Deaths: April 27
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- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
David began his career with the repertory companies at the Barter Theatre in Virginia America and the Hartford Stage Company followed by his New York debut as one of the twins in A Comedy of Errors in Joseph Papps Shakespeare Festival. In 1968 he played the lead in Summertree at New York's: Lincoln Centre winning the Clarence Derwent Award and the Theatre World Award. Later he played the lead role of Mark Elliott in the television series Love is a Many Splendored Thing followed by the part of Bernie in the comedy series Bridget Loves Bernie. Both were top ranking shows making him a well known name across America and earning numerous awards. He made his film debut in Caravan to Vaccares- Actor
- Director
Burly Brooklyn-born tough guy Adam Roarke made an infamous name for himself in 1960s biker flicks, usually donning a black leather jacket and a mean, mean scowl, typically the head of a bunch of hell-raisers. Nine of his more than 30 films would be in motorcycle movies, sometimes at odds with young rebel Jack Nicholson before his 'Easy Rider' fame.
The former Richard Jordan Gerler was born on August 8, 1937, and destined to become some type of entertainer as his dad was a vaudeville comic and his mom a chorus girl. His parents met while performing in a Ziegfeld Follies show. He grew up rough and rebellious and was a former gang member surviving on the streets of New York. He eventually straightened up by enlisting in the Army. Following his military duty, he studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and eventually earned a Universal contract to boot, making his film debut (billed as Jordan Gerler) in the crimer 13 West Street (1962). Some of his early work includes a bit part in the film Ensign Pulver (1964) and parts on the TV shows Combat! (1962) and The Virginian (1962).
Adam played tough on TV in many of the "hip" 60's and 70's shows at the time such as Mod Squad (1968), the first pilot episode of Star Trek (1966) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964). His cult films include Hells Angels on Wheels (1967) with Nicholson, The Savage Seven (1968), Psych-Out (1968) again with Nicholson, Hell's Belles (1969) and Platinum Pussycat (1968). In addition, he appeared on horseback in John Wayne's western El Dorado (1966), and co-starred with Anthony Perkins in Play It As It Lays (1972), Peter Fonda in Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974), and Peter O'Toole in The Stunt Man (1980).
Parts grew scarce in the early 80s and Adam decided to focus his attentions on teaching. In 1982 he opened the Film Actor's Lab in Dallas, Texas and settled there. One of his prized students would be Lou Diamond Phillips of "La Bamba" fame. During this time he also acted in and co-directed the low-budget vengeance thriller Trespasses (1986) with Loren Bivens and co-written by former protégé Phillips. Adam's last film was a featured role in the low-budget film Sioux City (1994) directed by and starring Phillips.
Adam, 58, died suddenly of a heart attack in his sleep in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Euless, Texas. A sturdy 60's 'leader of the pack' prototype was survived by second wife Carla Delane-Roarke who co-starred in the film Final Cut (1987) and actor/son Jordan Gerler.- Aída Bortnik was born on 7 January 1938 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was a writer, known for The Official Story (1985), Ashes of Paradise (1997) and Poor Butterfly (1986). She died on 27 April 2013 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Music Department
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Al Hirt was born on 7 November 1922 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), 21 Jump Street (2012) and The Green Hornet (1966). He was married to Beverly Essel , Zide Bowers Jahncke and Mary Patureau. He died on 27 April 1999 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Actor
Andrew Lesnie was an Australian cinematographer who frequently worked with Peter Jackson. He did the photography for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. He also did the photography for Babe, King Kong, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I Am Legend and The Lovely Bones. He passed away in April 2015 due to a heart attack.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Though not as well known as his nearly decade-older brother Barry Fitzgerald, Shields was a talented actor with well over twice the film roles in his career. Fitzgerald was already a well established player at the renowned Dublin Abbey Theater when Shields, also bitten by the acting bug, joined in 1914. He performed but was also out front directing plays. Already he had dabbled in the new medium of Irish film (1910) with two notable examples (1918). There was more to the seemingly mild-mannered Shields than met the eye. His family was Protestant Nationalist and he himself fought in the Easter Uprising of 1916. And he was in fact captured and imprisoned in a camp in North Wales. Late in 1918 he came to the United States and first helped bring Irish comedy and drama to Broadway. He would continue to appear on Broadway for some 24 plays until 1941, especially reviving two Abbey Theater favorites from the hand of Sean O'Casey, "The Plough and the Stars" and "Juno and the Paycock", the latter being produced and staged by him in 1940. Still not settled, Shields was back in Dublin through most of the 1920s but returned to Broadway almost full time in 1932 moving through the repertory of Irish plays. When John Ford finally convinced his brother - and some other Abbey players - to come to Hollywood to do the 1936 film version of "The Plough and the Stars", Broadway veteran Shields was asked to take the pivotal part of Padraic (Patrick) Pearse, perhaps the most important leader of the Easter Rising.
By early 1939 he was finished with his concentration on Broadway and found Ford eager to offer him a part in his Revolutionary period adventure Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) as the matter-of-fact pioneer minister with a good shooting eye Rev. Rosenkrantz. Ministers, reverends, priests, and other assorted clerics would be a Shields staple throughout his career - and he always managed to breath an individual humanity into each and every one. From then on through the 1940s he was in demand as character actor - and not just Irish roles as Fitzgerald with his gravelly, prominent brogue, found himself. Along with the aforementioned men of the cloth, Shields was provided a steady offering of the gamut of Hollywood's character storehouse-Irish and otherwise. And among them were parts for some of Ford's most memorable films: How Green Was My Valley (1941) and especially The Quiet Man (1952). Here again, he was a cleric but a uniquely sympathetic one - the lone Protestant Reverend Dr. Playfair - whom John Wayne affectionately calls "Padre" in the vastly Catholic village of the film. He alone knows the former identity of Wayne and convinces the latter of his final struggle to go on with his new life in Ireland. Enough said - with a wonderful cast of Ford stalwarts and native Irish (including Fizgerald), this was Ford's long awaited crowning achievement.
