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James Byron Dean was born February 8, 1931 in Marion, Indiana, to Mildred Marie (Wilson) and Winton A. Dean, a farmer turned dental technician. His mother died when Dean was nine, and he was subsequently raised on a farm by his aunt and uncle in Fairmount, Indiana. After grade school, he moved to New York to pursue his dream of acting. He received rave reviews for his work as the blackmailing Arab boy in the New York production of Gide's "The Immoralist", good enough to earn him a trip to Hollywood. His early film efforts were strictly small roles: a sailor in the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis overly frantic musical comedy Sailor Beware (1952); a GI in Samuel Fuller's moody study of a platoon in the Korean War, Fixed Bayonets! (1951) and a youth in the Piper Laurie-Rock Hudson comedy Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952).
He had major roles in only three movies. In the Elia Kazan production of John Steinbeck's East of Eden (1955) he played Cal Trask, the bad brother who could not force affection from his stiff-necked father. His true starring role, the one which fixed his image forever in American culture, was that of the brooding red-jacketed teenager Jim Stark in Nicholas Ray's Rebel Without a Cause (1955). George Stevens' filming of Edna Ferber's Giant (1956), in which he played the non-conforming cowhand Jett Rink who strikes it rich when he discovers oil, was just coming to a close when Dean, driving his Porsche Spyder race car, collided with another car while on the road near Cholame, California on September 30, 1955. He had received a speeding ticket just two hours before. At age 24, James Dean was killed almost immediately from the impact from a broken neck. His very brief career, violent death and highly publicized funeral transformed him into a cult object of apparently timeless fascination.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Emma Fitzpatrick was born on 20 March 1985 in Marion, Ohio, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Take Back the Night (2021), The Social Network (2010) and In Time (2011).- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
James Robert "Jim" Davis is a professional cartoonist, television writer, and television producer from Marion, Indiana. His main claim to fame has been the creation of the long-running comic strip "Garfield" (1978-), featuring a cantankerous cat and a memorable group of supporting characters. The strip has been adapted into three animated television series, 12 prime-time television specials, two theatrical films, and a number of video games. Davis also created the short-lived comic strip "U.S. Acres" (1986-1989), featuring a group of anthropomorphic barnyard animals. This strip was also adapted in animated form. It inspired a series of spin-off children's books.
In 1945, Davis was born in Marion, Indiana. The city is primarily known as the base for the Indiana Wesleyan University, the largest evangelical Christian university in the Midwestern United States. Davis parents' were farmers, named James William "Jim" Davis and Anna Catherine "Betty" Carter. Davis was primarily raised on a small cow farm, located in the vicinity of Fairmount, Indiana. Fairmount serves as a bedroom community for nearby Marion. Davis parents' primarily owned Aberdeen Angus cows, members of a Scottish breed of small beef cattle. The breed was first imported into the United States in 1873.
Davis received his secondary education at the Fairmount High School. He joined the staff of the school newspaper, "The Breeze". He eventually served as the newspaper's art editor. While working there, he created a comic strip about school life. He used the strip's characters to illustrate his senior yearbook.
Davis received his tertiary education at the Ball State University, a public research university located in Muncie, Indiana. He studied both art and business. Following his graduation graduation, he intended to become a professional newspaper cartoonist. In 1969, Davis was hired as an assistant by experienced cartoonist Tom K. Ryan (1926-2019). From 1969 to 1978, Davis worked as an assistant artist in the Western comedy strip "Tumbleweeds" (1965-2007). The comic strip's protagonist was the laconic cowboy Tumbleweeds, a man who was content to drift through life.
Davis aspired to create a comic strip of his own. His first effort was the strip "Gnorm Gnat" (1973-1975), published by the newspaper "The Pendleton Times" in Indiana. It featured anthropomorphic insects, with the main character Gnorm Gnat serving as a comedic straight man to his zanier supporting cast. Davis tried for years to sign a deal to have this comic strip syndicated nationwide. He kept facing rejection by various syndicates. He was told that he had a good art style, and a good sense for gags. But that readers would have trouble relating to insect characters. Davis decided to end this comic strip, and to start a replacement.
