Andy Griffith
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born Andy Samuel Griffith
June 1, 1926 (1926-06-01) (age 82)
Mount Airy, North Carolina
Occupation Actor, Producer, Writer, Director, Country Music singer, Comedian, Bluegrass & Southern Gospel music singer
Years active 1957-present
Spouse(s) Barbara Griffith (1949-1972)
Solica Cassuto (1975-1981)
Cindi Knight (1983-)
Awards won
Grammy Awards
Best Southern, Country/Bluegrass Gospel Album
1997 I Love to Tell the Story - 25 Timeless Hymns
Andy Samuel Griffith (born June 1, 1926) is an American actor, producer, writer, director and southern gospel singer.[1] He gained prominence in the starring role of A Face in the Crowd before he was better known for his starring roles, playing the title characters in the 1960s sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show, for CBS and in the 1980s and 1990s legal drama, Matlock, on NBC and later ABC. Griffith was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush on 9 November 2005. According to the Internet Movie Database, the octogenarian is still acting and has two films in pre-production as of 2008.[2]
Early life
Griffith, an only child, was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina, the son of Geneva (née Nunn) and Carl Lee Griffith.[3] To this day, Mount Airy annually celebrates Griffith and his eponymous television series with "Mayberry Days".[4]
At a very young age, Griffith had to live with relatives until his parents could afford to get a home of their own. Without a crib or a bed, Andy slept in his drawers for a few months. In 1929, when Griffith was 3, his father took a job working as a carpenter and was finally able to purchase a home. Like his mother, Andy grew up listening to music. By the time he entered school he was well aware that he was from what many considered the "wrong side of the tracks". He was a shy student, but once he found a way to make his peers laugh, he began to come into his own. As a student at Mount Airy High School, Andy cultivated an interest in the arts and he participated in the school's drama program. A growing love of music would change his life. Griffith looked up to Ed Mickey, a minister at Grace Moravian Church, who led the brass band and taught Andy to sing and play the trombone. Mickey nurtured Griffith's talent throughout high school until graduation in 1944. Griffith was delighted when he was offered a role in The Lost Colony, a play still performed today in the historic Outer Banks of coastal North Carolina. He performed as a cast member of the play for several years, playing a variety of roles, until he finally landed the role of Sir Walter Raleigh, the namesake of North Carolina's capital.
He began college studying to be a Moravian preacher, but changed his major to music. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned a bachelor's degree in music in 1949. While at UNC, he was president of the UNC Men's Glee Club and was a member of the Alpha Rho Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, America's oldest fraternity for men in music. After graduation, he taught English at Goldsboro High School, in Goldsboro, NC, for a few years.
Comedian to film star
Griffith's early career was as a monologist, delivering long comic stories such as What it Was, Was Football, which is told from the point of view of a rural backwoodsman trying to figure out what was going on in a football game.[5] By 1955, he was on Broadway, starring in No Time for Sergeants, a play about a country boy in the Air Force.[6] Griffith reprised his lead role in the play for the movie version in 1958; the film also featured Don Knotts as a corporal in charge of Manual Dexterity tests, marking the beginning of a life-long association between Griffith and Knotts. No Time for Sergeants is also considered the direct inspiration for Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.. Also in 1958, Griffith portrayed a United States Coast Guard sailor in the movie Onionhead, but the film was not a critical or commercial success.
Dramatic pinnacle
In 1957, Griffith starred in A Face in the Crowd. Although he plays a "country boy", this "country boy" is manipulative and power-hungry, a drifter who becomes a television host and uses his show as a gateway to political power. Co-starring Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau, Tony Franciosa and Lee Remick (in her film debut), this now-classic film showcases Griffith's powerful talents as a dramatic actor and singer.
The film demonstrated, quite early-on, the power that television can have upon the masses. Directed by Elia Kazan, written by Budd Schulberg, ostensibly based on the alleged on-stage phoniness of Will Rogers and Arthur Godfrey, the prescient film was seldom run on television until the 1990s. A 2005 DVD reissue came complete with a mini-documentary on the film with comments from Schulberg and surviving cast members Griffith, Franciosa and Neal.
TV roles
Griffith's first appearance on television was as the star in the original (1955) adaptation of No Time for Sergeants on The United States Steel Hour, the first of 2 appearances on the show. Griffith has also made other character appearances on Playhouse 90, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Mayberry R.F.D., The Mod Squad, Hawaii Five-O, The Doris Day Show, Here's Lucy, The Bionic Woman, Fantasy Island, among many others. He also reprised his role as Ben Matlock on Diagnosis: Murder in 1997, and his final guest-starring role to date has been an episode of Dawson's Creek.
The Andy Griffith Show
Before The Andy Griffith Show, Griffith appeared as a county sheriff (who was also justice-of-the-peace and editor of the local newspaper) in an episode of The Danny Thomas Show. This episode, in which Thomas's character is stopped for speeding in the little town of Mayberry, served as a backdoor pilot for Griffith's own show. Both shows were produced by Sheldon Leonard. Griffith starred in his own series called The Andy Griffith Show, beginning in 1960, for CBS, alongside other successful 1960s family sitcoms that dealt with widowhood, such as: My Three Sons, Family Affair, Beulah, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Lucy Show, Julia, The Courtship of Eddie's Father and The Brady Bunch. Co-starring on the show was character actor, comedian and longtime friend of Griffith's, Don Knotts. Knotts played the role of Taylor's best friend and partner, Deputy Barney Fife, from 1960 to 1965. Also starring on The Andy Griffith Show was a child actor, Ron Howard, who played the role of Taylor's only son, Opie Taylor.
The show took place in Mayberry, where Griffith's character, Andy Taylor, a widower, was the sheriff and town sage. It was an immediate hit. Though Griffith never received a writing credit for the show, he worked on the development of every script. While Knotts was frequently lauded and won multiple Emmy awards for his comedic performances, Griffith was never nominated for an Emmy during the show's run. In 1967, Griffith was under contract with CBS to do one more season of the show. But Griffith decided to quit the show to pursue a movie career and other projects. The series continued as Mayberry R.F.D., for which Griffith served as executive producer and guest starred in five episodes.[7]
Other series and Matlock
After leaving his still-popular show in 1968, Griffith starred in less successful series such as The Headmaster (1970), The New Andy Griffith Show (1971), Salvage 1 (1979), and The Yeagers (1980).
After spending time in rehabilitation for leg paralysis due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome in 1986, Griffith came back to work in another popular TV series as the title character Ben Matlock, in Matlock. Griffith's character was a country lawyer in Atlanta, who was known for his southern drawl and always winning his cases. By the end of its first season it was a ratings powerhouse on Tuesday nights. Also starring on Matlock during the first season was familiar actress Linda Purl who played Matlock's younger daughter Charlene Matlock. She had limited appearances with the seasoned actor and was dismissed from the show after 1 season. Purl was replaced by Nancy Stafford, who was a devout Andy Griffith fan since the 1960s, Miss Florida in the Miss Universe Pageant of 1976, an unknown actress at the time, future speaker and best-selling author of Christian books. She was a Wilton Manors native who played the role of Matlock's law partner, aide, and friend, Michelle Thomas (beginning in 1987 to her last appearance in 1992). Well-known character actor and future minister Kene Holliday played Matlock's first private investigator, Tyler Hudson. Despite the fact that he got along with Griffith, he was fired in 1989, due to his long battle with drugs/alcohol which led to his arrest. He was replaced by another young veteran character actor, film star, cowboy, football player, western buff, military brat and college student from the San Bernardino suburb of Rialto, California, Clarence Gilyard, playing the role of Matlock's second private investigator, Conrad McMasters from 1989 to 1993. Compared to the relationships of Griffith's, Holliday's & Stafford's, Clarence's chemistry and on- and off-screen friendship with Andy was an asset to the program, though Andy was proven to be very difficult to work with himself. And also joining the cast of Matlock for the series' seventh season in 1992, was longtime film and character actor, future Nash Bridges star, writer and producer, Daniel Roebuck, as Matlock's assistant Cliff Lewis. Though he didn't appear in every episode during the seventh year, but it was after Gilyard's departure from the show, that gave him a co-starring and stayed with the series until the end. He also had a great deal spending time with Andy, and learning so much from him. Roebuck also appeared on early episodes of Matlock, through various characters. Though the show was nominated for 4 Emmys, Griffith once again was not even nominated. During the series' sixth season, he served as Writer, Executive Producer, and Director of the show. The show ended in 1995. Distributed by Viacom and now CBS Television Distribution, it has seen long-running success in syndication.