Though Shields was taking on the occasional film through the 1950s, most of his time was going to television. Along with TV playhouse roles he became a most familiar face of episodic TV with a variety of roles (even the old Mickey Mouse Club Hardy Boy Adventures), especially in the ever-popular TV Western genera. Aside from his numerous appearances in plays throughout his career, all told Arthur Shields screen appearances approached nearly 100 memorable acting endeavors.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Production Manager
Bernard Gersten was born on 30 January 1923 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He was a producer and production manager, known for American Playhouse (1980), One from the Heart (1981) and Great Performances (1971). He was married to Cora Cahan. He died on 27 April 2020 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.- Carlos María García Cambón was born on 27 March 1949 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He died on 27 April 2022 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Carlos Menditeguy was born on 10 August 1914 in Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina. He died on 27 April 1973 in Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina.
- Producer
- Casting Director
- Casting Department
Cis Corman was born on 12 May 1926 in Chelsea, Massachusetts, USA. She was a producer and casting director, known for Death Wish (1974), The King of Comedy (1982) and The Deer Hunter (1978). She was married to Dr. Harvey Harold Corman. She died on 27 April 2020 in New York City, New York, USA.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Diana Pérez was born on 26 January 1970 in Mexico. She was an actress, known for Kingdom (2019), Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles (2006) and El Chapulín Colorado (2015). She died on 27 April 2021 in Mexico.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
DJ EZ Rock was an actor, known for Iron Man 2 (2010), Bumblebee (2018) and Spies in Disguise (2019). He died on 27 April 2014.- Ed Diener was born on 25 July 1946 in Glendale, California, USA. He was married to Carol Merk. He died on 27 April 2021 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
- Art Department
- Actor
Ernie Barnes was born in Durham, North Carolina, USA. He is known for his art on Good Times (1974), specifically "The Sugar Shack," the iconic dance painting which sold for over $15 million in 2022. Barnes' work is in museums, institutions and collected internationally. He is the first American professional athlete to become a noted painter.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Howard Brookner was born on 30 April 1954 in New York, New York, USA. He was a director and writer, known for Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars (1987), Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989) and Probe (1988). He died on 27 April 1989 in New York City, New York, USA.- Music Department
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Joseph Ward was born on 22 May 1932 in Preston, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Gondoliers (1972), The Sunday Drama (1977) and Lost Empires (1986). He died on 27 April 2019 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Jossara Jinaro, described in the Latin media as the "strong, smart, and sexy ultimate woman," was the love child of two Maoists in South America. She was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and when her Mother married a Colombian diplomat she moved to Colombia. As a little girl she loved to watch movies. Her favorite was "Gilda" because she loved Rita Hayworth as the night club dancing dame. Jossara always dreamed of being just like her. Samba and salsa rhythms pulled Jossara onto the stage. She began dancing at the age of 5 and by the time she was 8 she did her first play. Her Step-Father was held hostage by the guerrilla and soon after he was released her family sought safety in the United States.
She fully learned English at the age of 15 and soon found herself caught between a traditional Latin Family and her new American identity. She decided to leave home at the age of 16 and pursue her artistic dreams. Her first professional gig was singing and dancing at the theme park Old Indiana Fun Park where everybody recognized her as the girl playing Janet Jackson. This love for singing and dancing got her in a BFA musical theatre program that fall. She graduated top of her class and was recognized as the best actress and most likely to succeed. She got her first agent in Chicago and started working professionally right away. Chicago reviewers referred to her as "dynamic and versatile, the ultimate chameleon," "a classic beauty who fills the stage with heat, passion, and intensity."
Jossara left Chicago to play Rene, the seductress in "Dark Rapture," at the American Conservatory Theatre. An agent approached her after her opening night and asked her to come to Los Angeles. Once she arrived in LA she was soon snatched up by Columbia Tri-Star to play the beautiful and funny Virginia Bustos in the Alma nominated sitcom "Viva Vegas." Since then, Jossara has fought for and been very fortunate to play strong, positive and non-traditional roles for Latinas.
After making her network debut recurring on Judging Amy as Cheech Marin's smart and driven activist daughter, she got the attention of Emmy-Award winning director/producer Christopher Chulack, who cast her on ER and later opposite Simon Baker on Smith. The storyline of her role on "Passions," as Rae, the strong and sexy club owner, was nominated for the 2006 GLAAD award. She went back to Colombia in 2009 to work on the Novela La Bella Ceci y El Imprudente and returned to Hollywood to work on the new series East Los High.
Her biggest love is the film world. So much so that she began to produce her own projects. A budding filmmaker with critically-acclaimed shorts and a feature that was accepted into Panavision's new filmmaker's program. She's made the film festival rounds with award-winning films like Desert Road Kill which garnered her a best supporting Actress award. You may have also seen her in "Devil's Rejects," a Rob Zombie Film, "Havoc," with Anne Hathaway, "TenTricks," with Leah Thompson, "Fly Boys," with Stephen Baldwin, Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center," opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena, and recently in Lion Gate's urban hip-hop movie "Go For It!" as Loli, the queen bee of the dance floor.
