Deaths: April 8
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- Elizabeth Hubbard was born on 22 December 1933 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for As the World Turns (1956), The Doctors (1963) and First Ladies Diaries: Edith Wilson (1976). She was married to David Bennett . She died on 8 April 2023 in Roxbury, Connecticut, USA.
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Annette Joanne Funicello achieved teenage popularity starting in October 1955 after she debuted as a Mouseketeer. Born on October 22, 1942 in Utica, New York, the family had moved to California when she was still young. Walt Disney himself saw her performing the lead role in "Swan Lake" at her ballet school's year-end recital in Burbank and decided to have her audition along with two hundred other children. Annette became the last Mouseketeer of the twenty-four that was picked. By the run-through in 1958 of The Mickey Mouse Club (1955) in which she appeared in her own multi-segmented series entitled "Annette", she had become the most popular Mousketeer of them all and the only one kept under contract by Walt Disney after he canceled the show. Her popularity was such that by the late 1950s, she was simply known as "Annette" -- America's sweetheart and the first "crush" for many a teenage baby boomer. Whenever anyone spoke of Annette, no last name was ever needed as everyone knew who you were talking about.
The popular teenager became synonymous with wholesome entertainment and was borrowed by Danny Thomas in 1959 to play Gina, a foreign exchange student, on The Danny Thomas Show (1953) (aka "The Danny Thomas Show") and also that same year had a recurring role on the Disney television series Zorro (1957). She made her well as other Disney film vehicles for several years, including The Shaggy Dog (1959), Babes in Toyland (1961) and The Monkey's Uncle (1965). During this time, the modest young singer had a couple of hit singles on the "Hot 100" charts, notably, "Tall Paul", and as a result, traveled with Dick Clark's caravan on singing tours around the country. At one point, she and teen idol Paul Anka became an item and he wrote both "Puppy Love" and "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" with her in mind. Their busy careers led to them parting ways.
During the early 1960s, American International Films wanted to use her in a fun-on-the-beach movie. They presented the idea to "Mr. Disney", as Annette always called him and with whom she was still under contract. To everyone's surprise, he gave his consent, with the only condition being that she make sure her navel was completely covered by a one piece bathing suit. The first movie, aptly titled Beach Party (1963) starred Robert Cummings and Dorothy Malone as the older generation who explore the younger set represented by Annette (as "Dee Dee") and her love interest Frankie Avalon (as "Frankie"). The "teenage" couple (actually she was 20 and he 23) proved so popular in this that they were whisked into a number of sand-and-surf romps (Muscle Beach Party (1964), Bikini Beach (1964), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) and How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965)) that showcased the actors engaging in harmless fun while singing and dancing in the sand, and falling into silly slapstick.
After the surfing craze died out in 1965, Annette married Jack Gilardi, Paul Anka's agent, and became the mother of his three children -- Gina, Jack Jr. and Jason. While appearing in a few other movies that did nothing to further her career, including Fireball 500 (1966), Thunder Alley (1967) and Head (1968), she appeared as a guest on shows and, most famously, became the spokesperson for Skippy Peanut Butter in a host of commercials. But she phased out her career in favor of family.
She and Gilardi divorced in 1983. Three years later, she married Glen Holt, a harness racing horse breeder/trainer. Within a year into her second marriage, Annette was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She hid her condition for five years before making a formal announcement (in 1992) for fear that her uncontrollable movements might be characterized as drunkenness. She became the most famous spokesperson for the disease. Annette's life was filmed as a television movie with A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story (1995) co-starring her good friend, Shelley Fabares. Receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993, Annette was eventually wheelchair-ridden and went into complete seclusion.
Following a tragic March 2011 incident in which their Los Angeles house burnt to the ground and both Annette and husband Glen were hospitalized with smoke inhalation, the couple moved to Bakersfield, California. A little more than a year later, and over 25 years after she was diagnosed with this long and painful illness, Annette passed away on April 8, 2013 from complications at age 70. To the present, her foundation continues to raise money to help find cures for this and other debilitating disorders, including Lou Gehrig's disease.- After a childhood punctuated by petty theft Norman Rewiri made the mistake of trying to rob a betting shop at gun point; he was sent to prison where he finally began to educate himself. On release he took a new name, and started a new life as a union organizer & arbitrator. "Utu" director Geoff Murphy saw him on the news and asked him to play the lead in his film, starting him on a third career.
- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Born in Oklahoma, Ben Johnson was a ranch hand and rodeo performer when, in 1940, Howard Hughes hired him to take a load of horses to California. He decided to stick around (the pay was good), and for some years was a stunt man, horse wrangler, and double for such stars as John Wayne, Gary Cooper and James Stewart. His break came when John Ford noticed him and gave him a part in an upcoming film, and eventually a star part in Wagon Master (1950). He left Hollywood in 1953 to return to rodeo, where he won a world roping championship, but at the end of the year he had barely cleared expenses. The movies paid better, and were less risky, so he returned to the west coast and a career that saw him in over 300 movies.- Actor
- Writer
Although best known as the deputy on Bonanza (1959) and Robert in The Magnificent Seven (1960), Russell was also well-known on a national level as the owner of the Portland Mavericks Baseball Club. Helming the only independent team in the Class-A Northwest League, Russell was an innovator. Before Bull Durham (1988), there were the Mavericks. Russell kept a 30-man roster because he believed that some of the players deserved to have one last season. His motto was one 3-letter word. Not WIN, although the Mavericks did just that. No, the word was FUN. He created a park that kept all corporate sponsorship outside the gates, hired the first female general-manager in professional baseball, and the the next year hired the first Asian-American GM/Manager. That season his team set a record for the highest attendance in minor-league history and went on to win the pennant. Ex-major leaguers and never-weres who couldn't stop playing the game flocked to his June tryouts, which were always open to anyone who showed up. Players from as far away as France and Cape Town would head to Portland for a chance with Russell's Mavericks.- Blase Bonpane was born on 24 April 1929 in Ohio, USA. He was married to Theresa. He died on 8 April 2019 in the USA.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Robert Raymond "Bob" Heatlie's father was a saxophone player, and Heatlie began learning to play from the age of seven. Aged 15, he took up the drums, and started doing gigs around town with his father and an accordion player, Tommy Cassidy.
He went on to learn keyboards and flute, and during the 1960s and 1970s played in numerous bands. These included This N That, The Prezure, Rockin Chair, The Memphis Roadshow, The Odd Couple (with David Valentine) and, at Tiffany's on St Stephen Street in Edinburgh, The Band of Gold. Around 1975, he started to do session work around three Edinburgh recording studios, REL Studios, Hart Street Studios & Palladium Studios. In 1977 he turned professional, and signed to EMI Music Publishing.
In 1979 Heatlie joined Scottish power pop band, The Headboys. Originally known as Badger, by the time Heatlie joined on keyboards and sax, the band had released two singles before being picked up by Robert Stigwood's RSO label. With future record producer Calum Malcolm also in the band, The Headboys toured the UK and Europe with Wishbone Ash, and reached the lower edges of the charts with The Shape of Things to Come / The Mood I'm In (1979). This saw them appear on Top of the Pops. A self-titled album, produced by Peter Ker, followed. Lack of chart success with four follow-up singles saw the band split the following year.
In 2013, interest in The Headboys was sparked by the appearance of The Lost Album. Released by the American Pop Detective label, the record featured ten tracks recorded for what was supposed to be the second Headboys album, but which had remained unreleased. The Lost Album was dedicated to the band's drummer, Davy Ross, who had died in 2010.
With Japanese Boy selling more than four and a half million copies, the song's success opened doors for Heatlie. For Cliff Richard, he wrote Locked Inside Your Prison (1983), opening side two of Richard's 25th anniversary Silver album. Heatlie's working relationship with Shakin' Stevens began with Cry Just a Little Bit (1983), which went to number three. Two years later the song was covered in America by Country singer Sylvia on her album, One Step Closer. Released as the album's second single, it reached number nine in the American Country charts, and number eight in Canada's equivalent.
Heatlie continued to write for Stevens, with Breaking Up My Heart (1985) reaching number 14 in the charts, while Woman (What have You Done to Me?) (1988) appeared on Stevens' A Whole Lotta Shaky album. In 1992, Stevens went to number 37 with Radio, co-written by Heatlie with Gordon Campbell.
From 1967 to 1999, Heatlie was married to Mary Davie, and they had two sons, Bobby junior and Michael. Heatlie had a third son, David, with Hungarian singer Eva Csepregi.
Heatlie went on to compose for television, beginning with children's animation, The Trap Door (1986). With David Pringle, he composed the theme tunes for This Morning (1988), Wheel of Fortune (1988), Scotsport (1990) and children's game show, Fun House (1994). He composed for many more children's animations, including Percy The Park Keeper (1996), and Kipper (1997). He also did the music for the original pilot episode of Bob the Builder (1997). Other theme tunes included Professor Bubble (2000), Little Robots (2003-2005) and Sheeep (2001-2001).