Gilyard, who was also a devout fan of Andy Griffith's since the 1960s, had watched his mentor's first highly rated long-running sitcom, based on the real-life values in Mayberry, when the future actor was primarily in grade school. After having the experience learning from Griffith he auditioned for his first prime job replacing the unhappy Holliday. He beat out 3 other actors for the role and said of his idol/friend, "I was doing a lot of stress management that day", With a lesser smile, Gilyard said, "I decided to forget about the audition script and focus on Andy the man. Having grown up with The Andy Griffith Show, adoring the father/son relationship, I just figured to be Opie for a day. Well, I blew it. I was disappointed with myself, thinking I would never work again. But I turned on the TV in the limousine taking me back to the airport that night, and my second episode of Diff'rent Strokes happened to be on. I felt it was a good omen." In addition, Clarence also said before the casting, "There is a God in Heaven, because the character fits me like a glove." Gilyard left the show in 1993, after the show switched networks from NBC to ABC, hence, most of his screen-time on Matlock was reduced. At the same time, he was offered a co-starring role before shooting the pilot for Walker, Texas Ranger on CBS, where he stayed on the show for 9 consecutive seasons, making him a star in his own right. Today, he, along with Stafford & Roebuck are good friends with Griffith.
Roebuck, also a huge fan of Andy Griffith's has said of the show:" Matlock is a show about a lawyer who wears the same suit all the time, and he solves cases and he gets paid lots of money to do it." In addition he also said, "Andy took a great deal of interest in producing, rewriting, always tweaking it. As I said on Matlock, we worked very hard and nobody worked harder than Andy Griffith, who'd be pulling a 12-hour day, you know, when he was in his late 60s, and I don't know a lot of people my age who would do that consistently everyday", said Daniel. "I love the time that we had together on the set; and we had a wonderful, professional relationship. The time that I spent with Andy, as an actor, was some of the best times I had, as an actor." The final thing that Roebuck said of Griffith's career (as a singer): "He loved music so much, it was something else that Andy brought to the show, it wasn't just the humor, it was the music. Anybody who watches Matlock consistently will remember that there's music, throughout the show." Today, Roebuck is also on good terms with Griffith.
Movies
Griffith also starred in many television films such as The Strangers In 7A (1972), Winter Kill (1974) and Pray for the Wildcats (1974). In 1981 Griffith won an Emmy nomination for his role in the TV film Murder In Texas and in 1983 won further acclaim for his role as a homicidal villain in the TV film Murder In Coweta County, co-starring music legend Johnny Cash as the Sheriff. During this period, Griffith also appeared in two big screen movies, both of which were flops at the box office. He co-starred with Jeff Bridges in the 1975 comedy Hearts of the West, and appeared alongside Tom Berenger as the villainous Colonel Ticonderoga in the 1985 movie Rustlers' Rhapsody. He also had an appearance as the villain in the movies Spy Hard (1996) and Savages (1974), a made for TV movie based on the novel Deathwatch by Robb White. In 1985, Griffith stunned many unfamiliar with his A Face in the Crowd work in the TV-Movie Crime of Innocence, where he portrayed Judge Julius Sullivan, a callous man who routinely sentenced juveniles to hard prison time. In the 1999 film A Holiday Romance, directed by Bobby Roth, Andy played the role of "Jake Peterson." In the film "Daddy and them", Griffith portrayed "O.T. Montgomery", the patriarch of a dysfunctional southern family.
Griffith, revered for his wholesome image for decades, revealed a more complex side of himself in the A Face in the Crowd DVD documentary, where he recalled director Kazan prepping him to shoot his first scene with Lee Remick. Remick played a teenage baton twirler who captivates Griffith's character on a trip to Arkansas. Griffith recalls that Kazan wanted a specific facial expression from him to convey the character's emotional state, which Kazan summed up in the phrase, "Look at her like you want to f--k her!"[8]
In the 2007 movie Waitress, Griffith plays a character named "Old Joe". He briefly promoted the role when he appeared on Larry King Live in 2006, on an episode paying tribute to Don Knotts. In 2008, Griffith will appear in the romantic comedy Play The Game alongside Doris Roberts, in which he plays a lonely, widowed grandfather re-entering the dating world after a 60 year hiatus.
Singing and recording career
Griffith sang as part of some of his acting roles, most notably in A Face In The Crowd and on some episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. In recent years, he has recorded successful albums of classic Christian hymns, for Sparrow Records. In 1999 Andy was inducted into the Country Gospel Music Hall of Fame with fellow artists Lulu Roman, Barbara Mandrell, David L Cook, Gary S. Paxton, Jimmy Snow, Loretta Lynn and Jodi Miller.[9]
C.F. Martin & Company guitar manufacturers offer an Andy Griffith signature model guitar.
Griffith was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007.
Trademarks
Griffith's trademarks are driving 2 separate Ford automobiles: (Galaxie on The Andy Griffith Show, and Crown Victoria on Matlock), his Southern drawl (though he doesn't have a Southern accent), for wearing his gray suit (on Matlock), and for frequently playing the characters who have a folksy, friendly personality.
Name dispute
William Harold Fenrick of Platteville, Wisconsin, legally changed his name to Andrew Jackson Griffith and ran unsuccessfully for sheriff of Grant County in November 2006. Subsequently, actor Griffith filed a lawsuit against Griffith/Fenrick, asserting that he violated trademark, copyright and privacy laws by changing his name for the "sole purpose of taking advantage of Griffith's notoriety in an attempt to gain votes." However, on May 4, 2007, U.S. District Judge John Shabaz ruled Griffith/Fenrick did not violate federal trademark law because he did not use the Griffith name in a commercial transaction but instead "to seek elective office, fundamental First Amendment protected speech."
Friendship with other actors
Griffith's relationship with comedian Don Knotts began in 1955, when they both co-starred together in the Broadway play No Time for Sergeants. A couple of years later, Knotts would co-star with Griffith on The Andy Griffith Show for five seasons, playing Griffith's cousin on the series. After leaving the show, Knotts and Griffith kept in touch with one another until Knotts' death in early 2006. Knotts also had a recurring role on Matlock. It was reported in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that Griffith traveled from his Manteo, North Carolina, home to Los Angeles to visit a terminally ill Don Knotts in the hospital as Knotts succumbed to complications of lung cancer.
Griffith's longtime friendship with Ron Howard began in 1960, when the child actor guest-starred alongside him on an episode of Make Room For Daddy which led to the success of The Andy Griffith Show that same year. For 8 seasons, Griffith & Howard shared a unique father-son relationship on the set. When the show ended, Howard also guest-starred alongside Griffith on its spin-off show, Mayberry R.F.D., where his character's father marries long-time girlfriend Helen Crump. Howard never made any cameo appearances on Griffith's series, Matlock, but was invited to the People's Choice Award in 1987, where Andy was honored that same year. Howard keeps busy maintaining his long-term career as a successful director and producer of high-budget films. He and Griffith keep in touch by telephone, sharing news about family and personal activities. Howard and his family attended Griffith's movie, Waitress, which they reportedly enjoyed.
