Deaths: April 17
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- Actress
- Director
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Doris Roberts was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Ann (Meltzer) and Larry Green. She was raised in New York, and took her stepfather's surname. Roberts was a 20-year veteran of the Broadway stage before she began appearing steadily in character roles in film and on television during the 1970s. A versatile player with an inescapably "mom-like" presence, she was adept at playing sympathetic roles but made her most memorable mark as hard-boiled dames, gossips, and nags who were often too savvy of the ways of the world to be fooled by anyone. Roberts built up some face recognition with regular appearances in the sitcoms Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976) (syndicated) and Angie (1979) (ABC), but truly came into her own as a widely known comedienne when she was cast as the meddling, strong-willed family matriarch on Everybody Loves Raymond (1996) (CBS). The show became of the best-loved sitcoms in history, and Roberts earned seven Emmy nominations and four wins for her colorful characterization. Well past the common age of retirement and well past the show's celebrated end, Roberts maintained a reputation as one of the big and small screen's most iconic mothers, and she continued to be a welcome sight as a television guest star and film player.- Alan García was born on 23 May 1949 in Lima, Peru. He was married to María del Pilar Nores Bodereau and Carla Buscaglia Castellano. He died on 17 April 2019 in Lima, Peru.
- Visual Effects
- Director
- Special Effects
Alex Weil is the award-winning executive creative director and founder of New York-based "design and build" digital atelier - Charlex. As designer, storyteller and technical innovator, he has delivered breakthrough moments in digital imagemaking for over 25 years.
From groundbreaking work with multi-layered video effects for projects like The Cars' 'You Might Think' - netting the young director MTV's first ever Best Music Video Award - to acclaimed projects for Saturday Night Live, IBM and Budweiser, Weil has become synonymous with the aesthetics and language of digital communication.
Weil broke ground early by embracing video as his creative medium at a time when it was considered only a primitive delivery system. Motivated by a 'never before' attitude he developed innovative alternatives for producing motion graphics and effects. By the early 1980s Charlex was single-handedly challenging the slower and expensive optical houses and quickly earning a reputation in the advertising and broadcast industries as post-production mavericks. These early days were captured in the 1988 film "Tapeheads" with John Cusack playing Alex.
Even during the early days of crude daisy-chained video decks and gaffer tape ingenuity, Weil recognized the limits of relying solely on technology to deliver a message. To further the creative experience - 'the personality' of the work - Weil started to collaborate more deeply with ad agencies to develop a new turnkey approach to post-production. Charlex became the first shop to successfully integrate design, effect, editorial, sound and live-action production services into a single working environment.
During this time Weil partnered with new software company Discreet Logic and equipped his team and New York with the latest evolution in post-production technology. This potent combination re-contextualized the potential of design and effects in commercial production. During this period Charlex and Weil were also gaining acclaim in the realm of design and branding for their work for the Fortune 500, including Coca Cola, Ford, Exxon, GM and Microsoft. Alex Weil had come to successfully harness both the art and the science of his discipline.
Challenged by the endless appetite for 'new stuff,' Weil embraces the potential of the latest talent and technology to push the work forward- including creating a thriving new CG team. Under his direction,
- Actress
- Soundtrack
April Stevens was born on 29 April 1929 in Niagara Falls, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Passengers (2016), The Little Death (2014) and The Big Tip Off (1955). She died on 17 April 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.- Arlene Saunders was born on 5 October 1935 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for Die Hochzeit des Figaro (1967), Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1971) and Der Freischütz (1968). She was married to Raymond Adrian Raskin. She died on 17 April 2020.
- Soundtrack
Barbara Bush was born on 8 June 1925 in New York City, New York, USA. She was married to George Bush. She died on 17 April 2018 in Houston, Texas, USA.- Soundtrack
Barney Ales was born on 13 May 1934 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was married to Eileen 'Mitzi' Cauley. He died on 17 April 2020 in Malibu, California, USA.- Beto Gianola was born in 1924 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor and writer, known for El puerto de las culpas (1957), Herencia de amor (1981) and Ciclosis (1971). He died on 17 April 1981 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Bobby Winkles was born on 11 March 1930 in Tuckerman, Arkansas, USA. He was married to Ellie Hoeman. He died on 17 April 2020 in Indian Wells, California, USA.
- Bradley Welsh played gangster kingpin Mr. Doyle in T2 Trainspotting (2017) co-starring with Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle. He had no prior acting experience before T2 Trainspotting. He also appeared as himself in a documentary The Boxer From Somewhere Else (2012). It was his appearance on Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men that Welsh was noticed for T2 Trainspotting. Dyer's documentary profiled Welsh as one of the most dangerous men in the UK who more than lived up to the title when he worked in the protection rackets as a bodyguard and enforcer. He used boxing to turn his life around which cause Dyer to feature Welsh on Season Two of his show on the Bravo Channel.
As a young adolescent growing up in Moredun, a district of Edinburgh, Scotland, Welsh was a member of a gang of neighborhood terrors who quickly graduated from causing dust-ups in Edinburgh's neighborhoods to violent bloody brawls as soccer casuals - attacking the opposing team players and their supporters. By age 13, his size and his anger were put to use as he moved out of the gangs into the neighborhood protection rackets, guarding anything from dubious warehouse shipments to people to drugs. He was incarcerated at age 14 and upon release, it was his brother who steered his aggression into boxing at the neighborhood gym.
