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- Actress
- Soundtrack
A beloved, twinkly blue-eyed doyenne of stage and screen, actress Jessica Tandy's career spanned nearly six and a half decades. In that span of time, she enjoyed an amazing film renaissance at age 80, something unheard of in a town that worships youth and nubile beauty. She was born Jessie Alice Tandy in London in 1909, the daughter of Jessie Helen (Horspool), the head of a school for mentally handicapped children, and Harry Tandy, a traveling salesman. Her parents enrolled her as a teenager at the Ben Greet Academy of Acting, where she showed immediate promise. She was 16 when she made her professional bow as Sara Manderson in the play "The Manderson Girls", and was subsequently invited to join the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Within a couple of years, Jessica was making a number of other debuts as well. Her first West End play was in "The Rumour" at the Court Theatre in 1929, her Gotham bow was in "The Matriarch" at the Longacre Theatre in 1930, and her initial film role was as a maid in The Indiscretions of Eve (1932).
Jessica married British actor Jack Hawkins in 1932 after the couple had met performing in the play "Autumn Crocus" the year before. They had one daughter, Susan, before parting ways after eight years of marriage. An unconventional beauty with slightly stern-eyed and sharp, hawkish features, she was passed over for leading lady roles in films, thereby focusing strongly on a transatlantic stage career throughout the 1930s and 1940s. She grew in stature while enacting a succession of Shakespeare's premiere ladies (Titania, Viola, Ophelia, Cordelia). At the same time, she enjoyed personal successes elsewhere in such plays as "French Without Tears", "Honour Thy Father", "Jupiter Laughs", "Anne of England" and "Portrait of a Madonna". And then she gave life to Blanche DuBois.
When Tennessee Williams' masterpiece "A Streetcar Named Desire" opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947, Jessica's name became forever associated with this entrancing Southern belle character. One of the most complex, beautifully drawn, and still sought-after femme parts of all time, she went on to win the coveted Tony award. Aside from introducing Marlon Brando to the general viewing public, "Streetcar" shot Jessica's marquee value up a thousandfold. But not in films.
While her esteemed co-stars Brando, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden were given the luxury of recreating their roles in Elia Kazan's stark, black-and-white cinematic adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Jessica was devastatingly bypassed. Vivien Leigh, who played the role on stage in London and had already immortalized another coy, manipulative Southern belle on celluloid (Scarlett O'Hara), was a far more marketable film celebrity at the time and was signed on to play the delusional Blanche. To be fair, Leigh was nothing less than astounding in the role and went on to deservedly win the Academy Award (along with Malden and Hunter). Jessica would exact her revenge on Hollywood in later years.
In 1942, she entered into a second marriage, with actor/producer/director Hume Cronyn, a 52-year union that produced two children, Christopher and Tandy, the latter an actor in her own right. The couple not only enjoyed great solo success, they relished performing in each other's company. A few of their resounding theatre triumphs included the "The Fourposter" (1951), "Triple Play" (1959), "Big Fish, Little Fish (1962), "Hamlet" (he played Polonius; she played Gertrude) (1963), "The Three Sisters (1963) and "A Delicate Balance." They supported together in films too, their first being The Seventh Cross (1944). In the film The Green Years (1946), Jessica, who was two years older than Cronyn, actually played his daughter! Throughout the 1950s, they built up a sturdy reputation as "America's First Couple of the Theatre."
In 1963, Jessica made an isolated film appearance in Alfred Hitchcock's classic The Birds (1963). Low on the pecking order at the time (pun intended), Hitchcock gave Jessica a noticeable secondary role, and Jessica made the most of her brittle scenes as the high-strung, overbearing mother of Rod Taylor, who witnesses horror along the California coast. It was not until the 1980s that Jessica (and Hume, to a lesser degree) experienced a mammoth comeback in Hollywood.
Alongside Hume she delighted movie audiences in such enjoyable fare as Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), The World According to Garp (1982), Cocoon (1985) and *batteries not included (1987). In 1989, however, octogenarian Jessica was handed the senior citizen role of a lifetime as the prickly Southern Jewish widow who gradually forms a trusting bond with her black chauffeur in the genteel drama Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Jessica was presented with the Oscar, Golden Globe and British Film Awards, among others, for her exceptional work in the film that also won "Best Picture". Deemed Hollywood royalty now, she was handed the cream of the crop in elderly film parts and went on to win another Oscar nomination for Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) a couple of years later.
Jessica also enjoyed some of her biggest stage hits ("Streetcar" notwithstanding) during her twilight years, earning two more Tony Awards for her exceptional work in "The Gin Game" (1977) and "Foxfire" (1982). Both co-starred her husband, Hume, and both were beautifully transferred by the couple to television. Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1990, Jessica bravely continued working with Emmy-winning distinction on television. She died of her illness on September 11, 1994. Her last two films, Nobody's Fool (1994) and Camilla (1994), were released posthumously.- Actor
- Soundtrack
His tall stature, tough looks and commanding manner belied an often thoughtful and introspective screen personality. Not that acting had necessarily been Robert Lansing's only career choice - there had been jazz. As a youngster, he played drums with various dance bands and was bitten by the acting bug after performing in and directing high school plays, winning the Southern California Shakespearean Festival for dramatic acting at the age of fifteen. Then came two years of army service in Japan where he worked with the Armed Forces Radio Service. After his discharge, he hitched a ride to New York but stopped over in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, to spend two years as a radio announcer and act in local theatre.
Once finally arrived in the 'Big Apple', he became just another struggling hopeful, frequenting the soup kitchen on 6th Avenue and travelling to auditions. Like countless others in the same position, he had to do in-between jobs to make ends meet. In his case this meant working in a plastics factory and as a hat check attendant at a Latin Quarter nightclub. His first big break came about, when he was hired to play the part of Dunbar in 'Stalag 17' on Broadway in May 1951. This was followed by roles in several prestige plays, including 'Cyrano de Bergerac' and 'Richard III', but neither resulted in recognition or financial reward. By 1956, Lansing was still living with his wife and child in a vermin-infested tenement on Second Avenue. Considering himself the last 'no-name leading man' in New York, he decided to return to California and try his luck in films.
