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- Abbé Prévost was born on 1 April 1697 in Hesdin, Artois, France. He was a writer, known for Manon Lescaut (1914), The Metropolitan Opera HD Live (2006) and Manon Lescaut (1918). He died on 25 November 1763 in Paris, France.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Haydn had a hard childhood: at six years old he had to work as a boy singer in a choir and after his voice broke he had to earn his money by playing dance music and serving as a butler. Becoming famous for his compositions Haydn was employed as "Kapellmeister" by Fuerst Esterhazy in Eisenstadt in 1761. For thirty years he served him and composed his pieces for the pleasure of the aristocrats; his musicians used to call him "Papa Haydn" as he was caring for them and was socially engaged. After the death of Esterhazy Haydn moved to Vienna leaving it only twice for London where he composed his "London symphonies".- Writer
Dominique Vivant was born on 1 April 1747 in Chalon-sur-Saône, Saône-et-Loire, France. Dominique was a writer. Dominique died on 24 April 1825 in Paris, France.- Otto von Bismarck was born on 1 April 1815 in Schönhausen, Jerichow II, Province of Saxony, Prussia [now Stendal, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany]. He was a writer, known for Die Entlassung (1942), Film socialisme (2010) and Royal Cousins at War (2014). He was married to Johanna von Puttkamer. He died on 30 July 1898 in Friedrichsruh, Aumühle, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
- Augustus Charles Hobart-Hampden was born on 1 April 1822 in Walton-on-the-Wolds, England, UK. He died on 18 June 1886 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy.
- Jorge Isaacs was born on 1 April 1837 in Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. He was a writer, known for María (1938), La María (1922) and María (1972). He was married to Felisa González Umaña. He died on 17 April 1895 in Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia.
- Mary Davenport was born on 1 April 1850 in the USA. She was an actress, known for The Widow of Red Rock (1914). She was married to J. Duke Murray (manager). She died on 26 June 1916 in Fresno, California, USA.
- Producer
- Director
Søren Nielsen was born on 1 April 1853 in Risby, Denmark. He was a producer and director, known for Hovmod staar for Fald (1911), Kærlighed ved Hoffet (1912) and Lersøens Konge (1911). He died on 2 January 1922 in Denmark.- Jules Friquet was born on 1 April 1854 in France. He was an actor, known for Captain of His Soul (1918) and Limousine Life (1918). He died on 18 November 1921 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Anna Lamacová-Karinská was born on 1 April 1860 in Prague, Cechy, Austrian Empire [now Czech Republic]. She is known for Otrávené svetlo (1921), Akord smrti (1919) and Zpev zlata (1921).
- Ivar Knudsen was born on 1 April 1861 in Følle, Rønde, Jutland, Denmark. He was married to Julie Marie Olsen. He died on 23 March 1920.
- Mai Wells was born on 1 April 1862 in San Francisco, California, USA. She was an actress, known for His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1914), The Last Egyptian (1914) and Opened Shutters (1921). She was married to ? Chapman. She died on 1 August 1941 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Lindsay Morison was born on 1 April 1865 in Durham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Commuted Sentence (1915), Bessie's Bachelor Boobs (1915) and The Film Favorite's Finish (1915). He was married to Rose Gertrude Braggacci and Kate Hamilton Rogerson. He died on 22 February 1917 in New Rochelle, New York, USA.
- Writer
- Music Department
- Composer
Ferruccio Busoni was born on 1 April 1866 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He was a writer and composer, known for Warrior (2011), Amour (2012) and Ida (2013). He was married to Gerda Sjöstrand. He died on 27 July 1924 in Berlin, Germany.- Edmund Rostand was a prominent French playwright and poet.
Rostand, who was born in Marseille on 1 April, 1868, the son of the distinguished economist Eugene Rostand (1843-1915), first achieved success in Paris at the age of twenty with his vaudeville sketch 'Le Gant Rouge". A collection of poems in 1890 entitled "Les Musardises", would also be well received. Not before too long his works were being compared to that of Belgian poet and playwright Maurice Maeterlinck (1862-1949).
Some of Rostand's more successful plays were: "Les Romonesques" (1894), "La Princess Lomtain" (1895), "La Samaritaine" (1897), "Cyrano de Bergerac" (1897), "Aiglon" (1901) and "Chantecler" (1910). Many of Rostand's plays were popular on both sides of the Atlantic. The American rights to "Chantecler" alone would make him a small fortune.