Later songwriting credits include Do You Wanna Party (1994) a club hit by DJ Scott featuring Lorna B, and Talk to Me (2020), a co-write with KT Tunstall, recorded by Finnish symphonic metal band, Apocalyptica, featuring Lzzy Hale of American band, Halestorm.- Country/rockabilly singer Carl Dobkins Jr. was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1941 to a family of musicians who moved to Cincinnati from the Appalachians. His father gave him a ukulele when he was nine years old. He not only learned to play that instrument but afterwards took up the guitar, and by high school he was writing and performing his own songs and eventually cut a few demo records. Local record producer/manager Gil Sheppard heard them and, after meeting with Dobkins, took him on as a client. Dobkins cut a record for local Cincinnati label Fraternity Records (also home to guitarist Lonnie Mack), but it went nowhere. Sheppard then signed Carl to King Records--a much larger label and home to such stars as James Brown and Hank Ballard--and Dobkins cut a record there, but before it could be released Sheppard sold the master to the national label Decca Records. The song, "If You Don't Want My Lovin'", became a regional hit, though it didn't chart nationally. Nevertheless, Decca thought it had a hot prospect in Dobkins and his next record was his breakout one--"My Heart Is an Open Book", which shot to #3 on the Billboard charts in 1959. Dobkins made several appearances on Dick Clark's iconic teen dance show American Bandstand (1952) (he made a total of 14 appearances on the show over the years) promoting the record. He went on a national tour and his follow-up songs, while not reaching the heights that "Open Book" did, sold respectably.
His subsequent career, while not spectacular, was nonetheless solid and he toured with some of the biggest names in rock--Bobby Rydell, Freddie Cannon, Frankie Avalon among them--and, though he is semi-retired, still makes occasional appearances. - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
A third-generation performer and the son of a singing band leader, Chuck McCann was already a show business veteran by age eleven. Born in Brooklyn, he began his career as a child actor on radio, and by the age of nineteen had appeared on The Steve Allen Show (1952). He performed on several NYC-based radio programs, and went on to create his own stand up act performed at many NYC/NJ/LI nightclubs and on many popular TV variety shows. For a time, he took a hiatus from nightclub and TV performing to study with The Pasadena Playhouse, where he gave a memorable performance in their production of '12th Night' as Sir Toby Belch. McCann would return to NYC to continue to perform in nightclubs and on TV variety shows. Until he was introduced to puppetry, first by Skip Boyland and then by Paul Ashleyon NBC TV's: Rootie Kazootie (1952). For the next 17 years, Ashley and McCann appeared on numerous TV shows: Rootie Kazootie (1952), "Uncle Paul's Lunchtime", The Gumby Show (1956) with Pinkie Lee, "The Puppet Hotel!", "Laurel & Hardy & Chuck!", "Let's Have Fun!", "The Chuck McCann Shows", "The Great Bombo's Magic Cartoon Circus Lunchtime Show" and "Chuck McCann's Laurel & Hardy Show!". After the cancellation of the latter on Friday June 9, 1967, Ashley and McCann went their separate ways.
McCann went onto become a successful comic/character actor and mimic, doing voice over for many television cartoon shows and playing character parts on numerous dramatic and comedic TV series and movies. Paul Ashley used his puppets in industrial films and industrial stage shows. McCann also starred on other TV series: Turn-on (1969), Happy Days (1974), Far Out Space Nuts (1975),All That Glitters (1977), _"New Kind Of Family, A" (1979)_ and "Chuck McCann's Fun Stuff!". Ashley was slated to reunite with McCann for "LBS Children's Theater" and another TV puppet show "Tiny TV". But Ashley was forced to drop out both projects, when it was discovered that he was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and McCann took over as the show's host and performer. "LBS Children's Theater" made its debut in September of 1983 and was on the air for one season. Paul Ashley never lived long enough to see "LBS Children's Theater" become a success. Later, he played the voice of Jollo in the 1992 classic hit Sierra video game King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow.
Chuck McCann died on April 8, 2018 in Los Angeles, California, of heart failure.- Chynna Rogers was born on 19 August 1994 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for Chynna: Glen Coco (2014). She died on 8 April 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Claire Trevor was born Claire Wemlinger in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Fifth Avenue merchant-tailor Noel Wemlinger, an immigrant Frenchman from Paris who lost his business during the Depression, and his Belfast-born wife, Benjamina, known as "Betty". Young Claire's interest in acting began when she was 11 years old. She attended high school in Mamaroneck, Westchester County, New York. After starting classes at Columbia University, she spent six months at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, also in New York. Her adult acting experience began in the late 1920s in several stock productions; she appeared with Robert Henderson's Repertory Players in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1930. That same year, aged 20, she signed with Warner Bros. Not too far from her home haunts was Vitagraph Studios in Brooklyn, the last and best of the early sound process studios, which had been acquired by Warner Bros. in 1925 to become Vitaphone. Trevor appeared in several of the nearly 2000 shorts cranked out by the studio between 1926 and 1930. Then she was sent west to do ten weeks of stock productions with other contract players in St. Louis. In 1931 she did summer stock with the Hampton Players in Southampton, Long Island. Finally, she debuted on Broadway in 1932 in "Whistling in the Dark".
Trevor moved to the silver screen, debuting in the western Life in the Raw (1933). There would be three more films (one more western) that year and six or more through the 1930s. Although she had been typed playing gun molls and hard-case women of the world, she displayed her already considerable versatility in these early films, often playing competent, take-charge professional women as well as "shady" ladies. There was a disappointed-pout-vulnerability in her face and that famous slightly New York-burred voice that cracked with a little cry when heightened by emotion that quickly revealed an unusual and sensitive performer. Many of her early films were "B" potboilers, but she worked with Spencer Tracy on several occasions, notably Dante's Inferno (1935).
Hollywood finally took notice of her talents by nominating her for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her standout performance as a slum girl forced by poverty into prostitution in Dead End (1937), opposite Humphrey Bogart. That same year she did the radio drama "Big Town" with Edward G. Robinson, then teamed with he and Bogart again for the slightly hokey but entertaining The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938). Director John Ford tapped her for his first big sound Western film, Stagecoach (1939), the film that made a star of John Wayne. All her abilities to bring complexity to a character showed in her kicked-around dance hall girl "Dallas", one of the great early female roles. She and Wayne were electric, and they were paired in three more films during their careers.
In the 1940s, Trevor began appearing in the genre that brought her to true stardom: "film noir". She started in a big way as killer Ruth Dillon in Street of Chance (1942) with Burgess Meredith. She was equally convincing as the more complex but nonetheless two-faced Mrs. Grayle in the Philip Marlowe vehicle Murder, My Sweet (1944). However, she was something very different and quite extraordinary as washed-up, hopelessly alcoholic former nightclub singer and moll Gaye Dawn in Key Largo (1948), for which she won an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress, again working with Bogart and Robinson. Her pitiful rendition of the torch song "Moanin' Low", which her character was forced to sing, humiliatingly, for the sadistic crime boss played by Robinson (to whom she is, figuratively speaking, permanently tethered) in exchange for a desperately needed drink. There were more quality movies and an additional Academy nomination (The High and the Mighty (1954)) into the 1950s,, but she also was doing work on stage and in television.
She was enthusiastic about live TV and appeared on several famous shows by the mid-1950s. She won an Emmy for Best Live Television Performance by an Actress as the flighty wife of Fredric March in NBC's Dodsworth (1956). She alternated her career among film, stage and TV roles. As she aged she easily transitioned into "distinguished matron" and mother roles, one of her most unusual ones being the murderous Ma Barker in Ma Barker and Her Boys (1959). Her final film role was as Sally Field's mother in Kiss Me Goodbye (1982).
Trevor and her third husband, producer Milton H. Bren, had long been residents of tony Newport Beach, California, to which they returned when she finally retired from screen work. However, she did maintain an active interest in stage work, and became associated with the University of California-Irvine's School of Arts. She and her husband contributed some $10 million to further its development for the visual and performing arts (that included three endowed professorships). After her passing in April 2000 at 90 years of age, the University renamed the school The Claire Trevor School of the Arts. Her presence on the UCI campus is in more than spirit alone. She donated her Oscar and her Emmy to UCI; both are on display in the arts plaza at the campus theatre that bears her name.- David Swift was born on 3 April 1931 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Day of the Jackal (1973), Vanity Fair (1987) and Casanova (1971). He was married to Paula Jacobs. He died on 8 April 2016 in London, England, UK.
- The daughter of a clergyman and a mother, who was an accomplished painter of portraits and landscapes, Stella Dorothy Sabiston spent her formative years in her home state of Alabama. She had three siblings, all of whom died relatively young. She attended the University of Alabama, but always harbored ambitions of becoming an actress. In the early 1920s, the curly-haired brunette abandoned her studies and ran away to New York (as Dorothy Sebastian), where she took up acrobatic dancing at the prestigious Ned Wayburn academy. By the time she took elocution lessons to get rid of her noticeable southern drawl, Dorothy had her first failed marriage (1920-24) behind her. Living in a cheap apartment, and after several rejections, she landed her first job in show business as a chorus girl in "George White's Scandals" in June 1924. The show opened at the Apollo Theatre and ran for 198 performances, closing in December. Sometime prior to that, according to recollections of fellow cast member and friend Louise Brooks, Dorothy struck up a somewhat personal connection with then-British cabinet minister Lord Beaverbrook. Their meeting took place during a party at the Ritz Hotel in an apartment owned by producer Otto Kahn, at which several Scandals girls and Hollywood producers were present. The end result was an MGM contract for Dorothy.
