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- Actor
- Composer
- Director
This velvet-toned jazz baritone and sometime actor was (and perhaps still is) virtually unknown to white audiences. Yet, back in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Herb Jeffries was very big...in black-cast films. Today he is respected and remembered as a pioneer who broke down rusted-shut racial doors in Hollywood and ultimately displayed a positive image as a black actor on celluloid.
The Detroit native was born Umberto Alejandro Ballentino on September 24, 1911 (some sources list 1914). His white Irish mother ran a rooming house, and his father, whom he never knew, was of mixed ancestry and bore Sicilian, Ethiopean, French, Italian and Moorish roots. Young Herb grew up in a mixed neighborhood without experiencing severe racism as a child. He showed definitive interest in singing during his formative teenage years and was often found hanging out with the Howard Buntz Orchestra at various Detroit ballrooms.
After moving to Chicago, he performed in various clubs. One of his first gigs was in a club allegedly owned by Al Capone. Erskine Tate signed the 19-year-old Herb to a contract with his Orchestra at the Savoy Dance Hall in Chicago. While there Herb was spotted by Earl 'Fatha' Hines, who hired him in 1931 for a number of appearances and recordings. It was during the band's excursions to the South that Jeffries first encountered blatant segregation. He left the Hines band in 1934 and eventually planted roots in Los Angeles after touring with Blanche Calloway's band. There he found employment as a vocalist and emcee at the popular Club Alabam. And then came Duke Ellington, staying with his outfit for ten years. Herb started his singing career out as a lyrical tenor, but, on the advice of Duke Ellington's longtime music arranger, Billy Strayhorn, he lowered his range.
The tall, debonair, mustachioed, blue-eyed, light-complexioned man who had a handsome, matinée-styled Latin look, was a suitable specimen for what was called "sepia movies" -- pictures that played only in ghetto and/or segregated theaters and were advertised with an all-black cast. Inspired by the success of Gene Autry, Herb made his debut as a crooning cowboy with Harlem on the Prairie (1937), which was considered the first black western following the inauguration of the talkies. Dark makeup was applied to his light skin and he almost never took off his white stetson which would have revealed naturally brown hair. A popular movie, Herb went on to sing his own songs (to either his prairie flower and/or horse) in both The Bronze Buckaroo (1939) and Harlem Rides the Range (1939). Outside the western venue, he starred in the crimer Two-Gun Man from Harlem (1938). As the whip-snapping, pistol-toting, melody-gushing Bronze Buckaroo, Jeffries finally offered a positive alternative to the demeaning stereotypes laid on black actors. Moreover, he refused to appear in "white" films in which he would have been forced to play in servile support.
In the midst of all this, Herb continued to impress as a singer and made hit records of the singles "In My Solitude", "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good", "When I Write My Song", Duke Ellington's "Jump for Joy" and his signature song "Flamingo", which became a huge hit in 1941. Some of the songs he did miss out on which could have furthered his name, were "Love Letters" and "Native Boy". During the 1950s Herb worked constantly in Europe, especially in France, where he owned his own Parisian nightclub for a time. He also starred in the title film role of Calypso Joe (1957) co-starring Angie Dickinson and later appeared on episodes of "I Dream of Jeannie", "The Virginian" and "Hawaii Five-0".
Although he very well could have with his light skin tones, the man dubbed "Mr. Flamingo" never tried to pass himself off as white. He was proud of his heritage and always identified himself as black. In the mid-1990s, westerns returned in vogue and Herb recorded a "comeback album" ("The Bronze Buckaroo Rides Again") for Warner Western. During this pleasant career renaissance he has also been asked to lecture at colleges, headline concerts and record CDs. In 1999-2000, at age 88, he recorded the CD "The Duke and I", recreating songs he did with Duke. It also was a tribute honoring the great musician's 100th birthday.
His five marriages, including one to notorious exotic dancer Tempest Storm, produced five children. At age 90-plus, Herb "Flamingo" Jeffries, lived in the Palm Springs area with significant other (and later his fifth wife) Savannah Shippen, who is 45 years his junior, remaining one of the last of the original singing cowboys still alive (along with Monte Hale) until he finally passed away on May 25, 2014, having hit the century mark.