It paid off. At age 17, Bradley Welsh became the 1993 lightweight champion in the Amateur Boxing Association of England, the youngest age allowed to register in the ABA. He learned how to market himself and earned enough money as a boxer to eventually buy his Holyrood Boxing Gym. He spoke locally to young people who were on the wrong path and used his gym to steer them in. Edinburgh Evening News editor Liam Rudden said on Twitter that Welshh was able to train his actors in two sessions to make them into believable boxers for a local stage play "A Cock and Bull Story."
Bradley Welsh came into notice by his appearance on Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men. He was cast in T2 Trainspotting which was released in 2017. There were no acting jobs after the movie wrapped and Welsh went back to part time bodyguard work and devoting his time to charities to keep young people out of trouble. His age has been misreported as 48. The official report of his death lists his age as 42, born in 1976.
On the night of April 17, 2019, after leaving his Holyrood Gym to go home, Welsh was walking down the steps to his flat in Chester Street when he was shot. The gunman ran off. His partner and young child who were inside didn't hear the gunshot. Bradley Welsh was found by a neighbor on the staircase around 8pm and he died at the scene. Police searched for the gunman and two days later, tips led to the arrest of a 28-year-old man who was also charged in the assault of a 22-year-old Pitcairn Grove man in March 2017. Police said that murders were extremely rare in the capital city and the use of a firearm were even more rare. The Daily Star newspaper reported they had an underworld source who claimed that Welsh was targeted by a hit man. In the process of providing muscle to protect 3 kg of heroin and 2 kg of cocaine, the shipment suddenly went missing on his watch. The source said the reason Welsh was targeted was because he could not explain the disappearance of the drugs. As of 2020, the accused hit man has not had a court date.
Bradley Welsh started out life as a street fighter in the ghettos of Moredun who turned his life around to become a lightweight boxing champ. owner of Holyrood Boxing Gym and a great supporter of children at risk. Police said it was likely that he fell back into old illegal activities which caused him to be gunned down at age 42. - Bruce Boa was born on 10 July 1930 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He was an actor, known for Full Metal Jacket (1987), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Octopussy (1983). He was married to Cherry. He died on 17 April 2004 in Surrey, England, UK.
- Carl Kasell was born on 2 April 1934 in Goldsboro, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor, known for Alice Jacobs Is Dead (2009), The Simpsons (1989) and Wait Wait Don't Tell Me Live! (2013). He was married to Mary Ann Foster and Clara de Zorzi. He died on 17 April 2018 in Potomac, Maryland, USA.
- Actress
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Catherine Spaak was born on 3 April 1945 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Seine [now Hauts-de-Seine], France. She was an actress and writer, known for The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971), The Easy Life (1962) and The Empty Canvas (1963). She was married to Vladimiro Tuselli, Daniel Rey, Johnny Dorelli and Fabrizio Capucci. She died on 17 April 2022 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.- Charles Lampkin was born on 17 March 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Cocoon (1985), That Girl (1966) and Ben Casey (1961). He was married to Myrtle L. Caldwell. He died on 17 April 1989 in San Jose, California, USA.
- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Cheo Feliciano was born on 3 July 1935 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was an actor and composer, known for Something Wild (1986), Fires Within (1991) and Born Romantic (2000). He was married to Socorro Prieto Leon, Socorro Prieto, Coco and Coco Prieto Leon Feliciano. He died on 17 April 2014 in Cupey, Puerto Rico.- Actor
- Producer
Chet Coppock was born on 30 April 1948 in Winnetka, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for The Express (2008), Game Changers (2018) and WrestleMania 2 (1986). He was married to Anna Marie Busalacchi. He died on 17 April 2019 in South Carolina, USA.- Daya Tennekoon is known for The Fishing Net (1997), Metamophorsis (2014) and The Wasps Are Here (1978). He is married to Grace Ariyawimal.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
One-of-a-kind comedian Dick Shawn was as intriguingly clever and off-the-wall as they came. As such, he proved to be rather an acquired taste on film and TV. A counterculture favorite far ahead of his time, it became a hit-and-miss effort in proper vehicles for this man's eccentric genius. He certainly found his element on the live comedic stage, however, in between his offbeat on-camera assignments.
Born Richard Schulefand on December 1, 1923, in Buffalo, New York, Dick was raised in nearby Lackawanna where his father owned a clothing store. The family, including a brother, lived in the back room of the store. Athletics dominated his youth and, following high school, he tried out and won a contract with the Chicago White Sox. Before he could join the team, however, he was drafted into the Army where he sang and did comedy in USO shows. Following his discharge, he briefly attended the University of Miami, but the stand-up comedy stage seemed to beckon and he moved to New York City to follow his wacky desire.
Dick auditioned for Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts" show (he didn't win) and changed his sir name to an easier sounding "Shawn" at this point. He began appearing at all the New York clubs and even played the New York Palace. He also found work on the Vegas comedy stage, and finally made his TV debut in 1955 guesting on "The Ed Sullivan Show," making eight appearances in total over the years. Other late 1950's and 60's variety shows came his way, increasing his popularity on "The Tonight Show," "The Kraft Music Hall," "The Eddie Fisher Show," "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show," "The Jimmy Dean Show," "The Jerry Lewis Show," "The Judy Garland Show," "The Andy Williams Show," "The Pat Boone Show" and "The Joan Rivers Show," among others.