Jossara still loves to do live theatre. Most recently she was the female lead in "Firehouse" from consulting producer Academy Award winner Robert Moresco and in "The Birthday Present" directed by Academy Award winner Jonathan Sanger.- As briefly dictated by Judy herself, April 13, 2008:
Born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in 1936. Attended Notre Dame Grade School and Notre Dame-McDonell Memorial High School, then attended Rosary Collage, River Forest, Illinois. Attended University of Wisconsin, then worked in the office at Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. Moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she lived working as a cook in a Quaker co-op in Powellton Village. Left for San Diego, California, around 1959 and lived on a sloop in the yacht basin. From there to the Zen Coffee House and Motorcycle Repair Shop in Pacific Beach. From there to the Upper Cellar, San Diego. From there to Cosmo Alley in Los Angeles. From there to the Unicorn in Los Angeles. From there to The Buddhi in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. From there, she joined Dave Guard and the Whiskey Hill Singers (around 1961) in Menlo Park, California. Left Dave Guard around 1962-1963 and lived at Knife & Fork Restaurant and Motel on Sunset Strip.
So then she married Jerry Yester (1963 or 64 in Washington, D.C.) and continued to work, appearing in Antia Loos' musical "Gogo Loves You," Greenwich Village, 1964 or 1965. Sang at Village Gate, Bitter End, many gigs on East Coast.
Moved back to California (Laurel Canyon), became pregnant in 1967 and moved back to the East Coast when Jerry joined Lovin' Spoonful. Daughter Kate was born in 1968. In 1969 or 70, "Farewell Aldebaran" and in around 1970 or 71, "Rosebud."
Ran away to Sherman Oaks with the piano player, Craig Doerge, in about 1972. Retired from the stage but continued to write songs. Married Craig in 1973 (and are celebrating their 35th anniversary October 2008). She had two new albums, "Loose in the World" and "She Sang California," plus a retrospective set put out by Rhino this last year. - Kakhi Kavsadze was born on 5 June 1935 in Tkibuli, Georgian SSR, TSFSR, USSR [now Republic of Georgia]. He was an actor, known for Midjachvuli raindebi (2000), White Sun of the Desert (1970) and Tsar Ivan Groznyy (1991). He died on 27 April 2021 in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia.
- Actress
- Script and Continuity Department
A dark, exotic beauty, Katherine DeMille was a fascinating screen presence in the 1930s and 1940s. She was born in Canada to a Scottish schoolteacher, Edward Gabriel Lester, and his Italian-Swiss wife, Cecile Bianca Bertha (Colani) Lester. Her father was killed in France during World War I, and her mother, who was terminally ill, traveled to California to find Katherine's paternal grandparents and leave her with them. Mrs. Lester died before she could contact her in-laws and Katherine was placed in a Los Angeles orphanage. Constance Adams, the wife of Hollywood's top filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille, was a director of the orphanage. The DeMilles were moved by Katherine's misfortune and decided to adopt her. She became a member of a family that also included the DeMilles' only natural child, Cecilia de Mille; another adopted child, John de Mille; and Richard de Mille, who was actually DeMille's nephew.
Katherine was educated at the Hollywood School for Girls and the Santa Barbara School for Girls. She loved acting in school plays and eventually found work as a movie extra, using the stage name Kay Marsh. DeMille, aware of his daughter's dream of becoming a star, hired her as a script supervisor for his film Four Frightened People (1934) and permitted her to visit the sets of his films and watch his editing process. She secretly auditioned for the role of Pancho Villa's wife, Rosita Morales, in the MGM production Viva Villa! (1934), starring Wallace Beery in the title role. She won the role and impressed the critics with her performance and beauty. Her portrayal of a Mexican maid in The Trumpet Blows (1934) earned her a contract with Paramount Pictures, and she was cast as the villain in Mae West's Belle of the Nineties (1934). Her ability to succeed in films on her own helped her gain her father's admiration as well as a featured role in his next epic, The Crusades (1935). She played Alice, Princess of France, and competed with Loretta Young's Berengaria for the love (and title as consort) of Richard the Lionheart (Henry Wilcoxon). The critics appreciated Katherine's talent and appearance in the lavish DeMille production. Her career was ascending.
After her excellent work in the prestigious DeMille picture, Katherine was finally elevated to leading lady status. Paramount starred her in Drift Fence (1936) and Sky Parade (1936). She was also loaned out to MGM for an uncredited appearance as Romeo's first love, Rosaline, in Romeo and Juliet (1936). 20th Century-Fox cast her in a supporting role in the Barbara Stanwyck-Joel McCrea starrer Banjo on My Knee (1936) and gave her second billing in Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937). Katherine fell in love with Mexican actor Anthony Quinn and married him in 1937. She was billed third in The Californian (1937) and appeared in Love Under Fire (1937), a Spanish Civil War drama. At Columbia Pictures, she was billed second in the Jack Holt vehicle Under Suspicion (1937). This was followed by a small role in another Spanish Civil War drama, Blockade (1938), and a leading lady role in another Jack Holt vehicle, Trapped in the Sky (1939). Unfortunately, the big studios failed to showcase her talent in notable productions. Her next roles were featured in B movies: In Old Caliente (1939), Isle of Destiny (1940), Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940), and Dark Streets of Cairo (1940). She returned to Paramount for a role in the Technicolor film Aloma of the South Seas (1941).
