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1-50 of 4,361
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Director
Gifted with aristocratic good-looks and a rich speaking voice, English-born thespian Edmund Purdom graced dozens of European genre films in a career that spanned over 50 years.
Born in Hertfordshire and educated in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Purdom made his professional stage debut at age 21 and worked with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for two years. He arrived on Broadway in 1951, acting opposite Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in productions of Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" and Shaw's "Caesar and Cleopatra." A supporting turn in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's Julius Caesar (1953) saw him cast in a string of lavish studio pictures as a lead, first as a last-minute replacement for Marlon Brando in The Egyptian (1954), then as the face to Mario Lanza's singing in The Student Prince (1954).
Though Purdom never achieved the superstardom of his Hollywood contemporaries, he found no shortage of work in Italy for the rest of his life. He worked in nearly every major genre trend of the country's cinema, from sword-and-sandal epics, to stylish giallo thrillers, to Spaghetti Westerns, to low-budget horror. He was also a prolific voice artist, dubbing Italian films into English. He made a brief foray behind-the-camera as one of names attached to the Brit slasher Don't Open Till Christmas (1984), but it's troubled production meant his directing career was a one-off.
Purdom was married to Vivienne Purdom, Linda Christian, Alicia Darr and Tita Phillips. He died on January 1, 2009 in Rome, survived by Vivienne and two daughters.- Michael Emmet was born on 5 February 1926 in New York, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Night of the Blood Beast (1958), Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959) and Telephone Time (1956). He was married to Margarita Marianne (Peggy) Spencer. He died on 1 January 2009 in San Marcos, California, USA.
- Tommy Carlton was born on 22 June 1941. He was an actor, known for Tarzan's Savage Fury (1952). He died on 1 January 2009 in Denver, Colorado, USA.
- Writer
- Actor
Johannes Mario Simmel was born on 7 April 1924 in Vienna, Austria. He was a writer and actor, known for Hotel Adlon (1955), Stefanie (1958) and Verlorene Melodie (1952). He was married to Lulu Gräfin von Treuberg, Helena Poszvek and Christa Simmel. He died on 1 January 2009 in Lucerne, Switzerland.- Dodie Drake was born on 20 February 1927. She was an actress, known for The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), The Diary of a High School Bride (1959) and Cain's Hundred (1961). She died on 1 January 2009.
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Fred Knittle was born on 21 December 1925 in Utica, New York, USA. He is known for Young@Heart (2007). He died on 1 January 2009 in Northhampton, Massachusetts, USA.- Claiborne Pell was born on 22 November 1918 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He was married to Nuala O'Donnell. He died on 1 January 2009 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
- James McCrane was born on 18 January 1929 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation (1986). He was married to Eileen. He died on 1 January 2009 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA.
- Ermengol Passola was born in 1925 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He died on 1 January 2009 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- Editor
- Actor
- Writer
Greg Tittinger was born on 27 February 1947. He was an editor and actor, known for Nurse Sherri (1977), Cinderella 2000 (1977) and Eaten Alive (1976). He died on 1 January 2009 in Venice, California, USA.- Editorial Department
- Editor
Jean Lafitte was born on 14 July 1956 in Beaumont, Texas, USA. Jean was an editor, known for Space: Above and Beyond (1995), Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) (1986) and Click (1997). Jean died on 1 January 2009 in Eufaula, Oklahoma, USA.- Helen Suzman was born on 7 November 1917 in Germiston, Transvaal, South Africa. She was an actress, known for Skating on Thin Uys (1985), The Outsiders (1983) and The Anno Domini Interview (1977). She was married to Moses Suzman. She died on 1 January 2009 in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
- Bernard Shokede was born on 3 July 1930. He was an actor, known for Uncle Max (2006). He died on 1 January 2009 in Toledo, Ohio, USA.
- Renate Siegl was an actress, known for Hart am Wind (1970), Nach einer Ewigkeit (1992) and Hafengeschichten (1971). She died on 1 January 2009 in Germany.
- Oscar Grant died on 1 January 2009 in Oakland, California, USA.
- Steven Gilborn was born on 15 July 1936 in New Rochelle, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Evolution (2001), Doctor Dolittle (1998) and Alien: Resurrection (1997). He was married to Karen Halverson. He died on 2 January 2009 in North Chatham, New York, USA.
- Jett Travolta was born on 13 April 1992 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He died on 2 January 2009 in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas.
