Deaths: February 12
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- Music Department
- Actor
- Composer
Al Jarreau was born on 12 March 1940 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Moonlighting (1985), Dick Tracy (1990) and Out of Africa (1985). He was married to Susan Player and Phyllis Hall. He died on 12 February 2017 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Director
- Writer
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Songwriter, pianist and composer, educated at the New England Conservatory. She made a USA tour with an instrumental trio, and was a pianist in night clubs and in the Broadway musical "Me and Juliet." She made many records. Joining ASCAP in 1956, her popular-song compositions include "Barbara's Carol," "Just Plain Blue," "Lost In a Crowded Place" and "Fancy Pants."- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Actress
Beryl Vertue initially worked as secretary to Alan Simpson, although when Alan Simpson and his writing partner Ray Galton joined Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes to form Associated London Scripts, Vertue moved to the new co-operative. She eventually, and almost accidentally, became an agent with ALS, responsible not only for finding work for members of the co-operative and negotiating their fees, but also selling formats of British TV successes abroad. "Sanford and Son", based on "Steptoe and Son" was one of her placements. When Robert Stigwood bought out the majority of the ALS business, Vertue became MD of the new company. She founded Hartswood Films when the Stigwood organisation decided to divest itself of its TV interests.- Betty Ballantine was born on 25 September 1919 in British India. She was married to Ian Ballantine. She died on 12 February 2019 in Bearsville, New York, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
A sunny singer, dancer and comic actress, Betty Garrett starred in several Hollywood musicals and stage roles. She was at the top of her game when the Communist scare in the 1950s brought her career to a screeching, ugly halt. She and her husband Larry Parks, an Oscar-nominated actor, were summoned by the House UnAmerican Activities Committee and questioned about their involvement.
As the drama played out, a very pregnant Garrett was never called to testify, but her husband was. With his admission of Communist Party membership from 1941-1945 and refusal to name names, he made it to the Hollywood Blacklist. After the incident, Garrett and Parks worked up nightclub singing/comedy acts along with appearing in legit plays. Although Parks never quite shook off the blacklist incident, he did win a role in John Huston's film, Freud (1962). Garrett went on to appear in roles in many television series.- Bill Crider was born on 28 July 1941 in Mexia, Texas, USA. He was a producer, known for Christmas with the Dead (2012). He was married to Judy. He died on 12 February 2018 in the USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Actor Brian Kelly was a Valentine's Day baby. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Anne Veronica (O'Brien) and Harry Francis Kelly, who was Governor of Michigan (1943-1947) and served as a justice on the Michigan Supreme Court. He was of Irish descent. Brian joined the Marine Corps. during the Korean War and subsequently attended the University of Michigan Law School with the intent of pursuing a political career like his father, but it only lasted a year. During college he found work as a male model and later broke into the business in Detroit with radio and TV commercials.
A talent agent spotted him and in the late 50s the dark-haired, hairy-chested, extremely handsome actor decided to try his luck in Hollywood. He found some nominal parts coming his way on such series as Adventures in Paradise (1959), The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) and The Rifleman (1958), among others, but nothing that advanced his career significantly. He appeared regularly on two TV short-lived series -- the detective drama 21 Beacon Street (1959) and the high-speed adventure series Straightaway (1961) before nabbing his most recognizable role as game life ranger Porter Ricks on the popular aquatic series Flipper (1964). Although Brian took a back seat to the scene-stealing antics of the titular dolphin and the two actors (Luke Halpin and Tommy Norden) playing his sons, fans admired the actor's widower character on the series who provided a strong moral fiber to his children. The success of the show, which was filmed in Miami and the Bahamas, led to a brief movie career, including a lead in Around the World Under the Sea (1966), which seemed in keeping with his underwater expertise.
In 1970, Brian was involved in a serious motorcycle accident, which left his right arm and leg paralyzed. He subsequently won a legal settlement ($750,000), but the severe impairment cost him his on-camera career. Undaunted, he used his settlement money to produce films, serving as executive producer of the popular Harrison Ford starrer Blade Runner (1982) and associate producer of Cities of the Wild (1996). He first married gorgeous, aspiring blonde actress Laura Devon in 1962. Both met while living in Detroit and married while climbing up the Hollywood ladder. The union ended four years later. He then married Valerie Ann Romero in 1972, with whom he had a daughter Hallie in 1975 and a son Devin in 1980. Brian died of pneumonia in Voorhees, New Jersey, just a few days before his 74th birthday in 2005.- Writer
- Producer
- Art Department
Charles Monroe Schulz (nicknamed "Sparky") was an American comic strip writer and artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was primarily known for creating the long-running comic strip "Peanuts" (1950-2000), and serving as its sole artist for the strip's entire run. His comic strip was known for its "clean, minimalist drawings", its sarcastic humor, and the emotional honesty of its dialogue. By the time of Schulz's death in 2000, the comic strip had been published in 75 different countries, and had been translated into 21 languages. The comic strip has been adapted into 5 theatrical animated films, over 40 animated television specials, 6 television series, and 2 theatrical musicals. In addition, Schulz is credited with popularizing the format of the "four-panel gag strip". This format was eventually used by several comic strips of the post-World War II period.
In 1922, Schulz was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota,. The city is occupying both banks of the Mississippi River. Schulz was the only child of Carl Schulz and Dena Halverson. His ancestry was German and Norwegian. His favorite comic strip during his childhood was "Barney Google" (1919-) by Billy DeBeck (1890-1942). Schulz was nick-named "Sparky" by his family, named after the race horse Spark Plug (also nicknamed "Sparky") in his favorite comic strip. He kept the nickname throughout his life.
Schulz started drawing as a hobby during his childhood. His favorite subject for drawings was the family dog, Spike. In 1937, Schulz submitted a drawing about Spike's unusual eating habits to the newspaper panel "Ripley's Believe It or Not!". This drawing was the first work by Schulz to be published in his lifetime.
Schulz received his primary education at the Richards Gordon Elementary School, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He skipped two half-grades during his elementary school years. He subsequently was always the youngest student in his class while attending Central High School. The school was the oldest high school in the state of Minnesota, established in 1866. Schulz was reportedly a shy and timid adolescent boy.
In February 1943, Dena Halverson (Schultz's mother ) died due to cancer. Schulz was shocked, as he was particularly close to his mother. She had tried to keep her illness a secret, as she did not want her son to worry about her. Shortly after her death, Schulz was drafted for service in World War II. He served as a staff sergeant with the 20th Armored Division in Europe. , He was a squad leader on a .50 caliber machine gun team, but his team only experienced combat at the ending months of the war. At one point, Schulz realized that he had forgot to load his machine gun while noticing that a German soldier was approaching him. Fortunately for Schulz, the German soldier had no intention to fire at him, and voluntarily surrendered to the American unit.
Schulz returned to civilian life in Minnesota in late 1945. He was soon hired as a letterer by the comic magazine "Timeless Topix"'. In July 1946, Schulz was hired by the "Art Instruction Schools", a Minneapolis-based home study correspondence course. His job was to review and grade the work of the students. He continued doing so for several years.
Schulz created his first comic strip for "St. Paul Pioneer Press". It was the short-lived "Li'l Folks" (1947-1950). He introduced several ideas that he would later reuse in "Peanuts". The comic strip used the recurring name "Charlie Brown" for three different characters, featured a Snoopy-like dog called Rover, and introduced a well-dressed young boy who idolized Ludwig van Beethoven (like the "Peanuts" character Schroeder.) Schulz eventually quit working for this newspaper. His editors had repeatedly denied his requests for a pay rise, and had relegated the comic strip into the women's section of the newspaper (rather than publishing it alongside other comic strips). An attempted deal to syndicate the strip through the Newspaper Enterprise Association fell through.
In 1950, Schulz negotiated a deal for a new comic strip with the United Feature Syndicate. The Syndicate was interested in his ideas, but they rejected his proposed title of "Li'l Folks" for legal reasons. There was already a comic strip under the copyrighted title "Little Folks", and its writer Tack Knight had claimed exclusive rights. An executive came up with the idea to name the comic strip "Peanuts". The comic stream was named after the "peanut gallery", the audience of the television series "Howdy Doody" (1947-1960). Schulz agreed to the new name, though he grew to dislike it. He would prefer to name the strip after the name of one of its characters. But the name was kept.
The syndicated comic strip "Peanuts" was introduced on October 2, 1950, initially published by only 7 newspapers.: the "Chicago Tribune", the "Denver Post", the "Evening Chronicle", the "Globe-Times", the "Minneapolis Tribune," the "Seattle Times", and the "Washington Post". The first strip in the series introduced only three characters: the protagonist Charlie Brown and two female acquaintances, Shermy and Patty. The pet dog Snoopy was introduced on October 4, 1950., Most of the strips' regular characters were introduced in its first 25 years: Violet (in February 1951), Schroeder (in May 1951), Lucy (in March 1952), Linus (in September 1952), Pig-Pen (in July 1954), Sally (in August 1959), Frieda (in March 1961), Peppermint Patty (in August 1966), Franklin (in July 1968) Woodstock (introduced in March 1966; officially named in June 1970), Marcie (in July 1971), and Rerun (in March 1973).