Edmund Rostand was a member of L'Académie française and a commander of the Légion d'honneur. He had dined with King Edward IV at Biarritz and read "Cyrano de Bergerac" to an audience of Paris laborers. At the outbreak of World War One his offer to enlist was politely turned down by French officials. After the sinking of the Lusitania, he wrote a long poem condemning the German ambassador to America. Rostand passed away on 2 December, 1918 after a bout of influenza. Besides his son, Jean Rostand, he was survived by his wife, Rosemonde Gerard (1871-1953), a grand-daughter of Count Etienne Gerard (1773-1852), a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars. - Norwegian author Peter Egge was born in Trondheim, Norway, in 1860, into a peasant family from Innerhad. He attended grammar school, but his family's dire financial straits necessitated his leaving school and getting a job. He worked in a variety of positions, from office clerk to sailor to journalist. During these years he wrote several books, but was so unhappy with them that he burned them. Finally, at age 22, his first novel, "Common People", was published, and he began to turn out both novels and plays (many of his works being centered around his home town of Trondheim),.
His novels "The Heart" and "The Hansine Solstad" brought him his greatest critical and financial success, with the latter having been translated into ten languages. His comedy "Love and Friendship" is a staple of Scandinavian theatre and has also been performed in Europe and America. - Frank Craig was born on 1 April 1870 in New York, USA. He is known for When Giants Fought (1926).
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Esther Lekain was born on 1 April 1870 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for A Very Long Engagement (2004), La Vie En Rose (2007) and La faute de Monique (1928). She died on 2 March 1960 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France.- H. Agar Lyons was born on 1 April 1871 in Cork, Ireland. He was an actor, known for Little Lord Fauntleroy (1914), The Mystery of Dr. Fu Manchu (1925) and Chinatown Nights (1937). He died in 1944 in Wandsworth, London, England, UK.
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Béla Jenbach was born on 1 April 1871 in Miskolc, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]. He was a writer, known for The Csardas Princess (1934), Die Csárdásfürstin (1971) and The Lilac Domino (1937). He died on 21 January 1943 in Vienna, Austria.- Music Department
- Writer
- Composer
Léo Lelièvre was born on 1 April 1872 in Reims, Marne, France. Léo was a writer and composer, known for Coco Before Chanel (2009), Les bleus de l'amour (1933) and Le prince Jean (1934). Léo died on 31 March 1956 in Paris, France.- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Sergei Rachmaninoff (also spelled Rachmaninov) was a legendary Russian-American composer and pianist who fled Russia after the Communist revolution of 1917, and became one of the highest paid concert stars of his time, and one of the most influential pianists of the 20th century.
He was born Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov on April 2, 1873, on a large estate near Novgorod, Russia. He was the fourth of six children born to a noble family, and lived in a family estate, where he enjoyed a happy childhood. Rachmaninoff studied music with his mother from age 4; continued at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, and continued at the Moscow Conservatory with professors Arensky, Taneyev and Tchaikovsky. He graduated in 1892, winning the Great Gold Medal for his new opera "Aleko."
He was highly praised by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , who promoted Rachmaninov's opera to the Bolshoi Theater in 1893. But the disastrous premiere of his 1st Symphony, poorly conducted by A. Glazunov, coupled with his distress over the Russian Orthodox Church's pressure against his marriage, caused him to suffer from depression, which interrupted his career for three years until he sought medical help in 1900. He had a three-month treatment by hypnotherapist, Dr. Dahl, aimed at overcoming his writer's block. Upon his recovery, Rachmaninov composed his brilliant 2nd Piano Concerto, and made a comeback with successful concert performances. From 1904 to 1906 he was a conductor at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. From 1906 to 1909, Rachmaninoff lived and worked in Dresden, Germany. There he composed his 2nd Symphony.
In 1909, Sergei Rachmaninoff made his first tour of the United States having composed the 3rd Piano Concerto as a calling card. He appeared as a soloist with Gustav Mahler conducting the New York Philharmonic. His further work on merging Russian music with English literature culminated in his adaptation of a poem by Edgar Allan Poe into choral symphony, "The Bells," which Rachmaninov considered to be among the best of his works. In 1915 he wrote the choral masterpiece: "All-Night Vigil" (also known as the Vespres), fifteen anthems expressing a plea for peace at a time of war. The terror of Russian Revolution and the destruction of his estate forced him to emigrate. On December 23, 1917, Rachmaninov left Russia on an open sledge carrying only a few books of sheet music.
