In Memoriam 2024
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- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Producer
Mickey Cottrell was born on 4 November 1944 in Springfield, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for My Own Private Idaho (1991), Volcano (1997) and Shortbus (2006). He died on 1 January 2024 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.- Additional Crew
- Actress
Germana Dominici was born on 1 December 1946 in Palermo, Sicily, Italy. She was an actress, known for Black Sunday (1960), Mi vedrai tornare (1966) and Mondo pazzo... gente matta! (1966). She was married to Enrico Bomba. She died on 3 January 2024 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Lillian Crombie was born in 1958 in Australia. She was an actress, known for Australia (2008), Lucky Miles (2007) and Double Trouble (2008). She died on 3 January 2024 in Australia.- Sound Department
Peter Berkos was born on 15 August 1922 in Cicero, Illinois, USA. He is known for Slap Shot (1977), Battlestar Galactica (1978) and Into the Night (1985). He was married to Sally Ann Berkos. He died on 2 January 2024 in Rancho Bernardo, California, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Glynis Johns was the daughter of actor Mervyn Johns. Best known for her light comedy roles and often playful flirtation, Glynis was born in South Africa while her parents were on tour there (her mother was a concert pianist) but was always proud of her Welsh roots and took delight in playing the female lead (opposite Richard Burton) in the classic Under Milk Wood (1971). She was probably best known for her role as the suffragette mother in Mary Poppins (1964) although she is probably best loved for her fishy roles in Miranda (1948) and Mad About Men (1954). She had earlier showed she could take on the serious roles as well as in Frieda (1947). Most recently seen (at the time of writing) in Superstar (1999). Johns died in 2024, aged 100, having never received the damehood she had richly deserved for decades. Predeceased by her only son, she was survived by a grandson,Thomas Forwood, and three great-grandchildren.- Hendrik Arnst was born on 7 May 1950 in Weimar, German Democratic Republic. He was an actor, known for Enemy at the Gates (2001), The Reader (2008) and Hamlet_X (2003). He died on 2 January 2024 in Berlin, Germany.
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
David Soul achieved pop icon status as handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed Detective Kenneth Hutchinson on the cult "buddy cop" TV series Starsky and Hutch (1975), Soul also had a very successful singing career recording several albums, with worldwide number one hit singles including "Silver Lady" & "Don't Give Up on Us Baby".
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, David Soul is the son of a minister who was at one time serving as the religious affairs advisor to the U.S. High Commission in Berlin. At 24 years of age, young Soul joined a North Dakota musical revue, was noticed by a keen-eyed talent scout, and signed to a studio contract. He went on to study acting with the Irene Daly School of The Actors Company, and with the Columbia Workshop in Hollywood. He first appeared on TV in small roles in shows including I Dream of Jeannie (1965), Flipper (1964) and All in the Family (1971). Regular TV work kept coming in for Soul including making masked appearances on The Merv Griffin Show (1962), as the popular singer known only as "The Covered Man."
In 1973, Soul was fortunate enough to be cast as one of the corrupt motorcycle cops in the Clint Eastwood thriller Magnum Force (1973), where his talents came to the attention of several TV execs who were looking for someone to play one of the lead roles in the upcoming Starsky and Hutch (1975) TV series. After four seasons, the show came to an end, yet Soul's talents were still in demand. He quickly went on to appear as the meek writer turned terrified vampire hunter Ben Mears in the chilling television mini-series Salem's Lot (1979), and then as Jake in the interesting television movie Homeward Bound (1980).
Several undemanding movies and TV series appearances followed for Soul. However in 1988 he scored rave reviews for his portrayal of real life, cold-blooded cop killer Michael Lee Platt in In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders (1988). It was considered highly controversial for its intense level of violence in a made for TV production.
David Soul remained very busy throughout the 1990s and beyond, in both film and on stage productions. He has toured internationally in several theater productions, including playing the narrator in the critically-acclaimed production of Willy Russell's Blood Brothers, plus a successful UK tour performing in Ira Levin's Deathtrap. Fans of the original TV series were glad to see Soul back with Paul Michael Glaser doing a cameo appearance in the big-budget movie version of Starsky & Hutch (2004).
Throughout his life, Soul has continually championed social causes often utilizing his own funds to raise awareness on issues including the impact of the Vietnam War, the shutdowns in the US steel industry, animal welfare, world hunger and HIV education. Soul has for several years made his home in the United Kingdom, where he has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival, on several British TV shows and has become a keen soccer fan supporting English club, Arsenal FC.- Actor
- Additional Crew
For well over thirty years, Harry Johnson's voice was heard in over 2,000 television episodes, especially all the Law & Order shows and Wolf Films' Chicago shows, along with dozens of feature films, commercials and video games, mostly uncredited. His voice work continued for years.
Harry's extensive career began as a contract player for Universal Studios, leading to a starring role in the sci-fi classic Time Warp, opposite Adam West, followed by guest star roles in over four decades of TV shows and feature films.
Harry wrote books under the name Harry Castle. His first novel was Fugitive Romance: The Fictional Memoir of a Hollywood Screenwriter. His second book was a short story collection called Miracles & Misfits.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
German actor Christian Oliver worked in the entertainment industry for more than 15 years, with, among others, Steven Soderbergh in The Good German; with Brian Singer and Tom Cruise in Valkyrie; and with the Wachowski sisters in Speed Racer. He also starred in Europe's Number One action series Alarm for Cobra 11 (RTL) for two years and had numerous other TV appearances in the US and Germany.- Franz Beckenbauer is probably Germany's most popular soccer player, coach and manager ever, known as the "Kaiser". Born and bred in Munich, he joined Bayern Munich at the age of 14. In 1965, he debuted in the German Bundesliga and became famous in the role of the team's sweeper. The following years, he won four league championships and four European cups (1966 Cup Winners' Cup, 1972-74 Champions' Cup). During that period, Beckenbauer also joined Germany's national side and had 103 caps in total. He led the team to the historic victories at the 1972 European Championships and the 1974 World Cup. After personal and professional problems, he accepted a contract to play in the North American Soccer Leauge with Cosmos New York. The team won the US championships on three occasions, but Beckenbauer returned to Germany and retired in 1984 after playing a season with Hamburger SV. Some months later, he was appointed manager of the German national team and coached the team until its final victory at the World Cup in 1990. He became one of two men, winning the cup as player and coach. In the 1990s, he returned to Bayern Munich and coached the team for one season, but finally became the club's president. More recently, Beckenbauer has headed Germany's bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2006 and is now chairman of the organization committee. Although the tabloids have always been interested in his turbulent private life, Franz Beckenbauer is considered "unassailable" in the public's eye.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Gianfranco Reverberi was born on 12 December 1934 in Genoa, Liguria, Italy. He was a composer, known for Kick-Ass (2010), Boyhood (2014) and The Big Short (2015). He died on 8 January 2024 in Genoa, Liguria, Italy.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Adan Canto is a Mexican-American actor and director. He left home at the age of 16 to pursue a career as a musician. Canto wrote for and produced several songs for film and television while living in Mexico City. He began acting in a handful of commercials in Mexico City and was soon cast in a television series called Estado de Gracia. Canto eventually turned to the stage after being cast as a lead for the adaptation of Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother.