After a few small parts in TV anthology dramas he landed his first leading role on the big screen as a scientist who stumbles upon a method to penetrate solid matter (needless to say, with predictably dire consequences) in the low budget -- but slickly made -- sci-fi potboiler 4D Man (1959). A throwback to earlier genre classics about man transformed into monster through scientific experimentation, it offered some innovative special effects and clever make-up in the deterioration of Lansing's latter-day Dr. Jekyll. More television work followed, including a lead in the short-lived detective series 87th Precinct (1961) which resulted in the Lansing family settling permanently on the West Coast. His next milestone did not eventuate until four years later, when he was cast as Brigadier General Frank Savage in 12 O'Clock High (1964). His performance was entirely convincing: of a military man attempting to balance duty with humanity and compassion. At the height of his popularity, Lansing's character was suddenly killed off at the beginning of season two. Given the show's new time slot at 7.30 P.M., the sponsors clamored for a younger actor to woo the teen audience (ironically, his replacement, Paul Burke, was actually two years his senior!). They put forward another spurious argument in that audiences could not relate to a military man above middle-echelon rank. Understandably a little bitter from this experience, Lansing moved on to playing the dual lead in the espionage drama The Man Who Never Was (1966). Filmed on location in Europe, this was yet another series destined to be axed after a brief run. In-between his regular series work, Lansing had also essayed George Armstrong Custer in three episodes of Branded (1965) (not without incident: on one occasion, he was thrown off his horse and landed in hospital with a broken hip) and starred as the sympathetic lead of the family feature Namu, the Killer Whale (1966).
In 1968, Lansing guested as Gary Seven in 'Assignment: Earth', one of the most likeable and well-written episodes of Star Trek (1966) . His self-assured performance effectively stole the show. It was slated to be the pilot for a spin-off series. Sadly, by this time, the original series was already on the verge of cancellation and the project never got off the ground. Luck was not to be Bob Lansing's middle name. Nonetheless, he kept busy during the next two decades acting on the stage, where he enjoyed rather more critical, if not financial, success (frequently performing at the Long Wharf and Cherry Lane Theatres). He received much praise for his one-man shows 'Damian' and 'The Disciple of Discontent'. His final Broadway appearance was as Benjamin Hubbard in a revival of 'The Little Foxes' in 1981. He also continued regular screen work, notably as Edward Woodward's 'Control' in The Equalizer (1985) and as the laconic lead of mutant bug monster movies like Empire of the Ants (1977) and The Nest (1987). A heavy smoker, Bob Lansing died from lung cancer one year into his last regular series, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (1993).- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Candy was one of Canada's greatest and funniest character actors. His well-known role as the big hearted buffoon earned him classics in Uncle Buck (1989) and Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987). His career has handed him some dry spells but Candy always rebounded.
Born in Newmarket, Ontario, in the year 1950, Candy was the son of Evangeline (Aker) and Sidney James Candy. His mother was of Ukrainian and Polish ancestry. Candy found his passion for drama while attending a community college. In 1971 Candy made his TV debut in an episode of Police Surgeon (1971) co-starring Sharon Farrell, John Hamelin, and Nick Mancuso. Candy then found a number of bit parts in other Canadian television shows and also in such small films as Tunnel Vision (1976) and Find the Lady (1976). However, his big success came at the age of twenty-seven, when he became part of the comedy group "Second City" in Toronto. Alongside such soon-to-be Canadian stars as Catherine O'Hara (one of Candy's lifelong friends), Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, and Harold Ramis, Candy was also part of the television show the group inspired. SCTV (1976) earned Candy a reputation for his quirky humor and his uncanny imitations of others.
After the television series, Candy appeared alongside fellow Canadian Dan Aykroyd in the Steven Spielberg flop 1941 (1979). However, other jobs followed and Candy landed a role, once again with Aykroyd, in the successful classic The Blues Brothers (1980). Candy played a parole officer who is part of the chase after Jake and Elwood Blues. The film was a hit and Candy followed up accordingly.
Candy acted in the smash hit Stripes (1981) where he played a dopey, overweight recruit affectionately nicknamed 'Ox'. After the success of Stripes (1981), Candy returned to the Second City with the other former stars, in SCTV Network (1981). Candy also hosted "Saturday Night Live" before landing himself a role in the Ron Howard film Splash (1983), a romantic comedy about a mermaid who washes ashore and learns to live like a human. Candy played a sleazy womanizing brother to the character played by Tom Hanks. The film was a bigger success than even Stripes (1981) and a number of people have said that Splash (1983) was his breakout role.
He took a second billing in the comedic film Brewster's Millions (1985) where a man must spend thirty million in order to inherit three hundred million from his deceased relative. Candy played the man's best friend, who accidentally gets in the way as much as helping out. Candy continued making films tirelessly, including the film Armed and Dangerous (1986) where he and Eugene Levy play characters who become security guards.
1987 was an especially good year to Candy, giving him two classic roles: Barf the Mawg in the Mel Brooks comedy Spaceballs (1987) and the bumbling salesman Del Griffith alongside Steve Martin's uptight character in the John Hughes film Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987). The latter film is a golden classic and is one of Candy's greatest films. He followed up immediately with The Great Outdoors (1988), once again alongside Dan Aykroyd. Candy landed another classic role in the film Uncle Buck (1989) which was about a bumbling uncle who must look after his brother's three children.
Although he was in the smash hit Home Alone (1990), Candy's career fell into a slump, turning out unsuccessful films in the early nineties. This caused him to change his strategy by taking more serious roles. The first of these serious roles was the corrupt lawyer Dean Andrews in the 'Oliver Stone' film JFK (1991). The film was a big success, and Candy moved on from this victory to make the film Cool Runnings (1993) about the first Jamaican bobsled team.
