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Marcello Mastroianni
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (September 28, 1924 - December 19, 1996) was an Academy Award nominated Italian film actor.

Born in Fontana Liri, a small village in the Apennines, Mastroianni grew up in Turin and Rome. During World War II he was interned in a Nazi prison, but he escaped and hid in Venice.

In 1945 he started working for a film company and began taking acting lessons. His film debut was in I Miserabili (from Victor Hugo's Les Misérables) in 1947.

He soon became a major international star, starring in Big Deal on Madonna Street; and in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita with Anita Ekberg in 1960, where he played a disillusioned and self-loathing tabloid columnist who spends his days and nights exploring Rome's high society.

Mastroianni followed La Dolce Vita with another signature role, that of a film director who, amidst self-doubt and troubled love affairs, finds himself in a creative block while making a movie in Fellini's 8½.

Mastroianni was married to Italian actress Flora Carabella (1926 - 1999) from 1948 until his death. They had one child together, Barbara.

He also had a daughter, Chiara Mastroianni, with his longtime mistress, the actress Catherine Deneuve; both Flora and Catherine were at his bedside when he died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 72.

Ben E. King
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ben E. King (born Benjamin Earl Nelson in September 28, 1938 in Henderson, North Carolina) is an American soul and pop singer. He is best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a top ten hit in both 1961 and 1986.

In 1958, Ben Nelson joined a doo wop group, The Five Crowns. Later that same year, The Drifters' manager fired the members of the group and replaced them with the Five Crowns, who had performed several engagements with the Drifters. He co-wrote the first hit by the new version of the Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959). He also sang lead, using his birth name, on "Save the Last Dance for Me," a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, "Dance With Me," "This Magic Moment," "I Count the Tears," and "Lonely Winds".

In 1960 he left the group after failing to gain a salary increase and a fairer share of the group's royalties. At this point he assumed the more memorable stage name Ben E. King in preparation for a solo career. Remaining on Atlantic, King scored his first solo hit with the stylish, Latin-tinged ballad "Spanish Harlem" (1961). "Stand by Me" was his next recording. "Stand by Me", written by King along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller was voted one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America. "Stand by Me" and "Spanish Harlem" were named as two of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and were both also given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.

King's records continued to place well on the pop charts until 1963, when British pop bands began to dominate the popular music scene. His hits after 1963 were "What is Soul?" (1967), "Supernatural Thing, part 1" (1975), and the re-issue in 1986 of "Stand by Me" following the song's use as the theme music to the movie of the same name.

Currently Ben E. King is active in his charitable foundation the Stand By Me Foundation. http://www.benekingstandbyme.org/

My first job was working in an Orange Juice factory, but I got canned. I couldn't concentrate.

Then I worked in the woods as a Lumberjack,but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the axe.

After that, I tried to be a Tailor, but I just wasn't suited for it -mainly because it was a sew-sew job.

Next, I tried working in a Muffler Factory, but that was too exhausting.

Then, I tried to be a Chef -figured it would add a little spice to my life,
but I just didn't have the thyme.

I attempted to be a Deli Worker,but any way I sliced it, I couldn't cut the mustard.

My best job was being a Musician, but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy.

I studied a long time to become a Doctor, but I didn't have any patience.

Next, was a job in a Shoe Factory. I tried but I just didn't fit in.

I became a Professional Fisherman, but discovered that I couldn't live on my net income.

I managed to get a good job working for a Pool Maintenance Company, but the work was just too draining.

So then I got a job in a Workout Center, but they said I wasn't fit for the job.

After many years of trying to find steady work, I finally got a job as an
Historian - until I realized there was no future in it.

My last job was working in Starbucks, but I had to quit because it was always the same old grind.

SO, I TRIED RETIREMENT AND FOUND I'M PERFECT FOR THE JOB!

Well, folks, our BB, King of the bio's is back and completing Tryagain's pun places. Love it, hawk.

You always leave us with new info that is really revealing.(not just Bardot)

Al Capp was charged with "attempted adultry"? That's a new one, listeners.

I didn't know that the Rollin' Stones did "Let's Spend the Night Together", but I do know it by David Bowie.