In 2003 he was inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame and was invited to sing for President Bush at the White House. He is also the last surviving member of The Great Duke Ellington Orchestra, and certainly deserves proper credit for his historic efforts in films and music.- Aída Luz was born on 10 February 1917 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was an actress, known for Un tranvía llamado Deseo (1956), Pobre mi madre querida (1948) and Bianca (1980). She died on 25 May 2006 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arturo Maly was born on 6 September 1939 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor and assistant director, known for Time for Revenge (1981), Muñeca brava (1998) and Compromiso (1983). He was married to Marta Klopman. He died on 25 May 2001 in Morteros, Córdoba, Argentina.- Actor
- Director
A porn star with popularity spanning over 10 years. Contrary to the softer-looking originals of an earlier day, Billy entered the porn scene in 1995 with chiseled muscularity, a smile that said "winner" right off the bat, and sporting a sizeable endowment that never failed to bring out the best in his female co-stars. Since his debut in the mid-90s, Billy worked for various companies and in numerous scenes. He was regarded among peers and fans alike as being one of the most reliable porn stars in the business, and was also one of the most well-liked in the porn community.- Music Department
- Actor
- Composer
Bradley Nowell was born on 22 February 1968 in Long Beach, California, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Hardcore Henry (2015), Knocked Up (2007) and Idle Hands (1999). He was married to Troy Dendekker. He died on 25 May 1996 in San Francisco, California, USA.- Brigid Bazlen was born on 9 June 1944 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA. She was an actress, known for How the West Was Won (1962), King of Kings (1961) and The Honeymoon Machine (1961). She was married to Marlin Greene and Jean-Paul Vignon. She died on 25 May 1989 in Seattle, Washington, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Charles Nelson Reilly was born to Charles Joseph Reilly and Signe Elvera Nelson. His father was Irish-American and Catholic, his mother was Swedish-American and Lutheran. As a child he amused himself with improvised puppet theater performances.
He had a traumatic experience in 1944, when present for the Hartford circus fire in Hartford, Connecticut. A fire during a performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus killed 167 people and injured 700 people. While Reilly was one of the survivors, he was left with a life-long fear of fires. He never attended public performances of theater and circus again, as an audience member, for fear of another fire.
Reilly wanted to enter show business as a youth, and in particular to become an opera singer. He took lessons at the University of Hartford Hartt School, but eventually realized that his voice skills were inadequate. He turned to theater next, and debuted in film with a bit role in "A Face in the Crowd" (1957). During the late 1950s, Reilly appeared regularly in comic roles in theatrical performances off-Broadway. In 1960, Reilly first gained critical attention, for a small but noteworthy part in Broadway musical "Bye Bye Birdie". In 1961, Reilly joined the cast of the musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying". He won his first Tony Award in 1962 for that performance. He kept appearing in Broadway shows for the rest of the decade.
As a notable actor, Reilly started making television appearances in the 1960s. He started as a guest in panel shows and as a player in television advertisements. He eventually gained a key role in the television series "The Ghost & Mrs. Muir", where he appeared from 1968 to 1970. In the 1970s, Reilly was a regular in game shows and children's series, such as "Match Game" and "Uncle Croc's Block".
In 1976, Reilly started teaching acting to others, while shifting his own career from acting to directing. He directed Broadway shows regularly and was nominated for a Tony Award for directing in 1997. He also directed a number television episodes. In the 1990s, he had guest roles in television series such as "X-Files" and "Millennium".
In the 2000s, Reilly was primarily known for the autobiographical play "Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly", and for its film adaptation. While touring the United States, he developed respiratory problems which led to his retirement. His illness got worse, and he died due to pneumonia in 2007.- Claus von Bülow was born on 11 August 1926 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was married to Martha Sunny von Bulow. He died on 25 May 2019 in London, England, UK.