The Quinns had five children. She abandoned her film career after the tragic death of their firstborn, Christopher, in 1941. She made a comeback with a leading role in Black Gold (1947), co-starring her husband, and a supporting role as a Native American woman in her father's Unconquered (1947). She also starred in the film noir The Judge (1949). The Quinns divorced in 1965, and Katherine later moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she died of Alzheimer's disease in 1995.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Kenneth Tsang was born on 5 October 1934 in Shanghai, China. He was an actor and director, known for The Replacement Killers (1998), Die Another Day (2002) and The Killer (1989). He was married to Chiao Chiao, Barbara Tang and Lan Di. He died on 27 April 2022 in Hong Kong.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Kristin Harmon was born on 25 June 1945 in Burbank, California, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952), Love & Kisses (1965) and Sonic Boom (1975). She was married to Mark Tinker and Ricky Nelson. She died on 27 April 2018 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Lynn Harrell was born on 30 January 1944 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Cello (2017), Anne-Sophie Mutter: Encounters with Mendelssohn (2009) and New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts (1958). He was married to Helen Nightengale and Linda Blandford. He died on 27 April 2020 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Lynne Frederick was a talented British actress of the 1970s. She had a unique combination of good looks and charm which captivated audiences for a decade. Although best known as the fourth and final wife of British comedian Peter Sellers, Lynne has developed a cult following in recent years. Before Kate Winslet and Emma Watson, there was Lynne Frederick.
Lynne Wagner Harding Frederick was born in Hillingdon, Uxbridge, UK, to parents Iris and Andrew. Her father left when she was young, and was raised by her grandmother and mother, who worked for Thames Television. Lynne attended Notting Hill and Ealing High School and originally intended to become a physics and mathematics teacher. Lynne was discovered by film director Cornel Wilde at Thames Television while posing for some camera test shots. Lynne's youthful and dramatic beauty immediately struck Wilde. After interviewing hundreds of girls, he decided Lynne would be perfect for his film. Lynne received a phone call while at school preparing for her exams. Her mother said Wilde wanted her for his film and had two hours to decide if she wanted to take the role and leave school to pursue an acting career. After much thought, Lynne decided to try acting and accepted the role.
Despite no previous experience, Lynne got her very first acting job at her first audition. Her debut was in the 1970 British-American apocalyptic science fiction film No Blade of Grass (1970). Her next and more prestigious role came as Tsar Nicholas's second eldest daughter, Tatiana, in the 1971 Oscar-winning British film Nicholas and Alexandra (1971). In her next role, Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972), she played the ill-fated fifth wife of Henry VIII, Catherine Howard. Her adaptation of Howard made Tudor cinema history as Lynne was the first actress to portray Howard from a historically accurate and sympathetic point of view.
Lynne continued to work in films, with a supporting role in the now-cult film Vampire Circus (1972). Her most well-known screen role came in the 1972 family film The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972). For this role, she won the very first London Evening Standard British Film Award for Best New Coming Actress. In 1974, she appeared in the science fiction thriller Phase IV (1974), for which she was required to learn an American accent. Although not successful during its initial release, Phase IV gained a cult following in the years that followed due to its airing on late-night television.
Lynne co-starred with Italian actor Fabio Testi in two back-to-back films as his love interest. The first was the very graphic Italian spaghetti western The Four of the Apocalypse... (1975), followed by Red Coat (1975). Lynne then appeared in two romantic Spanish films, El vicio y la virtud (1975) and Largo retorno (1975). Her acting credits weren't limited to film; she appeared in various shows and movies made for TV over the decade. Lynne returned to the horror film with a role in the 1976 slasher, Schizo (1976). Her most important film role came in the Oscar-nominated historical drama, Voyage of the Damned (1976).
A year later, Lynne married fellow actor Peter Sellers. She would make her final film appearance alongside him in The Prisoner of Zenda (1979). Sadly, their relationship became turbulent. Rumours of drug and health issues plagued them. Further controversy followed after Sellers' tragic death on 24 July 1980 (one day before Lynne's 26th birthday) when Lynne was named the beneficiary of nearly his entire estate while his children, whom Sellers had been estranged from for many years, received hardly anything. Despite pleas from Sellers' friends, Lynne didn't give Sellers' children any further settlements due to her rocky relationship with them. The British public and film industry began to turn against Lynne after Sellers' death, and her career started to plummet. Despite the blacklisting which followed, Lynne was very protective of Sellers' name and reputation. She even won £1.475 million in a lawsuit against the makers of the Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), a film of Sellers released posthumously, claiming the film tarnished her husband's memory.
Lonely, depressed, and desperate for companionship, the young widow married the charismatic British media personality David Frost six months after Sellers' death. Lynne's supposed eagerness to remarry shortly after her first husband's death virtually robbed her of any last shred of public sympathy.
Although Lynne and David appeared to be a happily married couple to the public, their marriage was destructive and turbulent behind closed doors. While married to Frost, she suffered at least one miscarriage, which put a strain on their already rocky marriage. Ultimately, their marriage ended in divorce after 17 months.
Following her divorce from Frost, Frederick fled from Britain to America where she met surgeon and heart specialist Barry Unger, whom she married on Christmas, 1982. The following year, Frederick bore her only child, Cassie, with whom she had a close relationship. Her marriage to Unger ended in divorce in 1991.
In the later years of her life, Frederick live in Los Angeles, where she lived in a house with her daughter, of whom she shared custody.