In 2013, Canto made his debut in American television, playing the role of Paul Torres on the Fox drama series, The Following. In 2015 Canto played real life politician Rodrigo Lara Bonia in Netflix drama series Narcos. In 2016, he was cast in the ABC political drama series, Designated Survivor, playing White House Chief of Staff Aaron Shore opposite Kiefer Sutherland, Natascha McElhone, and Maggie Q. Canto wrote and directed his first short film Before Tomorrow in 2014. His short film The Shot earned several festival awards for Best Narrative Short Film in 2020.- Anna Strasberg was born on 16 April 1939 in Caracas, Venezuela. She was an actress, known for Stay Tuned for Terror (1965), The Rat Patrol (1966) and Riot on Sunset Strip (1967). She was married to Lee Strasberg. She died on 6 January 2024 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Laurence Badie was born on 15 June 1928 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France. She was an actress, known for A Flea in Her Ear (1968), My American Uncle (1980) and Au théâtre ce soir (1966). She died on 11 January 2024 in Morlaix, Finistère, France.- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Actress
April Ferry was born on 31 October 1932 in North Carolina, USA. She was a costume designer and actress, known for Maverick (1994), Elysium (2013) and Rome (2005). She was married to Stephen Robertson Ferry. She died on 11 January 2024.- Actor
- Writer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Throughout the 1970s and a good part of the 1980s, Bill Hayes and his second wife, Emmy-winning Susan Seaforth Hayes, reigned as the Lunt and Fontanne of daytime soaps. Prior to this he had become a noted singer/actor on the Broadway stage and in night clubs. Born William Foster Hayes III in Harvey, Illinois, on June 5, 1925, and raised in the Midwest, his father was a bookseller (for 41 years). He got his talent from his dad who enjoyed singing and local community theater performing on the sly. Bill entered WWII as a naval airman, then studied at De Pauw University, where he met and married first wife Mary. They went on to have five children. He later received his master's degree at Northwestern. Blessed with a sturdy tenor, his interest in a professional career was piqued after happening upon a tour of "Carousel" in 1947. From singing telegrams to barbershop quartets to choir directing to jazz group vocals, Bill persevered musically until earning his first big break on TV. A lead singing/stooge role in Olsen & Johnson's zany burlesque revue "Funzapoppin'" in 1949 led to him joining the pair on their short-lived TV show and, ultimately, his resident crooning on Your Show of Shows (1950) starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. In the meantime he also performed in vaudeville and broke into films with a supporting role in Stop, You're Killing Me (1952). Despite a wife and family to support, he left the show on his own volition for the chance to star in a new Broadway musical. "Me and Juliet" opened with moderate success in 1953 and lasted over a year, touring with the show in its aftermath. Bill also happened to record "The Ballad of Davey Crockett," which became a surprise #1 Billboard hit and sold over three million copies. A nightclub and TV-variety fixture in the late 1950s, he later managed to flex his vocal chords in such musicals as "Bye Bye Birdie" (national tour), "Brigadoon," "The Pajama Game" and "George M!" The 1960s were a slow, difficult time for Bill professionally and personally, which culminated in the breakup of his marriage. Luck and talent played a part when he was hired to join the cast of Days of Our Lives (1965) playing the role of Doug Williams. The character was originally a louse and con artist, but grew more reputable after his character fell in love with feisty troublemaker Julie Olson, played by Susan Seaforth. Their seesaw romantic relationship became one of daytime's top story lines of the 1970s. Off-screen the couple also ignited sparks and, despite their major age difference (she is 18 years his junior), they married on October 12, 1974. In 1984, after 14 years and two daytime Emmy nominations, he and Susan left the show due to their dwindling status. While Susan went on to join the cast of The Young and the Restless (1973) the following year, Bill refocused on his singing by performing on the cabaret circuit and recording a few albums. The couple returned on and off to their soap opera alma mater over the years, but in 1999 they became part of the regular cast again with a stronger story line. Bill is still performing on stage, more recently playing Beauregard in "Mame" and with his wife in productions of "A Christmas Carol," "Love Letters" and "Same Time, Another Year," which is a sequel to "Same Time, Next Year."- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Conrad began his film career in 1970 as a stuntman. Since 1980, he has become one of the most sought after Second-Unit Directors, with scores of top films to his credit. Known to his friends and co-workers as Connie, he has endeavored to give back to the industry by serving as the President of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures for four terms, serving on the Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild. During his five-year term was instrumental in forming the National Stunt and Safety Committee, which he chaired for several years. He was also among the first stunt coordinators invited into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. Additionally, Conrad serves on the Blue Ribbon Committee of the World Stunt Awards.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Georgina Hale was an accomplished stage actress who made many memorable forays in cinema, most notably in the films of Ken Russell, especially her performance as Alma Mahler, in a wonderful and visually rich biopic on composer Mahler (1974) which she won a BAFTA (British Academy Award) for. Two other standout performances were in Russell's notorious The Devils (1971) and the Twiggy musical "The Boyfriend" in which she played Fay, camping it up, in a backstage lesbian sub plot. She made in-joke cameos in two further Russell films: Lisztomania (1975) and Valentino (1977). Unfortunately, roles dwindled after her BAFTA win, for some reason, and she made some bad movie choices such as The World Is Full of Married Men (1979) (the film version of Jackie Collins's novel of the same name) and McVicar (1980), as well as the occasional stunner such as Butley (1974), written by playwright Simon Gray.
She appeared in many of Gray's stage plays (many were filmed for British television with her in starring roles) and she continued to work in British theatre. She made many guest appearances in UK television series including: Upstairs, Downstairs (1971), The Protectors (1972), Lady Killers (1980), Minder (1979), Boon (1986), One Foot in the Grave (1990), Murder Most Horrid (1991), The Vicar of Dibley (1994), three episodes of Doctor Who (1963) and many many others. She starred in two television series: Budgie (1971) (a successful series in the 1970s) and, in the early 1990s, a cult children's series based around a witch-like figure called "T. Bag".
Most recently, she had appeared in a comic role in Preaching to the Perverted (1997) in which her character pointed out that sometimes one has to debase one's self to further one's career. This film didn't much further her career (at age 55, she did a Sharon Stone under-table leg trick) but it added to her growing reputation as one of the UK's favorite cult actresses. She died in 2024, aged 80.- Lovely, sweet-natured Joyce Randolph will forever be etched in the minds of "Golden Age" television viewers as the Bowery-like fourth party of the classic husband/wife quartet on the enduring TV family comedy The Honeymooners (1955) starring Jackie Gleason as the irrepressible hothead bus driver Ralph Kramden. As Thelma ("Trixie") Norton, the dressed-down, beleaguered wife of sewer worker Ed Norton (played by the adorably goofy Art Carney) and best friend to equally stern realist Alice Kramden (played by equally lovely Audrey Meadows), Joyce participated in nearly 100 episodes of the beloved show before it left the air in 1957.
Randolph's real last name was Sirola, being of Finnish descent. As a teenager, her interest in acting grew and she eventually found her way to become a part of the Wayne University Workshop. After high school graduation, Joyce found employment in retail at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Detroit. Auditioning for a Workshop tour of the play "Stage Door" in Detroit, she won the part and traveled with the company. She followed that tour with another tour, a revival of "Abie's Irish Rose" that ran for a year.
At age 18, Joyce moved to New York City during war-time (1943) to try her luck. She made her Broadway debut in 1945 in the short-lived comedy "A Goose for the Gander" starring Gloria Swanson and Conrad Nagel at the Playhouse Theatre. She returned to Broadway with "Ladies Night at a Turkish Bath" in 1950. She also appeared in summer stock and once performed in the musical "No, No, Nanette" with Ms. Meadows.
She began on TV as early as 1946 at General Electric's experimental laboratory in Schenectady, NY. Having now changed her stage name from her christened name to the more inviting "Joyce Randolph," the actress began appearing on TV in 1950, finding parts on such regular programs as "The Colgate Comedy Hour," "Rocky King, Detective," "Buck Rogers," "The Clock," "I Cover Times Square" and "Famous Jury Trials." By sheer luck, Joyce was spotted in a Clorets chewing gum commercial by Gleason himself the following year and was asked to appear in a skit on the "Cavalcade of Stars," Gleason's variety show on the DuMont Network. He liked her, he cast her then as Trixie, and the rest is TV history.
Taking over the role played originally, and only once, by Elaine Stritch, when the part of Trixie was thought of as a burlesque girl, the skit format was changed to series form with The Honeymooners (1955). Caught in a terrible typecasting, Joyce would find it extremely hard obtaining other roles after the demise of the show. Interestingly, when "The Honeymooners" sketches were revived on a revamped Gleason variety show in the 1960s, the roles of Alice and Trixie were taken over by Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean. Only Carney remained. Joyce would later say she did not revive her Trixie role due to "personal and geographic reasons." Gleason had moved his company to Miami, Florida.
Joyce maintained her career for awhile on the musical stage, in commercials, and with a few solo appearances on such shows as "The Jack Benny Show," and "The Doctors and the Nurses," but eventually retired from acting altogether. She married Richard Lincoln Charles, a wealthy entrepreneur and marketing executive, on October 2, 1955, the day after The Honeymooners premiered. He died at age 74 in 1997. Their son, Randolph Richard Charles, born in 1960, followed in his father's, not his mother's, footsteps after attending Yale University. He became a marketing executive before taking over his father's business. Joyce is also the grand aunt of former Major League Baseball pitcher Tim Redding. - Actor
- Writer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Crombie was born on 26 June 1952 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Se7en (1995), My Dog Skip (2000) and The Blob (1988). He was married to Nadine Kijner. He died on 10 January 2024 in Palm Springs, California, USA.- Attractive, willowy brunette Tisa Farrow was born Theresa Magdalena Farrow on July 22, 1951, in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of writer/director John Farrow and Maureen O'Sullivan and the sister of Mia Farrow. Tisa made her film debut in the obscure hippie counterculture drama Homer (1970). She gave an especially charming performance as sweet innocent "Jennifer" in the marvelously offbeat Some Call It Loving (1973). Farrow was impressive as the timid "Mouse" in the fun made-for-TV Carrie (1976) clone The Initiation of Sarah (1978) and solid as the spaced-out "Carol" in James Toback's fabulously gritty Fingers (1978). Tisa had small parts in both Manhattan (1979) and Winter Kills (1979). She ended her acting career with starring roles in three entertainingly trashy Italian exploitation features: feisty heroine "Anne Bowles" in Lucio Fulci's excellent horror classic Zombie (1979), spunky photojournalist "Jane Foster" in Antonio Margheriti's Vietnam action / adventure The Last Hunter (1980) and a standard woman-in-peril part in The Grim Reaper (1980).
Tisa Farrow called it a day as an actress after 1980, and went on to a successful career as a nurse in Vermont. - Dana Ghia was born on 13 July 1932 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. She was an actress, known for So Young, So Lovely, So Vicious... (1975), Burn! (1969) and Smile Before Death (1972). She died on 15 January 2024 in Mori, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy.
- Elisabeth Trissenaar was born on 13 April 1944 in Vienna, Austria. She was an actress and writer, known for The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979), Angry Harvest (1985) and Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980). She was married to Hans Neuenfels. She died on 14 January 2024 in Berlin, Berlin. Germany.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Tracy Tormé was born on 12 April 1959 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Fire in the Sky (1993), I Am Legend (2007) and Sliders (1995). He was married to Jennifer Marie Tormé and Robin Tormé. He died on 4 January 2024 in Escondido, California, USA.- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Guitarist and composer Sigfried "Sigi" Schwab was born on August 5, 1940 in Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Schwab has played guitar in a wide variety of musical styles that include jazz, pop, rock, R&B, and baroque. Moreover, Sigi has not only played guitar with the German bands Et Cetera and Embryo, but also has played with percussionist Ramesh Shotham as well as has performed on an enormous volume of recordings for both film and television. Schwab contributed to the scores of several movies directed by legendary Spanish maverick filmmaker Jesús Franco in the early 1970's. Sigi played with Dutch flutist and composer Chris Hinze at the 5th North Sea Jazz Festival in 1980. In addition, Schwab has also published several books about various guitar playing styles.- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Bridget Dobson was born on 1 September 1938 in Thiensville, Wisconsin. She was a writer and producer, known for Santa Barbara (1984), Guiding Light (1952) and General Hospital (1963). She was married to Jerome Dobson. She died on 3 January 2024 in Georgia, USA.- Actor
- Editor
- Producer
Jose Infante was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated with a Visual Communications Degree in the year of 2003. After working as a freelancer with multiple commercial studios for 6 years, Jose relocated to New York City at the end of 2009 to pursue his passion for fashion photography. Within the year of 2010, his pursuit was redirected with his true calling to become a professional actor. The Big Apple reinvigorated his love for acting and film since he was 5 years of age.