Personal life
Griffith was married to Barbara Bray Edwards for 23 years (1949-1972), with whom he adopted two children, son, Andrew Samuel Griffith Jr. (aka "Sam Griffith"), a real-estate developer (b. 1957 - d. January 17, 1996), and a daughter, Dixie Nan. After his divorce from Edwards, he married Solica Cassuto (1973 - 1981). Griffith married his current wife, Cindi Knight, on April 2, 1983.
In politics, Griffith has favored Democrats and recorded television commercials endorsing North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley[10][11][12] and candidate for Governor Bev Perdue.
Health
Griffith's first serious health problem started in April 1983, when he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, and couldn't walk for 7 months due to paralysis from the knees down.
On May 9, 2000, Griffith underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia.
After a fall, Griffith underwent hip surgery on September 5, 2007, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
Honors
Griffith received a Grammy Award in 1997. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 9, 2005.[13] A few weeks earlier, he helped preside over the reopening of the Memorial Hall on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus and donated a substantial amount of memorabilia from his career to the university.
In October, 2002, an 11-mile (18 km) stretch of US Highway 52 in Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina was dedicated as the Andy Griffith Parkway.
A statue of Andy and Opie was constructed in Pullen Park in Raleigh and at the Andy Griffith Playhouse in his hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina.
Marilyn Monroe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born Norma Jeane Mortenson
June 1, 1926(1926-06-01)
Los Angeles, California
Died August 5, 1962 (aged 36)
Brentwood, Los Angeles, California
Other name(s) Norma Jeane Baker
Occupation actress, model, singer, comedian
Years active 1947-1962
Spouse(s) James Dougherty (June 19, 1942 - September 13, 1946)
Joe DiMaggio (January 14, 1954 - October 27, 1954)
Arthur Miller (June 29, 1956 - January 20, 1961)
Official website
Awards won
Golden Globe Awards
Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1960 Some Like It Hot
Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson;[1] baptised Norma Jeane Baker June 1, 1926 - August 5, 1962), was a Golden Globe-winning,[2] critically-acclaimed[3][4][5] American actress, singer, model, Hollywood icon,[6] cultural icon, fashion icon,[7] pop icon,[8] film executive[9] and sex symbol. She is known for her beauty,[10][11] comedic acting roles and screen presence.[12] Monroe was one of the most popular movie stars of the 1950s and early 1960s and became the object of unprecedented popular adulation.[13][14] During the later stages of her career, she worked towards serious roles and her fame surpassed that of any other entertainer of her time.[15] Monroe is the only female on the Forbes top-earning dead celebrities list.[16]
Monroe's death at age 36 was classified as probable suicide.[17] Many individuals including Jack Clemmons, the first LAPD Police officer to arrive at the death scene,[18] believed that she was murdered.[19] Others, including historian Anthony Summers, have doubted Clemmons' reliability as a source.[20] Several of Monroe's Hollywood peers who knew her, including Shelley Winters and Tony Curtis, also have disputed murder theories.
Childhood
Family and early life
Monroe was born in the charity ward of the Los Angeles County Hospital.[1][21] According to biographer Fred Lawrence Guiles, her grandmother, Della Monroe Grainger, had her baptized Norma Jeane Baker by Aimee Semple McPherson.[1] Although she took a stagename of Marilyn Monroe in 1946, she did not legally change her name until February 23, 1956.[22] Her mother was Gladys Pearl (Monroe) Baker (1902-1984).[23] The identity of her father has been the subject of debate for decades, Biographer Donald H. Wolfe in The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, writes his belief that Norma Jeane's biological father was Charles Stanley Gifford, a salesman for RKO Pictures where Gladys worked as a film-cutter and indeed throughout her life Marilyn always believed that Gifford was her father.[24] However, Monroe's official birth certificate lists Gladys's second husband, Martin Edward Mortenson, as the father.[25]
Foster homes
Mentally unstable and unable to care for Monroe, Gladys placed her with foster parents Albert and Ida Bolender of Hawthorne, California, where she lived until she was seven.[26] In her autobiography My Story, Monroe stated she believed that the Bolenders were her parents until Ida, quite rudely, corrected her.
During one of her weekly visits, Gladys told Norma Jeane that she bought a house for them. A few months after moving in, Gladys suffered a breakdown. In My Story, Monroe recalls her mother "screaming and laughing," as she was forcibly removed to the State Hospital in Norwalk, where her mother, Glady, had been taken and died.[27] According to My Sister Marilyn, Gladys's brother, Marion, hanged himself upon his release from an asylum, and Della's father, Tilford Marion Hogan, did the same in a fit of depression.
Monroe was declared a ward of the state, and Gladys's best friend, Grace McKee became her guardian. After McKee married in 1935, Monroe was sent to the Los Angeles Orphans Home (later renamed Hollygrove), and then to a succession of foster homes.[26]
Grace and her husband were about to move to East and could not take Norma Jeane. According to biographer Fred Lawrence Guiles, another family, moving to Louisiana wanted to adopt Norma Jeane, but Gladys would not allow it. Grace then approached the mother of a neighbor boy, James Dougherty, about the possibility of him marrying Norma Jeane so that she would not have to return to an orphanage or foster care.[26] Monroe would state in her autobiography that she did not feel like a wife; she enjoyed playing with the neighborhood children until her husband would call her home. The marriage lasted until 1946 when Monroe decided to pursue her career.
Career
Early years
While her first husband was in the Merchant Marine during World War II, Monroe, moved in with her mother-in-law, where she started working in the Radioplane Munitions Factory owned by Hollywood actor Reginald Denny. She sprayed airplane parts with fire retardant and inspected parachutes. During this time, Army photographer David Conover snapped a photograph of her for a YANK magazine article. He encouraged her to apply to the The Blue Book modeling agency. She signed with the agency and began researching the work of famous actresses Jean Harlow and Lana Turner. Monroe enrolled in drama and singing classes and had her hair cut, straightened and lightened to golden blonde.[26]
Monroe became one of Blue Book's most successful models, appearing on dozens of magazine covers. In 1946, she came to the attention of talent scout Ben Lyon. He arranged a screen test for her with 20th Century Fox. She was offered a standard six-month contract with a starting salary of $125 per week.[28]
Since Norma Jeane was not considered a commercial stage name, Lyon suggested she adopt Marilyn (after the famous actress Marilyn Miller).[29] For her last name, she took her mother's maiden name of Monroe. During her first six months at Fox, Monroe was given no work, but Fox renewed her contract and she was given minor appearances in Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! and Dangerous Years, both released in 1947.[15] In Scudda Hoo!, her part was edited out except for a quick glimpse of her face when she speaks two words. Fox decided not to renew her contracts. Monroe returned to modeling and began to network and make contacts. She posed for nude photographs which were later featured in the first issue of Playboy.[26]
In 1948, during a six-month stint at Columbia Pictures, Monroe had a part in a Three Stooges short and starred in the film Ladies of the Chorus. The low-budget musical was not a success and Monroe was dropped again. She met one of Hollywood's top agents, Johnny Hyde, who had Fox re-sign her after MGM turned her down. Darryl F. Zanuck, the vice-president of Fox, was not convinced of Monroe's potential, but because of Hyde's persistence, she gained supporting parts in the Marx Brothers film Love Happy (1949), and in Fox's All About Eve and MGM's The Asphalt Jungle (both 1950). Even though the roles were small, moviegoers as well as critics took notice.[15] Hyde arranged for her to have minor plastic surgery on her nose and chin, adding that to earlier dental surgery.[30][31][32]
The next two years were filled with inconsequential roles in standard fare, such as We're Not Married! and Love Nest. However, RKO executives used Monroe to boost box office potential of the Fritz Lang production, Clash by Night. After the film performed well, Fox employed a similar tactic, and she was cast as the ditzy receptionist with Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers in Howard Hawks's slapstick comedy Monkey Business. Critics no longer ignored her, and both films' success at the box office was partly attributed to Monroe's growing popularity.