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Casey Rankin was born on 10 July 1946 in Kansas, USA. Casey was a composer, known for Yomigaeru kinrô (1979), Ninja in the Dragon's Den (1982) and Ninja Commando (1992). Casey died on 2 January 2009.- Osamu Ichikawa was born on 21 June 1936 in Saitama, Japan. He was an actor, known for Kamen Rider Stronger (1975), Kamen Rider Stronger the Movie (1975) and Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: Warriors of Love (1978). He died on 2 January 2009 in Machida, Tokyo, Japan.
- Elisheva Michaeli was born on 17 June 1928 in Tel Aviv, Israel. She was an actress, known for Sipuray Bate Kafe' (2003), Two Kuni Lemel (1966) and Giraffes (2001). She died on 2 January 2009 in Haifa, Israel.
- Mike Amado was born on 23 April 1975. He was an actor, known for Dream House (2009). He died on 2 January 2009 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA.
- J. Milnor Roberts was born on 16 September 1918 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He was married to Priscilla Bruce and Virginia Sykes. He died on 2 January 2009 in Arlington, Virginia, USA.
- Writer
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Inger Christensen was born on 16 January 1935 in Vejle, Syddanmark, Denmark. She was a writer and actress, known for Mirror of the Planet (1992), Kasimir og Karoline (1983) and Stemmer (1973). She died on 2 January 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.- Bette South was born in 1926. Bette died on 2 January 2009.
- Ian Greaves was born on 26 May 1932 in Crompton, Lancashire, England, UK. He died on 2 January 2009 in Ainsworth, Bury, Greater Manchester, England, UK.
- Adele Burnett was born on 11 February 1920 in New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Sweet Revenge (1976) and The Engagement Party (1999). She died on 2 January 2009 in Dallas, Texas, USA.
- Producer
Edward Leven was born on 17 September 1913 in the USA. He was a producer, known for Project X (1949), Cry Murder (1950) and Bride of the Gorilla (1951). He died on 2 January 2009 in Miami, Florida, USA.- Actor
- Transportation Department
Ross Lasi Tanoai was born on 13 September 1947 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. He was an actor, known for Punch-Drunk Love (2002), Alpha Dog (2006) and Windtalkers (2002). He died on 2 January 2009 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.- Tony Gregory was born on 5 December 1947 in Ballybough, Dublin, Ireland. He died on 2 January 2009 in Dublin, Ireland.
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Pat Hingle (real name: Martin Patterson Hingle) was born in Miami, Florida, the son of a building contractor. His parents divorced when Hingle was still in his infancy (he never knew his father) and his mother supported the family by teaching school in Denver. She then began to travel (with her son in tow) in search of more lucrative work; by age 13 Hingle had lived in a dozen cities. The future Tony Award nominee made his "acting debut" in the third grade, playing a carrot in a school play ("At that time it didn't seem like much of a way to make a living!", he recalled). Hingle attended high school in Texas and in 1941 entered the University of Texas, majoring in advertising. After serving in the Navy during WW II, he went back to the university and got involved with the drama department as a way to meet girls. With his wife Alyce (whom he first met at the university), Hingle moved to New York and began to get jobs on the stage and on TV. The apex of his stage career was "J.B." by poet Archibald Macleish, with Hingle in the title role as a 20th-century Job. It was during the run of "J.B." that Hingle took an accidental plunge down the elevator shaft of his New York apartment building, sustaining near-fatal injuries in the 54-foot fall. He was near death for two weeks (and lost the little finger of his left hand); his recovery took more than a year. In more recent years, Hingle has played Commissioner Gordon in the "Batman" movies.
Just prior to his death, he resided in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, with his wife, Julia.- Actress
- Soundtrack
She possessed the same tiny frame and fervid temperament as Brazilian Carmen Miranda and, for most her career, Puerto Rican singer/dancer Olga San Juan, like Miranda, was a welcome distraction by American audiences. A flavorful, scene-stealing personality who delightfully mangled the English language, she decorated a number of war-era and post-war musicals and comedy escapism with her special brand of comedy.
Dubbed the "Puerto Rican Pepperpot" during her heyday, Olga was born in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. Her family returned to Puerto Rico when she was three, but came back to America after a few years and, this time, settled in "Spanish Harlem". By age 3, she was taking dancing lessons and was almost immediately thrust into the limelight by her mother. By age 11, she (and five other young girls) had executed the Fandango for Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House. As a teenager, Olga performed at such hot spots as the El Morocco and the Copacabana and, subsequently, earned pay as a dancer with famed jazz and mambo musician, Tito Puente, who by then had earned the title of "The King of Latin Music".