Candy was well known for his size, six feet two and weighing around 300 pounds. However, he was very sensitive about the subject and in the nineties tried to lose weight and quit smoking. He was aware that heart attacks were in his family: both his father and his grandfather died of heart attacks and Candy wanted to prevent that happening to him as best he could.
In the mid-nineties Candy filmed the Michael Moore comedy Canadian Bacon (1995) then went to Mexico to film the western spoof Wagons East (1994). It was in Mexico that Candy had a heart attack and passed away in March 1994. Canadian Bacon (1995) was released a year after his death and is his last film.
Candy was loved by thousands of people who loved his classic antics in Splash (1983) and The Great Outdoors (1988). He was well-known for his roles in Stripes (1981) and Uncle Buck (1989) and he himself never forgot his Canadian background.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Burt Lancaster, one of five children, was born in Manhattan, to Elizabeth (Roberts) and James Henry Lancaster, a postal worker. All his grandparents were immigrants from the north of Ireland. He was a tough street kid who took an early interest in gymnastics. He joined the circus as an acrobat and worked there until he was injured. In the Army during WWII he was introduced to the USO and to acting. His first film was The Killers (1946), and that made him a star. He was a self-taught actor who learned the business as he went along. He set up his own production company in 1948 with Harold Hecht and James Hill to direct his career. He played many different roles in pictures as varied as The Crimson Pirate (1952), From Here to Eternity (1953), Elmer Gantry (1960) and Atlantic City (1980).
His production company, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, produced such films as Paddy Chayefsky's Marty (1955) (Oscar winner 1955) and The Catered Affair (1956). In the 1980s he appeared as a supporting player in a number of movies, such as Local Hero (1983) and Field of Dreams (1989). However, it will be the sound of his voice, the way that he laughed, and the larger-than-life characters he played that will always be remembered.- Actor
- Writer
- Art Department
Peter Wilton Cushing was born on May 26, 1913 in Kenley, Surrey, England, to Nellie Maria (King) and George Edward Cushing, a quantity surveyor. He and his older brother David were raised first in Dulwich Village, a south London suburb, and then later back in Surrey. At an early age, Cushing was attracted to acting, inspired by his favorite aunt, who was a stage actress. While at school, Cushing pursued his acting interest in acting and also drawing, a talent he put to good use later in his first job as a government surveyor's assistant in Surrey. At this time, he also dabbled in local amateur theater until moving to London to attend the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on scholarship. He then performed in repertory theater in Worthing, deciding in 1939 to head for Hollywood, where he made his film debut in The Man in the Iron Mask (1939). Other Hollywood films included A Chump at Oxford (1940) with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Vigil in the Night (1940) and They Dare Not Love (1941). However, after a short stay, he returned to England by way of New York (making brief appearances on Broadway) and Canada. Back in his homeland, he contributed to the war effort during World War II by joining the Entertainment National Services Association.
After the war, he performed in the West End and had his big break appearing with Laurence Olivier in Hamlet (1948), in which Cushing's future partner-in-horror Christopher Lee had a bit part. Both actors also appeared in Moulin Rouge (1952) but did not meet until their later horror films. During the 1950s, Cushing became a familiar face on British television, appearing in numerous teleplays, such as 1984 (1954) and Beau Brummell (1954), until the end of the decade when he began his legendary association with Hammer Film Productions in its remakes of the 1930s Universal horror classics. His first Hammer roles included Dr. Frankenstein in The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dr. Van Helsing in Horror of Dracula (1958), and Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959).
Cushing continued playing the roles of Drs. Frankenstein and Van Helsing, as well as taking on other horror characters, in Hammer films over the next 20 years. He also appeared in films for the other major horror producer of the time, Amicus Productions, including Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and its later horror anthologies, a couple of Dr. Who films (1965, 1966), I, Monster (1971), and others. By the mid-1970s, these companies had stopped production, but Cushing, firmly established as a horror star, continued in the genre for some time thereafter.
Perhaps his best-known appearance outside of horror films was as Grand Moff Tarkin in George Lucas' phenomenally successful science fiction film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Biggles: Adventures in Time (1986) was Cushing's last film before his retirement, during which he made a few television appearances, wrote two autobiographies and pursued his hobbies of bird watching and painting. In 1989, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his contributions to the acting profession in Britain and worldwide. Peter Cushing died at age 81 of prostate cancer on August 11, 1994.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Raul Julia was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Olga Arcelay, a mezzo-soprano singer, and Raúl Juliá, an electrical engineer. He graduated from Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola High School in San Juan. Here he studied the rigorous classical curriculum of the Jesuits and was always active in student dramatics. Julia was discovered while performing in a nightclub in San Juan by actor Orson Bean who inspired him to move to the mainland to pursue other projects. Julia moved to Manhattan, New York City in 1964 and quickly found work by acting in small and supporting roles in off-Broadway shows. In 1966, Julia began appearing in Shakespearean roles, creating a deliciously conniving Edmund in "King Lear" in 1973 and a smoldering Othello in 1979. Julia also made his mark on the musical stage playing one of the "Two Gentlemen of Verona" during its run in 1971, and a chilling role of Mack the Knife in "The Threepenny Opera" in 1976 and as a Felliniesque film director in "Nine" in 1982. The stage successes led to his movie works where he is better known.
One of his best movie roles is a passionate political prisoner in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985). Julia also appeared as dramatic heroes and memorable villains in a number of films and made-for-TV-movies. His later roles included the crazy macabre Gomez Addams in two Addams Family movies. With his health declining from 1993 onward after he underwent a surgical operation for stomach cancer, Julia kept on acting, where he traveled to Mexico during the winter of 1993-1994 to play the Brazilian Amazon forest activist Chico Mendes in The Burning Season: The Chico Mendes Story (1994), for which he posthumously won a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award. His last theatrical movie was filmed shortly after The Burning Season: The Chico Mendes Story (1994) when he traveled to Australia to shoot all of his scenes for Street Fighter (1994), based on the popular video game where he played the villainous General M. Bison. His last role was a supporting part in another made-for-TV movie titled Down Came a Blackbird (1995).