She showed promise in her first film, Sackcloth and Scarlet (1925), starring Alice Terry. Much to her chagrin, as her career went on she was often cast as vamps or, at least, disreputable or hard-boiled "other women" in films like Hell's Island (1930). On occasion she played nice girls, for instance in A Woman of Affairs (1928), with Greta Garbo. Then there were 'friends of the heroine' roles, which included her major successes, Our Dancing Daughters (1928) with Joan Crawford, and Spite Marriage (1929) with Buster Keaton(to whom she was romantically linked at the time). At the end of her five-year contract with MGM she asked for a raise (her weekly salary amounted to $1,000 per week), but was refused. Out of a contract, her film career faltered after several "Poverty Row" productions at Tiffany and, finally, a leading role in the (for her) ironically titled They Never Come Back (1932). Thereafter, like so many other actors who bucked the studio system or simply failed to make the grade as major stars, she was relegated to minor supporting roles (though some of them were in A-grade pictures like The Women (1939) and Reap the Wild Wind (1942), which starred Ray Milland and John Wayne).
Sadly, Dorothy Sebastian grabbed the headlines not always as a result of her profession: the three-times-married actress was involved in several well-publicized court cases over tax evasion (1929), acrimonious divorce proceedings from ex-husband William Boyd (of 'Hopalong Cassidy' fame) (1936), a drunk driving charge after a party at Keaton's house in November 1938 (naively suggesting that a meal of spaghetti and garlic had been responsible for "retaining the intoxicating odor of the wine") and a charge by a San Diego hotel of not paying a $100 account, which was later dismissed (she eventually countersued the hotel for defamation of character and was awarded $10,000). During the war years Dorothy worked as an X-ray technician at a defense plant, Bohn Aluminium & Brass, but continued to act in small parts. She met her third husband at this time, the aircraft technician Herman Shapiro. Dorothy had a brief scene with Gloria Grahame in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), but it ended up on the cutting room floor. After being ill for some time, Dorothy died of cancer in August 1957 at the Motion Picture Country House, Woodland Hills. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. - Producer
- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
Edward L. Rissien was born on 20 October 1924 in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. He was a producer and production manager, known for Swingers (1996), Castle Keep (1969) and Time Table (1956). He was married to Laurie Rissien and Joanne Gilbert. He died on 8 April 2023 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Fishman was born on 6 January 1951 in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico. He was an actor, known for La verdad de la lucha (1990), Volver a empezar (1994) and World Class Championship Wrestling (1972). He was married to Lola Gonzales. He died on 8 April 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico.
- Actor
- Producer
- Composer
Glenn Fredly was born on 30 September 1975 in Jakarta, Indonesia. He was an actor and producer, known for We Are Moluccans (2014), Letters from Prague (2016) and Filosofi Kopi (2015). He was married to Mutia Ayu and Dewi Sandra. He died on 8 April 2020 in Jakarta, Indonesia.- Additional Crew
- Writer
Guy Lyon Playfair was born on 5 April 1935 in Quetta, India. He was a writer, known for The Enfield Haunting (2015), Ghostwatch (1992) and Nationwide (1969). He died on 8 April 2018 in London, England, UK.- Héctor del Mar was born on 22 November 1942 in Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina. He was an actor, known for WWE Smackdown! (1999), Lleno, por favor (1993) and Nadie es perfecto (1995). He died on 8 April 2019 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Jack Hammer was born on 16 September 1925 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Top Gun (1986), Stand by Me (1986) and Easy A (2010). He died on 8 April 2016 in Oakland, California, USA.- Warner was grooming Bryan for stardom in the late 1930s when she met and married the love of her life, Justin Dart, head of the Rexall Drug empire. An ardent Republican, he became one of Ronald Reagan's most trusted advisors.
- Joe McConnell is known for Blink (1993).
- During World War II and its aftermath, Joel Kupperman was one of the most famous children in the country, and also one of the most loathed.
From 6 to 16, Joel was a star on "The Quiz Kids," a popular radio program that later migrated to television. He captivated Marlene Dietrich and Orson Welles by performing complex math problems, joked with Jack Benny and Bob Hope, charmed Eleanor Roosevelt and Henry Ford. He played himself in a movie ("Chip Off the Old Block," in 1944), addressed the United Nations and was held up as an exemplar of braininess to a generation of children. - John Downing was born on 17 April 1940 in West Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He died on 8 April 2020 in England, UK.
- John Hudson was born on 24 January 1919 in Gilroy, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Screaming Skull (1958), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) and Return to Paradise (1953). He was married to Mary LaRoche. He died on 8 April 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Casting Department
Jose De Vega was born on 4 January 1934 in San Diego, California, USA. He was an actor and assistant director, known for West Side Story (1961), The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and Island of the Lost (1967). He died on 8 April 1990 in Westwood, California, USA.- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Juraj Herz was born on 4 September 1934 in Kezmarok, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]. He was a director and actor, known for Habermann (2010), The Cremator (1969) and Beauty and the Beast (1978). He was married to Therese Herz. He died on 8 April 2018 in Prague, Czech Republic.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Kathie Browne was born Jacqueline Sue Browne on September 19, 1930 in San Luis Obispo, California. She got her break in TV after appearing in a Los Angeles production of Tennessee Williams's play, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", making her TV debut in 1957 in The Gray Ghost (1957), The Sheriff of Cochise (1956), and Gunsmoke (1955). The following year, she made her movie debut in the B-movie, Murder by Contract (1958), but it was mostly television that was her métier. She made numerous guest appearances on a plethora of TV shows. The blonde haired, blue-eyed beauty played mainly ingénue parts, and was a very busy TV actress of the 1960s and 1970s.
One of her most famous acting role was as the prospective bride of "Adam Cartwright", during the 1963-64 season of Bonanza (1959). She had appeared on the series twice before, as different characters, in 1961 and 1962, but was cast as the pretty widow, Laura Dayton, in 1963, appearing in 4 episodes broadcast between December 8, 1963 and May 17, 1964, which was the penultimate show of the season. Laura was supposed to marry Adam and ride off with him into the sunset as Pernell Roberts was unhappy with the show and threatening to leave. The producers, at the demand of NBC (which owned the show), hired Guy Williams as a potential replacement for Roberts. Instead of leaving after the 1963-64 season, Roberts signed on for one more year on the Ponderosa, and Browne (as Laura) rode off with Adam's cousin, Will Cartwright, instead (played by Williams). A year after her turn as a regular on the short-lived western series, Hondo (1967), Browne gave another memorable performance, in the Star Trek (1966) episode, Wink of an Eye (1968), in which she played the beautiful Scalosian who (what else?) falls in love (or at least lust) with Captain Kirk.
Browne married actor Darren McGavin in 1969, and they were frequent co-stars, including his starring series, Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974), during the 1970s. She retired from acting in 1980.
Kathie Browne (legally Jacqueline K. McGavin) died on April 8, 2003 in Beverly Hills, California, aged 72.- Kim Plainfield was born on 24 March 1954 in Seattle, Washington, USA. He is known for The Irish in America: Long Journey Home (1998). He died on 8 April 2017 in Tomkins Cove, New York, USA.