Gaining momentum appearing on radio, Olga formed a popular night club act, Olga San Juan and Her Rumba Band, that eventually caught the eye of Paramount Studios. Putting her under contract, Olga, as an added incentive to stand out, decided to become the first dyed-blonde Latin movie spitfire. Making her film debut in the tropical musical short, Caribbean Romance (1943), her second short film, Bombalera (1945), earned itself an Academy Award nomination. In this, Olga was billed, appropriately enough, as "The Cuban Cyclone". She was front and center in her third short, The Little Witch (1945), a musical romance in which she virtually played herself as a night club singer.
Her feature film debut came in the form of Rainbow Island (1944), a typical South Seas vehicle for sarong-wearing Dorothy Lamour. Soon, Olga was seen playing "other woman" supports. Arguably, her finest hour came alongside Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire in her first post-war picture, Blue Skies (1946), adding zest to such songs as "You'd Be Surprised", "Heat Wave" and "I'll See You in C-U-B-A". While the boys are vying for the romantic attentions of gorgeous Joan Caulfield, Olga is paired up, engagingly, with another comedy scene-stealer, Billy De Wolfe.
Constricted in films by her heavy accent, Olga nevertheless became an ethnic commodity for Paramount and, for the rest of the post-war decade, was enjoyably featured in light "B" material. She stood out playing Mary Hatcher's comedy sidekick and fellow wannabe movie star in Variety Girl (1947), which seemed more of an excuse to feature Paramount's huge roster of superstars in cameo bits; was borrowed by Universal to juice up the musical proceedings, opposite geeky Donald O'Connor, in the comedy, Are You with It? (1948); played a mortal second fiddle to goddess Ava Gardner in One Touch of Venus (1948); offered silly distraction in skating star Sonja Henie's final Hollywood ice extravaganza -- The Countess of Monte Cristo (1948); and lent funny, flashy vulgarity to one of Preston Sturges' lesser outings, The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949), a Betty Grable vehicle for Twentieth Century-Fox.
During this period (1948), Olga had met and married actor Edmond O'Brien. The couple had three children, two girls and a boy. Her last hurrah in the industry came, by accident, when famed lyricist Alan Jay Lerner happened to hear her sing at a festive Hollywood gathering and offered her one of the leads (Jennifer Rumson) in his Broadway-bound musical, "Paint Your Wagon", in 1951. The show was a flop, running just eight months, and Olga left the cast before the run ended, after becoming pregnant with her second child. In the aftermath, Olga, a strict Roman Catholic, decided to concentrate on marriage and family. Aside from a smattering of TV shows, she completely retired. On film, she was briefly glimpsed only two times more, both of them being her husband's vehicles, The Barefoot Contessa (1954), in which he won the "supporting actor" Oscar, and The 3rd Voice (1960).
Settling in West Los Angeles, Olga suffered a stroke in the 1970s and slowly declined in health, from that point on. Divorced from O'Brien in 1976, their children all involved themselves in different facets of the business. Daughter Maria O'Brien became an actress in her own right and son Brendan O'Brien also delved into acting as well as writing and guitar-playing. Other daughter, Bridget O'Brien Adelman, became a TV producer. After decades of being out of the news, it was reported in January of 2009 that Olga had died at a Burbank hospital of kidney failure, following an extended illness. She was 81.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Additional Crew
Sal Martorano was born in 1955. She is known for Frequency (2000), Conspiracy Theory (1997) and Altered States (1980). She died on 3 January 2009 in Freeport, Long Island, New York, USA.- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Writer
Alvin Ganzer was born on 27 August 1911 in Cold Spring, Minnesota, USA. He was a director and assistant director, known for The Leather Saint (1956), The Twilight Zone (1959) and Three Bites of the Apple (1967). He died on 3 January 2009 in Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii, USA.- Carol Donahue was born on 12 October 1949 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Carol was a writer, known for Deadly Relations (1993). Carol was married to Bruce Ryan Applegarth and Gerard Joseph Theriot. Carol died on 3 January 2009 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Producer