On October 16, 1994, the weakened and gaunt Raul Julia suffered a stroke in New York City where he fell into a coma a few days later and was put on life support. He was transferred to a hospice in nearby Manhasset, Long Island where his weakened body finally gave up the struggle on October 24, at age 54. His body was flown back to Puerto Rico for burial where thousands turned out for his state funeral to remember him. Two honoring ceremonies were held at Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola High School, and at the Headquarters of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture prior to his burial.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Dack (given name Norman) and identical twin brother, Dirk Rambo (Orman), were born in sunny California in 1941. Dack's noticeable difference was a mole on his left cheek. Both happened upon an acting career, at age 21, after being discovered by Loretta Young for her TV show, while sitting in a church pew. The sons of Lester and Beatrice Rambo, the brothers also had another brother and sister, Bill and Beverly. Dack's early training began as a student of Vincent Chase and Lee Strasberg, and both boys found employment, following the one-season stint on Loretta's TV show, in 1963. While Dirk found success on episodic-TV (The Virginian (1962), Dragnet 1967 (1967)), Dack went on to a couple of other TV series, including Never Too Young (1965) and The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967). Dirk was tragically killed in 1967, after being struck by a drunken driver. A stunned Dack ventured on, however, and eventually found a secure place for his dark good looks in 70s and 80s glossy drama and secondary action. He played many a calculating lover in both daytime (All My Children (1970), Another World (1964)) and prime-time (Dallas (1978)) soaps, while showing off his athletic skills in such outdoor adventure series as Sword of Justice (1978). Later in his career, he worked up a few action leads in low-budget filming. In 1991, while appearing on Another World (1964), Dack discovered he had contracted AIDS and made a courageous decision to retire in order to focus on awareness of this deadly disease. He was extremely candid as to his bisexuality and advocating safe sex and helping to establish an international data bank for AIDS research. He died of complications in 1994 at age 52.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Royal Dano was undoubtedly one of the best, most quirky and striking character actors to ever grace the big and small screen alike in a lengthy and impressive career which spanned 42 years.
Royal Edward Dano was born on November 16, 1922 in New York City, to Mary Josephine (O'Connor) and Caleb Edward Dano, a newspaper printer. He was of mostly Irish descent (his mother was an immigrant). Royal ran away from home at age twelve and lived in such states as Texas, Florida and California. He struck a deal with his father to continue his education, but still be able to travel around the country. Dano eventually attended New York University. His performing career began as part of the 44th Special Service Provisional Company during World War II. Dano soon branched out to the New York stage and made his Broadway debut with a small role in the hit musical "Finian's Rainbow." He was nominated by the New York Critic's Circle as one of the Promising Actors of 1949. Tall and lean, with a gaunt face, dark hair, a rangy build, and a very distinctive deep croaky voice, Dano was usually cast in both movies and TV shows as gloomy and/or sinister characters. He appeared most often in westerns and worked several times with James Stewart and director Anthony Mann. He made his film debut in Undercover Girl (1950). Dano's more memorable roles include the Tattered Soldier in The Red Badge of Courage (1951), a sickly bookworm bad guy in Johnny Guitar (1954), Elijah in Moby Dick (1956), Peter in King of Kings (1961), a cattle rustler in The Culpepper Cattle Co. (1972), a coroner in Electra Glide in Blue (1973), a profanity-spewing preacher in Big Bad Mama (1974), Ten Spot in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), a weary factory line worker in Take This Job and Shove It (1981), a lightening rod salesman in Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), a caterwauling minister who showed up at the doors of newly widowed wives of test pilots, and sang "Eternal Father Strong To Save" in The Right Stuff (1983). He was a stuffy high school teacher in Teachers (1984), rascally zombie old-timer Gramps in House II: The Second Story (1987), a cantankerous farmer in Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988), and in his last part, a cemetery caretaker in George A. Romero's The Dark Half (1993). Among the numerous TV shows Dano did guest spots on are Twin Peaks (1990), Amazing Stories (1985), CHiPs (1977), Quincy M.E. (1976), Fantasy Island (1977), Little House on the Prairie (1974), Kung Fu (1972), Ben Casey (1961), Planet of the Apes (1974), Cannon (1971), Playhouse 90 (1956), Lost in Space (1965), Gunsmoke (1955), Bonanza (1959), Wagon Train (1957), The Virginian (1962), Hawaii Five-O (1968), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958), Night Gallery (1969), Route 66 (1960), The Rifleman (1958), and Rawhide (1959). Moreover, Dano did the voice of the animatronic Abraham Lincoln for Walt Disney's Hall of Presidents for both Disneyland and Disney World. Dano also portrayed Lincoln on the Omnibus (1952) television series. He's the father of actor Rick Dano. Royal Dano died at age 71 of a heart attack on May 15th, 1994.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Of Greek descent on both sides, the son of immigrants, Savalas was a soldier during World War II, although most of his enlistment records were destroyed in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1973. He later studied psychology at Columbia University under the GI Bill.