He decided to leave New York City early 2011 back to Cleveland, Ohio and took a creative hiatus. In late 2013, Jose discovered an acting school (Houde School of Acting) and trained under his teacher, Jessica Houde-Morris until mid 2015. And in the summer of 2015, he moved to Los Angeles, California in pursuit of his acting future. Presently residing in LA, Mr. Infante is working as an actor (producer, filmmaker, etc.) - full time.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Lynne Marta was born on 30 October 1945 in Somerville, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for Footloose (1984), Joe Kidd (1972) and Three Men and a Little Lady (1990). She was married to Brick Huston. She died on 11 January 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sigi Rothemund was born on 14 March 1944 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. He was a director and writer, known for Jack Holborn (1982), Strong Times (1988) and Piratensender Power Play (1982). He was married to Margit Geissler. He died on 13 January 2024 in Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.- Ulrich Voß was born on 8 June 1938 in Rostock, Germany. He was an actor, known for Archiv des Todes (1980), Front ohne Gnade (1984) and Nicht im Traum (2018). He died in January 2024 in Brandenburg, Germany.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
David Emge was born in 1946 in Evansville, Indiana. Emge studied drama at the University of Evansville and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While attending college David got drafted and served in the army during the Vietnam war. He began his acting career on stage at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in 1971. Emge made his film debut in the lowbrow comedy "The Booby Hatch." In addition, he briefly lived in Washington, D.C., where he performed in dinner theater. Emge moved to New York City in 1976. David was working as a chef at a New York City restaurant when he was cast as the meek and bumbling helicopter pilot Stephen in George Romero's outstanding "Dawn of the Dead." Emge went back to acting in live theater following his "Dawn of the Dead" stint. David Emge has acted in only two other movies to date: he's grotesquely malformed freak Half Moon in "Basket Case 2" and activist reporter Robert in "Hellmaster."- David Gail was born on 27 February 1965 in Tampa, Florida, USA. He was an actor, known for Savannah (1996), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) and The Round Table (1992). He died on 16 January 2024 in the USA.
- Director
- Producer
- Actor
Norman Jewison was an award-winning, internationally acclaimed filmmaker who produced and directed some of the world's most memorable, entertaining and socially important films, exploring controversial and complicated subjects and giving them a universal accessibility. Some of his most well-known works include the pre-glasnost political satire The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, the original The Thomas Crown Affair, the groundbreaking civil rights-era drama In the Heat of the Night (winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture), the first rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, the futuristic cult hit Rollerball, hit musical comedy-drama Fiddler on the Roof, the romantic comedy Moonstruck, the courtroom drama ...And Justice For All, the military drama A Soldier's Story, the labor movement picture F.I.S.T., the war dramas The Statement and In Country, and the masterfully told story of Reuben 'Hurricane' Carter, The Hurricane, among many others.
Jewison was personally nominated for four Oscars and received three Emmy Awards; his films received 46 nominations and won 12 Academy Awards. In 1999, Jewison received the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the Academy Awards.
In Canada, his life's work has been recognized with the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, and he was named a Member of the Order of Canada, an Officer of the Order of Ontario and a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour. In 2010, Jewison was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America.
Jewison was committed to advancing the art of storytelling and filmmaking, both through his groundbreaking films, and through his creation of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) in 1986, which opened its doors in Toronto in 1988. The CFC is a charitable cultural organization which drives the future of Canadian storytelling.- Composer
- Producer
- Music Department
His father, a fine furrier, died as a soldier in the Second World War in Smolensk, Russia, the year he was born. Frank and his two older siblings, Hertha and Heinz, grew up with their mother in simple but sheltered circumstances. His mother Cilli, who worked as a teacher, noticed Frank's voice and had him sing in the church choir. His musical ability became apparent early on; Frank got his first guitar at the age of 12. After graduating from school, he apprenticed as a chef. This career took him from Saarbrücken via Lindau to Ettelbruck in Luxembourg. His love for rock'' n'' roll was also awakened here. Through the stationed American GI's and their parties he became aware of bands like the "Drifters", Elvis Presley and Bill Haley. Now Frank Farian hung up his chef's hat and decided to form his own rock band. He took all of his savings and bought various equipment for his band, which didn't even exist yet. He changed his name from Franz to Frankie and finally to Frank.
In 1961, his five-piece band "Frank Farian and the Shadows" was put together and they toured the bars. Two years later, in 1963, the first self-produced record was released with a print run of 1,000 copies. The "Schatten" had their first highlight in 1964. They were one of only three German groups to appear at the international rock festival in the Starclub in Hamburg. In 1967 Frank Farian got his first record deal with Ariola. The band later broke up and Farian decided to remain solo as an artist and producer. He now devoted himself more to the more lucrative hit business. This also led to an appearance on the ZDF hit parade in 1969. In 1971 a production contract was signed with Hansa-Berlin, which still exists today. Farian had his big breakthrough in 1976 with the start of the group "Boney M." The single "Daddy Cool" hit like a bomb. The hit was placed in the charts not only in Germany, but throughout Europe. "Sunny" also became a huge success and Boney M's debut album "Take The Heat Of Me" proved to be an absolute top seller. But the nerve-wracking and strenuous work also left its mark.
Farian suffered a heart attack at the age of just 36, but that didn't stop him from producing one mega-success after another. "Boney M." had 38 top ten hits between 1975 and 1988, including 15 No.1 placements in Germany, 22 top ten hits in England, five of which were No.1 placements. Three titles by Boney M. grace the all-time bestseller list in England: "Mary's Boychild", "Rivers Of Babylon" and "Brown Girl In The Ring". Frank Farian didn't just concentrate on "Boney M.", in 1977 he helped the group "Eruption" into the top ten. In 1978, Farian's entry into the Guinness Book of Records followed: 175,000 singles of "Mary's Boychild" sold in just one day and 2.2 million within four weeks, which was a world record. He was also awarded the "Carl Allen Award" and Queen Elizabeth II received "Boney M." as the most successful pop group in England. Frank Farian's name was now in high demand on the international music scene. Big stars produced in his Rosbach studio, including Stevie Wonder, who recorded his global hit "I just called to say I love you" with Farian in 1982.
His instinct for talent and trends is also undisputed. He discovered, among others, Terence Trent D''Arby and helped him launch his career. In 1988, Farian achieved another milestone. With Milli Vanilli's "Girl you know it's true", the single and album were number one on the charts for six weeks. Milli Vanilli even reached platinum in the USA. In 1989 they received a Grammy for "Best New Act". Farian was honored with two 10x platinum diamond LPs in 1991 for Milli Vanilli and "Boney M." albums. This award made him the most successful producer in pop history. In the same year the Milli Vanilli scandal broke out. It turned out that the two actors had never sung themselves; Milli Vanilli was purely a studio production. The fans were outraged. Farian didn't allow himself to be irritated any further and devoted himself to new projects, including the formation "La Bouche" from 1994 and the group "No Mercy", with which he also celebrated global success. In 1997, Farian was awarded the "Echo" for his life's work.
It made its debut as a car in 2004 with the title "Stupid This Bohlen". The book is Farian's answer to Bohlen's "Behind the Scenes". The title is a reference to Michael Moore's "Stupid White Man", which accuses George W. Bush of not telling the truth. All proceeds from "Stupid This Bohlen" will go to the Nordhoff/Robbins Foundation, which aims to help autistic children with music therapy.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Gary Graham was born on 6 June 1950 in Long Beach, California, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Robot Jox (1989), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) and The Jackal (1997). He was married to Becky Hopkins, Diane Patricia Vaughan, Caren Leslie Williams and Susan Lavelle. He died on 22 January 2024 in Spokane Valley, Washington, USA.- Sound Department
- Writer
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Michael Macready was born on 3 October 1932 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Flesh of My Flesh (1969), Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) and Terror at Red Wolf Inn (1972). He was married to Greer Andrews, Pamela Murphy and Erica E Ebeling. He died on 10 January 2024 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Music Department
- Composer
- Producer
Prolific British composer who has written scores for over four hundred film and television series. Very much of the old school of film composers, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and his scores reflect this classical training in their complexity. The trademark Johnson sound is the unusual use of strings with interesting chord combinations in frequent use. Perhaps the most famous themes that Laurie Johnson is best known for is The Professionals (1977) (1977-83) and The Avengers (1961) and The New Avengers (1976) soundtracks. These works combined classical orchestration with the "funky" sound of the time, often using wah-wah guitar and "walking" funk bass lines with a full orchestra playing along. Since 1974, Laurie Johnson has also jointly-owned the production companies that produced these programmes, the most famous being "Avengers Mark One Productions Ltd", who produced the shows mentioned earlier. Still working hard into his Seventies, Laurie Johnson lives in Stanmore, Middlesex, England, UK.- Ulrike Barthruff was born on 26 September 1953 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She was an actress, known for Tatort (1970), Ohne Dich (2014) and Tadellöser & Wolff (1975). She died on 18 January 2024 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Michael Rüth was born on 26 April 1938 in Germany. He was a writer and actor, known for Driving Me Crazy (1991), Verbotene Liebe (1995) and Alles was zählt (2006). He died on 19 January 2024 in Germany.- Pat McNamara was born on 22 July 1933 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Instinct (1999). He died on 5 January 2024 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
- Alfred Komarek was born on 5 October 1945 in Bad Aussee, Styria, Austria. He was a writer, known for Blumen für Polt (2001), Daniel Käfer - Die Villen der Frau Hürsch (2005) and Auch das ist Österreich (2024). He died on 27 January 2024 in Vienna, Austria.