In the final years of her life, Lynne's health spiraled downward as she struggled with alcoholism and bouts of depression. Rumors of chronic drug addiction, clinical depression, failed rehab treatments, and suicide attempts were common tabloid reports of her in later years.
The wear and tear of the struggles in her life took a toll on her appearance. Her weight ballooned, her face became sunken and bloated, and her hair now cropped short and damaged. Rumor had it that when the paparazzi stood outside her house trying to get photos of Lynne, there were several occasions where she would walk past them unnoticed as the photographers didn't recognize her drastically different appearance in contrast to her once-youthful appearance.
On the morning of 27 April, 1994, Frederick's lifeless body was discovered by her mother, Iris, in her home. Immediately following Frederick's death, the Fleet Street tabloids engaged in a firestorm of negative press accusing Frederick of being an alcoholic and cocaine addict. It was even reported the cause of her death due to cocaine and alcohol. Although the exact cause of Frederick's death hasn't been publicly disclosed, her mother revealed in Hello Magazine that Lynne's death had been caused by natural causes due to a seizure in her sleep, although this has been disputed by some people, seizures frequently kill people, who stop drinking without medical help.
For many years, Lynne Frederick's legacy remained tainted and was seldom, if ever mentioned. But in recent years, her films have resurfaced to a new generation, and she's been given a new fan base and cult following. Although she won't be remembered as a big name in films, her glowing beauty holds an enduring fascination amongst cinema fans. She's a symbol of the harsh world of the entertainment industry.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Marian Mercer was born on 26 November 1935 in Akron, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for 9 to 5 (1980), Out on a Limb (1992) and Great Performances (1971). She was married to Patrick Hogan and Martin Cassidy. She died on 27 April 2011 in Newbury Park, California, USA.- Cinematographer
- Special Effects
- Director
Italian director Mario Bava was born on July 31, 1914 in the coastal northern Italian town of Sanremo. His father, Eugenio Bava (1886-1966), was a cinematographer in the early days of the Italian film industry. Bava was trained as a painter, and when he eventually followed his father into film photography his artistic background led him to a strong belief in the importance of visual composition in filmmaking.
Other than a series of short films in the 1940s which he directed, Bava was a cinematographer until 1960. He developed a reputation as a special effects genius, and was able to use optical trickery to great success. Among the directors for whom Bava photographed films were Paolo Heusch, Riccardo Freda, Jacques Tourneur and Raoul Walsh. While working with Freda on Lust of the Vampire (1957) in 1956, the director left the project after an argument with the producers and the film mostly unfinished. Bava stepped in and directed the majority of the movie, finishing it on schedule. This film, also known as "The Devil's Commandment", inspired a wave of gothic Italian horror films. After a similar incident occurred on Freda's Caltiki, the Immortal Monster (1959), and Bava's having been credited with "saving" Tourneur's The Giant of Marathon (1959), Galatea urged Bava to direct any film he wanted with their financing.
The film that emerged, Black Sunday (1960), is one his most well known as well as one of his best. This widely influential movie also started the horror career of a beautiful but then unknown British actress named Barbara Steele. While Black Sunday is a black and white film, it was in the color milieu that the director excelled. The projects which followed began to develop stunning photography, making great use of lighting, set design, and camera positioning to compliment mise-en-scenes bathed in deep primaries. Through works such as Hercules in the Haunted World (1961), The Whip and the Body (1963), and Planet of the Vampires (1965), Bava's films took on the look of works of art. In the films The Evil Eye (1963) and Blood and Black Lace (1964), he created the style and substance of the giallo, a genre which would be perfected in the later films of Dario Argento.
Bava worked in many popular genres, including viking films, peplum, spaghetti westerns, action, and even softcore, but it is his horror films and giallo mystery films which stand out and for which he is best remembered. Recommended are Black Sunday (1960), The Whip and the Body (1963), Blood and Black Lace (1964), Kill, Baby... Kill! (1966), A Bay of Blood (1971), and Lisa and the Devil (1973). Bava's son Lamberto served as his assistant on most of his films since 1965, and since 1980 has been a director himself. Lamberto Bava's films include Macabre (1980), Demons (1985) and Body Puzzle (1992).
But after the commercial failure of his later films, as well as the unreleased works of Rabid Dogs (1974), Bava went into a decline and by 1975, retired from filmmaking all together. He was persuaded to come out of retirement at the request of his son, Lamberto, to direct Shock, as well as a made-for-Italian television movie. Mario Bava died from a sudden heart attack on April 27, 1980 at age 65. With his death, an era in Italian filmmaking had come to a close.- Mary Betten was born in 1936. She was an actress, known for T.J. Hooker (1982), Knots Landing (1979) and Mork & Mindy (1978). She died on 27 April 2017 in Camarillo, California, USA.
- Maya Kulieva was born on 1 May 1920 in village Bezmein, Poltoratsk uyezd, Transcaspian Oblast, Turkestan ASSR, RSFSR [now Abadan, Ahal Province, Turkmenistan]. She was an actress, known for Volshebnyy kristall (1945), Syn pastukha (1955) and Lichnaya zhizn korolevy (1993). She was married to Hodja-Durdy Annayev. She died on 27 April 2018 in Ashkhabat, Turkmenistan.
- Mercedes Sicardo was born on 24 September 1927 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain. She was an actress, known for Paradise Lost (1999), Con la muerte en el alma (1957) and Madame Butterfly (1958). She was married to Chavito Marrero. She died on 27 April 2018 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Music Department
- Actor
- Director
Mstislav Rostropovich was a Russian cellist, pianist, conductor, pedagogue and political figure whose international performances and public appearances symbolized the struggle of intellectuals against the rigid Soviet Communism.