Iconically bald, he often played character roles, sometimes as sadists or psychotics. He became famous in the 1970s when his role as Det. Theo Kojak in the TV movie The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973) was expanded into the gritty Kojak (1973) TV series (1973-78).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Broad-shouldered and beefy Claude Akins had wavy black hair, a deep booming voice and was equally adept at playing sneering cowardly villains as he was at portraying hard-nosed cops. The son of a police officer, Akins never seemed short of work and appeared in nearly 100 films and 180+ TV episodes in a career spanning over 40 years. He originally attended Northwestern University, and went on to serve with the US Army Signal Corps in World War II in Burma and the Phillipines. Upon returning, he reignited his interest in art and drama and first appeared in front of the camera in 1953 in From Here to Eternity (1953). He quickly began notching up roles in such TV shows as Dragnet (1951), My Friend Flicka (1955), Gunsmoke (1955) and Zane Grey Theatre (1956). He also turned in several strong cinematic performances, such as gunfighter Joe Burdette in the landmark western Rio Bravo (1959), Mack in the excellent The Defiant Ones (1958), Sgt. Kolwicz in Merrill's Marauders (1962) and Earl Sylvester in the gripping The Killers (1964). In the early 1970s Akins turned up in several supernatural TV films playing "no-nonsense" sheriffs in both The Night Stalker (1972) and The Norliss Tapes (1973), and was unrecognizable underneath his simian make-up as war-mongering Gen. Aldo in Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). Akins continued starring in films and TV right up until the time of his death from cancer in 1994. By all reports a very gregarious, likable and friendly person off screen, Akins was married for over 40 years to Theresa "Pie" Fairfield, and had three children, Claude Marion Jr., Michele & Wendy.- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
Handsome and elegant George Peppard occasionally displayed considerable talent through his career, whether action roles or dramatic. Following Broadway and television experience, he made a strong film debut in The Strange One (1957). He started getting noticed when he played Robert Mitchum's illegitimate son in the popular melodrama Home from the Hill (1960). He then established himself as a leading man, giving arguably his most memorable film performance as Audrey Hepburn's love interest in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Seen by the studios as a promising young star, Peppard was subsequently cast in some of the major blockbusters of the early/mid-1960s: How the West Was Won (1962), The Victors (1963), The Carpetbaggers (1964) and Operation Crossbow (1965). He reached the peak of his popularity in another such lavish production, The Blue Max (1966), in which he effectively played an obsessively competitive German flying officer during World War I.
However, by the late 1960s, he seemed to settle as a tough lead in more average, often hokum, adventures, including House of Cards (1968), Cannon for Cordoba (1970) and The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972). In the early 1970s, his declining popularity was temporarily boosted thanks to the television series Banacek (1972). With his film roles becoming increasingly uninteresting, he acted in, directed and produced the drama Five Days from Home (1978), but the result was rather disappointing. In the mid-1980s, he again obtained success on television as Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith, the cigar-chomping leader of The A-Team (1983). George Peppard died at age 65 of pneumonia on May 8, 1994 in Los Angeles, California. He is buried alongside his parents in Northview Cemetery in Dearborn, Michigan.- Actress
- Soundtrack
After graduating with two degrees (arts and music) from Mather College (Western Reserve) in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1935, Janis headed to New York with aspirations of embarking on a musical career in opera. Supporting herself by waitressing, singing in churches, modeling (Conover) and writing radio scripts, she won an audition with the Met. However, a case of nerves assured her failure and an end to that ambition. Landing on her feet, she got a part in the Broadway musical I Married An Angel. DuBarry Was A Lady soon followed and then Panama Hattie, in which she had a solo number. Darryl Zanuck of 20th Century-Fox attended the opening night and was impressed enough with Janis to offer her a contract. She arrived in Hollywood in February 1941 and stayed for 12 years, making more than 30 movies for 20th Century-Fox, MGM, Columbia, and RKO. After leaving Hollywood for good, Janis headed back to New York and began a career working in television. She acted in numerous shows, both drama and comedy, and in 1954 became the hostess of the NBC quiz show Feather Your Nest, working with Bud Collyer. In 1956, Janis married Julius Stulman and retired from show business. With the same enthusiasm she had shown in other areas of her life, she involved herself in cultural activities of her community, serving in various capacities throughout the years, primarily in Sarasota, Florida.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Cameron Mitchell was the son of a minister, but chose a different path from his father. Prior to World War II, in which he served as an Air Force bombardier, Mitchell appeared on Broadway, and, in 1940, an experimental television broadcast, "The Passing of the Third Floor Back". He made his film debut in What Next, Corporal Hargrove? (1945), but continued with stage as well as film work. He gained early recognition for his portrayal of Happy in the stage and screen versions of "Death of a Salesman". Still, out of more than 300 film and TV appearances, he is probably best remembered for his work on The High Chaparral (1967) TV series in which he, as the happy-go-lucky Buck Cannon, and Henry Darrow, as Manolito Montoya, stole the show.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Tall, suave and sophisticated Cesar Romero actually had two claims to fame in Hollywood. To one generation, he was the distinguished Latin lover of numerous musicals and romantic comedies, and the rogue bandit The Cisco Kid in a string of low-budget westerns. However, to a younger generation weaned on television, Romero was better known as the white-faced, green-haired, cackling villain The Joker of the camp 1960s TV series Batman (1966), and as a bumbling corporate villain in a spate of Walt Disney comedies, such as chasing a young Kurt Russell in the fun-packed The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969). Fans and critics alike agreed that Romero was a major talent who proved himself an enduring and versatile star in an overwhelming variety of roles in a career as an actor, dancer and comedian that lasted nearly 60 years.
Cesar Romero was born of Cuban parents in New York City in February 1907. He attended the Collegiate School and Riverdale Country School before working as a ballroom dancer. He first appeared on Broadway in the 1927 production of Lady Do, and then in the stage production of Strictly Dishonorable. His first film role was in The Shadow Laughs (1933), after which he gave strong performances in The Devil Is a Woman (1935) and in the Shirley Temple favorite, Wee Willie Winkie (1937).