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Rod Holcomb was born on 28 May 1943 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was a director and producer, known for ER (1994), China Beach (1988) and The Six Million Dollar Man (1974). He was married to Jane Lucille Brackman, Suellen Maclean and Sandra Lavonne Avakian. He died on 24 January 2024 in Los Angeles, USA.- Actress
- Additional Crew
During the 1950s and 1960s bosomy, scintillating, dark-haired Tunisian leading lady Sandra Milo played bored patricians, manipulative mistresses and other enticing ladies of questionable morals with typical sensuous flare in scores of Italian and French productions.
Born Elena Liliana Greco in Tunis on March 11, 1933, Sandra made her film debut at age 20 co-starring tauntingly alongside Alberto Sordi in Lo scapolo (1955) and renamed herself. For the next full decade, she unleashed her fiery figure on a number of tempted male players in scores of saucy comedies, feisty costumers and steamy melodramas. Such films included Nero's Mistress (1956), The Adventures of Arsène Lupin (1957), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1958) [The Mirror Has Two Faces], Toto in the Moon (1958) [Toto in the Moon], General Della Rovere (1959) [General della Rovere], and the period comedy romp The Green Mare (1959) starring the great French actor Bourvil, which served as the inspiration to the bawdy classic "Tom Jones."
Ms. Milo appeared to fine advantage in two of Fellini's greatest masterpieces - 8½ (1963) and Juliet of the Spirits (1965). She personified the aloof Italian temptress opposite Europe's most virile, passionate leading men -- Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Sorel, etc.
Leaving films in 1968, Sandra was little seen on camera and did not return to the big screen until over a decade later, now sporadically appearing as severe-looking blondes. Primarily filming in Italy well into her octogenarian years, such movies have included the comedy Riavanti... Marsch! (1979), the dramedy Grog (1982), the musical fantasy Cindy - Cinderella '80 (1984), the comedy Camerieri (1995), the romantic dramedy Incantato (2003), the comedies Sleepless (2009), Happy Family (2010), Una notte agli studios (2013), There's No Place Like Home (2018) and Free - Liberi (2020).- Richard Howard was born on 8 March 1944 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Emmerdale Farm (1972), Poirot (1989) and TECX (1990). He died on 26 January 2024 in England.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Editorial Department
Hinton Battle was born on 29 November 1956 in Neubrücke, Germany. He was an actor, known for Dreamgirls (2006), Quantum Leap (1989) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). He died on 30 January 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Director
Achim Benning was born on 20 January 1935 in Magdeburg, Germany. He was an actor and director, known for Haus Herzenstod (1968), Sommergäste (1981) and Elektra (1963). He died on 30 January 2024 in Vienna, Austria.- Actress
- Soundtrack
An accomplished and versatile actress/singer/dancer, Chita Rivera has won two Tony Awards as Best Leading Actress in a Musical and received eight additional Tony nominations for an exceptional 10 Tony nominations. She recently starred in The Visit, the final John Kander/Fred Ebb/Terrence McNally musical directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela Daniele on Broadway (2015), following the acclaimed production at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in the summer of 2014. She starred in the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer's Life, a dazzling new musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele and the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas. She trained as a ballerina (from age 11) before receiving a scholarship to the School of American Ballet from legendary George Balanchine. Chita's first appearance (age 17) was as a principal dancer in Call Me Madam. Her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story brought her stardom, which she repeated in London. Her career is highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink (Tony Award), Chicago, Jerry's Girls, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Tony Award), and the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. On tour: Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, Can-Can with The Rockettes. Chita was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009. She received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in 2002 and is the first Hispanic woman ever chosen to receive this award. On November 6, 2015, Great Performances aired their special Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin' To Do, a retrospective on her extraordinary life and career nationally on PBS. Chita's current solo CD is entitled And Now I Swing. Her most treasured production is her daughter, singer/dancer/choreographer Lisa Mordente.- Andreas Blum was born on 21 February 1938 in St. Severin, Wallis, Switzerland. He was an actor, known for Sherlock Holmes (1967), Salto mortale (1969) and Madame Bovary (1968). He died on 26 January 2024 in Switzerland.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
William O'Connell was born on 12 May 1929 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Paint Your Wagon (1969), Every Which Way But Loose (1978) and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). He died on 15 January 2024 in Sherman Oaks, California, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Carl Weathers was born on January 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. A famous and successful football star at San Diego State, he played with the Oakland Raiders and retired from the sport in 1974, in order to give full attention to his goal: to be a real actor.
Weathers first played small parts in two blaxploitation flicks, Friday Foster (1975) (in which he played "Yarbro") and Bucktown (1975) (playing "Hambone"), both made in 1975 and directed by Arthur Marks. However, his big break came the following year when producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff chose him to play "Apollo Creed" in the blockbuster "sleeper" Rocky (1976) (real-life boxing legend Ken Norton was originally signed for the part, but it eventually went to Weathers). He went on to play "Creed" in three other "Rocky" movies, and the characters' adversarial relationship eventually evolved into a warm friendship. After Creed's death in Rocky IV (1985), Weathers met with producer Joel Silver and agreed to play an important supporting role in Predator (1987), an action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The following year, Silver produced Action Jackson (1988), a first starring role for Weathers, but it performed poorly at the box office and was panned by the critics.
During the 1990s, Weathers starred in four In the Heat of the Night (1988) two-hour TV specials that were much better received by critics and viewers alike. In 1996, he played the part of "Chubbs Peterson" in the blockbuster Adam Sandler comedy Happy Gilmore (1996). He returned to his "action roots" in two TV-movies with Hulk Hogan: Assault on Devil's Island (1997) and Assault on Death Mountain (1999).
In addition to his acting career, Weathers is also a member of the Big Brothers Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee, handling the career of athletes of various sports such as gymnastics, wrestling, swimming and judo.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Don Murray is an American actor. He is best known for playing Governor Breck, the authoritarian ruler in the science fiction film "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (1972).
Murray was born in 1929 to Dennis Aloisius Murray and his wife Ethel Cook. Dennis worked as a dance director and stage manager, while Ethel was a singer. Ethel Cook served as a performer for the Ziegfeld Follies (1907-1931), an elaborate theatrical revue production in Broadway.
Murray attended the East Rockaway High School in East Rockaway, a village of Nassau County, New York. During his high school years, Murray served as a member of the school's football team, its track team, and its glee club. He graduated in 1947, at the age of 18. He later attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan, New York. He graduated in 1951.
Murray made his Broadway debut in 1951, when cast as Jack Hunter in a stage version of the play "The Rose Tattoo" (1951) by Tennessee Williams (1911-1983). In the play, Hunter is a sailor and the boyfriend of Rosa Delle Rose, the daughter of the play's female protagonist.
Murray's stage career was interrupted when he was drafted into the United States military. He registered as a conscientious objector during the Korean War (1950-1953), as he was a member of the Brethren Church. The Brethren Church is an Anabaptist Christian denomination, which strictly adheres to pacifism and non-violence. Murray was assigned to alternative service in Europe. He was honorably discharged from the military in 1954, and resumed his acting career.
In 1956, Murray made his film debut in the romantic drama film "Bus Stop". The film was an adaptation of a 1955 theatrical play by William Inge (1913-1973). Murray was cast in the role of Beauregard "Beau" Decker, a naive, overly enthusiastic, and socially inept cowboy from Montana. The film depicts Beau's infatuation with young singer Cherie (played by Marylin Monroe), which causes him to first kidnap her and then coerce her into marrying him. He is tragically unaware that Cherie barely knows him, and that his love is unrequited. The film was a box office success, and Murray was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1956, however the Oscar for that year was won by rival actor Anthony Quinn (1915-2001) for his role in Lust for LIfe.
Murray's successful debut helped him receive offers for more film roles. He was cast as Charlie Samson in the drama film "The Bachelor Party" (1957). Samson is the film's main character, a hard-working bookkeeper who struggles with the temptation to cheat on his wife. He was then cast as morphine-addict Johnny Pope in "A Hatful of Rain" (1957), a film about the then-innovative topic of drug addiction.
In 1958, Murray played in his first Western film, "From Hell to Texas". In the film, he was cast as Tod Lohman, an impoverished ranch hand who is suspected of murdering the son of a powerful cattle baron. The film deals with Lohman being hunted by the cattle baron's other son and his mercenaries, who seek revenge.
Murray's second Western film was "These Thousand Hills" (1959). The film depicts the rags-to-riches story of Albert Gallatin "Lat" Evans (played by Murray). But as Lat grows richer, he becomes a colder and harsher man. Leading him to betray his own lover, to alienate his only friend, and to marry a banker's daughter for her money.
Murray was also cast in a lead role in the war film "Shake Hands with the Devil" (1959), which depicts the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921). During the 1960s, Murray continued to appear regularly in films, often cast in period dramas. He played Wild Bill Hickok in the The Plainsman (1966), and ambitious ruler Justinian in "The Viking Queen" (1967).
In 1968, Murray gained a co-starring role in the Western television series "The Outcasts" (1968-1969). He played the character Earl Corey, an American Civil War veteran and formerly wealthy slave owner. In the series, Corey was cheated out of his wealth by a treasonous brother, and started making a living as a bounty hunter. He teams up with fellow bounty hunter Jemal David (played by Otis Young), an African-American freedman. The two men are not friends, but they are both social outcasts and need each other's skills to gain a profit. The series was considered groundbreaking for featuring an interracial team of characters, but was criticized for being overly violent. The series lasted only 26 episodes.