David Bowie - Let's Spend The Night Together

Well, don't you worry 'bout what's been on my mind
I'm in no hurry
I can take my time
I'm going red
and my tongue's getting tired
Out of my head and my mouth's getting dry
I'm h-h-h-high

[CHORUS]
Let's spend the night together
Now I need you more than ever
Let's spend the night together now

I feel so strong
that I can't disguise, oh my
Well, I just can't apologise, no
Don't hang me up but don't let me down
We could have fun just by fooling around, and around
and around

[CHORUS]

Oh, You know I'm smiling baby
You need some guiding baby
I'm just deciding baby

[CHORUS]

This doesn't happen to me every day
No excuses I've got anyway, heh
I'll satisfy your every need
And I'll know you'll satisfy me, oh my-my-my my-my

Let's spend the night together
Now I need you more than ever [x3]

Let's spend the night together
They said we were too young
Our kind of love
was no fun
But our love
comes from above
Do it!
Let's make love
Hoo!

[CHORUS]

Better to Find Out For Yourself
Buffy Sainte-Marie

Every little baby that's ever been born
Been spnked and made to cry
Ever young woman that's ever been loved
Been shaken and made to sigh
Every young woman that's ever been loved
Has told me told me true
Take his heart and run away
As he would do to you
Every young man I've ever seen
Been mean as he could be
Every last one I've loved and run
As he would do to me
Take it from me that a man can be
More trouble than you'll ever know
He'll love you some and when he's done
He'll laugh and let you go

So they told me
And they told me little else
But I tell you
Better to find out for yourself

Handsome stride and shoulders wide
Disguise a heart of stone
Lover's wiles and tender smiles
Are better left alone
With his head hung down
And his shoulders low
And a tear in the bottom of his shoe
He'll beg and tease and vow on his knees
And then betray you true
He'll say I'm tired I'm broke I'm sick
I love you while he cries
He'll say I'm sorry through his tears
And all the time he lies
Shudder and sulk when he's at his best
Try one if you will
You can have mine and all the rest
You know I've had my fill

So they told me
And they told me little else
But I tell you
Better to find out for yourself

Well, folks, edgar's Buffy is saying "...it's better to find out for yourself..." and Letty is still trying to find out about this country lady and her association with Patrick Coutin.

The Corner Of The Bar

From the corner of the bar I can see all of Paris.
I can see my whole life pass before my eyes,
and from a million miles away I should have seen it clearly,
but somehow now I see your face on every stranger passing by.

Looks like such a big 'ol world but you're the only one
who really means the world to me when it's all said and done.
Isn't it a funny thing to have to come so far
just to see everything from the corner of a bar?

From the corner of the bar I whispered Viva La France.
Oh,listen to the heart of Paris. It's beating like a lullaby.
Somewhere in the stars I hear your voice returning,singing,
"Where Is My Love" as I stare off into the nighttime sky.

Looks like such a big 'ol world but you're the only one
who really means the world to me when it's all said and done.
Isn't it a funny thing to have to come so far
just to see everything from the corner of the bar?

Oh, Sil vous plais garçon
Je vous dire encore de vin.
'Cause I can see the whole world from the corner of this bar !

Words & Music: Kimmie Rhodes

What's made milwaukee famous sure has made a loser out of me
Jerry Lee Lewis

It's late and she's waiting and I know I should go home
But every time I start to leave they play another song
Then someone buys another round and wherever drinks are free
What's made Milwaukee famous has made a fool out of me

Baby's, begged me not to go so many times before
She says love and happiness can't live behind those swinging doors
Nows she's gone and I'm to blame to late I finally see
What's made Milwaukee famous has made a loser out of me

Baby's, begged me not to go so many times before
She says love and happiness just can't live behind those swinging doors
Nows she's gone and I'm to blame to late I finally see
What's made Milwaukee famous has made a loser out of me
What's made Milwaukee famous has made a loser out of me

More

More than stars
Can shine on any moonlit night
More than the many years
That history could write
More than ill fated love
Could ever shed a tear
More than all the world
Could hold both far and near

More than all the wealth
One could own
More than the many
Seeds ever sown
More than the dreams dreamt
More than the thoughts
That tempt

CHORUS
More than any can say
More than anyway
More than anything
Only your love can bring me more

More than the endless
Grains of sand
More than the many miles
Traveled across the land
More than the tangled forest
Stretching vast and deep
More than the secrets
Anyone could keep

CHORUS
More than any can say
More than anyway
More than anything
Only your love can bring me more

RexRed

Greer Garson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Born 29 September 1904
London, England, UK
Died 6 April 1996
Dallas, Texas, USA

Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (September 29, 1904 - April 6, 1996) was an Academy Award-winning actress, most known for being the leading lady in many pictures co-starring Walter Pidgeon.