He was born Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich on March 27, 1927, in Baku, Azerbaijan, Soviet Union. His father, Leopold Rostropovich, was a notable musician and pedagogue of Polish nobility descent. His mother was a concert pianist of Russian-Jewish heritage. His teachers at Moscow Conservatory were Dmitri Shostakovich, and Sergei Prokofiev, and both became his main musical influences for life. In 1951 Rostropovich was awarded the State Stalin's Prize, after his numerous victories at international competitions and a growing stream of recognition and acclaim. in 1955 he married opera singer Galina Vishnevskaya who was a member of Bolshoi Theatre. At that time his stage partners were such musicians as Svyatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels along with his wife Galina Vishnevskaya.
In 1969 Rostropovich saved his friend, dissident writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn from prosecution. At that time Solzhenitsyn needed a place to hide from the Soviet authorities. An arrangement was made for Solzhenitsyn to live secretly at Rostropovich's dacha, a summer cabin outside of Moscow. This angered the Soviet Communists, and Rostropovich was banned from international tours and royalties. His performances in the Soviet Union were also banned, his income was drastically reduced, and his musical activity was limited to teaching. The Soviet authorities put severe pressure on Rostropovich by restricting his communication with the world and by ignoring his numerous invitations to perform at international festivals and competitions.
In 1974, after years of struggle with the Soviet dictatorship, Rostropovich fled the Soviet Union with his wife and two daughters, Olga and Elena. He became a much more relaxed person in exile, living the artistic freedom he had so longed for, and did not want to go back until the fall of the oppressive Soviet regime. In 1977 Rostropovich was appointed Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in Washington, DC, the post he kept for the next seventeen years. Soon after Rostropovich became employed in the USA, his Soviet citizenship was revoked by Leonid Brezhnev in 1978. during the 1970s and 1980s Rostropovich enjoyed a very active concert career; he toured extensively as a cellist as well as an internationally acclaimed orchestra conductor and pedagogue. He also made numerous recordings of cello music and became recognized as arguably the world's best cellist of his time. Being also a good pianist, Rostropovich accompanied his wife, opera singer Galina Vishnevskaya on her numerous international concert tours.
In 1990, Mikhail Gorbachev restored their citizenship of Russia (then Soviet Union), allowing Rostropovich to return back home. His return happened during the most dramatic events of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. At that time Rostropovich joined the Russian President Yeltsin during the August coup of the hard-line communists against Mikhail Gorbachev. Eventually Rostropovich established himself as an internationally recognized cultural, political and intellectual figure of the new Russia. His music performances as well as his public statements were equally acclaimed and respected by all freedom-loving people.
Rostropovich returned to the new Russia and continued his career as a musician and public figure. He lived in his homes in Moscow and in St. Petersburg and remained active in cultural and political life. He died of a heart failure at the age of 80, on April 27, 2007, in Moscow, and was laid to rest in Novodevichy Semetery in Moscow Russia. His honors include: Recipient of Order of Service to the Fatherland medal of Russia (2007). Honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire, a Commander of the Legion of Honor of France, a Commander of the Phoenix Order of Greece, holder of the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Presidential Medal of Freedom, Kennedy Center Honoree, the State Stalin's Prize (1951), the title People's Artist of the USSR (1956), and the Defender of Free Russia Medal (1993).- Nur Yerlitas was born on 11 August 1955 in Istanbul, Turkey. She died on 27 April 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Actor
- Art Department
Olaf Wieghorst was born on 30 April 1899 in Viborg, Denmark. He was an actor, known for El Dorado (1966) and The Mike Douglas Show (1961). He was married to Mabel Walters. He died on 27 April 1988 in El Cajon, California, USA.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Director
Paul Junger Witt was born on 20 March 1941 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and director, known for Dead Poets Society (1989), The Golden Girls (1985) and Three Kings (1999). He was married to Susan Harris and Ann Elizabeth McLaughlin. He died on 27 April 2018 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Veteran character actor Paul Lambert was born in El Paso, Texas, and brought up in Kansas City. He was an Army Air Corps lieutenant in World War II. Using the G.I. Bill, he attended the Actors Lab in Los Angeles and several acting schools in New York. He made his motion picture debut in Spartacus (1960). He began his acting career on the New York stage in the 1950s. His stage credits include a role in the Broadway production of "A Little Night Music". In addition to being an actor, he was also a playwright and stage director, and wrote, directed and acted in his own play, "Interior Hollywood Day". In addition, he was in a record 14 productions of the prestigious Playhouse 90 (1956).
- Actor
- Writer
Peter Mamakos was born on 14 December 1918 in Somerville, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Ten Commandments (1956), Drums of Africa (1963) and Adventures of Superman (1952). He died on 27 April 2008 in Paso Robles, California, USA.- Robert Herbin was born on 30 March 1939 in Paris, France. He was a director, known for Chroniques de France (1964), Téléthon (1987) and 1966 FIFA World Cup (1966). He died on 27 April 2020 in Saint-Etienne, Loire, France.
- Soundtrack
Roy Young was born in 1937 in England, UK. He died on 27 April 2018 in Oxford, England, UK.- Ruth Handler was born on 4 November 1916 in Denver, Colorado, USA. She was a writer and producer, known for The Barbie Diaries: High School Mystery (2006), Barbie: Pet Rescue (2001) and Barbie Photo Designer. She was married to Elliot Handler. She died on 27 April 2002 in Century City, California, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
Stanley Adams (born Abramowitz) had a lengthy career on both stage and screen, the majority of which was spent playing minor supporting roles. A possible exception was the part of Rusty Trawler, a pint sized millionaire in the classic romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Otherwise, he portrayed innumerable minor ethnic villains, bartenders and avuncular, fast-talking characters, known in the credits only by their first names. On television, conversely, he proved himself more of a scene stealer, particularly in the 1960s and early '70s, when his face popped up on just about every major prime time show. He was at his best as pool hustler Sure-shot Wilson in an episode of The Odd Couple (1970), Rollo, a quirky time-traveling scientist on The Twilight Zone (1959), and - famously - as 'asteroid detecting', tribble-dispensing galactic entrepreneur Cyrano Jones on Star Trek (1966). Alas, he may also be remembered as a sentient space carrot named Tybo on Lost in Space (1965)....
His suicide in April 1977 has been attributed to severe depression as a result of a back injury, sustained earlier in the decade. Apart from the obvious pain, it would almost certainly have limited his employment opportunities.- Born at St. Judes Hospital at 8:45 am, in Fullerton, California, Suzanne Crough is the youngest of eight children. Her sibling's names are Lynda, Trudy, Kathleen, Loyleen, Gail, Timothy, and Patrick. She appeared in several commercials before she was cast as Tracy Partridge. After "The Partridge Family", Suzanne played Stevie Friedman on the short-lived drama "Mulligan's Stew" on NBC in 1977. She also appeared in "Teenage Father" (a short film that won an Academy Award), several television movies, television pilots, commercials, and a stage production of "The Bad Seed".
Suzanne Jesse Crough was born in Fullerton, California on March 6, 1963. Her parents are Joseph Wilfred Crough and Anne O'Malley Crough. She is of Scottish and Canadian descent. Her two brothers are also actors. Suzanne began her acting career at the age of 5 1/2. Her oldest brother was in "The Andy Griffith Show" as one of Opie's friends. That is kind of what convinced her mother into letting Suzanne try acting, too. The producer would lock her in the fake jail cell to take a nap. He told Suzanne's mother to get her in acting. He thought Suzanne was funny, and she was not shy. Suzanne wanted to try acting. Her mother thought she was too young at first. Her brothers were eight years older than she was. Her mom finally gave in to the pressure from Suzanne consistently asking. Suzanne's early roles include commercials for Kraft and a Mattel Kiddles commercial (which was the first thing she ever auditioned for). She landed the role of Tracy Partridge on The Partridge Family after three callbacks and four interviews total. While on The Partridge Family, Suzanne did about 30 commercials during that time. She also auditioned for the western movie "Shoot Out" with Gregory Peck and got the role, but sadly "The Partridge Family" producers wouldn't let her do it, so the role went to Dawn Lyn.
While on set, Suzanne attended school with Danny Bonaduce and Brian Forster. While filming The Partridge Family, she was able to work a total of eight hours, with three of them in school. When she wasn't needed during the season, Suzanne went to school on the set. When The Partridge Family was on break, she went to public school. She recalls trying to be normal but couldn't. The kids would follow her all over the playground. Some were nice, and some were mean. She took her friends to the set a couple of times, but they weren't used as extras in the show. Her friends from school thought it was cool she was on TV. They wanted to go with her to the set and they couldn't understand why she wasn't in love with David. She said he was more like a brother than anything else.
Suzanne also had a friendship with Brian Forster while filming. She remembered the day Jeremy Gelbwacks left the show and was replaced by Brian Forster. She showed up for work and was told "Suzanne, this is Brian. He is playing Chris." Onset, Suzanne and Brian came up with this idea for a 'junior marriage' as a joke. There was an ice cream truck on set that they would have, and they would ride their bikes around together. She also had a passion for horses growing up. Suzanne got her first horse when she was about 9 or 10. She took riding lessons during her days on "The Partridge Family" and showed horses and had them up till the age of 18.
After 'The Partridge Family', she made several TV movies and made many guest appearances on television shows like 'Goober and the Ghost Chasers', 'The Partridge Family 2200 A.D.', 'Mulligan's Stew', 'Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway', 'Fred Flintstone and Friends', 'The New Adventures Of Wonder Woman' and 1980's 'Children of Divorce' which would be her last on-screen role. After her acting career, she graduated from Pierce College and would go on to own and operate a bookstore in southern California. She still owned both tambourines that Tracy played and many of The Partridge Family albums used in the show.
Sadly, on April 27, 2015, Suzanne passed away at her home in Laughlin, Nevada. She was survived by her husband William Condray, and two daughters, Samantha and Alexandra. She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Suzanne and her husband were going to celebrate their 30th anniversary in July 2015. Crough's cause of death was arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, a rare form of cardiomyopathy. To many, she is forever known as the adorable, freckled-faced Partridge. - Actor
- Writer
While in Vietnam entertaining troops with Bob Hope and others touring with the USO, Thomas Tully contracted a filarial worm, similar to the worm which can lead to elephantiasis. After returning to the U.S. his condition was diagnosed after a blood clot in a major leg vein cut off circulation so severely his left leg was amputated very close to the hip. This was circa 1971. The amputation was performed in Laguna Beach, California, close to his home in San Juan Capistrano. Complications to this surgery caused pleuritis, deafness and serious debilitation. His death was due, in great part, to these serious medical conditions. He should be remembered as a true patriot who sacrificed his life to entertain our troops during the Vietnam War.- Troy L. Sneed Jr. was born on 14 December 1967 in Perry, Florida, USA. He was an actor, known for The Preacher's Wife (1996). He was married to Emily Frances Ianson. He died on 27 April 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Troy Walcott was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut and graduated from Bloomfield High School in 1997. Troy graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2002 with a degree in Communications Sciences but did not begin entertaining until he won a contest sponsored by UCTV, (UConn Student Television) the local campus student-run television network.