Critics and fans generally agree that Romero's best performance was as the Spanish explorer Cortez in Captain from Castile (1947). However, he also shone in the delightful Julia Misbehaves (1948) and several other breezy and lighthearted escapades. In 1953 he starred in the 39-part espionage TV serial Passport to Danger (1954), which earned him a considerable income due to a canny profit-sharing arrangement. Although Romero became quite wealthy and had no need to work, he could not stay away from being in front of the cameras. He continued to appear in a broad variety of film roles, but surprised everyone in Hollywood by taking on the role of "The Joker" in the hugely successful TV series Batman (1966). He refused to shave his trademark mustache for the role, and close observation shows how the white clown makeup went straight on over his much loved mustache! The appearances in Batman were actually only a small part of the enormous amount of work that Romero contributed to television. He guest-starred in dozens of shows, including Rawhide (1959), 77 Sunset Strip (1958), Zorro (1957), Fantasy Island (1977) and Murder, She Wrote (1984). However, it was The Joker for which his TV work was best remembered, and Romero often remarked that for many, many years after Batman ended, fans would stop him and ask him to chuckle and giggle away just like he did as The Joker. Romero always obliged, and both he and the fans just loved it!
With a new appeal to a younger fan base, Romero turned up in three highly popular Disney comedies: The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972) and The Strongest Man in the World (1975) as corrupt but inept villain A.J. Arno. Throughout the remainder of the 1980s Romero remained busy, and even at 78 years of age the ladies still loved his charm, and he was cast as Jane Wyman's love interest in the top-rated prime-time soap opera Falcon Crest (1981), playing Peter Stavros from 1985 to 1987.
Although Romero stopped acting in 1990, he remained busy, regularly hosting classic movie programs on cable television. A talented and much loved Hollywood icon, he passed away on New Year's Day 1994, at the age of 86.- Actress
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Her real name was Frances "Fanny" Rose Shore, and she was born in Winchester, Tennessee. Stricken with polio at 18 months of age, she recovered after receiving the Sister Kenny treatment. She became a cheerleader at Hume-Fogg High School in Nashville and went on to graduate from Vanderbilt University in 1938, where she majored in sociology. She took voice and acting lessons on the side and sang on radio station WSM in Nashville. In 1938 she left Tennessee for New York City and began singing on radio station WNCW in New York. Her first recordings were with bandleader Xavier Cugat, and she later changed her named to Dinah after her success with the song of the same name. She received numerous Emmy awards for television specials and productions and appeared in many films. She was married to actor George Montgomery, with whom she had one daughter and adopted a son.- Nicole Brown Simpson was born on 19 May 1959 in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. She was an actress, known for Infamous Crime Scenes: OJ. She was married to O.J. Simpson. She died on 12 June 1994 in Brentwood, California, USA.
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Familiar and well-liked character actor of very different persona than either his father, Noah Beery, or his uncle, Wallace Beery. He attended Harvard Military Academy but managed to make a number of appearances on film and on stage with his father before adulthood. At age 19, he began playing amiable second leads and occasional leading roles, primarily in westerns, before settling into what would be the pattern for much of his career: good-natured supporting roles, usually as a pal of the hero. He kept going in such parts into his late 70s, transforming slowly into warm (or, rarely, curmudgeonly) rustic sages. In later years, he achieved great renown as the father of the James Garner character on TV's The Rockford Files (1974). He married the daughter of cowboy star Buck Jones. Their son Bucklind Beery is an actor. They also had two daughters, Muffett and Melissa. Beery died in 1994 at the age of 81.- Actor
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An athlete turned actor, Strode was a top-notch decathlete and a football star at UCLA. He became part of Hollywood lore after meeting director John Ford and becoming a part of the Ford "family," appearing in four Ford motion pictures. Strode also played the powerful gladiator who does battle with Kirk Douglas in Spartacus (1960)."- Actor
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Rossano Brazzi was an Italian stage and film actor. He was married to Lydia Brazzi until her death, and to Ilse Fischer, his second wife, until his death.
He's most familiar to English-speaking audiences for his role as Emile De Becque in South Pacific (1958), playing opposite Mitzi Gaynor.
He died in Rome of complications following a neural virus, on December 24, 1994.- Actor
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Sorrell Booke was born in Buffalo, New York in 1930, the son of a local physician. He found his calling early in life, like most actors, when his family encouraged him to entertain relatives by doing impressions and telling jokes. He went on to study at Yale and Columbia University, and mastered five languages. During the Korean War, Booke worked in counter-intelligence where his lingual talents served him well. His intelligence and subtlety are often overlooked when considering his signature role as Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg during his run on The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). He died of cancer in 1994 just after his 64th birthday.- Actor
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William Conrad became a television star relatively late in his career. In fact, the former Army Air Corps World War II fighter pilot began his screen career playing heavies. He was Max, one of The Killers (1946) hired to finish off Burt Lancaster in his dingy lodgings. He was the corrupt state inspector Turck working for the syndicate in The Racket (1951). He was a mobster in Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), the murderous gunslinger Tallman in Johnny Concho (1956) and sleazy nightclub owner Louie Castro who claimed to be 60% legitimate in Cry Danger (1951).
When not essaying outright villainy, Bill played characters like the tough fight promoter Quinn in Body and Soul (1947) or the doom-laden province commissioner in The Naked Jungle (1954). The portly, balding, crumple-faced, self-confessed gourmand had an ever-present weight problem (at one time 260 lbs.) which proved to be a natural obstacle to progressing to more substantial leading film roles. That, however, didn't hinder a very successful career in radio. In fact, Bill himself estimated that he had played in excess of 7,000 radio parts. Even if that was an exaggeration, his gravelly, resonant voice was certainly heard on countless broadcasts from "Buck Rogers" to "The Bullwinkle Show," from portraying Marshall Matt Dillon in "Gunsmoke" on the radio (before James Arness got the part on screen) to narrating the adventures of Richard Kimball in the television program The Fugitive (1963). In "The Wax Works," an episode of the anthology series Suspense (1949) in 1956, he voiced each and every part.
