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1-50 of 238
- Florence Deshon born to Samuel and Florence C. Danks of Austrian and English descent. She began as a stage actress and appeared opposite Mary Boland in 'My Lady's Dress and in the comedy 'Seven Chances' prior to making her screen debut in 1915's 'The Beloved Vagabond' directed by Edward Jose for Pathe, Florence starred in 24 silent melodrama and crime movies but perhaps her best known was 'The Desired Woman' directed by Paul Scardon and co-starring Harry T. Morey for the Vitagraph Film Company in 1918 and her final film as Sally McTurk in John Francis Dillon's 'The Roof Tree' with William Russell for the Fox Film Co in 1921. She moved to Greenwich Village, New York in hope to resume her film career but on the 4th February she was found unconscious on the third floor of her apartment building, a window was open in her bedroom but illuminating gas flowed from a opened jet, a newspaperwoman, Minnie Morris, found Deshon, an Ambulance took her to Hospital, but attempts to revive her were unsuccessful, she died the following afternoon, adding that the only mystery was why 'with the apartment especially wired for electricity, Miss Deshon should have used the single gas jet in the room and forgotten to turn it off, some say she had no reason to kill herself and that her death was accidental, the New York Medical Examiner concluded her death was accidental but rumors persisted that she might have committed suicide because of grief.
- Marvin Loback was born on 21 November 1896 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor, known for Double Trouble (1927), Once Over (1928) and The Big Shot (1929). He died on 18 August 1938 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Jack King was born in 1883 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Outlaw's Highway (1934) and Jaws of Justice (1933). He was married to Rhea King. He died on 8 October 1943 in New York City, New York, USA.- Music Department
- Actor
- Composer
Songwriter ("How Am I to Know?"), composer ("Paramount on Parade"), pianist and singer, educated at the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, France and in private music study with E. Enna, Gabrilovitsch, Camille Decreus, Bejamin Fabian, Ernest Schilling, and Isidore Philippe. He made his debut as a child concert pianist in 1910 and gave piano concerts until 1921. His European debut was in Berlin, and between 1921 and 1923 he was the assistant director of the University of California Glee Club. He was also a singing coach, and appeared in vaudeville and night clubs. Joining ASCAP in 1935, his other popular-song compositions include "Any Time's the Time to Fall in Love", "Everything's Been Done Before", "I'm True to the Navy Now", "You Still Belong to Me", "Live and Love Today", and "All I Know Is You're in My Arms".- Robert E. Hutchins was born March 29th, 1925, in Tacoma, Washington. He was born to James Hutchins and Olga Hutchins (nee Roe). Robert was a very outgoing boy with a charming personality, because friends persuaded James and Olga to go to a Hollywood photographer and get his picture taken. The photographer was impressed by Robert's intelligence, and asked to take a few feet of film of him. The results were so good that the film ended up in the projection room at Hal Roach Studios. Hal Roach decided the boy would be a good addition to his "Our Gang" short films, and signed him to a five year contract.
On his first day at the studio, Robert didn't have an identity for his part in the movies, and he was running around so much that he began to wheeze. Such led to the coining of the "Wheezer" name, one he carried for the rest of his time in Our Gang. Robert played the perky, tag-along little brother that was always anxious to be part of the mischief that the gang was getting into. He played such a part in both the silent films and the talkies.
Jackie Cooper recalls, "You'd go to play with Wheezer, and his father would pull him away, very competitive. I didn't get a satisfactory answer from my mother or grandmother as to why, but he was to be left alone. I guess his father was trying to make him a star or something. Obviously it never happened as it did for Spanky or some of the other kids."
In trying to make Robert a star, his father malnourished him, and isolated him from the other kids when not filming. James had a plan to keep him small and employable by underfeeding him, and wanted to ensure that Bobby and his siblings never learned that normal kids got a lot more to eat than they did. Nobody ever intervened upon the children's behalf. It's made worse by the fact that his plan backfired. While Robert was incredibly photogenic, and had some fine moments on screen, he looked and acted more like the slow-witted, malnourished child he was, as he aged. Sharper boys were given the leading parts, while Robert spent the last portion of his contract as a background player.
After he left Our Gang with 1933's "Mush and Milk", his film career was essentially over -- with an appearance in Pie for Two, Yoo-Hoo, and Strange Roads outside of his Our Gang shorts -- and he did no more acting after that. His mother and father divorced, and he, his brother James, and his mother moved back to Washington. They lived in a household with their grandmother, and Olga's new husband.