Troy wrote, produced and hosted the popular campus TV show "Holla @ Me!" for 2 1/2 years, and won the UConn Daily Campus' "UCTv Show of the Year Award" in 2002 as well as a featured story on him in UConn's Nutmeg Yearbook.
Troy was a versatile and charismatic actor who performed both on stage and in film and has appeared in several local commercials and independent films.
Troy worked with the CT National Guard as a resource for families of deployed soldiers and mentors disadvantaged youth in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Troy passed away on April 27th, 2017 in Hartford Connecticut.- Tusam was born in 1932 in Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina. He was an actor, known for Por una Moneda (2017), Hola Susana (1987) and Viva el lunes (1995). He died on 27 April 1999 in Vicente López, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Beautiful, vibrant, and talented actress and singer Vicki Sue Robinson was born on May 31, 1954 in Harlem, New York City and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of white folk singer Jolly Robinson and black Shakespearean actor Bill Robinson. (Robinson was actually part white, part black, and part Native American.) Vicki made her first public appearance at age six in 1960 singing harmonies with her mother on stage at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. At age sixteen Robinson was featured as a cast member in the Broadway stage production of the hit hippie counterculture musical "Hair." (Her other stage credits include a 1973 Broadway stage production of "Jesus Christ, Superstar," plus stage productions of the plays "Soon," "Long Time Coming, Long Time Gone," and "Voices from the Third World.") Vicki made her professional singing debut singing backing vocals on Todd Rundgren's album "Something, Anything." She acted in the movies "Going Home," "To Find a Man," "Hoodlums," and "Red Lipstick."
Robinson scored her greatest smash success with the rousing disco anthem "Turn the Beat Around" in 1976; the song was a #1 hit on the disco charts and peaked at #10 on the Billboard pop charts. Vicki was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Turn the Beat Around" and was named the best new disco artist of the year by "Billboard" magazine. Although she never managed to either match or surpass the success of "Turn the Beat Around," Vicki nonetheless still had a long, varied and respectable show business career throughout the 80's and 90's. She contributed the pulsating tune "Nighttime Fantasy" to the soundtrack of the flop vampire horror comedy "Nocturna." Robinson not only sang commercial jingles for such high profile clients as Gillette Razors, General Motors, Maybelline, Sprite, Downey Fabric Softener, Doublemint Gum, and Folgers Coffee, but also worked as a session singer on albums for such artists as Cher, Michael Bolton, Cyndi Lauper, and RuPaul. (She also sang backing vocals on Irene Cara's 1980 monster hit song "Fame.") In 1983 Vicki had a Top 5 hit in Australia with her disco cover of the classic Lulu song "To Sir, With Love." She supplied the singing voice for actress Kath Soucie on the cartoon TV series "Jem." The substantial success of Gloria Estefan's 1994 cover of "Turn the Beat Around" sparked a resurgence in Robinson's career: She not only made guest appearances on numerous talk shows, but also recorded the song "My Stomp, My Beat" for the soundtrack of the film "Chasing Amy," embarked on a well-received world tour with fellow disco veterans Gloria Gayner, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Thelma Houston, and the Village People, and starred in her own acclaimed Off-Broadway stage show called "Vicki Sue Robinson: Behind the Beat" in 1999. Vicki Sue Robinson died from cancer at the tragically young age of 45 on April 27, 2000 at her home in Wilton, Connecticut.- Wayson Choy was born on 20 April 1939 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He died on 28 April 2019 in Toronto, Canada.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Wendell Holmes was born on 17 August 1914 in Cheshire, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Zorro (1957), Leave It to Beaver (1957) and The Twilight Zone (1959). He was married to Adrienne Marden and Lois Holmes. He died on 27 April 1962 in Paris, France.- Actor
- Soundtrack
The eldest son of a Chinese-American businessman, Paul Wing started tap dancing on street corners as a child. After graduating from Palo Alto High School, he hitchhiked to Los Angeles were he soon began performing in vaudeville. He met Helen and Dorothy Takahashi, the Japanese-American daughters of the owners of a Los Angeles "Chinese" restaurant, and formed a dancing troupe, "The Three Mahjongs". Soon, Paul took Dorothy to Chicago, where they renamed themselves "Toy and Wing, Oriental Terp Duo" and for several years up to World War II, they were headliners on various vaudeville circuits. The act broke up in 1942 when Paul was drafted into the Army and Dorothy, who couldn't return to the West Coast as her family was interned in a camp in Utah, performed with her sister Helen as the Toy Sisters. After the war's end, Wing and Toy went back into business, performing in a number of venues, both in the United States and in Europe.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Yukiji Asaoka was born on 23 July 1935 in Tokyo, Japan. She was an actress, known for The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013), Zatoichi Challenged (1967) and My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999). She was married to Masahiko Tsugawa. She died on 27 April 2018 in Tokyo, Japan.- Yves Corbassière was born on 16 May 1925 in Paris, France. He died on 27 April 2020 in Poissy, Yvelines, France.