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One of Hollywood's more high-flying dancers on film, dimpled, robust, fair-haired Marc Platt provided fancy footwork to a handful of "Golden Era" musicals but truly impressed in one vigorous 1950s classic.

Born to a musical family on December 2, 1913 in Pasadena, California as Marcel Emile Gaston LePlat, he was the only child of a French-born concert violinist and a soprano singer. After years on the road, the family finally settled in Seattle, Washington. Following his father's death, his mother found a job at the Mary Ann Wells' dancing school while young Marc earned his keep running errands at the dance school. He eventually became a dance student at the school and trained with Wells for eight years who saw great potential in Marc.

It was Wells who arranged an audition for Marc with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo when the touring company arrived in Seattle. The artistic director Léonide Massine accepted him at $150 a week and changed his name to Marc Platoff in order to maintain the deception that the company was Russian. A highlight was his dancing as the Spirit of Creation in Massine's legendary piece "Seventh Symphony". Platt also choreographed during his time there, one piece being Ghost Town (1939), which was set to music by Richard Rodgers. While there he met and married (in 1942) dancer Eleanor Marra. They had one son before divorcing in 1947. Ted Le Plat, born in 1944, became a musician as well as a daytime soap and prime-time TV actor.

Anxious to try New York, Marc left the ballet company in 1942 and moved to the Big Apple where he changed his marquee name to the more Americanized "Marc Platt" and pursued musical parts. Following minor roles in the short run musicals "The Lady Comes Across" (January, 1942) with Joe E. Lewis, Mischa Auer and Gower Champion and "Beat the Band" (October-December, 1942) starring Joan Caulfield, Marc and Kathryn Sergava found themselves cast in a landmark musical, the Rodgers and Hammerstein rural classic "Oklahoma!" Choreographer Agnes de Mille showcased them in the ground-breaking extended dream sequence roles of (Dream) Curly and (Dream) Laurey. Platt stayed with the show for a year but finally left after Columbia Pictures signed him to a film contract.

Aside from a couple of short musical films, he made his movie feature debut with a featured role as Tommy in Tonight and Every Night (1945) starring Rita Hayworth. From there he appeared in the Sid Caesar vehicle Tars and Spars (1946) and back with Rita Hayworth in Down to Earth (1947). Columbia tried Marc out as a leading man in one of their second-string musicals When a Girl's Beautiful (1947) opposite Adele Jergens and Patricia Barry but did not make a great impression. Featured again in the non-musical adventure The Swordsman (1948) starring Ellen Drew and Larry Parks and the Italian drama Addio Mimí! (1949) based on Puccini's "La Boheme," Marc's film career dissipated.

After appearing on occasional TV variety shows such as "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Colgate Comedy Hour" and following a single return to Broadway in the musical "Maggie" (1953, Platt returned to film again after a five-year absence but when he finally did, he made a superb impression as one of Howard Keel's uncouth but vigorously agile woodsman brothers (Daniel) in MGM's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). The film still stands as one of the most impressive dancing pieces of the "Golden Age" of musicals. He followed this with a minor dancing role (it was James Mitchell who played Dream Curly here) in the film version of Oklahoma! (1955).

When the musical film lost favor in the late 1950's, Marc finished off the decade focusing on straight dramatic roles on TV with roles in such rugged series as "Sky King," "Wyatt Earp" and "Dante". By the 1960s Marc had taken off his dance shoes and turned director of the ballet company at New York's Radio City Music Hall. He and his second wife, Jean Goodall, whom he married back in 1951 and had two children (Donna, Michael), also ran a dance studio of their own. Following this they left New York and moved to Fort Myers, Florida where they set up a new dance school.

Marc moved to Northern California to be near family following his wife's death in 1994 and occasionally appeared at the Marin Dance Theatre in San Rafael. One of his last performances was a non-dancing part in "Sophie and the Enchanted Toyshop" at age 89. In 2000, Marc was presented with the Nijinsky Award at the Ballets Russe's Reunion. He appeared in the 2005 documentary Ballets Russes (2005). Platt died at the age of 100 at a hospice in San Rafael from complications of pneumonia. He was survived by his three children.

James Dougherty was born on 12 April 1921 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was married to Rita Lambert, Patricia Scoman and Marilyn Monroe. He died on 15 August 2005 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Nancy Besst was born in Canton, Ohio, USA to Richard Glenn Besst and Gertrude M Schneide. Nancy was "Miss Canton" and attended McKinley High and later, Northwestern University in Illinois majoring in Radio and Television, and took her first job out of Baltimore, a new syndicated children's show known as "Romper Room". She spent the first several years training the on-camera teachers in major syndicated markets throughout the country, then in 1955 she took a permanent position as Miss Nancy at KGO ABC 7 in San Francisco. After KGO, Nancy continued Romper Room as Miss Nancy at KTVU 2 for a total 13 year Bay Area run. Although there were many Romper Room teachers taking on their own names for their programs, "Miss Nancy" was iconic.