In 1972, Murray played the major role of Governor Breck in"Conquest of the Planet of the Apes". Breck is the authoritarian ruler of a human civilization using apes as a slave force, and he is the owner of the film's heroic protagonist Caesar. He eventually fails to defeat a slave revolt, and gets captured alive by his own slave. The film earned 9.7 million dollars in theatrical rentals at the North American box office.
Murray was offered the role of Breck in the film's immediate sequel, "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (1973), but he refused to return. He reportedly felt that there was no fun in playing the tyrant twice. A character called Governor Kolp (played by Severn Darden) was introduced in the film as Breck's replacement.
In 1975, Murray starred in the thriller film "Deadly Hero", as the villainous protagonist Officer Lacy. In the film, Lacy is a veteran police officer of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) who has been demoted for violent tendencies and being overly trigger-happy. While on duty, Lacy kills the common mugger "Rabbit" (played by James Earl Jones) and briefly gains a heroic reputation. But a female witness to the death has seen that Lacy is a cold-blooded murderer, and that Rabbit was killed after disarming himself and surrendering to Lacy. Lacy decides to kill the witness in order to protect his reputation. The film was a box-office flop as film critics blamed its overly pessimistic attitude toward law enforcement. Among the few critics who actually liked the film was Gene Siskel (1946-1999), writing for the newspaper "Chicago Tribune".
In the late 1970s, Murray was reduced to mostly appearing in television films. In 1979, Murray had a career comeback when cast in the major role of Sid Fairgate in the soap opera "Knots Landing" (1979-1993). Fairgate was depicted as the owner of used car dealership Knots Landing Motors, and pater familias to a large family. Murray played this role until 1981, when he left the series due to a salary dispute. His character was written out as having died during a surgery.
During the 1980s, Murray had few appearances in theatrical films. They included the romantic drama "Endless Love" (1981), the mystery film "I Am the Cheese" (1983), the post-apocalyptic science fiction film "Radioactive Dreams" (1985), the time-travel film "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986), the spy film "Scorpion" (1986), the reincarnation-themed fantasy film "Made in Heaven" (1987), and the ghost film "Ghosts Can't Do It" (1989).
In 1989, Murray gained a new co-starring role in the comedy-drama television series "Brand New Life" (1989-1990), playing the character of wealthy lawyer Roger Gibbons. In the series Gibbons marries novice court reporter Barbara McCray (played by Barbara Eden). Each of them has three children from previous marriages, and they now struggle to raise 6 kids. The series' creator and show-runner was young screenwriter Chris Carter (1956-), and its themes were mostly based on the old sitcom "The Brady Bunch" (1969-1974). The series was not successful, and only a pilot and 5 regular episodes were ever broadcast.
Murray next had a recurring role in the short-lived comedy-drama television series "Sons and Daughters" (1991), concerning the struggles of a single mother who tries to maintain the peace between the members of a large extended family. The series only lasted for 13 episodes, but 6 of them remained unaired at the time of its cancellation.
For the rest of the 1990s, Murray had guest star roles in various television series, and appeared in a hand full of television films. During the early 2000s, he had roles in three theatrical films: the romantic comedy "Internet Love" (2000), the stalker-themed thriller "Island Pray" (2001), and the comedy film "Elvis is Alive" (2001). In 2001, the 72-year-old Murray went into retirement.
Murray returned to acting in 2017, when offered the recurring role of insurance-company executive Bushnell Mullins in the third season of the mystery series "Twin Peaks" (1990-1991, 2017). Mullins was the boss of insurance agent Douglas "Dougie" Jones, one of several doppelgangers to FBI agent Dale Cooper (the series' main protagonist). The season was critically praised but there were no plans for a fourth season.
In 2019, Murray reached his 90th year and was still appearing in some films and on television into 2021.- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Mickey Gilbert was born on 17 April 1936 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an assistant director and actor, known for The Last of the Mohicans (1992), The Blues Brothers (1980) and Waterworld (1995). He was married to Yvonne Yrigoyen. He died on 5 February 2024 in Camarillo, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
James Dixon was born on 6 March 1937 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for It's Alive (1974), Is There Sex After Death? (1971) and It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987). He was married to Margaret Mary Gibney. He died on 5 February 2024 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Cinematographer
- Director
Alec Mills was born on 10 May 1932 in London, England, UK. He was a cinematographer and director, known for Moonraker (1979), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). He was married to Zsuzsa Szemes. He died on 12 February 2024 in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK.- Writer
- Art Department
Jose Delbo was born on 9 December 1933 in Argentina. He was a writer, known for Young Justice (2010), LEGO DC Super Hero Girls: Super-villain High (2018) and DC Super Hero Girls (2019). He died on 5 February 2024 in Florida, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Michael was born in Nottingham where he was educated at Becket Roman Catholic Grammar School, West Bridgeford in Nottingham where he was known as Jimmy - his real name is Michael James - and where he was caned some 130 times. While that might have been a record, the one that went into the record books was scoring 60 of the under-13 football team's 120 goals in a season. In between canings and scoring goals, he acquired a great love of literature and the English language from a teacher at Becket Grammar School which he left at 17 with an A level in philosophy and became an accountant with the coal board. Before he took his accountancy finals, he left the Coal Board and went to work in the Nottingham Fish Market where the language he learned was a revelation to him.- Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Mojo Nixon was born on 2 August 1957 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Super Mario Bros. (1993), Astro Loco (2021) and Stag (1997). He was married to Adaire McMillan. He died on 7 February 2024 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.- Pablo Grant was born in 1997 in Berlin, Germany. He was an actor, known for Tatort (1970), Misfit (2019) and In aller Freundschaft (1998). He died on 6 February 2024 in Berlin, Berlin. Germany.
- Ruth Wohlschlegel was born on 4 December 1955 in Gengenbach, Germany. She was an actress, known for Cascadeur (1998), Tatort (1970) and Die Macht der Gefühle (1983). She died on 13 February 2024 in Germany.
- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Johanna von Koczian was born on 30 October 1933 in Berlin, Germany. She was an actress and writer, known for Victor and Victoria (1957), Heldinnen (1960) and Café Wernicke (1980). She was married to Wolfgang Kabitzky and Dietrich Haugk. She died on 10 February 2024 in Berlin, Germany.- Harold Hogue was born on 13 November 1967 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for WCW Monday Nitro (1995), WCW Thunder (1998) and WCW Saturday Night (1985). He died on 23 January 2024 in the USA.
- Actor
- Producer
Gérard Barray was the leading hero in Adventure-Movies made in France - following Jean Marais and on his side in his starting-out-Movies. He became famous as D'Artagnan in "Les trois mousquetaires", as Hardi Pardaillan and "Commissaire San Antonio". In 1969 he changed his profile to the dark side as Van Britten, partner of young Claude Jade in The Witness (1969) - his most interesting part, but whithout great success. His come-back to popularity was the TV-Man Duvernois in Open Your Eyes (1997) by Alejandro Amenábar, the original version of Vanilla Sky (2001) with Tom Cruise.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Alain Dorval was born on 9 August 1946 in Algiers, Algeria. He was an actor, known for Les Misérables (1972), The Bear's Skin (2008) and Des Christs par milliers (1969). He died on 13 February 2024 in Villejuif, France.- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Ben Lanzarone was born on 28 October 1938 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was a composer, known for Vega$ (1978), Dynasty (1981) and Mork & Mindy (1978). He was married to Ilene Graff. He died on 16 February 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
- Producer
Ira von Fürstenberg was born on 17 April 1940 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She was an actress and producer, known for J'ai tué Raspoutine (1967), Dead Run (1967) and The Vatican Affair (1968). She was married to Francisco "Baby" Pignatari and Prinz Alfonso von und zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg. She died on 18 February 2024 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Brooklyn born Tony Ganios was literally forced into the film business at the tender age of 18 when his even larger and more powerful uncle Pete made him cut short a powerlifting workout at the Sheridan Square Gym in Manhattan to audition for director Philip Kaufman. As a result, Tony made his film debut as the teen paladin "Perry" in Kaufman's cult classic The Wanderers (1979). His initial performance was well liked by audiences and soon he was dancing with Sally Field in Back Roads (1981) in a role he landed by hurling the film's script into the chest of its director. Next, he played a former NFL defensive end turned mountain man in the Lawrence Kasdan scripted John Belushi romantic comedy Continental Divide (1981) before being cast by writer/director Bob Clark as the well hung high school senior "Meat" in the raunchy, but highly successful comedy Porky's (1981). One of Tony's most unforgettable roles was as that ill-fated member of the terrorist team in the hit action film Die Hard 2 (1990) who was fatally dispatched by Bruce Willis with an eye bound icicle. Some of his other film and television credits include The Taking of Beverly Hills (1991), Ring of the Musketeers (1992), and Rising Sun (1993), where he revisited his matchstick chewing Wanderers hero as an adversary for Sean Connery. He is also known for his recurring comedic role as a muscular mob lawyer on the Emmy Award winning series Wiseguy (1987).
An ancient military history and period weapons expert, Ganios is one of Brazilian jiu jitsu pioneer and UFC founder Rorion Gracie's original students. Although retired from acting since 1993, in 2000 Tony and Police Academy veteran Leslie Easterbrook supplied voices for the low budget YouTube animated series "Bad Vlad" under the pseudonyms Nick Fury and Honour Lawrence in what he described as one of the most purely fun performances of his career. The 2014 feature film Daddies' Girls will not only mark Tony Ganios' return to the big screen, but his debut as a producer and screenwriter as well.- Lanny Flaherty was born on 27 July 1942 in Pontotoc, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Signs (2002), Miller's Crossing (1990) and Men in Black³ (2012). He died on 18 February 2024 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- Stuart Organ was born on 8 November 1951 in Bromley, Kent, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), Grange Hill (1978) and Dante's Inferno (2010). He was married to Julia Kehoe. He died on 15 February 2024 in the UK.
