the Brave (1949).- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Brawn won out over brain as well when it came to wrestler athlete Nat Pendleton's professional movie career. For two decades, this massively-built, dark-haired, good-looking lug played a number of kind-hearted lunkheads, goons, henchmen and Joe Palooka-like buffoons.
Nathaniel Greene Pendleton was born on August 9, 1895 on a farm close to Davenport, Iowa. The son of Nathaniel G. Pendleton, a lawyer, and mother Adelaide Elizabeth Johnson, the family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio when Nat was a mere two months of age. His uncle was well-known Cincinnati-born D.W. Griffith silent player Arthur V. Johnson.
After the family's move from Ohio to New York, Nat became star of Brooklyn's Poly Prep High School wrestling team and later went to Collumbia University where he became a popular athletic presence, never losing a match in college and serving on the 1915 team as their captain. Following a couple of national titles, he competed at the Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920 and won the heavyweight silver medal in what many say was a controversial decision (to Pendleton's advantage). Nat turned pro after this and was undefeated in his two years of competition. He grew disillusioned when he was unable to arrange money bouts with Jack Dempsey and Ed Lewis aka "Strangler" reportedly due to his lack of a flashy enough reputation.
With his athletic image intact, Nat decided to follow his Uncle Arthur into acting in the mid-20s, making his debut in the film The Hoosier Schoolmaster (1924). Several other films followed, mostly in sports-minded themes. He also set his powerful frame on the Broadway stage, with roles in "Naughty Cinderella" (1925), "The Grey Fox" (1928) and as Marcel the Great in the hit comedy "His Girl Friday" (1929). A truckload of films came his way by the early 1930s, including The Spirit of Notre Dame (1931) in which he played an assistant coach, and in both the Marx Bros.' farcical comedy Horse Feathers (1932) with Thelma Todd, and Deception (1932), again with Todd, based on a story Pendleton himself wrote. He played football stars in both. In addition, he and Ward Bond played wrestlers in the Wallace Beery starrer Flesh (1932).
Among Pendleton's other film highlights include his gangsters in Sing and Like It (1934) with Zasu Pitts and The Gay Bride (1934) with Carole Lombard; his policemen in The Thin Man (1934) and Another Thin Man (1939); strongman Sandow in The Great Ziegfeld (1936); another dimbulb wrestler in Swing Your Lady (1938) starring Humphrey Bogart and Louise Fazenda; a barkeep in Northwest Passage (1940) starring Spencer Tracy; _a haranguing officer/nemesis to Abbott and Costello in Buck Privates (1941) and several Dr. Kildare medical dramas as hunky ambulance driver/comedy relief Joe Wayman. A rare prime starring role was the title part as Top Sergeant Mulligan (1941) for Poverty Row's Monogram Pictures.
Following his final film part reprising the badgering sergeant in Buck Privates Come Home (1947), Nat turned to TV before retiring in 1956. The twice-married actor/wrestler died of a heart attack on October 12, 1967 at age 72.- Baynes Barron was born on 29 May 1917 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Ten Commandments (1956), From Hell It Came (1957) and Captain Midnight (1954). He died on 21 July 1982 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Stunts
Born to Italian emigrant parents, Emilio Marenghi and Raffaella Scanzillo, young Jerry took dancing lessons when he was young and aspired to be an actor. In November 1938, standing just 3' 4", he met up with the Oz-bound group of little people in New York and went by bus to California. There he was chosen to be the Munchkin who hands Dorothy a welcoming lollipop.- Susan Morrow was an American actress, who was primarily active during the 1950s. She was the older sister of Judith Exner (1934-1999), a woman who claimed to have served as the mistress of politician John F. Kennedy, gang leader Sam Giancana (boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957 to 1966), and gangster John Roselli (a Chicago Outfit member who helped the organization in its control over Hollywood).
Morrow was born under the name "Jacqueline Ann Teresa Bernadette Immoor", daughter to Frederick W. Immoor and his wife Katherine Shea. Morrow made her film debut with the comic strip adaptation "Gasoline Alley" (1951), based on the long-running comic strip (1918-) by Frank King (1883-1969). She was 20-years-old at the time of her film debut.