Early life

Known in childhood as "Eggy" and supposedly born in Castlewellan, County Down, Ireland, in 1908, she was actually born in Manor Park, London, England in 1904, the only child of George Garson (1865-1906), a clerk from the Orkney Islands, who was himself the son of a Protestant Irish-born cabinetmaker, and his Scottish wife, Nancy ("Nina") Sophia Greer.

She was educated at the University of London, where she earned degrees in French and 18th-century literature. She intended to become a teacher, but instead began working with an advertising agency, and appeared in local theatrical productions. She also appeared on television during the 1930s, most notably in a thirty-minute production of an excerpt of Twelfth Night in May 1937, alongside Peggy Ashcroft, which was the first known instance of a Shakespeare play being performed on television.

Career

She was discovered by Louis B. Mayer while he was in London looking for new talents. Garson was signed to a contract with MGM and appeared in her first American film, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, in 1939. She received her first Oscar nomination for the role but lost to Vivien Leigh for Gone with the Wind.

Greer Garson became a major box office star in 1941 with the sentimental Technicolor drama Blossoms in the Dust which brought her the first of Five consecutive Best Actress Oscar nominations, tying Bette Davis' 1938-1942 record, a record that still stands in the category. Garson won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1942 for her role as a plucky British matron surviving in the midst of war in Mrs. Miniver. She was also nominated for Madame Curie (1943), Mrs. Parkington (1944), and The Valley of Decision (1945).

She had been America's most popular dramatic actress for several years when she was teamed with Clark Gable in his first film since returning from war service in 1945 titled Adventure. Garson's popularity dropped somewhat in the late 1940's but she remained a famous and popular film star until the mid 1950's.

In 1951, she became a naturalized citizen of the United States. After her MGM contract expired in 1954, she made only a few films. In 1958, she received a warm reception on Broadway in Auntie Mame, replacing Rosalind Russell, who had gone to Hollywood to make the film version. In 1960, Garson received her seventh and final Oscar nomination for Sunrise at Campobello, in which she played Eleanor Roosevelt, this time losing to Elizabeth Taylor for BUtterfield 8 .

Garson's last film was 1967's The Happiest Millionaire, although she made infrequent television appearances. In 1968 she narrated the children's television special The Little Drummer Boy which went on to become one of the classic Christmas television programs and which has been broadcast annually every year since 1966.

Personal life

The actress was married three times:

Her first husband, whom she married on September 28, 1933, was Edward (later Sir Edward) Alec Abbot Snelson (1904-1992), a British civil servant who became a noted judge and expert in Indian and Pakistani affairs; the real marriage reportedly lasted only a few weeks, but was not formally dissolved until 1943.
Her second husband, whom she married in 1943, was Richard Ney (1915-2004), the young actor who played her son in "Mrs. Miniver"; they divorced in 1949, with Garson claiming that Ney had called her a "has-been" and belittled her age. Ney eventually became a respected stock-market analyst and financial consultant.
That same year (1949) she married a millionaire Texas oilman and horse breeder, E. E. "Buddy" Fogelson (died 1987), and in 1967, the couple retired to the Forked Lightning Ranch in New Mexico. They also lived in Dallas, Texas, where Garson funded the Greer Garson Theater facility at Southern Methodist University (SMU).
She died from heart failure in Dallas on April 6, 1996, at the age of 91, and is interred there in the Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.

Gene Autry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Orvon Gene Autry (September 29, 1907 - October 2, 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television.


Early life

Autry, the grandson of a Methodist preacher, was born near Tioga, Texas. His parents, Delbert Autry and Elnora Ozmont, moved to Ravia, Oklahoma in the 1920s. After leaving high school in 1925, Autry worked as a telegrapher for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway.


Career

Radio

An amateur talent with the guitar and voice led to his performing at local dances. After an encouraging chance encounter with Will Rogers, he began performing on local radio in 1928 as "Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy".

Singing

He signed a recording deal with Columbia Records in 1931. He worked in Chicago, Illinois on the WLS (AM) radio show National Barn Dance for four years with his own show where he met singer/songwriter Smiley Burnette. In his early recording career Autry covered various genres, including a labor song, "The Death of Mother Jones" in 1931. But his first hit was in 1932 with That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine, a duet with fellow railroad man, Jimmy Long.