Dick slowly moved into the forefront during the be-bop 50s and early 60s with a comical penchant for playing cool, hip cats, Dick made his film debut featured in The Opposite Sex (1956), the musical remake of "The Women," in which he had a cameo in "The Psychiatrist" sketch. A few years later he returned to co-star with equally "way out" comic idol Ernie Kovacs in the military spoof Wake Me When It's Over (1960) as a hustling soldier out to make a buck in the Far East. During this mild bid for film stardom, he found himself top-billed as a hip, laid back genie in the thoroughly anemic satire The Wizard of Baghdad (1960).
Dick made a distinct impression when he replaced the legendary Zero Mostel in the bawdy Broadway musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." On film, he stole a small scene as a deadbeat character in the all-star epic chase comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). By far, the one role that would completely overshadow all of his other film work was his mock, hammy portrayal of a singing Adolf Hitler in the show-within-a-show The Producers (1967), written and directed by Mel Brooks. In the film, which also starred Mostel and Gene Wilder as two con artists deliberately producing a stage "bomb" called "Springtime for Hitler," Shawn sang the absurdly narcissistic song "Love Power." This stroke of genius of matching actor to role would not happen again for him, but he certainly tried. For the most part, Dick's slick and smarmy persona got caught up too much in mediocre material.
On TV, Dick stepped up his visibility appearing on the well-oiled comedy shows of the day, including "The Lucy Show," "That's Life," "Love, American Style," "Mary," "Laverne & Shirley," "Private Benjamin," "Three's Company," and a regular role as Russian Premier Zolotov in the short-lived political satire Hail to the Chief (1985) starring Patty Duke as a female U.S. president. He also could show a serious, dramatic side on such programs as "The Bold Ones," "Medical Center," Magnum P.I.," "The Fall Guy" and "St. Elsewhere."
Dick seemed to be best taken in smaller doses. He provided a gallery of over-the-top oddballs during his three-decade career: a nerdy fiancé in the Rock Hudson battle-of-the-sexes comedy A Very Special Favor (1965); a wacky West Point captain alongside James Coburn in the slapstick war comedy What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966); a Russian counterpart to Brian Keith's space-chosen civilian in the sci-fi comedy Way... Way Out (1966); an unhappy husband married to Tina Louise in The Happy Ending (1969); a psychiatrist to Natalie Wood's title character in Penelope (1966); an adulterous Jewish husband in the family drama Looking Up (1977); an investigating officer in the vampire spoof Love at First Bite (1979) starring George Hamilton as Dracula; a very rare lead as a suicide-prone anchorman in the black comedy Good-bye Cruel World (1982); a rock-and-roller character called Weevil, King of Evil in Rock 'n' Roll Hotel (1983); an annoying college professor in Young Warriors (1983); an aging drag queen in the crime thriller Angel (1983); a patient of Bud Cort's title character in The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud (1984); a smug talk show host in Beer (1985); an equally smug psychiatrist in The Perils of P.K. (1986); an eccentric blueblood who hires Ally Sheedy in Maid to Order (1987); and a documentary filmmaker who, with Martin Mull, is forced to make porn in the comedy farce Rented Lips (1987). This final film of his was released posthumously.
The comedian's biggest fan base, however, was the result of his one-man stage tours which contained a weird mix of songs, sketches, satire, philosophy and even pantomime. A bright, innovative wit, one of Dick's most notorious shows was called "The Second Greatest Entertainer in the World." During the show's intermission, Shawn would lie visibly on the stage floor absolutely still during the entire time. By freakish coincidence, the 63-year-old Shawn was performing at the University of California at San Diego on the evening of April 17, 1987, when, during the show, he suddenly collapsed on stage. The audience, at first laughing and thinking it was part of his odd shtick, had suffered a fatal heart attack. A not surprising end for this thoroughly intriguing character, Dick was survived by his four children from a previous marriage.- Earl A. Glick was born on 17 May 1921. He was a producer, known for Children of the Corn (1984), The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972) and Starship Invasions (1977). He was married to Essie Dorfman. He died on 17 April 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Eddie Cochran was born as Ray Edward Cochran on October 3, 1938 in Albert Lea, Minnesota. When Eddie was 14, his parents moved to Bell Gardens, California where he began playing the guitar. In 1954, Eddie joined a local band with songwriter Hank Cochran where Eddie performed as the second vocalist. The group became known as "The Cochran Brothers" even though Eddie and Hank were not related. The Cochran Brothers were, more or less, a country-western act until Elvis Presley began overshadowing their acts in 1955. Shortly thereafter, the duo broke up with Eddie hurtling towards a career in rock and roll and Hank moving to Nashville where he became a successful songwriter. In 1956, Eddie hooked up with Jerry Capehart, an old friend who was also a songwriter. The two landed a recording contract with Crest Records, a small label in Hollywood, California.
Si Warmoker, an executive at Liberty Records, heard Eddie's singing and thought he could make Eddie into Liberty's answer to Elvis. To help launch Eddie's career, Liberty Records arranged for him to have a cameo in the movie The Girl Can't Help It (1956) which starred Jayne Mansfield. Eddie, in his cameo role as himself, sang the song "Twenty Flight Rock". Eddie also appeared as himself in the grade-B movie Untamed Youth (1957). Eddie's first single "Sittin' in the Balconcy" became one of the top 20 on the music charts. It was almost a year later that Eddie had another hit record titled "Summertime Blues" in 1958. "Summertime Blues" scored top with the teenage listeners and Eddie became one of Liberty's biggest successes. With this song, Eddie was established as an important influence on music in the late 1950s.