Robert got a job as a gas station attendant in 1942, and enrolled as an air cadet sometime in 1943, with speculation being that he enrolled sometime in August. He was very close to completing his advanced flight training, until a very unfortunate event occurred May 17th, 1945, and he perished. He was killed in a mid-air collision while trying to land a North American AT-6D Texan, at Merced Army Air Field Base in California. The other pilot involved received only minor damage, and landed safely. - Actress
- Script and Continuity Department
Christine Francis was born on 27 March 1903 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. She was an actress, known for Pony Express (1924), Be Careful, Dearie! (1926) and Stupid, But Brave (1924). She died on 12 February 1952 in New York City, New York, USA.- Clements Ripley was born on 26 August 1892 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was a writer, known for Jezebel (1938), Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) and A Devil with Women (1930). He was married to Katherine M. Ball. He died on 22 July 1954 in Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Harry Stewart was born on 21 October 1908 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor, known for Hell and High Water (1954), The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (1953) and Fireside Theatre (1949). He was married to Gretchen Ida Sissell. He died on 20 May 1956 in Tonopah, Nevada, USA.- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Although his family heritage was based in Maine, Paul Wing was born in Tacoma, Washington to Dr. Peleg Benson Wing (1861-1932) and his wife Ida M. (Porter) on August 14, 1892 (some conflicting records indicate 1891). Married 18-year old Martha Gillis Thraves (1894-1981) in Pohatan Courthouse, VA on Christmas Day, 1912. Paul served in the military during WWI and became a mid-level Paramount Studios executive during the 1920s-30s and relocated to Hollywood. He received screen credit for The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935) but spent most of his career as an unbilled line producer for the studio. His film resume is undoubtedly highly incomplete. Both of his daughters, Madison (Pat Wing Gill) and the ravishing Martha (Toby Wing Merrill) became chorus girls in the 1930s. Paul was an amateur pilot and survived a serious plane crash in 1935. Wing, a career reservist, re-entered the military prior to WW2 and, as a major, was captured by the Japanese in the Philippines, surviving the infamous Bataan Death March (he is mentioned in "No Uncle Sam: The Forgotten Bataan" by Anton F. Bilek, Michael S. Levy and Gene O'Connell). He was rescued from the Canabatuan Prison Camp in a daring maneuver by U.S. Army Rangers. He died on May 30, 1957 in Portsmouth, VA.- George Hicks was born on 26 August 1905 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He died on 17 March 1965 in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, New York, USA.
- Eugene Walsh was born on 26 March 1891 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor, known for Dropped from the Clouds (1917), The High Cost of Starving (1917) and The Stolen Actress (1917). He was married to Mildred V. McCauley. He died on 25 November 1965 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
- Writer
- Editor
- Editorial Department
Katherine Hilliker was born on 25 April 1885 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. She was a writer and editor, known for Sunrise (1927), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and Kivalina of the Ice Lands (1925). She was married to H.H. Caldwell, Douglas (Bill) Hilliker and Douglas H. "Bill" Hilliker. She died on 6 December 1965 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.- Marjie Millar was born on 10 August 1930 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. She was an actress, known for Money from Home (1953), About Mrs. Leslie (1954) and When Gangland Strikes (1956). She was married to John Dennis McCallum, John Florea, James Sidney Rollins Jr. and Charles Candoo. She died on 16 April 1966 in Coronado, California, USA.
- Director
- Editor
- Additional Crew
Former propman Howard Bretherton was one of the legion of unknown directors who made the films--mostly westerns--that generations of kids trudged to see at the Saturday afternoon matinées. Bretherton's long career as an action/western director began in the late 1920s and ended more than 25 years later. In between he ground out scores of cowboy flicks, action/adventure yarns, serials, and just about anything anyone would hire him for. He made films the way "B" picture producers wanted them made--fast, with a minimum of fuss and within budget. The fact that Bretherton was also an editor--a skill he passed on to his son, David Bretherton, who was an editor for more than 40 years--who could cut "in the camera" must have added to his desirability in the eyes of producers. Bretherton was one of the directors of the long-running "Hopalong Cassidy" series, and also spent a lot of time at Warner Bros. cranking out many of that studio's gritty little action pictures. Unlike many of his fellow "B" directors who turned to series television toward the end of their careers, Bretherton stayed mostly in features until his retirement in 1952, with only the occasional venture into episodic TV.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Marvin Bailey was born on 12 May 1913 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor, known for Broadway Rhythm (1944). He died on 6 August 1970 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
William R. Thompkins was born on 27 April 1925 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor, known for A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and Rawhide (1959). He died on 18 September 1971 in Coupeville, Washington, USA.- Actress
- Make-Up Department
- Costume Designer
Lorraine MacLean was born on 7 February 1904 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. She was an actress and costume designer, known for Charming Sinners (1929), A Gentleman of Paris (1927) and The Carnation Kid (1929). She was married to Douglas MacLean. She died on 22 January 1972 in Santa Barbara, California, USA.- Robert Emerick was born on 9 December 1915 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor, known for Joe (1970) and Guess What We Learned in School Today? (1970). He died on 1 June 1973 in San Diego, California, USA.
