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- H.N. Dudgeon was born on 29 July 1884 in Glendale, California, USA. He is known for Crown Jewels (1918), Untamed (1918) and The Dangerous Little Devil (1919).
- Florence Ryerson was an American playwright, screenwriter, and short story writer. She is mostly remembered as the co-writer of the fantasy film "The Wizard of Oz" (1939).
In 1892, she was born under the name of Florence Willard in Glendale, California. She was the daughter of journalist Charles Dwight Willard (1860-1914) and his wife Mary McGregor. Charles worked for the newspapers "Los Angeles Times" and "Los Angeles Herald". He had also authored a number of books, including a history of Los Angeles.
Florence was educated at both Stanford University and Radcliffe College. She married Harold Swayne Ryerson, who worked in the manufacture of ladies' clothes.
From 1915 to 1927, Ryerson primarily worked as a short writer, publishing over 30 short stories. Her stories were published in magazines, such as "The American Magazine", "Ladies' Home Journal", "Munsey's Magazine", and "Woman's World". In 1926, Ryerson was hired as a screenwriter by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. She started work in silent films, and soon expanded to sound films. Highlights of her career included entries into then popular series about Fu Manchu and Philo Vance.
She and her second husband Colin Clements co-wrote the novels "This Awful Age" (1930) and "Mild Oats" (1933), considered among the earliest novels to depict the lives of female teenagers, They also adapted these novels to the play "June Mad" (1939), and the film "Her first Beau".
The couple of Ryerson and Clements purchased the Workman Ranch, located in San Fernardo Valley. Ryerson renamed the ranch to the Shadow Ranch, inspired by the shade of its eucalyptus trees, They restored and expanded the 19th century adobe of the Ranch, which became their primary residence for the late 1930s and the entirety of the 1940s.
In 1939, she co-wrote the screenplay for the film "The Wizard of Oz", adapting a children's novel by Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919). She is credited for creating Professor Marvel, the Kansas' counterpart to the Wizard of Oz.
The writing duo of Ryerson and Clements co-wrote several Broadway plays during the 1940s. The partnership came do an end with Clements' death in 1948. In 1951, Ryerson retired to Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. She continued to write theatrical plays, which were produced by the local high school.
In 1965 Ryerson died in Mexico City. The cause of death was heart failure. She was 72 years old. Her former residence at Shadow Ranch was designated a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1962, and still stands. - Set Decorator
- Art Department
Claude E. Carpenter was born on 26 September 1904 in Glendale, Utah, USA. Claude E. was a set decorator, known for Notorious (1946), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). Claude E. died on 18 February 1976 in Seattle, Washington, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Margie Hines was born on 15 October 1909 in Glendale, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for By the Sea (1931), Fleischer Cartoons: The Art & Inventions of Max Fleischer (2024) and Way Back When Women Had Their Weigh (1940). She was married to Jesse William Heidtmann and Jack Mercer. She died on 23 December 1985 in Seaford, New York, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Marion Stadler was born on 15 December 1911 in Glendale, California, USA. She was an actress, known for King of Jazz (1930). She was married to Don Rose. She died on 23 December 2001 in Glendale, California, USA.- Vic Christy had a varied career in the entertainment industry. He started out as a professional wrestler in the 1930s working for Jack Curley promotions constantly working in New York in the legendary Madison Square Garden. Like most wrestlers, Christy never was a gigantic start but he was able to start out with a big push up the card. He natural size and his good looks made him a natural with the audience. He eventually drifted to Oregon where he was frequently featured near the top of the card. Eventually he even won the Montreal Heavyweight Championship in the 1930s beating Yvonne Robert.
By the early 1940s, he made his way to Los Angeles where he appeared in a few pirate films but he also continued his regular profession by splitting time wrestling between territories located California and New York. He occasionally tagged with his real life brother Ted Christy but usually he appeared as a singles wrestler constantly ending in a no contest of a loss.
By the 1950s, Christy really found a home in Los Angeles and typically spent some times working their territory and the Hawaiian territories. Like most wrestlers, Christy really liked to keep busy by playing practical jokes on people. Sometimes he would take new arrivals and drive them all around Los Angeles for hours when the area was just 10 minutes from their hotel. He was a jack of all trades.
Like most wrestlers, Christy grew too old to constantly wrestle so he found a job as the stunt double for Mike Mazurki on various productions including It's About Time and in Batman. He would frequently be cast with his brother as an extra in films and ended up a staple of western film sets because of his sense of humor. It wasn't uncommon for him to put his fellow extras in wrestling hold and for him to just joke around with everybody.