In 1959, Eddie met songwriter Sharon Sheeley, whom he asked to write a song with him and their collaboration produced the single "Somethin' Else", which Liberty released in September 1959. In early 1960, Eddie toured England for several weeks. Sharon joined Eddie on his tour which concluded with a concert in Bristol. The day after the concert, Eddie, Sharon and singer Gene Vincent were scheduled to return to the United States on an early morning flight. During the ride to Heathrow Airport, the Ford consul taxi they were riding in blew a tire and skidded into a lamp post off the road. Sharon was badly injured, Vincent suffered a broken leg and other broken ribs, while Eddie suffered severe head injuries and died several hours later at a local hospital on the afternoon of April 17, 1960 at age 21.- Filipe Duarte was born on 5 June 1973 in Nova Lisbon, Angola, Portugal [now Angola]. He was an actor, known for Variações: Guardian Angel (2019), Cinzento e Negro (2015) and Nothing Ever Happened (2022). He died on 17 April 2020 in Lisboa, Portugal.
- Actor
- Writer
Floren Delbene was born in 1898 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor and writer, known for The Last Meeting (1938), Sol de primavera (1937) and El rufián (1961). He died in 1978 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Major Latin-American author of novels and short stories, a central figure in the so-called magical realism movement in Latin American literature. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1982. Studied law and journalism in Bogotá and Cartagena. He began his career as a journalist in 1948, was a foreign correspondent in Europe during the late 1950s, Cuba and N.Y. early 1960s, and a screenwriter, journalist and publicist in Mexico City during the 1960s. During the 1980s he moved to Mexico when restrictions where imposed on his continued traveling due to his left-view political views.- Gene Shay was born on 4 March 1935 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was married to Gloria Segall. He died on 17 April 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Producer
- Director
George Finkel was born on 29 July 1936 in Paris, France. George was a producer and director, known for Major League Baseball on NBC (1947), 1986 World Series (1986) and 1976 World Series (1976). George died on 17 April 2019 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA.- Gilbert Garcin was born on 21 June 1929 in La Ciotat, Bouches-du-Rhône, Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. He was married to Monique. He died on 17 April 2020 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France.
- Giuseppi Logan was born on 22 May 1935 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a composer, known for Water in the Boat (2009), The Devil's Horn (2016) and Create the Movie (2015). He died on 17 April 2020 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Macon, Missouri-born Henderson Forsythe was a respected film, stage and television actor, best-known for his 30-year run as "Dr. David Stewart" on the long-running American soap opera As the World Turns (1956). He won a Tony Award in 1979 for his work in the original Broadway production of 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' and later played the role again in London's West End. He only appeared in around 10 films during a 25-year period, preferring to devote most of his time to stage and television work. He died in Williamsburg Landing, Virginia, in 2006 at age 88 from undisclosed causes.- Iris Love was born on 1 August 1933 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. She died on 17 April 2020 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
James Olson was born on October 8, 1930 in Evanston, Illinois, the son of LeRoy Olson, an engineer. He made his stage debut at age 12 as "Hans Brinker" in the Evanston Children's Theatre production of 'Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates'. He received a BS degree in Speech from Northwestern University before serving in the U.S. Army as a military policeman (M.P.) in 1952 for a two-year stint.
A Chicago-based stage actor before moving to New York, the 6'3" Olson studied with Lee Strasberg and made his Broadway debut in 'The Young and Beautiful'. Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s he continued to find poignant Broadway roles in 'J.B.' (1958), 'Romulus' (1962), 'The Chinese Prime Minister' (1964), 'The Three Sisters' (1964) and 'Of Love Remembered' (1967). Olson was featured in the 1966 Mary Tyler Moore-Richard Chamberlain musical misfire 'Holly Golightly' (based on the film Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)); the ill-fated musical closed before it reached Broadway.
Olson debuted on television as the title character in The Life of Mickey Mantle (1956). His film career began with the forgettable action drama The Sharkfighters (1956) but he later appeared in better roles in the film noir drama The Strange One (1957) and the Chekhov classic The Three Sisters (1966) (as Baron Tuzenbach, his Broadway stage role). He displayed an understated power in his performance as Joanne Woodward's suitor in the Oscar-nominated picture Rachel, Rachel (1968), which garnered him the best reviews of his film career. This was followed by a prime scientist role in the classic sci-fi thriller The Andromeda Strain (1971). He continued onstage in roles in 'The Glass Menagerie', 'The Crucible', 'A Safe Place', 'Twelve Dreams', and 'Winterplay'.
He had numerous TV-movie roles in Paper Man (1971), Incident on a Dark Street (1973), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1974), The Sex Symbol (1974), The Missiles of October (1974), The Family Nobody Wanted (1975), Someone I Touched (1975), Strange New World (1975), Law and Order (1976), and The Spell (1977), and guest and/or recurring roles on such TV series as Bonanza (1959), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969), Medical Center (1969), Police Story (1973), Police Woman (1974), The F.B.I. (1965), Gunsmoke (1955), Mannix (1967), Harry O (1973), Hawaii Five-O (1968), Maude (1972), Barnaby Jones (1973), The Bionic Woman (1976), and Battlestar Galactica (1978).