- Production Manager
- Soundtrack
Laura Nyro was born on 18 October 1947 in The Bronx, New York, USA. She was a production manager, known for Final Destination (2000), My Girl (1991) and A Home at the End of the World (2004). She was married to David Bianchini. She died on 8 April 1997 in Danbury, Connecticut, USA.- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Leila Abashidze was born on 1 August 1929 in Tiflis, Georgian SSR, Transcaucasian SFSR, USSR [now Tbilisi, Georgia]. She was an actress and writer, known for Tbilisi, Parizi, Tbilisi (1980), Shekhvedra mtashi (1966) and Maia Tskneteli (1959). She died on 8 April 2018 in Tbilisi, Georgia.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
León Klimovsky was born on 16 October 1906 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was a director and writer, known for La paz empieza nunca (1960), La pícara molinera (1955) and Salto a la gloria (1959). He was married to Inés de Tolosa. He died on 8 April 1996 in Madrid, Spain.- For a short time, Linda Tripp became a central figure in one of the biggest Presidential scandals in American history, and was cast as one of the villains in a spectacle that had no heroes. She had lived her life in anonymity and returned to it a short time later. Her parents were brought together by World War II. Her father, Albert Carotenuto, was an American soldier stationed in Germany and her mother, Inge, was a German national whose family home was destroyed during Allied bombings. They married in Frankfurt, Germany, and they moved to Whippany, New Jersey, 30 miles from New York City. Her father was a high school math and science teacher and her mother was a homemaker. She was close to her mother but her relationship with her father was testy. He was a stern disciplinarian, despite the best efforts of her mother persuade him to not be so quick with corporal punishment, and she to this day has few happy memories of him. She was larger than most girls and very sensitive about it, feeling homely and unwanted. In high school, she never had any boyfriends or dated. When she was a senior in high school, her mother found out that her father was having an affair with a fellow teacher, and he walked out of the family a short time later. Their divorce in 1968 was bitter, and Tripp herself was angered and humiliated, refusing any relationship with her father and developing a strong dislike for adulterers. After graduation from high school, she enrolled in a secretarial school. In 1971, she fell in love with and married Bruce Tripp, a military officer. She pointedly refused to invite her father to the wedding. She then became a military wife, living on military bases mostly in Europe, and she developed a strong sense of patriotism and civic duty, although she was not political. She became a mother and did secretarial work. In 1990, her own marriage fell apart, but the split was far less bitter than that of her parents and she remained on civil terms with her ex-husband. By this time, she moved to Washington, D.C., and now began to focus on her career. In April of 1990, she got a non-political secretarial job in the White House, and she found the career to be significant and exciting. Tripp quickly became known for her intelligence and diligence, and she was respected by her colleagues. She thought highly of President George Bush and found his staff to be both friendly and professional. In 1993, Bill Clinton became President and the change in the White House was felt immediately. She found Clinton's appointees to be crude and unprofessional, and she also claimed that many were also dishonest. She became friends with Gary Aldrich, an FBI agent who did security background checks for White Hosue employees, and they often exchanged stories about the bad behavior of the new co-workers they were forced to deal with. But Tripp's job performance remained stellar and she was promoted to Special Assistant to the Counsel to the President. In that capacity, she worked closely with Bernard Nussbaum and Vincent Foster, and in the process, she became privy to a number of White House scandals. On July 20, 1993, she was the last person to see Foster alive, and his suicide deeply shook her. She was also horrified at how the Clinton's staff acted in the wake of his death, and she began to wonder if they had something major to hide. In August of 1994, she was transferred from the White House to become Public Affairs officer at the Department of Defense and received a substantial raise in the process. However, this did nothing to curtail her disillusionment with the Clinton Administration and her belief that they routinely lied to the public and skirted the law. In the process, she became acquainted with literary agent Lucianne Goldberg, and was considering a book deal, but it eventually fizzled out. However, they remained friendly and occasionally chatted. In 1996, Aldrich published a book called "Unlimited Access", which featured many allegations against the Clinton staff, and Tripp was suspected of being one of his anonymous sources. That same year, she became friendly with a co-worker and former White House intern named Monica Lewinsky, whom she was fond of but regarded as high-strung and immature. She had been friendly with a number of young female employees, often giving them advice and sharing gossip with them. But Lewinski revealed that she and Clinton had had been in a sexual relationship which had ended badly, leaving her distraught. This immediately got Tripp's full attention. The turning point came in August of 1997, when she was interviewed about charges by Kathleen Willey that the President had groped and propositioned her. Tripp had been friendly with Willey at the White House and in fact saw Willey as she fled from Clinton, and she told the reporter that Willey was flustered and disheveled. In response, Robert Bennett, the President's lawyer, stated that "Linda Tripp is not to be believed," which infuriated her. She also became alarmed and contacted Goldberg. Willey had become a witness in a sexual harassment suit against Clinton by Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee, and Tripp suspected she would be contacted by Jones' lawyers. During those conversations, she told Goldberg about Lewinski's failed affair with Clinton. During these chats, Goldberg suggested that Tripp start taping her conversations with Lewinski to protect herself. Although initially reluctant, Tripp agreed to do so, and also promised to keep Goldberg up on the major points. So over the next year, Tripp got Lewinski to reveal details of her relationship with Clinton on the telephone and secretly tape-recorded the conversations. Ultimately, Jones' lawyers learned of Lewinski and subpoenaed her to testify, which frightened her. She began to ask Tripp to lie. Also, Lewinski revealed that she was in contact with the White House, and Tripp became convinced that Clinton was leaning on Lewinski to commit perjury. Eventually, she came in contact with the office of Independent Counsel Ken Starr, who had been investigating Clinton's involvement in a series of financial scandals collectively known as Whitewater. In January of 1998, she turned over the tapes of Lewinski to Starr's office. The resulting scandal made headlines around the world and Tripp was thrust into the limelight. She was vilified as a backstabbing, fair-weather friend, and also her size and weight were ridiculed. It was a very difficult time for her, and she mostly kept as low a profile as she could. The scandal dominated the American news for the entire year, and in December of 1998, Clinton was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives. He was not removed by the U.S. Senate, but the ordeal left the entire nation exhausted. Afterwards, Tripp agreed to a few interviews, but was disenchanted with the news media. In 2000, she was fired from her job at the Pentagon, and took early retirement. She got some cosmetic surgery and lost some weight. Also, she filed a lawsuit against the government for illegally leaking her security background file to the press, and in 2003, she won a settlement. In 2004, she remarried an German-born architect whom she had been friends with for many years. They subsequently opened a German-themed restaurant and gift shop which has proved to be popular.
On April 8, 2020, Tripp died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 70, Her husband and adult children were with her on her death bed. - Lois Kelly-Miller was born on 15 October 1917 in Crossroads, Saint Andrew, Jamaica. She was an actress, known for Meet Joe Black (1998). She died on 8 April 2020 in Kingston, Jamaica.
- Madeleine Fischer was born on 12 November 1935 in Romanshorn, Thurgau, Switzerland. She was an actress, known for The Girlfriends (1955), L'ultima canzone (1960) and Lazzarella (1957). She died on 8 April 2020 in Gubbio, Umbria, Perugia, Italy.
- Actor
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- Music Department
In the mid 1970s, as a young man not yet thirty, Malcolm McLaren owned and operated a London shop simply called "Sex" and dreamed of fame and fortune. He met a half formed group of teenage rock star hopefuls and fed them happy half truths about the great bands he had led to stardom. With his help in finding corner stone members John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) and Sid Vicious, those boys became the English punk rock legends Sex Pistols. The group met its ends less then four years later and McLaren walked away with a little bit of personal fame, but with most of his big dreams unfulfilled. Using his status as a legend maker McLaren would later manage such 80s punk influenced pop successes as Adam Ant, Bow Wow Wow and Boy George, and even release albums of music under his own name. Though Malcolm McLaren has never achieved the Beatle-mania level of fame that he so clearly strives for, he's never strayed to far from the spotlight. Writing, producing and always looking for new talent to show the world, hopefully for a profit.- Additional Crew
Margaret Thatcher was born on October 13, 1925 in Grantham, England, the younger daughter of Alfred and Beatrice Roberts. Her father was a greengrocer and respected town leader, serving as lay-leader with their church, city-alderman and then as mayor. He taught Margaret never to do things because other people are doing them; do what you think is right and persuade others to follow you.
She attended Oxford University from 1943 to 1947 and earned a degree in Chemistry, but it was clear from early on that politics was her true calling. She stood as a Conservative candidate from Dartford in the 1950 and 1951 elections. She married Denis Thatcher in December 1951 and they had twin children, Mark Thatcher and Carol Thatcher. She practiced tax law for a time in the 1950s, but was elected to Parliament from Finchley in 1959. Two years later, she was appointed to the cabinet as Minister of Pensions. In 1970, she was appointed Minister for Education and earned the title "Thatcher the Milk Snatcher", for eliminating free milk for schoolchildren in a round of budget-cutting. After the Conservative Party lost both general elections in 1974, she defeated Edward Heath for the leadership of the party.
She was elected Prime Minister in May 1979 and served for eleven and a half years, longer than any other British Prime Minister in the 20th Century. As Prime Minister, she was staunchly capitalist and bent on wiping socialism from the face of Britain. During her tenure, she cut direct taxes, spending and regulations, privatized state-industries and state-housing, reformed the education, health and welfare systems, was tough on crime and espoused traditional values. Her time in office was eventful, having to contend with an economic recession, inner-city riots and a miners' strike.
Her first great triumph in office was the Falklands War in 1982, when she sent British troops to reclaim British possessions off the coast of South America that had been invaded and occupied by Argentina. The British won that war and it showed the world that Britain was once again a power to be reckoned with. Her time in office saw unprecedented economic prosperity among the middle and upper classes, but this was contrasted by unemployment levels not seen since the 1930s, a rise in homelessness and the end of Britain's major industries. She was a staunch political ally of Republican American President Ronald Reagan. They both advocated tough foreign and defence policies, but they also developed a constructive relationship with reforming Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev which helped to bring the Cold War to an end. Thatcher also persuaded President George Bush to send troops to Saudi Arabia right after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990.
Her staunch advocacy of the Poll Tax and her refusal to endorse a common currency for Europe led the Conservative party to force her out of office in a bloody internal coup. She was forced to resign as Prime Minister in November 1990. Since she left office, she was introduced to the House of Lords in 1992 as Baroness Thatcher. She travelled the world, touring the lecture circuit promoting her causes and was president of numerous organizations dedicated to her causes. In the last few years, her health suffered and she no longer spoke in public.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Doubtlessly the most famous Mexican movie star, María Félix created a larger-than-life character: herself. La Doña, as the star was known after the character of her 1943 movie Doña Bárbara, starred in 47 movies, most of them forgettable except for her presence in them. More a star than an actress, she constructed an image of a tough woman, a sort of one-liner she-male that went beyond the traditional role of Latin American women. Her marriage to Agustín Lara the most popular Latin composer from the 30s to the 60s, was a great event itself. Her fame went beyond Mexico to Latin America, Spain, France and Italy. She always refused to learn English, so she never acted in any English language movie. That's the main reason why her fame was related almost exclusively to Latin countries. After her last film, she was linked to a number of film projects, but never came back to the screen. Her last performance was on a Mexican historic soap opera, in 1970.- Marian Anderson was born on February 27, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the first of three sisters in the family. Her father, named John Anderson, was a salesman at a railroad station. Her mother, named Anna Anderson, was a schoolteacher. From the age of six, Anderson sang in the choir of the United Methodist Church, where she became known as the "baby contralto." She taught herself piano and violin until the age of sixteen.
