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- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Thomas Mikal Ford was born on September 5, 1964 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for "Martin" (1992), "Harlem Nights" (1989), and "Across the Tracks" (1990).
He recently completed four seasons as the hilarious Pope of Comedy on TV One's hit show "Who's Got Jokes?", hosted by Bill Bellamy.
In the past few years Tommy has starred in over 15 films and a new TV series, "Basketball Wives."
Recently, Tommy has been focusing on building a successful career behind the camera. He has directed and produced several webisodes, television dramas, and sitcom pilots: including "Blvd West", "Ancestors", "Comedy Camp", and "Flipping Bird", and "Bird & Brick." He directed and produced seven films, "Switching Lanes" being the most recent. Mr. Ford joined the cast of three wonderful television productions on Uplifting Network: "Sugar Mamas", "To Love and to Cherish", and "In the Meantime."
Whether playing Tommy on FOX's hit "Martin", displaying a versatile style on FOX's drama "New York Undercover," or recurring as the fun-loving father on UPN's "The Parkers" Ford constantly makes changes in his career and finds success in any endeavor he chooses to take on. Following a long- time dream, he launched a series of award-winning children's books designed to promote healthy, spiritual, and non-violent living while guiding young people to become better people.
He has been involved in numerous legitimate theater productions for which he has received tremendous critical acclaim for his producing, directing and acting efforts. Among those productions are "Jonin", "South of Where We Live" (Drama Logue Award, Image Award nominations), "Monsoon Christmas" (Drama Logue & Image Award), "Living Room" (Image Award nomination), and "Distant Fires" (Drama Logue & Image Award nomination) among others.
Tommy is excited to introduce two variety talk-shows and a documentary that he is filming in Atlanta: "Don't Be Stupid" is best described as "Bill Maher meets Chelsea Lately on collard greens"! And "Spoken Word With Hank Stewart the Poet" highlights amazing poets and spoken-word artists.
He's also filming a documentary entitled "Reverse the Lynch Curse", an empowering piece about breaking curses of fear distrust and envy.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Noted for portraying characters older than his actual age, Whitman Mayo was in his early 40s in the early 1970s when he first played the sexagenarian "Grady" on "Sandford & Son" -- a role that popularized the expression "Good Goobily Goop!" Nearly thirty years later his "Grady" role had just about caught up with him in terms of age and, in terms of Americana, had assumed something of a cult status. In 1996, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" hosted a tongue-in-cheek "Where's Grady" search for the actor who so well played the part. Though this single role tended to typecast his acting and contributions to the profession, Whitman Mayo did not let it define him. In fact, his professional growth took him some distance from the Watts junkyard of the ABC sitcom. He rounded out his career teaching drama at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born and grew up in Harlem and Queens, N.Y., moving at 17 to Southern California with his family. He served in the army from 1951-53, then did tours of study at Chaffey College, Los Angeles City College, and UCLA. He began doing a little acting at this time, but nothing stuck. He drifted and liked to boast that he played serious volleyball in Mexico for a year. During these times in his life of not being fixed in a career, he also worked as a probation officer counseling young people, picked grapes, waited tables, and other things for the railroad and a dairy, and not necessarily in that order. In the late 1960s, he joined the New Lafayette Theater repertory company in New York City and began settling down in an acting career. His call to "Sanford & Son" came shortly thereafter when a friend from the New Lafayette group who was by that time writing for Norman Lear recommended Mayo for a part in a single episode. His portrayal caught on and he lasted through the entire duration of the show, even filling in for Redd Foxx when Foxx took a leave. Having a plethora of experience with the tentative in his life, Mayo viewed his continuing success on the series as fleeting and ventured into other trades to assure financial stability; in 1975, for instance, he opened a travel agency in Inglewood, California. In 1994, "burned out," as he said, on Los Angeles, he continued to ply his trade in acting, but moved to Fayetteville, Georgia.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer, and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honorific nicknames "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986.
Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He first came to national public attention in the mid-1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames, a then-only Rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd. With the hit ballads "Please, Please, Please" and "Try Me", Brown built a reputation as a dynamic live performer with the Famous Flames and his backing band, sometimes known as the James Brown Band or the James Brown Orchestra. His success peaked in the 1960s with the live album Live at the Apollo and hit singles such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World".