By the late 1970s, his brother had passed away and Vic decided to retire where he passed away at the Motion Picture Retirement Home. - James Bassett was born on 18 October 1912 in Glendale, California, USA. He was a writer, known for In Harm's Way (1965). He died on 26 September 1978 in Malibu, California, USA.
- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Carlyle Blackwell Jr. was born on 22 May 1913 in Glendale, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Adventures of Frank Merriwell (1936), The Pilgrim Lady (1946) and Docks of New York (1945). He was married to Julie Goode Cabanne. He died on 20 September 1974 in Hollywood, California, USA.- Special Effects
Logan Frazee was born on 29 December 1913 in Glendale, California, USA. He is known for Chinatown (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974) and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). He was married to Helen Zomar. He died on 9 February 1996 in San Bernardino, California, USA.- Louie Novikoff was born on 12 October 1915 in Glendale, Arizona, USA. He was an actor, known for Battle of the Champs (1947). He died on 30 September 1970 in South Gate, California, USA.
- Script and Continuity Department
George Rutter was born on 18 August 1916 in Glendale, California, USA. He is known for Star Trek (1966), Remington Steele (1982) and Pier 5, Havana (1959). He died on 4 November 2007 in Burbank, California, USA.- Son of director James W. Horne and silent screen actress Cleo Ridgely. Cousin of director George Stevens. Twin brother of actress June Harris; former brother-in-law of actor/director Jackie Cooper; uncle of Jackie Cooper Jr.. Awarded two Bronze Stars during service in World War II as a U.S. Army combat photographer in the European Theater.
- Bob Dillinger was born on 17 September 1918 in Glendale, California, USA. He died on 7 November 2009 in Santa Clarita, California, USA.
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
David L. Quaid was born on 27 March 1920 in Glendale, New York, USA. He was a cinematographer and director, known for Arthur (1981), Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964). He was married to Dorothy Lillian Hall. He died on 19 August 2010 in Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA.- Dorothea MacFarland was born on 24 November 1920 in Glendale, California, USA. She was an actress, known for ABC Stage 67 (1966), The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968) and Once Upon a Tune (1951). She died on 29 October 1988 in New York City, New York, USA.
- George Arnold was born on 21 January 1921 in Glendale, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Holiday Rhythm (1950) and Rhythm on Ice (1946). He died on 25 December 1997 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico.
- Production Manager
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Howard P. Alston was born on 26 January 1921 in Glendale, California, USA. He was a production manager and producer, known for Mask (1985), Sophie's Choice (1982) and The Streets of San Francisco (1972). He died on 2 March 2014 in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Flower Parry was a native Californian who broke into show business as a dancer in Nils T. Granlund's Florentine Gardens Revue in 1941. Working as a cigarette girl she met then soon married Jackie Coogan that year and they had one son, Jackie Coogan Jr. (birth name: John Anthony Coogan), born on March 4, 1942. She and Coogan divorced in June of 1943. During the mid-forties, she was also employed at Republic Pictures as a secretary and picking up bit and extra work at various studios in Hollywood. In 1945 she married entrepreneur Hal Baker Cope; they divorced in 1950. The marriage produced two sons, Christopher and Milo (Matt). In December 1956 she married actor Eddie Hall, who had given up acting and was a car salesman, and the union lasted until his death in 1963. They had one son, Parry Alan Hall, born on November 25, 1957. She continued to do movie and television extra work until mid-1979. She died September 10, 1981 from a short bout with cancer. She is buried next to her husband Eddie Hall at Forest Lawn Hollywood, overlooking Warner Bros. Studios.
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Kathryn Reed was born on 2 June 1924 in Glendale, Los Angeles, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Whirlybirds (1957), Altman (2014) and The Katherine Reed Story (1965). She was married to Robert Altman and Tommy Pederson. She died on 9 March 2016 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Charles Denton was born on 22 June 1924 in Glendale, California, USA. Charles was a writer, known for The Day the Clown Cried (1972). Charles died on 15 September 2002 in Tiburon, California, USA.
- Art Department
- Animation Department
- Art Director
Robert Dranko was born on 22 August 1924 in Glendale, California, USA. He was an art director, known for Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993), Galtar and the Golden Lance (1985) and The War Between Men and Women (1972). He died on 2 February 2009 in West Hills, California, USA.- Robert Coogan was born on 13 December 1924 in Glendale, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle (1950), Joe Palooka in Humphrey Takes a Chance (1950) and Skippy (1931). He died on 12 May 1978.
- Best known for her performance as the nasty, gossiping, greedy and arrogant Mrs. Harriet Oleson on the TV series Little House on the Prairie (1974). Katherine (Scottie) MacGregor could not appear in the final feature length episode "The Last Farewell" because she was on a pilgrimage in India.