Major stardom proved elusive, however. Olson wrapped up his career with the films Ragtime (1981), Amityville II: The Possession (1982), Commando (1985) and Rachel River (1987) and 1990 TV appearances on The Family Man (1990) and Murder, She Wrote (1984), before retiring.- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Kabori Sarwar was born on 9 July 1950 in Chittagong, East Pakistan. She was an actress and writer, known for Sareng Bou (1978), Devdas (1982) and Sujon Sokhi (1975). She was married to Shafiuddin Sarwar and Chitta Chowdhury. She died on 17 April 2021 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.- Writer
- Soundtrack
Kazuo Koike was born on 8 May 1936 in Akita, Japan. He was a writer, known for Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Lady Snowblood (1973) and Shogun Assassin (1980). He died on 17 April 2019 in Japan.- Special Effects
- Actor
- Cinematographer
Kit West was born on 2 June 1936 in Wandsworth, London, England, UK. He was an actor and cinematographer, known for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and DragonHeart (1996). He died on 16 April 2016 in London, England.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kitty Carlisle Hart wore a cloak of many professional and elegant colors. Actress, opera singer, Broadway performer, TV celebrity, game show panelist, patron of the arts, and, at age 95, this vital woman continued her six-decade musical odyssey with songs and reminisces in her one-woman show: "Kitty Carlisle Hart: An American Icon," which toured from her beloved New York to Los Angeles. She developed pneumonia soon after her tour folded toward the end of 2006 and passed away of congestive heart failure in April of 2007.
Kitty Carlisle Hart was born Catherine Conn (pronounced "Cohen") on September 3, 1910 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to a family of German Jewish ancestry. Her father, Dr. Joseph Conn, was a gynecologist who died when she was only ten. Her very ambitious mother, Hortense (Holzman), escorted Kitty to Europe in 1921 with the intentions of marrying her off, Grace Kelly-style, into European royalty. When that plan didn't pan out, they stayed in Europe where Kitty received her adult education in Switzerland, London, Paris and Rome. She finally zeroed in on her acting career after being accepted into London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and also went on to train at the Theatre de l'Atelier in Paris.
She and her mother eventually returned to New York in 1932 wherein she first apprenticed with the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania. She attracted notice quite early in her career. Billed as Kitty Carlisle, she found radio work and made her first appearance on the musical stage in the title role of "Rio Rita." The legitimately-trained singer went on to appear in a number of operettas, including 1933's "Champagne Sec" (as Prince Orlofsky), as well as the musical comedies "White Horse Inn" (1936) and "Three Waltzes" (1937).
Her early ingénue movie career included warbling in the musical mystery Murder at the Vanities (1934), and alongside Allan Jones amidst the zany goings-on of the Marx Brothers in the classic farce A Night at the Opera (1935). She also played a love interest to Bing Crosby's in two of his lesser known musical outings Here Is My Heart (1934) and She Loves Me Not (1934).
Films were not her strong suit, however, and she returned to her theatre roots. Appearing in her first dramatic productions "French Without Tears" and "The Night of January 16th" in 1938, she went on to grace a number of chic and stylish plays and musicals throughout the 40s, including "Walk with Music (1940), "The Merry Widow" (1943, "Design for Living (1943) and "There's Always Juliet" (1944). She subsequently performed in Benjamin Britten's 1948 American premiere of "The Rape of Lucretia." In 1946, she married Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Moss Hart and appeared in a number of his works including his classic "The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1949) and the witty Broadway comedy "Anniversary Waltz" (1954). The couple had two children. He died in 1961 and she never remarried, spending much of her existing time keeping his name alive to future generations.
It was the small screen that would make Kitty a welcome household commodity. The steadfast panelist of several quiz shows in the 1950s, it was the popular game show To Tell the Truth (1956) that anointed her game show doyenne and icon. A regular panelist for some 20 years, she appeared on each and every revamped format from its 1956 inception to its 2002 syndicated version. Known for her stately presence, infectious laugh, pouffy dark Prince Valiant hairstyle, and sweeping couture gowns on the show, audiences reveled at her effortless class to these simple parlor games. She also was a substitute panelist for other popular game shows such as "What's My Line?" and "I've Got a Secret."
In later years, she became an important society maven of New York City, an avid patron and zealous supporter of the performing arts. Appointed to various state-wide councils, she was chairman of the New York State Council of the Arts in 1976 and served in that capacity for 20 years, also serving on the boards of various New York City cultural institutions. A noted lecturer, the civic-minded Carlisle Hart was active in administrative capacities as well, notably as Chairman of Governor Rockefeller's Conference on Woman (1966) and as special consultant to the Governor on women's opportunities. At one time she wrote the column "Kitty's Calendar" for Women's Unit News.
Kitty never stopped entertaining. Making her Metropolitan debut on New Year's Eve 1966 as Prince Orlovsky in "Die Fledermaus," she joined the touring production the following year. She appeared in concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra and appeared with the Boston Opera Company at one point. She added stature to a number of summer stock plays including "Kiss Me Kate," "The Marriage-Go-Round" and her husband's "Light Up the Sky." Returning to Broadway as a replacement for Dina Merrill in the 1983 revival of "On Your Toes," she was later spotted in Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987) and Six Degrees of Separation (1993).