Schulz started working on a Sunday version of "Peanuts" in January 1952. He created the religious-themed comic strip "Young Pillars" (1956-1965) for the magazine "Youth Magazine", a publication of the Church of God. Unusually for Scchulz's work, this strip featured adolescents instead of children.
Schulz and Jim Sasseville later co-created the sports-and-game-oriented comic strip "It's Only a Game" (1957-1959) in an art style similar to "Peanuts". The new strip was modestly successful, but Schulz found that in conflicted with his increasingly demanding schedule. He terminated the strip voluntarily.
In 1957, Schulz was hired as an illustrator for a volume of the book "Kids Say the Darndest Things" by Art Linkletter (1912-2010). He illustrated a second volume of the work in 1962. In 1964, Schulz illustrated a collection of letters, "Dear President Johnson" by Bill Adler. These were Schulz's only efforts as a book illustrator.
For most of the 1950s, Schulz and his first wife Joyce Halverson lived primarily in Minnesota and Colorado. He primarily worked from home, or from a rented office room. In 1958, Schulz and his family moved Sebastopol, California. There Schulz built his first artist's studio. That studio burned down in 1966. Schutz later relocated to Santa Rosa, California, where he build a second artist's studio in 1969. He continued working there for the rest of his life.
By the autumn of 1970, Schulz had started contemplating divorce. He had an extramarital affair with Tracey Claudius, a woman who was only 25-years-old and was 23 years younger than him. He eventually received his divorce in 1972, but by then his affair with Claudius had ended In 1973, Schutz married his second wife Jean Forsyth Clyde. She had a daughter from a previous wedding, whom Schulz had already met. Their marriage lasted for 27 years and ended with his death.
In 1981, Schulz underwent heart bypass surgery. His hospitalization was considered newsworthy, and President Ronald Reagan personally phoned him to wish for his recovery. During the 1980s, Schulz found his hands shaking while drawing. He was eventually diagnosed as suffering from "essential tremor", a neurological disorder involving involuntary rhythmic contractions and relaxations of muscle groups. He received medication for his condition, but he insisted on continuing to draw "Peanuts" without assistants. This resulted in changes in his drawing style, with increasingly shakier lines in the comic strip.
In May 1988, Schulz was in the news over his personal life, something unusual in his career. Two masked men had entered his home through an unlocked door and attempted to kidnap his wife Jean. They fled empty-handed when one of Schulz's daughters arrived for a visit. The police suspected that the criminals were interested in ransom money, but no arrests were made.
In November 1999, Schulz experienced several small strokes and a blocked aorta. While undergoing a medical examination, his doctors realized that he was suffering from a previously undiagnosed condition: colon cancer. He started treatment with chemotherapy, but this caused his vision to blur. He was unable to keep drawing, so he announced his retirement on December 14, 1999. United Features retained ownership of the comic strip "Peanuts", but Schulz did not want to be replace on the production of the strip. Based on his insistence, the strip was scheduled to end on February 13, 2000 (the publication date for the last available comic strip).
On February 12, 2000, Schulz died in his sleep at his home in Santa Rosa, California. He was 77-years-old, and his death was caused by colorectal cancer. His comic strip ended on February 13, as scheduled. On May 27, 2000, Schulz was honored with tributes in over 100 different comic strips. Cartoonists devoted the day to homages of Schulz's style or appearances by his famous characters.
Schulz is long gone, but his characters from "Peanuts" have remained popular. Several animated adaptations of the comic strip were created in the first decades of the 21st century, and reprints of his work were still available in various forms. Schulz has been cited as an influence by several younger cartoonists, such as Jim Davis and Matt Groening.- Stunts
- Actress
- Producer
Cheryl Wheeler Duncan was born on 18 August 1960 in Pensacola, Florida, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for They Live (1988), Demolition Man (1993) and Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992). She was married to Robert Lindsey Duncan, Shane Dixon and Robert Reed Sanders. She died on 12 February 2020 in Yellow Springs, Ohio, USA.- Christie Blatchford (born May 20, 1951) is a Canadian journalist, broadcaster and author based in Toronto, Ontario. She writes a regular column for the National Post newspaper after leaving her position at The Globe and Mail in 2011. Her previous journalist work includes work on the Toronto Sun, Toronto Star and National Post newspapers. Early career experience included work as a sports journalist with The Globe and Mail.
She is the author of Close Encounters (1988); Spectator Sports (1986); Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army (2008), which won the 2008 Governor General's Literary Award in Non-fiction; Helpless: Caledonia's Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed All of Us(2010). - Christopher Pennock was born on 7 June 1943 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Dark Shadows (1966), Theatre Fantastique (2014) and A Journey to a Journey. He was married to Marilyn Louise Joseph and Lynn Hawley. He died on 12 February 2021 in Idyllwild, California, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Daryle Singletary was born in 1971 in Cairo, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Amen Kind of Love (1996), Robert Zemeckis on Smoking, Drinking and Drugging in the 20th Century: In Pursuit of Happiness (1999) and The George Jones Show (1998). He was married to Holly Mercer and Kerry Harvick. He died on 12 February 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.- David Forden was born on 11 September 1930 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He was married to Sally Carson and Aurelia Bachmeyer. He died on 12 February 2019 in Alexandria, Virginia, USA.
- David Groh's highly anticipated "marriage" to Valerie Harper on the eighth episode of the sitcom Rhoda (1974) was the highest rated episode of that decade, and the second most-watched program of all-time, surpassed only by the birth of 'little Ricky' on I Love Lucy (1951), with more than 50 million viewers watching. It was this co-starring role which situated him squarely on the Hollywood TV map. Rhoda Morgenstern, the single and cynical, highly beloved Bronx-born jokester and best friend of Mary Richards on the The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), was given her own spin-off series and landed back in New York City, where she found her dream man. Audiences took to the prospects of having tall, dark, virile, curly-haired blue-collar man Joe Gerard sweep their single heroine off her feet. Cast over 150 other actors despite his lack of comedy experience, David's presence added greatly as Rhoda's husband.
The writers soon felt the CBS's pressure to get Rhoda married. When they finally did, as has happened in other series where marriages occurred, the show had no place to go. After only two seasons, fickle producers decided to break up the happy couple so Rhoda could be single again. Groh was written out of the show. Divorce was a serious issue back then and audiences were perturbed that their beloved Rhoda would end up a divorcée, but all was forgiven and the series ran four more years. Although David never found equal stardom again, he continued to impress on the stage, in guest TV parts and in independent films.
Born David Lawrence Groh in Brooklyn on May 21, 1939, the son of Jewish-Americans Benjamin (an architect) and Mildred Groh, he received his diploma from Brooklyn Technical High School, where he was elected student body president. He subsequently attended Brown University with an early interest in engineering but graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in English literature. He apprenticed for a couple seasons at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut, and was a spear carrier in the Katharine Hepburn/Robert Ryan production of "Antony and Cleopatra" in 1960. This early encouragement led to further studies in London -- courtesy of a Fulbright scholarship. David served in the Army for six months in 1963, and a year of reserve duty. Returning to his native New York, he sharpened his technique at the Actors Studio. Appearing around and about in such plays as "The Importance of Being Earnest," he finally marked his TV debut on a 1968 episode of the cult Gothic daytime drama Dark Shadows (1966) and made his film entrance in a prime role in the Italian-made feature Colpo rovente (1970).
While continuing to add on-camera credits to his resume, notably a regular 1972-1973 role in the daytime drama Love Is a Many Splendored Thing (1967), it wasn't until he made the move to Los Angeles in 1974 when his career suddenly accelerated. Within months he was cast as Valerie Harper love interest in Rhoda (1974) and enjoyed two solid seasons as her handsome construction worker hubby who wins then loses her. After he was phased out of the show, David found a sitcom of his own to star in with Another Day (1978) opposite Joan Hackett, but the family-oriented program lasted only a month in April. From then on he focused more and more on heavier dramatics. He portrayed the evil-minded D.L. Brock on the daytime soap opera General Hospital (1963) from 1983 to 1985, and later co-starred in the Roger Corman crime action series Black Scorpion (2001), while finding recurring roles on such programs as Melrose Place (1992), Baywatch (1989), and Law & Order (1990). Although he never made a strong showing on the large screen, David did appear in the films Irish Whiskey Rebellion (1972), Two-Minute Warning (1976) and A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich (1977) in between assorted stage and TV assignments.
Groh returned strongly to his theater roots after leaving Rhoda (1974) and played both appealingly charismatic and slick, unsavory types. He made his Broadway debut replacing Judd Hirsch in the winning Neil Simon comedy "Chapter Two" in 1978. Down the road he appeared in an assortment of plays: "King Lear" (1982), "Be Happy for Me" (1986), "Road Show" (1987), "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" (1989), "The Twilight of the Golds" (1993), "Mizlansky/Zilinsky" (2000), "The Waverly Gallery," "Gangster Planet" (2002) and "Blackout" (2003), to name a few. He was an admired fixture both in New York and on the smaller Los Angeles stages and tried his hand at stage directing with a production of "Mango Mango" at the Lee Strasberg Creative Center Theatre in Los Angeles in 2000.