Davis decided to research other people's syndicated comic strips, trying to find out what made them popular. He noticed that there were numerous strips about animals, many of them featuring pet dogs. He realized that people related well to the idea of a pet animal, but figured that creating another comic strip about a dog would make his work unlikely to stand out. He realized that there were no comic strips about pet cats, so he decided to create a comic strip about a pet cat. Davis created the locally published comic strip "Jon" (1976-1978), featuring the relationship of a pet owner and his cat. He created the character Garfield for this comic strip. He based the character's personality on his own cantankerous grandfather, who was named James A. Garfield Davis.
In 1948, Davis signed a deal with United Feature Syndicate. They agreed to syndicate his comic strip for national distribution. He launched the revised comic strip "Garfield" on June 19, 1978. It was published in 41 newspapers, Davis' first work to have such a wide distribution. A Sunday version of the comic strip was launched June 25, 1978.
Davis gradually changed Garfield's design over the first years of the comic strip. By 1983, Garfield had become a bipedal animal. Garfield was far more successful than Davis had expected. By 1981, it was published in 850 newspapers and had accumulated over 15 million dollars in merchandise. David founded the company "Paws, Inc." (1981-) to handle the licensing rights to the comic strip and its characters. He started employing both artists (as assistants) and licensing administrators.
Davis signed a deal with producers Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson for the creation of the first Garfield television special, "Here Comes Garfield" (1982). Both men had previously produced television specials for the comic strip "Peanuts". The director of the special was Phil Roman, while Davis himself handled the screenplay. The special reached an audience of about 50 million people, and was nominated for the "Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program". Based on this success, other 11 television specials were created between 1983 and 1991. All of them were nominated for Emmy Awards, and four of them won the Award.
Based on the success of Garfield in animation, Davis went to work on creating an animated television series about the character. He served as the producer of "Garfield and Friends" (1988-1994). Veteran comic book writer Mark Evanier was hired as the series' head writer. The series lasted for 7 seasons and 121 episodes. The series was considered quite successful, but its production cost kept rising. The network CBS eventually ended the series. Its end was one of a series of cost-cutting measures for the network, as CBS was facing financial problems in the mid-1990s. The series found further success in syndication.
In 1994, Davis (through Paws, Inc.) purchased all rights to the previously published Garfield comic strips from the United Feature Syndicate. Davis was the sole owner of the comic strip series from 1994 to 2019, while having the right to license reprints of the strip.
In the late 1990s, Davis stopped drawing the "Garfield" comic strip. He only provided rough sketches for subsequent comic strips, while the main artists for the strip were his long-term assistants Brett Koth and Gary Barker. Davis remained as the strip's main writer.
In 2000, Davis and his frequent collaborator Brett Koth launched a new comic strip, based on the toy character "Mr. Potato Head". The strip was not particularly successful, and ended in 2003. In 2002, "Garfield" became the world's most syndicated strip. It was published in 2,570 different newspapers across several countries, and had an estimated reading audience of 263 million people.
In 2006, Davis joined the faculty of the Ball State University as an adjunct professor. He lectured students "on the creative and business aspects of the comics industry". In 2011, Davis started drawing comics digitally through using a graphics tablet. He kept his older hand-painted "Garfield" strips in a climate-controlled safe, until he could figure what to do with his art archives. In 2019, he started selling parts of his archives at auctions.
In 2019, Davis sold Paws, Inc. to the media conglomerate Viacom. The rights to the "Garfield" comic strip and its global merchandising were transferred to Nickelodeon, one of Viacom's subsidiaries. As part of the deal, Davis would continue to supervise the production of the comic strip. The main offices of Paws Inc. were transferred from Muncie, Indiana to the skyscraper "One Astor Plaza" in New York City.