Carlisle penned her autobiography, Kitty, in 1988. In the millennium, she appeared in a number of documentary films and TV movies. She died on April 17, 2007, at age 96, in Manhattan.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Lars Gerhard was born on 5 May 1969 in Berlin, Germany. He was an actor and director, known for Shutter Island (2010), The Good Shepherd (2006) and Non-Stop (2014). He died on 17 April 2022 in New York, New York, USA.- Actress
- Music Department
- Composer
Linda McCartney was born on 24 September 1941 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress and composer, known for Live and Let Die (1973), Super 8 (2011) and Grosse Pointe Blank (1997). She was married to Paul McCartney and Joseph Melville See Jr.. She died on 17 April 1998 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
When top "working girl" silent screen comedienne Mabel Normand would gripe to Mack Sennett about making classier films, Sennett's quippy retort would always be, "I'll send for Fazenda." This pretty, oval-faced, highly popular Keystone comedy cut-up put in her time first in comic two-reelers from 1913 on, but soon unleashed her real gift "dressing down" for laughs with her best known character types as frizzy-haired country bumpkins complete with spit curls, multiple pigtails and calico dresses, a look that went on to inspire bucolic comics Judy Canova and Minnie Pearl.
Louise was born on June 17, 1895, in Lafayette, Indiana, the daughter of a merchandise broker. Raised in California, she attended Los Angeles High School and St. Mary's Convent. She found odd jobs working a dentist, a candy store owner, and a tax collector. While performing in a high school show, lucky Louise was discovered by a Sennett talent agent and taken immediately to films. The 18-year-old hopeful made her first films with Joker Studios and went on to be highly featured in a slew of "Mike and Jake" comedy shorts starring Max Asher and Harry McCoy. She would also co-star in a number of burlesque-style features with Asher and Bobby Vernon in such vehicles as Heaven Will Protect the Working Girl (1914), A Freak Temperance Wave (1914), The Tender Hearted Sheriff (1914), Love and Electricity (1914), The Diamond Nippers (1914) and Schultz the Paperhanger (1914).
Soon silent kingpin Sennett himself began incorporating the funny girl's gift for slapstick comedy in his highly popular "Keystone Kops" shorts. Between the years 1915 to 1917, she rose quickly up the front ranks as an early plain-Jane Carol Burnett goofball playing an assortment of serviles -- maid, cook, janitress, flower girl, nurse and fortune teller types. In A Hash House Fraud (1915) she played a flirty cashier; in Her Fame and Shame (1917) she played a star-struck daughter who attempts burlesque to save her pop's mortgage; in The Betrayal of Maggie (1917) and Maggie's First False Step (1917) she portrayed the eager title roles; and in Her Torpedoed Love (1917), she plays a daffy cook whose life is in danger when a greedy butler (Ford Sterling) learns her boss is leaving her his entire estate.
During this peak time, Louise got to work alongside the most brilliant of silent male screen clowns, including Sterling himself, and Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Ben Turpin, Charley Chase, Charles Murray, Harry Booker, Edgar Kennedy, Mack Swain, Chester Conklin, James Finlayson, Slim Summerville, Billy Bevan, Jack Cooper, Billy Armstrong and Hugh Fay. Other popular Sennett comic outings for Louise would include Ambrose's Nasty Temper (1915), Fatty's Tintype Tangle (1915), A Game Old Knight (1915), A Versatile Villain (1915), The Judge (1916), Bombs! (1916), Are Waitresses Safe? (1917), Those Athletic Girls (1918), The Village Chestnut (1918) Hearts and Flowers (1919), Back to the Kitchen (1919), The Gingham Girl (1920), Bungalow Troubles (1921) and Made in the Kitchen (1921).
Sennett's Down on the Farm (1920) is a silent film feature-length rural comedy featuring an all-star cast of funsters with Louise playing a typical role as the farmer's daughter. Louise eventually left Sennett's company in the early 1920s and, in a change of pace, progressed on her own in both comic and dramatic outings. She appeared in the comedy drama Quincy Adams Sawyer (1922) starring John Bowers, Blanche Sweet and Lon Chaney; three dramatic pieces, The Beautiful and Damned (1922), The Wanters (1923) and Being Respectable (1924), all starring Marie Prevost; the social drama Main Street (1923) starring Florence Vidor; the historical drama (as a country gal) The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln (1924); the tearjerker This Woman (1924) starring Irene Rich and Julliet Akinyi; the canine family adventure The Lighthouse by the Sea (1924) featuring Rin Tin Tin; the Raymond Griffith comedy vehicle The Night Club (1925); the melodramas The Price of Pleasure (1925) starring Virginia Valli and Déclassé (1925) starring Corinne Griffith; and a rare comedy Bobbed Hair (1925) starring Ms. Prevost; Occasional star roles during this silent period included the comedies Listen Lester (1924), Footloose Widows (1926), The Gay Old Bird (1927) and The Cradle Snatchers (1927).
Coming the advent of sound, Louise had no problem whatsoever adjusting to sound where her eccentric talents were greatly utilized in (mostly) Warner Bros. musicals, dramas and knockabout comedies. She provided comedy relief/support in such films as the mystery thriller The Terror (1928); the adventure film The Lady of the Harem (1926); the romantic comedy The Red Mill (1927) starring Marion Davies; the W.C. Fields talking remake of the silent comedy Tillie's Punctured Romance (1928); the sports comedy Babe Comes Home (1927) starring legendary ballplayer Babe Ruth; the war comedy Ham and Eggs at the Front (1927); the Will Rogers comedy A Texas Steer (1927); the comedy Heart to Heart (1928); the dramedy Vamping Venus (1928) which reunited her with Charles Murray and co-starred a rising Thelma Todd; the war drama Noah's Ark (1928); the action adventure Stark Mad (1929) the musicals On with the Show! (1929) and No, No, Nanette (1930) (as Sue Smith); the comedy Wide Open (1930); and the light romantic comedy Loose Ankles (1930).