She was sponsored by her neighbors, who raised money for her to study under Giuseppe Boghetti. Their teacher-student relationship blossomed into a friendship that lasted for several decades. Boghetti broadened her range from traditional spirituals to classical opera repertoire. With the help of Joseph Pasternack, Anderson became the first African-American singer to perform with the Philharmonic Society of Philadelphia. Pasternack also introduced her to the Victor recording company, where Anderson made recordings of spirituals in 1923-1924. In 1925, Boghetti secretly entered Anderson in a New York Philharmonic contest, which she won and gave a successful performance with the New York Philharmonic on August 26, 1925, before a crowd of seven thousand.
Anderson went to Europe in 1927, because she saw Europe as a place of real freedom and culture, where she could perfect her craft. She spent most of her time in Germany and Scandinavia making successful tours with the Finnish pianist Kosti Vehanen. Vehanen introduced her to the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius who added a number of songs to her repertoire. In May of 1934, in Paris Anderson met Sol Hurok, who offered her a guarantee: 15 concerts with a fee of $500 per concert. No other impresario could match Hurok's offer, which Anderson signed. Under the direction of Sol Hurok, Anderson became the third highest box office draw. Her 1935 concert tour of the Soviet Union was another sensation. Anderson managed to overcome the communist censorship by changing the titles of spirituals and religious songs; Shubert's "Ave Maria" was translated by her Russian interpreter as "an aria by Schubert." She was also invited to the Moscow Art Theatre and performed for legendary directors Konstantin Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko.
She brought her Finnish accompanist Kosti Vehanen to America. In 1936 Sol Hurok arranged for her to perform at Constitution Hall, which was owned by the "Daughters of the American Revolution" (DAR). Anderson was rejected because of the "white performers only" policy of the DAR. Hurok quickly turned to a black school in Washington D.C. and the concert was a success. Anderson was invited by the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to perform for President Roosevelt at the White House, and the two women developed friendship. However in 1939, DAR again turned Anderson away from the Constitution Hall. Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from DAR in protest of their discrimination of non-white artists. Sol Hurok brilliantly resolved the situation; he organized an open-air concert at the Lincoln Memorial, which was, ironically, near the Constitution Hall. 75,000 people of all races attended that historic concert of Anderson; it was broadcast nationwide and made her a celebrity.
During the 1940's Anderson's best accompanist Kosti Vahanen left for Finland, and her teacher Boghetti passed away. She was diagnosed with a cyst in her throat and had to stop her singing career. Her comeback after a throat surgery in 1948, was another sensation. Her voice sounded as beautiful as ever and the emotional depth in her song interpretations was impressive. However, some critics mentioned her troubles with technique, pitch, and breath in her later years. Anderson's career spanned over forty years. She made over two thousand performances worldwide, including concerts for inaugurations of American Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John Kennedy, King Gustav of Sweden, and the King and Queen of England. Anderson became the first African-American vocalist in Japan's history to perform for the Imperial Court in 1953. In 1955, Anderson made her Metropolitan Opera debut, becoming the first African-American singer to perform there. In 1955, she sang in Hebrew with the Israel Philharmonic. In 1958, Anderson was appointed a delegate to the UN and made several diplomatic trips as a "goodwill ambassador" to Africa and Asia.
In 1964 Sol Hurok was asked by Anderson to organize her farewell concert tour. She began her last tour in October of 1964 with a concert in Washington D.C.'s Constitution Hall. After six months and 50 concerts in the USA and Canada Anderson gave her final performance on April 18, 1965, at Carnegie Hall. She spent her retirement years on her 155-acre farm in Connecticut, and extended her continuous support of such talents as Kathleen Battle, Jessye Norman, Leontyne Price and others. In 1990, Anderson made a documentary on her life and career, in addition to the documentary of her 1939 Lincoln Memorial Concert. She died of heart failure on April 8, 1993, in Portland, Oregon, and was laid to rest in Eden Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. - Michael Lerner was an American actor from New York City, the older brother of actor Ken Lerner. He was once nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the domineering studio head Jack Lipnick in "Barton Fink" (1991). Other well-known roles include crime boss Arnold Rothstein (1882-1928) in "Eight Men Out" (1988), Mayor Ebert in "Godzilla" (1998), and Senator Brickman in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (2014).
In 1941, Lerner was born to a family of Romanian-Jewish descent. His father was George Lerner, a fisherman and antiques dealer. Lerner was primarily raised in Solon, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland), and in the port area of Red Hook, Brooklyn. Red Hook was the site of a shack city for the homeless during the 1930s, and had a reputed connection to organized crime for most of the 20th century.
Lerner started his acting career as a theatrical actor. During the 1960s, he performed with the American Conservatory Theater (ACT), a nonprofit theater company based in San Francisco, California. He made his film debut in the comedy-drama "Alex in Wonderland" (1970). The film concerns a film director who has had only one box-office hit in his career, and is uncertain about his options in life.
Over the following years, Lerner mostly played supporting roles in various films. He enjoyed some success in horror films, portraying the Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Police Department in "Maniac Cop 2" (1990), and a private detective in "Omen IV: The Awakening" (1991). The most acclaimed role in his career was portraying Jack Lipnick in "Barton Fink" (1991). His character was the head of a film studio who constantly switched between flattering and threatening his employees, but maintained complete control over them. Lerner was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but the award went to veteran actor Jack Palance. Lerner did, however, win the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Lerner found steady work in films throughout the 1990s. He portrayed bank president Edward H. Biderman in the comedy "Blank Check" (1994), where the bank is used for money laundering. He portrayed a short-tempered police lieutenant in the comedy thriller "Radioland Murders" (1994), with his character ultimately unable to prevent the serial killer of the film from pursuing his agenda. He portrayed Professor Marcus in "Tale of the Mummy" (1998), a respected scholar who is manipulated into killing someone.
Lerner was still active in the 2000s. He portrayed a doctor in "Mockingbird Don't Sing" (2001), a fictionalized depiction of the life of the feral child Genie (1957-). He portrayed domineering CEO Fulton Greenway in the Christmas comedy "Elf" (2003). He portrayed father figure Harvey Wiener in the comedy-drama "Life During Wartime" (2009).
Lerner had relatively few new roles in the 2010s, but some were still memorable. He portrayed ruthless politician Wesley Mouch in the science fiction film "Atlas Shrugged: Part I" (2011), based on Ayn Rand's iconic novel.
Lerner portrayed the Baron in the fantasy comedy "Mirror Mirror" (2012), an elite courtier who has won the favor of the wicked queen played by Julia Roberts. He portrayed Senator Brickman in the superhero film "X-Men: Days of Future Past", a politician who votes to sever funding for the Sentinel program. Lerner portrayed real-life producer/MGM studio executive Louis B. Mayer in "First Oscar" (2022). - Nelson Olmsted, born Leroy Nelson Olmsted Jr., was a veteran character actor on scores of radio, television, and motion pictures. His screen credits include over a dozen movies, including "Lover Come Back," "That Touch of Mink," "Fitzwilly," and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
The son of Leroy Nelson Olmsted and Jane Hurford Long Olmsted, he was born on January 28, 1914, in Minneapolis, MN. He grew up in Texas and began his career as a radio announcer for WBAP in Fort Worth, where he launched a late-night 30-minute horror series, "Black Night," on November 5, 1937. Olmsted starred in the series and played a variety of different roles.
The impact of "Black Night" catapulted Olmsted to New York in 1939, where he became NBC's resident storyteller, a position he held for over a decade. An ability to do multiple character voices won him his own radio shows, beginning with "The World's Greatest Short Stories" (1939, 1944, 1947) and "Dramas by Olmsted" (1940-41).
During World War II, he worked for Armed Forces Radio.
After the war, Olmsted returned to his network storytelling, becoming an expert on Edgar Allan Poe. He recorded many of Poe's works, including "Tales of Terror" and "The Raven."
During the early years of television, he played roles on the Chevrolet "Tele-Theatre" and "Lights Out" in 1950, followed by "The Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" (1951), "The Philco Television Playhouse" (1951-52), "Kraft Television Theatre" (1951-52), "Tales of Tomorrow" (1952), "Hallmark Hall of Fame" (1952), "Goodyear Television Playhouse" (1953), "Robert Montgomery Presents" (1953-54), "Studio One" (1954-55) and "NBC Sunday Showcase" (1959).
He played the recurring role of the base psychiatrist in "The Phil Silvers Show." He appeared in many popular TV series, including "Dr. Kildare," "Maverick," "McHale's Navy," "The Twilight Zone," and "Death Valley Days."