By 2022, Davis was 76-years-old. He continues supervising the production of the "Garfield" comic strip from his home in Indiana. He has spend most of his life in his home state, and seems to have no plans to move out or to retire. He has had two marriages, and has raised several of his own children and two step-children. While the comic strip market has declined in the 21st century, the popularity of Davis' cantankerous cat has never faded.- Actress
- Director
- Producer
A one-time pin-up beauty and magazine story model, Barbara Loden studied acting in New York in the early 50s and was on the Broadway boards within the decade. She was discovered for films by legendary producer/director Elia Kazan who was impressed with what she did in a small role as Montgomery Clift's secretary in Wild River (1960). He moved her up to feature status with her next role as Warren Beatty's wanton sister in his classic Splendor in the Grass (1961). As Kazan's protégé, she appeared as part of Kazan's stage company in the Lincoln Center Repertory Theater's production of After the Fall, winning the Tony and Outer Critic's Circle awards for that dazzling performance. An oddly entrancing, delicate blonde beauty possessed with a Marilyn Monroe-like vulnerability, she impressed in two of his other stage productions as well - But For Whom Charlie and The Changeling . After appearing in the failed movie Fade In (1973) with Burt Reynolds, she married Kazan and went into semi-retirement. Barbara wrote, directed and starred, however, in a bold independent film entitled Wanda (1970) and became an unexpected art house darling, distinguishing herself as one of the few woman directors whose work was theatrically-released during the period. She won praise in all three departments, nabbing the Venice Film Festival's International Critics Prize. Supposedly discouraged by a doubting, perhaps even resentful Kazan, Barbara never followed up on this success. She expressed interest and was in the midst of putting together another film, based on the novella The Awakening by Kate Chopin, when she learned in 1978 she had breast cancer. Barbara died two and a half years later, at age 48, after the cancer spread to her liver - before the project ever came to fruition. The Hollywood industry lost a burgeoning talent who just might have opened doors for other women directors had she been given the time.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Actor/director Richard Benedict was born Joseph Sciurba in Sicily. He came to the US with his family when he was seven. He was a prizefighter before journeying to Hollywood to break into the movies. His stocky, somewhat menacing appearance got him tough-guy and henchman roles, although he did get the occasional second lead. His best-known role was as Leo Minosa, the man trapped in an abandoned mineshaft in Billy Wilder's tough look at unscrupulous journalism and how legitimate tragedies are turned into a media circus in Ace in the Hole (1951). In 1962 he began directing, and though he turned out a few features, the majority of his directing work was in series television.- Actress
- Make-Up Department
- Music Department
Taya Parker was born on 10 January 1980 in Marion, Ohio, USA. She is an actress, known for Beach Massacre at Kill Devil Hills (2016), Rock of Love with Bret Michaels (2007) and Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies (2014).- Jan Wiley was born on 23 February 1916 in Marion, Indiana, USA. She was an actress, known for A Fig Leaf for Eve (1944), The Master Key (1945) and Adventures of Kitty O'Day (1945). She was married to Mort Greene and Roger Clark. She died on 27 May 1993 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA.
- Georgia Schmidt was born on 26 August 1904 in Marion, Indiana, USA. She was an actress, known for Goin' South (1978), Kansas City Bomber (1972) and Midnight Madness (1980). She died on 18 April 1997 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Born Richard Sandlin Fullerton in Marion, NC he spent his first six years down Highway 70 in Old Fort looking up at Mt. Mitchell from his maternal grandparents' front porch, and lived subsequently in Lincoln, England, Lake Charles, LA, and Fort Worth, TX, due to his father's profession as a Command Pilot in the USAF. Upon his dad's death in 1960, he and his mother moved to Winston-Salem, NC., but Richard continued to attend prep school in Austin, TX until his graduation in 1963.
He won a "best supporting actor" award for his performance as Thomas Putnam in "The Crucible" in his junior year because he, fortunately, knew Reverend Paris' lines better than Reverend Paris did, and was elected Senior Speaker by his class, which might have been a sign of things to come, but was probably pure coincidence...