- Daniel Seymour Katz (Dan Seymour's original name) attended Senn High School in Chicago and graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.S. in Fine Arts. While in college, he worked in many school plays and also worked at night as an emcee at various Chicago nightclubs becoming quite successful. He moved to Hollywood, where his rotund build (265 pounds), and swarthy looks made him perfect for a Hollywood heavy, and changed his name. He wed Evelyn Schwartz in 1949. The couple had two children: Jeff (born 1950) and Greg (born 1954).
- Actress
- Soundtrack
This pert, petite, delicate, dreamy-eyed French dish of post-war filming with the piled-high blonde hairdo was a one-time threat to the sexy, kittenish pedestal Brigitte Bardot stood on during the 1950s. While working for such legendary directors as Marcel Carné, Marc Allégret, Julien Duvivier, Henri Decoin and René Clair, she also got to work opposite France's most handsome leading men, including Georges Marchal, Jean Marais, Jean Servais, François Périer, Daniel Gélin, Jacques Sernas and singer Marcel Amont, Dany became the epitome of the romantic, virginal heroine in light comedy souffles, although she was just as entrancing and touching in dramatic works.
Born Danielle Robin on April 4, 1927, the lithe Dany trained as a ballerina as a child and eventually made her way dancing with the Opera de Paris. At age 19, however, she opted for a movie career and decided to study at the Paris Conservatoire. Making her screen debut with a bit part in Lunegarde (1946), she first turned heads in the romantic dramedy Man About Town (1947) directed by Clair and starring Maurice Chevalier.
Dany continued to touch pulses with her naïve lovelies throughout the 50's with such pictures as Naughty Martine (1947); Monelle (1948); four films co-starring heartthrob Georges Marchal, whom she married in 1951 -- La passagère (1949), La voyageuse inattendue (1950), The Thirst of Men (1950) and Valley of Fire (1951); Elle et moi (1952); Deux sous de violettes (1951); Frou-Frou (1955); the title role in the films Holiday for Henrietta (1952) and Julietta (1953); the US/French co-production Act of Love (1953) starring Kirk Douglas; Napoleon (1955) (as Desiree); Frou-Frou (1955); Maid in Paris (1956); C'est arrivé à Aden... (1956); Bonsoir Paris (1956); C'est la faute d'Adam (1958); L'école des cocottes (1958); the title role in Mimi Pinson (1958); and The Chasers (1959).
Though most of her films were produced in her own homeland, Dany branched out internationally from time to time in the 1960's, appearing in the British sex comedy Waltz of the Toreadors (1962) opposite Peter Sellers and the innocuous, teen-oriented flick Follow the Boys (1963) starring singing teen pop idol Connie Francis here in the U.S. She matured with roles in Love and the Frenchwoman (1960), Les mystères de Paris (1962), Mandrin (1962), X-Ray of a Killer (1965) and a pair of British comedies Carry on Don't Lose Your Head (1967) and The Best House in London (1969). She would last appear on film in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Topaz (1969), an American production.
Divorced from first husband Marchal, the father of her two children, in 1968, Dany married British agent/producer Michael Sullivan the following year and retired quietly. On May 25, 1995, the 68-year-old former actress was tragically killed, along with Sullivan, in a fire that consumed their Paris apartment.- Composer
- Soundtrack
Desmond Dekker was born on 16 July 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica. He was a composer, known for Fool's Gold (2008), Idiocracy (2006) and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008). He died on 24 May 2006 in Thornton Heath, London, England, UK.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
White-haired London-born character actor, a familiar face in Hollywood for more than five decades. He was born George William Crisp, the youngest of ten siblings, to working class parents James Crisp and his wife Elizabeth (nee Christy). Despite his humble beginnings, Donald was educated at Oxford University. He saw action with the 10th Hussars of the British Army at Kimberley and Ladysmith during the Boer War and subsequently moved to the United States to begin a new life as an actor.