As a pianist, Sergei Rachmaninov made over a hundred recordings and gave over one thousand concerts in America alone between 1918 and 1943. His concert performances were legendary, and he was highly regarded as a virtuoso pianist with unmatched power and expressiveness. Rachmaninoff's technical perfection was legendary. His large hands were able to span a twelfth, that is an octave and a half or, for example, a stretch from middle C to high G. Rachmaninoff was highly regarded for accuracy on the piano keyboard, which he achieved through arduous practice by repeating difficult passages many times in a very slow tempo. In many of his original compositions, Sergei Rachmaninoff used musical allusions ranging from folk songs to oriental music and jazz. Unusually wide chords and deeply romantic melody lines were characteristic of his compositions. Besides his own music, he often performed pieces by Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin , Franz Liszt and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
In 1931, Rachmaninov signed a letter condemning the Soviet regime, that was published in the New York Times. There was retaliation immediately, and his music was condemned by the Soviets as "representative of decadent art." However, the official censorship in the Soviet Union could not stop the popularity of Rachmaninov's music in the rest of the world. During the 1930s and 1940s, he remained one of the highest paid concert stars.
During the 1930s, Rachmaninoff shared his time between Europe and America, because he was booked for numerous live performances in major cultural centers on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1932, Rachmaninoff with his family moved to his newly built Villa 'Senar' on Lake Luzern. There he replicated the layout of his estate that was destroyed by Russian revolution of 1917. The villa became a new home for the family and a center of cultural life, as Rachmaninoff was visited by notable musicians, such as Horowitz, writers, such as Bunin, and even Maharaja with family from India. For his guests, Rachmaninoff often played his music on the new concert grand piano that was presented to him by Hamburg Steinway company. Using that piano, Rachmaninoff composed his famous Rhapsody on the Theme of Paganini in 1934. In 1939, with the onset of World War 2, Rachmaninoff left Europe and moved to America for good.
At his home on Elm Drive in Beverly Hills, Rachmaninoff had two Steinway pianos which he played together with Vladimir Horowitz and other entertainers. His love of fast cars was second to music, and led him to occasional fines for exceeding the speed limit. Since he bought his first car in 1914, Rachmaninov acquired a taste for fast cars, buying himself a new car every year. His generosity was legendary. He gave away 5000 dollars to Igor Sikorsky to start an American helicopter industry. He paid for Vladimir Nabokov and his family relocation from Paris to New York. He sponsored Michael Chekhov and introduced him to Hollywood.
Sergei Rachmaninoff gave numerous charitable performances, and donated large sums of money to fighting against the Nazis during WWII. He became a US citizen in 1943, just a few weeks before his death. In his last recital, in February, 1943, Rachmaninov played Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2, featuring the famous "Funeral march." The New York Times obituary of March 28, 1943, stated that Sergei V. Rachmaninoff, pianist, composer and conductor, who for fifty years had been a leader in the music world on two continents, died today at his Beverly Hills home of complications resulting from pneumonia and pleurisy, which twice had caused him to cancel recitals here this month.
Rachmaninoff was survived by his wife and two daughters who arranged for his burial in Kensico Cemetery, New York. Over the years, Soviet and Russian authorities made numerous claims to re-bury the composer in Moscow, Russia, but the Rachmaninoff family successfully opposed due to the fact that Sergei Rachmaninoff made his choice to be a citizen of the United States.- Roza Schlesingerová was born on 1 April 1874 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. She was an actress, known for Otec Kondelík a zenich Vejvara I. (1926), Batalion (1927) and Horské volání S.O.S. (1929). She died on 22 January 1946 in Prague, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic].
- Rudolf Seibold was born on 1 April 1874 in Vienna, Austria. He was an actor, known for Die wahre Liebe ist das nicht (1918). He died on 3 February 1952 in Munich, Germany.
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Edgar Wallace was born on 1 April 1875 in Greenwich, London, England, UK. He was a writer and director, known for King Kong (2005), King Kong (1933) and King Kong (1976). He was married to Ethel Violet King and Ivy Maude Caldecott. He died on 10 February 1932 in Hollywood, California, USA.- Dick Hunter was born on 1 April 1875 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Fatal Hour (1937), Bill Haywood, Producer (1915) and The Canby Hill Outlaws (1916). He died on 22 December 1962 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
- Carrie DeMar was a retired vaudeville performer and the widow of Joseph Hart. She entered a Catholic order in 1950.
Miss De Mar first appeared in David Henderson's extravaganza company at the Chicago opera house. Then she played one of the Duchess' daughters in Adonis. In 1891, when she was still in her teens, she joined the company of Hallen and Hart and began to appear in musicals staged by this company.