- Edward John Crosby was born on 29 July 1900 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was married to Margaret Mae Mattes and Hazel Burke Nieman. He died on 19 December 1973 in Spokane, Washington, USA.
- Georgann Hawkins was born on August 20, 1955 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. She was a student of University of Washington in Seattle and a member of the campus sorority Kappa Alpha Theta. She disappeared from Campus on June 11, 1974 in Seattle, Washington, the date attributed to her death. Her remains were found on Issaquah, Washington, on September 1974. She was 18 years old.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Roy Brooks was born on 1 January 1901 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor, known for Number, Please? (1920), Never Weaken (1921) and High and Dizzy (1920). He died on 30 January 1976 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Producer
Bing Crosby was born Harry Lillis Crosby, Jr. in Tacoma, Washington, the fourth of seven children of Catherine (Harrigan) and Harry Lincoln Crosby, a brewery bookkeeper. He was of English and Irish descent. Crosby studied law at Gonzaga University in Spokane but was more interested in playing the drums and singing with a local band. Bing and the band's piano player, Al Rinker, left Spokane for Los Angeles in 1925. In the early 1930s Bing's brother Everett sent a record of Bing singing "I Surrender, Dear" to the president of CBS. His live performances from New York were carried over the national radio network for 20 consecutive weeks in 1932. His radio success led Paramount Pictures to include him in The Big Broadcast (1932), a film featuring radio favorites. His songs about not needing a bundle of money to make life happy was the right message for the decade of the Great Depression. His relaxed, low-key style carried over into the series of "Road" comedies he made with pal Bob Hope. He won the best actor Oscar for playing an easygoing priest in Going My Way (1944). He showed that he was indeed an actor as well as a performer when he played an alcoholic actor down on his luck opposite Grace Kelly in The Country Girl (1954). Playing golf was what he liked to do best. He died at age 74 playing golf at a course outside Madrid, Spain, after completing a tour of England that had included a sold-out engagement at the London Palladium.- Actress
Henrietta Goodwin was born on 30 April 1890 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. She was an actress. She was married to Murray Kinnell. She died on 19 November 1978 in Santa Barbara, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
Albert Ottenheimer was born on 6 September 1904 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Annie Hall (1977), Man Against Crime (1949) and Desert Death (1935). He died on 25 January 1980 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.- Actress
During the Golden Age of Hollywood there were an array of character actors who came out and perfected their craft alongside some of the era's most popular stars. Within that category is one Edith Evanson.
She was born on April 28, 1896 in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of a Protestant minister. In the the 1910s she was educated at the historic Stadium High School in which she appeared in various drama productions. In the 1910s and 1930s she appeared in various stage productions through a stock company.
In 1939 she came to Hollywood to begin work as a supporting actress in motion pictures; she made her debut the following year in The Man Who Wouldn't Talk (1940). She soon made a name for herself in films often appearing as spinsters, landladies, wealthy widows, maids, town gossips, middle-aged secretaries, and snobs.
During her film career she appeared in such classics as Citizen Kane (1941), Woman of the Year (1942), Reunion in France (1942), The Strange Woman (1946), Rope (1948), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), and Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks with a Circus (1960). With the advent of TV, she expanded in her career and made guest appearances on such programs as Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre (1955), The Loretta Young Show (1953), Lassie (1954), Bachelor Father (1957), and, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955).