Fox finally gave Monroe a starring role in 1952 with Don't Bother to Knock, in which she portrayed a deranged babysitter who attacks the little girl in her care. It was a cheaply made B-movie, and although the reviews were mixed, they claimed it demonstrated Monroe's ability and confirmed she was ready for more leading roles. Her performance has been noted as one of her finest.[33]
Stardom
Monroe proved she could carry a big-budget film when she starred in Niagara in 1953. Movie critics focused on Monroe's connection with the camera as much as on the sinister plot.[34] She played an unbalanced woman planning to murder her husband.
Playboy playmate
First issue of Playboy, featuring a black-and-white photo of Monroe (in a dress) promising inside full-color pictures of her nude.
Playboy centerfold appearance
December 1953
Succeeded by Margie Harrison
Died August 5, 1962
Measurements Bust: 36[35]
Waist: 24[35]
Hips: 34[35]
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.7 m)[35]
Weight 118 lb (54 kg)[35]
Around this time, the nude photos of Monroe began to surface, taken by photographer Tom Kelley during her unemployment. Prints were bought by Hugh Hefner and, in December 1953, appeared in the first edition of Playboy. To the dismay of Fox, Monroe decided to publicly admit it was indeed her in the pictures. When a journalist asked her what she wore in bed she replied, "Chanel No. 5".[36] When asked what she had on during the photo shoot, she replied, "The radio".[36]
A-list actress
Over the following months, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire cemented Monroe's status as an A-list actress, as she became one of the world's biggest movie stars. The lavish Technicolor comedy films established Monroe's "dumb blonde" on-screen persona.[26]
In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Monroe's turn as gold-digging showgirl Lorelei Lee won her rave reviews,[37] and the scene where she sang "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" has inspired the likes of Anna Nicole Smith, Madonna,[38] Kylie Minogue,[39] a Geri Halliwell, and millions of others worldwide. In the Los Angeles premiere of the film, Monroe and co-star Jane Russell pressed their foot- and handprints in the cement in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
In How to Marry a Millionaire, Monroe was teamed up with Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable. She played a short-sighted dumb blonde, and though the role was stereotypical, critics took note of her comedic timing.[40]
Monroe's next two films, the western River of No Return and the musical There's No Business Like Show Business, were not successful. Monroe eventually got tired of the roles that Zanuck assigned her. After completing work on The Seven Year Itch in early 1955, she broke her contract and fled Hollywood to study acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in New York.[15] Fox would not accede to her contract demands and insisted she return to work on productions she considered inappropriate, such as The Girl in Pink Tights (which was never filmed), The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing and How to Be Very, Very Popular.
Marilyn Monroe Productions
Once in New York, Monroe set up her own production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, with fashion photographer Milton H. Greene.
As The Seven Year Itch raced to the top of the box office in the summer of 1955, and with Fox starlets Jayne Mansfield and Sheree North failing to click with audiences, Zanuck admitted defeat and Monroe returned to Hollywood. A new contract was drawn up, giving Monroe approval of the script, cinematographer and director as well as the option to act in other studios' projects, practically unheard of for an actress in the 1950s. Marilyn's victory over Fox caused one of the first serious breaches in the studio system.[41]
The first film to be made under the contract and production company was Bus Stop, directed by Joshua Logan. Monroe played Chérie,[42] a saloon bar singer who falls in love with a cowboy. Monroe deliberately appeared badly made-up and unglamorous. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for the performance and was praised by critics.[26] Bosley Crowther of The New York Times proclaimed: "Hold on to your chairs, everybody, and get set for a rattling surprise. Marilyn Monroe has finally proved herself an actress." In his autobiography, Movie Stars, Real People and Me, director Joshua Logan wrote: "I found Marilyn to be one of the great talents of all time... She struck me as being a much brighter person than I had ever imagined, and I think that was the first time I learned that intelligence and, yes brilliance have nothing to do with education."
The second movie filmed under Monroe's production company was The Prince and the Showgirl co-starring Laurence Olivier. Olivier, who directed the movie, said Monroe was "a brilliant comedienne, which to me means she is also an extremely skilled actress."[26] However, he became furious at her habit of being late to the set, as well as her dependency on her drama coach Paula Strasberg. Monroe's performance was hailed by critics, especially in Europe, where she was handed the David di Donatello, the Italian equivalent of the Academy Award, as well as the French Crystal Star Award. She was also nominated for the British BAFTA award.
Later years
In 1959, Monroe scored the biggest hit of her career starring alongside Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot. After shooting finished, Wilder publicly blasted Monroe for her difficult on-set behavior. His attitude softened soon, and he hailed her as a great comedienne. Some Like It Hot is consistently rated as one of the best films ever made.[43] Monroe's performance earned her a Golden Globe for best actress in musical or comedy.
After Some Like It Hot, Monroe shot Let's Make Love directed by George Cukor and co-starring Yves Montand. Monroe was forced to shoot the picture because of her obligations to Twentieth Century-Fox. While the film was not a commercial or critical success, it included one of Monroe's legendary musical numbers, Cole Porter's "My Heart Belongs to Daddy".
Arthur Miller wrote what became Monroe and her co-star Clark Gable's last completed film, The Misfits. The exhausting shoot took place in July, in the hot Northern Nevada Black Rock desert, and Reno Nevada. The rodeo and bar scenes were shot in Dayton, Nevada. Monroe, Gable and Montgomery Clift delivered performances that are considered excellent by contemporary movie critics.[44] Tabloid magazines blamed Gable's death of a heart attack on Monroe, citing her tardiness and quoting Gable's widow Kay Spreckels Gable, who claimed that her husband did his own stunt work out of the frustration of waiting for Monroe.[45] Exacerbating the situation was Gable's advanced age, plus long history of alcohol and tobacco use, and previous heart attacks. Monroe was invited by Kay to the baptismal ceremony for her and Clark's son John Clark Gable. She attended.
In 1962, some of the most famous photographs of Monroe were taken by Bert Stern as a feature for Vogue magazine. This photo shoot was her last and it is known as "The Last Sitting".[46]
Monroe returned to Hollywood to resume filming on the George Cukor comedy Something's Got to Give, a never-finished film that has become legendary for problems on the set and proved a costly debacle for Fox.
After shooting what was claimed to have been the first ever nude scene by a major motion picture actress, Monroe's attendance on the set became even more erratic. On June 1, her thirty-sixth birthday, she attended a charity event at Dodger Stadium.
Financially strained by the production costs of Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Fox dropped Monroe from the film and replaced her with Lee Remick. However, co-star Dean Martin, who had a clause in his contract giving him an approval over his co-star, was unwilling to work with anyone but Monroe. She was rehired.[47]
Monroe conducted a lengthy interview with Life, in which she expressed how bitter she was about Hollywood labeling her as a dumb blonde and how much she loved her audience.[48] She also did a photo shoot for Vogue and began discussing a future film project with Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, according to the Donald Spoto biography.
Monroe was planning to star in a biopic of Jean Harlow, as well as starring alongside Jack Lemmon in Irma La Douce, a Billy Wilder comedy that eventually starred Shirley MacLaine.[26] Other projects under consideration were What a Way to Go! (in which Shirley MacLaine replaced her), Kiss Me, Stupid, a comedy starring Dean Martin and Kim Novak, and a musical version of A Tree Grows In Brooklyn.[26]
Before the shooting of Something's Got to Give resumed, Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home on the morning of August 5, 1962. She remains one of the 20th century's legendary public figures and archetypal Hollywood movie stars.