From 1952 to 1957, he read classic short stories and performed different characters' voices in "Sleep No More," a popular radio series. The series began as a fifteen-minute series, but in November of 1956, it expanded to 30 minutes.
From 1952 to 1961, Olmsted was the narrator and star of Ohio Bell Telephone's "Ohio Story radio and TV series." Many of the 1,309 "Ohio Story" radio scripts are held in various library collections. The Hagley Museum and Library is digitizing Olmsted's 175 "Ohio Story" TV programs and scripts as part of a project to preserve the works of Cinecraft Productions, "the country's longest-standing corporate film & video production house."
From 1961 to 1977, Olmsted was the distinctive voice of the radio series "Stories of Pacific Powerland." The program aired as many as three times a week on stations all over the Northwest U.S. and parts of Northern California and the Mountain West. During the 16-year run of the show, more than 1,000 episodes were produced, each about five minutes long.
The cover of an LP record of "Sleep No More" released by the Vanguard Recording Society features a capsule summary of his life: "Now that I think of it, we had a sort of Golden Age of Drama down in Austin, Texas, during those depressed middle thirties. There was the Curtain Club of the University of Texas and Austin's Little Theatre, and working between them were such aspirants as Zachary Scott, Elaine Anderson Scott, Eli Wallach, Walter Cronkite, Brooks West and Alma Holloway, whom I had sense enough to marry. Most of them came on to New York, fought the actor's battle, and made it one way or another. I stayed behind with the security of a radio announcer's job. By the time I moved to WBAP, in Fort Worth, this security was pulling, and the announcer's life seemed endlessly sterile. What to do about it? Dramatic shows cost money and there were no budgets. The cheapest drama for radio I could think of was good literature, read aloud. Especially the work of that great dramatist who never wrote a play -- Edgar Allan Poe. WBAP gave me some time with which to experiment. That was way back in 1939 -- and it worked. By 1940, the storytelling show was on NBC for a ten-year run. There were a couple of years out for the Army, but even so I managed to tell stories over the Army radio network in Italy. Television brought rough competition to the industry. Rather than fight, I joined by adopting some of the best stories into plays, selling them to Fred Coe, and playing a part in them -- sometimes the lead. So -- in the long run -- I got to New York, too, and made it as an actor, literally by telling stories!"
Olmsted died of complications from a stroke on April 8, 1992 in Torrance, California. He was married to Alma Rae Holloway from 1938 until they divorced in 1974. Olmsted's obituary in the Los Angeles Times (April 11, 1992) says they had two sons, Ross and Marc, and a daughter, Lynne Bell. - Additional Crew
- Music Department
Onna White was born on 24 March 1922 in Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada. She is known for Oliver! (1968), Pete's Dragon (1977) and The Music Man (1962). She was married to Larry Douglas. She died on 8 April 2005 in West Hollywood, California, USA.- Art Department
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Pablo Picasso, one of the most recognized figures of 20th century art, who co-created such styles as Cubism and Surrealism, was also among most innovative, influential, and prolific artists of all time.
He was born Pablo Ruiz Picasso on October 6, 1881, in Malaga, Spain. He was the first child of Jose Ruiz y Blasco and Maria Picasso y Lopez. His father was an artist and professor of art at the School of Fine Arts, and also a curator of museum in Malaga, Spain. Picasso began studying art under his father's tutelage, continued at the Academy of Arts in Madrid for a year, and went on his ingenious explorations of the new horizons. He went to Paris in 1901 and found the environment conducive for his experiments with new art styles. Gertrude Stein, Guillaume Apollinaire, and André Breton were among his friends and collectors.
Constantly updating his style from the Blue Period, to the Rose Period, to the African-influenced Period, to Cubism, to Realism and Surrealism he was a pioneer with a hand in every art movement of the 20th century. He made some softer and neo-classic artworks during his cooperation with the Russian Ballet of Sergei Diaghilev in Paris. In 1917 Picasso joined the Russian Ballet on tour in Rome, Italy. There he fell in love with Olga Khokhlova, a classical ballerina from the Russian nobility (her father was a General to the Russian Tsar Nickolas II). Picasso painted Olga as a Spanish girl in his painting "Olga Khokhlova in Mantilla" to convince his parents for their blessing, and his idea worked. Picasso and Olga Khokhlova wed in Paris, in 1918, and had one son, Paolo. After their marriage, Olga's high society lifestyle clashed with Picasso's bohemian manners. They separated in 1935, but remained officially married until her death in 1954. Meanwhile, his most famous lovers, Marie Therese Walter and Dora Maar, were also his inspirational models for a series of experimental portraits.
Picasso was a pacifist. His outcry for peace was expressed in large-scale painting Guernica (1937), created after the German bombing of this Spanish city. This powerful composition, showing the brutal inhumanity of war, became his most famous work and turned him into a political celebrity. In 1940 Picasso applied for French citizenship, but was denied it, and remained Spanish. Protected by his fame, he was untouchable even to the Nazis in the occupied Paris. A skillful self-promoter, he used politics, eccentricity, and provocation as a selling tool. Sarcastic harlequin and dominating minotaur were his personal symbols, frequently used in his artworks. His life turned into a PR campaign, playing with scandals; viciousness to his own children, exaggerated virility and beastly treatment of his women. However, he was forgiven by the public. Even his membership in the Communist party and his controversial comments about Joseph Stalin, who awarded Picasso the Stalin Prize for Peace in 1950, were ignored by his admirers. His life-long extraordinary artistic dialogue with Henri Matisse took a form of a "visual conversation" and exchange of their paintings with mutual respect. After WWII he returned to "classical" style and created the "Dove of Peace".
An innovator and a multi-faceted personality, Picasso dominated the 20th century Western Art, spreading his influence beyond art into many aspects of culture and life. In his several film appearances Picasso always played himself. His lifestyle remained as bohemian and vivacious as it was in his youth. Picasso died in style while entertaining his guests at a dinner party, on April 8, 1973, in Mouglins, in southeastern France. Picasso's last words were "Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I can't drink any more." He was interred at Castle Vauvenargues' park, in Vauvenargues, Bouches-du-Rhone, in the South of France.
Pablo Picasso's paintings rank among the most expensive artwork in the world, establishing a price record with $104 million sale of "Garçon a la pipe" in 2004. Picasso produced over 13 thousand paintings or designs, 100,000 prints and engravings, 34 thousand book illustrations and 300 sculptures, becoming the most prolific artist ever.- Pauline Jameson was born on 5 June 1920 in Heacham, Norfolk, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Woman in White (1982), Celebrity Playhouse (1981) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). She died on 8 April 2007 in England, UK.
- Music Department
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Peter Ecklund was born on 27 September 1945 in Woodbridge, Connecticut, USA. He was an actor, known for Everyone Says I Love You (1996), The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) and Eight Men Out (1988). He died on 8 April 2020 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.- Rebecka Teper was born on 26 July 1972 in Stockholm, Sweden. She was an actress, known for Rederiet (1992), Emil & Ida i Lönneberga (2013) and The Sandhamn Murders (2010). She died on 8 April 2023 in Sweden.
- Special Effects
- Art Department
Rex Garrod was born on 10 September 1943 in Mickfield, Suffolk, England, UK. He is known for Brum (1991) and The Secret Life of Machines (1988). He was married to Sally. He died on 8 April 2019 in the UK.- Actor
- Production Manager
- Stunts
Discovered by a casting magazine "Dramalogue" for the role of mindless killer Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982), Richard Brooker also gained the supporting role of the warrior Oghris in "Deathstalker" (1983). It was the only acting experience of Brooker, who later started creating completely a different professional career.
Born in 1954, Richard Brooker was originally from the UK, where he was a son of C.S.M.I. (Canadian forces school of Military Intelligence) of the British Cavalry. He was also an avid polo player and sailor. He has performed as a trapeze artist and stage manager in a circus throughout the world and trained and performed with horses. Later he trained horses again for stunts and stunt coordination and worked in all areas of television and film production.
At the end of 1980s, Brooker quit his acting career and became a technical and production manager, and also an independent producer, mainly for Polo Championships, Horse shows, Fox Sports and many others. In the period 1999-2002, he was executive in Charge Of Production for six daily shows, produced in Digital Television for AENTV (Alternative Entertainment Network) based in Los Angeles, California. He also directed 42 episodes of 1993 TV Series "Bill Nye the Science Guy".
Richard Brooker died from an apparent sudden heart attack in Los Angeles on April 8, 2013 at age 58.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Richard Rush was born on 15 April 1929 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and writer, known for The Stunt Man (1980), Color of Night (1994) and Air America (1990). He was married to Claude Rush. He died on 8 April 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
Rick May was a Canadian-American voice actor, director, theatrical performer and teacher known for voicing the Soldier from Team Fortress 2, Dr. M from Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves and Peppy Hare and Andross from Star Fox 64. He also voiced in Freddi Fish 5 and Age of Empires II. He passed away at Seattle in 2020.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Sara Montiel was born in the village of Campo de Criptana, province of Ciudad Real, in the region of Castille-La Mancha, Spain. Her parents were Isidoro Abad, a peasant, and Maria Vicenta Fernández, a door-to-door beautician. The future star was christened Maria Antonia Alejandra Abad Fernández. Barely in her teens, she won a beauty and talent contest held by Cifesa, the most influential Spanish film studio of that era. She was promptly signed to a movie contract and in 1944 made her debut playing a teenager in Te quiero para mí (1944), credited in the cast as "Maria Alejandra". By the end of 1944 she was given the starring role in Empezó en boda (1944), which introduced her with a more adult image and a new name: Sara Montiel.