- Tina Rainford was born on 25 December 1946 in Berlin, Germany. She was an actress, known for Der lüsterne Türke (1971), Mode-Cocktail (1964) and Musik ist Trumpf (1975). She was married to Peter Rainford and Ralph Hedley. She died on 23 February 2024 in Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.
- Pamela Salem was born on 22 January 1944 in Bombay, State of Bombay, India. She was an actress, known for Never Say Never Again (1983), The Great Train Robbery (1978) and Gods and Monsters (1998). She was married to Michael O'Hagan. She died on 21 February 2024 in Surfside, Florida, USA.
- Paul D'Amato was born in 1948 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Slap Shot (1977), Suspect (1987) and The Deer Hunter (1978). He was married to Bertine Colombo. He died on 19 February 2024 in East Brookfield, Massachusetts, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Horst Naumann was born on 17 November 1925 in Dresden, Germany. He was an actor, known for Dead Body on Broadway (1969), Das Traumschiff (1981) and Frau Cheneys Ende (1961). He was married to Martina Linn and Christa von Arvedi. He died on 19 February 2024 in Duisburg, Germany.- Kenneth Mitchell was born on 25 November 1974 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor, known for Jericho (2006), Miracle (2004) and The Astronaut Wives Club (2015). He was married to Susan May Pratt. He died on 24 February 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
Chris Gauthier was born on 27 January 1976 in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Freddy vs. Jason (2003), Watchmen (2009) and 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002). He was married to Erin Gauthier. He died on 23 February 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- A pert and glamorous redhead, Jacqueleen Loughery came to fame as the first ever Miss USA beauty pageant winner in 1952, held at Long Beach, California.
Just two years prior, the Brooklyn-born daughter and only child of Joseph Clark Loughery (a captain in the U.S. Navy) and Ellen (Avery) Loughery had been crowned Miss New York State. She wasn't especially keen to continue competing for further titles, but later claimed to have been talked into it by 'Uncle Miltie' (Milton Berle). She eventually finished in ninth place for the Miss Universe event. On the strength of this, she was hired by the Ward Kent modeling agency. Late that year, she also secured a contract with Universal-International, declaring "I want to become a dramatic actress".
For the first five years of her acting career, that ambition remained unfulfilled. Her appearances were merely confined to bit parts, walk-ons or cameos. Her fortunes improved a little when she was cast as the female lead in the Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis comedy Pardners (1956). Jackie then scored a leading regular television role in a western series as Letty, the niece of Judge Roy Bean (1955). Her next film, The D.I. (1957), was a wartime drama about a tough drill instructor. It starred Jack Webb and featured Jackie as his romantic interest.
Real romance developed during filming and Jackie married Webb in June 1958 in Studio City (having divorced her previous husband, the actor and singer Guy Mitchell, on the grounds of mental cruelty and abusiveness). Ultimately, her second marriage proved equally turbulent and faltered in 1964, Jacqueline citing the same reasons for divorcing Webb as had his previous two wives, namely 'being married to his work'.
Dropped by Universal, she briefly found a supporter in Howard Hughes, who signed her for RKO. However, no film opportunities arose from this. As a freelancer, she found work in a couple of B-grade potboilers (even headlining in an obscure drama, The Hot Angel (1958)) and in five episodes of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950). The remainder of her tenure on the screen comprised only a few sporadic TV guest appearances in prime time shows like Bat Masterson (1958), Burke's Law (1963), and Perry Mason (1957) .
In 1969, now almost forty and finding fewer and fewer worthy roles, she threw in the towel, saying "you don't quit acting, acting quits you." That year, she was married to one Jack William Schwietzer. This union may have proved the adage of 'third time lucky', as it endured for four decades until his death in 2009. - Charles Dierkop was born on 11 September 1936 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for The Sting (1973), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984). He was married to Joan Florence Addis. He died on 25 February 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Got his start known as Virgil, the Bodyguard of Ted DiBiase. Originally they were sparring partners and when DiBiase signed with the WWF he got him signed as well. Eventually, the two broke apart and feuded. Virgil won the Million Dollar Belt from Ted DiBiase at Summer Slam 1991. He lost it back to DiBiase by November of 1991. Later on, He jumped to WCW to be apart of the New World Order (NWO). He was known as Vincent, which was just a poke at WWF Owner Vince McMahon. Later on, he became apart of the West Texas Rednecks and was known as Shane, which was actually a poke at Vince McMahon's son, Shane.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Luis Molteni was born on 5 November 1950 in Seregno, Lombardy, Italy. He was an actor, known for The Legend of 1900 (1998), Il commissario Manara (2008) and Nero (1992). He died on 28 February 2024 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Richard Philip Lewis was born on June 29, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Englewood, New Jersey. He went to Dwight Morrow High School and Ohio State University, graduating in 1969 with a degree in marketing and communications. Lewis wrote ad copy in New Jersey while also writing jokes for comedians such as Morty Gunty. He finally got the nerve to perform his own jokes in 1971 at New York's Improvisation and Pips.
After appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) in 1974, he continued to tour and hone his act with help from David Brenner and Robert Klein. His film Diary of a Young Comic (1979) aired in the Saturday Night Live (1975) time-slot. His work on cable "I'm in Pain" for Showtime in 1988, The I'm Exhausted Concert (1988) earned a nomination from American Comedy Awards for Funniest Male Performer in a Television Special (for HBO); Richard Lewis: I'm Doomed (1990) (HBO) won him a second Ace Nomination for Best Stand-Up Comedy Special. His Richard Lewis: The Magical Misery Tour (1996) was filmed at New York's "Bottom Line" in December 1996. In December 1989, he performed to an SRO crowd at Carnegie Hall.- Buzz Martin was born on 25 June 1939 in New York, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Kraft Theatre (1947), Bachelor Father (1957) and The Twilight Zone (1959). He was married to Paula J. Mainwaring. He died on 15 January 2024 in Sonora, California, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
He was born in the back of a Chevy station wagon being driven by this late father one starry night in September blazing across a desolate West Texas highway trying to find any town with a hospital for his mother to give birth to Danny. Unable to, his dad took command just as he'd done for four consecutive years of war in the Pacific Theater in World War II, and Danny was delivered while his mother held a flashlight on herself for his dad to see . Since then he has been in the spotlight for much of his life. When he was five years old he knew he wanted to be an actor in movies. On Saturday mornings beginning at the age of seven his mother put him on a Continental Trailways Bus (being driven by "Red") from the small South Central Texas town where is lived bound for Houston to study with a later known national authority in children's theater, the late Jeannine Wagner. She taught at the original and famous Alley Theater. His life until graduating from college revolved around theater. When he was ten, having seen James Cagney in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), he knew his goal was to become a character actor in movies. With the idea and support of his fifth-grade teacher, at the age of ten he was offered the opportunity to study theater in the summers at Southwest Texas University in San Marcos, Texas. He was the youngest student ever admitted to the university's summer theater program. He attended every summer for six years. At 16 he accepted the opportunity to direct at the university. He selected "Hello Out There" by William Sayoran. Graduate students at the university and high school drama teachers attending summer theater courses at the university from across Texas were the other directors. He remained very active in speech and theater in high school, winning numerous local, regional and state competitions in public speaking, debate and theater as an actor. When a junior in high school he was scouted by the theater department at the University of Texas and offered a full scholarship there in drama. Instead, he entered Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, to work with famed theater director Paul Baker. However he graduated from Emerson College in Boston. Danny did not act in his first film or television project until he had graduated from law school, became a felony prosecutor in the district attorney's office in Corpus Christi, Texas, and later an Assistant US Attorney and was already in private practice in Houston, Texas. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney he pioneered the federal criminal prosecutions of film piracy (criminal copyright infringement) in the United States Fifth Circuit, worked with the U.S. Congress to raise the criminal penalty for copyright infringement from a misdemeanor to a felony, is responsible for originating and initiating the anti-piracy warning appearing at the beginning of all commercial videotapes and DVDs and trying the largest film piracy case then to date to a jury verdict where the defendant received federal prison time ; United States of America vs. Ralph Smith. Those achievements earned him the John Marshall Award from the U.S. Department of Justice. A story on the film piracy case was a "60 Minutes" segment titled "Who Stole Superman" A short biography of Danny's career as a lawyer, including his service as an immigration judge in Atlanta, Georgia, is published in the 1985/1986 edition of "Who's Who in American Law".
What motivated Danny back into theater and later to pursue a second career in film and television as an actor was the realization, after his dad died at age 61, that life can be truly short, and he should try to achieve his unrealized life-long ambition. He returned to the stage. His theater work resulted in an offer of a co-star role in his first television movie The Return of Desperado (1988) starring Robert Foxworth and Billy Dee Williams, on NBC. Danny still makes his home in Houston, Texas and works all over North America, including Canada. He also maintains international visibility as an award-winning and published stills photographer. He was once awarded the Kodak International Photography Award for his work in black and white, and was once named Texas Photographer of the Year by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. He has numerous book and magazine credits. In 2009 he created "Operation Grateful" , a photo project in which he shoots family photographic portraits for free and sends them to those family members serving as military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2007 Danny founded the non-profit organization Carolyn's Hope, in memory of his late mother. The mission of that not-for-profit organization is to educate the public and law enforcement on identifying, exposing and combating domestic elder abuse, neglect, and the financial exploitation of vulnerable elderly people. His most recent theatrical stage work was in 2008 in a play directed by Richard Benjamin at the Falcon Theater in Burbank, California where he co-starred with Ed Asner, Paula Prentiss, and Laine Kazan in "A Step Out of Time". He is in private practice in Houston, Texas as a criminal defense lawyer representing juvenile clients charged with criminal offenses.- Producer
- Actor
- Casting Director
Dyson Lovell was born on 28 August 1936 in Rhodesia. He was a producer and actor, known for Romeo and Juliet (1968), Merlin (1998) and Endless Love (1981). He died on 11 January 2024.- Elisa Briganti was a writer, known for Zombie (1979), Hands of Steel (1986) and I guerrieri dell'anno 2072 (1984). She was married to Dardano Sacchetti. She died on 13 January 2024 in Italy.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Mark Dodson was born on 1 February 1960 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), Gremlins (1984) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). He was married to Teresa Kay Willey and Tanya Lee Christopherson. He died on 2 March 2024 in Evansville, Indiana, USA.- Writer
- Animation Department
- Costume Designer
Akira Toriyama is a Japanese manga writer, manga artist, and character designer for video games. He has been a working artist since 1978. In manga, he is better known for creating the science fiction comedy series "Dr. Slump" (1980-1984) and the martial-arts-themed series "Dragon Ball" (1984-1995). "Dragon Ball" has been adapted into four animated series: "Dragon Ball" (1986-1989), "Dragon Ball Z" (1989-1996), "Dragon Ball GT" (1996-1997), and "Dragon Ball Super" (2015-2018). Toriyama has provided character designs for several of the adaptations. As a video game designer, Toriyama is primarily known for co-creating the long-running series "Dragon Quest" (1986-). He has continued to work in most of the series' games. Toriyama's works are credited with boosting the popularity of Japanese animation in the Western world. In 2019, Toriyama was named as a Chevalier (knight) of the "Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" ("Order of the Arts and the Letters") by France. It is a French order of merit, awarded to writers and artists.
During the 20th century, Nagoya became a center for automotive, Several manufacturing companies of the industry have their headquarters in Nagoya. By 1961, Toriyama started drawing pictures of animals and vehicles as a hobby. He was reportedly inspired by the animated film "One Hundred and One Dalmatians"(1961), as he was impressed by the film's art style.
During his elementary school years, Toriyama has access to the manga collection owned by the older brother of a friend. He was fascinated by the science fiction series "Astro Boy" (1952-1968), which featured the adventures of a sentient android with superpowers. During his middle school years, Toriyama was increasingly fascinated with live-action film and television. He was a fan of the tokusatsu series (science fantasy series, using special effects) "Ultraman" (1966-1967). The series focused on the adventures of a gigantic superhero, who regularly defended the Earth from aliens and monsters. He also enjoyed kaiju films (films about giant monsters). His favorite film series was "Gamera" (1965-2006), which featured the adventures of a fire-breathing turtle.
Toriyama attended a high school which focused on teaching creative design to its students. Against the wishes of his parents, he decided to not pursue a college education. Shortly after graduating high school, Toriyama used his art skills to get hired at an advertising agency in Nagoya. He spend several years in designing posters, but was increasingly fed up with his job. He was repeatedly reprimanded for dressing casually at work. He quit his job at age 23, and started considering a professional career as a manga artist.
Trying to get an entry into the manga industry, Toriyama created a manga story which parodied the recent film "Star Wars" (1977). He submitted the story to a contest organized by the magazine "Weekly Shonen Jump", hoping to win the magazine's "Newcomer Award". The story was rejected because it was a derivative work, and the contest was for original works. But magazine editor Kazuhiko Torishima (1952-) liked Toriyama's art style. He encouraged him to send more original material to the magazine.
Toriyama's first published work was the story "Wonder Island" (1978). It featured a kamikaze pilot who had been stranded on an island for 35 years, and was trying to find a way to escape. The story came last in a popularity contest, disappointing Toriyama. The sequel "Wonder Island 2" (1979) focused on the police searching for a missing criminal. It parodied elements from the film "Dirty Harry" (1971). This story was also considered a flop. Most of Toriyama's early stories failed to impress his readers. He had more success with "Tomato the Cutesy Gumshoe" (1979), a story about a rookie detective. It was his first work featuring a female lead, and was well-liked by the readers.
Toriyama decided to use a female lead in next major effort. The result was the best-selling series "Dr. Slump". (1980-1984) It focused on Arale Norimaki, a sentient robot in the form of a little girl. She had superhuman strength, but her naivety and inexperience landed her in trouble. The series also featured a cast of eccentric supporting characters. Among them was the shape-shifting superhero Suppaman, a parody version of Superman who was depicted as a pompous buffoon. The series became one of the most popular manga of its era, and received an animated adaption (which lasted from 1981 to 1986). Toriyama wanted to end the series after its first six months, but his publisher insisted that the story should be continued. In 1981, Toriyama won a "Shogakukan Manga Award" for his work on "Dr. Slump".
Despite his success with a long-term series in the early 1980s, Toriyama continued to regularly submit one-shot stories for publication. He was frustrated when several of these stories met with lukewarm response by his readers. At about this point in his career, he created his own artist's studio, under the name "Bird Studio". The name was a pun on his own last name, as "tori" means "bird". He started employing assistants to work on the background details of his stories.
Kazuhiko Torishima (Toriyama's editor) noted that Toriyama enjoyed viewing kung fu films, but had never used martial arts elements in his stories. He suggested that Toriyama should try creating a kung-fu manga. Toriyama responded by creating the two-part story "Dragon Boy" (1983). It depicted a young martial artist who escorts a princess on a return journey to her home country. The story was warmly received, and Toriyama would later incorporate aspects of this story in "Dragon Ball".
In 1984, Toriyama finally concluded the "Dr. Slump". He had to promise his editor and publisher that he would soon start work on a replacement series. This new series was "Dragon Ball", which lasted for 11 years. Toriyama produced 519 chapters of the manga, which were collected into 42 volumes. The story focused on the life of martial artist Son Goku from childhood to adulthood, and gradually introduced the character's wife and descendants. The series gained in popularity due to its large cast of colorful characters, and its exciting use of combat scenes. Toriyama reportedly used Jackie Chan's films as the main inspiration for the fighting scenes.
Despite a busy working schedule due to long-term commitment to "Dragon Ball", Toriyama continued submitting one-shot stories for publication. In 1986, he was recruited as a character designer for the role-playing video game "Dragon Quest". He later admitted that he had never even heard of role-playing games before being offered the job, and he was not certain what the demands of the job were. He was created as the co-creator of the game, and the initial game launched a long-running franchise. Based on this success, Toriyama was later hired as a character designer on the role-playing game "Chrono Trigger" (1995) and on the fighting games "Tobal No. 1" (1996) and "Tobal 2" (1997).
Until the late 1980s, Toriyama had never worked in animation. His first substantial effort in the field was the animated film "Kosuke & Rikimaru: The Dragon of Konpei Island" (1988). He wrote the initial concept for the film, he co-wrote its screenplay, and designed all of its characters.
In 1995, Toriyama decided to conclude the "Dragon Ball" manga with a low-key ending. Son Goku left the planet Earth to serve as the mentor to a reincarnated former foe, leaving room for a new generation of heroes. Toriyama wanted to imply that the story would continue, though he had no actual intention to write a sequel at that point. When the animated series "Dragon Ball GT" (1996-1997) was conceived as a sequel, Toriyama was hired as a character designer. For the following few years, Toriyama primarily produced short-lived manga series. Among them were "Cowa!"(1997-1998), "Kajika" (1998), and "Sand Land" (2000). In 2002, Toriyama made a promotional visit to the United States, as a number of his works were about to be reprinted in the American magazine "Shonen Jump".
In 2005, Toriyama served as the main designer of an electric car for CQ Motors. It was not a commercial success, with only 9 vehicles being produced. In 2006, Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda created the crossover story "Cross Epoch". It featured characters from "Dragon Ball" co-existing with fantasy characters from the series "One Piece" (1997-). Also in 2006, Toriyama served as a character designer for the video game "Blue Dragon". The story featured a small group of heroes trying to stop the villain Nene's efforts to massacre villagers.
In 2009, Toriyama was credited as both a creative consultant and an executive producer for the live-action film "Dragonball Evolution". He reportedly cautioned the film's producers that the film's script was "bland" and uninteresting, but his suggestions to alter the script were ignored. The film was a commercial flop. Also in 2009, Toriyama created a promotional manga for the environmental organization "Rural Society Project". In 2011, Toriyama helped raise awareness for the victims of the Tohoku earthquake and the subsequent tsunami.
From 2012 to 2013, Toriyama was part of the film crew for the animated feature film "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods" (2013). It was the first theatrical animated film based on "Dragon Ball" since 1996. In the film, the god Beerus threatens to destroy the planet Earth. He only backs down when one of the heroes achieves godhood. Also in 2013, a touring exhibition displayed Toriyama's manga manuscripts from "Dragon Ball".
Toriyama served as the main screenwriter for the animated film "Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F" (2015). The film featured the resurrection of the long-dead villain Frieza, who tries to improve his skills before seeking revenge. Toriyama continued to work on the film's sequels until 2022. He also provided the scripts for the sequel manga "Dragon Ball Super" (2015-), though the artwork was provided by the younger artist Toyotarou (1978-). There were 18 volumes of the manga published between 2016 and 2022.
By 2022, Toriyama was 67-years-old. He has been married to the retired manga artist Yoshimi Kato since 1982, and they have two adult children. He works from his home studio in Kiyosu, and reportedly lives a reclusive life. He rarely appears in public or offers interviews. He has never retired, and seems to have no intention to do so.
Akira Toriyama died at the age of 68 on march 1, 2024.- Actor
- Producer
- Composer
Singer, composer, actor and author, educated at Brooklyn's Thomas Jefferson High School and a student of saxophone and piano. Between 1958 and 1960 he served in the US Army and was a vocalist with the US Army Band and Orchestra based in Fort Myers, Virginia. After he was discharged, he commenced his singing career on television, night clubs and recordings, both as a single performer and with his wife Eydie Gormé. He appeared in the mid-1960s Broadway musical "What Makes Sammy Run?". Joining ASCAP in 1957, his popular-song compositions include "After Midnight Waltz"; "All Of My Life"; "At a Time Like This"; "Can't Get Over the Bossa Nova"; "The Chase"; "Damila"; "Hi-Ho, Steve-O"; "Hurry Home for Christmas"; "I Gotta Run": "I'll Follow You"; "I'll Never Be Alone"; "It's Easier Said than Done"; "Just For Now"; "Laugh My Face"; "Let Me Be the First"; " A Little Bit Bluer"; "Oh, How You Lied"; "Only You"; "Pity, Pity"; "The Second Time Around"; "The Shortest Love Song"; "Sittin' on the Fence of Life"; "Tall People"; "Tell Me"; "Time to Say Goodnight"; "Two on the Aisle"; "What's the Use of Talking"; "When You're in Love"; "While There's Still Time"; "The World of You"; "You Better Run"; and "Your Kisses Kill Me".- Vikki Richards was born on 29 December 1949 in Trinidad, British West Indies [now Trinidad and Tobago]. She was an actress, known for The Love Factor (1969), Black Snake (1973) and The Onedin Line (1971). She died on 6 March 2024 in Valsayn, Trinidad and Tobago.
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Percy Adlon is best known for his film "Bagdad Cafe" aka "Out of Rosenheim." He was born on June 1, 1935 in Munich, the son of Paul Rudolf Laubenthal, a prominent opera singer, and Susanne Adlon, and grew up in Ammerland/Starnbergersee, in the Bavarian countryside. He studied art and theater history, and German literature at Munich's Ludwig-Maximilian University, took acting and singing classes, and was a member of the student theater group. He started his professional career as an actor, became interested in radio work, was a narrator and editor of literature series and a presenter and voice-over actor in television for 10 years.
In 1970 he made his first short film for the Bavarian Television, followed by more than 150 documentary films about art and the human condition. His first one-hour portrait "Tomi Ungerer's Landleben" started a very successful co-operation with Benigna von Keyserlingk who became the Adlon's television producer of documentaries and feature films.
Percy and Eleonore Adlon formed their film production company, pelemele FILM GmbH, in 1978. Their first project was the docu-drama "The Guardian and his Poet" about the Swiss poet Robert Walser for which they won 2 Adolf-Grimme Awards in Gold (best writer/director, best actor). Their first feature film "Celeste", drew international attention at Cannes in 1981. "Bagdad Cafe", 1987, started their co-operation with Dietrich v. Watzdorf (Bayerischer Rundfunk) The story of Jasmin Münchgstettner and the Cafe owner Brenda became a symbol of friendship and warmth, and is loved all over the globe. Marianne Sägebrecht whom Percy Adlon discovered in 1979 became a cult figure, and Bob Telson's song "Calling You" a classic.
Percy and Eleonore Adlon live in Pacific Palisades, California, working together with their son Felix whose first feature film "Eat Your Heart Out" (1997) they produced with their US company Leora Films. Felix was also the lead in the Adlons' docu-fantasy "The Glamorous World of the Adlon Hotel". (Bavarian TV award).
In 1997 Percy Adlon started working with a digital camera. He filmed a three hour special about the draftsman Tomi Ungerer for ARTE; Mozart's "Magic Flute" with images of today's Berlin; Esa-Pekka Salonen and the LA Phil; 22 short films based on unknown masterpieces by Johann Strauss, Jr.; a 90 minute film about his past and present relationship with his hometown Munich, "Mein Munchen", and he completed his tenth feature film "Hawaiian Gardens" and a documentary Koenig's Sphere - the story of the monumental world trade center sculpture that was damaged but not destroyed in the 9/11 attack.
Remembering his roots in theater, in 2002 Percy Adlon directed Donizetti's Elisir d'Amore at the State Opera unter den Linden, Berlin, followed in March 2004 by the world premiere of Wilfried Hiller's opera Wolkenstein at the State Opera Nuernberg, Germany.
Percy and Eleonore Adlon's recent work also includes their own adaptation of Bagdad Cafe for the stage as a musical. Music by Bob Telson. It premiered on July 6, 2004, at the Barcelona Teatre Musical. In 2007, the Adlons completed "Orbela's People", a documentary about a time with a Maasai family in Ngorongoro, Tanzania.
Percy Adlon is the recipient of the Officer's Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Bavarian Order of Merit. He is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.- Daniel Martin was born on 1 December 1951 in Casablanca, Morocco. He was an actor, known for Three Colors: Blue (1993), Le Dîner de Cons (1998) and Rebellion (2011). He died on 7 March 2024 in Paris, France.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
She graduated from Marymount High School, Tarrytown, N.Y. and then from Adelphi College, NY. She married another Adelphi graduate, Lee Philips (actor, director) and were later divorced amicably. After studying with Sanford Meisner, she married F.X. Toole (the writer of Million Dollar Baby (2004) under the pseudonym used for Jerry Boyd), in Mexico City where daughter Erin was born. They later divorced amicably.
She did the play, Teach Me How To Cry, written by Patricia Joudry and was spotted by an agent, Doovid Barskin, who signed her. In 1960 she met the perfect man, Phil Toorvald, a Stanford University senior studying electrical engineering. She had two children with Phil in quick succession, Sven and Tina, raised another girl (adopted), and then raised that girl's two daughters.
Jean's first feature part had been in 1952 in the film Edge of Fury (1958) where she had met first-time cameraman Jack Couffer. Fifty years later, after each had survived the loss of long time spouses they now share their lives together in retirement.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Malachy McCourt entered the world in Brooklyn, New York - where his parents lived at the time - and was raised in Limerick, Ireland. He managed to fail every subject in school, except English and recess. In 1952, he returned to the United States and worked as a longshoreman, dishwasher, and laborer. Soon after, he became an actor, then established the first singles bar in America. He then began a tumultuous radio career in 1970 on WNYC, WMCA and WBAI. They said he was outrageous, opinionated. and a disgrace to the Irish, which were all quite true. Aside from temporary stints on WABC, WOR and WNYC, he was asked to do a regular show since he got fired in 1976, which celebrated the 200th anniversary of free speech in America.
Malachy appeared on stage in plays such as "DA", "The Hostage", "Mass Appeal", "Inherit the Wind", and "A Child's Christmas in Wales" On television, he was a semi-regular on The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957), with Jack Paar and Merv Griffin. He appeared in the soap operas Ryan's Hope (1975), One Life to Live (1968), as well as The Dain Curse (1978) and other made-for-TV movies. On screen, was seen in She's the One (1996), The Devil's Own (1997), Reversal of Fortune (1990), Green Card (1990), The Field (1990), and The Molly Maguires (1970). He later starred in Edward Burns's Ash Wednesday (2002), followed by another star turn in The Guru (2002). Malachy was the author of "A Monk Swimming", which was on the best- seller lists for months in the U.S., Europe and Australia. His second book, "Singing My Him Song", was published in October of 2000 by Harper Collins. Malachy and his brother, Frank McCourt, developed, staged, and acted in "A Couple of Blaguards", which was performed in St. Petersburg, Florida. The play got produced throughout the US, Australia and the UK.
Malachy was happily married to Diana and is the proud father of five and grandfather of three. He lived in New York City, where he wrote a weekly column for The West Side Spirit: "Sez I To Myself."- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Dan Wakefield was born on 21 May 1932 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for James at 16 (1977), Quiz Show (1994) and Starting Over (1979). He was married to Alice Jokela Stewart. He died on 13 March 2024 in Miami, Florida, USA.- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Grant Page was born on 6 August 1939 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. He was an actor, known for Mad Max (1979), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Gods of Egypt (2016). He died on 14 March 2024 in New South Wales, Australia.- Robyn Bernard was born on 26 May 1959 in Gladewater, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for Simon & Simon (1981), General Hospital (1963) and Tour of Duty (1987). She died on 12 March 2024 in San Jacinto, California, USA.
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Joe Camp was born on 20 April 1939 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA. He was a writer and director, known for Oh Heavenly Dog (1980), Benji (1974) and For the Love of Benji (1977). He was married to Kathleen Garrett and Carolyn H. Camp. He died on 15 March 2024 in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, USA.- Actor
- Production Manager
Peter Kelly was born on 1 October 1941 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was an actor and production manager, known for The Virgin Soldiers (1969), Blue Tornado (1991) and Death Watch (1980). He died on 14 March 2024 in Scotland.- Victoria Catlin was born on 23 September 1952. She was an actress, known for Twin Peaks (1990), Ghoulies (1984) and Howling V: The Rebirth (1989). She died on 28 February 2024 in Merriam, Kansas, United States.
- Music Artist
- Composer
- Actor
Eric Carmen was born on 11 August 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was a music artist and composer, known for Footloose (1984), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and To Die For (1995). He was married to Amy Murrphy, Susan Brown and Marcy Hill. He died on 11 March 2024 in the USA.- Composer
- Writer
- Actor
Hans Blum is one of the most famous and successful composers, lyricists, and singers for German Schlager. In the late 60s, three of his hits were awarded the "Deutscher Schlagerpreis" (including "Beiß nicht gleich in jeden Apfel" and "Harlekin"). Using the pseudonym Henry Valentino, Blum entered the German charts with songs such as "Ich hab Dein Knie gesehn" and "Im Wagen vor mir" (eight months in the top 50 of German charts).