Marriages and relationships
James Dougherty
Monroe married James Dougherty on June 19, 1942. In The Secret Happiness of Marilyn Monroe and To Norma Jeane with Love, Jimmie, he claimed they were in love, but dreams of stardom lured her away. In 1953, he wrote a piece called "Marilyn Monroe Was My Wife" for Photoplay, in which he claimed that she threatened to jump off the Santa Monica Pier if he left her. In the 2004 documentary Marilyn's Man, Dougherty made three new claims: that he invented the "Marilyn Monroe" persona; studio executives forced her to divorce him; and that he was her true love and her "dedicated friend for life."
Dougherty's actions seem to contradict these claims: he remarried months after Monroe divorced him; his sister told the December 1952 Modern Screen Magazine that he left Monroe because she wanted to pursue modeling, after he initially gave her permission to do so; he confirmed Monroe's version of the beginning of their relationship in an A&E Network Monroe documentary that his mother had asked him to marry her so that she would not be returned to an orphanage. Most telling, the 6 August 1962 The New York Times reported that, on being informed of her death, Dougherty replied "I'm sorry," and continued his LAPD patrol. He did not attend Monroe's funeral.
Joe DiMaggio
In 1951, Joe DiMaggio saw a picture of Monroe with two Chicago White Sox players, but did not ask the man who arranged the stunt to set up a date until 1952. Monroe wrote in My Story that she did not want to meet him, fearing a stereotypical jock. They eloped on 14 January 1954. During their honeymoon in Japan, she was asked to visit Korea. She performed ten shows over four days for over 100,000 servicemen. Biographers have noted that DiMaggio, who stayed in Japan, was not pleased with his wife's decision during what he wanted to be an intimate trip.
Back home, she wrote him a letter about her dreams for their future, dated February 28, 1954:
"My Dad, I don't know how to tell you just how much I miss you. I love you till my heart could burst... I want to just be where you are and be just what you want me to be... I want someday for you to be proud of me as a person and as your wife and as the mother of the rest of your children (two at least! I've decided)..."[49]
?-Marilyn Monroe
DiMaggio biographer Maury Allen quoted New York Yankees PR man Arthur Richman that Joe told him everything went wrong from the trip to Japan on. On September 14, 1954, Monroe filmed the iconic skirt-blowing scene for The Seven Year Itch in front of New York's Trans-Lux Theater. Bill Kobrin, then Fox's east coast correspondent, told the Palm Springs Desert Sun in 2006 that it was Billy Wilder's idea to turn the shoot into a media circus: "... every time her dress came up and the crowd started to get excited, DiMaggio just blew up." Kobrin reported that the couple had a "yelling battle" in the theater lobby.[50] She filed for divorce on grounds of mental cruelty 274 days after the wedding.
In February 1961, Monroe was admitted to the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic, where, according to Spoto, she was placed in the ward for the most seriously disturbed. Monroe contacted DiMaggio, who secured her release. She later joined him in Florida, where he was serving as a batting coach at the Yankees' spring training camp. Their "just good friends" claim to the media did not stop rumors of remarriage; Bob Hope jokingly dedicating Best Song nominee The Second Time Around to them at the 1960 Academy Awards.
According to Allen, on 1 August 1962, DiMaggio - alarmed by how Monroe had fallen in with people he considered detrimental to her well-being - quit his job with a PX supplier to ask her to remarry him.
After Monroe's death, DiMaggio claimed her body and arranged her funeral. For 20 years, he had a dozen red roses delivered to her crypt three times a week. Unlike her other two husbands, he never talked about her publicly or otherwise exploited their relationship.
Arthur Miller
On June 29, 1956, Monroe married playwright Arthur Miller, whom she first met in 1951, in a civil ceremony in White Plains, New York. City Court Judge Seymour Robinowitz presided over the hushed ceremony in the law office of Sam Slavitt (the wedding had been kept secret from both the press and the public). In reflecting on his courtship of Monroe, Miller wrote, "She was a whirling light to me then, all paradox and enticing mystery, street-tough one moment, then lifted by a lyrical and poetic sensitivity that few retain past early adolescence".[51] Nominally raised as a Christian, she converted to Judaism before marrying Miller. After she finished shooting The Prince and the Showgirl with Laurence Olivier, the couple returned to the United States from England and discovered she was pregnant. However, she suffered from endometriosis, and the pregnancy was found to be ectopic. A subsequent pregnancy ended in miscarriage.
Miller's screenplay for The Misfits, a story about a despairing divorcée, was meant to be a Valentine gift for his wife, but by the time filming started in 1960 their marriage was beyond repair. A Mexican divorce was granted on January 24, 1961. On February 17, 1962, Miller married Inge Morath, one of the Magnum photographers recording the making of The Misfits.
In January 1964, Miller's play After The Fall opened, featuring a beautiful and devouring shrew named Maggie. The similarities between Maggie and Monroe did not go unnoticed by audiences and critics (including Helen Hayes).[citation needed] Simone Signoret noted in her autobiography the morbidity of Miller and Elia Kazan resuming their professional association "over a casket." In interviews and in his autobiography, Miller insisted that Maggie was not based on Monroe. However, he never pretended that his last Broadway-bound work, Finishing the Picture, was not based on the making of The Misfits. He appeared in the documentary The Century of the Self, lamenting the psychological work being done on her before her death.
The Kennedys
On May 19, 1962, Monroe made her last significant public appearance, singing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" at a televised birthday party for President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden. The dress that she wore to the event, specially designed and made for her by Jean Louis, sold at an auction in 1999 for USD $1.26 million, establishing a new world record for the most expensive piece of clothing ever sold at an auction.
It has been claimed that Monroe was involved with both Robert Kennedy and John F. Kennedy.[47] Jeanne Carmen, who claimed to have been a friend of Monroe's, also claimed she dated both. The affair with President John F. Kennedy was more lust-related, while the one with Attorney General Robert Kennedy was based on intellectual attachment. Monroe was devastated by each relationship, which both men failed to break the news to Monroe that they no longer wanted an affair with her.[47] DiMaggio told both his son and attorney that "the Kennedys killed her."[52]
Death and aftermath
On August 5, 1962, LAPD police sergeant Jack Clemmons received a call at 4:25AM from Dr. Hyman Engelberg proclaiming that Monroe was dead at her home in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. Sergeant Clemmons was the first police officer to arrive at the death scene.[18] Many questions remain unanswered about the circumstances of her death and the timeline from when Monroe's body was found.
The official cause of Monroe's death was classified, by Dr. Thomas Noguchi of the Los Angeles County Coroners office, as a case of "acute barbiturate poisoning." Eight milligrams of chloral hydrate and 4.5 milligrams of Nembutal were found in her system after the autopsy.[53] Her death was classified as "probable suicide,"[17] but because of a lack of evidence, investigators could not classify her death as suicide or homicide. Also, some conspiracy theories involve John and Robert Kennedy with her death, while other theories suggest CIA or mafia complicity. As a side note, toxicology tests revealed that Monroe also had a slight iron deficiency in her blood.[54]
On August 8, 1962, Monroe was interred in a crypt at Corridor of Memories, #24, at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. Lee Strasberg delivered the eulogy.
Administration of estate
In her will, Monroe left Lee Strasberg 75 percent of the residuary estate. She expressed her desire that Strasberg, or, if he predeceased her, her executor, "distribute [her personal effects] among my friends, colleagues and those to whom I am devoted."[55]
Strasberg willed his portion to his widow, Anna. She declared she would never sell Monroe's personal items after successfully suing Odyssey Auctions in 1994 to prevent the sale of items, which were withheld by Monroe's former business manager, Inez Melson. However, in October 1999, Christie's auctioned the bulk of the items Monroe willed to Strasberg, netting US $13,405,785.