Arriving in New York in 1906 he began as a singer in Grand Opera with the company of impresario John C. Fisher. By 1910, he had climbed his way up the ladder to become stage manager for George M. Cohan. He was a member of D.W. Griffith's original stock company in the early days of the film industry, beginning with Biograph in New Jersey and featured in The Birth of a Nation (1915) (as General Ulysses S. Grant), Intolerance (1916) and Broken Blossoms (1919). He later joined Famous Players Lasky (subsequently Paramount) and turned with some success to directing in the 1920s, on occasion also appearing in his films (as for example in Don Q Son of Zorro (1925), as Don Sebastian). By the early 30s, Crisp concentrated exclusively on acting and became one of the more prolific Hollywood character players on the scene. Though he was actually a cockney, he -- for unknown reasons -- invented a Scottish ancestry for himself early on, claiming that he was born in Aberfeldy and affected a Scottish accent throughout his career. Crisp's particular stock-in-trade types were crusty or benevolent patriarchs, stern military officers, doctors and judges. He had lengthy stints under contract at Warner Brothers (1935-42) and MGM (1943-51) with an impressive list of A-grade output to his credit: Burkitt in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), Colonel Campbell in The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), Maitre Labori in The Life of Emile Zola (1937), Phipps in The Dawn Patrol (1938), General Bazaine in Juarez (1939), Francis Bacon in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) and Sir John Burleson in The Sea Hawk (1940). He is perhaps most fondly remembered as the famous canine's original owner in Lassie Come Home (1943), Elizabeth Taylor's dad Mr. Brown in National Velvet (1944), and, above all, as the head of a Welsh mining family in How Green Was My Valley (1941) (the role which won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor). In a less sympathetic vein, Crisp gave a sterling performance as a ruthless tobacco planter in the underrated Gary Cooper drama Bright Leaf (1950).
Donald Crisp died in May 1974 in Van Nuys, California, at the age of 91. He is commemorated by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Vine Street.- Emilio Urdapilleta was born on 25 March 1924 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor, known for Padre Coraje (2004), Allá donde el viento brama (1963) and El desafío (2015). He died on 25 May 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Born in Butte Montana just before the turn of the century, Ethan Laidlaw worked as a steam fitter, bus driver, mechanic, salesman, and policeman, before moving to the Los Angeles in the early 1920's. Laidlaw's tall, lean frame and chiseled features made him a natural for gangster pictures, Westerns, and for any role that required a villain, heavy, or tough guy. While he seldom had a substantial speaking park, he found steady work for almost four decades.
Between the movies and the proliferation of TV Westerns in the 1950's, Laidlaw kept busy from 1925 until his death from a heart attack in 1963. All told, he had almost 450 known appearances in movies, and about 400 on TV. He was one of Hugh O'Brian's regulars on "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp," (which included Jimmy Noel, Buddy Roosevelt, Bill Coontz, and Phil Schumacher), with over 130 appearances on that series alone.
An avid biker, Laidlaw could be seen traveling the countryside on his motorcycle during the few times he wasn't working. Laidlaw lived in the Whitley Hills area of Hollywood, not far from the studios, from the early 1940's until his death. - Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Frantisek Lederer was born on November 6th, 1899, in Czechoslovakia. His father was a leather merchant, and young Frantisek began his working life as a department store delivery boy in Prague. He fell in love with acting from a young age, and was soon on stage touring Moravia and then all over Central Europe with people like Peter Lorre.
Lederer was easily lured into film by German actress Henny Porten and her producer husband. And it wasn't long before he was starring in the legendary German silent movie Pandora's Box (1929).
Whilst Lederer, who was using the German name of Franz, shifted from silents to talkies easily and was fast becoming one of Germany's top stars, he hadn't yet learned to speak any English.
By 1934, Lederer, (now using Francis), had begun working in America. And he was getting top billing too. Irving Thalberg had planned to make Lederer "the biggest star in Hollywood" but Thalberg's untimely death put a stop to that. But Lederer continued successfully in film and TV for many years.
After two brief marriages his third lasted 59 years. He invested in property well and made a fortune in the Canoga Park, California area. He founded the National Academy of Performing Arts on which his close friend Joan Crawford was on the Advisory Board. He loved to teach.