She toured the United States and Europe for many years and was given credit for the vogue of changing her costume and set with each song. She was a singer and a comedienne. She appeared in "Foxy Grandpa" which opened February 17, 1902 and played for 120 performances at the 14th street theater. She also appeared in "Mama's Papa" with Joseph Hart.
She married Joseph Hart on August 1, 1892 on a Wednesday at the home of Mr. Hart's sister - Mrs. Robert Duncan in St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan.
Miss De Mar had two sisters, Estelle and Fleurette. Fleurette was a dancer and appeared with her sister in a number of shows, including "Foxy Grandpa" in which she had a solo dance number. In 1915, Carrie and Joseph Hart bought a house in Woodcliffe, New Jersey which was next to Fleurette's home. An article in the N.Y. Star in March 1915 quoted the sisters as saying "their happiness will be supreme when they can touch hands and exchange recipes from their back windows." A clipping from the "Broadway Weekly" indicates that the Harts had a summer home at Sullivan Lake.
According to her obituary, Carrie retired from active stage work around 1918. Her husband Joseph Hart died on October 4, 1921 at the age of 59. She lived at the Waldorf Astoria hotel for a number of years. She later moved to an apartment at 1492 Minford Place in the Bronx which was owned by her sister Estelle's husband Arthur Schell. Her sister Fleurette also had an apartment in the same house. She lived there until the death of Arthur Schell in 1947. At that time, she moved and was not heard from again until her obituary appeared in Variety in 1963. - Director
- Actor
- Writer
James Young Deer was born on 1 April 1876 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He was a director and actor, known for Lieutenant Daring RN and the Water Rats (1924), Tragedies of the Osage Hills (1926) and The Stranger (1920). He was married to Helen Gilchrist, Anomine Paige and Red Wing. He died on 6 April 1946 in New York City, New York, USA.- Leo Greiner was born on 1 April 1876 in Brünn, Moravia, Austria-Hungary. He was a writer, known for Meier Helmbrechts Flucht und Ende (1913). He died on 21 August 1928 in Berlin, Germany.
- Art Director
- Costume Designer
- Production Designer
Ernst Stern was born on 1 April 1876 in Bucharest, Romania. He was an art director and costume designer, known for The Wildcat (1921), Champagne Charlie (1944) and Satanas (1919). He died on 28 August 1954 in London, England, UK.- Edith M. Ryan was born on 1 April 1877 in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. She was a writer, known for The Best Man (1928). She died on 5 October 1955 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Amelie Barleon was born on 1 April 1878 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The Producers (1967), The Scar (1919) and Jane Eyre (1910). She died on 17 June 1969 in Jamaica, New York, USA.
- Joseph Menchen was born on 1 April 1878 in Illinois, USA. He was a writer, known for The Miracle (1912). He died on 5 October 1940 in California, USA.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Albert F. Mayo was born on 1 April 1878 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an assistant director, known for Zudora (1914), Tillie's Tomato Surprise (1915) and Gold (1914). He was married to Hilda Ruth Twogood and Hilda Twogood. He died on 20 May 1933 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Carl Sternheim was born on 1 April 1878 in Leipzig, Germany. He was a writer, known for Die Hose (1927), The Sunday Drama (1977) and Die Kassette (1961). He was married to Pamela Wedekind, Thea Löwenstein and Eugenie Hauth. He died on 3 November 1942 in Brussels, Belgium.
- Stanislaus Zbyszko was born on 1 April 1879 in Jodlowa, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Jodlowa, Podkarpackie, Poland]. He was an actor, known for Night and the City (1950), Madison Square Garden (1932) and Gotch-Zbyszko World's Championship Wrestling Match (1910). He was married to Anna. He died on 23 September 1967 in St. Joseph, Missouri, USA.
- Lionel Braham was born on 1 April 1879 in Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A Christmas Carol (1938), Skinner's Dress Suit (1926) and As You Like It (1936). He died on 6 October 1947 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- E. Lawrence Dudley was born on 1 April 1879 in Camden, New Jersey, USA. E. Lawrence was a writer, known for Voltaire (1933). E. Lawrence died on 2 June 1947 in Salisbury, Vermont, USA.
- Director
- Actor
Louis Halberstadt was born on 1 April 1880. He was a director and actor, known for Konfirmanden (1906), Professorens Morgenavis (1906) and Stævnemøde på grøftekanten (1955). He died on 4 May 1961.- Flora Zabelle (nee Mangasarian) was a Broadway actress and one of the first stars of American silent film.
