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Richard St John Harris was born on October 1, 1930 in Limerick, Ireland, to a farming family, one of nine children born to Mildred (Harty) and Ivan Harris. He attended Crescent College, a Jesuit school, and was an excellent rugby player, with a strong passion for literature. Unfortunately, a bout of tuberculosis as a teenager ended his aspirations to a rugby career, but he became fascinated with the theater and skipped a local dance one night to attend a performance of "Henry IV". He was hooked and went on to learn his craft at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), then spent several years in stage productions. He debuted on screen in Shake Hands with the Devil (1959) and quickly scored regular work in films, including The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959), The Night Fighters (1960) and a good role as a frustrated Australian bomber pilot in The Guns of Navarone (1961).

However, his breakthrough performance was as the quintessential "angry young man" in the sensational drama This Sporting Life (1963), which scored him an Oscar nomination. He then appeared in the WW II commando tale The Heroes of Telemark (1965) and in the Sam Peckinpah-directed western Major Dundee (1965). He next showed up in Hawaii (1966) and played King Arthur in Camelot (1967), a lackluster adaptation of the famous Broadway play. Better performances followed, among them a role as a reluctant police informer in The Molly Maguires (1970) alongside Sir Sean Connery. Harris took the lead role in the violent western A Man Called Horse (1970), which became something of a cult film and spawned two sequels. As the 1970s progressed, Harris continued to appear regularly on screen; however, the quality of the scripts varied from above average to woeful.

His credits during this period included directing himself as an aging soccer player in The Hero (1970); the western The Deadly Trackers (1973); the big-budget "disaster" film Juggernaut (1974); the strangely-titled crime film 99 and 44/100% Dead! (1974); with Connery again in Robin and Marian (1976); Gulliver's Travels (1977); a part in the Jaws (1975); Orca (1977) and a nice turn as an ill-fated mercenary with Richard Burton and Roger Moore in the popular action film The Wild Geese (1978).

The 1980s kicked off with Harris appearing in the silly Bo Derek vanity production Tarzan the Ape Man (1981) and the remainder of the decade had him appearing in some very forgettable productions. However, the luck of the Irish was once again to shine on Harris's career and he scored rave reviews (and another Oscar nomination) for The Field (1990). He then locked horns with Harrison Ford as an IRA sympathizer in Patriot Games (1992) and got one of his best roles as gunfighter English Bob in the Clint Eastwood western Unforgiven (1992). Harris was firmly back in vogue and rewarded his fans with more wonderful performances in Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (1993); Cry, the Beloved Country (1995); The Great Kandinsky (1995) and This Is the Sea (1997). Further fortune came his way with a strong performance in the blockbuster Gladiator (2000) and he became known to an entirely new generation of film fans as Albus Dumbledore in the mega-successful Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). His final screen role was as "Lucius Sulla" in Caesar (2002).

Harris died of Hodgkin's disease, also known as Hodgkin's lymphoma, in London on October 25, 2002, aged 72.

The acting bug bit Kenneth Williams when, as a student, his English teacher suggested he try out for a school play. He found that he enjoyed it tremendously, but when he raised the possibility at home of becoming an actor, his father forbade it. Williams was eventually sent to art school in London in 1941. In 1944 he was drafted into the army, and although posted to the Royal Engineers, he managed to land a job in the Combined Services Entertainment unit, where he got a chance to act in shows that were put on to entertain the troops, and even designed the posters that advertised the shows.

After his discharge from the army he began to work as a professional actor, and traveled the country in repertory companies. It was in a production of "Saint Joan", where he played the Dauphin, that a radio producer saw him and hired him to do voice characterizations on a popular radio comedy show, "Hancock's Half Hour". His penchant for wild, off-the-wall characters led to his being hired by the producers of the "Carry On" comedy series, where he performed in 26 entries in the long-running series. When the series ended, Williams returned to radio work, and also made the rounds of the TV talk shows in addition to writing several books, including his autobiography. Later in his life Williams developed a serious ulcer, and was given medication to combat the pain. On April 15th 1988, he was found dead in his bed; it was determined that in addition to his regular pain pills, he had apparently taken some sleeping pills the night before, and the combination of those and his regular medication proved fatal.

Barbara Keogh was born on 21 April 1929 in Bucklow, Cheshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), Mysteries and Miracles (1965) and EastEnders (1985). She died on 25 October 2005 in Bloomsbury, Camden, London, England, UK.

Carol Marsh was an English actress from Southgate, an urban area which at the time of her birth was outside London. She was in the prime of her career during the late 1940s and the 1950s. She worked frequently in radio plays until the 1980s. Her later life was reportedly reclusive.

Marsh was educated at a convent school. During her school years, she often appeared in school plays. She later decided to follow an acting career, and won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music (RAM). She was trained in both acting and singing. She also received speech lessons, and additional additional lessons through joining "The Company of Youth", an acting school for young contract players maintained by British film studio The Rank Organisation.

In 1947, Marsh won an audition to play the role of Rose Brown in the film noir Brighton Rock (1948) (1948). The film was based on the popular thriller novel of the same title by Graham Greene, published in 1938, which had previously been adapted into a hit play. Marsh's character was the frail and naive wife of psychopathic gangster Pinkie Brown (played by Richard Attenborough), who is unaware that he had ulterior motives when he romanced her. Reportedly over 3,000 women had auditioned for the role. Marsh, a then-obscure rookie, was chosen due to closely matching the character's appearance and vulnerability. This was her film debut, and it is still regarded as her most popular role.

Marsh was next chosen for the lead role of Alice in a French film, "Alice in Wonderland" (1949). The film was based on the novel by Lewis Carroll, and most of Wonderland's characters were portrayed by stop-motion animated puppets. The film was not distributed in the United Kingdom, due to including a satirical version of Queen Victoria.

Marsh's third film was the romantic comedy Marry Me (1949) (1949). It included a frame story of a journalist investigating a matchmaking service, but it depicted the stories of various people involved in the service, in the style of an anthology. Marsh had the leading role of teenaged heiress Susan Graham in the romantic comedy "Helter Skelter" (1949). The film depicts Susan's efforts to avoid the matchmaking efforts of her legal guardians, to cure herself from a persistent case of hiccups, and to face the overbearing mother of her new boyfriend.

Marsh's next significant film role was in the Christmas film "Scrooge" (1951), an adaptation of the novella "A Christmas Carol" (1843) by Charles Dickens. Marsh played the role of Fan Scrooge, the beloved sister of Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Alastair Sim). The film expanded Ebenezer's backstory, fleshed out his business career, and explored his ambivalent relationship with his family; it was one of the most popular films in Britain during 1952.

Marsh next had the female lead role in the "Salute the Toff" (1952). The film was the sixth part in a film series about the upper-class detective The Toff/Richard Rollinson, based on the novels of John Creasey (1908-1973). Marsh played Fay Gretton, the woman who hires Rollinson and tasks him with locating her missing employer. The film was popular at the time of its release, but was considered lost for decades. It was rediscovered in the early 2010s, and received its first home video release.

Marsh worked extensively in radio and television during the 1950s, but her film career went on hiatus. She made a comeback in the horror film "Dracula" (1958), in her first film role since 1952. The film was a loose adaptation of the novel by Bram Stoker. Marsh played the female vampire Lucy Holmwood, based on the novel's Lucy Westenra. Marsh was one of the first actresses to portray female vampires for Hammer Film Productions, a film studio that specialized on horror films.

Marsh next played the female lead in the crime film "Man Accused" (1959), playing Kathy, a baronet's daughter. The film's protagonist Bob Jensen (played by Ronald Howard) is Kathy's fiance. Bob has been framed for murder, and tries to discover the identities of the real killers. The film was poorly received, in part due to its plot recycling elements from previous works. This was Marsh's last film role.

Marsh continued working extensively on radio, and it is estimated that she performed in over a hundred BBC radio plays. She also voiced roles for BBC's radio anthology "Children's Hour" (1922-1964), which was primarily aimed at an audience of children. During the 1970s, Marsh had a role in theatrical productions of the play "The Mousetrap" (1952) by Agatha Christie. The play features a small group of staff and residents in a guesthouse, as they start to suspect that one of them is a wanted killer. Christie used elements of the real-life Dennis O'Neill manslaughter case (1945) as elements in the origin of the play's killer.

Marsh retired in the 1980s. She spent the rest of her life in Bloomsbury, London, living alone. She never married, and (according to her obituary) became a recluse. In March 2010, she died in London, aged 83. Her name remains familiar to fans of classic British (and French) cinema, due to several of her films having had cult followings.

Jean Fennell was born on 29 June 1951 in Ilford, Essex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Further and Particular (1988). She died on 26 April 2011 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.

Norman McKinnel was born on 10 February 1870 in Maxwelltown, Scotland, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Hindle Wakes (1931), Hindle Wakes (1918) and Fanny Hawthorne (1927). He was married to Gertrude Scott. He died on 29 March 1932 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.

Terry Conlin was born on 7 February 1888 in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. He was an actor, known for Kathleen (1937), Cock o' the North (1935) and Flying Fifty-Five (1939). He died on 16 March 1965 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.

Saba Raleigh was born on 8 August 1862 in Paddington, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Clemenceau Case (1915), The Life of Lord Byron (1922) and Nobody's Child (1919). She was married to Cecil Raleigh. She died on 22 August 1923 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.

Reyner Banham was born on 2 March 1922 in Norwich, Norfolk, England, UK. He was a writer, known for The World About Us (1967), Städte von gestern - Städte von morgen (1964) and One Pair of Eyes (1967). He was married to Mary Mullet. He died on 19 March 1988 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.

Mary Adams was born on 10 March 1898 in Hermitage, Berkshire, England, UK. She was a producer and director, known for Spelling Bee (1938), For the Children (1937) and Salute to America (1939). She was married to Samuel Vyvyan Trerice Adams. She died on 15 May 1984 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.

Brandon Thomas was born on 24 December 1848 in Liverpool, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Playhouse 90 (1956), Charley's Aunt (1930) and Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt (1940). He was married to Marguerite Blanche Leverson. He died on 19 June 1914 in Bloomsbury, London Borough of Camden, Greater London, England, UK.

Monty Haltrecht was born on 27 February 1932 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Screen One (1985), Disciple of Death (1972) and The Venturers (1975). He died on 27 March 2010 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.

Aubrey Fitzmaurice was born on 11 December 1885 in Clapham, London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for The Ticket-of-Leave Man (1918), On Leave (1918) and A Successful Operation (1916). He died on 7 May 1956 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.

Douglas Payne was born on 28 July 1875 in Bromley, Kent, England, UK. He was an actor and director, known for The Little Minister (1915), The Further Exploits of Sexton Blake: The Mystery of the S.S. Olympic (1920) and Flying from Justice (1915). He died on 3 August 1965 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.

A.J. Ayer was born on 29 October 1910 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK. He was married to Dee Wells, Vanessa Salmon and Renée Orde-Lees. He died on 27 June 1989 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.

Hargrave Pawson was born on 6 December 1902 in Bayswater, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The First Mrs. Fraser (1932). He was married to Irene Russell. He died on 26 January 1945 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.