During the late 1960s, Brown moved from a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music-making, emphasizing stripped-down interlocking rhythms that influenced the development of funk music. By the early 1970s, Brown had fully established the funk sound after the formation of the J.B.s with records such as "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "The Payback". He also became noted for songs of social commentary, including the 1968 hit "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud". Brown continued to perform and record until his death from pneumonia in 2006.
Brown recorded 17 singles that reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts. He also holds the record for the most singles listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that did not reach No. 1. Brown was inducted into the first class of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013 as an artist and then in 2017 as a songwriter. He also received honors from several other institutions, including inductions into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In Joel Whitburn's analysis of the Billboard R&B charts from 1942 to 2010, Brown is ranked No. 1 in The Top 500 Artists. He is ranked seventh on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.- Ji-Tu Cumbuka is one of the many U.S. African actors who overcame walls of adversity in the 60s. Born in Montgomery County, Alabama on March fourth, 1940 in an era of oppression, Ji-Tu did not let social norms hold him back from what he loved. Opportunities were slim; a U.S. African actor of the 40s and 50s held roles as house maids or were confined to the parody roles of minstrel shows. Being born in a society of black and white, Ji-Tu defined what the basis of the Civil Rights Movement was.
He saw his first movie "Shane" at the age of twelve years old which stimulated his desire to become an actor. Receiving discouragement from all sides, from teachers laughing at his aspirations and suggesting he be more realistic to his father, a Baptist minister who believed acting was "the devil's work". Inspired by his mother who believed he could achieve any dream with God's help, he left home and moved to New York. After several difficult years he joined the Army where he played football and ran track. Ji-Tu made All-Army in both sports. He was offered many college scholarships, but chose to attend Texas Southern University. After Texas Southern he felt it was time to move to California to continue to pursue his acting dreams. While working as an actor, Ji-Tu continued his education earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a Masters Degree in Cinematography.
After three years of attending acting classes and acting in community plays and workshops he landed his first top role in the movie "Uptight" directed by the late director Jules Dassin. Cumbuka is famed for roles in movies such as the epic film "Roots", "Harlem Nights", "Brewster's Millions", "Mandingo" and "Bound for Glory", as well as minor appearances in thirty other films. In television, Cumbuka is acclaimed for roles in major shows as "Knots Landing", "The A-Team", "The Dukes of Hazard", "Walker Texas Ranger" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation". In total Ji-Tu has appeared in over a hundred films and television series.
Ji-Tu Cumbuka's journey is a reflection of fiery passion and strength that will burn everlasting. He is the author of several screenplays and is presently pursuing opportunities as a writer, producer and director. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Although best known for his role as "Detective Sgt. Neal Washington" on the long-running and critically acclaimed police drama Hill Street Blues (1981), Taurean Blacque was one of the best stage actors of his time. A long-time resident of Atlanta, Georgia, he performed in several productions at the Alliance Theatre of Atlanta. Among his notable roles were the James Baldwin play "The Amen Corner" opposite Carol Mitchell-Leon, Elizabeth Omilami and Crystal Fox; and as "Shealy" in the August Wilson play "Jitney" opposite such notables as John Lawhorn, John Beasley, Anthony Chisholm and Charles Canada. Both productions were directed by then-Alliance Artistic Director Kenny Leon. Noted for his involvement in the community as well, Blacque, who had two adult biological sons, adopted nine children in the late 1980s. A deeply spiritual man, he adopted the name "Taurean" from his astrological sign of "Taurus" and the name "Blacque" from his race.- Actress
- Production Manager
- Producer
Sultry, glamorous blonde Venetia Stevenson was a British-born starlet of late 1950s Hollywood whose face was her initial fortune; the camera simply adored her and, in her early years, she dotted the covers of several magazines. Her acting talent, however, never measured up and, within a few years, she willingly retired.
Born in London on March 10, 1938, Venetia came from strong entertainment stock. Her mother, actress Anna Lee, was a well-known co-star of the British cinema, and her father, director Robert Stevenson, was well-respected for his directing of such classy Grade "A" motion pictures as Nine Days a Queen (1936), King Solomon's Mines (1937), Back Street (1941) and Jane Eyre (1943). Just prior to the beginning of WWII in Europe, the family moved to Hollywood. By 1944, her parents had divorced and Venetia, eventually, decided to live with her father and new stepmother.