Before moving to Los Angeles in 1970 Ms. Mac Gregor worked as a stage actress on Broadway, off Broadway and in regional theatre in and around New York City. - Leota Thomas was born on 9 August 1925 in Glendale, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Not Since Casanova (1988). She was married to Harvey Toombs. She died on 21 December 1991 in California, USA.
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Music Department
He is known for many styles of music - pure honky-tonk, rockabilly, gospel, straight-ahead pop, blues and Hawaiian. But fans remember Marty Robbins best for his cowboy songs. Songs like "Big Iron", "Running Gun", "The Hanging Tree" and of course "El Paso" established Robbins as the master of the style of country music.
He and twin sister Mamie were born near Glendale, Ariz. As a child, Robbins (born Martin David Robinson) was fascinated with El Paso, Texas since childhood - both the name and the city itself. Marty's parents divorced when he was 12 and his mother moved the family to Phoenix. Robbins joined the Navy in 1943, where he learned to play guitar and began singing and songwriting during the three-year stint. After his discharge, he returned to Phoenix and held down a series of jobs. Eventually, he began singing in nightclubs, filling in one night as guitarist for a friend's band. Quite often, he performed under the pseudonym Jack Robinson (because his mother objected to his performing in nightclubs and he didn't want her to find out).
By 1950, he was performing regularly on Mesa, Ariz., station KTYL, and starred in the local TV series "Western Caravan" on KPHO in Phoenix. One night, country singer Little Jimmy Dickens appeared on the show and was so impressed with Robbins that he urged his record label, Columbia Records, to sign the young star. Robbins' first song, "Love Me or Leave Me Alone", was recorded in 1951. Although the song failed to chart on any of Billboard magazine's country singles chart (the magazine had separate sales, radio airplay and jukebox to monitor the performance of country songs at the time), Robbins was on his way to country stardom; one of the follow-up singles, "I'll Go On Alone", went No. 1 in early 1953. Robbins became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in February 1953.
A steady string of hits followed, ranging in styles from rockabilly ("That's All Right" and "Singing the Blues"), teenage love songs ("A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation)") and of course, cowboy songs. He had already appeared in several B-westerns and had scored a country hit with "The Hanging Tree" (the title track to the movie starring Gary Cooper) when, in 1959, he began writing and recording songs for his legendary album "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs"). The all-time classic from the album of songs was "El Paso", the story of a gunfighter who dies after being shot at the end of the song. The song went No. 1 on Billboard magazine's country singles chart in December 1959, where it spent seven weeks; it also became his only No. 1 Hot 100 hit and became the first country song to win a Grammy. At just over 4:40, radio programmers were reluctant to play such a long song (most songs were half as long), but demand won out, and it soon became one of country music's all-time most popular songs on fan surveys. His 1976 No. 1 hit, "El Paso City", revisited the gunfighter's legend.
During the 1960s and 1970s, his career continued, with a second Grammy coming in 1970 with his No. 1 ode to his wife, Marizona, "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife." He also dabbled in television ("Marty Robbins' Spotlight") and stock car racing. He left Columbia Records in 1972 to begin a three-year stint at Decca (later MCA) Records; though he had some success there, he returned to Columbia in late 1975.
During his 31-year recording career, Robbins had 94 songs make Billboard's country charts, with 16 going to No. 1; 31 of his songs also placed on the Hot 100. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982, just two months before suffering his third heart attack (he had also suffered heart attacks in 1969 and 1981). He underwent a quadruple bypass at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tenn., but died Dec. 8, 1982. His only posthumous country hit came in 1983, when he scored a No. 10 hit with "Honkytonk Man", the title track to Clint Eastwood's film. While cowboy and western songs were his trademark, it was Robbins' style, grace and dignity, plus his on-stage ability to communicate with his audience and understated sense of humor that made him one of country music's most beloved performers.- Writer
- Actress
Mary Kay Stearns was born on 27 October 1925 in Glendale, California, USA. She was a writer and actress, known for Mary Kay and Johnny (1947), Kraft Theatre (1947) and Armstrong Circle Theatre (1950). She was married to John Stearns. She died on 17 November 2018 in Newport Beach, California, USA.- Pat Flaherty was born on 6 January 1926 in Glendale, California, United States. He died on 9 April 2002 in Oxnard, California, United States.