Morrow played the character Hope Wallet in both "Gasoline Alley" and its sequel "Corky of Gasoline Alley" (1951). She had a supporting role in the suicide-themed drama "On the Loose" (1951).
Morrow played female lead Tally Hathersall in the Western "The Savage" (1952). Her subsequent roles included adventure film "The Blazing Forest" (1952), and the mystery film "Problem Girls" (1953). She was the female lead in the science-fiction movie serial . "Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders" (1953), where she played undercover agent Kay Conway of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) .
Morrow's next prominent role was that of cat-woman Lambda in the science fiction film "Cat-Women of the Moon" (1953). Her only subsequent film roles were in the war drama "Batle Cry" (1955) and the horror film "Macabre" (1958). She was reduced to supporting roles in both films.
Morrow's television career consisted primarily of guest star roles in then-popular television series, such as "Gunsmoke", "Perry Mason", and "Maverick". By 1960, her television appearances had ended. She apparently retired from acting, at the age of 29.
Morrow lived in relative obscurity until her death in 1985. She was 53-years-old at the time. Some of Morrow's roles are fondly remembered by genre film fans, but not much is known for her off-screen life. - Frank Delfino was born on 13 February 1911 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Lord of the Rings (1978), McDonaldland (1963) and The Hunter (1980). He was married to Sadie Delfino. He died on 19 February 1997 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born as Eschal Loleet Grey Miller in 1918, Nan Grey was an actress who worked for Universal and other studios in the 1930s. She is probably best remembered for her work in the two Deanna Durbin movies, Three Smart Girls (1936) and Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939). Other than the Durbin vehicles, Grey was relegated to mostly "B" movies. She worked in an early John Wayne movie, The Sea Spoilers (1936), two early Gloria Jean movies, The Under-Pup (1939) and A Little Bit of Heaven (1940), as well as The Invisible Man Returns (1940), with Vincent Price, and The House of the Seven Gables (1940). Grey's last film was in 1941, although she continued to work on the radio soap opera, "Those We Love", until 1945 and in the theatre until 1950.
Grey's first marriage to jockey Jackie Westrope ended in divorce. Upon marrying singer Frankie Laine in 1950 (to whom she remained married for the rest of her life), she retired from acting, except for a guest appearance on the TV Western series, Rawhide (1959), with Laine (who sang the theme song for the series).
During the 1960s, Grey dabbled in inventing, and she developed a cosmetic mirror for nearsighted people. One of her customers was Princess Grace of Monaco (Grace Kelly).
Grey died in 1993, on her 75th birthday.- Rex Hamilton was born on 15 March 1924 in San Bernardino, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Police Squad! (1982) and We the People 200: The Constitutional Gala (1987). He was married to Maud Moulton. He died on 7 March 1985 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
In 1920, Merian C. Cooper was a member of volunteer of the American
Kosciuszko Squadron that supported the Polish army in the war with
Soviet Russia, where he met best friend and producing partner Ernest B. Schoedsack.
On 26 July 1920, his plane was shot down, and he spent nearly nine
months in the Soviet prisoner-of-war camp. He escaped just before the
war was over. He was decorated by Marshall Jozef Pilsudski with the
highest military decorations: Virtuti Military. He had a successful
career in the military and in the movie business.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Charlotte acted on stage from the age of five. At thirteen, she made her
Broadway debut in 'Courage' (1928), two year later reprising her role for the screen version. Paramount wanted to cast an unknown actress
in the title role of
Alice in Wonderland (1933) and
picked Charlotte from 7000 applicants worldwide (she was 57th to
audition). Unfortunately, the picture flopped -- despite an excellent
supporting cast which featured the likes of W.C. Fields,
Cary Grant,
Gary Cooper and
Edna May Oliver. Charlotte then appeared
as Bo-Peep in
March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934) with
Laurel & Hardy, but, thereafter, finding meatier roles few and far between. She had one final fling with the movies as the perfunctory female lead in Monogram's Bowery Blitzkrieg (1941), opposite the East Side Kids. She seems to have lost heart after that and returned to acting in stock theater. Charlotte eventually left L.A. and relocated to southern California where she had a lengthy tenure as the executive secretary to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Diego.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Hugh Gillin was born on 14 July 1925 in Galesburg, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Back to the Future Part III (1990), Psycho II (1983) and Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988). He was married to Janet R Mackey and Mary Constance Nettels. He died on 4 May 2004 in San Diego, California, USA.- Paul Sorensen was born on 16 February 1926 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Hang 'Em High (1968) and Charlie's Angels (1976). He was married to Jacqueline May. He died on 17 July 2008 in Cardiff by-the-Sea, San Diego County, California, USA.
- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
John Daheim was born on 22 June 1916 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He was an actor, known for The In-Laws (1979), Jeep-Herders (1945) and Earthquake (1974). He died on 22 September 1991 in San Diego, California, USA.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Eddie Smith was born on 1 December 1924 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for Live and Let Die (1973), The Nutty Professor (1996) and Predator 2 (1990). He died on 1 June 2005 in San Diego, California, USA.- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Abner Biberman was born on 1 April 1909 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was a director and actor, known for His Girl Friday (1940), The Golden Mistress (1954) and Winchester '73 (1950). He was married to Sibil Kamban (editor), Helen Churchill Dalby and Tolbie Snyderman. He died on 20 June 1977 in San Diego, California, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Archie Moore (born Archibald Lee Wright; December 13, 1913 or 1916- December 9, 1998) was an American professional boxer and the longest reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion of all time (December 1952 - May 1962). He had one of the longest professional careers in the history of the sport, competing from 1935 to 1963. Nicknamed "The Mongoose", and then "The Old Mongoose" in the latter half of his career, Moore was a highly strategic and defensive boxer, with a strong chin and unusual resilience. As of December 2020, BoxRec ranks Moore as the third greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time. He also ranks fourth on The Ring's list of "100 greatest punchers of all time". Moore was also a trainer for a short time after retirement, training Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and James Tillis.- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Reinhold Weege was born on 23 December 1949 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Night Court (1984), Barney Miller (1975) and Park Place (1980). He was married to Shelley Pierce. He died on 1 December 2012 in La Jolla, San Diego, California, USA.- Casting Director
- Actor
Thomas Palmer was a character actor in early television, Broadway and films. Palmer, originally from Toronto, appeared in such quality dramatic series on the small screen as "Philco Playhouse," "U.S. Steel Hour," "Kraft Theatre," "Armstrong Circle Theatre," "Playhouse 90" and "Studio One." As television developed, he also had guest roles on "Perry Mason," "Wyatt Earp," "Twilight Zone" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." On daytime television, Palmer appeared regularly as Bert Fowler on "The Young and the Restless." After working in such British films as "The Life and Death of Colonel Clump," he was cast in such Hollywood motion pictures as "Days of Wine and Roses" and "Two Weeks in Another Town." He also acted on stage in London and on Broadway, including the plays "I Know My Love" with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, "Joan of Lorraine" with Ingrid Bergman, "MacBeth" with Michael Redgrave and "Galileo" with Charles Laughton.- K.L. Smith was born on 26 October 1922 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for Star Trek (1966), The Untouchables (1959) and Combat! (1962). He died on 24 August 1981 in San Diego County, California, USA.
- Writer
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Legendary screenwriter Charles Byron Griffith was born in Chicago on
September 23, 1930. His mother and grandmother starred in the famous
radio show, "Myrt and Marge," which went on to New York and became a
soap opera. After a hitch in the army, Griffith went to California to
live with his grandmother, Myrtle Vail.
Before he started writing scripts, Griffith and his cousin Ron Fellows
were in a stage act called "Tsk, Tsk, Pare!", with famous movie and
stage comedians Ole Olsen and
Chic Johnson. Later, he tried his hand at
writing, with his first attempt being a proposed television version of
"Myrt and Marge". Griffith then met and became good friends with actor
Jonathan Haze, who had just started
working for prolific producer/director
'Roger
Corman' on _Monster From The Ocean
Floor (1954). Wanting to help his friend break into movies, Haze took
several of Griffith's scripts and put them right down on Corman's desk.
Corman liked the scripts and hired him. Corman took Griffith's third
script and turned it into a western,
Gunslinger (1956), starring Beverly Garland and John Ireland. Griffith's next movie for Corman became a sci-fi
cult classic: It Conquered the World (1956).
He not only wrote for Corman but also acted in some of them and was an
assistant director for many. In "It Conquered the World" he was Dr.
Pete Shelton. Later he wrote
The Undead (1957) for Corman -- a
fascinating journey into reincarnation. Originally written in iambic
pentameter, the script was translated by Griffith back into English. It
starred Pamela Duncan,
Richard Garland and
Allison Hayes -- who appeared in three of
Griffith's films and later appeared as the title character in
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958),
for which she achieved "cult-status" among sci-fi fans.
Griffith's next film was the sci-fi classic
Not of This Earth (1957), an
excellent venture concerning an alien vampire from outer space that he
co-wrote with Mark Hanna.
Paul Birch starred as Mr. Johnson,
the "blood-seeking" vampire from the planet Davanna, whose very eyes
can incinerate a person's brain. The film also starred the beautiful
and highly talented Beverly Garland. This low-budget excursion is
considered by some to be one of the best sci-fi films of the 1950s. The
interesting plot concerns the Davannans traveling to Earth, via a
teleportation-integrator, in order to obtain human blood because of a
blood disease that their dying race has contracted. More films
followed, ;including another "B" sci-fi classic:
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957),
which he not only wrote but also acted in and served as assistant
director/second-unit director. This starred Richard Garland,
Russell Johnson, Pamela Duncan
and Ed Nelson, along with two of
Griffith's best friends: Jonathan Haze and
Mel Welles. Ed Nelson was also good friends
with Griffith and went on to appear in several films Griffith wrote,
such as Rock All Night (1957),
Teenage Doll (1957) and
A Bucket of Blood (1959).
Both "It Conquered The World" and "Not of This Earth" had alien
monsters created by the genius "monster-maker",
Paul Blaisdell. For "It Conquered the
World", Blaisdell created an innovative alien that was nicknamed
"Beulah." In "Not of This Earth" Griffith's script called for a
"protoplasmic" robotic dog, but because of budgetary restrictions
Blaisdell made a different creation--a flying alien "umbrella bat"
which would assimilate human brain tissue! For "Attack of the Crab
Monsters" Blaisdell was asked to create a giant crab monster, but he
turned it down because he thought he could not produce a
realistic-looking monster due to the small amount of funds allocated to
him.
"A Bucket of Blood" was a dark horror comedy about an artist who
murders people to make art works out of them.
Dick Miller starred in this film,
one of Corman's most popular. Probably Griffith's best-known film was
the low-budget classic
The Little Shop of Horrors (1960).
Shot in three days, this horror comedy starred Jonathan Haze as nerdish
Seymour Krelboin and 'Jackie
Joseph' as
pretty but somewhat air-headed Audrey, Seymour's love. Haze delivered a
magnificent performance in his role. This was such a popular cult movie
that it later became a Broadway musical which was eventually made into
a film
(The Little Shop of Horrors (1960).
Griffith had four parts in the original film: he was the voice of the
plant Audrey 2 ("Feed meeee!"), a shadow on the wall in an alley, a man
running out of the dentist's office and the burglar who breaks into the
flower shop of Gravis Mushnik (Mel Welles) only to be eaten alive by
Audrey 2. Griffith and Welles shot exterior locations for this film in
the "Skid Row" section of Los Angeles. Griffith wrote many more films,
including another cult-classic,
Death Race 2000 (1975), which he
adapted from a story by Ib Melchior.
Griffith also appeared at a number of movie memorabilia shows on the
West Coast, but only appeared at one show in the East (in March 2007 in
Ohio). He was a guest celebrity at the show for a "Little Shop of
Horrors Reunion" along with his good friends Jonathan Haze, Jackie
Joseph and writers Lawrence Fultz Jr. and Stephen Knepp.- Edward Ashley was born on 12 August 1904 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor, known for Pride and Prejudice (1940), Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947) and The Court Jester (1955). He was married to Renée Torres Alegría, Nora Swinburne and Nina Joyce Osborne Throsby. He died on 5 May 2000 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Director
- Editor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Director Stuart Heisler began his film-industry career as a prop man in
1913, joining Mack Sennett at Keystone the
following year. He worked as an editor for
Samuel Goldwyn at United Artists from
1924-25 and again from 1929-34 and at Paramount from 1935-36. He
graduated to second-unit director with
John Ford's
The Hurricane (1937). He started
his directorial career at Paramount in 1940 and stayed there until
1942, turning out mostly "B"-grade films but was occasionally given an
"A" picture. The majority of his output was routine but he did turn out
several first-rate films, his best-known probably being the sleeper hit
The Biscuit Eater (1940), a
small film about a boy and a dog that became an unexpected financial
and critical success, garnering Heisler the best reviews of his career.