Later post-"Rhoda" guest appearances on TV included "Trapper John," "Matt Houston," "General Hospital," "Hotel," "Hunter," "Spenser: For Hire," "Equal Justice," "L.A. Law," "Dark Justice," The Equalizer," "Jake and the Fatman," "Murder, She Wrote," "Melrose Place," "JAG," The X Files," "Melrose Place," "Walker, Texas Ranger and "Law and Order," plus recurring roles on V.I.P. (1998) and Black Scorpion (2001). He also added in a few "tough guy" film supports including Hotshot (1986), The Stöned Age (1994), White Cargo (1996), Acts of Betrayal (1997), Swimsuit: The Movie (1997), Spoiler (1998), Blowback (2000), The Confidence Man (2001), Crazylove (2005) and Evilution (2008).
David developed a lifelong passion for early American furniture and folk art (which first blossomed as a youth visiting the Brooklyn and Metropolitan Museums and fully bloomed from his association with an acting teacher who was also a collector). He lived in Los Angeles at the time of his death from kidney cancer at age 68. His last film, a featured role in Jelly (2010), was released posthumously. He was survived by third wife, actress Kristin Andersen, and one son, Spencer from a prior marriage. - Born Dublin, Ireland on July 11 1929. Educated at Synge Street Catholic boys school. Started acting aged 8 in the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. Playing everything from Beckett to Shakespeare, he has appeared in theatre, TV and film constantly since 1959. Awards include: Helen Hayes Award, Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production (1991) for "The Playboy of the Western World"; nominated for SAG Award, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (1999) for Waking Ned Devine (1998); ESB Lifetime Achievement award for work in the Irish theatre. He lived in Dublin, Ireland, where he died on 12 February 2012 at the age of 82. Children: Son, David. Daughter, Miriam.
- Director
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- Editor
Dziga Vertov was born on 2 January 1896 in Bialystok, Grodno Governorate, Russian Empire [now Podlaskie, Poland]. He was a director and writer, known for Man with a Movie Camera (1929), Three Songs About Lenin (1934) and The Sixth Part of the World (1926). He was married to Elizaveta Svilova. He died on 12 February 1954 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia].- Françoise Xenakis was born on 27 September 1930 in Blois, Loir-et-Cher, France. She was a writer, known for Le droit d'aimer (1972), Le Louvre, le plus grand musée du monde (1985) and Attends-moi (1996). She was married to Iannis Xenakis. She died on 12 February 2018 in Courbevoie, Hauts-de-Seine, France.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Minor league singer/actress Gale Robbins was a knockout-looking hazel-eyed redhead who made a modest dent in post-war Hollywood films. Born Betty Gale Robbins in Chicago, Illinois (some say Mitchell, Indiana) on May 7, 1921, she was the eldest of five daughters of Arthur E., a doctor, and Blanche Robbins, and educated at Chicago's Jennings Seminary at Aurora, Illinois and Flower Tech. Gale had a natural flair for music and appeared in glee clubs and church choirs in the early days. She graduated from her Chicago high school in 1939.
She started out in entertainment as a model for the Vera Jones Modeling School in Chicago, but her singing talents soon took over. Signed by a talent agency, she sang with Phil Levant's outfit in 1940 and later teamed with some male singers for a swing band that called themselves "The Duchess and Her Dukes." She went on to work with some of the top radio and live 'big bands' of that era including the Jan Garber and Hal Kemp orchestras, her best showcase was working for Art Jarrett in 1941 when he took over Kemp's band.
20th Century-Fox caught sight of this slim looker while she was singing for 'Ben Bernie (I)'s outfit and was quickly signed her up, her first film being the pleasant time-filler In the Meantime, Darling (1944). A semi-popular cheesecake pin-up, Gale appeared on the cover of "Yank, The Army Weekly" in 1944, was heard on radio, and toured with Bob Hope in Europe the next year. Her post-war parts, mostly sultry second leads, were typically lightweight in nature. She was often lent out to other studios and not always in a singing mode. Gale's better known film work includes Race Street (1948), The Barkleys of Broadway (1949), Three Little Words (1950), The Fuller Brush Girl (1950) and Calamity Jane (1953).
Gale went on to host the Hollywood House (1949) and also appeared on The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) in 1951. In the late 50s the gal with the smooth and sexy vocal style released an easy-listening album ("I'm a Dreamer") for the Vik Label backed by Eddie Cano & His Orchestra. She covered such standards as "Them There Eyes" and "What Is This Thing Called Love." After her final film appearance in Quantrill's Raiders (1958) and a few additional TV parts on such programs as "Bourbon Street Beat," "77 Sunset Strip," "The Untouchables," "Perry Mason" and "Mister Ed," Gale phased out her career to focus full-time on raising her family.
Married to her high school sweetheart Robert Olson in November of 1943 while he was serving in the Air Force, her husband turned to construction engineering as a career and they had two children. After her 47-year-old husband was tragically killed on February 4, 1967, in a building accident, a distraught Gale, left the States for a time with her two daughters, and decided to make a transatlantic comeback of sorts appearing in nightclubs in Japan and the Orient. She later was glimpsed in the film Stand Up and Be Counted (1972) and appeared on stage in Stephen Sondheim's musical "Company" in 1975. She also made ends meet as an interior decorator. Gale died of lung cancer in February of 1980, and interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Gary Owens was an American voice actor, radio announcer and narrator who was known for being the original voice actor of Hanna-Barbera's Space Ghost, Powdered Toast Man from The Ren & Stimpy Show and Blue Falcon from Dynomutt, Dog Wonder. George Lowe became Owens' successor as the voice of Space Ghost since 1994. He passed away from diabetes complications in February 2015.- Gilberto Rey was born on 29 May 1936 in Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was a writer and actor, known for Rosas para su enamorada (1980), Flavia, corazón de tiza (1992) and Comedias para vivir (1981). He died on 12 February 2011 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Gordon Banks OBE (30 December 1937 - 12 February 2019) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he made 679 appearances during a 20-year professional career, and won 73 caps for England, highlighted by starting every game of the nation's 1966 World Cup victory.
Banks joined Chesterfield in March 1953, and played for their youth team in the 1956 FA Youth Cup final. He made his first team debut in November 1958, and was sold to Leicester City for £7,000 in July 1959. He played in four cup finals for the club, as they were beaten in the 1961 and 1963 FA Cup finals, before winning the League Cup in 1964 and finishing as finalists in 1965. Despite this success, and his World Cup win in 1966, Banks was dropped by Leicester and sold on to Stoke City for £50,000 in April 1967. In the 1970 World Cup, he made one of the game's great saves to prevent a Pelé goal, but was absent due to illness as England were beaten by West Germany at the quarter-final stage.
Banks was Stoke City's goalkeeper in the 1972 League Cup win, the club's only major honor. He was still Stoke's and England's number one when a car crash in October 1972 cost him both the sight in his right eye and, eventually, his professional career. He played two last seasons in the United States for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 1977 and 1978, and despite only having vision in one eye, was NASL Goalkeeper of the Year in 1977 after posting the best defensive record in the league. He briefly entered management with Telford United, but left the game in December 1980.
Banks was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 1972, and was named FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year on six occasions. The IFFHS named Banks the second-best goalkeeper of the 20th century, after Lev Yashin (1st) and ahead of Dino Zoff (3rd) - Henry Kulky was born on 11 August 1911 in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964), Love Nest (1951) and Target Hong Kong (1953). He died on 12 February 1965 in Oceanside, California, USA.
- Producer
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- Director
Canadian producer and director Ivan Reitman created many of American cinema's most successful and best loved feature film comedies and worked with Hollywood's acting elite. Reitman produced such hits as the ground-breaking sensation National Lampoon's National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), which introduced John Belushi to American filmgoers, and the family features Beethoven (1992) and Beethoven's 2nd (1993). His directing credits include Meatballs (1979), Stripes (1981) and Ghostbusters (1984), films starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis; Dave (1993), which starred Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver, Junior (1994) which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito and Emma Thompson. Reitman also produced the HBO telefilm The Late Shift (1996), based on Bill Carter's non-fiction book about the late-night television wars which received seven Emmy nominations. Other producing endeavors include Commandments (1997), starring Aidan Quinn and Courteney Cox, Private Parts (1997), starring Howard Stern, as well as the animation/live action film Space Jam (1996), starring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes characters. With Twins (1988), Reitman created an entirely new comedic persona for action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger -- and forged a personal and professional relationship that continued with Kindergarten Cop (1990) and Junior (1994). Acclaimed dramatic actors such as Robert Redford, Debra Winger, Sigourney Weaver, and Emma Thompson also revealed untapped comic talents under Reitman's direction. In 1984, Reitman was honored as Director of the Year by the National Association of Theater Owners and the next year received a Special Achievement Award at the Canadian Genie awards. In 1979 and again in 1989, for the films National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) and Twins (1988), Reitman was honored with the People's Choice Award. In November of 1994, Reitman became the third director honored by Variety magazine in a special Billion Dollar Director issue.