In films

Discovered by film producer Nat Levine in 1934, he and Burnette made their film debut for Mascot Pictures Corp. in In Old Santa Fe as part of a singing cowboy quartet; he was then given the starring role by Levine in 1935 in the 12-part serial The Phantom Empire. Shortly thereafter, Mascot was absorbed by the formation of Republic Pictures Corp. and Autry went along to make a further 44 films up to 1940, all B westerns in which he played under his own name, rode his horse Champion, had Burnette as his regular sidekick and had many opportunities to sing in each film. He became the top Western star at the box-office by 1937, reaching his national peak of popularity from 1940 to 1942.

He was the first of the singing cowboys, succeeded as the top star by Roy Rogers when Autry served as a flier with the Air Transport command during World War II. From 1940 to 1956, Autry also had a weekly radio show on CBS, Gene Autry's Melody Ranch. Another money-spinner was his Gene Autry Flying "A" Ranch Rodeo show which debuted in 1940.

He briefly returned to Republic after the war, to finish out his contract, which had been suspended for the duration of his military service and which he had tried to have declared void after his discharge. Thereafter, he formed his own production company to make westerns under his own control, which were distributed by Columbia Pictures, beginning in 1947. He also starred and produced his own television show on CBS beginning in 1950. He retired from show business in 1964, having made almost a hundred films up to 1955 and over 600 records. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1969 and to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

Post-retirement he invested widely in real estate, radio and television, including buying the copyrights from dying Republic Pictures for the films he had made for them.

As baseball executive

In 1960, when Major League Baseball announced plans to add an expansion team in Los Angeles, Autry - who had once declined an opportunity to play in the minor leagues - expressed an interest in acquiring the radio broadcast rights to the team's games; baseball executives were so impressed by his approach that he was persuaded to become the owner of the franchise rather than simply its broadcast partner. The team, initially called the Los Angeles Angels upon its 1961 debut, moved to suburban Anaheim in 1966 and became known as the California Angels, then the Anaheim Angels from 1997 until 2005, when it became the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In 1995 he sold a quarter share of the team to The Walt Disney Company, and a controlling interest the following year, with the remaining share to be transferred after his death. Earlier, in 1982, he sold Los Angeles television station KTLA for $245 million.

Personal life

In 1932 he married Ina May Spivey (who died in 1980), who was the niece of Jimmy Long. He married his second wife, Jackie Autry, in 1981.

He had no children by either marriage.

Legacy

In 1972, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

His autobiography was published in 1976, co-written by Mickey Herskowitz; it was titled Back in the Saddle Again after his 1939 hit and signature tune. He is also featured year after year, on radio and "shopping mall theme music" at the holiday season, by his famous recording of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". "Rudolph" became the first #1 hit of the 1950's.

CMT in 2003 ranked him #38 in CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country.

When the Anaheim Angels won their first World Series in 2002, much of the championship was dedicated to him.

The interchange of Interstate 5 and California State Route 134, located near the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage, is signed as the "Gene Autry Memorial Interchange."

The Museum figures as the centerpiece of his legacy

The Museum of the American West, in Los Angeles' Griffith Park, was founded in 1988 as the "Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum", featuring much of his collection of Western art and memorabilia. It has become a very respected institution, preserving the essence of everything related to the "mythic appects" of the American "old west". Everything from true historical lifestyles, to the 70-year sage of the Hollywood "western movie" genre.


Gene's Bronze statue at Museum in compatible 3DIncluded for many years on Forbes magazine's list of the 400 richest Americans, he slipped to their "near miss" category in 1995 with an estimated net worth of $320 million.

Gene Autry died of lymphoma at age 91 at his home in Studio City, California, and is interred in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2003. He is also the only person to date to receive 5 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for contributions in all five possible categories: the motion picture star is located on 6644 Hollywood Blvd., the radio star is located on 6520 Hollywood Blvd., the recording star is located on 6384 Hollywood Blvd., the TV star is located on 6667 Hollywood Blvd. and the live theatre star is located on 7000 Hollywood Blvd.

In 2004, the Starz Entertainment Corporation joined forces with the Autry estate to restore all of his films, which have been shown on Starz's Encore Western Channel on cable television on a regular basis to date since.

Trevor Howard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Born 29 September 1913
Cliftonville, Kent, England
Died 7 January 1988
Bushey, Hertfordshire, England

Trevor Howard, CBE (29 September 1913-7 January 1988), born Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith, was an English movie and television actor.

