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- Because of his heavy generically "European" accent and Slavic-sounding surname (not an uncommon one among Czechs or Slovaks), many people assumed Oscar Homolka was Eastern European or Russian. In fact, he was born in Vienna (then Austria-Hungary), the multicultural capital of a large multi-ethnic empire at the time. It was there he began his successful stage career, which eventually led him to Hollywood. Homolka was one of the many Austrian and specifically Viennese actors (many of them Jewish) who fled Europe for the U.S. with the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. Although often typecast in villainous roles - Communist spies, Soviet-bloc military officers or scientists and the like - he was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Uncle Chris in I Remember Mama (1948).
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Richard Marquand was born on 22 September 1937 in Llanishen, Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. He was a director and producer, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Nowhere to Run (1993) and Jagged Edge (1985). He was married to Carol Bell and Josephine Marquand. He died on 4 September 1987 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Instantly recognisable, often bearded Liverpudlian character actor who regularly featured on stage and screen in period productions, police dramas, sitcoms and soaps during a career that spanned five decades. Extremely prolific and versatile, he took on just about any type of role, merrily alternating between bellicose, shifty, dependable, bucolic, curmudgeonly or avuncular types. His most prominent headliners included PC Wilmot in the Yorkshire-based sitcom Rosie (1977) and the titular character of the sci-fi comedy Kinvig (1981) penned by Nigel Kneale. Occasional scene-stealing turns in support included the deliriously mad Milo Renfield in Dracula (1979). Among innumerable other worthy supporting roles a list of standouts might include Gridley, the ruined chancery appellant in Bleak House (2005) ; Mr. Prowse, Commander Hornblower's experienced sailing master aboard the HMS Hotspur; Vic Snow in Where the Heart Is (1997) ; nouveau-riche timber merchant Melbury in The Woodlanders (1997) and the slightly seedy consular chauffeur Fidel Sanchez in Farrington of the F.O. (1986). He also voiced the slow-witted, mercilessly hen-pecked antagonist Mr. Tweedy in Aardman's animated feature Chicken Run (2000).
Before claimed by the stage, Haygarth briefly tried his luck at other fields of employment, including a period as a lifeguard in Torquay and a psychiatric nurse at Sefton Hospital in Liverpool. Having found his chosen vocation in repertory theatre he went from there to more distinguished roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Old Vic and the National Theatre. He won the Clarence Derwent Award in 1996 for his part in the play "Simpatico" and in 2003 appeared with Zoë Wanamaker in "His Girl Friday" and alongside Kenneth Branagh in "Edmond". Starting in 2007, he appeared as Alfred Doolittle in Peter Hall's production of "Pygmalion", a performance described by the reviewer of The Daily Telegraph as "delightfully funny" and "scene-stealing". Haygarth was an author writing plays and a book of poetry entitled "God wore Clogs". In 2014, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia which sadly claimed his life three years later at the age of 72.- Actor
- Production Manager
Len Goodman was born on 25 April 1944 in Farnborough, Kent, England, UK. He was an actor and production manager, known for Dancing with the Stars (2005), The Sword of the Lord (1976) and Love/Loss (2010). He was married to Sue Barrett and Cherry Kingston. He died on 22 April 2023 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.- Duncan Lamont began his career in the 1940's in Waterfront Women (1950) and Quentin Durward (1955) then went to Hollywood for Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). Returning to Britain he went into what he described as one of his happiest roles opposite Margaret Rutherford in Murder at the Gallop (1963). He described himself as a 'heavy with a capacity for light villainy' as he was never really a bad villain. When the film is nearly over there's usually justice to contend with, While sometimes he's was on the right side of the law never the less he always seems to end up dead or defeated. Television work took him to America for appearances in such as The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955), Hawaiian Eye (1959), and The Alaskans (1959), while British credits included such as Z Cars (1962), Danger Man (1960), and Dixon of Dock Green (1955).
- Dublin-born stage actor, producer and writer Dermot Walsh was the son of a journalist and educated at Dublin's St. Mary's College and National University, initially focusing on law. He studied drama at the Abbey Theatre School of Acting and built up his reputation performing at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. Some talent scouts in Ireland interested in making some pictures about his homeland happened to spot him in a production and eventually signed him up after he had made a choice move to London to further his career.
His first postwar film role was a bit part as a chauffeur in Bedelia (1946), but after signing with Rank he was groomed immediately for prime parts. In only his second feature he showcased well as the philandering "Wild Johnnie" in Hungry Hill (1947). He became a strong fixture for Rank in plush Gainsborough's Victorian costumers or crime melodramas such as Jassy (1947) and The Mark of Cain (1947), To the Public Danger (1948) and My Sister and I (1948) opposite such lovelies as Margaret Lockwood, Glynis Johns, Sally Ann Howes and Hazel Court, the last mentioned becoming his wife in 1949.
