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1-17 of 17
- Actress
- Soundtrack
She was aptly and affectionately dubbed "Two Ton Tessie" not only for her plentiful girth but for the tons of talent she possessed as one of the British Isle's most beloved, unabashed music hall entertainers. Give her an audience and bawdy Tessie O'Shea could have them on their feet in seconds flat.
The Welsh comedy and recording star was born in Cardiff as Teresa Mary O'Shea on March 13, 1913, the daughter of a humble newspaper wholesaler. Already showing off in music halls as a six-year-old and later dubbed "The Wonder of Wales," she captured several prizes for the various talent contests she entered with her singing and dancing. The once-slim youthful performer made her solo debut at the age of 12 at the Bristol Hippodrome and never stopped working, appearing on BBC Radio as a teen and gracing the English and South African stages as well.
As she grew in size, Tessie became a major attraction and gained notoriety for belting out such bawdy or novelty favorites as "Don't Have Any More, Missus Moore," "Why Am I Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Blushing Bride," "I Met Him By the Withered Weeping Willows," "Hold Your Hand Out, Naughty Boy" and "Nobody Loves a Fairy When She's Forty." She sang these while burying her hefty frame under loads of comic clothing -- complete with over-sized hats, striped stockings and elastic boots while
By the late 1930s Tessie had become a major radio and stage star, winning the hearts and respect of soldiers everywhere touring with ENSA during World War II. She later went out on the road with band-leader Billy Cotton in a highly successful musical revue called "Tess and Bill," a highlight was playing the Victoria Palace. The bump-and-grind tune "Two Ton Tessie from Tennessee," recorded in 1939, became Tessie's signature song, a ditty Ray Charles later added to his repertoire. In the 1940s, she found herself a frequent headliner at the London Palladium and later starred in the musical revue "High Time" in 1946.
Tessie became the star of two continents in the early 1960's when she traveled abroad and took the United States by storm. Having audiences immediately eating out of the palm of her hand, she became a Tony Award-winning sensation on Broadway with her scene-stealing song "London" in the musical "The Girl Who Came to Supper," a 1963 musical adaptation of Terence Rattigan's play "The Sleeping Prince." She would return to Gotham three years later with the musical "A Time for Singing" which was based on Richard Llewellyn's "How Green Was My Valley."
In addition to the stage, she included TV work here as a regular on the 1964 CBS show The Entertainers (1964) and also appeared on talk/variety/game shows. She was featured as Mrs. Cratchit in a TV version of Mr. Scrooge (1964) starring Cyril Ritchard as Scrooge and later won an Emmy nomination in 1968 for her feisty, atmospheric musical turn in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1968) starring Jack Palance. In between her musical act took her successfully to such places as Las Vegas.
Film appearances were quite infrequent despite making an auspicious debut playing herself in the British musical London Town (1946) paired with stage and vaudeville star Sid Field. She subsequently was spotted co-starring in two obscure British comedies, Holiday's with Pay (1948) and The Ugly Little Boy (1977), both starring Frank Randle, had a singing cameo in the crime thriller The Blue Lamp (1950) and a featured part in the heart-warming Aussie tale The Shiralee (1957) starring Peter Finch. She later was spotted in the films The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966), The Best House in London (1969) (as a singer) and Disney's Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).
Tessie continued to travel here and abroad into the 1970's. In England, she appeared to great advantage on TV as a regular on the comedy series As Good Cooks Go (1969) and was a recurring musical guest on the variety show The Good Old Days (1953), as well as the stage. She received a "This Is Your Life" honor in 1984. Back in the States, she reappeared on Broadway in the whodunit musical "Something's Afoot" as Miss Tweed in 1976, and appeared very briefly in "Broadway Follies," which opened and closed on March 15, 1981.
Tessie performed until ill health forced her retirement. She died in Leesburg, Florida, on April 21, 1995, of congestive heart failure. She was 82. She became the brief center of attention when BBC celebrated her with the documentary "Two Ton Tessie!" that was first broadcast in March of 2011.- Art Department
- Art Director
Barbara Long was born on 11 August 1925 in Iowa, USA. She was an art director, known for George! (1972). She was married to Marshall Thompson. She died on 1 April 2009 in Leesburg, Virginia, USA.- Writer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Randy Rhoads was born on 6 December 1956 in Santa Monica, California, USA. He was a writer, known for Ghost Rider (2007), Megamind (2010) and Tag (2018). He died on 19 March 1982 in Leesburg, Florida, USA.- Wesley Marie Tackitt was born on November 4, 1926 in Clinton, Oklahoma, USA. She moved with her family to Southern California during the Great Depression. She caught the acting bug, performing on stage, on radio, and in puppet theater throughout her high school and college years at U.C. Santa Barbara. As a professional actress, she is best known for The Wild and the Innocent (1959) and playing Margie's mother in the Margie TV series (1961). She died on November 14, 2015 in Leesburg, Virginia, USA.
- Russell Baker was born on 14 August 1925 in Loudon County, Virginia, USA. He was an actor, known for Masterpiece Contemporary (2008), Masterpiece (1971) and Howard K. Smith (1962). He was married to Miriam Emily "Mimi" Nash. He died on 21 January 2019 in Leesburg, Virginia, USA.
- Gunboat Smith was born on 17 February 1887 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Say It Again (1926), Wings (1927) and The Lucky Devil (1925). He died on 6 August 1974 in Leesburg, Florida, USA.
- Ray Felton was born on 18 February 1947 in Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Cecil B. Demented (2000), Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) and The New Detectives: Case Studies in Forensic Science (1996). He was married to Rosemary Helmicki. He died on 29 June 2006 in Leesburg, Virginia, USA.
- Ron Padgett was born on 20 February 1935 in Mascotte, Florida, USA. He was married to Laverne ?. He died on 28 November 2003 in Leesburg, Florida, USA.
- Phil Linz was born on 4 June 1939 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was married to Lynn Parker. He died on 9 December 2020 in Leesburg, Florida, USA.
- Robert Bornarth was born on 28 April 1930 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Homicide: Life on the Street (1993), American Playhouse (1980) and A Man Called Hawk (1989). He was married to Norma Sue Levine . He died on 1 September 2022 in Leesburg, Virginia, USA.
- William Anderson was born on 17 June 1921 in Bakerville, Tennessee, USA. He was married to Patricia Walters and Yvonne (Bonny) Etzel. He died on 25 February 2007 in Leesburg, Virginia, USA.
- Duane Clarridge was born on 16 April 1932 in Nashua, New Hampshire, USA. He was married to Helga Beier Birkmann and Margaret (Maggie) Ann Reynard. He died on 9 April 2016 in Leesburg, Virginia, USA.
- Special Effects
Robert Moon was born on 15 April 1917 in Pennsylvania, USA. He is known for The Sweet Hereafter (1997), The Sixth Man (1997) and The War Between Us (1995). He died on 11 April 2001 in Leesburg, Florida, USA.- Robert Schwartz was born on 13 May 1944 in the USA. He died on 8 December 2001 in Leesburg, Virginia, USA.
- M. Stanton Evans was born on 20 July 1934 in Kingsville, Texas, USA. He was married to Sue Ellen Moore. He died on 3 March 2015 in Leesburg, Virginia, USA.
- Casting Director
- Casting Department
- Additional Crew
Jim Merrick was born on 20 June 1924. He was a casting director, known for The Immortal (1969), Mission: Impossible (1966) and Bring 'Em Back Alive (1982). He died on 2 March 1999 in Leesburg, Florida, USA.- Robert D. Mullins was born on 16 December 1924 in Scofield, Utah, USA. He was married to Donna Marie Powell. He died on 8 June 2016 in Leesburg, Virginia, USA.