Lederer was still teaching the week before he died in 2000, aged 100 years.- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Producer
Gary Garfinkel was born on 25 September 1962. He was an actor and producer, known for Next Stop for Charlie (2010), Bimbo Penitentiary (1992) and Patriot Act: A Jeffrey Ross Home Movie (2005). He died on 25 May 2018 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Hillary Brooke's image as the epitome of glacial, regal, upper-class British gentility is muted somewhat by the fact that she was born Beatrice Sofia Mathilda Peterson to a middle-class American family in Long Island, New York. She was the sister of actor Arthur Peterson, best-known as the demented "Major" on the soap-opera satire Soap (1977). Always a beauty, she had a successful career as a photographer's model before breaking into show business. Her "British" accent came about when she realized that she was just one of innumerable tall, good-looking blondes vying for roles, and needed something to make her stand out among them. She came up with affecting a British accent and it worked; she began to get more and more roles that called for a "British" blonde, so she kept the accent.
Her film debut was in New Faces of 1937 (1937), in which -- billed as "Beatrice Schute" -- she played a showgirl. She began working steadily in films in the early 1940s, and appeared in such major productions as The Woman in Green (1945), The Fuller Brush Man (1948), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941), Wake Island (1942), Jane Eyre (1943) and The Enchanted Cottage (1945), in addition to the usual run of "B" westerns and thrillers in which many up-and-coming young actresses had to put in time. In the early 1950s she began appearing on television including 23 appearances on The Abbott and Costello Show (1952) as "Hillary Brooke", the object of Lou Costello's affections. She had worked previously with the duo in their second color film, Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952), in which she played a pirate chief.
She had no compunctions about taking a pie in the face, a vase on the head, a pratfall, or tussling with Bingo the chimp, and more than held her own. She also had a similar role as the girlfriend of Vern Albright (Charles Farrell) in My Little Margie (1952) and alternated between television and film roles in the 1950s. One of her better-known roles was as little David MacLean (Jimmy Hunt)'s mother, Mary, who is taken over by the Martians in the sci-fi classic Invaders from Mars (1953). She also played Doris Day's character's best friend in The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), and, the next year, had her final film role in Spoilers of the Forest (1957), after which she turned exclusively to television.
She retired from the film industry in 1960, after marrying film executive Raymond A. Klune, and died in Bonsall, California, aged 84, in 1999. - Producer
- Director
- Actor
Ismail Merchant was born on 25 December 1936 in Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India [now Mumbai, Maharashtra, India]. He was a producer and director, known for Howards End (1992), A Room with a View (1985) and The Remains of the Day (1993). He died on 25 May 2005 in London, England, UK.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kay Williams was born on 7 August 1916 in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for The Actress (1953). She was married to Clark Gable, Adolph Bernard Spreckels II, Martin de Alzaga Unzue and Charles Parker Capps. She died on 25 May 1983 in Houston, Texas, USA.- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Lady Francisco was born on 7 January 1935 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. She was an actress and director, known for O Crime do Zé Bigorna (1977), Anjos do Sexo (1981) and Explode Coração (1995). She died on 25 May 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.- Larry J. Blake was born in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, New York on April 24, 1914. At the age of 18, his talent at impersonations and dialects grew into a vaudeville act. Blake eventually became a headliner, playing the Orpheum circuit, as well as the Roxy Theatre and the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center.
In 1936, he signed to a contract with Universal studios, and his first job was in the serial Secret Agent X-9 (1937). Right after that, he was chosen for a featured role in James Whale's The Road Back (1937), a sequel to All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). He appeared in other films for Universal including a string of 1938 films, Trouble at Midnight (1937), Air Devils (1938), Nurse from Brooklyn (1938), and The Jury's Secret (1938).
With the outbreak of WWII, Blake joined the U.S. Navy serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific. He was mustered out and treated at a Naval hospital for his alcoholism. A Catholic priest helped Blake join Alcoholics Anonymous, and in 1946 he help start the first A.A. group for members of the motion picture industry.
Blake returned to acting in 1946, working steadily in supporting and bit parts throughout the 1950s. He is best known for his roles in Sunset Blvd. (1950) and High Noon (1952). In Sunset Boulevard he played the first finance man who comes to repossess William Holden's car. In High Noon, Blake played Gillis, the owner of the saloon who is punched by Gary Cooper.
As television's popularity began, Blake found plenty of work from westerns, crime dramas to comedies. He was a regular in The Pride of the Family (1953) television series, as well as the recurring part of the friendly jailer in Yancy Derringer (1958).
His last role was as the museum security guard in Time After Time (1979), when he was forced to retire due to emphysema. Until his death in 1982, Blake continued helping others in the A.A. program. - Lee Chamberlin was born on 14 February 1938 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for All My Children (1970), Loving (1983) and Great Performances (1971). She was married to Daniel Edward Chamberlin. She died on 25 May 2014 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
- Lillian Adams was born on 13 May 1922 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The Jerk (1979), Bruce Almighty (2003) and Private Benjamin (1980). She died on 25 May 2011 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Mitch Mullany was born on 20 September 1968 in Concord, California, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Sweetest Thing (2002), Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher (1996) and The Breaks (1999). He died on 25 May 2008 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Nancy Dow was born on 22 July 1936 in New Britain, Connecticut, USA. She was an actress, known for The Ice House (1969), The Wild Wild West (1965) and Mr. Terrific (1967). She was married to John Aniston and John Tunis Melick, Jr.. She died on 25 May 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Naser Malek Motiee was born on 29 March 1930 in Tehran, Iran. He was an actor and director, known for A Perfect Gentleman (1965), Runaway Millionaire (1966) and Gheisar (1969). He died on 25 May 2018 in Tehran, Iran.- Nicholas Clay was an English actor, most famous for playing the legendary knight Lancelot du Lac (Lancelot of the Lake) in the medieval fantasy film "Excalibur" (1981).
Clay was born in London.His father was a professional soldier, who served in the Corps of Royal Engineers (nicknamed "Sappers"). The Clay family eventually settled in Kent, where Clay was raised. Clay became interested in acting as a teenager, and performed with the Little Medway Theatre Club. He was later formally educated at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).
Clay made his film debut in the science fiction horror film "The Damned" (1963), concerning children with a mutation which makes them resistant to nuclear fallout. He was only 17-years-old at the time. He remained a theatrical actor for the rest of the 1960s.
Clay's next film role was that of handyman Billy Jarvis in the thriller "The Night Digger" (1971). In the film, Jarvis represented a threat to the film's female protagonists Maura and Edith Prince (played respectively by Patricia Neal and Pamela Brown). Clay's first leading role was that of naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) in the biographical film "The Darwin Adventure" (1972),
Clay returned to the horror genre in the film "Terror of Frankenstein" (1977). He played Henry Clerval, the best friend of Victor Frankenstein. Clay found a notable role in the television miniseries "Will Shakespeare" (1978), where he played Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton (1573-1624). In real-life poet William Shakespeare had dedicated two narrative poems to Wriothesley: "Venus and Adonis" and "The Rape of Lucrece". Wriothesley is also mentioned in Shakespeare's Sonnets, under the name of the "Fair Youth", as a subject of the poet's admiration.
Clay played Lieutenant Raw in the war film "Zulu Dawn" (1979), which depicted the historical Battle of Isandlwana (1879). The film was released at the centennial of the battle. Clay had key roles in two Arthurian films released in 1981, playing Lancelot du Lac in "Excalibur" and Tristan in "Lovespell". Both Lancelot and Tristan were knights of Arthurian legends, known for their romantic affairs with married women. Lancelot was romantically involved with Queen Guinevere (Arthur's wife), and Tristan was romantically involved with his aunt-by-marriage Iseult of Ireland (wife of his uncle Mark of Cornwall).
Clay had another romantic role as gamekeeper Oliver Mellors in "Lady Chatterley's Lover" (1981), an adaptation of the 1928 novel David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930). Both the novel and its film adaptation portrayed a love affair between Mellors and the wife of of his employer, Constance Reid, Lady Chatterley.
Clay next found a leading role in television as the historical monarch Alexander the Great, King of Macedon (356-323 BC, reigned 336-323 BC) in the miniseries "The Search for Alexander the Great". Next he appeared in a couple of crime novel adaptations. He played murder suspect Patrick Redfern in the mystery film "Evil Under the Sun" (1982), based on the 1941 novel by Agatha Christie. He also played murder suspect Jack Stapleton in the television film The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1983), based on the 1902 novel by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Clay next had a supporting role in another literary adaption. He played the Greek nobleman Glaucus in the miniseries "The Last Days of Pompeii" (1984), an adaptation of the 1834 novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. He had a guest star role as Dr. Percy Trevelyan in a 1985 episode of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes". The episode was an adaptation of the short story "The Adventure of the Resident Patient" (1893), where Trevelyan was Sherlock Holmes' client.
Clay played the Prince in the fantasy film "Sleeping Beauty" (1987), based on the traditional fairy tale recorded by both Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. He next played nobleman Charles De Montfort in the Crusade-themed adventure film "Lionheart" (1987). This was his last role in a feature film.
In the same year, Clay played the historical figure Alexis Mdivani (1905-1935) in the television film "Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story" (1987). The real-life Mdivani was a Georgian nobleman who married American heiress Barbara Hutton (1912-1979). He was killed in an automobile accident when only 30-years-old.
Clay's last notable role in the 1980s was that of self-made businessman Mike Savage in the dramatic television series "Gentlemen and Players" (1988-1989). The series focused on an intense personal rivalry between Savage and "blue-blooded" businessman Miles "Bo" Beaufort (played by Brian Protheroe). It lasted 2 seasons, and a total of 13 episodes.
In the 1990s, Clay taught drama at the Actors' Centre and the Academy of Live and Performing Arts, and became an associate Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His career declined, and he mostly appeared in television roles. He had guest-star roles in then-popular television series, such as "Zorro", "The New Adventures of Robin Hood", and "Highlander: The Series".
His last substantial television roles were that of mythological king Menelaus of Sparta in the miniseries "The Odyssey" (1997), and Lord Leo in the Arthurian miniseries "Merlin" (1998). His last recurring role was that of Dr. Angus Harvey in the controversial medical drama "Psychos" (1999) which only lasted 6 episodes. The series was at the time accused of reinforcing stereotypes and prejudice towards people involved in mental health.
Clay died in May 2000, suffering from liver cancer. He was 53-years-old. He was interred in the graveyard of St Peter's Church, Sibton, Suffolk. He was survived by his wife, actress Lorna Heilbron. The couple had two daughters. - A beloved British comedienne, well known for her work on television and radio, Pat Coombs began her career in the mid 1950s, having formerly worked as a nursery school assistant.
A "foil" for top comedians including Dick Emery, Bob Monkhouse and Peggy Mount she reached the height of her fame in the 1970s in a succession of long-running television series and as a 'celebrity' in numerous game shows.
In the 1990s she joined the cast of EastEnders (1985) as Brown Owl Marge Green and played Pru in Noel's House Party (1991). In the mid 1990s she was diagnosed with the bone disease Osteoporosis but continued to work until the end of her life, recording a final installment of the radio series "Like They've Never Been Gone" (with June Whitfield and Roy Hudd) in February 2002.
A lovable lady, Pat Coombs, who never married (although came close twice), died at Denville Hall, the actor's retirement home, on 25 May 2002. She was 75 years old. - Additional Crew
Paul Bloch was a publicist and chairman of the PR agency Rogers & Cowan. He represented such top Hollywood talent as Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Michael Keaton and Eddie Murphy.
Bloch started in the mail room of Rogers & Cowan in 1961, after his service in the army. He spent his entire career of 58 years at R&C mentored by founders Henry Rogers and Warren Cowan, before he died in 2018 at the age of 78.- Writer
- Actor
Robert Nathan was from a well-known New York family. Among some noted relatives were: activist Maud Nathan and author Annie Nathan Meyer (his aunts), poet Emma Lazarus and Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo (his cousins). His uncle was the founder of Barnard College. Early education was at private schools in the East and Switzerland. In 1912 he entered Harvard University (a classmate was important literary and arts exponent E.E. Cummings). On the side he became an accomplished cellist, a lightweight boxer, and captain of the fencing team as well as an editor of the Harvard Monthly. Through this medium his interest in literary pursuits first saw fruit with early short stories and poems. In 1915 he married for the first time during his junior year and later made the decision to drop out of school to take a job in advertising to support his new family. Still in advertising in 1919, Nathan produced his first novel - the semi-autobiographical work "Peter Kindred". The book failed as piece of serious literature, but he left the conventional job and began focusing his time on writing as his life's goal. He also briefly taught journalism at New York University. And his determination paid off. Into the 1920s he began receiving recognition both with the public and the literary community. One of the latter was F. Scott Fitzgerald who at one point picked Nathan as his favorite writer. By the mid-1930s Nathan had managed to produce some dozen novels, among them "The Fiddler in Barley" (1926) and "The Bishop's Wife" (1928). Then Hollywood called in the person of MGM movie mogul Louis B. Mayer who urged a screenwriter's contract on him, and he accepted, coming West. As it turned out he was not attuned to the movie industry pace, but Nathan was still completing novels, and filmdom fairly begged for his work. His "One More Spring" (1933) was the first novel of interest and was filmed with that title One More Spring (1935). By then the unique fabric of his writing was becoming known: facets of romance, mystery, the supernatural set in a fantasy frame - a pervading otherworldliness. The second novel filmed was Wake Up and Dream (1946) (from the novel "The Enchanted Voyage"). A Christmas comedy favorite is The Bishop's Wife (1947) with Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. This was remade again as The Preacher's Wife (1996). One of the best examples of his blending of dreamlike elements was his most successful novel "Portrait of Jennie" (1940). The film version of Portrait of Jennie (1948) was produced sparing no expense by David O. Selznick and starred his later wife Jennifer Jones and their friend, the sometimes underrated veteran leading man, Joseph Cotten. The fifth novel made into a film was The Color of Evening (1990). There were also some TV dramas based on his writings - a "Portrait of Jennie" once more included. The writing went on steadily. Nathan's early screen writing efforts are obscure, but his three official pieces came in the 1940s, and the best of them was co-writing The Clock (1945). Directed by young Vincente Minnelli, it starred Minnelli's future wife Judy Garland and was a highly satisfying romantic story of achieving an improbable and urgent goal in one day's time-certainly right up Nathan's alley. Nathan's serious writing occupied most of his time. In addition to movie work he wrote 39 novels, one work of non-fiction, 4 children's stories, and 10 collections of poetry. In later years he was known as "The Dean of Author's", and many prominent writers, including Irving Stone and Irving Wallace sought out his guidance. He was a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters for fifty years. As his life slowed down (he completed his last novel in 1975), and he retired more from the literary world, he had the good fortune to marry (a happy marriage of fifteen years until his death) an ideal companion to supervise his peace of mind both at homes in Los Angeles and Cape Cod, the English born actress Anna Lee, who had come to Hollywood with her first husband director Robert Stevenson in 1939. Nathans legacy moves on. Another telling of "Portrait of Jennie" is being developed as a musical (2009). Nathan's comedy play "Juliet in Mantua" (the story line -- what if Romeo and Juliet faked their deaths and ran off to live happily ever after in Mantua - or did they?) is being made into a movie (2009). He is noted in some quarters as a master of satiric fantasy-but satiric is perhaps too quick a cut on the inner complexity of what he wanted to put into words. He had said of his writing life: "I have tried -- as far as I could -- to be a comforter in the world...not through what I know, but what I don't -- and cannot -- know. I have tried to suggest the mystery and the magic."- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Tun-Fei Mou was born on 13 May 1941 in Shandong, China. He was a director and actor, known for The End of the Track (1970), Xiang Gang qi an 5: Jian mo (1977) and Trilogy of Lust (1995). He died on 25 May 2019 in Philadelphia, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Vic Tayback was born on 6 January 1930 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Alice (1976), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989). He was married to Sheila McKay Barnard. He died on 25 May 1990 in Glendale, California, USA.- Vittorio Zucconi was born on 16 August 1944 in Bastiglia, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He was married to Alisa Tibaldi. He died on 25 May 2019 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.