In 1949 the dark, dashingly handsome actor left Rank and began to freelance in assembly-line programmers such as Paper Gallows (1950), and co-starred with wife Hazel in two of them: Ghost Ship (1952) and Undercover Agent (1953). Keyed in to playing hard-boiled characters in rather murky thrillers, frustration set in when he was unable to extricate himself from his "B" reputation. He later focused on TV work, including the adventure series Richard the Lionheart (1962), and the theatre. Some of his more prominent stage work over the years included "Reluctant Heroes" (1950), "Relations Are Best Apart" (1954), "Mary, Mary" (1963), "Ring of Jackals" (1965), "Lady Frederick" (1970), and "No Sex Please, We're British" (1986), not to mention an abundance of cat-and-mouse whodunnits including "Murder Among Friends" (1978), "Who Killed Agatha Christie?" (1979) and "The Mousetrap" (1980). He also wrote the play "The Murder Line" in 1967 and produced a few of his later endeavors such as "Stage Struck" and "Blithe Spirit" both in 1982.
Walsh was married three times in all -- divorcing twice and surviving his third wife Elisabeth Scott, who died in 1993. He had four children from his three marriages: Sally, Michael, Olivia, and Elisabeth (also an actress). He died on June 26, 2002 at age 77. - Actor
- Soundtrack
After his first start in show business he quit because he was only getting about £7 a week and he went into the rag trade. Later a friend asked him to make a two week appearance at a theatre to help him out. In the show he impersonated a woman and found that he had a talent for female impersonation and went on from there. Once he was well established he opened his own night club near the West End which even attracted Royalty. If he was appearing in a West End show or at a theatre not too far away from London he would do that show, which would include the usual two performance on a Saturday then be driven to his club and do a performance there. He would always let the audience know that hidden under the glamorous gowns and make up was a fella by going up to the microphone on his first appearance on stage and in a deep masculine voice say 'whotcha Mates' .- Music Department
- Actor
- Composer
Annunzio Paolo Mantovani was born November 15, 1905, in Venice, Italy, the son of a violinist who performed at La Scala under the baton of maestro Arturo Toscanini. Born into a musical household, Mantovani was taught the piano and music theory while a youth. When Mantovani's father was appointed conductor of the orchestra at London's Covent Garden theater in 1912, he moved with his family to England, which became his life-long home.
Following in his father's footsteps, Mantovani switched to violin at the age of 14, though he remained adept at the piano, which he used for composing music. At the age of 16, he made his debut as a professional violinist. As a member of a touring orchestra, he quickly matured as a performer and became a featured soloist. Appointed the conductor of the Hotel Metropole Orchestra in 1925, Mantovani made his first recordings with the group in 1928.
Mantovani's critical reputation as a virtuoso on the violin was established in 1930 and 1931 with a series of recitals. It was at this time, he organized the Tipica Orchestra to make radio broadcasts from London's tony Monseigneur restaurant. The Tipica Orchestra successfully toured England while recording for multiple labels in the period of 1932-1936, winding up on Columbia. Mantovani and the Tipica Orchestra scored major hits in the United States with "Red Sails in the Sunset" and "Serenade to the Night," after which Columbia changed the billing on the records to "Mantovani & His Orchestra." In 1940, Mantovani left Columbia and signed with Decca, which would be his label for the next 33 years.
Mantovani & His Orchestra were extremely popular in England during the early 1940s. During World War II, Mantovani served as musical director for a number of theatrical productions, but after the end of the war, Mantovani turned away from live performance and concentrated on recording. With arranger Ronald Binge, the former accordion-player for the Tipica Orchestra, Mantovania developed the lush sound he became famous for: the "cascading strings" (also known as "tumbling strings" effect. This emphasis on the string section that was his signature became a hallmark of "easy listening" music (also known as "light orchestral" music). The cascading strings effect (which was used frequently in movie and television scores for a generation afterwards by Mantovani imitators) was first employed on the 1951 single "Charmaine." The single sold over 1 million copies and opened the U.S. market to Mantovani's music for the first time since the mid-1930's.
Mantovani became a hit machine, releasing a plethora of hit singles in the early to mid-1950s, including "Song from Moulin Rouge," a #1 platter in 1953. Mantovani co-wrote and arranged (and backed with his orchestra) David Whitfield on his own #1 British smash "Cara Mia" in 1954, which cracked the U.S. Top Ten. He began recording long-playing records for Decca and its London subsidiary in 1954, and although the change-over of popular music to rock 'n roll limited his success on the singles chart, his albums sold millions, particularly in the U.S.
Over 40 Mantovani albums registered on the U.S. pop charts from 1955 to 1972, with 27 reaching the Top 40 and 11 scaling the heights into the Top Ten. His biggest hits were linked to the movies: "Film Encores," which went #1 in 1957 (his sole chart-topping LP), and "Mantovani Plays Music From 'Exodus' and Other Great Themes," a #2 hit in 1961. The "Exodus" LP moved over 1 million copies and remained on the charts for almost a year.
As the 1960s wore on, Mantovani's brand of pleasant, easy listening music increasingly diverged from mainstream tastes (and began to be seen as old-fashioned, something that belonged to the pre-rock 1950s along with round-screened, B+W TV sets). HIs LPs placed lower and lower on the charts, until they no longer charted at all after 1972's eponymous "Annunzio Paolo Mantovani." When the Decca label was dissolved and absorbed into MCA in 1973, his recording career came to an end. In all, he had recorded over 50 albums of his distinct brand of light orchestral music since the early 1950s.
Annunzio Paolo Mantovani died on March 30, 1980 at his country home in Tunbridge Wells, England. He was 74 years old.- Charles Oliver was born on 21 June 1907 in County Cork, Ireland. He was an actor, known for The Lady Vanishes (1938), Wings Over Africa (1936) and Midnight at the Wax Museum (1936). He was married to Noel Hood. He died on 29 March 1983 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
- Cecile Chevreau was born on 1 April 1917 in Wandsworth, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Monkey (1978), Spaceways (1953) and Melba (1953). She was married to Jacques B. Brunius. She died in 1993 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
- Michael Spice was born on 20 May 1931 in Croydon, Surrey, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Hamlet (1961), Six Days of Justice (1972) and Doctor Who (1963). He was married to Polly Murch. He died on 2 November 1983 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
- David Rose was born on 16 February 1931 in Hamnish, Herefordshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Gamble for a Throne (1961), Chain (1990) and Kipps (1960). He was married to Pamela Barrie. He died on 26 June 2004 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
- Writer
- Director
Roger Hargreaves was born on 9 May 1935 in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was a writer and director, known for The Mr. Men Show (1997), Mr. Men (1974) and Mr. Men. He died on 11 September 1988 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.- Actor
- Soundtrack
John Singer was born on 4 December 1923 in Hastings, East Sussex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Not So Dusty (1936), The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1936) and Fly Away Peter (1948). He died on 7 July 1987 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.- John Sandford was born on 20 May 1924 in Godalming, Surrey, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Chîsana baikingu Bikke (1974). He was married to Cicely Sandford. He died on 2 January 2015 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
- Actor
- Script and Continuity Department
- Additional Crew
Charlie Richardson was born on 18 January 1934 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Charlie (2004), The Eleventh Hour (1982) and The Richardsons by Fred Dinenage (2012). He was married to Ronnie Richardson and Margaret ?. He died on 19 September 2012 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.- Vernon Joyner was born on 16 December 1930 in East Stonehouse, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Anna Karenina (1977), Softly Softly (1966) and Ivanhoe (1970). He died on 14 May 2002 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
- Evan Thomas was born on 17 February 1891 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was an actor, known for The Girl from Maxim's (1933), Lady Windermere's Fan (1916) and Mrs. Dane's Defence (1933). He was married to Sylvia Leslie. He died in 1982 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
- Music Department
- Actor
- Writer
Jack Payne was born on 22 August 1899 in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Say It with Music (1932), Jamboree! (1957) and Pantomania, or It Was Never Like This (1955). He was married to Peggy Cochrane. He died on 4 December 1969 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Adrian Boult was born on 8 April 1889 in Chester, Cheshire, England, UK. He is known for Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Scoop (2006) and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018). He died on 23 February 1983 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.- Margaret Fry was born on 21 June 1911 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. She died in 1981 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Additional Crew
Michael Boultbee was born in 1933 in Marylebone, London, England, UK. Michael was a cinematographer, known for Woman and the Hunter (1957), Sex and the Other Woman (1972) and Top Gear (1972). Michael was married to Dorinda Stevens. Michael died in 2005 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.- Alan Cunningham was born on 1 May 1887 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was married to Margery Agnes Slater Snagge. He died on 30 January 1983 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
- Marie Sellar was born on 23 September 1917 in Camberwell, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Here Come the Boys (1948), Jill Darling (1949) and One, Two, Three! (1948). She died on 14 November 2000 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
- Ted Allbeury was born on 24 October 1917 in Stockport, Lancashire, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Blue Ice (1992), Hostage (1992) and Bookmark (1983). He was married to Grazyna Maria Felinska. He died on 4 December 2005 in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.