Early life

Howard was born in Cliftonville, Kent, he was educated at Clifton College, Bristol, and he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and acted on the London stage for several years before World War II. He married the actress Helen Cherry (1915-2001) on 8 September 1944.

Film career

His first major role was in Brief Encounter in 1945, and starred in The Third Man (1949), The Key (1958) and Sons and Lovers (1960), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.

A great character actor, many times appearing in war and period pieces, Howard later appeared in such films as Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), Father Goose (1964), Morituri (1965), Von Ryan's Express (1965), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968), Ryan's Daughter (1969), Battle of Britain (1969), Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), Pope Joan (1972), Ludwig (1972), A Doll's House (1973), Superman (1978), Gandhi (1982), White Mischief (1987), and The Dawning (1988). One of his strangest films, and one he took great delight in was Vivian Stanshall's 1978 Sir Henry at Rawlinson End in which he played the title role.

A major television role was in Staying On (1980).

Death

He died from a combination of bronchitis, influenza and jaundice, in Arkley in 1988 at the age of 74, survived by his widow Helen.

Legacy

He is commemorated by the Trevor Howard Bar at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond upon Thames.

Stanley Kramer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stanley Kramer (September 29, 1913 - February 19, 2001) was an American film director and producer responsible for some of Hollywood's most famous "message" movies.[1] His work was recognized with The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1961.

Director Steven Spielberg once described him as "one of our great filmmakers, not just for the art and passion he put on screen, but for the impact he has made on the conscience of the world."[1]

Early years

Kramer lived with his grandmother in the area known as Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. From an early age, Kramer had connections with the film industry; his uncle, Earl Kramer, worked in distribution at Universal Pictures and then as an agent in Hollywood. Kramer's mother also worked in a secretarial position at Paramount Pictures. Kramer attended DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx and New York University; in his final year at the university, he was offered a paid internship in the writing department of 20th Century Fox. Kramer took the job although he had originally planned on attending law school.[citation needed]

In 1941 he worked as a production assistant on The Moon and Sixpence and So Ends Our Night.[2] Two years later, in 1943, Kramer was drafted, but avoided going to war by working for an army film unit in New York. In 1948 Kramer organized an independent production company, Screen Plays Inc. His partners in the company were with the writer Herbie Baker, publicist George Glass and producer Carl Foreman, who he had met previously during his time with the army film unit. It was during Kramer's career as a producer that he began to receive recognition for his talent.

While the first movie produced under his production company was a failure, So This Is New York (1948), directed by Richard Fleischer, the following film directed by Mark Robson, Champion, starring Kirk Douglas, was a success. The film received six Academy Awards nominations: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Cinematography, Black and White, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay. The film also won an Oscar for Best Film Editing. In the next three years, Kramer produced Home of the Brave (1949), which was another success for the budding producer. In 1950, he produced The Men, which included Marlon Brando's screen debut.

Columbia Pictures

A year later, Harry Cohn, the president of Columbia Pictures offered Kramer the chance to make movies under his studio. Kramer was given free reign of what films he chose to make, along with a budget that topped at 980,000 dollars.[citation needed] While Kramer accepted the job, he spent the rest of the year finishing his last independent production, the film High Noon, a Western drama directed by Fred Zinnemann. The movie was well received, winning four Oscars for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Song and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic of Comedy Picture, as well as three nominations for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay.

In October 1951, Kramer ended his partnership with Carl Foreman, who was asked to testify about his past involvement with the Communist Party. Kramer was still producing movies at Columbia, such as Death of a Salesman (1951), The Sniper (1952), The Member of the Wedding (1952), The Juggler (1953), The Wild One (1953) and The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953). While the movies were not considered successful, they are now found very interesting and are highly praised.[citation needed]

In 1953 the president of Columbia, Harry Cohn and Stanley Kramer agreed to terminate the five year contract Kramer had made to Columbia. However, for his last Columbia film, Kramer was determined to regain all of the investments Columbia had made in Kramer's previously unsuccessful films. The film, The Caine Mutiny, was an adaptation of the book written by Herman Wouk and was directed by Edward Dmytryk. Kramer faced resistance from the US Navy, which the film depicted, for presenting what they considered an unfair portrayal. Kramer was able to negotiate a deal with the Navy, attempting to make the film as accurate and fair as possible. The film's cast included multiple noted actors of the time, including Humphrey Bogart, Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray and Jose Ferrer. Cohn kept Kramer under tight limitations, such as a budget under two and half million dollars and a running time of two hours. The result was extremely successful. The eleven million dollars it generated made up for any of Kramer's lost profits previously.