Betty Freeman was born on 2 June 1921 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was a producer, known for The Dreamer That Remains: A Portrait of Harry Partch (1974), A Bigger Splash (1973) and Musical Outsiders: An American Legacy (1994). She was married to Franco Assetto and Stanley Freeman. She died on 3 January 2009 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Iliya Karaivanov is a Bulgarian theater and cinema actor. He was born on September 11, 1948 in Burgas, Bulgaria. He graduated from National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria in the class of famous actor Apostol Karamitev. There were in the same class such actors as Velko Kynev, Filip Triffonov, Bogdan Glishev. Iliya Karaivanov has played roles in many Bulgarian movies, among them - Dr. Sokolov of "Under the Yoke", Asen of "Adaptation" and George Ikonomov of "Notes on Bulgarian Uprisings". One of the most memorable roles of late Karaivanov in cinema was in the film "Sofia History" based on the eponymous novella by Lyuben Stanev. He died on January 3, 2009 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Charles Camilleri was born on 7 September 1931 in Hamrun, Malta. He was a composer, known for House of 1,000 Dolls (1967), The Beasts of Marseilles (1957) and The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969). He was married to Doris Vella. He died on 3 January 2009 in Naxxar, Malta.- Script and Continuity Department
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Terry Terrill was born on 22 December 1922 in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Splash (1983), Five Easy Pieces (1970) and The Stunt Man (1980). He was married to Lola. He died on 3 January 2009 in Naples, Florida, USA.- Production Designer
- Art Director
- Producer
Linda Jean Marlowe was born on 3 January 1958 in Mineola, New York, USA. She was a production designer and art director, known for Communication Breakdown (2004), Sinkhole (2004) and Miles Ahead (2004). She died on 3 January 2009 in North Carolina, USA.- Additional Crew
Sioux Lehner was born January 14th, 1958 in Sunnyvale, CA. Sioux was a dancer and performer. Her first dance teacher was Benny Smith, in the Bay Area. Soon after, Sioux joined her high school dance team, "The Featherettes". Marlene Rosburg was Sioux's coach, and Sioux was the head captain. After high school, Sioux attended Long Beach State, however, her career took over when she won the crown for Miss Los Angeles in 1979. This was just the beginning, as she went on to dance professionally all over the world. Sioux eventually landed a gig with David Copperfield, performing as his lead showgirl for 3 years. Sioux was also the lead dancer on NBC's "Midnight Special" with host Wolfman Jack. Sioux's list of commercial/print work is very extensive. An honorable mention goes to her role in the feature film "Going Berserk" with John Candy. Sioux's dream was to open up her own dance studio. In 1988 she began looking for the perfect place to start her dream. By 1989, "Dance Attack" was born in Mt. View, CA. The studio grew into 3 separate buildings with over 2,000 students. Dance Attack became known as one of the most competitive studios in the United States. Sioux's main goal was to teach her students the "love of dance."
Sioux's family included her husband Peter Lehner, daughter Rachele Lehner, and two sons Justin and Jake Lehner.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Animation Department
- Editorial Department
Justus Taylor was born on 24 July 1940 in Vermont, USA. Justus is known for Abduction (1975), Christmas Evil (1980) and The Great Bank Hoax (1977). Justus died on 3 January 2009 in North Pownal, Vermont, USA.- Maria De Jesus was born on 10 September 1893 in Olival, Ourém, Portugal. She died on 3 January 2009 in Corujo, Tomar, Portugal.
- Alan Walters was born on 17 June 1926 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. He was married to Margaret Patricia Walters. He died on 3 January 2009 in London, England, UK.
- Sam McQuagg was born on 11 November 1935 in Columbus, Georgia, USA. He died on 3 January 2009 in Columbus, Georgia, USA.
- Geraldine Brock was well-known in the Black community of San Antonio as a child prodigy; an accomplished singer, dancer and musician, she gave a number of well-regarded (and well-attended) recitals in and around San Antonio before her marriage. A protégé of Mrs. Myra D. Hemmings, Geraldine was also active in the San Antonio Negro Little Theatre Company.
- Writer
- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
Sandy Veith was born on 13 November 1948 in Merano, Bolzano, Italy. He was a writer and producer, known for Diff'rent Strokes (1978), Nobody's Perfect (1980) and Love, Sidney (1981). He died on 4 January 2009 in Miami, Florida, USA.- Actress
- Script and Continuity Department
- Soundtrack
Tuija Halonen was born on 24 August 1926 in Helsinki, Finland. She was an actress, known for Me tulemme taas (1953), Taikayö (1954) and On lautalla pienoinen kahvila (1952). She was married to Hannu Halonen. She died on 4 January 2009 in Helsinki, Finland.- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Actress
- Costume Designer
Christa von Humboldt was born on 7 July 1919 in Mannheim, Germany. She was an actress and costume designer, known for Sin salida (1971), Revenge (1990) and Un largo viaje hacia la muerte (1968). She was married to Philippe Pasquier Divielle. She died on 4 January 2009 in Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico.- Laura Brock was born on 2 November 1932 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for The Dead Talk Back (1994). She died on 4 January 2009 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- Willie the Cat died on 4 January 2009 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.