Since his corpulence effectively precluded playing strapping characters like Matt Dillon, Bill began to concentrate on directing and producing by the early 1960's. This, ironically, included episodes of Gunsmoke (1955). In 1963, he contributed to saving 77 Sunset Strip (1958) for yet another season. Later in the decade, he produced and directed several films for Warner Brothers, including the thriller Brainstorm (1965) with Jeffrey Hunter and Anne Francis. He returned to acting in 1971 to become the unlikely star of the Quinn Martin production Cannon (1971), for which he is chiefly remembered. Bill imbued the tough-talking, no-nonsense character of Frank Cannon with enough humanity and wit to make the series compelling but, despite the show's popularity, he made his views clear in a 1976 Times interview that he found himself poorly served by the scripts he had been given. A planned sequel, The Return of Frank Cannon (1980) failed to get beyond the movie-length pilot, but the actor's popularity resulted in another starring role in Jake and the Fatman (1987) as District Attorney McCabe, co-starring with Joe Penny) and a brief run as eccentric detective Nero Wolfe (1981). A self-effacing man with a good sense of humor and never afraid to speak his mind, Bill Conrad died of heart failure in February 1994. He was elected to the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and (posthumously) to the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997.- Actor
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Dennis Morgan was born Stanley Morner in the small town of Prentice, Wisconsin. His first jobs in Hollywood were mostly bit parts, but he scored big after playing opposite Ginger Rogers in Kitty Foyle (1940). He starred in films like My Wild Irish Rose (1947), God Is My Co-Pilot (1945) and The Very Thought of You (1944). He teamed up with buddy Jack Carson to do Two Guys from Milwaukee (1946), Two Guys from Texas (1948) and It's a Great Feeling (1949). His engaging performance as seaman "Jefferson Jones", with Barbara Stanwyck and a wonderful supporting cast, has made Christmas in Connecticut (1945) a holiday favorite. Morgan retired in the late 1950s, but did cameos now and then. He and his wife were married for 61 years, and he passed away in 1994. He had three children, Stanley Jr., Kristin Morgan and James.- Actor
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The son of a circuit-riding Methodist preacher in rural Alabama, Pat Buttram became one of America's best-known comic entertainers. He left Alabama a month before his 18th birthday to attend the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. An announcer from radio station WLS was on hand to interview members of the crowd and settled on Pat as a typical visitor from the South. The interview that followed was anything but typical. Pat made a hit with his hilarious observations on the fair and was immediately offered a job with the station. This led to a long and happy association with the popular "National Barn Dance" radio program. During those years Pat met Gene Autry, who took a liking to the young comic and later brought him to Hollywood to replace Smiley Burnette, who had found other work while Gene served in WWII. Together Pat and Gene made many western films and a television series, The Gene Autry Show (1950), which aired from 1950 until 1956. They remained close friends until Pat's death in 1994.
In 1952 Pat married actress Sheila Ryan, whom he had met on the set of Mule Train (1950). Over the next 40 years Pat prospered in radio, films and television, making stand-up appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) (aka "The Ed Sullivan Show") and lending his vocal talents to many animated television shows and films, including several Walt Disney features. In the early 1960s he revealed a flair for dramatic acting when Alfred Hitchcock tapped him for roles in two The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) episodes. His big television break came in 1965 with the role of "Mr. Haney" in the long-running CBS comedy Green Acres (1965). Throughout his career Pat was in constant demand as a toastmaster and after-dinner speaker, where his agile and sophisticated wit belied his "countrified" appearance. In 1982 Pat founded the Golden Boot Awards to honor actors, directors, stunt people and other industry professionals who have made significant contributions to the western film genre. Proceeds from the annual event are donated to the Motion Picture Health and Welfare Fund.- Actress
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Lynne Frederick was a talented British actress of the 1970s. She had a unique combination of good looks and charm which captivated audiences for a decade. Although best known as the fourth and final wife of British comedian Peter Sellers, Lynne has developed a cult following in recent years. Before Kate Winslet and Emma Watson, there was Lynne Frederick.
Lynne Wagner Harding Frederick was born in Hillingdon, Uxbridge, UK, to parents Iris and Andrew. Her father left when she was young, and was raised by her grandmother and mother, who worked for Thames Television. Lynne attended Notting Hill and Ealing High School and originally intended to become a physics and mathematics teacher. Lynne was discovered by film director Cornel Wilde at Thames Television while posing for some camera test shots. Lynne's youthful and dramatic beauty immediately struck Wilde. After interviewing hundreds of girls, he decided Lynne would be perfect for his film. Lynne received a phone call while at school preparing for her exams. Her mother said Wilde wanted her for his film and had two hours to decide if she wanted to take the role and leave school to pursue an acting career. After much thought, Lynne decided to try acting and accepted the role.
Despite no previous experience, Lynne got her very first acting job at her first audition. Her debut was in the 1970 British-American apocalyptic science fiction film No Blade of Grass (1970). Her next and more prestigious role came as Tsar Nicholas's second eldest daughter, Tatiana, in the 1971 Oscar-winning British film Nicholas and Alexandra (1971). In her next role, Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972), she played the ill-fated fifth wife of Henry VIII, Catherine Howard. Her adaptation of Howard made Tudor cinema history as Lynne was the first actress to portray Howard from a historically accurate and sympathetic point of view.
Lynne continued to work in films, with a supporting role in the now-cult film Vampire Circus (1972). Her most well-known screen role came in the 1972 family film The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972). For this role, she won the very first London Evening Standard British Film Award for Best New Coming Actress. In 1974, she appeared in the science fiction thriller Phase IV (1974), for which she was required to learn an American accent. Although not successful during its initial release, Phase IV gained a cult following in the years that followed due to its airing on late-night television.
Lynne co-starred with Italian actor Fabio Testi in two back-to-back films as his love interest. The first was the very graphic Italian spaghetti western The Four of the Apocalypse... (1975), followed by Red Coat (1975). Lynne then appeared in two romantic Spanish films, El vicio y la virtud (1975) and Largo retorno (1975). Her acting credits weren't limited to film; she appeared in various shows and movies made for TV over the decade. Lynne returned to the horror film with a role in the 1976 slasher, Schizo (1976). Her most important film role came in the Oscar-nominated historical drama, Voyage of the Damned (1976).