Directing

After The Caine Mutiny, Kramer left Columbia and resumed his independent production, but this time he occupied the role of the director. During this time, Kramer reestablished himself through Not As a Stranger (1955) and The Pride and the Passion (1957). Fortunately for Kramer, he was able to avoid the Hollywood blacklist, which had affected so many other members of the film industry. However, Kramer was well known for his liberal views and his desire to produce and direct controversial films.[citation needed] In 1958 he directed The Defiant Ones, On the Beach (1959), Inherit the Wind (1960) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). All of the films were bold and dealt with uncomfortable and serious subjects.

In contrast to his previous films however, in 1963 Kramer produced and directed the multi-million dollar, all-star comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Four years later, in 1967, Kramer released Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. It is speculated that out of all of his films, this film was the one that Kramer was the most proud of.[citation needed] The film starred Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton and the final screen teaming of Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The film was a hit, earning eight Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Art Direction, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Music and Best Picture, along with two Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay. In the following years, Kramer directed films such as Bless the Beasts and Children (1971), Oklahoma Crude (1973) and The Runner Stumbles (1979).

In 1997 Kramer published his autobiography, entitled A Mad Mad Mad Mad World: A Life in Hollywood. Stanley Kramer died on February 19th, 2001 in Los Angeles after suffering from pneumonia.

Lizabeth Scott
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lizabeth Scott (born September 29, 1922) is an American actress.

Early life

She was born Emma Matzo in Dunmore, Pennsylvania, the daughter of John and Mary Matzo. Her parents were Roman Catholic immigrants from Slovakia. The family later resided in nearby Scranton, where Emma attended Central High School and Marywood College.

She later went to New York City and attended the Alvienne School of Drama. In late 1942, she was eking out a precarious living with a small Midtown Manhattan summer stock company when she got a job as understudy for Tallulah Bankhead in Thornton Wilder's play The Skin of Our Teeth. However, Scott never had an opportunity to substitute for Bankhead.

Rise To Fame

When Miriam Hopkins was signed to replace Bankhead, Scott quit and returned to her drama studies and some fashion modeling. She then received a call that Gladys George, who was signed to replace Hopkins, was ill, and Scott was needed back at the theatre. She then went on in the key and leading role of "Sabina", receiving a nod of approval from critics at the tender age of 20. The following night George was out again and Scott went on in her place.

Soon afterward, Scott was at the Stork Club when motion picture producer Hal Wallis sent over an inquiry as to who she was, unaware that an aide had already arranged an interview with her for the following day. When Scott returned home, however, she found a telegram offering her the lead for the Boston run of The Skin of Our Teeth. She could not turn it down. She sent Wallis her apologies and went on the road.

Though the Broadway production, in which she received a credit as "Girl," christened her "Elizabeth," she dropped the "e" the day after the opening night in Boston, "just to be different."

A photograph of Scott in the magazine Harper's Bazaar was then seen by the movie agent Charles Feldman. He admired the fashion pose and took its model on as a client. Scott made her first screen test at Warner Brothers, where she and Hal Wallis finally met. Though the test was bad, he recognized her possibilities. As soon as he set up shop for himself at Paramount, she was signed to a contract. Her movie debut was in You Came Along (1945) opposite Robert Cummings.

Paramount publicity dubbed Scott "The Threat," in order to create an onscreen persona for her similar to Lauren Bacall or Veronica Lake. Scott's smoky sensuality and husky-voice lent itself to the film noir genre and, beginning with The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) starring Barbara Stanwyck and Van Heflin, the studio cast her in a series of thrillers.

The dark blonde actress was initially compared to Bacall because of a slight resemblance and a similar voice. Even more so after she starred with Bacall's husband, Humphrey Bogart, in the 1947 noir thriller Dead Reckoning. The movie was Scott's first of many roles as a femme fatale.

She also starred in Desert Fury (1947), a noir filmed in Technicolor, with John Hodiak, Burt Lancaster, Wendell Corey, and Mary Astor. In it, she played the role as Paula Haller, who, on her return from college, falls for a gangster, Eddie Mannix (played by Hodiak), and receives a great deal of opposition from the others.

Scott was paired with Lancaster, Corey, and Kirk Douglas in Hal Wallis' I Walk Alone (1948), a noirish story of betrayal and vengeance.

After being known professionally as Lizabeth Scott for 4 1/2 years, she appeared at the courthouse in Los Angeles, on October 20, 1949, and had her name legally changed.

