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1-50 of 119
- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Agnes was born of Anglo-Irish ancestry near Boston, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister (her mother was a mezzo-soprano) who encouraged her to perform in church pageants. Aged three, she sang 'The Lord is my Shepherd' on a public stage and seven years later joined the St. Louis Municipal Opera as a dancer and singer for four years. In keeping with her father's dictum of finishing her education first (then being permitted to do whatever she wished with her career), Agnes attended Muskingum College (Ohio), and, subsequently, the University of Wisconsin. She graduated with an M.A. in English and public speaking and later added a doctorate in literature from Bradley University to her resume. When her family moved to Reedsburg, Wisconsin, where her father had a pastorate, Agnes taught public school English and drama for five years. In between, she went to Paris to study pantomime with Marcel Marceau.
In 1928, she began training at the American Academy for Dramatic Arts and graduated with honors the following year. In order to supplement her income , Agnes had turned to radio early on. She had her first job in 1923 as a singer for a St. Louis radio station. Her love for that medium remained with her all her life. From the 1930s to the 50s, she appeared on numerous serials, dramas and children's programs. She was Min Gump in "The Gumps" (1934), the 'dragon lady' in "Terry and the Pirates" (1937), Margot Lane of classic comic strip fame in "The Shadow", Mrs.Danvers in "Rebecca" and the bed-ridden woman about to meet her end in "Sorry, Wrong Number". Acting on the airwaves was so important to her that she would insist on its continuation as a precondition of a later contract with MGM. Significantly, through her radio work on "The Shadow"and "March of Time" in 1937, she met and befriended fellow actor Orson Welles. Welles soon invited her to join him and Joseph Cotten as charter members of his Mercury Theatre on the Air. Agnes was involved in the famous "War of the Worlds" broadcast of 1938 which attracted nationwide attention and resulted in a lucrative $100,000 per picture deal with RKO in Hollywood. The Mercury players (the other principals were Ray Collins, Everett Sloane, Paul Stewart and George Coulouris) packed up and went west.
An ebullient and versatile character actress, Agnes was impossible to typecast: she could play years older than her age, appear as heroine or villainess, tragedienne or comedienne. In her first film, the iconic Citizen Kane (1941), she played the titular character's mother. She received her greatest critical acclaim for her emotive second screen performance as Aunt Fanny Minafer in The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). In addition to being voted the year's best female performer by the New York Film Critics she was also nominated for an Academy Award. Through the years, Agnes would be nominated three more times: for her touching portrayal of the jaded but sympathetic Baroness Conti in Mrs. Parkington (1944); for her role as the title character's Aunt Aggie in Johnny Belinda (1948) and for playing Velma, the hard-boiled, suspicious housekeeper of Bette Davis in Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), co-starring her old friend Joseph Cotten. Other notable film appearances included Jane Eyre (1943), with Orson Welles, The Woman in White (1948) as Countess Fusco), The Lost Moment (1947) (as a 105-year old woman) and Dark Passage (1947), a classic film noir in which she had third billing behind Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall as the treacherous , malevolent Madge Rapf. She had a rare starring role in the campy horror flick The Bat (1959), giving (according to the New York Times of December 17) 'a good, snappy performance'.
On Broadway, she appeared in such acclaimed plays as "All the King's Men" and "Candlelight". She enjoyed success with "Don Juan in Hell", touring nationally: the first time (1951-2) with Charles Laughton and Cedric Hardwicke, the second time (though receiving fewer critical plaudits) with Ricardo Montalban and Paul Henreid in 1973. She also starred with Joseph Cotten in "Prescription Murder" (1962). While not a great critical success, this was much liked by audiences and it introduced a famous detective named Lieutenant Columbo. From 1954, she also toured the U.S. and Europe with her own a one-woman show entitled "The Fabulous Redhead". Agnes performed numerous times on television before landing the role of Endora on Bewitched (1964). One particularly interesting part came her way through the director Douglas Heyes who remembered her from "Sorry, Wrong Number". He cast her in the starring - and indeed, only role in The Invaders (1961). As the lonely old woman confronted by tiny alien invaders in her remote farmhouse, Agnes never utters a single word and cleverly acts her scenes as a pantomime of unspoken terror.
Of course, the genial Agnes Moorehead has been immortalized as Elizabeth Montgomery's flamboyant witch-mother, Endora, although that was not a role the actress wished to be remembered for (in spite of several Emmy Award nominations). Indeed, she had thought this whole witchcraft theme to be rather far-fetched and was somewhat taken aback by the show's huge popularity. Agnes had a special clause inserted in her contract which limited her appearances to eight out of twelve episodes which gave her the opportunity to also work on other projects. Commenting on the acting profession in one of her many interviews (New York Times, May 1, 1974), she found the key to success in being " sincere in your work " and to "just go right on whether audiences or critics are taking your scalp off or not".- Actress
- Soundtrack
Mary Louise Brooks, also known by her childhood name of Brooksie, was born in the Midwestern town of Cherryvale, Kansas, on November 14, 1906. She began dancing at an early age with the Denishawn Dancers (which was how she left Kansas and went to New York) and then with George White's Scandals before joining the Ziegfeld Follies, but became one of the most fascinating and alluring personalities ever to grace the silver screen. She was always compared to her Lulu role in Pandora's Box (1929), which was filmed in 1928. Her performances in A Girl in Every Port (1928) and Beggars of Life (1928), both filmed in 1928, proved to all concerned that Louise had real talent. She became known, mostly, for her bobbed hair style. Thousands of women were attracted to that style and adopted it as their own. As you will note by her photographs, she was no doubt the trend setter of the 1920s with her Buster Brown-Page Boy type hair cut, much like today's women imitate stars. Because of her dark haired look and being the beautiful woman that she was, plus being a modern female, she was not especially popular among Hollywood's clientele. She just did not go along with the norms of the film society. Louise really came into her own when she left Hollywood for Europe. There she appeared in a few German productions which were very well made and continued to prove she was an actress with an enduring talent. Until she ended her career in film in 1938, she had made only 25 movies. After that, she spent most of her time reading and painting. She also became an accomplished writer, authoring a number of books, including her autobiography. On August 8, 1985, Louise died of a heart attack in Rochester, New York. She was 78 years old.- Writer
- Actor
- Producer
A former boxer, paratrooper and general all-around angry young man, Rod Serling was one of the radical new voices that made the "Golden Age" of television. Long before The Twilight Zone (1959), he was known for writing such high-quality scripts as "Patterns" and "Requiem for a Heavyweight," both later turned into films (Patterns (1956) and Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)). The Twilight Zone (1959) featured forays into controversial grounds like racism, Cold War paranoia and the horrors of war. His maverick attitude eventually drove him from regular network television.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Mary LaRoche was born on 20 July 1920 in Rochester, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Gidget (1959) and Run Silent Run Deep (1958). She was married to Sherwood Price and John Hudson. She died on 9 February 1999 in Rochester, New York, USA.- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Charles Dickens' father was a clerk at the Naval Pay Office, and because of this the family had to move from place to place: Plymouth, London, Chatham. It was a large family and despite hard work, his father couldn't earn enough money. In 1823 he was arrested for debt and Charles had to start working in a factory, labeling bottles for six shillings a week. The economy eventually improved and Charles was able to go back to school. After leaving school, he started to work in a solicitor's office. He learned shorthand and started as a reporter working for the Morning Chronicle in courts of law and the House of Commons. In 1836 his first novel was published, "The Pickwick Papers". It was a success and was followed by more novels: "Oliver Twist" (1837), "Nicholas Nickleby" (1838-39) and "Barnaby Rudge" (1841). He traveled to America later that year and aroused the hostility of the American press by supporting the abolitionist (anti-slavery) movement. In 1858 he divorced his wife Catherine, who had borne him ten children. During the 1840s his social criticism became more radical and his comedy more savage: novels like "David Copperfield" (1849-50), "A Tale of Two Cities" (1959) and "Great Expectations" (1860-61) only increased his fame and respect. His last novel, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood", was never completed and was later published posthumously.- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Darius Campbell was born on 19 August 1980 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was an actor and producer, known for Imperium (2016), Tomorrow (2018) and Hotel Babylon (2006). He was married to Natasha Henstridge. He died on 11 August 2022 in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Dennis Banks was born on 12 April 1937 in Leech Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota, USA. He was an actor, known for The Last of the Mohicans (1992), War Party (1988) and Desert Haiku (2014). He died on 29 October 2017 in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.- Ronald Forfar was born on 6 January 1939 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Bread (1986), The BBC Television Shakespeare (1978) and The Nightmare Man (1981). He died on 28 September 2020 in Rochester, Kent, England, UK.
- Peter Brandon was born on 11 July 1926 in Berlin, Germany. He was an actor, known for Altered States (1980), Great Performances (1971) and The Adams Chronicles (1976). He died on 27 November 1983 in Rochester, Michigan, USA.
- Actor
- Music Department
Subas Herrero was born on 3 April 1943 in Manila, Philippines. He was an actor, known for Black Mama White Mama (1973), Panic! (1973) and Ang TV Movie: The Adarna Adventure (1996). He was married to Maripaz. He died on 14 March 2013 in Rochester, New York, USA.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Stu Silver was born on 29 June 1947 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Throw Momma from the Train (1987), Soap (1977) and Brothers (1984). He died on 18 July 2023 in Rochester, New York, USA.- Linda Polan was born in 1939 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for K-9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend (1981), Theatre Night (1985) and Esther Waters (1964). She died on 13 July 2009 in Rochester, Kent, England, UK.
- Igor Vovkovinskiy was born on 8 September 1982 in Bar, Ukrainian SSR, USSR (now Bar, Ukraine). He was an actor, known for Hall Pass (2011), The Dr. Oz Show (2009) and Verbal Shenanigans (2014). He died on 20 August 2021 in Rochester, MInnesota, USA.
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
- Additional Crew
Jerome Coopersmith was born on 11 August 1925 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for The Andros Targets (1977), Hawaii Five-O (1968) and The Streets of San Francisco (1972). He was married to Judy Loehnberg. He died on 21 July 2023 in Rochester, New York, USA.- Actress
- Music Department
Jennifer Kincer was born on 23 January 1970 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She was an actress, known for Trust (2010), Unbeatable Harold (2006) and Beyond the Edge (2016). She was married to Gene Catallo. She died on 2 November 2021 in Rochester, Michigan, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Art Department
Frédéric O'Brady was born on 11 December 1903 in Budapest, Hungary. He was an actor and writer, known for Confidential Report (1955), Foreign Intrigue (1956) and Sins of Paris (1952). He was married to Colette Fleuriot. He died on 23 February 2003 in Rochester, New York, USA.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Composer, songwriter ("Melody of Love", "Skokiaan", "More", "A Worried Man", "On Top of Spaghetti"), author and singer, educated at City College of New York. He played tuba and string bass in military and jazz bands, and sang in choirs in New York and Philadelphia, eventually turning to folk-singing and making his Town Hall debut in New York in 1948. He also appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the White House, and gave a number of children's concerts besides making many recordings. Joining ASCAP in 1949, his other popular-song compositions include "Old Soldiers Never Die", "Don't Weep, Don't Mourn, Don't Worry", "A Dollar Ain't a Dollar Any More", "Care", "Ballad for the Babe", "Mama Guitar" and "Till We Two Are One".- Leslie Waller was born on 1 April 1923 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer, known for Irish Whiskey Rebellion (1972), Lux Video Theatre (1950) and Hide in Plain Sight (1980). He was married to Mahen, Patricia and Louise Hetzel. He died on 29 March 2007 in Rochester, New York, USA.
- William Fisk Harrah was born on 2 September 1911 in South Pasadena, California, USA. He was married to Verna Harrah, Roxanna Carlson, Mary May Burger, Bobbie Gentry, Mamie Lucille "Scherry" Teague and Thelma Effie Batchelor. He died on 30 June 1978 in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
- Margaret Moth was born on 30 January 1951 in Gisborne, New Zealand. She died on 21 March 2010 in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Joe Black was a producer and director, known for Grace Is Gone (2019), The Bunker (2014) and When Soldiers Cry (2010). He died on 27 November 2023 in Rochester, New York, USA.- Susan B. Anthony was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to social equality, she collected anti-slavery petitions at the age of 17. In 1856, she became the New York state agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
American writer and novelist Harold Lamb was born in Alpine, NJ, in 1892. From birth he had problems with his eyes, nose and throat, making it difficult for him to see, smell and speak, and it wasn't until he was in his 20s that he was "fully functional", though he remained uncomfortable among groups of people, or even in crowds, for the rest of his life.
He attended New York's Columbia University, and largely because of his physical problems he spent much of his off-time in the university library. It was there he found himself fascinated by the history of the people and cultures of Asia. He began writing stories about the area and the people and some were published in the Columbia literary magazine. He was eventually awarded the Bunner Medal in American literature which, as he admitted, "saved me from dismissal".
After graduation he went to work in the publishing industry, at first for a motor-sports magazine and then as a financial statistician for "The New York Times", while still pursuing his writing. Several of his stories were published in "Adventure" magazine. He joined the US Army in 1917, during World War I, but was not sent overseas.
He is probably best known for his novels about such historical figures as Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. He is renowned for his meticulous research--he was once awarded a medal for scientific research by the government of Persia--and his attention to detail and authenticity (made easier by the fact that he was fluent in Arabic and Chinese). He contributed to the screenplays of such films as The Crusades (1935), The Plainsman (1936) and Samson and Delilah (1949).
He died in Rochester, NY, on April 9, 1962.- Writer
- Music Department
- Actor
Christopher Hassall was born on 24 March 1912 in London, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Gosford Park (2001), My Week with Marilyn (2011) and How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008). He was married to Eve Lynett. He died on 25 April 1963 in Rochester, Kent, England, UK.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Visual Effects
- Actor
Bob Broughton was born on 17 September 1917 in Berkeley, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Tron (1982), The Black Hole (1979) and The Watcher in the Woods (1980). He was married to June Chestnut. He died on 19 January 2009 in Rochester, Minnesota, USA.