A year later, Lynne married fellow actor Peter Sellers. She would make her final film appearance alongside him in The Prisoner of Zenda (1979). Sadly, their relationship became turbulent. Rumours of drug and health issues plagued them. Further controversy followed after Sellers' tragic death on 24 July 1980 (one day before Lynne's 26th birthday) when Lynne was named the beneficiary of nearly his entire estate while his children, whom Sellers had been estranged from for many years, received hardly anything. Despite pleas from Sellers' friends, Lynne didn't give Sellers' children any further settlements due to her rocky relationship with them. The British public and film industry began to turn against Lynne after Sellers' death, and her career started to plummet. Despite the blacklisting which followed, Lynne was very protective of Sellers' name and reputation. She even won £1.475 million in a lawsuit against the makers of the Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), a film of Sellers released posthumously, claiming the film tarnished her husband's memory.
Lonely, depressed, and desperate for companionship, the young widow married the charismatic British media personality David Frost six months after Sellers' death. Lynne's supposed eagerness to remarry shortly after her first husband's death virtually robbed her of any last shred of public sympathy.
Although Lynne and David appeared to be a happily married couple to the public, their marriage was destructive and turbulent behind closed doors. While married to Frost, she suffered at least one miscarriage, which put a strain on their already rocky marriage. Ultimately, their marriage ended in divorce after 17 months.
Following her divorce from Frost, Frederick fled from Britain to America where she met surgeon and heart specialist Barry Unger, whom she married on Christmas, 1982. The following year, Frederick bore her only child, Cassie, with whom she had a close relationship. Her marriage to Unger ended in divorce in 1991.
In the later years of her life, Frederick live in Los Angeles, where she lived in a house with her daughter, of whom she shared custody.
In the final years of her life, Lynne's health spiraled downward as she struggled with alcoholism and bouts of depression. Rumors of chronic drug addiction, clinical depression, failed rehab treatments, and suicide attempts were common tabloid reports of her in later years.
The wear and tear of the struggles in her life took a toll on her appearance. Her weight ballooned, her face became sunken and bloated, and her hair now cropped short and damaged. Rumor had it that when the paparazzi stood outside her house trying to get photos of Lynne, there were several occasions where she would walk past them unnoticed as the photographers didn't recognize her drastically different appearance in contrast to her once-youthful appearance.
On the morning of 27 April, 1994, Frederick's lifeless body was discovered by her mother, Iris, in her home. Immediately following Frederick's death, the Fleet Street tabloids engaged in a firestorm of negative press accusing Frederick of being an alcoholic and cocaine addict. It was even reported the cause of her death due to cocaine and alcohol. Although the exact cause of Frederick's death hasn't been publicly disclosed, her mother revealed in Hello Magazine that Lynne's death had been caused by natural causes due to a seizure in her sleep, although this has been disputed by some people, seizures frequently kill people, who stop drinking without medical help.
For many years, Lynne Frederick's legacy remained tainted and was seldom, if ever mentioned. But in recent years, her films have resurfaced to a new generation, and she's been given a new fan base and cult following. Although she won't be remembered as a big name in films, her glowing beauty holds an enduring fascination amongst cinema fans. She's a symbol of the harsh world of the entertainment industry.- Dark, dashing and coldly handsome with intense, penetrating eyes, Patrick O'Neal was known for walking a fine line between elegant heroics and equally elegant villainy during a five-decade career. Born in 1927 in Ocala, Florida, and of Irish descent, he served toward the end of WWII with the United States Army Air Force and, in his late teens, was assigned to direct training shorts for the Signal Corps. A graduate of the University of Florida at Gainesville, O'Neal subsequently moved to New York City and continued his dramatic studies at the Actors Studio and Neighborhood Playhouse.
O'Neal made an initial impact in the early 1950s when he replaced Tony Randall in the hit comedy "Oh, Men! Oh, Women!" Following a strong role in the Broadway play "The Far Country" (1961), he gave a superlative stage portrayal of the defrocked Reverend Shannon opposite Bette Davis in "The Night of the Iguana." He also appeared in a number of anthology TV series in the 1950's including "Robert Montgomery Presents," "Kraft Theatre," "Chevron Theatre," "Schlitz Playhouse," "Studio One in Hollywood," "Pepsi-Cola Playhouse" and "Goodyear Playhouse." He made his film debut as a lieutenant in the horror film The Mad Magician (1954) starring Vincent Price but appeared in only one other film that decade -- the costumed drama The Black Shield of Falworth (1954).
O'Neal earned more attention in the next decade with both lead and supporting roles. A capable player used regularly in 1960s films, he was usually cast as rugged trooper types in action-adventures such as King Rat (1965) and Assignment to Kill (1968), serious-minded personnel in war pictures like In Harm's Way (1965), or flashy murderers in gruesome yarns like Chamber of Horrors (1966), the latter being his best-remembered film. Subsequent films included featured roles in Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972), The Way We Were (1973), The Stepford Wives (1975), The Stuff (1985), Like Father Like Son (1987), Q&A (1990), Alice (1990), For the Boys (1991) and Under Siege (1992).
Portraying a pathologist in his own short-lived medical series Diagnosis: Unknown (1960), he proved a much steadier player on the smaller screen. Typically the cultivated lover or slick, shady villain on TV, he guest-starred on such popular shows as "The Naked City," "Dr. Kildare," "The Twilight Zone," "Route 66," "The Outer Limits," "Coronet Blue," "Alias Smith & Jones," "Cannon," "McCloud," "The F.B.I.," "The Doris Day Show," "The Streets of San Francisco," "Columbo" and "Murder, She Wrote." He also appeared regularly with the cast of the crime drama series Kaz (1978) and had a recurring part on Emerald Point N.A.S. (1983).
His wife, actress Cynthia O'Neal (née Baxter), and brother owned several restaurants with him. He died in 1994 from respiratory failure as a complication of tuberculosis.