Anna Strasberg is currently in litigation against the children of four photographers to determine rights of publicity, which permits the licensing of images of deceased personages for commercial purposes. The decision as to whether Monroe was a resident of California, where she died, or New York, where her will was probated, is worth millions.[56]
On May 4, 2007, a judge in New York ruled that Monroe's rights of publicity ended upon her death, thus allowing the family of photographer Sam Shaw to sell photos of Monroe.[57]
On March 17, 2008, a federal judge issued a decision in favor of two photo archives in the tangled, long-running legal battle over who controls the likeness of Monroe.
A judge found that CMG and Marilyn Monroe LLC had been inconsistent in their arguments that Monroe was domiciled in California when she died. U.S. District judge Margaret M. Morrow applied a concept called judicial estoppel, which is designed to prevent parties from changing positions when it suits their legal advantage. The Greene and Kelley archives say they will now license photographs of Monroe and other celebrities for commercial use through a new company called Legends Licensing, LLC with a division called Marilyn Monroe Licensing Group.
The Monroe lawsuit has seemed resolved several times before, only to flare back up with new legal maneuvering. Marilyn Monroe LLC successfully lobbied for a change in the right of publicity law in California last year. A similar law failed to pass in New York State. If such a law were to pass in New York, it could give CMG new grounds to continue fighting its case for control over Monroe's likeness.[58] In effect, the ruling tossed ownership rights to the public, said Jonathan Polak, who leads the intellectual property group at Sommer Barnard. "Marilyn Monroe is one of the heavyweight celebrities in the licensing business and she has generated significant licensing revenues, but the court has essentially unleashed the right of publicity for Marilyn to the public domain," Polak said.[59]
82nd Birthday
On June 1, 2008, Hollywood will be celebrating what would have been Marilyn Monroe's 82nd Birthday.
Quotes
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Marilyn Monroe" Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul. "
" I think that when you are famous every weakness is exaggerated. (...) Goethe said, "Talent is developed in privacy," you know? And it's really true. (...) Creativity has got to start with humanity and when you're a human being, you feel, you suffer. You're gay, you're sick, you're nervous, or whatever.[60]
"
" Say goodbye to Pat, say goodbye to the president and say goodbye to yourself, because you're a nice guy.[...]I'll see, I'll see.[61] "
" I don't know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot.[36] "
" I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they go right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart, so that better things can fall together. "
" I don't mind living in a man's world, as long as I can be a woman in it. "
" When it comes down to it, I let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do, then I'm already better than them. "
" I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes. I am out of control at times and hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best. "
" Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. "
" It's all make believe, isn't it? "
" If I'd observed all the rules, I'd never have got anywhere. "
" I'm trying to find myself as a person, sometimes that's not easy to do. Millions of people live their entire lives without finding themselves, but it is something I must do. The best way for me to find myself as a person is to prove to myself that I am an actress. "
" I have too many fantasies to be a housewife....I guess I am a fantasy. "
" I love to do the things the censors won't pass. "
" Gravity catches up with all of us. "
Quotes about Monroe
"Marilyn Monroe was late for everything - but much too early for death." (Army Archerd)
"Everything Marilyn does is different from any other woman, strange and exciting, from the way she talks to the way she uses that magnificent torso."[62]
"She can make any move, any gesture, almost unsufferably suggestive."[63]
"She wasn't disciplined and she was often late, but there was a sort of magic about her which we all recognized at once."[64]
"Nobody discovered her, she earned her own way to stardom."[65]
"If it hadn't been for her friends, she might still be alive."[66]
Candle in the Wind was a song about Marilyn Monroe by Elton John, released in 1973 as part of the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album.
Pat Boone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Background information
Birth name Charles Eugene Boone
Also known as Pat Boone
Born June 1, 1934 (1934-06-01) (age 74) Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Origin Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Genre(s) R&B, Ballads, Blues
Occupation(s) musician, songwriter, actor, motivational speaker, spokesman
Instrument(s) Singing
Years active 1954 - present
Label(s) Dot Records, Republic Records, Hip-O Records, The Gold Label, Oak Records, Eclipse Music Group, MCA
Website
http://www.patboone.com
Charles Eugene Patrick Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer whose smooth style made him a popular performer of the 1950s. His cover versions of African-American rhythm and blues hits had a noticeable impact on the development of the broad popularity of rock and roll. He is also an actor, a motivational speaker, a television personality, and a conservative political commentator.
Biography and Career
Early Life/Career
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Pat Boone has claimed to be a direct descendant of the American pioneer Daniel Boone.[1] He grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and graduated from Columbia University magna cum laude in 1958[2] after a period at David Lipscomb College and North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas). During his college career, he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order[citation needed].
Boone began recording in 1954 for Republic Records. His 1955 version of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" was a huge hit. This set the stage for the early part of Boone's career, which focused on covering R&B songs by black artists for a white market. Randy Wood the owner of Dot had issued an R & B single by the Griffin Brothers in 1960 called Tra la la-a different song to the later LaVern Baker one-and he was keen to put out another version after the original had failed.This became the B side of the first Boone single Two hearts two kisses,originally by the Charms-whose Hearts of Stone had been covered by the label's Fontane Sisters.Once the Boone version was in the shops it spawned more covers by the Crewcuts,Doris Day and even Frank Sinatra.In the U K the song was covered by Lita Roza a band singer with Ted Heath and her version was in the shops first.
A No 1 single in 1956 by Boone was not as much a cover as a revival of a then 7 year old song I almost lost my mind-a song which had been covered at the time by another black star Nat King Cole from the original by Ivory Joe Hunter who was to benefit from Boone's hit version not only in royalties but in status as he was back in the news. In 1957 Boone cut an album simply called Pat which was full of R & B covers
In the late 1950s, Boone lived in a modest home in Teaneck, New Jersey, despite his annual income of $750,000 at the time.[3]
Six of Boone's hit singles were R&B covers. These were "Ain't That a Shame" by Fats Domino and "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard, and "At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" by the El Dorados. The other two R&B covers were blues ballads, "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Ivory Joe Hunter and "Chains of Love", a hit for Big Joe Turner and later B.B. King that had been written by Ahmet Ertegün and Why baby why recorded first by the Blockbusters for a film called Rock All Night. By 1957, Boone was concentrating on middle-of-the-road music, although he would continue to record R&B songs (such as "Two Little Kisses," a non-alcoholic version of "One Mint Julep"), and his version of The Capris' song, "There's a Moon Out Tonight" as cover versions.
Boone sported a clean-cut image that appealed to white Americans. His singing style followed in the tradition of his idol, Bing Crosby. Preferring to carry on in the Crosby tradition, he soon began turning more and more to ballads. Some of his biggest hits included "Love Letters in the Sand" (with the instrumental break featuring Boone's whistling), "April Love," "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)," and "Don't Forbid Me."
His recording of the theme song from the 1957 film April Love (film) topped the charts for six weeks and was nominated for an Academy Award. Pat also wrote the lyrics for the instrumental theme song for the movie Exodus, which lyrics he titled "This Land Is Mine." (Ernest Gold had composed the music.)[4]
A devout born-again Christian, he was raised in the conservative Church of Christ, but joined a Pentecostal church in the late 1960s. Boone has refused both songs and movie roles that he felt might compromise his standards, including a role alongside the decade's reigning sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. In his first film, April Love (film), he refused to give co-star/film love interest Shirley Jones an onscreen kiss, because the actress was married in real life. This position is contradicted by what Hustler Magazine claimed in its January 1984 issue to be a genuine photograph of a younger Pat Boone exposing his genitals through a hole in a cardboard box.[5][6][7]
Among his other achievements, he hosted a TV series in the late 1950s and began writing in the early 1960s, a series of self-help books for adolescents, including Twixt Twelve and Twenty.
The British Invasion ended Boone's career as a hitmaker, though he continued recording throughout the 1960s. In the 1970s, he switched to gospel and country, and he continued performing in other media as well. He is currently working as the disc jockey of a popular oldies radio show and runs his own record company which provides an outlet for new recordings by 1950s greats who can no longer find a place with the major labels.