Scandal

Scott never married or had children. True or false, rumors and allegations concerning her sexual (lesbian [1]) preferences began. In 1955, she hired famed attorney Jerry Giesler and sued Confidential Magazine for $2,500,000 in libel damages.

She charged that in the September issue it was implied that she was "prone to indecent, illegal and highly offensive acts in her private and public life"; "These implications," Scott said, "are willfully, wrongfully, maliciously and completely without truth.". However, her case was thrown out on a technicality, and she chose to drop the issue rather than pursuing it further.

After completing Loving You (1957), which was Elvis Presley's second movie, Scott retired from the screen. She continued to appear in occasional guest starring roles on television, however, for several years.

Later Life

In 1972, she made one final motion picture appearance in Pulp with Michael Caine and Mickey Rooney.

Since then, she has retreated from public view, and has declined all interview requests, probably because she does not wish to discuss her sexuality.

Lizabeth Scott has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to Motion Pictures at 1624 Vine Street in Hollywood

Madeline Kahn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Born September 29, 1942
Boston, Massachusetts
Died December 3, 1999
New York, New York

Madeline Kahn (September 29, 1942 - December 3, 1999) was an American actress of movie, television, and theater distinguished by an unusual gift for comedy. Director Mel Brooks - who directed her in four films - said of her: "She is one of the most talented people that ever lived. I mean, either in stand-up comedy, or acting, or whatever you want, you can't beat Madeline Kahn".

Early life

Kahn was born in Boston, Massachusetts, as Madeline Gail Wolfson to a Jewish family. Her mother, Paula, was 17 when Kahn was born. Although Kahn's parents were high school sweethearts, they divorced after her father's return from World War II (Kahn was only two years old at the time). After the divorce was finalized, Kahn and her mother moved to New York City. A few years later, her mother remarried and this union gave Kahn two half-siblings, Jeffrey and Robyn. In 1948, Kahn was sent to a progressive boarding school in Pennsylvania, where she stayed until 1952. During that time, her mother pursued her ambition as an actress. Kahn herself soon began acting and performed in a number of school productions.

In 1960, she graduated from the Martin Van Buren High School in Queens Village, New York, where she earned a drama scholarship to Hofstra University. At Hofstra, she studied music, drama and speech therapy and also performed in several campus productions. After changing her major a number of times, Kahn graduated in 1964 with a degree in speech therapy.

Career

Kahn began auditioning for professional acting roles shortly after her graduation from Hofstra; on the side, she briefly taught public school in Levittown, New York. Just before adopting the professional name Madeline Kahn (Kahn was her stepfather's last name), she made her stage debut as a chorus girl in a revival of Kiss Me, Kate, which led her to join the Actors' Equity. Her part in the flop How Now, Dow Jones was written out before the 1967 show reached Broadway, as did her role as "Miss Whipple" in the original production of Promises, Promises. But she earned her first break on Broadway with New Faces of 1968. That same year, she performed her first professional lead in a special concert performance of the operetta Candide in honor of Leonard Bernstein's 50th birthday. In 1969, she appeared off-Broadway in the revue Promenade.

She appeared in two Broadway musicals in the 1970s: a featured role in Richard Rodgers' 1970 Noah's Ark-themed show Two by Two (her silly waltz "The Golden Ram," capped by a high C, can be heard on the show's cast album) and a leading lady turn as Lily Garland in 1978's On the Twentieth Century. She left (or was fired from) the latter show early in its run, yielding the role to her understudy, Judy Kaye, whose career it launched. She also starred in a 1977 Town Hall revival of She Loves Me (opposite Barry Bostwick and original London cast member Rita Moreno).

Kahn's film debut came that same year with a role in De Düva: The Dove. Her most famous roles followed in the 1970's. Her breakthrough performance came as Ryan O'Neal's hysterical fiancé Eunice Burns ("I am not A Eunice Burns; I am THE Eunice Burns!") in Peter Bogdanovich's screwball comedy What's Up, Doc? (1972) starring Barbra Streisand. Her film career continued with Paper Moon (1973), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Kahn was cast in the role of Agnes Gooch in the 1974 film Mame, but star Lucille Ball fired Kahn due to artistic differences.