Born Flora Mangasarian, she took the stage name Flora Zabelle. Her family had fled Constantinople (now Istanbul) as a result of the Armenian Genocide massacres in the Ottoman Empire. She attended Wellesley College and decided upon an acting career. After establishing herself on Broadway as a stage performer, she married famed actor Raymond Hitchcock. They appeared in several silent films together and although some of the movies remain, others have been lost.
Zabelle had several bizarre and unfortunate experiences in her personal life. Upon being accused of some crimes (which were later proved to have been fabricated), her husband disappeared for several days, Zabelle believing that he was kidnapped and possibly killed. In another case, her father returned to Constantinople on a supposedly secret mission and was arrested by Turkish authorities. As a result, she led a fund-raising campaign in the United States to help secure his freedom.
Following her husband's death, Zabelle became progressively reclusive until she eventually stopped acting altogether.
Interesting fact
At the height of her fame, Zabelle's likeness was used on collectible cards to promote Fatima cigarettes. - Mowbray Berkeley was born on 1 April 1881 in St. Kitts, British West Indies. He was an actor, known for Fires of Faith (1919). He died on 28 December 1948 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- Writer
- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
Jack Cunningham was born on 1 April 1882 in Ionia, Iowa, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The Avenging Arrow (1921), Daredevil Jack (1920) and The Black Pirate (1926). He was married to Ruth Cunningham (1895-1984). He died on 4 October 1941 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Julienne Paroli was born on 1 April 1882 in Saint-Étienne, Loire, France. She was an actress, known for Les Misérables (1958), Douce (1943) and Tabusse (1949). She died on 26 September 1959 in Paris, France.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Although his parents were deaf, Leonidas Chaney became an actor and also owner of a theatre company (together with his brother John). He made his debut at the movies in 1912, and his filmography is vast. Lon Chaney was especially famous for his horror parts in movies like e.g. Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923). Due to his special make-up effects he carried the characterization to be "the man with the thousand faces." He only filmed one movie with sound: The remake of one of his earlier films The Unholy Three (1930). His son, Lon Chaney Jr., became a famous actor of the horror genre.- Laurette Taylor was born on 1 April 1883 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Peg o' My Heart (1922), Happiness (1924) and One Night in Rome (1924). She was married to J. Hartley Manners and Charles A. Taylor. She died on 7 December 1946 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Malcolm 'Mr. Jetsam' McEachern was born on 1 April 1883 in Albury, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor, known for The Purge (2013), Chu Chin Chow (1934) and The Crimes of Stephen Hawke (1936). He died on 17 January 1945 in University College Hospital, London, England, UK.- Frédéric Mariotti was born on 1 April 1883 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. He was an actor, known for S.O.S. Mediterranean (1938), Barrabas (1919) and Die Nacht der Entscheidung (1931). He died on 22 February 1971 in Paris, France.
- Born in a beautiful valley in Sykkylven community called Velledalen, as the oldest son of a farmer. Perhaps not the best starting-point for an actor, but his interest for theater was woken by a local group of youths,they were playing amateur-theater, and Drabløs became fascinated.
A few years later he became a member of a touring-company called, The Norwegian Play team, a group of actors and musicians, founded by the writer, actress and manager Hulda Garborg. She was also one of the founders of The Norwegian Theater established in 1913, and Drabløs was among the actors from the very first day. For almost fifty years he played many great roles on that theater, at his best as Peter in "Ordet"/"The Word" by Kaj Munk, together with many roles in the plays of Chekhov and Holberg.
Between 1920 and 1925 he was running his own touring company, and he was manager at The Norwegian Theater for two seasons.
In films he mostly played small parts, often seen as a farmer, or as an older member of the family. Also many roles in radio-plays, and he was a gifted reader of poetry. One of his last performances were an eminent portrayal of an old man in a TV production of "Bleikeplassen". (by Vesaas)
Drabløs died in the early springtime of 1976, the finest period of the year in the western hills of Norway. He was 93 years old. - Herbert Gerdes was born on 1 April 1884 in Blexen, Germany. He was a director and writer, known for Der Leidensweg des Hainar Rönelund (1920), Die Geisterbraut (1920) and Das große Geheimnis (1920). He died on 17 October 1957 in Esslingen am Neckar, Germany.
- António Sacramento was born on 1 April 1884. He is known for Capas Negras (1947), Serra Brava (1948) and O Trevo de Quatro Folhas (1936).