- Actor
Buddy Londelius was born on 26 January 1926 in Glendale, California, USA. He was an actor. He died on 26 November 1975 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Marian Diamond was born on 11 November 1926 in Glendale, California, USA. She was married to Dr. Arnold Scheibel and Richard Diamond. She died on 25 July 2017 in Oakland, California, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Richard Devon wanted to be an actor from the time he was in first grade and played a small part in a school production. After finishing high school he answered a small ad in a Los Angeles newspaper for a school that offered training to the novice actor. This drama school, "Stage Eight", allowed him to work his way through, as he hadn't the money for tuition. He painted walls, built sets, waxed floors and strung lights. It was during this time that he made his first live television appearance for the experimental TV station W6XAO, atop Mt. Lee in the Hollywood Hills. Amidst much additional work in TV, Devon also played a recurring character in the kiddie-oriented teleseries Space Patrol (1950) (when Devon asked for a pay hike, his character was put into permanent suspended animation). He made his first film in the early '50s.- Wayne Hull was born on 15 January 1927 in Glendale, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Wagons Westward (1940). He was married to Cloy Ann Hull (nee Swanson). He died on 23 April 2016 in Poway, California, USA.
- Warren Hull was born on 15 January 1927 in Glendale, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Wagons Westward (1940). He died on 8 March 1945 in Iwo Jima, Japan.
- Actor
Pat McCall was born to J.W. Patterson, a civil engineer, and Margaret McCall a movie publicist for Fox Studios. When his mother and father separated in 1935, his mother, acting as his agent, worked to get him parts in movies using the name Pat McCall. Pat worked as an extra from about 1935 to about 1945, almost always in the background when groups of children were needed in a scene. According to the account books left by Margaret, he was paid for at least 50 movies, though it is not clear whether he actually made the final cut in all of them. He can be seen in the party scene for "the Littlest Rebel" with Shirley Temple and had a substantial part in "Pepper" with Jane Withers.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Shapely brunette Colleen Townsend was born on December 21, 1928 in the Los Angeles area and started her brief career as a Twentieth Century Fox starlet in 1947 at the age of eighteen. A Mormon at the time by choice, she had completed a year and a half at Brigham Young University in Utah when discovered by Hollywood scouts. For years she appeared unbilled in sentimental comedy before finally earning a featured role in the drama The Walls of Jericho (1948). Gracing the cover of Life magazine, she was hailed as one of Hollywood's more promising fresh-faced starlets. She then appeared in two other pictures, the modest homespun comedy Chicken Every Sunday (1949) as the daughter of Dan Dailey and Celeste Holm, and, her better known, the war comedy When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950) with Dailey again and Corinne Calvet, before calling it quits.
In 1950, Colleen abruptly changed the course of her life by devoting herself to religion. She abandoned Hollywood and began speaking at churches and Youth for Christ evangelistic events. She attended the San Francisco Theological Seminary and in 1950 married one of her fellow seminarians, Louis H. Evans, Jr. It is assumed she renounced Mormonism as her husband became pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood. In 1954, Colleen (Townsend) Evans returned to acting but in roles produced by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association -- Oiltown, U.S.A. (1954) and Souls in Conflict (1955).
Colleen has served as a pastor's wife at churches from Southern California to Washington D.C. A strong advocate for human rights, she has consulted with the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Human Rights issues and has served on the boards of several ministries, including the Christian College Coalition and World Vision and International Justice Mission. She has served as the first female chair of a Billy Graham Crusade and continues to travel the country as a speaker and author of inspirational books, including "A New Joy" (1973) and "A Deeper Joy" (1982). She co-wrote "My Lover, My Friend" (1976) with husband Louis.- June Preston was a Hollywood child star who went on to become a distinguished opera singer and, at the tender age of 24, toured with The Metropolitan Opera "Stars of the Metropolitan Opera" tour in 1952 in the lead role of "Mimi" in La Bohème opposite Metropolitan star, Jan Peerce as Adolfo. On the same tour she also performed the lead role of "Floria Tosca" in "Tosca", opposite Tenor Walter Fredericks and Salvatore Baccaloni both of the Metropolitan Opera.
Preston was born in Glendale, California. She made her screen debut at age 4 after being spotted on the [film studio] lot and landed her first role as Mrs. Blewett's Daughter in the 1934 film "Anne of Green Gables", and went on to do various other movies including Christmas in July, Have A Heart, In Love With Life, Maytime, Second Fiddle, History Is Made at Night, and Our Gang Follies. With her increasing popularity, she then went on to sign on with major merchandising contracts for various apparel lines including June Preston Frocks, JP Fairy Tale Frocks, a June Preston doll, suites, hats, shoes and toys, paint sets, paper cut out books, and more.