In 1953 Boone married Shirley Lee Foley, daughter of country music great Red Foley and singer Judy Martin. They had four daughters: Cheryl Lynn Boone, Linda Lee Boone, Deborah Ann aka "Debby" Boone, and Laura Gene Boone. In the 1960s and 1970s the Boone family toured as gospel singers and made gospel albums, such as The Pat Boone Family and The Family Who Prays.
In the early 1970s, Pat founded the record label Lion & Lamb Records. It featured artists such as Pat, The Pat Boone Family, Debby Boone, Dan Peek, DeGarmo & Key, and Dogwood.[8]
In 1978, Boone became the first target in the Federal Trade Commission's crackdown on false claim product endorsements by celebrities. He had appeared with his daughter Debby on TV to claim that all four of his daughters had found a preparation named Acne-Statin a "real help" in keeping their skins clear. The FTC filed a complaint against the manufacturer, contending that the product did not really keep skin free of blemishes. Boone eventually signed a consent order in which he promised not only to stop appearing in the ads but to pay about 2.5% of any money that the FTC or the courts might eventually order the manufacturer to refund to consumers. Boone said, through a lawyer, that his daughters actually did use Acne-Statin, and that he was "dismayed to learn that the product's efficacy had not been scientifically established as he believed."[9]
Religion
Pat Boone was raised in the Church of Christ movement. Eventually, he became a part of the Charismatic movement. It is said that Pat Boone witnessed a prophecy given to then governor Ronald Reagan that he would be President of the United States. Pat Boone attends The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California and has served as a host on Christian television programs on Trinity Broadcasting Network.
Recent career
In 1997, Boone released In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, a collection of heavy metal covers. To promote the album, he appeared at the American Music Awards in black leather, shocking audiences and losing his respectability among his largest constituency, conservative Christians.[citation needed]
He was then dismissed from Gospel America, a TV show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. About a year later, the controversy died down and many fans, including Jack Hayford, accepted his explanation of the leather outfit being a "parody of himself." Trinity Broadcasting then reinstated him, and Gospel America was brought back.
In 2003, the Gospel Music Association of Nashville, Tennessee recognized his gospel recording work by inducting him into its Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In September 2006, Boone released Pat Boone R&B Classics - We Are Family, featuring cover versions of 11 R&B hits, including the title track, plus "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "Soul Man," "Get Down Tonight," "A Woman Needs Love," and six other classics.
In 2007 Pat Boone was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Boone and his wife live in Los Angeles, California. They are members of The Church on the Way in the San Fernando Valley. His one-time neighbor was Ozzy Osbourne and his family. Boone's cover of Osbourne's song "Crazy Train" became the theme song for The Osbournes. (It appears on The Osbournes Soundtrack.) Sharon Osbourne once said that Boone "never complained once" about living next door to their less-than-traditional family.
In 2006, Boone wrote an article for WorldNetDaily, in which he argued that Democrats and others who were against the Iraq War could never, under any circumstances, be considered patriotic.[10] He was interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox News, where he expressed his outrage against the opponents of George W. Bush (namely the Dixie Chicks) that their criticisms of the President showed they did not "respect their elders."[11] However, another article defended Mel Gibson after the actor was recorded making an anti-Semitic rant.[12]
In early 2007, Boone wrote two articles claiming that the theory of evolution is an "absurd," "nonsensical" "bankrupt false religion." [13][14] He later wrote an editorial in the form of a fairy tale where a young Prince Charming was seduced by a dwarf, got AIDS, and then overdosed.[15]
In the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election, Pat Boone campaigned for incumbent Republican Ernie Fletcher with a prerecorded automated telephone message stating that the Democratic Party candidate Steve Beshear would support "every homosexual cause." As part of the campaign, Boone asked, "Now do you want a governor who'd like Kentucky to be another San Francisco?"[16]
It was recently announced that Boone was elected to be inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Boone is among one hundred and twenty-four inductee's who have made a valuable impact in the field of Gospel music.
As Chevrolet spokesman
Pat Boone's well-groomed, clean-cut, boyish image won him a long-term product endorsement contract from General Motors during the late 1950s, lasting through the 60s.
Boone succeeded Dinah Shore singing the praises of the GM product: "See the USA in your Chevrolet...drive your Chevrolet through the USA, America's the greatest land of all!" In the 1989 documentary Roger & Me, Boone stated that he first was given a Corvette from the Chevrolet product line, but after he and wife started having children, at one child a year, GM supplied him with a station wagon as well.
Boone, who has endorsed an indeterminate number of products and services over the course of his career, said that more people identified him with Chevrolet than any other product.
Basketball interests
Boone was a basketball fan and had ownership interests in two teams. He owned a team in the Hollywood Studio League called the "Cooga Moogas." The Cooga Moogas included Bill Cosby, Rafer Johnson, Gardner McKay, Don Murray, and Denny "Tarzan" Miller.[17]
With the founding of the American Basketball Association Boone on February 2, 1967 became the majority owner of the league's team in Oakland, California.[17] The team was first named the Oakland Americans but was later renamed as the Oakland Oaks, the name under which it played from 1967 to 1969.[17] The Oaks won the 1969 ABA championship.[18]
Despite the Oaks' success on the court, the team had severe financial problems. One reason was that the Oaks were the only team in the ABA playing in a market with direct local competition from an NBA team, the Golden State Warriors. By August 1969 the Bank of America was threatening to foreclose on a $1.2 million loan to the Oaks,[19] and the team was sold to a group of businessmen in Washington, DC and became the Washington Caps.[20]
Morgan Freeman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born June 1, 1937 (1937-06-01) (age 71)
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Years active 1964-present
Spouse(s) Jeanette Adair Bradshaw (1967-1979)
Myrna Colley-Lee (1984-present)
Awards won
Academy Awards
Best Supporting Actor
2004 Million Dollar Baby
Golden Globe Awards
Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1989 Driving Miss Daisy
NAACP Image Awards
Outstanding Actor - Motion Picture
1991 Lean On Me
1992 Driving Miss Daisy
Outstanding Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
1998 Amistad
1999 Deep Impact
2004 Bruce Almighty
2005 Million Dollar Baby
Screen Actors Guild Awards
Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
2004 Million Dollar Baby
Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an Academy Award-, Golden Globe-, and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American actor, film director, and film narrator. Noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice, Freeman has become one of Hollywood's most popular and respected actors.[1]
Biography
Early life
Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Mayme Edna (née Revere), a cleaner, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, Sr., a barber who died in 1961 from liver cirrhosis. He was sent as an infant to his paternal grandmother in Charleston, Mississippi.[2][3][4] He has three older siblings. Freeman's family moved frequently during his childhood, living in Greenwood, Mississippi, Gary, Indiana, and finally Chicago, Illinois.[4] Freeman made his acting debut at age eight, playing the lead role in a school play. At age twelve, he won a statewide drama competition, and while in high school performed in a radio show based in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1955, he turned down a partial drama scholarship from Jackson State University, opting to work as a mechanic in the United States Air Force.
Freeman moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s and worked as a transcript clerk at Los Angeles Community College. During this period, he also lived in New York City, working as a dancer at the 1964 World's Fair, and in San Francisco, where he was a member of the Opera Ring music group. Freeman acted in a touring company version of The Royal Hunt of the Sun, and also appeared as an extra in the 1965 film, The Pawnbroker. He made his off-Broadway debut in 1967, opposite Viveca Lindfors in The Nigger Lovers[5][6] (about the civil-rights era "Freedom Riders"), before debuting on Broadway in 1968's all-black version of Hello, Dolly!, which also starred Pearl Bailey and Cab Calloway.
Career
Although his first credited film appearance was in 1971's Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow?, Freeman first became known in the American media through roles on the soap opera Another World and the PBS kids' show The Electric Company,[4] (notably as Easy Reader and Vincent the Vegetable Vampire) which he claimed he should have left earlier than he did.