In her later years work became harder to find due to old age and she retired from acting in 1974 following a guest role in the TV show Apple's Way (1974). Upon retirement she moved to Riverside Country, California, where she lived until her death from natural causes on November 29, 1980, aged 84. As she had no close family, she left money to her church, to the Democratic National Committee, and to the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital.- Animation Department
- Director
- Producer
Ben Sharpsteen was born on 4 November 1895 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Dumbo (1941), Pinocchio (1940) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). He died on 20 December 1980 in Santa Rosa, California, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Former World Middleweight Boxing Champion Freddie Steele was born Frederick Earl Burgett in Seattle, Washington on December 18, 1912. His childhood idol was local fighter and world champion Todd Morgan. Young Freddie decided to follow in Morgan's foot-steps and launched a professional boxing career in 1926 at age 14. After more than 100 fights, Steele captured the World Middleweight Championship (National Boxing Association version) from champion William "Gorilla" Jones on January 1, 1937. A series of auto accidents and a severe kidney problem started Steele on the downward path. He lost the championship less than two years later in a stunning first round shocker to local rival Al Hostak. A friend of actor John Wayne, Steele became involved in the movies as a boxing double, and later as a character actor. He made an unsuccessful ring comeback on May 23, 1941 at the Hollywood, California Legion Stadium, being stopped in 5 rounds by Jimmy Casino. Steele returned to the movies and gave outstanding performances in Hail The Conquering Hero with Eddie Bracken, and G.I. Joe with Robert Mitchum. His acting career ended in the late 1940s, and he ran a local tavern with his family for over 20 years. The great champion died on August 22, 1984 at 71. His career boxing record was 125-5-11 with 60 knockout victories.- Richard Brautigan was born on 30 January 1935 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was a writer, known for Willard and his Bowling Trophies, The Hawkline Monster and In Watermelon Sugar (1986). He died on 14 September 1984 in Bolinas, California, USA.
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Frank Herbert was born on 8 October 1920 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was a writer, known for Dune (2021), Dune (1984) and Dune: Part Two (2024). He was married to Theresa Shackleford, Beverley Ann Stuart and Flora Parkinson. He died on 11 February 1986 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.- Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Graves was born on 29 March 1902 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. Mike died on 8 April 1987 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- John C. Attle was born on 25 December 1940 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor, known for The Patty Duke Show (1963). He died on 22 August 1989 in Austin, Texas, USA.
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Production Manager
R.G. Springsteen was born on 8 September 1904 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was a director and assistant director, known for Secret Venture (1955), Harbor of Missing Men (1950) and Heart of Virginia (1948). He was married to Alice Van Springsteen. He died on 9 December 1989.- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Lindsley Parsons was born on 12 September 1905 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Randy Rides Alone (1934), Freckles Comes Home (1942) and Fashion Model (1945). He died on 8 October 1992 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Dixy Lee Ray was born on 3 September 1914 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. She died on 2 January 1994 in Fox Island, Washington, USA.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Additional Crew
Clay Warnick was born on 14 December 1915 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. Clay was a composer, known for Your Show of Shows (1950), Max Liebman Spectaculars (1954) and The Adventures of Marco Polo (1956). Clay died on 8 February 1995 in West Orange, New Jersey, USA.- Cinematographer
Harbine Monroe was born on 25 September 1915 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. Harbine was a cinematographer, known for Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse (1940). Harbine died on 25 May 1995 in Tacoma, Washington, USA.- Actor
- Casting Director
Clifton Steere was born on 23 November 1927 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor and casting director, known for The Education of Sonny Carson (1974) and Some of My Best Friends Are... (1971). He died on 2 November 1996 in New York City, New York, USA.- Betty Greco was born on 29 March 1927 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. She was an actress, known for Winner Take All (1939), Spy Hunt (1950) and On Their Own (1940). She died on 23 December 1997 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Art Director
- Production Designer
Rolland M. Brooks was born on 17 December 1907 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an art director and production designer, known for Star Trek (1966), Mission: Impossible (1966) and The Untouchables (1959). He died on 24 September 1998 in Monterey, California, USA.- John Ehrlichman was born on 20 March 1925 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977), The Silence of Cricket Coogler (2000) and Our World (1986). He was married to Karen Hilliard, Christy McLaurine and Jeanne Fisher. He died on 14 February 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Stocky, general purpose actor, a prolific face on the small screen during the 1960s and 1970s. Batanides got into acting after performing stand-up routines in front of fellow GI's in Europe during World War II. His training in dramatic art at the Actors Lab in Los Angeles was followed by extensive stage experience. He was more recently noted as "Mr. Kirkland" in four instalments of the popular "Police Academy" franchise but is remembered by older viewers chiefly as the ill-fated U.S.S. Enterprise geologist Lieutenant D'Amato who died rather badly (cellular disruption) in the Star Trek (1966) episode, That Which Survives (1969). Other notable appearances include one of dictator Clemente's (Peter Falk) henchmen in The Twilight Zone (1959) episode, The Mirror (1961); and the Mongol leader "Batu" in The Time Tunnel (1966) episode, Attack of the Barbarians (1967). Batanides regularly played heavies in shows like I Spy (1965) and Mission: Impossible (1966), or spoofed them (for instance, as a KAOS agent in Get Smart (1965)). He retired from acting in 1989.
- Earl Anthony was born on 27 April 1938 in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington, USA. He was married to Susie Anthony , Susie Shelley and Marylou Devish. He died on 14 August 2001 in New Berlin, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, USA.
- Don Paul was born on 23 July 1926 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He died on 7 September 2001 in Eugene, Oregon, USA.
- Robert Patten was born on 11 October 1925 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was an actor, known for Westworld (1973), Airport (1970) and Twelve O'Clock High (1949). He was married to Peggy Lloyd and Patricia Grant. He died on 29 December 2001 in Malibu, California, USA.
- Pat Wing was born on 19 November 1914 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. She was an actress, known for The Working Man (1933), Hi, Nellie (1934) and Maytime (1923). She died on 13 February 2002 in Gloucester, Ohio, USA.
- Writer
- Animation Department
- Additional Crew
Bill Berg was born in Tacoma, Washington. He began his profession by studying at Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles before joining Disney's animation department in 1938 as an apprentice. After working his way up to assistant animator, he moved to the story department in 1943 and began writing and sketching Donald Duck cartoon shorts. Within Disney, he was also a prolific writer. He was behind several of the Jiminy Cricket educational features such as How to Have an Accident in the Home (1956) and 'How to Catch a Cold'. He wrote numerous 'Mickey Mouse Club' shows and many 'Wonderful World of Disney' TV shows. Before retiring in 1988, Berg was behind the syndicated Disney comic strip "Scamp" for many years. His last Disney credit was on the 1989 Disney animated feature, The Little Mermaid (1989). Bill Berg passed away in March 2002, at the age of 84, at his home in San Juan Capistrano.- Jeff Smith was born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1939. He grew up in a close family, and learned some of his first lessons in food, and in frugal cooking from his mother. His love of wine; one of the most prominent elements in his cooking, came from his friendship, in his youth, with a doctor named Lester Baskin. Dr. Baskin introduced young Smith to wine while he was studying to become a Methodist minister. He was ordained in 1965. Soon after was married, to a lady from New York, named Patty. As an assistant professor at the University of Puget Sound, Jeff began a cooking class, as a way of teaching his students about history, and different cultures: "eating history", as Smith put it. This lead to the opening of his Chaplain's Pantry cooking school in Tacoma, in 1972. And from there The Frugal Gourmet was born. The first shows were produced at KTPS in Tacoma, and Jeff's first cookbook was published in 1977. By the early 80s, The Frugal Gourmet had become the highest rated cooking show on television, and Jeff's books soared up the bestseller lists as soon as they were released. By this time, Smith and Patty had two sons, Channing and Jason; and Jeff's family soon became common topic on his television shows, along with his love of Chinese and Italian Quisine, Garlic, Wine, good olive oil; and his strong admiration for American statesman, Thomas Jefferson. Jeff's shows, aired on public television, covered an unbelievably wide variety of foods, and cooking styles. And Jeff's friendly, outgoing personality made them easy to watch. He was also a good teacher, and anyone who has ever watched The Frugal Gourmet has learned something; either about food or about life. In 1995, Jeff Smith hosted The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the Feast for the Odyssey Network. And then, he retired from television, leaving behind a legacy of loyal fans; people who learned to cook, eat well, and enjoy life... with lots of Garlic.
- Czenzi Ormonde was born on 3 March 1906 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. Czenzi was a writer, known for Strangers on a Train (1951), Step Down to Terror (1958) and 77 Sunset Strip (1958). Czenzi was married to Frederic Ormonde and Art Heinemann. Czenzi died on 24 July 2004 in Hayden, Idaho, USA.
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
Mark Lapore was born in 1952 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. Mark was a director and producer, known for The Sleepers (1989), A Depression in the Bay of Bengal (1996) and The Five Bad Elements (1997). Mark was married to Laura McPhee. Mark died on 11 September 2005 in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA.- Summer Lee Baldwin was born on 27 August 1976 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. She died on 13 September 2005 in Lubbock, Texas, USA.