After leaving Paramount he free-lanced. He directed
Bette Davis in
The Star (1952) and did a bang-up job
with Ginger Rogers and
Ronald Reagan in the hard-hitting
anti-Klan drama
Storm Warning (1950). He made his
last film, the underwhelming
Hitler (1962), in 1962. He had begun
directing for television in 1960 and after Hitler (1962) he went into it
full time, retiring in 1964.- Music Department
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Peter Allen was born on 10 February 1944 in Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor, known for Arthur (1981), Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) and Muriel's Wedding (1994). He was married to Liza Minnelli. He died on 18 June 1992 in San Diego, California, USA.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Rita La Roy was born on 2 October 1901 in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, USA. She was an actress and director, known for Hold That Woman! (1940), Blonde Venus (1932) and Flight from Glory (1937). She was married to Ben Hershfield. She died on 17 February 1993 in San Diego, California, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Betty Farrington was born on 14 May 1898 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. She was an actress, known for Rescue 8 (1958), My Heart Belongs to Daddy (1942) and Anybody's War (1930). She died on 3 February 1989 in San Diego, California, USA.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Ravi Shankar was a world-renowned musician, composer, performer, and
scholar of classical Indian music. He was one of the leading cultural
figures of the twentieth century whose accomplishments placed him as the
leading figure of an important musical tradition. His long and
distinguished musical career included numerous recordings, performances
at all the world's leading venues, and a series of unprecedented
collaborations with other leading musicians. Although he is well known
because of his interaction with the popular music world, it is
important to underscore that Shankar is considered the leading
international figure in a very elevated art form, Hindustani music.
Shankar was born on April 7, 1920, in Varanasi, India. He moved to
Paris in 1930, and received most of his education there. From the age
of 12, he performed as a musician and dancer on tour in Europe and
America with his brother Uday Shankar, and in 1939 had his first
concert as soloist at a music conference in Allahabad. By 1945
Shankar's reputation as the leading performer of traditional Hindustani
music on the sitar had coalesced. He began to branch out as a composer,
writing music for ballet and for important films such as such as Dharti
Ke Lal and Neecha Nagar. He also composed the song Sare Jahan Se Accha,
which is one of the most widely known piece of music in India. In 1949, Shankar became Music Director of
All-India Radio at Delhi, and founded the Vadya Vrinda Chamber
Orchestra. During the years 1950-55 Shankar composed some of his most famous music, most notably in the internationally-acclaimed
film studios of Calcutta, where he scored The Ray Triology. For his
outstanding contribution to Indian music and culture, he received his
first of five Presidential Awards in 1962, India's highest honor in the
arts. In the mid-1960s, his preeminence as one of the world's leading
serious musicians was augmented with wide popular success. George
Harrison of The Beatles developed a deep, abiding interest in Hindustani
music, and began to study with Shankar. One influence of this study can
be heard in his song Within You, Without You. Shankar died in San Diego, California in 2012 at the age of 92.- Bert Kramer was born on 10 October 1934. He was an actor, known for Volcano (1997), Between Christmas and New Year's (2000) and Starforce (2000). He was married to Patricia Lynn. He died on 20 June 2001 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Emilia Guiú was born on 31 March 1922 in Manresa, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. She was an actress, known for Bel Ami (1947), El último Round (1953) and Carta Brava (1949). She was married to Abraham Piceno, Manuel Suárez, Enrique de la Concha, Guillermo Méndez and Bill Hieb. She died on 7 February 2004 in San Diego, California, USA.- Mickey Daniels was born on 11 October 1914 in Rock Springs, Wyoming, USA. He was an actor, known for The Little Minister (1922), Roaring Roads (1935) and Uncle Tom's Uncle (1926). He died on 20 August 1970 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Scott Holden was born on 2 May 1946 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Breezy (1973), The Revengers (1972) and Panhandle 38 (1972). He was married to Claude Detraz and Shirley Dorise McGrath. He died on 21 January 2005 in San Diego, California, USA.