On November 24, 1927, Louise married renowned Warner Bros. producer Hal B. Wallis who went on to produce several movies that she later appeared in, including Colleen (1936), First Lady (1937), Ready, Willing and Able (1937) and Swing Your Lady (1938). They had one child, Brent, who would grow up to become a psychiatrist. Ending her career on a dramatic note, Wallis would produce Louise's effort -- a supporting role in the Bette Davis/Miriam Hopkins soaper The Old Maid (1939) in the role of, what else, a maid!
Away from the limelight, Louise remained socially prominent and became a noted humanitarian and art collector. In 1958, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The 66-year-old former actress suffered a brain hemorrhage in Beverly Hills and died on April 17, 1962. She was survived by her husband, who, in 1966, married actress Martha Hyer. Louise was interred at the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.- Composer
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Matthew Seligman was born on 14 July 1955 in Pentageia, Nicosia, Cyprus. He was a composer, known for Edge of Seventeen (1998), Whodini: Magic's Wand (1982) and World War Toons (2016). He died on 17 April 2020 in London, England, UK.- Actress
- Editor
Maxine Klibingaitis was born on 17 May 1964 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. She was an actress and editor, known for Moonlight & Magic (2007), Prisoner (1979) and Hampton Court (1991). She was married to Andrew Friedman. She died on 17 April 2023 in Australia.- Owning a pair of the most incredibly soulful and searching eyes you'll ever find, Michael Sarrazin's poetic drifters crept into Hollywood unobtrusively on little cat's feet, but it didn't take long for him to make his mark. Quiet yet uninhibited, the lean, laconic, fleshy-lipped actor with the intriguingly faraway look and curiously sunken features enhanced a number of quality offbeat fare without ever creating too much of a fuss. While Hollywood couldn't quite pigeonhole him, they also weren't sure what to do with him. Out-and-out stardom would prove elusive.
He was born Jacques Michel Andre Sarrazin on May 22, 1940 in Quebec, Canada, and drifted through eight different schools before eventually dropping out. He worked at a Toronto theatre, on TV, and for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during his teen years. He also studied acting at the Actors Studio in New York. While playing parts for the National Film Board of Canada in a handful of their historical documentary shorts, he was noticed by Universal and signed in 1965. Following insignificant roles in such series as The Virginian (1962) and in the mini-movie The Doomsday Flight (1966), the actor made his film debut in the post-Civil War drama Gunfight in Abilene (1967) starring an equally offbeat Bobby Darin. One scene had him being flogged shirtless. It was Sarrazin's second film, however, that created the initial stir playing grifter George C. Scott's young apprentice in The Flim-Flam Man (1967). Sarrazin's hesitant con artist more than held its own against the freewheeling Scott while also engaging in romantic clinches with Lolita (1962) sexpot Sue Lyon.
A number of other Sarrazin characters found their way as a result. He played a guileless tenderfoot again, this time taken under the wing of cowboy Anthony Franciosa, in A Man Called Gannon (1968) which takes an unexpected twist at the end; he shared the screen with fellow up-and-comers Harrison Ford and Jan-Michael Vincent as a green Confederate soldier in Journey to Shiloh (1968); earned a Golden Globe "best promising newcomer" nomination portraying an aimless surfer in The Sweet Ride (1968) opposite the spectacularly beautiful Jacqueline Bisset (they lived together for several years); and supposedly turned down the role of Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy (1969) in order to appear in the kinky love triangle In Search of Gregory (1969) as, yet again, another be charming young stranger, but that film was not successful.
This all culminated in the portrayal of his career as a wanderlust Depression-era floater plucked from the beach shore to participate in a grueling dance marathon. As Robert, the unassuming partner to feisty, cynical Jane Fonda's Gloria, in the bleak, fascinatingly depressing They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), Sarrazin was both soft and spellbinding. His pairing with Fonda is an eerie and ultimately doomed one resulting in a shattering climax. Remote and wordless, Sarrazin's strength lies in both his ease and passive defiance. His peaceful body language and the few calm utterances he allows himself seems to illicit a strange, neutralizing power. It's not the kind of movie persona, however, that wins awards - as it did for his more flamboyant co-stars Ms. Fonda, Susannah York and Gig Young.
Another glum, ostracized outsider role came in the showier form of Paul Newman's hippie half-brother in Sometimes a Great Notion (1971) and Sarrazin continued to show a flair for the unconventional with the non-mainstream Believe in Me (1971), as a medical student who shares a drug needle with (again) Ms. Bissett, and in The Pursuit of Happiness (1971) as a collegiate fighting the system. In Harry in Your Pocket (1973) Sarrazin again plays the naive square who falls in with a bad crowd (this time, pickpockets). He capped this radical run with a mesmerizing, intelligent and, of course, sympathetic portrayal of the monster in the mini-movie Frankenstein: The True Story (1973). As assurance of his offbeat popularity, he hosted Saturday Night Live (1975) twice.