Nancy was one of the founding members of the local chapter of NATAS. She loved the Academy and was involved with its many aspects over the years. She was one of the first classes to be inducted in to the Silver Circle, 1988, She received the Governors' Service Medallion in 1993; the Governors' Citation in 1995; and chapter's highest honor, the Governors' Award in 1998 Nancy participated with the annual Silver Circle Committee and the Gold and Silver Circle Luncheons.

Nsncy was married to Captain Pat Townsley Sr. who was killed in active duty on 2 February 1965 in a fighter plane accident at Hamilton Air Force Base in Novato. Four days later, their only child, also Pat Townsley was born.

Nancy passed away in San Rafael, Marin County, California.

Regina Waldon was born on 7 February 1908 in Van Nuys, California, USA. She was an actress, known for The Fog (1980), Electric Dreams (1984) and Time After Time (1979). She died on 17 November 2001 in San Rafael, California, USA.

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James Cranna was born on 6 August 1943 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He was an actor, known for Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), THX 1138 (1971) and American Graffiti (1973). He died on 4 May 2017 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Lisa Britt was born on 7 November 1955 in San Francisco, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Sudden Impact (1983) and The Haunting Passion (1983). She died on 27 July 1999 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Terence McKenna was born on 16 November 1946 in Paonia, Colorado, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Manual de Evasão (1994), Time is Speeding Up (2019) and Strange Attractor (2003). He died on 3 April 2000 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Jack Pollexfen began his professional life in the newspaper business, working his way up from copyboy at the "Los Angeles Express" to reporter on several other dailies. During this period he also found time to write and produce three plays that he once said could be classified as "off-Broadway--a LONG way off!" He found himself in the movie business when MGM offered him a contract to turn one of his magazine articles into a screenplay. Four years in the Air Force writing training films and manuals during World War II interrupted his movie career, which then got back on track with a series of screenplays for adventure pictures like Treasure of Monte Cristo (1949) and The Desert Hawk (1950). A short time later Pollexfen's producing career got started, in collaboration with co-writer Aubrey Wisberg, and they turned out a string of low-budget sci-fi films in the 1950s.

Chuck Liotta was born in 1929 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and assistant director, known for On Our Own (1977), Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (1976) and The Krofft Supershow (1976). He was married to Patricia Ruth Dolan and Janis Kane Hertwig. He died on 13 November 2022 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Mary Russell was born on 22 April 1912 in Oskaloosa, Iowa, USA. She was an actress, known for Riders of the Whistling Skull (1937), Murder in Greenwich Village (1937) and Squadron of Honor (1938). She was married to Paul Ames. She died on 22 August 2005 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Ernie had a son, Gene Sullivan who played football just like him. Baseball too. He never knew him, but his son, Gene Sullivan recently found out Ernie was his father. Gene was Evel Knievl's body guard. A heavyweight boxing champ. He is the longest touring motorcycle jumper in the world as seen in many Evel Knievel documentaries.

Alexandra Sorina was born on 17 September 1899 in Baranowicze, Poland, Russian Empire [now Baranovichi, Belarus]. She was an actress, known for The Hands of Orlac (1924), Rasputin, Demon with Women (1932) and Die malayische Dschonke (1924). She died on 31 May 1973 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Ann Brebner was born on 15 August 1923 in New Zealand. She was a casting director, known for The Right Stuff (1983), Smooth Talk (1985) and Massive Retaliation (1984). She was married to John Brebner. She died on 13 January 2017 in San Rafael, California, USA.

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Rachel English was born on 2 February 1939 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Mission: Impossible (1966), The Hard Ride (1971) and Love, Swedish Style (1972). She died on 27 December 2016 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Paul A. Magistretti was a writer and producer, known for Baretta (1975), Simon & Simon (1981) and MacGyver (1985). Paul A. died on 20 February 2019 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Ira H. Morgan was born on 2 April 1889 in Fort Ross, California, USA. He was a cinematographer and actor, known for Modern Times (1936), Lost in the Stratosphere (1934) and Congo Bill (1948). He was married to Rena Carlton. He died on 10 April 1959 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Robert Hunter was born on 23 June 1941 in San Luis Obispo, California, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for The Box (2009), Great Expectations (1998) and Wild (2014). He was married to Maureen Hunter. He died on 23 September 2019 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Douglas Cowan was born on 12 August 1921 in Saddle River, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) and Twice Blessed (1945). He died on 24 October 1982 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Douglas Laurence was born on 16 December 1918 in Totowa, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a producer and actor, known for Live a Little, Love a Little (1968), Speedway (1968) and Stay Away, Joe (1968). He was married to Frances Laurence. He died on 2 October 2012 in San Rafael, California, USA.

Steve Collins was born on 20 January 1948 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is known for Howard the Duck (1986), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and Die Hard 2 (1990). He died on 30 November 2020 in San Rafael, California, USA.