Reitman was born in Czechoslovakia, to Jewish Holocaust survivors, and left with his family for Canada at the age of four. He attended Canada's McMaster University, where he produced and directed several television shorts. He followed with a live television show, Greed: The Series (1999), with Dan Aykroyd as its announcer. "Spellbound," which Reitman produced for the live stage, evolved into the Broadway hit "The Magic Show," starring Doug Henning. He continued producing for the stage with the Off-Broadway hit "The National Lampoon Show," and returned to Broadway to produce and direct the musical "Merlin," earning a Tony nomination for directing. Reitman headed The Montecito Picture Company, a film and television production company, with partner Tom Pollock. His television credits included the Emmy-nominated children's show The Real Ghostbusters (1986) and the Saturday morning animated series Beethoven (1994) for CBS. His last directing credited was Draft Day (2014), before his death in February 2022 in Montecito, California.- The role which best epitomised James Cossins was the fussy, repressed Brown in Villain (1971). He began movie acting in the mid '60s and featured in such films as Richard Lester's How I Won the War (1967), Hammer's The Lost Continent (1968), the Jack Wild vehicle Melody (1971) and the aforementioned cult classic Villain (1971) with Richard Burton. He was also particular effective as a driving test examiner in the comedy thriller Otley (1969) with Tom Courtenay.
His contribution was usually limited to no more than a few minutes of screentime but he was always effective. On television he was quite prolific putting in appearances in, to name just a few, The Avengers (1961), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973), Bless This House (1971), Bergerac (1981), Minder (1979) and perhaps most memorably, Fawlty Towers (1975). He was a specialist in officious, blustering characters. In 1974 he joined a number of British character actors to have featured in a Bond movie, playing Colthorpe in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). It was five years before he returned to cinema screens in The Great Train Robbery (1978).
After appearing as Lord Carnaryon in Sphinx (1981) he made his last big film in 1982, Gandhi (1982), though he was far down the cast list. Two more films of little note were to follow, Grand Larceny (1987) and Immaculate Conception (1992) before his final appearance in the TV movie Unnatural Causes (1993) in 1993. He died in 1997. - Jay was born in Connecticut and raised in Connecticut and New York City to parents Michael and Frances Bontatibus. He is the 3rd child of 4, with 2 brothers and a sister.
Trained as a stage actor in NYC, he got his breakthrough role playing "Tony Viscardi" on the CBS soap, The Young and the Restless (1973). Jay went on to play "Detective Andy Capelli" on the ABC soap, General Hospital (1963), and numerous TV episodes and films. - Writer
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Son of the famous Impressionist painter Pierre Auguste, he had a happy childhood. Pierre Renoir was his brother, and Claude Renoir was his nephew. After the end of World War I, where he won the Croix de Guerre, he moved from scriptwriting to filmmaking. He married Catherine Hessling, for whom he began to make movies; he wanted to make a star of her. They separated in 1930, although he remained married to her until 1943. His next partner was Marguerite Renoir, whom he never married, although she took his name. He left France in 1941 during the German invasion of France during World War II and became a naturalized US citizen.- Jorge Ricci was born in 1946 in Santa Fe, Argentina. He was an actor, known for Olor a agua (2006) and El sombrero de Greca (2005). He died on 12 February 2021 in Santa Fe, Argentina.
- Juan Carlos Godoy was born on 21 August 1922 in Campana, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He died on 12 February 2016 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Juan Carlos Thorry was born on 28 June 1908 in Coronel Pringles, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor and director, known for El complejo de Felipe (1951), Los cobardes (1959) and Yo quiero una mujer así (1950). He was married to Alma Vélez, Analía Gadé, Dinka, Regina Fernández, Susana Dasso, María Elisa Spoti and María Zubarriain. He died on 12 February 2000 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Writer
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One of the most important Argentinian writers of all time, Julio Cortazar was born in Belgium. When he was a child he went with his parents to Argentina. She stayed in Buenos Aires until 1951, when he went to Paris and he stayed in France until his death. His first book of short stories was "Bestiario" published in 1951. After this, he wrote many books of short stories like "Final del Juego" (1956), "Todos los fuegos el fuego" (1966), "Las armas secretas" (1964). In this last book he wrote the story "El perseguidor" based in the life of the great alto sax player Charlie Parker. His most celebrated book was the novel "Rayuela" (1963). His short story "Las Babas del Diablo" was adapted by Michelangelo Antonioni into the the movie Blow-Up (1966). "La autopista del sur" inspired the movie Weekend (1967) directed by Jean-Luc Godard.- Actor
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Kenneth Mars was an American actor and comedian. He appeared in two Mel Brooks films: as the deranged Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in The Producers (1967) and Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Friedrich Kemp in Young Frankenstein (1974). He also appeared in Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up Doc? (1972), and Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987), and Shadows and Fog (1991).- Actor
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Eldridge "Kit" Carson was born in Oklahoma, the son of Frank Carson and Alice Helena Gordon. He came from a large family with seven brothers and sisters. He married Rosemonde James, an actress at Republic Pictures who appeared in a number of films in 1945. They had one son, John David Carson, born March 6, 1952. Rosemonde, nicknamed "Boots", became a fashion model and was elected President of the Mannequins Association of Los Angeles in 1968. Johnny acted in a number of films including The Day of the Dolphin (1973) from 1971 to 1990.
Kit danced in early films but spent most of his career doing western films. He struck up a friendship with Dale Robertson, and they worked together on many films and television programs. After he retired, he returned to Abilene, Texas, to be near his family. He died February 12, 1978, in Taylor, Texas.- Composer
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László Melis was born on 14 August 1953 in Budapest, Hungary. He was a composer and actor, known for Son of Saul (2015), Sunset (2018) and A nyomozó (2008). He died on 12 February 2018 in Budapest, Hungary.- Louise Latham was an American actress from Texas, whose career lasted from the 1950s to the early 2000s. She is primarily remembered for her film debut as the invalid mother Bernice Edgar, who is financially dependent on her daughter Marnie (played by Tippi Hedren). At age 42, Latham was playing the mother of 34-year-old Hedren.
In 1922, Latham was born in Hamilton, Texas. Hamilton is a small city, and had a population of about 2000 people in 1920. Hamilton has a "humid subtropical climate", with hot, humid summers and typically mild winters. Latham's family were ranchers, and she had relatives working as ranchers in both San Saba County and Mason County.
Latham received her secondary education at Sunset High School, located in Dallas. Little is known about her early adulthood. By the 1950s, Latham had started following an acting career. She was primarily a theatrical actress. Around 1954, Latham was working for the famed Texan stage director Margo Jones (1911-1955). Jones died of kidney failure in 1955, after accidentally inhaling toxic fumes.
In 1956, Latham was cast in the Broadway revival of the play "Major Barbara" (1905) by George Bernard Shaw. The play concerns the difficult relationship between self-righteous charity worker Barbara Undershaft (a Major of the Salvation Army) and her estranged father Andrew Undershaft. Andrew is a somewhat shady businessman, whose newfound wealth derives from owning a successful munitions factory. Andrew offers to help the poor by providing them with jobs and a steady income, which he argues is far more useful than providing them with a cheap meal (like his daughter). Barbara is an idealist, while Andrew is more practical in his views.
In 1958, Latham was part of touring company which performed the play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1955) by Tennessee Williams. The play features the family of successful tycoon Big Daddy Pollitt gathering to celebrate his birthday. The aging patriarch is unaware that he is dying of cancer, as his family has kept the diagnosis secret from him. His potential heirs have already started scheming over who gets the lion's share of his estate. Greed and decay are among the play's main themes.
By the early 1960s, Latham was regularly performing in Broadway. She appeared in plays such as "Invitation to a March" (1960), and "Isle of Children" (1962). She received press attention when cast in a key supporting role in the psychological thriller "Marnie" (1964), despite having no experience with film roles. The film had a box office gross of about 7 million dollars, becoming the 22nd highest-grossing film of 1964. Professional film critics initially hated the film, but the film's critical reputation has improved over the years and it is often listed among director Alfred Hitchcock's best films. Latham reportedly enjoyed the experience of working in film. In a 1965 press interview, she informed the press that she was interested in more film roles.
Following her film debut, Latham started regularly appearing as a guest star in various television series. She was twice cast as the murderer in 1965 episodes of then-popular legal drama series "Perry Mason" (1957-1966). In 1966, Latham was cast in the recurring role of aunt Fran Heiger in the sitcom "Family Affair" (1966-1971). In the pilot episode, Latham's character convinces her bachelor kinsman Bill Davis to become the legal guardian of his orphaned niece Buffy Patterson Davis (played by Anissa Jones). Aunt Fran appeared once a year in the sitcom's episodes until 1968.
Latham made her second film appearance in the Western film "Firecreek" (1968). Its plot features cowardly townspeople refusing to assist a peace officer in a confrontation with outlaws. The film was primarily noted for featuring popular actors James Stewart and Henry Fonda as its co-stars. Despite being close friends in real life, the two actors rarely appeared together in films. Latham also appeared in the Vietnam War-themed war film "Hail, Hero!" (1969), which is primarily remembered as the feature film debut for actor Michael Douglas.
Latham had a supporting role in the drama film "Adam at 6 A.M." (1970), as part of the family of female lead Jerri Jo Hopper (played by Lee Purcell). The film focuses on a bored college professor, who finds a new love interest and new friends during his summer vacation in Missouri. He then has the dilemma of whether to return to his old job at summer's end, or to permanently settle in Missouri. The film was the first produced by a fledgling production company, Solar Productions. The company's owner was veteran actor Steve McQueen (1930-1980).