A performance as the haunted title role in the psychological thriller The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975) proved to be one of his last hurrahs, as the film was a critical and box office failure. At this juncture his films (or his film roles) became underwhelming. He starred alongside Ursula Andress in the Italian film The Loves and Times of Scaramouche (1976), but the film was very poorly received. Utterly wasted even though second billed as Barbra Streisand's hubby in her slapstick vehicle For Pete's Sake (1974), he also headed up a so-so car chase film in The Gumball Rally (1976). He co-starred in the big budget escapist adventure Caravans (1978), but the film was a financial disaster. The 1980s signaled a significant down turn and strange pall in his films.
It started with his third-wheel participations in the excruciating bad and violent Morgan Fairchild/Andrew Stevens stalking thriller The Seduction (1982) and in the hard-edged vigilante film Fighting Back (1982) behind Tom Skerritt/Patti LuPone. When he did have a lead, the films themselves were flawed as in Keeping Track (1986) and the excessively sleazy Mascara (1987). Sarrazin has continued to work steadily, however, but the one great film that could put him into the top character ranks had yet to arrive. With age, the always-lean Sarrazin turned pale and haggard which lent itself toward rather eccentric casting.
Throughout the course of his career, Michael remained true to his homeland, appearing in many Canadian-based productions such as The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972), Double Negative (1980), Joshua Then and Now (1985), Captive Hearts (1987), The Phone Call (1989), La Florida (1993) and Crackerjack 2 (1997).
Sarrazin moved to Montreal many years back in order to be near family. He died there following a brief bout with cancer at age 70 on April 17, 2011, and was survived by daughters Michelle and Catherine, as well as producer/brother Pierre Sarrazin. While the fascination and appeal of Michael Sarrazin certainly cannot be denied, one wonders why Hollywood was not able to serve his talent better in later years. - Milton Kibbee was born on 27 January 1896 in Roswell, New Mexico, USA. He was an actor, known for The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942), Junior Prom (1946) and Vacation Days (1947). He was married to Lois H. Wilson. He died on 17 April 1970 in Simi Valley, California, USA.
- Norman Hunter was born on 29 October 1943 in Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, England, UK. He died on 17 April 2020 in England, UK.
- Paolo Curcetti was born on 8 July 1936 in Foggia, Apulia, Italy. He died on 17 April 2020 in Foggia, Apulia, Italy.
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Pieter Verhoeff was born on 4 February 1938 in Lemmer, Friesland, Netherlands. He was a director and writer, known for De brief voor de koning (2008), Het teken van het beest (1980) and Van geluk gesproken (1987). He died on 17 April 2019 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands.- Composer
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Randy Scruggs was born on 3 August 1953 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for All Good Things (2010), Fire Down Below (1997) and Broken Bridges (2006). He was married to Sandy. He died on 17 April 2018 in the USA.- Robert Atkins was born on 17 October 1930 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He was married to Veronica Atkins. He died on 17 April 2003 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Robert Swann was born on 18 March 1945 in New Forest, Hampshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for If.... (1968), The Madness of King George (1994) and Anna Karenina (1977). He was married to Susan Brodrick. He died on 17 April 2006 in Richmond upon Thames, Surrey, England, UK.
- Robin Seymour was born on 9 March 1926 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for Jamboree! (1957) and Teen Town (1965). He died on 17 April 2020 in San Antonio, Texas, USA.
- Ron Karabatsos was born on 22 April 1933 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Flashdance (1983), Surviving Christmas (2004) and Get Shorty (1995). He died on 17 April 2012 in Beaumont, California, USA.
- Matt Anoai was born on 7 April 1970 in Samoa. He was an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! (1999), WXW Rage TV (1996) and WWE Raw (1993). He was married to Amanda Van DeBerg. He died on 17 April 2017 in Pensacola, Florida, USA.Rosey
- Production Designer
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Ryszard Kaja was born in 1962 in Poznan, Wielkopolskie, Poland. He was a production designer and set decorator, known for Bajland (2000). He died on 17 April 2019 in Legnica, Dolnoslaskie, Poland.- Producer
- Director
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Scott Brazil was born on 12 May 1955 in Sacramento County, California, USA. He was a producer and director, known for Hill Street Blues (1981), The Shield (2002) and WIOU (1990). He was married to Marie Brazil. He died on 17 April 2006 in Sherman Oaks, California, USA.- Producer
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Scott Nimerfro was born on 12 July 1961 in Richfield, Minnesota, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for X-Men (2000), Pushing Daisies (2007) and Hannibal (2013). He died on 17 April 2016 in Woodbury, Minnesota, USA.- Actor
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Sean Scanlan was born on 18 August 1948 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Airline (1982), Casualty (1986) and The Tales of Para Handy (1994). He was married to Barbara Rafferty. He died on 17 April 2017 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK.- Actor
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Sergio Fantoni was born on 7 August 1930 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was an actor, known for Esther and the King (1960), Once Upon a Time in America (1984) and Von Ryan's Express (1965). He was married to Valentina Fortunato. He died on 17 April 2020 in Italy.- Writer
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Trish Vrandenburg was born on 9 May 1946 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She was a writer, known for Designing Women (1986), Everything's Relative (1987) and Kate & Allie (1984). She was married to George Vradenburg. She died on 17 April 2017 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.- Soundtrack