Venetia's photogenic beauty was apparent from the start. As part of the youthful Hollywood scene, she was quickly discovered and moved with ease into junior modeling work. This, plus her parents' obvious connections, led to a natural progression into acting. Self-admittedly, she was never a confidant actress. Making her TV debut playing a corpse on Matinee Theatre (1955), she also appeared with her mother and the husband/wife team of Fernando Lamas and Arlene Dahl in a 1955 Arizona stage production of "Liliom", in order to gain experience. Signed with RKO, Venetia took acting lessons and posed for publicity stills but she made little progress there. Warner Bros. eventually took her on and she made several guest appearances on TV, including that of Ricky Nelson's girlfriend on the popular series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952). Other WB series work included roles on Cheyenne (1955) and 77 Sunset Strip (1958).
Venetia made her film entrance with a decorous, second-lead femme role in the WB war picture Darby's Rangers (1958), starring James Garner, Peter Brown and Edd Byrnes. As part of the Hollywood dating swirl, there were obvious set-ups with such big stars as Tab Hunter, Anthony Perkins and, even, Elvis Presley. Such a set-up led to a 1956 marriage to up-and-coming actor/dancer Russ Tamblyn, but the bloom quickly fell off the rose and the couple divorced a year later.
For the most part. Venetia was cast as a beautiful distraction in action-adventure and crime movies. Her handful of hunky movie co-stars included Jeff Richards and Guy Madison. Such routine roles in Day of the Outlaw (1959), Island of Lost Women (1959), Studs Lonigan (1960), Seven Ways from Sundown (1960), The City of the Dead (1960), which was made in her native England and released here as "Horror Hotel", and The Sergeant Was a Lady (1961), her last, did little to boost her feelings of adequacy or her Hollywood ranking. Mother Anna Lee, who found renewed recognition as a daytime soap doyenne ("Lila Quartermaine" on General Hospital (1963)), appeared in support of her daughter in two films: Jet Over the Atlantic (1959) and The Big Night (1960). Divorced from Tamblyn, Venetia married one of The Everly Brothers, Don Everly, of "Wake Up, Little Susie" fame, in 1962. At this point, she had no qualms about retiring from the ever-competitive acting world and did so. The couple went on to have two daughters and a son. Stacy Everly and Erin Everly both dabbled in acting, and son Edan Everly delved into music as both a singer and guitarist. He also teaches music and produces/writes for other artists.
In later years, Venetia became a script reader for Burt Reynolds's production company and, subsequently, became vice-president of Cinema Group, a production company that made several films in the 1980s. Since her 1970 divorce from Everly, the still-beautiful lady, who enjoys horseback riding, has not remarried.- Actor
- Animation Department
- Art Department
Clay Martin Croker was the son of Marion Winchell Croker (1924-2004) and Ouida Thelma Martin (1925-2017). He showed talent for drawing at a very early age; no blank piece of paper stayed that way long. His first love was of dinosaurs, then Godzilla, Gamera, Ultraman and eventually comic book characters.
As a kid, Clay would recite Tex Avery and Chuck Jones cartoons verbatim - flawlessly providing all the accompanying voices.
As a teen, he was the part of a unique group of artists and full-time dreamers in the metro Atlanta area. They spent late nights in graveyards making home movies or passing a sketchbook around, each contributing their own art to what they called "the strip." For employment, they took over the airbrush booth at Six Flags Over Georgia. (Think Caddyshack but with art!) Those friends are still working as artists, producers and musicians to this day.
Clay's first animation gig was making the confederate soldiers carved on the side of Georgia's Stone Mountain gallop away, the big finish of the summer laser light show. He joked that many were happy to see them go.
He animated many national TV commercials and then arguably made Cartoon Network's Adult Swim what it is today with the success of Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Clay provided the animation as well as the voices for Zorak and Moltar. SG led to the Brak Show and Toonami, for which he provided voices and animation.
Later, Clay animated Aqua Teen Hunger Force and had a heavy hand in the development of the main characters, Frylock, Master Shake and Meatwad. He also provided the voices for Dr. Weird, Steve, and various characters. For a brief stint, he hauled his collection of 8 and 16 mm vintage cartoons to the Plaza Theatre, Atlanta's most popular indie movie house, for the Bizarro Saturday Morning show.
He became a fixture at various comic conventions and expos and was always humbled and flattered by the love and adoration of his fans.
In his untimely death, Clay leaves behind not only a legacy not to soon be repeated, but also a vast collection of personal art, priceless movie memorabilia and a trail of brokenhearted friends and colleagues. He died at his home on September 17, 2016.- Ted Manson was born on 23 October 1926 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) and Runaway Jury (2003). He died on 1 June 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
Born in Georgia, Byrd earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Morris Brown College and later received a master of fine arts degree in dance from California Institute of the Arts. He has starred in numerous regional stage productions including the San Diego Repertory Theater's award-winning performance of "Spunk". He has also starred in "Home" by Samm-Art Evans, "Two Trains Running", "The Piano Lesson" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" at the Alliance Theater, "Flyin' West", "Hamlet" and "Miss Evers' Boys" at the Indiana Repertory, and in other productions of "Flyin' West" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and at the Long Wharf Theater.- Hiram Keller was born on 3 May 1944 in Moody Field, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Fellini Satyricon (1969), Orestes (1997) and The Survivors of the Bounty (1974). He was married to Kristina St. Clair. He died on 20 January 1997 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Ed Ramey was born on 22 December 1918 in the USA. He was an actor, known for Deliverance (1972). He died on 28 January 1984 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Actress
Dorothy Eveleigh was born on 17 October 1907 in Shanghai, China. She was an actress. She was married to Rod Cameron and Antonio Alves-Lico. She died on 14 August 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Lou Walker was born on 20 February 1928 in Bessemer, Alabama, USA. He was an actor, known for My Cousin Vinny (1992), The Firm (1993) and Hiding Out (1987). He died on 2 August 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
Jeff Kay was born on 11 April 1965 in Los Angeles, California. He was an assistant director and production manager, known for Courage Under Fire (1996), Powder (1995) and Gettysburg (1993). He died on 17 October 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Gregg Burge was born on 14 November 1957 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for A Chorus Line (1985), Michael Jackson: Bad (1987) and School Daze (1988). He died on 4 July 1998 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Make-Up Department
- Sound Department
Albert Omstead was born on 20 September 1982 in Florida. He is known for Captain America: Civil War (2016), Baby Driver (2017) and Freaky (2020). He was married to Que Omstead. He died on 19 July 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Art Department
- Stunts
- Camera and Electrical Department
Taraja Ramsess was born on 9 March 1982 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He is known for Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018). He died on 31 October 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Bruce Hampton was born on 30 April 1947. He was an actor, known for Sling Blade (1996), Here Comes Rusty (2016) and Gilda Sue Rosenstern: The Motion Picture! (2018). He died on 1 May 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Actor
- Composer
Bassist and singer Ben Orr was born Benjamin Orzechowski on September 8, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. His Russian and Czechoslovakian parents actively encouraged his musical endeavors. Ben grew up in Lakewood and Parma Heights, Ohio. He played bass, keyboards, and percussion instruments in his teen years. Known locally as "Benny 11-Letters", Orr dropped out of Valley Forge High School to join the group, "The Grasshoppers", as both the lead singer and guitarist. "The Grasshoppers" were the house band on the local Cleveland TV music variety show, "Upbeat"; the group also released two singles on the Sunburst label and dissolved in 1967 after two members were drafted. Ben got drafted as well, but received a deferment after serving one and a half years in the Army. In 1970, Orr moved to Columbus, Ohio and met mellow musician, Ric Ocasek; the two formed a folk band called "Milkwood". "Milkwood" released an album, titled "How's the Weather?", in 1972. In the mid 70s, Ben became a member of the Boston, Massachusetts nightclub group, "Cap'n Swing"; two other members of this particular band were Ocasek and guitarist Elliot Easton. "Cap'n Swing" broke up in 1975. In 1976, Orr, Ocasek, Easton, drummer David Robinson, and keyboardist Greg Hawkes formed the hugely popular, successful and innovative New Wave synth-pop band, The Cars. Ben sang lead vocals on such hit "Cars" songs as "Bye, Bye Love", "Just What I Needed", "Let's Go", "Drive" and "Moving in Stereo". In 1986, he recorded the solo album, "The Lace", which beget the Top 40 hit song, "Stay the Night". Moreover, Orr was featured on Ocasek's solo album, "This Side of Paradise", and the Joni Mitchell albums, "Misses" and "Chalk Mark, in a Rain Storm". Ben left The Cars in 1987. From 1998 up until his death, Ben performed with his own band, "Orr", and the side bands, "Big People" and "the Voices of Classic Rock". He reunited with The Cars for the documentary The Cars: Live (2000) in the summer of 2000. Orr died at age 53 from pancreatic cancer on October 3, 2000 in Atlanta, Georgia.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
King Von was born on 9 August 1994 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a music artist and actor, known for F9: The Fast Saga (2021), PnB Rock Feat. King Von: Rose Gold (2021) and King Von: Robberies (2023). He died on 6 November 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Stunts
- Actor
John Bernecker was born on 2 March 1984 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Black Panther (2018), Looper (2012) and The 5th Wave (2016). He died on 13 July 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Fred Crane was born on 22 March 1918 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Gone with the Wind (1939), General Hospital (1963) and The Gay Amigo (1949). He was married to Terry Lynn Halfacre, Anita Joan Cohen, Barbara Jeanne Garoutte, Ruth Ceder and Rose Marcelle Dudley Heaslip. He died on 21 August 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- F. Lee Bailey was born on 10 June 1933 in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Matt Houston (1982), Spider-Man (1981) and Whodunnit? (1979). He was married to Patricia Shiers, Lynda Hart, Florence Gott and Froma Portney. He died on 3 June 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Bob Hannah was born on 13 February 1939 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. He was an actor, known for Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). He died on 14 August 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
Cory Scott Allen was born on 27 April 1983 in Denver, Colorado, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Den of Thieves (2018), The Contractor (2022) and The Devil All the Time (2020). He was married to Valerie Jane Parker. He died on 13 December 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.- Kevin Samuels was born on 13 March 1965 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Atlanta (2016), Intellectual Scum (2015) and Future: Worst Day (2022). He was married to ???. He died on 5 May 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Georgia Allen...actress and educator. Outstanding actress of the academic theater, who transitioned from regional and professional stage to television and films. Born in Beaumont, TX., and educated at Clark College-now Clark Atlanta University, (B.A., English, 1942) and the Atlanta University Summer Theater (credits in theater arts). She also studied at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Mrs. Allen served as a longtime educator in the Atlanta Public School System. During the 1960's, Allen performed with numerous community and professional groups. Mrs. Allen amassed nearly 30 film credits between 1972 and 2006. Television appearances include: "In the Heat of the Night," "I'll Fly Away," and "Crossroads." Film roles included: Guyana Tragedy (as Sister Carmella), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (as Mrs. Gurney), Mayflower Madam (as Attorney), Freedom Road (as Landlady), Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (as Caterer), The Boy King (as Grandmother) and Madea's Family Reunion (as Aunt Ruby). For her contributions to the theater, she was the recipient of the Bronze Jubilee Award (by WETV/Atlanta, 1979), the Ray McIver Award (from the Just Us Theater, Atlanta, 1993), and the Legacy Award by Jomandi Productions, Atlanta, 1993). Allen was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Aside from being an actress and educator, she was the loving wife for 67 years to Thaddeus S. Allen, the nurturing Mother of two children, and a doting Grandmother . Georgia Allen died in Atlanta, GA. on January 11, 2014, aged 94.
- Harry Ellerbe was born on 15 January 1901 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for House of Usher (1960), The Outer Limits (1963) and One Step Beyond (1959). He died on 2 December 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Jen Apgar was born on 21 May 1972. She was an actress, known for Cold Mountain (2003), The Skeleton Key (2005) and Sweet Home Alabama (2002). She was married to Jiri Vala. She died on 19 February 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- She was also the director and the motivating force behind DramaTech, the Georgia Tech drama society in the early 1960s. Due to Mary Nell's theatrical connections, the members of DramaTech were invited to be escorts for the celebrities at the re-release of "Gone with the Wind" at Lowe's Theater in Atlanta in 1961. Olivia de Havilland was the only survivor of the original stars of the film and she was present for the event.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Baseball's all-time home run king, Hank Aaron did more than hit home runs. Sure, Aaron led the National League (NL) four times, he also was a two-time batting champion and led the league in RBIs four times and runs scored three times. He won the NL's Most Valuable Player award in 1957 and has a lifetime batting average of .305. Aaron got his start playing for the Indianapolis Clowns, of the Negro Leagues before signing on with the Milwaukee Braves. He played at their minor league team in Eau Claire, Wis., one of the first black players there, and was brought up by the Braves in 1954. For the next 23 years, Aaron clobbered Major League pitchers. Never a charismatic player, Aaron often let his bat do the talking. He was the subject of intense media scrutiny in 1973-74 when he approached Babe Ruth's hallowed home run record. Aaron received more than 10,000 letters (most of them hate mail and even death threats) during the off-season claiming he should not break the record. Ever the ultimate professional and gentleman, he ignored the insults and slurs and went about the opening season in 1974. On April 8, 1974, Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking Ruth's record and in doing so, received the undying support of the fans. He finished with 755 overall before retiring after the 1976 season. Aaron was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1982, and now works in the front office for the Atlanta Braves.- Michael Harvey was born on 21 June 1917 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Duck, You Sucker! (1971), Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1950) and Return of the Bad Men (1948). He died on 15 October 1995 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Margaret Mitchell was an American historical novelist and a journalist. She published only one completed novel in her lifetime, "Gone with the Wind" (1936), which covered a woman's struggle for survival through the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937, and it was the top American fiction bestseller in 1936 and 1937. Mitchell had completed the romance novella "Lost Laysen" in her adolescence, but it was only published posthumously in 1996. A collection of Mitchell's newspaper articles was published under the title ""Margaret Mitchell: Reporter" (2000). Several of her writings from her early life have been published under the title "Before Scarlett: Girlhood Writings of Margaret Mitchell." (2000).
In 1900, Mitchell was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her father was Eugene Mitchell (1866-1944), a prominent lawyer, politician, and historian. He served a term as the President of the Atlanta Board of Education (1911-1912), and co-founded the Atlanta Historical Society. Mitchell's mother was Maybelle Stephens Mitchell (1872-1919), a prominent suffragist leader, and a co-founder of both the League of Women Voters in Georgia and the Catholic Layman's Association of Georgia. Mitchell's paternal ancestors were Scottish-Americans, and her maternal ancestors were Irish-Americans.
During her early childhood, Mitchell lived with her family at a Jackson Street mansion, east of downtown Atlanta. The mansion was owned by Miitchell's maternal grandmother, Annie Stephens (d. 1934) , who lived with them. Stephens was reportedly a tyrant to her family, and had a somewhat adversarial relationship with her granddaughter. But Mitchell went on to interview her for "eye-witness information" about the effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction in Atlanta. Stephen's memories were one of the primary sources for "Gone with the Wind" .
Mitchell's mother had the habit of dressing her daughter in boys' pants, because she thought that they were safer than dresses. Mitchell continued dressing as a boy until she was 14, and her family nicknamed her "Jimmy" (after the comic strip character "Little Jimmy"). Mitchell was a tomboy in her childhood, and her favorite pastime was to ride her Texas plains pony. Aging Confederate soldiers tried to entertain the young girl by narrating to her gritty details of specific battles from the Civil War.
In 1912, the Mitchell family moved to a new residence at the east side of Peachtree Street. The house was located at a short distance from the Chattahoochee River. The family reportedly had concerns about the safety of their Jackson Hill home, due to its proximity to areas affected by the Atlanta Race Riot (1906). The Jackson Hill home was eventually destroyed in the Great Atlanta Fire of 1917.
By the early 1910s , Mitchell was an avid reader. Among her favorite writers were Edith Nesbit and Thomas Dixon. Mitchell started writing fairy tales and adventure stories as a hobby. Among her early works was "The Arrow Brave and the Deer Maiden" (1913), about a mixed-race "Indian" who has to endure pain to win over his love interest. Mitchell's mother kept her daughter's stories in white enamel bread boxes.
