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1-50 of 169
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Intense was the word for Ray Liotta. He specialized in psychopathic characters who hide behind a cultivated charm. Even in his nice-guy roles in Field of Dreams (1989) and Operation Dumbo Drop (1995), you get the impression that something is smoldering inside of him. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, and was adopted by Mary (Edgar), a township clerk, and Alfred Liotta, an auto parts store owner. He studied acting at the University of Miami, where he became friends with Steven Bauer (Scarface (1983), Thief of Hearts (1984)). He spent his first years acting in TV: Another World (1964), a TV movie and several short-lived series. He broke into movies with the black comedy Something Wild (1986), which garnered him rave reviews. Originally unable to get a reading, he was recommended for the part by Melanie Griffith (then married to Bauer).
Following the success Something Wild (1986), he received more offers in the "psycho" vein, but refused them to avoid being typecast. Instead, he made "little movies" like Dominick and Eugene (1988), which earned him standing as an actor's actor, and Field of Dreams (1989), whose success always surprised him. When he heard Martin Scorsese was casting Goodfellas (1990), he lobbied hard for the part of Henry Hill. The film's huge success brought him wide popularity and garnered him star billing in future films such as Article 99 (1992), Unlawful Entry (1992), and Unforgettable (1996).
Liotta died on May 26, 2022, aged 67, in his sleep while filming on location in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Lilia del Valle was born on 30 April 1928 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. She was an actress, known for En busca de la muerte (1961), Para que la cuna apriete (1950) and Secuestro en Acapulco (1963). She died on 4 January 2013 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- Actor
The longtime dictator of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Trujillo got his start in politics as a teenager when he joined the Dominican National Guard. The Guard had been created as an internal police force by the US government, which was occupying the country at the time. Trujillo joined it in 1918 and rose quickly through the ranks as he and the Guard helped US troops crush a Dominican resistance movement. When the US left the country in 1924 it placed Trujillo in charge of the Guard. He solidified his power over the next several years and ran for president in the 1930 election. Although the results showed that he lost, he claimed that 95% of Dominicans voted for him, and used the National Guard to force his way into the presidency in 1931. Once in power he established a secret police force in addition to the National Guard to keep an eye on potential threats to his rule (while also using the secret police to keep an eye on the Guard and vice-versa).
In 1937 he sent the army to the border with Haiti to eject tens of thousands of Haitians who had fled the violence and instability in their own country, or who were just working in the Dominican sugar cane fields. The army, on Trujillo's orders, engaged in a policy of wholesale rape and murder, resulting in the massacre of over 20,000 Haitians.
Trujillo was a fervent admirer of Spanish fascist dictator Francisco Franco and modeled his regime after Franco's. He also fostered a personality cult that literally put him on an equal footing with God; he insisted that he be called "El Jefe"--The Chief--and his "philosophy" was called Trujilloism, which all Dominicans were "encouraged" to learn. He changed the name of the country's capital city from Santo Domingo to Ciudad Trujillo ("Trujillo City"), had opponents (both real and imagined) jailed, tortured and/or killed, and used his position to loot the country and enrich himself, his family and his supporters. He spent millions of dollars throwing huge parties to honor himself and spent millions more building monuments to himself all over the country, while most Dominicans barely eked out a living in squalid, abject poverty. He made sure to stay on the good side of the US government by giving American corporations huge contracts and major concessions to do business in the country--such as quickly crushing any organized-labor movement--and portraying himself as a bulwark against "Communist subversion" in Central and South America. Although many US political leaders didn't care for Trujillo or his tactics, their attitude was summed up by Secretary of State Cordell Hull, who famously said of Trujillo, "He may be a son of a bitch, but he's OUR son of a bitch." The violence, political repression, dire economic straits of most Dominicans and the massive corruption of Trujillo's regime led to several uprisings in the 1940s and 1950s. When Fidel Castro took over Cuba in January of 1959, he helped to arm and train some Dominican rebel groups, which launched an invasion of the country from Cuba later that year. The invaders were quickly defeated by Trujillo's forces, with most of the rebels either being killed outright or captured and executed shortly afterward. Trujillo used the invasion as an excuse to request even more American military aid to protect his country from "Communist infiltration" by expanding his army and secret police force, and he promptly got it. The brutal violence and crushing repression that Trujillo continued to use against his own people began to backfire, however. More and more Dominicans formed rebel groups or joined existing ones, and this time they weren't just poor peasants but businessmen, educators, students, wealthy exiles and even some priests. The Catholic Church, which had for years been a staunch supporter of Trujillo because of his supposed "anti-Communist" stance, began to back away from him after he arrested, tortured and deported several priests he accused of aiding rebels. He also began to lose the support of the US government, which was worried that the many rebel groups, both existing ones that were expanding and new ones that were springing up, would turn to Fidel Castro for help. Relations between the two governments sunk to an even lower point when it was discovered that Trujillo had attempted to have the president of Venezuela, who made no secret of the fact that he detested Trujillo, assassinated. The US eventually decided that it was time for Trujillo to go and began secret talks with several rebel groups and some Trujillo loyalists who were still in power. The CIA was in contact with a group of Dominican army officers and politicians who had decided to assassinate Trujillo, and the agency supplied them with weapons and promises of protection after the deed was done. On May 30, 1961, Trujillo was traveling on a stretch of deserted highway when his car was ambushed by the group. He was riddled with bullets and died at the scene.- Alexandra Cheron was born in the Dominican Republic, her dad was a financial accountant from Haiti and her mom was an ambassador in the United States for the Dominican Republic. Alexandra grew up in Haiti until 1999, when she moved to Florida to take acting and dance classes, after appearing on the cover of a fashion Dominican magazine. She started doing some casting for Dominican movies until she went to Puerto-Rico and played in Talento Del Barrio with "Daddy Yankee" and, in 2005, she appeared in Miami Vice (2006), with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx.
- Actress
- Writer
Doris Duranti was born on 25 April 1917 in Livorno, Tuscany, Italy. She was an actress and writer, known for Resurrezione (1944), Calafuria (1943) and Capitan Tempesta (1942). She died on 10 March 1995 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Cheché Abreu was born on 26 July 1939 in Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic. He died on 17 November 2020 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- Actor
- Producer
Jose Jasd was born on 11 November 1911 in La Vega, Dominican Republic. He was an actor and producer, known for Machismo: 40 Graves for 40 Guns (1971), El Mundo Maravilloso de José Jasd (1977) and El Super Show del 7 (1980). He died in 1988 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Luchy Vicioso was born on 19 February 1950 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She was an actress, known for La Hora del Moro (1959), Pantalla de Éxitos (1964) and Festival de la canción OTI (1972). She died on 18 February 2019 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Jeannette Vicioso was an actress, known for Que viva el merengue y la lambada (1989), Ná e' Ná (1997) and Titirimundaty (2000). She died on 1 January 2014 in Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic.
- Ana Maria Arias was born on 25 August 1951 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She was an actress, known for Mission Star (2017), Achilles Redemptions (2016) and Colao (2017). She died on 21 August 2023 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- Matty Alou was born on 22 December 1938 in Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic. He was an actor, known for 1962 World Series (1962), 1972 American League Championship Series (1972) and 1970 National League Championship Series (1970). He was married to Maria Teresa. He died on 3 November 2011 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Milton Peláez was born on 15 April 1945 in Barahona, Dominican Republic. He was a producer and writer, known for Con Cuquín (1986), El Show de Noticias (1973) and El Sabroshow (1985). He died on 4 July 2006 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Víctor Méndez Capellán was born on 9 August 1928 in San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic. He died on 14 February 2023 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- Actor
- Music Department
José Ernesto Chapuseaux was born on 17 October 1911 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was an actor, known for La aparición (1985) and Taboga/Hacia el calvario (1938). He died on 19 November 1986 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Jean-Louis Jorge was born in 1947 in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. He was a producer and director, known for La serpiente de la luna de los piratas (1973), Mélodrame (1976) and Sergio Vargas: Muñeco de Trapo (1991). He died on 13 March 2000 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Kalil Haché Malkún was born on 1 April 1931 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic. Kalil died on 27 March 2020 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Miky Bretón was born on 24 October 1960 in the Dominican Republic. He was a director and writer, known for Al filo de la vida (1999), Relatos (2004) and La Casa de Pequitas (1972). He died on 1 November 2009 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Cinematographer
- Director
- Camera and Electrical Department
Ricardo Thormann was born in 1939 in the Dominican Republic. Ricardo was a cinematographer and director, known for You, My Love (1972), La Tragedia de Río Verde (2018) and Carnaval (1969). Ricardo died on 3 January 2019 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Yaqui Núñez del Risco was born on 4 May 1939 in Santiago, Dominican Republic. He was a producer and writer, known for Martes de Montecarlo (1964), Maria José, oficios del hogar (1979) and El Show del Mediodía (1968). He died on 8 September 2014 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Johnny Naranjo was born on 13 January 1933 in San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic. He was an actor, known for The Godfather Part II (1974) and Caribe Show (1986). He died on 25 January 2008 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- Bernardo Pratt was married to Azize Melgen. He died on 29 December 2001 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- Actor
- Producer
Jack Veneno was born on 2 February 1942 in San José de Ocoa, Dominican Republic. He was an actor and producer, known for Lucha Libre Internacional (1969), Lotoman (2011) and Mi novia está... de madre! (2007). He died on 6 April 2021 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Production Manager
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Augusto Guerrero was a production manager and producer, known for Cuentos y Cantos (1994), Friendo y Comiendo (1992) and El Show del Mediodía (1968). He died on 24 May 2022 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sonia Silvestre was born on 16 August 1952 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. She was an actress, known for Me duele el alma (1993), Home Delivery Thieves (2008) and Para vivir o morir (1996). She was married to José Betancourt and Yaqui Núñez del Risco. She died on 19 April 2014 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.- Jenaro Prieto was born on 5 August 1889 in Santiago, Chile. He was a writer, known for El socio (1946), Il socio invisibile (1939) and Consultaré a Mister Brown (1946). He died on 5 March 1946 in Santo Domingo, Valparaiso, Chile.