It was my idea to just do The Electric Company for a couple of years and go on. But, you get trapped by that money thing. It's golden handcuffs. It gets a lot of people, including soap opera actors and commercial actors. Then, they don't want to see you in serious work. That was going to be me, having people come up to me saying "My kids love you!". I was there three years too long.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, Freeman began playing prominent supporting roles in many feature films, earning him a reputation for depicting wise and fatherly characters.[4] As he gained fame, he went on to bigger roles in films such as the chauffeur Hoke in Driving Miss Daisy, and Sergeant Major Rawlins in Glory (both in 1989).[4] In 1994 he portrayed Red, the redeemed convict in the acclaimed The Shawshank Redemption. His star power was already confirmed as he starred in some of the biggest films of the 1990s, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Se7en, and Deep Impact. In 1997, Freeman, together with Lori McCreary, founded the movie production company Revelations Entertainment, and the two co-head its sister online movie distribution company ClickStar. Freeman also hosts the channel Our Space on ClickStar, with specially crafted film clips in which he shares his love for the sciences, especially space exploration and aeronautics.
After three previous nominations - a supporting actor nomination for Street Smart (1987), and leading actor nominations for Driving Miss Daisy (1989), and The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Million Dollar Baby at the 77th Academy Awards.[4] Freeman is recognized for his distinctive voice, making him a frequent choice for narration. In 2005 alone, he provided narration for two of the most successful films of the year, War of the Worlds and the Academy Award-winning documentary film March of the Penguins.
In 1991, Morgan Freeman was offered a lead role in Jurassic Park. Unsure that dinosaurs could make for interesting co-stars, Freeman traveled to the Museum of Natural History to see the "damn beasts" in person. In a 2007 interview with Atlanta Radio Correspondent Veronica Waters, Freeman revealed that he was stunned when he learned that birds descended from dinosaurs. While he turned down the role, Freeman spent the next summer reading books on Ornithology. This would later lead to his desire to narrate the documentary March of the Penguins.
Freeman has recently been well known for his role as God in the hit movie Bruce Almighty and its sequel, Evan Almighty, as well as his role as Lucius Fox in the critical and commercial success Batman Begins and its upcoming sequel, The Dark Knight. He starred in Rob Reiner's 2007 film The Bucket List, opposite Jack Nicholson, playing terminal cancer patients who must fulfill their lists of goals. He teams with Christopher Walken and William H. Macy in the comedy The Lonely Maiden, due out in late 2008. In April '08, Freeman will return to Broadway in a Mike Nichols directed revival of Clifford Odets's play The Country Girl. The play will also star Frances McDormand and Peter Gallagher.
Personal life
Freeman was married to Jeanette Adair Bradshaw from October 22, 1967, until 1979. He has been married to Myrna Colley-Lee since June 16, 1984. He has two sons, Alfonso and Saifoulaye, from previous relationships. He adopted his first wife's daughter, Deena, and the couple also had a fourth child, Morgana. Freeman lives in Charleston, Mississippi, and New York City. He has a private pilot's license, which he gained at age 65[7], and co-owns and operates Madidi, a fine dining restaurant, and Ground Zero, a blues club, both located in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He officially opened his second club Ground Zero in Memphis, Tn on April 24, 2008. His pilot's license was suspended in 2004 for 45 days for failing to maintain altitude on approach. [1]
Freeman has publicly criticized the celebration of Black History Month and does not participate in any related events, saying, "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history."[8] He says the only way to end racism is to stop talking about it, and he notes that there is no "white history month". Freeman once said on an interview with 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace: "I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man."[9] Freeman supported the defeated proposal to change the Mississippi state flag, which echoes the Confederate "Stars and Bars" flag.[10][11]
On October 28, 2006, Freeman was honored at the first Mississippi's Best Awards in Jackson, Mississippi, with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his works on and off the big screen. He received an honorary degree of Doctor of Arts and Letters from Delta State University during the school's commencement exercises on May 13, 2006.
In 2008 Freeman's family history was profiled on the PBS series African American Lives 2. A DNA test showed that he is descended from the Songhai and Tuareg peoples of Niger.
Freeman has endorsed Barack Obama's candidacy for the United States presidential election, 2008, although he has stated that he will not be joining Obama's campaign.[12]
Cleavon Little
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born Cleavon Jake Little
June 1, 1939(1939-06-01)
Chickasha, Oklahoma, United States
Died October 22, 1992 (aged 53)
Sherman Oaks, California, United States
Occupation film, television and stage actor
Singer
Years active 1964-1992
Spouse(s) Valerie Wiggins[1]
(1972-1974, 1 child)
Awards won
Emmy Awards
Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series
1989 Dear John
Tony Awards
Best Leading Actor in a Musical
1970 Purlie
Other Awards
Hollywood Walk of Fame
7080 Hollywood Boulevard
Cleavon Jake Little (June 1, 1939 - October 22, 1992) was an American film and theatre actor, best known for his lead role as Bart in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles and as the irreverent Dr. Jerry Noland in the early 1970s situation-comedy television series program Temperatures Rising. In 1978 he played "The Prince of Darkness" in the radio station comedy FM. He was also in the 1984 action film Toy Soldiers and acted out the role of Super Soul in the film Vanishing Point in 1971.
Biography
Early Life
Little was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He grew up in California and attended college at San Diego State University. After receiving a full scholarship to Juilliard he moved to New York and trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Art[2].
Early Career
Little started off with small, and uncredited parts, he had small roles in films such as What's So Bad About Feeling Good, John and Mary and Cotton Comes to Harlem. In 1971 he was casted to portray Super Soul in the movie Vanishing Point, after a few more films and guest appearances Little was cast to portay Sheriff Bart in the 1974 comedy film Blazing Saddles, beating Richard Pryor, who co-wrote the script intending to play the role himself. Studio execs were apparently nervous over Pryor's reputation as a racy comedian and thought Cleavon would be a safer choice[3]. This role earned him a BAFTA Award nomination as Most Promising Newcomer. Little made his off-Broadway debut in the 1968 political satire MacBird!, 1970 he won a Tony award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award for his work in the Broadway musical Purlie. A year later Little was hired as an ensemble player on the syndicated TV variety weekly The David Frost Revue.
Later Career
After Blazing Saddles, Little appeared in a large amount of, unfortunately, less successful films, such as FM, High Risk, Jimmy the Kid and Toy Soldiers. Little also made guest appearances on The Mod Squad, The Rookies, Police Story, The Rockford Files, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, ABC Afterschool Specials, The Fall Guy and ALF. In 1989 he appeared in an episode of Dear John and won the Outstanding Guest Actor Emmy, defeating Robert Picardo, Jack Gilford, Leslie Nielsen and Sammy Davis Jr.[4]. Little also had a part in Fletch Lives, the least successful sequel to 1985's Fletch. His last appearance overall was a guest part on an episode of Tales from the Crypt, before he died in Sherman Oaks, California of colon cancer in 1992.
A world war 2 song!
Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye!
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
Cheerio, here I go, on my way
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
Not a tear, but a cheer, make it gay
Give me a smile I can keep all the while
In my heart while I'm away
Till we meet once again, you and I
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
Cheerio, here I go on my way
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
Not a tear, but a cheer, make it gay
Give me a smile I can keep all the while
In my heart while I'm away
Till we meet once again, you and I
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye...
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
Cheerio, here I go, on my way
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
Not a tear, but a cheer, make it gay
Give me a smile I can keep all the while
In my heart while I'm away
Till we meet once again, you and I
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
Cheerio, here I go, on my way
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye
Not a tear, but a cheer, make it gay
Give me a smile I can keep all the while
In my heart while I'm away
Till we meet once again you and I
Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye...
Goodbye everybody, I'll do my best for ye