A close succession of Kahn comedies - Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974) and High Anxiety (1977) - were all directed by Mel Brooks, who many Hollywood observers claimed was able to bring out the best of Kahn's comic talents. (Their last collaboration would be 1981's History of the World, Part I.) For Blazing Saddles, she was again nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In the April 2006 issue of Premiere magazine, her performance as Lili von Shtupp in "Saddles" was selected as number 31 on its list of the 100 greatest performances of all time. In 1978 Kahn's comic screen persona reached another peak with Neil Simon's The Cheap Detective, a spoof of Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon directed by Robert Moore. In the film she befuddles Peter Falk's gumshoe with an array of fake identities.

Kahn's roles were primarily comedic rather than dramatic, though the 1970s found her originating roles in two plays that had both elements: 1974's In the Boom Boom Room and 1977's Marco Polo Sings a Solo. After her success in Brooks' films, she played in a number of less successful films in the 1980s (perhaps most memorably as Mrs. White in the 1985 film Clue). She also performed in the movie The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother opposite Gene Wilder.

Late in her career, Kahn returned to the stage, first in Judy Holliday's role in a 1989 revival of Born Yesterday, then as "Dr. Gorgeous" in Wendy Wasserstein's 1993 play The Sisters Rosensweig, a role that garnered her a Tony Award. She played Angela Lansbury's role in a concert revival of Anyone Can Whistle that was released on CD, and also continued to appear in movies, including the holiday farce Mixed Nuts.

In the early 1990's, Kahn recorded a voice for the animated movie The Magic 7. Her most notable role at this time was her recurring role on the sitcom Cosby as Pauline, the eccentric neighbor. She also voiced Gypsy the moth in A Bug's Life. She also received some of the best reviews of her career for her Chekhovian turn in the 1999 independent movie Judy Berlin, her final film.

Illness and death

Kahn was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in early 1999. She underwent treatment and continued to work, even making an appearance on Cosby. However, the disease progressed rapidly, and on December 3, 1999, Kahn died at the age of 57.

She was survived by her husband, John Hansbury (her longtime partner who she had married shortly before her death) as well as her mother, Paula Kahn; brother, Jeffrey Kahn; and niece, Eliza Kahn.

Dear Diary,

Monday: Now home from honeymoon and settled in our new home, it's fun to cook for Bob. Today I made an angel food cake and the recipe said, "Beat 12 eggs separately." Well, I didn't have enough bowls to do that, so I had to borrow enough bowls to beat the eggs in. The cake turned out fine.

Tuesday: We wanted a fruit salad for supper. The recipe said, serve without dressing." So I didn't dress. But, Bob happened to bring a friend home for supper that night. Did they ever look startled when I served the salad.

Wednesday: I decided to serve rice and found a recipe which said, "Wash thoroughly before steaming the rice." So I heated some water and took a bath before steaming the rice. Sounded kinda silly in the middle of the week. I can't say it improved the rice any.

Thursday: Today Bob asked for salad again. I tried a new recipe. It said, "Prepare ingredients, then toss on a bed of lettuce one hour before serving." I hunted all over the garden by my mom's. So I tossed my salad into the bed of lettuce and stood over there one hour so the dog would not take it. Bob came over and asked if I felt all right. I wonder why?

Friday: Today I found an easy recipe for cookies. It said, "Put all ingredients in a bowl and beat it." Beat it I did, right over to my mom's house. There must have been something wrong with the recipe, because when I came back home again it looked the same as when I left it.

Saturday: Bob went shopping today and brought home a chicken. He asked me to dress it for Sunday. I'm sure I don't know how hens dress for Sunday. I never noticed back on the farm, but I found a doll dress and some little shoes. I thought the hen looked real cute. When Bob saw it, I wondered why he counted to 10.

Sunday: Today Bob's folks came to dinner. I wanted to serve roast, but all we had in the icebox, was hamburger. So I put it in the oven and set the controls for roast. Must be the oven, because it still came out hamburger.

Good night, Dear Diary. This has been an exciting week. I am eager for tomorrow to come, so I can try a new recipe on Bob.

Good morning, WA2K listeners and contributors.

edgar, we are beginning to learn a lot about Buffy and her relationship with Bob Dylan. Thanks, Texas.

Rex, I do know "More", and thank you for reminding us of that lovely song, Maine.

My Gawd, Bob of Boston. That is one funny diary, and sounds like me when I first got married. Love it, hawk.

We will await our Raggedy's pictures to comment on all the bio's, buddy.

Well, folks, I have made a switch over to tea since I'm out of coffee. Rather refreshing, actually.

Good morning WA2K.

Today's picture gallery: