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1-50 of 158
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Al Lerner was born on 7 April 1919 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He is known for I Am Mother (2019), Carol (2015) and Playing It Cool (2014). He died on 19 January 2014 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Al Lohman was born on 15 January 1933 in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, USA. He was an actor, known for Amazon Women on the Moon (1987), The Billion Dollar Hobo (1977) and Sirota's Court (1976). He was married to Mary Ann Lohman. He died on 13 October 2002 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Al Rosen was born on 29 February 1924 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. He was married to Rita Kallman and Teresa (Terry) Ann Blumberg. He died on 13 March 2015 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Alan Kupperberg was born on 18 May 1953 in New York City, New York, USA. Alan died on 17 July 2015 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Alex Dreier, a rare case of a well-known radio and TV news reporter and commentator turned actor late in life. Born in 1916, he graduated from Stanford University in 1939 and became a newsman shortly afterwards. His first assignment was as a correspondent for the United Press in Berlin. Put under surveillance by the Gestapo, Dreier managed to leave Germany one day before Pearl Harbor. After this narrow escape, he worked regularly with NBC and ABC as a reporter, commentator and anchor. Aged fifty, he opted for acting and, for over ten years, performed character roles in 25 movies or TV series episodes, the best of which being 'The Boston Strangler' (Richard Fleischer, 1968) and 'The Carey Treatment' (Blake Edwards, 1972).
- Actress
- Soundtrack
As A&E's Biography put it, "She rose from the mean streets of New York's Hell's Kitchen to become the most famous singing actress in the world. When the pressures of fame became too much, she had the courage to leave Hollywood on her own terms". Alice Faye was born Alice Jeanne Leppert in NYC on May 5, 1915. She was to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars of the late 1930s and early 1940s. She started her career as a singer, but later gravitated to film roles. Alice's first role was in the film George White's Scandals (1934) in 1934 where she played "Mona Vale". Lilian Harvey was set to play the lead role in this film, but quit. Alice inherited the part. She went on to star in Tinseltown's popular and lucrative cookie-cutter musicals and, with her distinctive contralto, introduced several songs that became pop standards, notably "You'll Never Know" in the film Hello Frisco, Hello (1943) in 1943.
After filming Fallen Angel (1945) in 1945, in which she was very disappointed because many of her best scenes were cut, she walked out on her contract. Her life after Hollywood was charmingly simple. She was married to Hoosier Phil Harris from 1941-1995 in a union that produced two daughters. She had previously been married to Tony Martin for four years. Alice had always said that her family always came before her professional life. She went back to Hollywood to make State Fair (1962) in 1962. At that time, she said "I don't know what happened to the picture business. I'm sorry I went back to find out. Such a shame". Her last film was The Magic of Lassie (1978) in 1978 opposite James Stewart. Most of her films are big hits at revival theaters across the country, confirming the power she had in the wonderful performances she gave. Ironically, Alice is more popular in Britain than in the US. Four days after her birthday on May 9, 1998, Alice Faye died in Rancho Mirage, California. She was 83 years old.- Alvin Arnold was born on 11 October 1938 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. He was an actor, known for South Pacific (1958). He died on 10 November 2008 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Costume Designer
- Additional Crew
Angela Alexander was born on 27 November 1916 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. She was a costume designer, known for The Party (1968), Jungle Heat (1957) and Hell Bound (1957). She was married to Wesley Jeffries. She died on 8 October 2011 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Writer
- Additional Crew
Anne Howard Bailey was born on 26 July 1924 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. She was a writer, known for Santa Barbara (1984), General Hospital (1963) and Tales of Tomorrow (1951). She died on 23 November 2006 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Anne-Marie Blot was born on 17 April 1946 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for Pardon Mon Affaire (1976), Pardon Mon Affaire, Too! (1977) and The Great Spy Chase (1964). She died on 18 April 2009 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Producer
- Production Manager
Arthur Stolnitz was born on 13 March 1928 in New York, USA. He was a producer and production manager, known for Chosen Survivors (1974), Tales from the Crypt (1972) and The Vault of Horror (1973). He was married to Suzanne. He died on 23 March 2007 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
B.J. Baker was born on 6 May 1927 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. She was an actress, known for The Flintstones (1960), Heidi's Song (1982) and The Jetsons (1962). She was married to Barney Kessel, Buddy Baker and Mickey Rooney. She died on 2 April 2002 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Barbara Brown was born in 1921. She died in 1999 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Barbara Douglas was born on 13 July 1921 in Truro, Cornwall, England, UK. She was an actress, known for This Is Your Life (1955). She was married to Patrick Macnee and Graham Foulds. She died on 10 July 2012 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Location Management
Barbara Keller was born on 23 June 1943 in New York City, New York, USA. She is known for Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous (2005). She died on 15 April 2019 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Barbara Sinatra was born on 16 October 1926 in Bosworth, Missouri, USA. She was married to Frank Sinatra, Zeppo Marx and Robert Harrison Oliver. She died on 25 July 2017 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Casting Department
- Actor
- Casting Director
Bernie Styles was born on 1 May 1918 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and casting director, known for Witness (1985), Body Heat (1981) and Sliver (1993). He died on 23 August 2017 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Actress
- Writer
Betty Ford was born on 8 April 1918 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970), Dynasty (1981) and The Betty Ford Story (1987). She was married to Gerald Ford and William Cornelius Warren. She died on 8 July 2011 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Betty Jane Graham was born on 24 December 1920 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She was an actress, known for Rough Ridin' Justice (1945) and Cover Girl (1944). She was married to Robert Defiel. She died on 1 July 1998 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Bill Farrell was born on 30 March 1926 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He died on 30 June 2007 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Bill Geddie was born on 17 July 1955 in San Antonio, Texas, USA. He was a producer and director, known for The Barbara Walters Summer Special (1976), The View (1997) and Unforgettable (1996). He was married to Barbara Pratt. He died on 20 July 2023 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Billy Regis was an actor, known for Zero Hour! (1957) and Rhythm with Regis (1957). He died on 18 February 1988 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Bob Gilliland was born on 1 May 1926 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He died on 4 July 2019 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
American supporting player specializing in tough guys. Of Serbian extraction, he was born in Nevada in 1917. As a young man, he boxed in amateur bouts and had early training in theatre at the Pasadena Playhouse. He joined the Air Corps during World War II and was assigned to the troupe performing the Moss Hart Broadway tribute to the Corps, Winged Victory, acting under his first chosen stage name, Barry Mitchell. He appeared in the film version of the show, and after the war became active in radio drama as well as theatre. John Huston spotted him in a play and cast him as a bad guy in The Asphalt Jungle (1950), under the new sobriquet of Brad Dexter. Throughout the Fifties, he continued to play hard cases of a usually villainous stripe, in both crime dramas and Westerns. His most famous role came as one of title characters in The Magnificent Seven (1960), albeit his fame was considerably eclipsed by most of the other members of that band: Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Horst Buchholz, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, and James Coburn. He continued acting into the 1970s, then made a shift into producing.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Broderick Crawford is best remembered for two roles: his Oscar-winning turn as Willie Stark in All the King's Men (1949) and as Chief Dan Mathews on the syndicated TV series Highway Patrol (1955). He was also memorable as Judy Holliday's vulgar partner in Born Yesterday (1950), roles both actors had originated on Broadway to great acclaim.
He was born William Broderick Crawford on December 9, 1911, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to vaudeville performers Lester Crawford and Helen Broderick. His mother had a brief movie career acting in Hollywood comedies. Broderick Crawford, large and burly, was no one's idea of a leading man due to his rough-and-tumble looks, but he broke through playing John Steinbeck's simple-minded giant Lenny in the Broadway adaptation of Steinbeck's novella "Of Mice and Men". After this Broadway success, Crawford moved to Hollywood and made his cinema debut in the comedy Woman Chases Man (1937), in a supporting role to stars Joel McCrea and Miriam Hopkins. When producer-director Lewis Milestone was casting the movie version of Steinbeck's classic (Of Mice and Men (1939)), he passed over Crawford and selected Lon Chaney Jr. to play Lenny.
After many supporting roles (including a memorable turn as a big but kindhearted lug in the comedy Larceny, Inc (1942)) and a stint in the military during World War II, Crawford had his breakthrough role in Robert Rossen's adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "All the King's Men". Crawford gave a masterly performance as the southern U.S. politician based on Louisiana's Huey Long. In addition to the Oscar, he also won the New York Film Critics' Award for Best Actor. All the King's Men (1949) was a hit, as was Born Yesterday (1950). (Crawford had also played the role on Broadway, succeeding Paul Douglas, who originated the role.) However, Crawford soon after became typecast as crude or brutish.
Five years after copping the Academy Award, TV producer Frederick W. Ziv hired Crawford to play the lead role in his syndicated police drama "Highway Patrol". The show ran for four seasons. Crawford's career, moribund in the early 1950s, revived, but he generally eschewed the big screen, preferring television, for the remainder of his career. He continued to act almost up until his death in Rancho Mirage, California, on April 26, 1986, at age 74, following a series of strokes.- Editor
- Editorial Department
- Additional Crew
Bud Molin was born on 26 May 1925 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an editor, known for The Man with Two Brains (1983), The Jerk (1979) and I Spy (1965). He was married to Nita Molin. He died on 21 May 2007 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Hit songwriter and lyricist ("Till the End of Time", "Full Moon and Empty Arms"), author, musician and publisher who began his career as a saxophonist aboard ships and at summer hotels. He made a number of recordings with his own quintet, and wrote special material for The Mills Brothers, Ted Lewis, and The McGuire Sisters. He wrote "Till the End of Time" (based on a Frédéric Chopin polonaise) with Ted Mossman, which became the first big Perry Como hit (selling two million copies) and a hit for Les Brown with the voice of Doris Day. In 1946 he had another success with "Full Moon and Empty Arms" (based on a Sergei Rachmaninoff theme, the 2nd Piano Concerto), a hit for Frank Sinatra in 1946. His "'A' - You're Adorable" was a #1 hit for Como and The Fontaine Sisters in 1949. Other Kaye songs became hits for Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald and Dusty Springfield, plus others. Joining ASCAP in 1941, he also collaborated musically with Jimmy McHugh, Jimmy Van Heusen, Philip Springer, Jule Styne, Jerry Ross, and Hugo Montenegro. His other popular-song compositions include "I'll Close My Eyes", "Don't Be a Baby, Baby", "This Is No Laughing Matter", "It's Gonna Be a Long, Long Winter", "Banjo Boy", "A Penny Kiss - A Penny Hug", "Christmas Alphabet", "Speedy Gonzales", "Quiet Nights", "Little Boat", "O Barquino", "This Is My Prayer", "Never Ending", "The Next Time", "Sweet William", "All Cried Out", "Welcome Welcome Home" and "Her Little Heart Went to Loveland".- Actor
- Soundtrack
Calvin Remsberg was born on 17 September 1949 in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. He was an actor, known for Pretty Woman (1990), Shrek (2001) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982). He died on 29 January 2022 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Born in Vienna, Missouri, Candy Toxton moved with her family to East St. Louis, Illinois, when she was young. She attended St. Teresa High School and, after graduation, became a model in St. Louis. She went to Chicago for greater opportunities and dated band leader Tommy Dorsey.
Seeking greener pastures, she left for New York and dated both Frank Sinatra and Mel Tormé. While on a date with Sinatra at the El Morocco Club, an agent from the Charles K. Feldman agency spotted her and convinced her to take acting lessons. The agent got her bit parts in six movies and was signed to a contract by Harry Cohn of Columbia Pictures. Cohn changed her stage name to "Susan Perry".
Cohn didn't want her dating Tormé because Cohn thought Mel wasn't a big enough star. However, Candy and Mel married in Mel's hometown of Chicago in February of 1949. Nat 'King' Cole, Peggy Lee and Dorothy Kilgallen were at the wedding. The couple moved to Bel-Air and had two children, a son, Steve March, and a daughter, Melissa Torme-March.
Candy and Mel divorced in 1955 and she soon after married his friend, Hal March, host of television's popular game show, The $64, 000 Question (1955). They had three children: Peter, Jeffrey and Victoria. After March's death in 1970, Candy resided in Rancho Mirage, California until her death on December 28, 2005. - Art Department
Carlos Acosta was born on 9 December 1937 in El Paso, Texas, USA. He is known for Witness (1985), Quiet Cool (1986) and Making Love (1982). He died on 1 June 2010 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Carol Channing was born January 31, 1921, at Seattle, Washington, the daughter of a prominent newspaper editor, who was very active in the Christian Science movement. She attended high school in San Francisco and later worked as a model in Los Angeles. She attended prestigious Bennington College in Vermont and majored in drama and dance and supplemented her work by taking parts in nearby Pocono Resort area. Carol initially made her mark on Broadway in "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" playing Lorelei Lee. In "Hello Dolly" she played Dolly Gallagher Levi, the witty, manipulative widow intent upon finding a wealthy husband. The musical won ten Tony awards in 1964, including Channing's for best actress in a comedy. Jacqueline Kennedy and her two children made their first public appearance after President John F. Kennedy's death by seeing her perform in "Hello Dolly" and later visited her backstage. She appeared in the film Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). Her son Channing Carson is a Pulitizer Prize-nominated finalist cartoonist and she continued to practice her Christian Science religion.- Carol Christensen was born on 14 September 1937 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She was an actress, known for The Three Stooges in Orbit (1962), Swingin' Along (1961) and The Big Show (1961). She was married to Dwayne Hickman. She died on 4 June 2005 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
"America's Boyfriend" Buddy Rogers was born in Olathe Kansas and became a talented musician on several instruments. He began acting in Hollywood in the 1920's and is probably best remembered as Clara Bow's love interest in "Wings". He also made several appearances in the "Mexican Spitfire" series with Lupe Velez, as well as being the nominal bandleader for several radio shows. He was married to Mary Pickford for forty-two years, until her death, and adopted two children. He appeared as a secondary character in scores of movies, and later became a frequent guest star on TV. Rogers died at age ninety-two in California. NOTE: The Charles Rogers whose biography also appears in this section is that of "Charley Rogers" a comedian and gagman for Hal Roach in the '20's and '30's. He is not the same Charles Rogers whose information is listed here.- Charles Nevil was born on 20 February 1932 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Rocky King, Detective (1950) and Hands of Mystery (1949). He died on 30 January 2021 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Charlita was born on 5 July 1921 in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952), The Naked Dawn (1955) and Mission: Impossible (1966). She died on 28 January 1997 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Composer
- Actor
- Music Department
Curt Massey was born on 3 May 1910 in Midland, Texas, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for The Strawberry Roan (1948), Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988) and Sons of New Mexico (1949). He was married to Edythe Williams. He died on 20 October 1991 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Dan Polier Jr. was born on 9 August 1918 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was a writer, known for California Fever (1979) and Young Love, First Love (1979). He died on 6 February 1997 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Darah Marshall was born on 24 October 1933 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Teenage Cave Man (1958), King of Diamonds (1961) and Checkmate (1960). She was married to Duncan Emmons. She died on 30 July 2019 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Editor
- Production Manager
- Editorial Department
David H. Lloyd was an editor and production manager, known for Perfect Alibi (1995), Y2K (1999) and The Osterman Weekend (1983). He died on 2 March 2024 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- David McElhatton was born on 8 December 1928 in Oakland, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Cardiac Arrest (1979) and Thief of Hearts (1984). He died on 23 August 2010 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Make-Up Department
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Del Armstrong was born on 25 July 1915 in the USA. He was an actor, known for In the Heat of the Night (1967), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and Fiddler on the Roof (1971). He was married to Lannie. He died on 21 April 2003 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Dennis Mileti was born on 7 November 1945 in New York City, New York, USA. He was married to Ric Oliver. He died on 31 January 2021 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Diana Lewis was born on September 18, 1919 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Her parents were vaudeville performers. The family moved to Hollywood and Diana, her sister Maxine, and her brother J.C. all went into show business. Diana made her film debut in the comedy It's a Gift (1934). At the age of sixteen she married actor Jay Faye. She landed a contract with MGM and appeared in movies like Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940) and Bitter Sweet (1940). While making Gold Diggers in Paris (1938) she became close friends with actress Carole Landis. Diana's marriage to Jay ended in 1939. That same year she met actor William Powell who was more than twenty years older than her. After a whirlwind courtship the couple eloped on January 6, 1940. Diana had supporting roles in the films Johnny Eager (1941) and Cry 'Havoc' (1943). She decided to quit acting in 1943 and devoted herself to being a full-time wife. By all accounts Diana and William enjoyed one of Hollywood's happiest marriages. He gave her the nickname "Mousie" because she was so petite. They had no children but Diana was very close to her stepson William David Powell. She spent much of her time doing charity work and playing golf. In 1984 William passed away at the age of ninety-one. Diana continued to live a quiet life in Palm Springs. She died from pancreatic cancer on January 18, 1997. Diana is buried with William at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California.- Writer
- Actor
- Producer
One of the most recognisable character actors of the 1950s, Boston Massachusetts-born Dick Wesson began his career with his older brother, Gene Wesson, in a comedy act that made the rounds of the nightclub circuit. He made his film debut in the sci-fi classic Destination Moon (1950), and spent his career specializing in playing the rambunctious, wisecracking smart alec, often in westerns and war films, easily recognizable by his big smile, crew-cut and amazing comedic timing. In addition to his film appearances, his extensive TV credits included The Bob Cummings Show (1955), The Danny Thomas Show (1953) (aka The Danny Thomas Show), Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers (1974) (aka The Paul Sand Show), The People's Choice (1955), just to name a few. In the 60s, his comedic talents took him to directing and producing in such shows as The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) and Petticoat Junction (1963).- Donald Montgomery Hutson was the first star wide receiver in NFL history. He is credited with creating many of the modern pass routes used in the NFL today. He is credited as the first to use the buttonhook, z-out, hook and go and countless other routes that have become staples of offensive football. Along with Jerry Rice, he is widely considered the greatest wide receiver in NFL history.
The All American played at University of Alabama with teammate Paul "Bear" Bryant at the other end position. The Crimson Tide team won the Rose Bowl in 1935 beating Stanford 29-13 with Hutson catching 6 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
He joined the Green Bay Packers in 1935. Legendary coach Curley Lambeau wanted to isolate Hudson away from the defense by splitting him out away from the formation. Hense, the term "split end".
His first season Hutson scored his very first touchdown on an eighty-three yard pass from Arnie Herber. Many historians refer to this as, "the play that forever changed the game." In his eleven subsequent seasons, Hutson captured 18 major NFL receiving records. He had 488 receptions, by far the most productive of his era, and one of the most productive of all time. Don also led the league in scoring 5 consecutive and 8 seasons overall.
When he retired in 1945, he had 99 receiving touchdowns, a record that would stand for 44 years when Seahawk Steve Largent caught his 100th and last NFL TD.
As did almost all players in his day, Hutson played both offense and defense. On defense, Hutson was a very good safety who intercepted 30 passes over the final 6 years of his career. Hutson's highest season total was in 1943, when Hutson intercepted 8 passes in only 10 games. For many of his 11 seasons, Hutson was also the kicker for the Packers. He added 172 extra points and 7 field goals for another league record, 881 points.
In 1999, he was ranked number 6 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranking Packer and the highest-ranking pre-World War II player.
The Green Bay Packer retired his #14. He was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. - Don Sutton was born on 2 April 1945 in Clio, Alabama, USA. He was an actor, known for Wonderbug (1976), The Krofft Supershow (1976) and Fantasy Island (1977). He was married to Patricia Luther and Mary Sutton. He died on 19 January 2021 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- Earl Greenburg was born in 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a producer, known for Life's Most Embarrassing Moments (1983), Fantasy (1982) and Sci-Fi Trader (1994). He died on 1 February 2008 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.
- The huckster, TV commercial pioneer, automaker and electronics manufacturer--and, as some have called him, marketing genius--Earl Muntz was born on Jan. 3, 1904, in Elgin, IL. He showed an early interest in electronics, and at age 8 had already built his first radio (a few years later he built a radio for his parents' car). He dropped out of high school and went to work in his parents' hardware store in Elgin. At age 20 he opened up a used-car lot in town and actually made a go of it. A few years later, however, on a trip to California, he noticed that used cars were selling for far higher prices than they were in Elgin, so he opened up a lot in Glendale, CA. In the late '30s he had an opportunity to pick up a dozen right-hand-drive cars for next to nothing--they had been made for customers in Asia, but were unable to be shipped there due to the Japanese takeover of most of Asia just prior to WW 2 (one was a custom-made Lincoln built for Chinese dictator Kai-Shek Chiang). Muntz got local newspapers to write some articles about these unique cars, and within two weeks he had sold all of them for a handsome profit. Realizing that L.A. was where the money was, he closed his Elgin lot and relocated permanently to California.
Having made a considerable amount of money because of what was basically a publicity stunt, Muntz decided to go even further over the top. He developed the persona of "Madman" Muntz, a somewhat crazed used-car salesman who dressed in outrageous costumes and performed wild stunts (he once featured an old clunker as a "manager's special" and claimed that if the car didn't sell, he'd smash it to pieces on TV with a sledgehammer. It didn't sell, of course, and he kept his promise), on a series of quirky, humorous--and wildly successful--TV commercials that blanketed the Los Angeles area, making him the predecessor of such well-known used-car pitchmen as Cal Worthington ("If I can't sell you a car I'll eat a bug!" and Ralph Williams ("Hi friends, Ralph Williams here!"). He caught the imagination of L.A. television viewers, who took him to their hearts, and "Madman" Muntz quickly became a local celebrity. People would come to his used-car lot not to buy a car but to see him, and at one point his lot was rated by a local travel agency as the 7th most visited site in Southern California.
In 1948 race-car driver Frank Kurtis developed and marketed a new two-seater sports car, but only sold 16 vehicles over the next two years. He sold the company and rights to Muntz in 1950. Muntz immediately retooled the car, redesigned it, lengthened it into a four-seater, renamed it the "Muntz Jet" and put it on the market. Although it was a well-built, reliable car and sold fairly wellk for its price (about $5,000), Muntz's improvements in design and amenities--it had aluminum body panels, a removable fiberglass top, a Cadillac (later Lincoln) V8 engine and the back armrests contained a full cocktail bar--increased production costs, and after selling about 400 cars, and losing about $400,000, he ceased production in 1954.