Film career: June Preston had paid a visit to the studio where an executive saw her and called for an immediate screen test, which resulted in a long-term 7-year contract at RKO Film Studios and a 3 film commitment which included, "Anne of Green Gables" with the role of Mrs. Blewett's daughter, then "Have A Heart", and "In Love With Life". Seven years later she entered another 7-year contract with RKO. Preston was also loaned out to various other studios for films such as "Christmas In July", "Maytime", "Second Fiddle", "History Is Made at Night", "Happy Land", and several others.
Preston quickly gained international popularity and went on to work under contract with Paramount, MGM, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Republic Pictures, followed by various merchandising contracts such as the "June Preston Frocks" apparel lines and a "June Preston Doll". She was considered to be one of the "Big Pay Babes" in Hollywood alongside Shirley Temple and Virginia Weidler. She was known for her Golden curls, cherub like features and charismatic nature. Preston was considered "One of the most beautiful children every seen in films."
Meglin Kiddies: June Preston was also one of the prestigious Meglin Kiddies. She joined in 1934 and was a favorite of Neil Albright, Manager/Owner of the Meglin Dance Studio in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica who signed Preston on and said, "She is expected to develop her into a brilliant child star, under The Meglin artistic training." And she did... in addition to her movie contracts, June Preston had feature parts in numerous Meglin Kiddie short films, radio shows, Our Gang Follies movies featuring Meglin Kiddies. Preston also performed at multiple Hollywood theaters singing and dancing and was a regular at the historic Wadsworth Theatre. Other child stars to come out of The Meglin Dance Studios were Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, Virginia Grey, Jane Withers, Ann Miller, and several of the Our Gang child stars.
Merchandising: After signing with RKO, she quickly achieved international fame, the name of June Preston was trademarked on 1934 through 1950. She then signed with various manufacturers including the then famous Edward D. Schuwall Clothing Firm in New York, who established her first apparel line bearing the name "June Preston Frock" RKO Film Star by JP Loomcraft, better known now as Fruit of the Loom and "Dixie Swirl" dresses. Other manufacturers included were Edward Shuwall & Co., Blossom Infants Coat Co. Inc., H & S Sportswear, I. Schneierson & Son Co. and many more. Her apparel lines included the favored June Preston Frocks, JP Dixie Dresses, JP Sheer Frocks, and in 1944 the debut of the hugely popular JP Fairy Tale Frocks (Cinderella dresses, Alice and Wonderland dresses etc.), as well as undergarments, swimsuits, snowsuits, coats, shoes, purses, hats, gloves, and handkerchiefs all sold worldwide.
Publicity: June Preston and Shirley Temple were similar in style. Shirley Temple was one year older than June Preston and even though they were contracted to separate film studios, they both were often billed together for singing and dancing appearances to publicity autograph events for their own apparel lines and other merchandise. Despite being friends in real life the two girls were often publicized from the very beginning as "Rivals" by the studios and trade publications, which made things a little difficult for June Preston professionally.
Opera: After her film career June Preston went on to become a world famous opera singer. She was always known to have interest in the classics early on and at age 14, Preston was already memorizing opera scores while still in the movie industry. Upon leaving the movie industry Preston moved to Seattle, Washington with her parents and was discovered by maestro Gustavo Stern, a German conductor who had recently moved to Seattle. Stern was at a reception in his honor and heard June Preston singing in the background while everyone was having a good time and singing around the piano, which he was playing, and he immediately stopped and said, who has that voice! Within a week, Stern began coaching Preston from Junior High throughout her university years at the University of Washington, where he was also a professor. Within this time period, Preston performed with the Seattle Civic Light Opera Company with which Stern conducted several operettas featuring Preston in the lead role of Camille in "The Merry Widow", Marietta in "Naughty Marietta", Micaëla in "Carmen", Gianetta in "Gondoliers" "New Moon", and "Der Fledermaus". In that time Preston also performed in the Metropolitan Theater, Seattle Civic Auditorium under the baton of Gustav Stern.
At age 22, Preston was sponsored by CocaCola, McCann-Erickson, Gaseosas, Fridgidaire, and the US Embassy for Radio & TV tours in over 6 countries, Coca Cola publicized Preston as "The Golden Voice" and she was the exclusive artist for McCann-Erickson. In late 1949 Preston began her tour in North and South America performing in top Opera Houses such as, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires which has near-perfect acoustics, Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Teatro Municipal in Santiago, Chile, Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona. As well as performing recitals for Kings, Presidents, and Diplomats. There were several US Embassy galas in honor of June Preston throughout Central and South America where she also performed as the featured guest. Preston was considered the "Established favorite in the lyric theaters in Central and South America." In 1952, she joined the cast of the Metropolitan Opera on the "Stars of the Metropolitan Opera" tour in the lead role of "Mimi" in La Bohème opposite Metropolitan star, Jan Peerce as Rodolfo and Nicola Moscona, Stefan Ballarini, Uta Graf, and the great Salvatore Baccaloni. On a separate tour Preston performed in the lead as "Floria Tosca" in "Tosca", opposite Tenor Walter Fredericks, Salvatore Baccaloni and others of the Metropolitan Opera.