Latham had a more important supporting role as Mrs. Wilson in the comedy-drama film "Making It" (1971), where the cast mostly included then-popular character actors. The film's main character is an amorous 17-year-old boy, whose hobby is seducing girls and adult women. He eventually learns that his actions come with unintended consequences. Early in the film, the boy spikes the food of his virginal classmate Debbie (played by Sherry Miles) with marijuana. He then deflowers her while she is under the influence. Latham played Debbie's mother. Following a pregnancy scare for Debbie, she tries to have the boy married to her daughter. The boy instead convinces Mrs. Wilson that abortion is a more prudent option, but he has to pay for it out of his own pocket.
Latham's next film role was a supporting part in the action comedy "White Lightning" (1973). Its plot revolves around a sympathetic moonshiner who tries to expose the crimes of a corrupt sheriff, in retaliation for his brother's murder by the sheriff. The film earned about 6.5 million dollars at the box office. It was considered a "breakthrough" in the action genre for combining fast-paced action with comedic elements. It reportedly inspired the production of more action comedies, and popularized car chases and car crushes in American action films.
Latham also appeared in the crime drama film "The Sugarland Express" (1974), which focuses on a police officer taken hostage by a husband-and-wife crime duo. The plot was based on the 1969 kidnapping of police officer J. Kenneth Crone by the married couple of Robert "Bobby" Dent and Ila Fae Holiday. The film earned 12 million dollars at the box office, and won the award for Best Screenplay at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival. The film is remembered for being the theatrical feature directorial debut of Steven Spielberg, who had previously only directed television films.
Latham next had a minor role in the drama film "92 in the Shade" (1975), which was both a box office-flop and a critical failure. The film features the business rivalry between a fishing guide and a sea captain in Florida, which quickly escalates to an arson case and violent retaliation. Two different versions of the film were released, one with a happy ending (where the rivals befriend each other), and one with a dramatic ending (where one of the rivals murders the other one). Neither was a hit with audiences and critics. The film was one of the first efforts of director Thomas McGuane, who had previously mainly worked as a novelist. Critics found that the film was plagued by amateur mistakes.
At about that time, Latham had the recurring role of Martha Higgins (the main character's landlady) in the short-lived Western television series "Sara" (1976). The series focused on the efforts of schoolteacher Sara Yarnell (played by Brenda Vaccaro) to introduce progressive values to a conservative town in 1870s Colorado. She regularly clashed with her landlady Martha. The series only lasted for 12 regular episodes and one television film, as it consistently received low ratings. Vaccaro received critical praise for her role and was nominated for an Emmy Award, but the ratings never improved.
In 1977, Latham was cast in the recurring role of Katherine Mitchell in the comedy-drama television series "Eight Is Enough" (1977-1981). Her character was the mother of the female leading character Sandra Sue "Abby" Mitchell, the mother-in-law of Abby's second husband Thomas "Tom" Bradford, and the step-grandmother of Tom's eight children from a previous marriage. Katherine Mitchell's last appearance in the series dealt with the character's upcoming divorce.
In the early 1980s, Latham had few television roles, despite having regularly appeared on television for decades by that time. She had a substantial supporting role in the time-travel-themed science fiction film "The Philadelphia Experiment" (1984). She played Pamela Parker, the wife of time traveler Jim Parker (played by Bobby Di Cicco). The film's plot features two sailors who accidentally time travel from the year 1943 to 1984. While Jim mysteriously disappears, his elderly wife Pamela recognizes the other time traveler and offers some explanations of what happened 40 years before. The film only earned 8. 1 million dollars at the box office, but its cast received nominations for Saturn Awards.
Also in 1984, Latham had a supporting role in the religious-themed drama film "Mass Appeal" (1984). The film primarily concerns the relationship between an aging Catholic priest and his youthful deacon. The priest is a conservative who has made a career out of charming people, telling them white lies, narrating inane jokes, and avoiding any controversial issues. The deacon is a liberal firebrand who wants the Church to make great reforms, and who is surprisingly sincere about his own bisexuality. The film grossed only 1.9 million dollars at the box office, though it was warmly received by critics. The film was one of several 1980s box-office flops for leading actor Jack Lemmon, whose career declined considerably during this period.
In the late 1980s, Latham appeared frequently in television films and resumed having guest appearances in television series. She was part of the cast in the television miniseries "Dress Gray" (1986). The series focused on the mystery of who raped and murdered cadet David Hand (played by Patrick Cassidy) within the grounds of a prestigious military academy. The series was nominated for three Emmy Awards.
Latham had a substantial role in the comedy miniseries "Fresno" (1986), which parodied prime time soap operas. She played Ethel Duke, owner of a private lake which served as the main water source for two rival ranches. Duke refuses all offers to sell her water rights. When she is accidentally killed by a ricocheting bullet, her death triggers both a murder trial and a struggle between two powerful families over who gets to bribe Duke's heir. The miniseries was nominated for five Emmy Awards.
In 1988, Latham was part of the main cast in the short-lived medical drama series "Hothouse". The series focused on the owners and staff of a psychiatric clinic. It only lasted for 7 episodes, canceled due to low ratings. The series was considered a rare failure for successful screenwriter Jay Presson Allen (1922-2006), who was the series' creator.
In 1991, Latham had a minor role in the drama film "Paradise". The film mainly focused on a 10-year-old boy's inability to deal with the end of his parents' failed marriage, and with his surrogate family's inability to deal with their own son's death in the near past. The film earned about 18.6 million dollars at the box office, though it received overwhelmingly negative reviews by critics.
In 1992, Latham had her last role in a feature film. She played in the interracial romance-themed drama "Love Field". Her role was that of Mrs. Enright, mother of the main character's boss. The film depicted Texan housewife Lurene Hallett (played by Michelle Pfeiffer) falling in love with African-American single father Paul Cater (played by Dennis Haysbert), after she wrongly accuses him of having kidnapped his own daughter. The film was a box-office flop, but was critically praised. Pfeiffer won the Silver Bear for Best Actress for this film, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Latham's last appearances in television miniseries were in two true-crime dramas. She appeared in both "Cruel Doubt" (1992) and "In Cold Blood" (1996). The first series dramatized the 1988 murder of wealthy businessman Lieth Von Stein by his stepson Christopher Wayne Pritchard, who aspired to inherit the family fortune. The second series dramatized the 1959 Clutter family murders, when four members of the same family were killed by two ex-convicts.
Latham had her last known television role in a 2000 episode of the science-fiction series "The X-Files" (1993-2002). She played Marjorie Butters (Louise Latham), a 118-year-old gardener whose life was being prolonged by an alien implant in her body. The episode featured the mysterious villain Cigarette Smoking Man (played by William B. Davis), who is claiming that he could cure and other human diseases with such alien technology. The episode has the villainous man intentionally spare the life of heroine Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson), while leaving it unclear whether he cares for her or views her as a useful pawn. The episode received critical praise, and it was the only contribution by actor William B. Davis to the series' scripts.
At age 78, Latham retired from acting. She spend her last years at Casa Dorinda, a retirement community located in Montecito, California. In 2018, Latham died there of natural causes. She was 95-years-old, and had no known family members at the time of her death. Her obituaries noted that she was still fondly remembered for various supporting roles, and for her versatility in portraying characters which were distinct in background and behavior. - Lyndon LaRouche was born on 8 September 1922 in Rochester, New Hampshire, USA. He was a producer, known for Firewall the Financial Crisis of 2007-2013 (2012), Sunday (1981) and Lesser-Known Presidential Candidates' Forum (2004). He was married to Helga Zepp and Janice Neuberger. He died on 12 February 2019 in the USA.
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Arguably the most famous casting director in show biz with more than 400 film and TV credits to his name, Lynn Stalmaster has helped to launch the career of many a great star. He was born in Nebraska, the son of a District Court Judge (Irvin Stalmaster, 1897-1952) and Estelle Lapidus (1903-1971). His family relocated to L.A. in 1938 where he was schooled at Beverly Hills High School and first discovered acting on radio. Following military service he studied at UCLA, graduating with a master's degree in theatre arts in 1952. Between 1951 and 1955, he had a minor career as a screen actor but at the same time hedged his bets by joining an independent production company headed by Jack J. Gross and Philip N. Krasne. Stalmaster started out as a producer's assistant and took over the role of casting director upon his predecessor's retirement, over time developing a canny aptitude for 'reading actors' as well as accumulating an inventory of (not necessarily established) theatrical players from the U.S. and Europe. He initially worked on several classic TV shows, including The Lone Wolf (1954), 319 episodes of Gunsmoke (1955) and Have Gun - Will Travel (1957). After going free-lance, he was tasked by the director Robert Wise to find 'new faces' who could be cast as suitable inmates for the Susan Hayward prison dramaI Want to Live! (1958). Offers soon began to flood in from other famous film makers for ensemble casting.
Stanley Kramer utilised his services for Inherit the Wind (1960) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) (kick-starting the career of William Shatner), William Wyler for The Children's Hour (1961), Billy Wilder for Irma la Douce (1963) and The Fortune Cookie (1966), Norman Jewison for The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and Fiddler on the Roof (1971). Stalmaster's bolder choices included travelling across Europe to recruit native German speakers (rather than using familiar English actors) for key roles in The Great Escape (1963) (he found Hannes Messemer, who played prison Kommandant Von Luger, in Zurich). His keen eye for talent resulted in the seminal casting of relatively unknown stage actor Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate (1967) and LeVar Burton as Kunta Kinte in Roots (1977). He discovered Christopher Reeve on the New York stage and persisted in sustained efforts to have him assigned the lead role of Superman (1978) (saying "I was totally captured, not only by his talent, but by him as a human being"). He furthered the careers of Ned Beatty (Deliverance (1972)) and Jeff Bridges (Halls of Anger (1970)) by prompting their respective movie debuts. Others whose careers 'The Master Caster' helped mentor along the way include Richard Dreyfuss, Jill Clayburgh, John Travolta, Bruce Dern, Jon Voight and James Caan.
Stalmaster was the first in his chosen profession to receive a single card main screen credit ('casting by') for The Thomas Crown Affair and also the first casting director to receive an Honorary Academy Award in 2017.- Mahima Silwal was an actress, known for Taqatbar (2020) and Boyfriend (2019). She died on 12 February 2020 in Gajuri, Dhading, Nepal.
- Actress
Marcia Diamond was born on 23 November 1925 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She was an actress, known for PCU (1994), Black Christmas (1974) and Spy Games (1999). She was married to Harry Irving Cohen. She died on 12 February 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.- Marisa Solinas was born on 30 May 1939 in Genoa, Liguria, Italy. She was an actress, known for Killer Goodbye (1968), La città dell'ultima paura (1975) and Boccaccio '70 (1962). She was married to Panone, Italo. She died on 12 February 2019 in Rome, Italy.
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Marty Allen was born on 23 March 1922 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Night Gallery (1969), The Last of the Secret Agents? (1966) and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014). He was married to Karon Kate Blackwell and Lorraine 'Frenchy' Trydelle. He died on 12 February 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.- Mary Ann Thebus was born on 29 March 1932 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She was an actress, known for Rudy (1993), Rent-a-Cop (1987) and My Life (1993). She was married to William Thebus. She died on 12 February 2022 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
- Actress
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Movita Castaneda was an American actress best known for having been the second wife of actor Marlon Brando. She was eight years older than Brando. In films, she played exotic women/singers, such as in Flying Down to Rio (1933) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), of which she was the last surviving cast member. She is the mother of Miko Castaneda Brando and Rebecca Brando Kotlizky.
Movita was born in Nogales, Arizona, on a train travelling between Mexico and Arizona. Movita began her acting career singing the Carioca to Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire's first dance number in the first film in which the famous duo appeared together, Flying Down to Rio (1933). She continued playing exotic women in American and Spanish language films in the 1930s, most notably as a Tahitian girl, Tehanni in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) alongside Clark Gable and Franchot Tone.
After appearing in a few more minor westerns and a few television parts, she met the actor Marlon Brando in the late 1950s, after his breakup with Anna Kashfi. They married in 1960, and they had two children. Brando played the role of Fletcher Christian in the 1962 remake of the 1935 film in which Movita had played a Tahitian girl, Tehanni. Brando then married his co-star Tarita Teriipaia.
Castaneda died on February 12, 2015 at the age of 98.
Six months later, Marlon's first wife, Anna Kashfi, died on August 16, 2015, at the age of 80.Movita Castaneda- Editor
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Nelson Rodríguez joined the Cuban film institute in 1960 as production assistant and then producer, working with Santiago Álvarez. By mid-1960's he was editing features and co-writing scripts, mainly with his friend Humberto Solás, though he also worked with Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Manuel Octavio Gómez and Sergio Giral. His work extended to a new generation of Cuban filmmakers, and with the top directors of Latin American cinema, as Miguel Littin, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, Patricio Guzmán, Lisandro Duque Naranjo and María Novaro. In 1983 he fulfilled an old dream when he directed Amada (1983), an adaptation of Miguel de Carrión's novel "La esfinge", but due to the Cuban film institute's policy, the direction credit was given to Solás. He taught at the International School of Film and Television in Havana, worked as editor in Spain, Chile, Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia and Panama; and received many awards for his work. Nelson Rodríguez died in 2020.- Actor
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Nicholas Colasanto, the actor and television director who achieved his greatest success as "Coach" on the TV series Cheers (1982) at the end of his career, was born January 19, 1924 in Providence, Rhode Island, one of seven children. He attended Providence's Central High School but did not graduate due to World War II, as he joined the Navy. After being discharged at the end of the war, Colasanto returned to Little Rhody and finished his high school education, then went on to Bryant College, earning money for tuition and board by working construction jobs. He worked as an accountant for an oil company after graduating from Bryant in 1949.
At the age of 28, he saw Henry Fonda perform on Broadway and was infected by the acting bug. He joined a theater company in Phoenix, Arizona before moving back to New York, where he performed in off-Broadway productions and appeared in TV commercials. He relocated to Hollywood in 1965 and began to appear on TV, were he also made his mark as a TV director. Eventually, he directed over 100 episodes of series TV in the 1960s and 70s, including episodes of Bonanza (1959), Columbo (1971), S.W.A.T. (1975) and Starsky and Hutch (1975). His two most memorable film roles were the the boxing manager in John Huston's Fat City (1972) and the mob boss in Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull (1980).
Colasanto was primarily a dramatic actor but the producers of the TV comedy Cheers (1982) cast him as Ernie "Coach" Pantusso, the absent-minded and dumb but lovable bartender. The role made him famous and he earned an Emmy nomination as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series each of the three years that he appeared on the show.
Sadly, at the height of his fame, he died from a heart ailment at his home on February 12th, 1985. Much beloved by the cast, the picture of the Apache warrior Geronimo that Colasanto had kept in his dressing room as a good luck charm was hung on the wall of the primary set of Cheers (1982). The picture of was not only a tribute to "Nicky", as he was known to his friends and co-workers, but was a reminder that "Coach" was still around. On the final episode of Cheers (1982), eight years after his death, Nicky Colasanto was acknowledged when series star Ted Danson, in the final scene, straightens the Geronimo picture before walking off stage for the last time.- Actor
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Olli Lindholm was born on 19 March 1964 in Finland. He was an actor and writer, known for Private Eye Vares (2004), Pahat pojat (2003) and Jos rakastat (2010). He died on 12 February 2019 in Tampere, Finland.- Actor
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Om Prakash, born in Lahore, British India (now in Pakistan), was a highly regarded Indian character actor who made significant contributions to the Hindi film industry. With a career spanning over four decades, Om Prakash became known for his versatile performances and memorable portrayals of supporting characters.
Om Prakash made his debut in the film industry in the 1940s, initially playing small roles. However, it was in the 1950s that he gained recognition for his acting skills. He often portrayed the affable, humorous, and sometimes scheming characters in Hindi films, earning him a place as one of the prominent character actors of his time.
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, Om Prakash appeared in numerous Bollywood films, collaborating with legendary actors and directors. Some of his notable works include "Chupke Chupke" (1975), "Jab Jab Phool Khile" (1965), and "Dus Lakh" (1966). His ability to infuse humor and warmth into his characters, coupled with his distinctive voice, made him a favorite among audiences.
Apart from his acting career, Om Prakash also ventured into film production. He produced several films, including the critically acclaimed "Chupke Chupke."
Om Prakash received recognition for his contributions to the film industry and won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Aadmi Aur Insaan" (1969). He was known for his professionalism, dedication, and the ability to add depth to even the smallest roles.
Tragically, Om Prakash passed away on February 21, 1998, leaving behind a legacy of memorable performances and a significant impact on Hindi cinema. His contribution as a character actor, often playing the lovable and wise elderly figure, continues to be celebrated, and he remains a respected figure in the history of Bollywood.- Patrick Stone was born on 14 August 1965 in Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA. He died on 12 February 2023 in Springfield Township, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Pedro Morales was born on 22 October 1942 in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico. He was an actor, known for WWF Superstars (1986), Saturday Night's Main Event (1985) and WWF Prime Time Wrestling (1985). He was married to Karen Johnson. He died on 11 February 2019 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, USA.
- Pepe Díaz Lastra was born on 17 November 1928 in La Habana, Cuba. He was an actor, known for La vida comienza ahora (1960), Enfermero de día, camarero de noche (1990) and El tío Disparate (1978). He died on 12 February 2007 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Born and raised in Texas to a large Southern family. An over-achiever as a teen-ager, Phyllis was state president of the Future Homemakers of Americas. Was secretary for National Honor Society, JC Penney team-board vice-president. Attended University of Texas in Austin and Columbia University in NYC.
- Casting Department
- Casting Director
- Actor
Randy Stone was born on 26 August 1958 in Hollywood, California, USA. He was a casting director and actor, known for Final Destination (2000), Say Anything (1989) and Jaws 3-D (1983). He was married to Roslyn Kind. He died on 12 February 2007 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Actor
- Cinematographer
Richmond L. Aguilar was born on 27 June 1931 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor and cinematographer, known for Ghostbusters (1984), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) and Multiplicity (1996). He died on 12 February 2022 in Mendocino, California, USA.- Bob was born in Hollywood and grew up in the Baldwin Hills area in a house his father had built. A natural showman even when he was very young, he would put on shows for the neighborhood kids, charging them a penny to attend. Bob attended Dorsey High School and was active in their drama productions.
During WWII, Bob was a weatherman in the 10th Weather Squadron, 14th Air Force (the "Flying Tigers") in Kunming, China. He was later reassigned to organize the mail for all the units in the China-Burma-India theatre. His first acting "job" was in an Area Entertainment Guild production of "Room Service" for the troops.
Returning to L.A. after the war, Bob attended the Pasadena Playhouse, then also a school of theatre arts, and graduated in 1949. He then went on to be one of the founding members of the Orchard Gables Repertory Theatre Company at the corner of Fountain and Wilcox in Hollywood.
Wanting to manage his own theatre, he purchased property in 1955 and built his own 90-seat theatre with seating "in-the-round." In January of 1956, Bob opened the Horseshoe Stage Theatre on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood where he produced, directed, and starred in plays for many years. The theatre is now known as the Zephyr Theatre.
When not working as an actor or teaching students, Bob could be found traveling in his motorhome, searching for the perfect fishing spot!
After living with some mobility challenges for a couple of years, Bob passed away peacefully February 12, 2016, surrounded by his two sons and their family. - Rosamel Araya was born on 30 August 1936 in Puerto San Antonio, Chile. She was an actress, known for La carpa del amor (1979). She died on 12 February 1996 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Hungarian-born S.Z. Sakall was a veteran of German, Hungarian and British films when he left Europe because of the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi movement. In Hollywood from shortly after the outbreak of World War II, Sakall began appearing in comedies and musicals, often playing a lovable if somewhat excitable and/or befuddled uncle, businessman or neighborhood eccentric. Memorable as the waiter in Casablanca (1942) and as a somewhat lecherous Broadway producer in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). He retired from films in 1954 and died of a heart attack in Hollywood in 1955.- Actor
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Salvatore (Sal) Mineo Jr. was born to Josephine and Sal Sr. (a casket maker), who emigrated to the U.S. from Sicily. His siblings were Michael, Victor and Sarina. Sal was thrown out of parochial school and, by age eight, was a member of a street gang in a tough Bronx neighborhood. His mother enrolled him in dancing school and, after being arrested for robbery at age ten, he was given a choice of juvenile confinement or professional acting school.
He soon appeared in the theatrical production "The Rose Tattoo" with Maureen Stapleton and Eli Wallach and as the young prince in "The King and I" with Gertrude Lawrence and Yul Brynner. At age 16 he played a much younger boy in Six Bridges to Cross (1955) with Tony Curtis and later that same year played Plato in James Dean's Rebel Without a Cause (1955). He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in this film and again for his role as Dov Landau in Exodus (1960).
Expanding his repertoire, Mineo returned to the theatre to direct and star in the play "Fortune and Men's Eyes" with successful runs in both New York and Los Angeles. In the late 1960s and 1970s he continued to work steadily in supporting roles on TV and in film, including Dr. Milo in Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) and Harry O (1973). In 1975 he returned to the stage in the San Francisco hit production of "P.S. Your Cat Is Dead". Preparing to open the play in Los Angeles in 1976 with Keir Dullea, he returned home from rehearsal the evening of February 12th when he was attacked and stabbed to death by a stranger. A drifter named Lionel Ray Williams was arrested for the crime and, after trial in 1979, convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder, but was paroled in 1990. Although taken away far too soon, the memory of Sal Mineo continues to live on through the large body of TV and film work that he left behind.- Santiago Feliú was born on 29 March 1962 in Havana, Cuba. He was a composer, known for Trovador de para mañana (1998) and Interactivo La Película (2011). He died on 12 February 2014 in Havana, Cuba.
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Screamin' Jay Hawkins was best known for his song "I Put a Spell On You, " which he recorded on the Okeh label in 1956 and which helped win him cult status in the United States, Europe and Japan. He had originally planned the tune as a ballad, but after a night of heavy drinking he tried again--screaming, yelling and groaning--and never looked back. The snorting, some say "cannibalistic" delivery got "I Put A Spell On You" banned from radio stations across the country. Hawkins went on to use the same demented style again and again. An outrageous performer, he used bizarre stage props, often emerging out of coffins during shows. He would wield rubber snakes and fake tarantulas and wear a boar's tooth around his neck or a bone clipped to his nose. Jay Hawkins got his first break in 1951 as a pianist-valet to veteran jazz guitarist Tiny Grimes. His recording debut was 1952's "Why Did You Waste My Time, " backed by Grimes and his Rockin' Highlanders. In the 1960s, Ha!- Actor
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Comedian, saxophonist, composer, actor and musician, he performed within the orchestras of Charlie Spivak, Shep Fields and Claude Thornhill as saxophonist. Later, as super-hip jazz musician "Cool Cees" in television skits, he played tenor saxophone, and sang with the satirical trio "The Hair Cuts" (with Carl Reiner and Howard Morris). He sang the lead role in "Little Me" on Broadway. Joining ASCAP in 1955, his popular song compositions include "I Wrote This Song for Your Birthday" and "Was That You?".- The son of Colonel H.G. Toler, breeder of trotting horses, Sidney Toler acted on stage by the time he was seven years old. He was an established star of the theater by the 1890s, long before his career in motion pictures began. He was also active as a playwright and had a good enough voice to be cast as a lead baritone with an operatic stock company at the Orpheum Theatre in New York. He made his Broadway debut in 'The Office Boy' in 1903 and for the next nine years went on the road with his own touring acting troupes. His prowess as a writer equaled that of his performances with two of his plays opening on Broadway while a third ('The Man They Left Behind') was enacted by no less than eighteen different stock companies in a single week nationwide.
Frequently under the auspices of theatrical impresario David Belasco, Sidney starred in Broadway comedy for twelve years (1918-30). Having decided to abandon his successful stage career, he made the move to Hollywood and played supporting roles as a free-lance actor for several years, often cast as police officers, bankers or butlers.
In the mid-1930s, he joined 20th Century Fox under contract. The death of Charlie Chan impersonator Warner Oland in 1938 presented him with an opportunity for a leading role and he successfully auditioned for the part among 34 candidates screen-tested. His expansive, avuncular personality made Sidney, arguably, the most popular incarnation of the famous oriental detective with a noticeably strong line in sarcastic wit -- usually directed at 'Number Two Son'. He played Chan in 22 feature films beginning with Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938), and ending with The Trap (1946). The first 11 Charlie Chan outings were produced by 20th Century Fox Studios. All of them were box office hits. However, by 1942, the quality of the series began to decline. With America's entry into the Second World War, overseas markets began to dwindle. Fox retired the series, but two years later, in 1944, sold the character rights to the 'poverty row' company Monogram Pictures. This inevitably resulted in poorer scripts and lower production values.
Moreover, after years of being typecast as Charlie Chan and given few opportunities to expand his range as an actor, Sidney's performances also became less defined and more automatic. While filming the last three Charlie Chan installments (Shadows Over Chinatown (1946), Dangerous Money (1946), and The Trap (1946)), the actor became increasingly incapacitated by ill-health which resulted in extra screen time for his co-stars Mantan Moreland and Victor Sen Yung. After being bedridden for several months, he passed away at his Hollywood home from intestinal cancer on February 12, 1947 at age 72. - Actor
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Søren Spanning was born on 30 May 1951 in Frederiksberg, Denmark. He was an actor, known for A Royal Affair (2012), Lærkevej (2009) and Ud, spring over, ind (2013). He was married to Karen-Lise Mynster. He died on 12 February 2020 in Copenhagen, Denmark.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Steve Strange was born on 28 May 1959 in Porthcawl, South Wales, UK. He was an actor, known for Laurence Anyways (2012), Urban Cowboy (1980) and Hittimittari (1984). He died on 12 February 2015 in Sharm El Sheikh International Hospital, Sharm el-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt.- Tom Landry was born on 11 September 1924 in Mission, Texas, USA. He was married to Alicia Mildred Wiggs. He died on 12 February 2000 in Dallas, Texas, USA.
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Vadim Abdrashitov, one of Russian cinema's most independent directors who was influenced by liberation of cultural life during the Khrushchev's "Thaw", is now an internationally renown filmmaker with awards from the Berlin and Venice Film Festivals.
He was born Vadim Yusupovich Abdrashitov on January 19, 1945, in Kharkov, Ukraine, USSR (now Kharkov, Ukraine). His father, Yusup Abdrashitov, an ethnic Tatar, was an officer in the Soviet Army and for that reason his family was moving many times to places like Vladivostok, Alma-Ata, Sakhalin, Kamchatka and Leningrad. Young Abdrashitov was so impressed with the space flight of the first Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, that he left his parents in Kazakhstan, and moved to Moscow. There he studied nuclear physics at the famous 'FisTech' where the Nobel Prize Laureats Landau, Tamm, and Semyonov were among professors.
At that time Abdrashitov became involved in amateur film-making. Then he transferred to the Mendeleev Institute of Technology, because it was equipped with the film studio for students. His cultural and artistic interests developed during the "Thaw", that was initiated by Nikita Khrushchev. Abdrashitov was influenced by the books of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Vasiliy Aksyonov, and by the songs of Vladimir Vysotskiy, Yuri Vizbor, Bulat Okudzhava, and Aleksandr Galich. After graduation as an engineer, he worked as a manager at the Moscow Electric-Vacuum Industry, which was making color TV tubes.