In the next four years she appeared in 14 films, including her first international success Locura de amor (1948), which led to a long term-contract in Mexico. She quickly established herself as one of the most popular film actors of the decade. starring in over a dozen films between 1950 and 1954. Hollywood came calling and she was formally introduced to American moviegoers in Vera Cruz (1954), playing Gary Cooper's love interest. Later she worked at Warner Bros. in Serenade (1956) with Mario Lanza, directed by Anthony Mann, who became her first husband. After starring in Samuel Fuller's Run of the Arrow (1957) with Rod Steiger, Sarita shot El último cuplé (1957) ("The Last Song") in Spain, a musical production that turned out to be the biggest box-office success in Spain's film history. It played for over a year in the same theaters in which it opened. A similar reaction followed in Western Europe and Latin America. Sarita Montiel had become the most popular actress-singer of 1957 and a national treasure for Spain.
The unprecedented success of "El Último Cuplé" threw a wrench into her Hollywood career, as she was offered a multimillion-dollar contract to star in four films in Europe. Her next vehicle, La violetera (1958) ("The Violet Peddler"), confirmed Sara's popularity and broke the box-office records set by the previous movie. The theme song from "La Violetera" became Montiel's signature song. The soundtrack albums from both films reportedly outsold Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra in the world market. From then on, Sarita would combine the making of films with the recording of highly successful albums and live concerts in four continents. By 1962 she had become a legend to millions of fans worldwide, reaching markets that had previously been uncharted territory for Spanish cinema. Among her many blockbusters of the 1960s were Mi último tango (1960), Pecado de amor (1961), La bella Lola (1962), La reina del Chantecler (1962) and Esa mujer (1969).
However, by the 1970s her interest in films diminished, due largely to the almost pornographic turn of Spanish films in the late-Francisco Franco era when censorship was abolished and she retired from films in 1974. Her activities turned mainly to recording and stage work, and she achieved uncontested successes with her stage shows "Sara en Persona" (1970-73), "Saritísima" (1974-75), "Increible Sara" (1977-78), "Super Sara Show"(1979-80), "Doña Sara de La Mancha" (1981-82), "Taxi Vamos Al Victoria" (1983-84), "Nostalgia" (1985-86), "Sara, Siempre Sara" (1987-88) and others.
In the 1990s Sara surprised everyone by branching out into television: Sara y punto (1990), a mini-series of seven one-hour episodes, included a serialized biography of the star, many popular guests (including Luciano Pavarotti and Charles Aznavour, among others) and Miss Montiel singing her greatest hits in addition to new songs written especially for her. Next came Ven al Paralelo (1992), taped in a Barcelona theater where Montiel hosted,sang and acted in comedy sketches in front of a live audience.
It is quite impossible to cover here all the awards Sara Montiel has won in her long successful career but we must mention the "Premio del Sindicato" (at that time Spain's equivalent of the Oscar) for best actress, won two years in a row for her performances in "El Último Cuplé" and "La Violetera". In 1972 she was proclaimed an honorary citizen of Los Angeles by Mayor Sam Yorty and was given the gold key to the city. Similarly she has been awarded the gold keys of New York, Miami and Chicago. In 1981 she received Israel's most prestigious honor, the Ben Guiron Award and in 1983 she was awarded France's Legion of Honor medal, after a retrospective of her career ran at the Autumn Film Festival in Paris. In 1986 "Nosotros", a Hollywood-based Hispanic actors advocacy organization founded by Ricardo Montalban, gave her its Golden Eagle Award for life achievement. The trophy was presented to Sarita by her "Vera Cruz" costar-producer Burt Lancaster in an emotional reunion that triggered a standing ovation from all their Hollywood peers witnessing the event. In 1997 she was awarded the "Gold Medal", also a life achievement recognition, given--rarely0--by Spain's Academy of Arts and Sciences. The two-hour ceremony was beamed live by national television. In 2008 Sara returned to her hometown to unveil a sculpture with her image at the new Sara Montiel Park. A nearby avenue was also named after her and there was at the same time a dedication ceremony of her newly renovated museum, located inside a 16th-century windmill. In addition, the government placed a commemorative plaque on the house where she was born.
Sara Montiel's private life has also been a large part of her legend. After divorcing Anthony Mann in 1963, she married three more times (Vicente Ramirez Olalla 1964-1978; Jose Tous 1979-1992; Antonio Hernandez 2002-2004). Before, during and after these marriages she had countless affairs, among them Nobel prize-winning scientist Severo Ochoa and Italian actor Giancarlo Del Duca. Unable to have children, she adopted two during her marriage to Jose Tous: Thais (born in 1979) and Zeus (born 1983). In 2000 she published her autobiography, which became a best seller. Undaunted by the passage of time and ignoring critics who accused her of mishandling her legendary image, Sara Montiel continued living and working at a hectic pace. She kept touring with her one woman show and making guests appearances on television. In 2009 she won a new generation of fans when she recorded "Absolutamente," an outrageous duet with Fangoria's vocalist Alaska. Both the record and the promotional video reached the top of the popularity charts and remained there for weeks.
Next Sara recorded some love duets with baritone José Antonio Román Marcos and traveled to the United States for a short tour sponsored by New York's Cervantes Institute and the universities of Chicago and Cincinnati. In every city she charmed the audiences with her charismatic presence and sense of humor. Back in Spain she continued her activities which now included supporting the singing career of her son Zeus. She appeared in his 2011 "Sex Dance" video and caused quite a stir.
In February 2013 Sara Montiel became the subject of a made-for-TV documentary titled "Sara's Dream" which aired in Spain to high ratings and great reviews. It was a fitting celebration of her fantastic life and career which came at the right time. A couple of months later, the star who had seemed eternal, passed away suddenly and quietly in her Madrid penthouse. By her family's request, funeral services were private but the funeral procession, organized by the city of Madrid, was a very moving event attended by thousands who showed up at Plaza Callao to bid farewell to their beloved Sara. She was buried in the San Justo cemetery family plot.- Actor
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Stanley Kamel was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on January 1, 1943 and was raised in South River, New Jersey. He attended high school at Rutgers Prepatory School (graduated 1961) in Somerset, New Jersey and received his college degree from the Boston University School of Fine Arts in 1965. Kamel got his start in acting with bit parts off-Broadway before his big break into television (as a regular cast member) portraying Eric Peters #2 on Days of Our Lives (1965) from 1972 to 1976.
He played a lot of different characters over the years, and his face was well known to most. He had a recurring role as the unscrupulous psychiatrist, Dr. Graham Lester on Murder One (1995). He also had recurring roles on the hits Melrose Place (1992) and Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990). Late in his career, Kamel was probably best known for playing Dr. Charles Kroger on Monk (2002) starring Tony Shalhoub.
On April 8, 2008, Kamel was found dead in his Hollywood Hills (Los Angeles) home by his long time agents, Donna Massetti and Marilyn Szatmary, having died of a heart attack. Kamel was only 65 years old.- Suma Paz was born on 5 April 1939 in Bombal, Santa Fe, Argentina. She died on 8 April 2009 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Teddy Scholten was born on 11 May 1926 in Rijswijk, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. She was an actress, known for Secret File, U.S.A. (1955), Ontdek de ster (1955) and Congratulations: 50 Years Eurovision Song Contest (2005). She was married to Henk Scholten. She died on 8 April 2010 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.- Standing out than the rest, Ultimate Warrior became one of the most popular wrestlers in the WWE (back then in the WWF). During his run from the 1980s-90s, Warrior became known for high high energy when running down to the ring with his music hits, shaking the ropes during his entrance, his signature move, the Gorilla Press Drop and the Big Splash, which seems that Warrior would be one the only non-heavyset built wrestler to use it.
Before reaching high status to become a main eventer in the WWE, Warrior became popular when he became a two-time Intercontinental Champion by defeating the Honky Tonk Man (Wayne Farris) (within 32 seconds at the first ever Summerslam in 1988) and Ravishing Rick Rude.
Warrior is now deceased.The Ultimate Warrior - Stunts
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Tommy J. Huff was born on 29 January 1943 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Warriors (1979), Armageddon (1998) and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). He died on 8 April 2006 in Tehachapi, California, USA.- Additional Crew
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Vaslav Nijinsky was one of the most important male dancers of all time. He was born Vaslav Fomich Nijinsky on December 28, 1889, while his parents were on tour in Kiev, Russian Empire (now Kiev, Ukraine). His father, Foma Lavrentevich Nijinsky, and his mother, Eleonora Bereda, were of Polish-Russian heritage, they were celebrated dancers and had their own touring dance company. His father gave him his first dance lessons. Young Nijinsky made his stage debut at the early age of 5, in 1895, at a Christmas pageant show in Nizhni Novgorod, Russia. There he had several stage performances with his little sister, Bronislava Njinska alongside his father and mother.