In 1960 Preston returned to the US and made her debut at the St. Louis Symphony Hall as a guest star under the baton of Leopold Stokowski as the soloist in the thrilling last movement finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Other guest stars included, Isaac Stern, Leonard Bernstein, Leslie Chabay and Jean Madeira. Also within this time in New York City, Preston and Maestro Edwin McArthur were working on her presentation of a new series of compositions to perform on her upcoming European Tour in in 1961.
European Tour: Preston debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and thereafter touring throughout Europe performing in the most prestigious Opera Houses in Europe such as Palais Garnier, Teatro alla Scala, Parnassos Concert Hall in Athens Greece, Teatro Municipal, Lisbon Portugal, El Palacio de la Música, Barcelona Spain, Teatre del Liceu, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, and many more. The majority of Preston's performances were overseas. All these concerts, programs, reviews, interviews and photos can be seen on her Pinterest Board: Pinterest, June Preston Opera.
Walter Winchell was feared by many, he could make you or break you in the entertainment world, but Winchell had admiration for June Preston and followed her career early on. She was mostly performing abroad but Winchell still would find the time to drop her a line from time to time.
Walter Winchell Column: Paper: New York Mirror, 1/25/1960, page 10: "June Preston is back from the South American show-circuit ", Philladelphia Inquirer: December 20 1962: Page 24. "June Preston, American opera-lark, is getting rave notice in Europe. From an Amsterdam critic: "A smash! Every area a jewel!" June shrugged off the stallers along Broadway and is booked solid around the world..."
While on her European tour, Preston met her future husband at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Bruxelles, Belgium where she was performing a solo recital with pianist Stranton Carter. Prior to the performance that evening, she arrived with her accompanist for rehearsal but the page turner did not arrive, then in her words, "A handsome man came up to her and offered to turn the pages." This man was Belgian soloist concert violinist Saul Hoüben. He was rehearsing earlier that day for an upcoming performance of his own and "came to her rescue". Saul Hoüben, was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth of Belgium who had been following his progress since he was a child and later presented him with an award for excellence in 1955. He was considered a child prodigy performing his first concerto at age 4. Saul Hoüben and Yehudi Menuhin became childhood friends as they both studied with Georges Enescu in Paris, France. Georges Enescu was a famous Romanian composer, violinist, conductor and teacher.
Repertoire: (Role and "Opera"): Carmen, "Carmen", Mercédès, "Carmen", Mimi, "La bohème", Floria Tosca, "Tosca", Violetta, Valéry, "La Traviata", Cio-Cio-san, "Madame Butterfly", Lulu, "Turandot, Aida, "Aida", Salome, "Salome", Berta, "The Barber of Seville", Desdemona, "Otello", Octavian Count Rofrano, "Der Rosenkavalier", Gilda, "Rigoletto", Suzel, "L'amico", Adele, "Die Fledermaus", Marguerite, "Faust", Margherita, "Mefistofele", Camille, "The Merry Widow", Cunegonde, "Candide", Countess Rosina Almaviva, "The Marriage of Figaro", Charlotte, "Werther", Clara, "Porgy and Bess".
Preston favored recitals above all, and was also particularly well known for her concert recitals ranging from Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Brahms to Puccini, Strauss, Mahler, Schubert, Hahn, Debussy, and many more. Preston was known to have an extremely large concert recital repertoire and could perform multiple recital concerts without ever repeating the works.
Marriage: Preston married Belgian soloist concert violinist, Saul Hoüben and they had one child at which point Preston retired from touring. In 1982 Preston's husband, Saul Hoüben passed away. Preston never re-married. She performed various concert recitals for benefits and for friends, but did not want to return into the circuit.
Induction: In 1989, Preston was inducted into the WSHS Hall of Fame for her Film and Opera career. In 1994, Preston came out of retirement for a farewell concert performance in Seattle, WA where it all began, which included an aria "Lamento" specifically written for her by her long time friend Writer/Composer Martin Kalmanoff.
Death: June Preston passed away at the age 93 from complications of dementia. She is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park-Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California and survived by her Daughter, son-in-law, and her sister. - Casting Director
- Casting Department
Pam Polifroni was born on 28 January 1929 in Glendale, California, USA. She was a casting director, known for Tron (1982), Santa Barbara (1984) and Supertrain (1979). She died on 21 November 2019 in Columbus, Ohio, USA.- Jimmy Davies was born on 8 August 1929 in Glendale, California, USA. He died on 11 June 1966 in Hinsdale, Illinois, USA.
- Art Department
Robert Scaife was born on 21 August 1929 in Glendale, California, USA. He is known for WarGames (1983), Big Trouble in Little China (1986) and Apocalypse Now (1979). He was married to Barbara Knapp, Dolores Norton and Selma Slaman. He died on 25 June 1988 in Newbury Park, California, USA.- Director
- Art Director
- Production Designer
Daniel Haller was born in Glendale, California, and received his art training at the renowned Chouinard Institute. By chance, he happened to meet New World Pictures head Roger Corman in the mid-1950s when Corman was still an unknown, independent producer-director-jack-of-all-trades. Corman persuaded Haller to become an art director, a relationship that continued through some 30 Corman films. He later became a director, under Corman's banner, turning out such films as Paddy (1970) and Devil's Angels (1967), with John Cassavetes. In 1971, he moved over to television, directing episodes of Kojak (1973), Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (1971) and The Blue Knight (1975), as well as such made-for-TV films as Black Beauty (1978) and Little Mo (1978). Haller lives in the western San Fernando Valley on a ranch with his family, where they raise horses.- Relatively new to Hollywood, handsome Robert Francis was a rising young actor and deemed California's "Golden Boy" on the verge of 1950's cinematic stardom, when on July 31 , 1955, he, along with two others, perished in a private plane crash just after takeoff in Burbank, California.
Robert Charles Francis was born on February 26, 1930, in Glendale, California, where his parents ran a family pharmacy. Growing up he showed early interests in art and in sports, particularly skiing. As a teen he attended Pasadena City College from 1946 to 1948 after completing the tenth grade at Wilson Junior High School. He graduated with a "junior college degree.
The teenager had major designs on becoming an Olympic skier (he was taught by his older brother and the young boy was a ski shop operator at one point). Fate stepped in, however, when he was spotted by a Hollywood talent scout while sunning near the Santa Monica pier. Told his handsome, likable, all-American looks could make a cinematic impression, he decided to take a chance and began signed up for acting classes.
A three-year stint in the U.S. Army (1950-1953) interrupted this progress but, following his discharge, he attended the Batomi Schneider Drama Workshop (Ms. Schneider was a Universal drama coach). Max Arnow, head talent at Columbia, took a liking to Robert and managed to set up a screen test for studio head Harry Cohn who was looking for fresh talent for an upcoming film The Caine Mutiny (1954). Though his inexperience showed through in the test, Robert's courteous but quiet intensity and manly inner rebellion sparked an certain interest in Cohn and the young man was signed to a contract.
Not only did Columbia give Robert the prime role of Ensign Willie Keith in The Caine Mutiny (1954), Bob held his own alongside a formidable group of male stalwarts including Humphrey Bogart, José Ferrer, Van Johnson and Fred MacMurray. His scenes also included a romantic subplot opposite dark-haired beauty May Wynn, who took her stage moniker from the character she played in this film. Robert, sporting the 1950s brush-cut standard of the day, was voted one of Screen World's "Promising Personalities of 1954" upon the successful release of the movie.
Clean-cut and athletic, the young actor continued to show exceptional poise and restraint in his next three co-leads as well, finding a strong niche as odd-man-out military types. Capitalizing on his promising debut, Robert was top-billed in the western They Rode West (1954) as a cavalry captain who bucks against the system and his captain Philip Carey as he selflessly tends to Indians during a malaria epidemic . His co-star, again, was Ms. Wynn again as well as the lovely Donna Reed.
Top-billed as well in his third film, The Bamboo Prison (1954), which was similar but not quite up to the Oscar-winning standards of Stalag 17 (1953) as it reveals the brutalities of POW life, Robert plays a Korean War POW sergeant who attempts to extract valuable information from his captors. He co-stars opposite Brian Keith, as a fellow POW corporal, who initially thinks (as do the other American POWs) that Robert is a traitor for "cooperating" with the enemy.
Robert's fourth and final film was a third-billed part as an ill-fated West Point cadet in the sentimental John Ford bio-drama The Long Gray Line (1955) starring Tyrone Power as a legendary Irish-born West Point sergeant and Maureen O'Hara his altruistic wife. The picture did well.