Knocking the dust of Texas from his boots, he spent almost three semesters at Duke University and a summer School at Wake forest in the middle before deciding that he should take a break from higher education and try his hand at running a smelting furnace in a Durham, NC junkyard for a spell, found he had a certain knack for it, and grew shoulders and forearms which would come in handy in later pursuits.
After coming within an inspired 15-yard broad jump of burning off his feet to the ankles in the spring of 1965, he was weighing other career options when a timely suggestion from his desperate mother resulted in an audition for the North Carolina School of the Arts, aborning, and after a second and final summer working in a tobacco factory, to remind him of what he did NOT want to pursue, found himself being higher educated again in the fall, as a play-writing major, of all things, at aforementioned NCSA. Unfortunately, they had failed to hire anyone to instruct him in his major, and he was forced to pretend to study acting for a year, which he found confusing, but intriguing, nonetheless...
After setting a world record by being thrown out, in, and back out of school again within the space of a week (an amusing anecdote omitted because it's complicated), he found himself on the way to California in June of 1966 with a hundred dollars in his pocket and the decision to become an actor in his head because the new dean of the drama department had suggested he wasn't cut out for it. After a summer spent on Catalina Island chopping weeds, washing dishes, frying hamburgers and learning to speak Californian he found himself in Method Acting class in Hollywood and got serious about it.
He spent three years in exercise and scene study while frying more hamburgers, working in another junkyard, spending three quarters majoring in Drama at UCLA before drifting away from education again, driving a cab, building sets, assistant stage managing, and got his Equity card in 1970 playing Lucky in the Century City Playhouse's acclaimed (yes, it was) production of "Waiting for Godot", directed by Lew Palter, for whose production of "Private Life of the Master Race" Richard had, co-incidentally, run lights three years previously. "Art" is funny that way...
By 1974 he'd scratched out a SAG card somehow, and finally got a real agent in 1977 through lucky coincidence and a pushy girlfriend and landed a double episode of "Little House on the Prairie". The rest is, as they say...well...the rest.
For the next seventeen years Richard continued to act on stage, in commercials, industrial films, TV, the rare feature, got his AFTRA card, built large portions of a couple or three theaters, drove some more cab, continued scene study with a couple of other teachers, started building houses, remodeled a couple or three stores on the Sunset Strip, wrote a column for a monthly magazine called "Country Connections" for a number of years, got married to Susan Grace Deneen, with whom he had a son, Colin, and when they moved back to NC in October of '94 took with them two motor vehicles and a 28' trailer crammed to the brim, which is a lot more than they arrived with.
Did I mention he tied for first with some guy from Princeton in a national collegiate writing contest while he was at UCLA and got some poetry published? Probably not.
Since he returned to NC he's pretty much continued to do what he was doing paragraph before last, except that he started doing a lot more film than previously, and less TV, "Country Connections", alas, went under, and he hasn't driven a cab in 35 years, and only rarely ridden in one. Oh yeah, he went back to NCSA after 30 years and get his BFA - educated at last. His son, not to be outdone, became an extraordinary classical guitarist, earned a MFA and moved to NYC.
Richard earned his pensions and the fully vested health care, but things have slowed down because old guys are expected to look more benign than he can usually manage while awake, so he figured to invest in IMDb Pro to see if he couldn't get things kick started again. And that's why there's a biography here... - Art Department
- Art Director
- Writer
Kyle Menke is a graphic and digital artist who is employed by Walt Disney Television Studios Production Company. He has gained notoriety through his efforts as a storyboard supervisor and artist on many movies and television series. His notable work includes Rugrats (1999), Invader ZIM (2001), and Phineas and Ferb (2011-2013). Presently, he is contributing to Jake and the Never Land Pirates (2015-2016) and The 7D (2016) television series.- Coretta Scott King was born on 27 April 1927 in Marion, Alabama, USA. She was married to Martin Luther King. She died on 30 January 2006 in Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico.
- She is the great niece to Andrew Waldron (1847-1932). Andrew was the brother to her paternal grandmother, Laura Ann Waldron. Sher formed part of the Thespian Family Players and the Queen City Singers during the Civil War, performing first in Charleston, SC, Savannah, GA, Augusta, GA, and Richmond, VA. She was the wife of Henry Farmer. Their son, Edwin Farmer, was a child prodigy and concert pianist. He married Ethel Parrot, as they were the parents to Virginia.
- John Neilson was born on 10 May 1944 in Marion, Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Terror at Red Wolf Inn (1972), Sharks' Treasure (1975) and Judge and Jury (1996). He was married to Karen Jensen. He died on 5 April 2000 in Burbank, California, USA.
- Writer
- Actor
- Director
Screenwriter best known for Pixar / Disney's Cars 3, Smallfoot, Angry Birds 2 and 2020 Scooby-Doo reboot Scoob. With writing partner Eyal Podell, Stewart is writing the original feature The Scenic Route for Media Rights Capital in 2022. Podell & Stewart have written screenplays for Dreamworks, Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount, ABC Studios, STX, Paramount Animation, Sony Animation, Fox Animation, and served on Pixar's Braintrust from 2013-2014. Stewart's inspired-by-true-LGBTQ-events TV drama pilot Grace sold to ABC Studios in the fall of 2016, and modern update on the Dickens classic Two Cities in fall 2017. In 2012, Podell & Stewart's screenplay Seuss-a biopic about the legendary author-earned the #2 slot on Hollywood's Black List and is being produced by Carla Hacken at Paper Pictures. Stewart is represented by Verve and Industry Entertainment in Los Angeles and Granderson Des Rochers in New York.- Actor
- Producer
Tracy Fisher was born on October 5, 1975 in Marion, Virginia. Fisher's journey in the world of entertainment began after he graduated from Chilhowie High School. He pursued higher education at Radford University, where he successfully earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Theater, coupled with a Minor in Cinematic Arts.
Following his graduation, Fisher swiftly made his mark in the entertainment industry, securing roles in a diverse range of television movies and series. Notably, he played Nurse Brad in "Constantine," and showcased his talent in other television projects such as "Murder by Numbers," "The Christmas Listing," and "The Pregnancy Promise."
Venturing into international cinema, Fisher starred in "One for the Road," a 2021 Thai drama directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya and produced by Wong Kar-wai. The film captivated audiences at its world premiere during the prestigious 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 28, 2021. Additionally, he worked alongside actor Ben Winchell and actress Margaret Colin, portraying Brian Carlin, a powerful DC lawyer, in "The Road to Galena." Also, Fisher's talent shined bright in "No Vacancy," where he shared the screen with Dean Cain as the Assistant City Manager.
Beyond his on-screen accomplishments, Fisher demonstrated his artistic flair in Jeremy Camp's music video, "Keep Me in The Moment," produced by Capitol CMG, skillfully portraying the role of a young father. He also showcased his versatility in the realm of commercials, playing the Husband in the Ohio Lottery's "Wrong Pants" national commercial.
But Fisher's talents don't stop there. Together with his wife, Classical pianist Jeannette Fang (a 2013 Seattle International Piano Gold Medalist), co-founded FF Productions, LLC, a film, and television production company based in Virginia. The company specializes in cinematic storytelling with a particular focus on classical music, and its headquarters are nestled in Hot Springs, VA.
As his reputation grew, Fisher's journey as an actor attracted attention from prestigious media outlets. He was honored to be interviewed on Allegheny Mountain Radio (WCHG studio) and the SWVA Today, where he shared his inspiring journey as an actor.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Vera Van was born on 26 May 1908 in Marion, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for I'm Much Obliged (1936), Hear Ye! Hear Ye! (1934) and Rambling 'Round Radio Row #9 (1934). She died on 18 January 2006 in Vancouver, Washington, USA.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Robert F. Slatzer was born on 4 April 1927 in Marion, Ohio, USA. He was a director and writer, known for Bigfoot (1970), The Hellcats (1968) and Mule Feathers (1978). He was married to Deborah Slatzer. He died on 28 March 2005 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Bob Walton was born on 25 June 1960 in Marion, Indiana, USA. He is an actor, known for Person of Interest (2011), Picket Fences (1992) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999).
- Versatile Character Actor who is mostly known for his roles on such shows as, "Stan Against Evil", "Leverage: Redemption", "Accidental Love" and "Devious Maids." As a True Crime fan, he was thrilled to be work on HBO Max's "The Staircase", Investigation Discovery's, "Homicide Hunter," "Dead of Night" and also TV One's "#Murder."
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Jim Gallant was born on 24 December 1930 in Marion, Ohio, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Real Bullets (1988) and Hangman (2000). He died on 6 May 2014 in New Middletown, Ohio, USA.- Al Dunlap was born on 16 September 1924 in Marion County, Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Escape from Alcatraz (1979), Charley Varrick (1973) and The Greatest American Hero (1981). He died on 25 November 1988 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.
- Additional Crew
Steve Morris was born on 2 September 1959 in Marion, Virginia, USA. He is known for Survivor: Blood vs Water Preview (2013), Survivor: Philippines Preview (2012) and Survivor (2000).- Editorial Department
- Editor
- Producer
Sidney Katz was born on 20 February 1918 in Marion County, Indiana, USA. He was an editor and producer, known for The Defenders (1961), Skag (1980) and Beyond Westworld (1980). He died on 18 June 2009 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Executive
Eve Curtis, born and also known as, Lisa Eve McKim, is originally from Marion, Ohio. From her earliest years, she was known to family and friends as a natural performer and leader. Her eighth grade teacher wrote in an autograph book that she expected to see "(Lisa's) name in lights, or as the first female President". At the age of 12, her family moved to Long Beach, California, where her father started a successful real estate career. She attended Woodrow Wilson High School and later Platt College, studying production art. She worked briefly in the advertising industry in her early 20's, but gravitated strongly to her true love of acting. She studied with Lynette Katselas at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, where her classmates included Brandon Lee, Jason Gould, Faith Ford and Jane Leeves. In her 20's and 30's, Eve worked extensively in Los Angeles theatre as an actor, producer and writer, with companies such as Theatre Rapport, West Coast Ensemble, Tabula Rasa, LATC, Women Artists Group, The Attic Theatre, Beneath Broadway and Write Act Repertory. After a stint away from show business in her late 30's, during which time she developed other business ventures and creative projects, Eve returned full force, concentrating on film and television. During this time, she was fortunate to study with and be mentored by the late Susan Peretz, Actors Studio board member and founder of the Third Street Theatre. Eve subsequently worked on numerous student films, independent features and shorts, including Weapon of Mass Destruction (2004) and Little Losers (2004). She was also featured regularly as a reporter on _General Hospital (1963 TV series)_. Obtaining her SAG card in 2007, Eve worked as a stand-in and background performer, with one of her first jobs being a regular member of the original Sterling Cooper secretarial pool on Mad Men (2007). Working the first 3 seasons, she relished the opportunity to be surrounded by such tremendous talent and to learn and grow on set each day. Shortly thereafter, she obtained her first principal role in a major motion picture, cast as Jogger #2 in He's Just Not That Into You (2009). Most recently, she worked with director 'Joe Di Gennaro' on the film Social Studies and with Nate Golon on the web series Generation U. Represented by her longtime agent, Gail Marx, Eve is actively auditioning and looking forward to her next role. She is a proud member of the prestigious Edgemar Theatre Group, founded by Larry Moss and Michelle Danner. She is also a licensed California Realtor, specializing in architectural and resort properties.- Elaine Lange was born on 5 January 1919 in Marion, Indiana, USA. She was an actress, known for Federal Operator 99 (1945), The Undercover Woman (1946) and The Fatal Witness (1945). She was married to John Robert Springer. She died on 26 December 1963 in Glendale, California, USA.