From 1970-1974 Abdrashitov studied film directing under Mikhail Romm at the Moscow State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK). After the death of Romm, he continued his film studies under Lev Kulidzhanov and graduated as a film director. His directorial debut was Ostanovite Potapova! (1973), a satirical comedy based on the screenplay by Grigori Gorin. In 1975 Abdrashitov met with the unknown writer Aleksandr Mindadze. That was the beginning of their fruitful collaboration in their next 12 films, which they made together in 30 years. Their films were awarded at many international film festivals as well as at the Soviet and Russian film forums. Abdrashitov became Laureat of the Russian State Prize for his film The Train Has Stopped (1982). In Parade of the Planets (1984), an existential film, starring Oleg Borisov, Sergey Shakurov, and Sergey Nikonenko with others, seven men are trying to find their way back home after a military training in which they were "killed" by an enemy's missile, and seized to exist. In search for their way home they go through mystical experiences in the battlefield, then in a "city of women", in a retirement home, and finally they witness a Parade of the Planets, a rare cosmic event that happens once in a thousand years.
Abdrashitov and Mindadze has been enjoying continuous and fruitful collaboration which had resulted in many critically acclaimed works. Their Plumbum, or Dangerous Game (1987) was awarded the Gold Medal at the 44-th Venice International film Festival. Abdrashitov was made Laureat of the USSR State Prize for his film Sluga (1989), which was also awarded the Alfred Bower Prize from the Ecumenic Jury at the Berlin Film Festival (1991). Their haunting film Vremya tantsora (1998), with remarkable acting by Sergey Garmash and Chulpan Khamatova, received several awards and nominations. Their latest Magnitnye buri (2003) (aka.. Magnetic Storms) is an apocalyptic, anti-Utopian, almost "pavlovian" analysis of provincial life in Russia, where people are programmed to become zombies, trapped in a vicious cycle of work for survival and the only events that bring variety to their monotonous life are occasional sparks of bloody fist-fights - albeit powerless to change the general doom.
Vadim Abdrashitov is a Member of the Russian Film Academy and a Member of the Russian Union of Cinematographers. He received numerous awards and nominations at Russian and International film festivals and was designated People's Artist of Russia in 1992. Vadim Abdrashitov has been enjoying a happy family life with his wife, Natella Toidze, and their two children, son Oleg (born in 1973) and daughter Naina (born in 1980). Abdrashitov is currently residing and working in Moscow.- Actor
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Victor Jory was born in Dawson City, Yukon, Canada. His burly physique made him a wrestling and boxing champion during his military service in the United States Coast Guard. After a few appearances on Broadway, he made his way into Hollywood in the early 1930s. His acting career spanned exactly 50 years, during which he played in nearly 200 films and TV series. In his early years he was cast in romantic roles, but it wasn't long before he began playing villainous parts, likely due to his "black eyes" which could easily give the impression of intimidation. He is remembered for his role as the ruthless overseer Jonas Wilkerson in Gone With the Wind, and his role as Lamont Cranston in The Shadow. He also played Oberon in the 1935 film version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Among these many co-starring roles, he also appeared in 7 Hopalong Cassidy films between the years 1941 and 1943, usually cast as the villain or a right hand man. The only Hopalong film in which he did not play a 'bad guy' was in Riders of the Timberlane where he played a hot blooded, broad-shouldered lumberjack. During his film career, Victor's voice also offered him the an extensive career in radio. He was the lead role in the radio series, Dangerously Yours, and he also narrated "Tubby the Tuba" and "Bumpo the Ballerina" for children. In the 1950s and 1960s, he began acting in television series while remaining in the film industry. He played the lead role of Detective Howard Finucane in the police drama series, Manhunt, which ran from 1959 to 1961. In 1962 he played Helen Keller's father in the film, The Miracle Worker, for which his co-stars Patty Duke and Anne Bancroft won Oscars. In 1964, he along with fellow actors Susan Seafourth and Coleen Gray testified before the United States Congress as part of Project Prayer, arguing in favor of an amendment which would restore school prayer, something which the United States had eliminated in the early 1960s. Victor Jory continued acting until he retired in 1980. He was married to Jean Inness Jory from 1928 until her death in 1978. Together they had two children, Jon and Jean. At age 79, Victor died of a heart attack on February 12, 1982, in Santa Monica, California.- W.E.B. Griffin was born on 10 November 1929 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He was married to Maria del Pilar Menendez and Emma Josefa Macalik. He died on 12 February 2019 in Fairhope, Alabama, USA.
- Wendell Rodricks was born on 28 May 1960 in Goa, India. He was an actor, known for Boom (2003) and True West (2002). He was married to Jerome Marrel . He died on 12 February 2020 in Goa, India.
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Composer, conductor, noted percussionist and teacher, educated at Columbia University (Bachelor/Master of Arts, Seidl Fellowship), and a student of Otto Luening, Vladimir Ussachevsky, Jack Beeson and Henry Cowell, and also with Boris Orr at Cambridge University in England. He organized and directed the Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble, and he was timpani soloist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and on the faculty of USC as well as a member of the International Society of Contemporary Music and, since 1962, a member of ASCAP.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Lovely, lithe and light-haired Zina Bethune, noted ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher, also had a promising acting career during the late 1950s and 1960s.
The native New Yorker was born on February 17, 1945, the daughter of William Charles Bethune (who died in 1950 when Zina was 5) and established actress Ivy Bethune (née Vigner) of General Hospital (1963) fame. Zina's mother was a Russian Jewish immigrant, born in Sevastopol.
Formally trained in dance from age 6, she was a student at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet, and performed with the New York City Ballet as a teen despite the fact she was diagnosed at various times with scoliosis, lymphedema and hip dysplasia.
As an adolescent, she appeared in several daytime TV dramas, including a breakthrough part (1956-1958) as the first "Robin Lang" on the serial Guiding Light (1952). Over time, she joined the cast of other soaps, including a lengthy running part on Love of Life (1951) from 1965-1971 and, many years later, a recurring part on Santa Barbara (1984). Zina co-starred with Shirl Conway on the TV drama The Doctors and the Nurses (1962) [best known as "The Nurses," the series was later entitled "The Doctors and the Nurses"], and won touching reviews for her naive student nurse role. She also played the sensitive role of "Amy" in one of several TV adaptations of Louisa May Alcott's beloved Little Women (1958). As a young adult, she continued to demonstrate a formidable dramatic flair on such popular shows as Route 66 (1960), Naked City (1958), Gunsmoke (1955), Lancer (1968), The Invaders (1967), Emergency! (1972) and CHiPs (1977).
Making her first movie appearance as one of the Roosevelt children in Sunrise at Campobello (1960) starring Ralph Bellamy and Greer Garson, she did not make as indelible a mark in film as promised, but did earn semi-cult notice for her moving streetwise role opposite Harvey Keitel in Martin Scorsese's autobiographical feature-length debut Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967) [aka Who's That Knocking at My Door?], a notable predecessor to his acclaimed star-maker Mean Streets (1973).
Zina graced many musicals as a singer/dancer and made her Broadway debut at age 11 playing "Tessie" in "The Most Happy Fella". A number of touring productions came her way in the form of "Sweet Charity", "Oklahoma!", "Damn Yankees!", "Carnival", "Carousel" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown". Non-musical offerings came in the form of "The Member of the Wedding", "Barefoot in the Park" and "The Owl and the Pussycat". In 1992, Zina returned to Broadway as a replacement in "Grand Hotel" in which she portrayed Russian ballerina "Elizaveta Grushinskaya".
Ms. Bethune's ultimate passion and commitment, however, has remained in the art of dance...and on many levels. In her prime, she was a highly-regarded prima ballerina. Among her many credits were "Swan Lake", "Le Corsair", "Romeo and Juliet", "Black Swan", "Giselle", "Don Quixote" and "Sleeping Beauty", not to mention Balanchine's own "Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux". A guest artist with The Royal Danish Ballet, Nevada Dance Theatre and San Francisco Ballet Theatre, she went on to form her own New York-based company in 1969 -- Zina Bethune and Company. Her career as a dance director and choreographer has encompassed over 50 plays, films, videos and ballets.
Bethune was sporadically seen on camera in later years, including small roles in the film The Boost (1988) as a dance choreographer, the TV movie Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder (1987) and the TV series "Santa Barbara" and "Party of Five." Throughout her life, she has remained steadfast in her contribution to children with physical and mental disabilities. Helping them embrace the art of dance as a means of self-expression and therapy, she was prompted by her own physical ailments diagnosed while growing up. In addition to the Theatredanse (aka Theature Bethune) dance performance company she founded in 1980, she also organized Dance Outreach (now known as Infinite Dreams) in 1982, which continues to enroll disabled young children in dance-related activities throughout Southern California.
On February 12, 2012, Bethune was killed in an apparent hit-and-run accident while visiting the Griffith Park area in Los Angeles. She was five days short of her 67th birthday. She was survived by her husband, technical/visual effects artist 'Sean Feeley and mother Ivy.- Actress
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Zinaida Kirienko was born on 9 July 1933 in Makhachkala, Dagestan ASSR, RSFSR, USSR [now Republic of Dagestan, Russia]. She was an actress, known for Quiet Flows the Don (1957), Kazaki (1961) and Tikhiy Don II (1958). She was married to Valery Alekseevich Tarasevsky. She died on 12 February 2022 in Moscow, Russia.