While Columbia was keen on propelling Robert to top-grade stardom, Robert was showing a strong, keen interest in aviation. At one point, this ill-fated passion put him into contact with eccentric producer/director/aviator billionaire Howard Hughes and the two men frequently went flying together, with young Francis often at the controls of Hughes' planes
Just two weeks before Robert was to start filming a loan-out picture, MGM's romantic western Tribute to a Bad Man (1956) starring James Cagney, Robert decided to pilot a Beechcraft Bonanza owned by friend and fellow actor Joe Kirkwood Jr.. Also on board would be Kirkwood's business partner, the Hollywood agent George Irving Meyer, 38, an experienced WW II pilot, and his lady friend, aspiring actress Audrey Ann Schneider (aka Ann Russell), 24. Immediately following their shaky takeoff from Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, the plane's engine sputtered and lost power. Francis, a still relatively inexperienced pilot, managed to avoid a crowd at nearby Valhalla Cemetery, and crashed into a parking lot where it burst into flames, killing all three instantly.
The 25-year-old actor was survived by his parents, James William and Lillian Warnock Francis, and an older brother and sister (Bill, Lillian). He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Actor Don Dubbins was recast in the Cagney film. A tragic ending for such a promising young man who had a major career cruelly taken from him. - Rhodes Reason was born in Glendale, California on April 19, 1930. He was the younger brother of Rex Reason. Rhodes made his professional debut at the age of 18 in a stage production of 'Romeo and Juliet' under the direction of Charles Laughton. His career has spanned nearly 40 years and he appeared in over 230 roles in television, movies and stage. He starred in the series White Hunter (1957) in England, and was cast as Sheriff Will Mayberry in the TV series Bus Stop (1961). His numerous guest appearances included Death Valley Days (1952), Here's Lucy (1968), Maverick (1957), 77 Sunset Strip (1958), The Time Tunnel (1966), Perry Mason (1957), Star Trek (1966), among many others. In the early 1980s he starred in the Broadway musical "Annie", playing Daddy Warbucks for nearly three years. He was an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Production Manager
- Producer
Phil Rawlins was born on 28 May 1930 in Glendale, California, USA. He was an assistant director and production manager, known for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Gremlins (1984) and F Troop (1965). He was married to Fran. He died on 28 May 2009 in Newhall, California, USA.- Camera and Electrical Department
Jim had the kind of personality that went as well with the celebrities as it did with the crew. During his career he worked on the movie "The Sting" with Redford and Newman and with Mel Brooks on Blazing Saddles and High Anxiety. He enjoyed working with Steve Martin on the movie "The Jerk" and took his family to see the location of the mansion it was filmed in. He often worked with his good friend Gaylin Schultz who was well known and respected in the business as a long time key grip. Other films he worked on included The Eiger Sanction with Clint Eastwood, When A Stranger Calls and many others. His death came when he was tragically young, just getting going really at 49 years of age. This Biography and Update have been provided by his daughter Joni Ball Sanford, who has been a Hollywood history buff since childhood.- Animation Department
Marlene Burkhart was born on 4 December 1930 in Glendale, California, USA. She is known for The Little Mermaid (1989), Oliver & Company (1988) and Jetsons: The Movie (1990). She died on 1 September 2006 in the USA.- Gloria Talbott was born in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale, a city co-founded by her great grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Nye Patterson. Growing up in the shadows of the Hollywood studios, her interests inevitably turned to acting, with the result that she participated in school plays and landed small parts in films such as "Maytime" (1937), "Sweet and Lowdown" (1943) and "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (1945). After leaving school, she started her own dramatic group and played "arena"-style shows at various clubs. After a three-year hiatus (marriage, motherhood and divorce), Talbott resumed her career, working extensively in both TV and films. Her sister is actress Lori Talbott.
- Actor
Tommy Tobin was born on 13 March 1931 in Glendale, California, USA. He is an actor.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Marilyn King was born on 11 May 1931 in Glendale, California, USA. She was an actress, known for The Hideous Sun Demon (1958), The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952) and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977). She was married to James Dalton Smith, Kent Larsen and Howard Maurice Lloyd. She died on 7 August 2013 in Laguna Niguel, California, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Chambers was born on 15 December 1931 in Glendale, California, USA. He was an actor and director, known for The Lollipop Cover (1965), Monty Nash (1971) and The Fugitive (1963). He was married to Nancy Williams and Katherine Cannon. He died on 16 August 2020 in Westlake Village, California, USA.- Ed Thrasher was born on 7 May 1932 in Glendale, California, USA. Ed was married to Linda Gray. Ed died on 5 August 2006 in Big Bear Lake, California, USA.
- Editor
- Editorial Department
Larry Strong was born on 18 July 1932 in Glendale, California, USA. He was an editor, known for Battlestar Galactica (1978), Battlestar Galactica (1978) and Wiseguy (1987). He was married to Elaine. He died on 24 November 2000 in Marina Del Rey, California, USA.