If there was one thing Muntz was really known for, however, it was manufacturing TV sets. He made his first one in 1946. A self-taught electrical engineer, he saw that the few TV sets available at the time were big, bulky, complicated, heavy, had small screens and were expensive. By taking apart and examining the various makes of TVs on the market, he figured out how to build a good set, using a minimum amount of parts but delivering a good picture, for less than $100 (the average 12-inch TV set went for about $450). He also included a built-in aerial in his sets, a major innovation--most TVs had to use an aerial that attached to the roof of the building in order to get reception, and apartment buildings at the time often had rules prohibiting the use of aerials on their roofs, so many apartment residents didn't have TVs, making them prime customers for Muntz's sets. He marketed his TVs with the same types of outrageous TV commercials and radio and newspaper ads as he did with his cars, and the sets sold like wildfire. In 1951 alone his company grossed almost $50 million. Unfortunately, by the mid-1950s color TV was introduced and the market for black-and-white TVs like Muntz's shrank precipitously. In 1953 his company lost almost $1.5 million. He hung on for a few more years, but by 1959 Muntz's TV operation was forced to declare bankruptcy and shut its doors.
Not one to let adversity get him down, Muntz turned to another market--car stereos. He invented the Stereo-Pak four-track tape cartridge, a direct predecessor to the famous eight-track tape cartridge so popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Muntz chose to make it in stereo because many more records were being recorded in stereo than in monaural, and he believed that mono was on its way out. Before Muntz's Stereo-Pak system, the only units that could play pre-recorded music in an automobile were actual record players designed for that purpose--several higher-end cars such as Cadillac and Lincoln offered them as options--but they would skip when the car hit a bump or pothole, often scratching and ruining the record that was being played. Muntz's tape player was called the Autostereo--the manufacturing of which he contracted out to a Japanese company--and could play an entire album from start to finish with no bumps, skips and eliminating the need to flip over the record to play the other side. Muntz also made a deal with the major record companies to license their catalogs and then manufactured the tapes himself, to be sold in his own chain of electronics stores alongside the tape players.
Aircraft engineer Bill Lear, who had just developed the LearJet, contracted with Muntz to install his tape players in Lear's aircraft. Lear was so impressed with the unit that he did what Muntz earlier did to TV sets--he took it apart and looked for a way to improve it. He wound up developing his own tape player, the Lear 8-Track. It was wildly successful and demand for Muntz's 4-Track units slipped substantially. In addition, Muntz had not counted on the large number of cartridges returned from dealers when a particular album ran its course, and the credits he had to issue to them for returned merchandise greatly ate into his profits. If that wasn't bad enough, a fire in 1970 at his main office caused severe damage to the facility. All these factors contributed to Muntz closing down his tape player/cartridge business that year.
As usual, though, Muntz didn't stay idle for long. He entered the burgeoning home-video market. In the mid-'70s he took a Sony 15-inch color TV, equipped it with a special lens and mirror he had developed, then projected the enlarged image onto an even bigger screen, enclosing the entire unit in a large wooden console. What he had done was to develop one of the first, if not the first, widescreen projection TVs designed for home use. By 1977 he was selling millions of dollars worth of these units every year. Two years later he decided to sell VCRs and blank tapes at bargain prices--usually less than it cost him to buy them--in order to lure people into his showroom so he could sell them the more expensive projection systems. As it turned out, he sold so many VCRs and tapes that he actually wound up making money on them.
Not all of his business ventures were successful, though. In the 1980s he invested a lot of money in Technicolor's Compact Video Cassette (CVC), a system intended to compete with Sony's Betamax and the VHS and Super-8 systems. The CVC system tanked big-time and Muntz lost his entire investment and then some. He was forced to close his electronics store shortly afterwards.
Not long before his death from lung cancer in 1987 he got into the cellular phone business. By the time he died he was the biggest cellular phone dealer in Los Angeles. - Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Earle Hagen was born on 9 July 1919 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for I Spy (1965), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and Tango & Cash (1989). He was married to Laura Roberts (Gunn) and Lou Sidwell. He died on 26 May 2008 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Edward Halperin was born on 12 May 1898 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Sky Bandits (1940), Bachelor Bait (1934) and She Goes to War (1929). He died on 2 March 1981 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA.