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1-19 of 19
- With that impish, gap-toothed grin, nervous bundle of energy, Robert Morse could never be contained long enough to become a film star. The live stage would be his calling.
He was born Robert Allen Morse on May 18, 1931, in Newton, Massachusetts, the son of May (Silver) and Charles Morse, who worked at a record store. His father was of German Jewish descent and his mother was of Russian Jewish ancestry. He developed an interest in performing in high school. Moving to New York, he joined elder brother Richard who was already studying acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Robert made his debut with the musical "On the Town", in 1949, and trained with Lee Strasberg, before making his inauspicious film debut in The Proud and Profane (1956), but movie offers were few. Instead, he brightened up the lights of Broadway as "Barnaby Tucker" in "The Matchmaker" (and in the film version of The Matchmaker (1958)), as well as in "Say, Darling" (Tony nomination in 1958), "Take Me Along" (Tony nomination in 1959) and his best-known role as the ever-ambitious "J. Pierpont Finch" in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", in which he finally won the Tony, in 1961, while singing his signature song, "I Believe in You", to himself in the mirror. He took that role to film, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967), six years later.
Morse's best movie roles also came in the 60s, as a Britisher arranging his uncle's funeral in the cult favorite, The Loved One (1965), and as Walter Matthau's philandering buddy/advisor in A Guide for the Married Man (1967). His offbeat musical talents were used for the intriguing experimental James Thurber-like TV series, That's Life (1968), with E.J. Peaker, which combined sketches, monologues and musical interludes, but the show lasted only one season.
Overall, Bobby's work has never been less than interesting with no gray areas in his performances -- ranging from bizarre to irritating, from frenzied to fascinating. After earning acclaim and another Tony-nomination as the cross-dressing musician on the lam in "Sugar", a Broadway musical version of Some Like It Hot (1959), Morse appeared less and less -- his eccentricities proving both difficult to cast and to deal with.
Following an unfulfilling stint on the daytime soap, All My Children (1970), he came back in grand style in the one-man tour de farce, Tru (1992), based on the life of the equally-eccentric Truman Capote - a perfect fit, if ever there was one, between actor and role. With this role, Bobby became one of the choice few to ever win Tony awards for both a musical and dramatic part. At the age of 85, Morse returned to the lights of Broadway in the 2016 revival of "The Front Page" starring Nathan Lane.
Robert continued to be seen in odd roles from time to time, such as "Grandpa" in the revamped TV movie, Here Come the Munsters (1995). Into the millennium, he focused on TV work. He made a huge dramatic impression as an advertising agency founder Bertram Cooper on the popular series Mad Men (2007) and earned five Emmy nominations. He also impressed as Dominick Dunne on the series American Crime Story (2016) and provided the TV voice of Santa Claus in the animated short series Teen Titans Go! (2013).
Married twice, his five children include actresses Andrea Doven, Hilary Morse and Robin Morse. Robert Morse died on April 20, 2022, in Los Angeles. He was 90. - Brawny Read Lawrence Morgan spent two years as an undergraduate at the University of Kentucky where he acquitted himself as a star baseball player for the Kentucky Wildcats. He then became heavily involved with bodybuilding, undertook further studies at Northwestern University and served for two years with the U.S. Air Force. Featured in the spreads of several high profile magazines, Morgan had established something of a tough guy image by the time he appeared as a rugged mountaineer in L'il Abner on Broadway. This duly led to his screen debut in 1949 where his muscular physique henceforth ensured a steady and lucrative employment as a character actor in innumerable TV episodes, playing stalwart soldiers and lawmen, hard-bitten westerners or athletes. His best-known role was as the eye-patch wearing U.S. Cavalry Sergeant Hapgood Tasker in NBC's The Deputy (1959). Morgan also appeared multiple times as different characters in Laramie (1959), Gunsmoke (1955), Police Woman (1974), Barnaby Jones (1973) and Lou Grant (1977). He was invariably cast in smaller roles on the big screen, beginning with the Shirley MacLaine-David Niven comedy Ask Any Girl (1959) and ending with a bit part as a card dealer in Maverick (1994) which also heralded his retirement from acting.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Hilda Bernard was involved in show business for 60 years. Characterized for playing wealthy and evil characters in many soap operas, she was also active in radio performances as a leading actress. She appeared with Faye Dunaway in Jennifer's Shadow (2004) in 2004. She stood out for her evil character on television in Chiquititas (1995).- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Writer
Rama Rao Tatineni was born in 1938 in Kapileswaram, Andhra Pradesh, British India. He was a director and assistant director, known for Jeevana Tarangalu (1973), Lok Parlok (1979) and Inquilaab (1984). He was married to Tatineni Jayashree. He died on 20 April 2022 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Gavin Millar was born in Clydebank, Scotland, to a working class family. The family moved to England when he was nine years old. After school and national service in the Royal Air Force, he studied English at Oxford University. His notable early work as a director was for the BBC in the 1960s. He also went on to direct for commercial television, including Dennis Potter's Cream in My Coffee (1980) for London Weekend Television and John le Carré's A Murder of Quality (1991) for Thames Television. Although mainly known for television, he has directed films such as Dreamchild (1985) (again by Potter) and Iain Banks' raunchy Complicity (2000).- Rüdiger Weigang was born on 25 June 1942 in Saarbrücken, Germany. He was an actor, known for Des Doktors Dilemma (1977), A Perfect Spy (1987) and Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany (1984). He died on 20 April 2022 in Berlin, Germany.
- Ralph Kiser died on 20 April 2022 in Virginia, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Blues guitarist Guitar Shorty was born David Kearney in Houston, Texas, in 1939. He began playing professionally in the mid-'50s and began recording in 1957. He also toured with fellow guitarists Otis Rush and Guitar Slim in the late 1950s. He began cutting down on his recording career during that time and started touring in the US and Canada, attracting attention for his wild, explosive stage shows.
He resumed recording in 1984 with a succession of small labels, including the British label JSP. As of this date, he still tours extensively in the US and Canada.- Gilbert Choquette was born in 1929 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was a writer and editor, known for Islands of the Frozen Sea (1958), L'homme du lac (1961) and Industrial Canada (1958). He died on 20 April 2022 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.
- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Antonín Kachlík was born on 26 February 1923 in Kladno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. He was a director and writer, known for Radost az do rana (1978), Cervnové dny (1961) and O moravské zemi (1978). He was married to Kvetoslava Houdlová. He died on 20 April 2022 in the Czech Republic.- Stiven Rusber Gutiérrez was born in 1992 in Bajo Yuna, Arenoso, Duarte, Dominican Republic. He was an actor, known for La Tragedia de Río Verde (2018). He died on 20 April 2022 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
- Production Manager
- Actor
- Location Management
Jérôme Petament was born on 3 October 1974 in Besançon, Doubs, France. He was a production manager and actor, known for Qui a tué Bambi? (2003), La France (2007) and The Page Turner (2006). He died on 20 April 2022 in Paris, France.- Erwina Rys was born on 19 January 1955 in Elblag, Poland. She died on 20 April 2022 in Warsaw, Poland.
- Art Department
Alexander 'Sandy' Nesbitt was born on 16 April 1947 in St Petersburg, Florida, USA. Alexander 'Sandy' is known for Here Comes the Boom (2012), The Cider House Rules (1999) and The Pink Panther 2 (2009). Alexander 'Sandy' was married to Leilani Goggin. Alexander 'Sandy' died on 20 April 2022 in Brunswick, Maine, USA.- Curt Merz was born on 17 April 1938 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He died on 20 April 2022 in Springfield, Missouri, USA.
- Andrei Olevanov was born on 5 May 1938. He was an actor, known for Pikovaya dama (1960), Krepostnaya aktrisa (1963) and Muzykanty odnogo polka (1965). He died on 20 April 2022 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
- Music Department
Jan Heinke was born in 1968 in Dresden, German Democratic Republic. He is known for Huss (2021), The Lost Leonardo (2021) and Jans Klangwelt (2008). He died on 20 April 2022 in Dresden, Saxony, Germany.- Colin Hurst was an actor, known for The Last British Execution (2013), Testimony (1987) and Juliet Bravo (1980). He died on 20 April 2022 in Standish, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, UK.
- Olle Goop was married to Annika Goop. He died on 20 April 2022 in Sweden.