In 1900 Nijinsky was accepted at the Imperial School of Ballet in St. Petersburg on a 7-year scholarship from the State of Russia. From 1900-07 he studied dance and music at the Imperial School of Ballet, graduating with honors as a ballet dancer. He made his professional debut on the stage of Mariinsky Theare in St. Petersburg. There his partners were none other than Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina. Nijinsky performed as the leading star of Mariinsky Ballet, as well as a guest star at Bolshoi Ballet. He appeared as Albert in 'Giselle', and as the princes in 'Swan Lake' and 'The Sleeping Beauty'. His astounding performances were marked by the height and lightness of his leaps, impressive movements, and intense charismatic personality. Nijinsky's stage presence enchanted both critics and audiences. Nijinsky became the attraction for many important patrons, such as the Tsar Nicholas II, Grand Prince Vladimir Romanoff, and Prince Pavel Lvov. From 1907-10, Nijinsky was the principal star of the Imperial Ballet at Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. There he met impresario Sergei Diaghilev and became his protégé; Diaghilev heavily invested in development of Nijinsky's talent and ultimately made him one of the most respected dancers of all time.
In 1909, Sergei Diaghilev made Nijinsky the premier dancer with Ballets Russes. Nijinsky's complex relationship with Diaghilev would have a profound effect on his professional career as well as his personal life. In May 1909, on the sponsorship from Grand Prince Vladimir Romanoff, Diaghilev took Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova on their first and highly successful tour of Ballets Russes to Paris. During the seasons of 1909-13, Nijinsky built his reputation having such great partners as Tamara Karsavina and Anna Pavlova under the leadership of Sergei Diaghilev and choreographer Mikhail Fokin. He also danced with Isadora Duncan in Paris, learning from her and absorbing from other influences and traditions.
In 1913, Nijinsky made his debut as a choreographer for the Diaghilev's Ballets Russes with successful staging of ballets 'L'après-midi d'un faune' (1912, aka.. The Afternoon of a Faun), 'Jeux' (1913) on the music of Claude Debussy, and 'Le Sacre du Printemps' (1913, aka.. The Rite of Spring), for which Igor Stravinsky composed the famous score. At that time Nijinsky emerged as the most interesting and innovative male dancer who impressed audiences with his spectacular elevation in Grande Jeté, as well as his stage presence and his sensitive interpretations. In his performance of 'L'après-midi d'un faune' Nijinsky mimed masturbation with the scarf, causing an uproar known as "the greatest scandal of the cultural world" that split audiences and became the talk of Paris and beyond. However, Nijinsky said "I don't know what happened, I had an orgasm right there on stage" describing how he got that involved in his performance. He was defended by such figures as Auguste Rodin and Marcel Proust.
In 1913, while Diaghilev was away, Nijinsky was followed by a corps-de-ballet dancer Romola Pulszky, an obsessed fan, who clinged to Nijinsky and manipulated him to marry her. Being far too immature and unsophisticated, Nijinsky entered into a relationship that set him up to many failures in his life and career. He and Romola eloped in Buenos Aires. Nijinsky's unthoughtful marriage brought uncertainty in his life, causing him a cascade of many traumatic experiences, such as his split from Diaghilev and his failed performances, and eventually led to his decline. Nijinsky followed his wife's impulse to form an independent ballet company in London, albeit their project collapsed due to the lack of leadership and administrative skills. As Nijinsky's wife ended her dancing career, she became driven by her agenda to have her own ballet company with her husband as main attraction. Her persistence only caused him more failures and further exacerbated his trauma. 1914, she bore their first daughter, Kyra, and a few years later, had their second daughter, Tamara. He and Romola tried again to create their own troupe, but failed to attract enough talent and money. Being driven by Romola's demands Nijinsky ended up giving performances far below his level, often without any direction and creative plans. Her efforts aimed at his separation from his cultural roots led to his removal from the Parisian cultural milieu, and he ended up living in his wife's country, Hungary. There Nijinsky suffered from another traumatic experience. In 1916, during the First World War, Nijinsky, baptized in Poland, but still a Russian citizen, was held as a prisoner of war in Hungary.
Sergei Diaghilev helped Nijinsky again and succeeded in getting him out of his internment, then hired him for the 1916-1917 season and sent him on tour with Russian Ballet Company in Noth America. On that tour Nijinsky was given a chance to be a choreographer and dancer in the leading role as Til Eulenspiegel in the eponymous ballet, that had a premiere in New York, in 1916. However, by that time his health was already damaged and he was emotionally labile and vulnerable. His erratic behavior and his tense personal relationships with his dancing partners on that tour had manifested some signs of dementia praecox that became apparent to members of the company. Nijinsky again split from Diaghilev's Ballet, then went on a string of cabaret gigs arranged by his wife. Her domineering personality and her demands again clashed with his artistic gift causing him several failed and substandard performances, frustration and further depression. Nijinsky's performances after his split from Diaghilev were never as good as before; also upon his wife's objections, he did not have an equally prepared dancing partner. His collaboration with his more successful sister, Bronislava Njinska, did not last, he also failed to find a good impresario, albeit that could be a hard task for anyone, except Diaghilev, during the war.
In December 1917 Nijinsky learned that his property in St. Petersburg, where he had enjoyed the best years of his life, was lost because of the Russian revolution, and he suffered another emotional trauma. He retreated in a Swiss villa in St. Moritz, owned by his wife's parents, where he lived in seclusion with his domineering wife and three-year-old daughter, Kyra. At that time he expressed his longing for ballet and started writing his diaries in Russian, but his writing was interrupted when his wife reported on his "violent" behavior and placed him in an asylum. In 1919, on Romola's arrangements, Nijinsky gave his last performances for a charity at a local hotel in St. Moritz, and at the same time he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and undergone a psychiatric treatment in Switzerland, being accompanied by his wife. For the rest of his life Nijinsky suffered from unstable emotions and mental problems; he spent many years in and out of mental hospitals. Although his wife was taking care of him in her own manner, which was described by witnesses as manipulative, Nijinsky wrote about his marriage "My wife is an untwinkling star..." Her own denial and insecurities of a failed actress led to a never-ending chain of conflicts with her famous husband. While she reported on his periods of anger, Romola clinged to Nijinsky against all advice to get a divorce, thus provoking anger again and again, and turning their irreconcilable differences into a vicious cycle, while maintaining the image of a victimized but devoted and caring wife of an ailing star.
At the same time Nijinsky, having expressed himself in writing of four volumes of his diaries, also made numerous drawings of dancing figures. He developed his original system of dance notation, but never danced for another 30 years. His handwritten diaries suffered from heavy editing by his wife, who cut the original drastically before the first publication in 1936, and the fourth book was never published. The original preface by Dr. Alfred Adler described his establishment of cooperative therapeutic relationship and the instilling of hope as central factor for successful treatment, but that original preface was not published and was not shown to Nijinsky. It was replaced by Romola with her version of Nijinsky's life. Romola portrayed Nijinsky as a passive victim of Diaghilev's abuse, and described herself as a savior who changed his life.
Meanwhile, Nijinsky was treated by the best doctors of his time, such as Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler. In 1945, when Nijinsky was living in Hungary, he met some Russians and spoke to them in his native language, one day he joined Russian dancers as they performed on a street, and danced with them, showing happiness, but soon he had to move with his wife to another country. Nijinsky's medical records showed some improvement of his mental status before he died of kidney disease, at age 60, on April 8, 1950. He was buried in London, until 1953, when Serge Lifar, in a bitter dispute with Romola, refused to accede to Romola's wish and moved his body to Cimetière de Montmartre in Paris, next to the graves of Gaetano Vestris and Theophile Gotier. Romola died of cancer in 1978, but Nijinsky's side refused to bury her together with him. In 2005, after a long legal battle, Nijinsky's sepulcher was opened on permission granted by Lifar's widow, so that Romola was re-buried next to Nijinsky, but her name was not on his tombstone.
Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, Jean Cocteau, and Auguste Rodin drew portraits of Nijinsky during the peak of his career. A comprehensive biography of Vaslav Nijinsky, titled 'A leap into madness', was written by Peter Oswald, professor of psychiatry at the UCSF in California, with many documents related to Nijinsky's brilliant career, his disastrous marriage as well as his medical records and observations by foremost doctors such as Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler. Nijinsky's original hand-written manuscript was written mainly in Russian and partially in French as a stream-of-consciousness narration about his traumatic experiences and hectic relationships between him, Diaghilev, and Romola. The diary remained a closely guarded secret until Romola's death, and was sold at an auction in 1979, for over $100,000, and finally, in 1994, it was acquired by the New York Public Library. It was published in 1999, after Nijinsky's daughters relented as holders of the copyright. Nijinsky's system of dance notation was deciphered in the 1980s.
Nijinsky's tombstone in Monmartre Cemetery in Paris has inscription SEPULTURE NIJINSKY VASLAV NIJINSKY NE A KIEV 28 XII 1889 MORT A Londres 8 IV 1950.