In 1914, Mitchell started attending Atlanta's Washington Seminary, a then-fashionable private girls' school. The school had over 300 students. Mitchell joined the school's drama club. She was still a tomboy, and she habitually played the male characters in performances of William Shakespeare's plays. She also joined the school's literary club, and had her stories published in the school's yearbook. Among her first published stories was the revenge-themed "Little Sister", where a little girl shoots her sister's rapist.
In 1918, Mitchell graduated and started preparing for a college education, at the insistence of her mother. Her mother chose which school Mitchell would attend, Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. At the time, it was reputedly "the best women's college in the United States". Before her college classes started, Mitchell was engaged to her first serious love interest, the army lieutenant Clifford West Henry. He was send to fight in France in July 1918, and was mortally wounded in October of the same year. Mitchell would continue mourning him for years.
In 1919, Mitchell' mother died from the flu. She was one of the many victims of a flu pandemic that had started in 1918. Mitchell arrived home from college, a day after her mother had died. She found that her mother left a short letter of advise for her, telling her to take care of herself before taking care of other causes.
Later in 1919, Mitchell dropped out of college. She did not excel in any area of academics, and her father expected her to take over the family's household. Mitchell had health problems of her own, and had an appendectomy in the autumn of 1919. Mitchell was feeling increasingly disappointed with her life's direction, as she wrote to a friend. In 1920, Mitchell made her Atlanta society debut. Shortly after, she started dressing as a flapper. In 1921, she shocked the Atlanta high society by performing an Apache dance in a charity ball, and kissing her male partner during the performance. She was consequently blacklisted from the Junior League.
In 1922, Mitchell started dating the bootlegger Berrien ("Red") Kinnard Upshaw (1901-1949). In September 1922. the couple were married against her family's wishes. They both moved in with Mitchell's father. Red was an alcoholic with a violent temper, and Mitchell suffered physical abuse at his hands. They agreed to a period of separation in December 1922, and their divorce was finalized in October 1924. In 1925, Mitchell married her second husband John Robert Marsh (1895-1952). He was Red's former roommate, and another love interest for Mitchell since 1922. Marsh had reportedly secured Mitchell's uncontested divorce, by giving Red a loan. Mitchell and her new husband set their residence at the Crescent Apartments in Atlanta, nicknaming their new home "The Dump". It would later become known as Margaret Mitchell House and Museum.
Between her two marriages, Mitchell had decided that she needed her own source of income. In 1922, she started working as a journalist for "The Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine". Among her early successes was securing a 1923 interview with the then-popular actor Rudolph Valentino. She continued her journalistic career until May 1926. At the time of her resignation, Mitchell had suffered an ankle injury that would not heal properly. Her mobility problems prevented her from working on assignments.In her four years as a journalist, Mitchell wrote 129 feature articles, 85 news stories, and several book reviews.
Following her resignation from "The Atlanta Journal", Mitchell worked for a few months as a gossip columnist for the "Sunday Magazine". In 1926, Marsh asked his increasingly bored wife why she did not write a book of her own instead of reading thousands of them. By 1928, Mitchell started work on a historical novel of her own. In 1935, her novel was still unfinished. But the book editor Harold Latham of Macmillan read her manuscript and was convinced that it was a potential best-seller. Having secured a publisher, Mitchell spend 6 months in making revisions and checking the novel's historical references. "Gone with the Wind" was published in June 1936.
Her novel turned Mitchell into a literary celebrity, but she had no intention of writing further works. In September 1941, Mitchell christened the light cruiser USS Atlanta (CL-51). During World War II, Mitchell served as a volunteer for the American Red Cross. She raised money for the war effort by selling war bonds. In 1944, she christened the light cruiser USS Atlanta (CL-104).
On August 11, 1949, Mitchell crossed Peachtree Street with her husband. They were on their way to a movie theatre, when Mitchell was struck by a drunk driver. She was hospitalized at Grady Hospital. She died on August 16, without ever regaining consciousness. She was buried at Oakland Cemetery, Georgia. Her husband was buried by her side in 1952. Though Mitchell is long gone, her novel never went out of print. It remains popular into the 21st century. Mitchell was posthumously inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame in 2000.- Charles Krauthammer was born on 13 March 1950 in New York City, New York, USA. He was married to Robyn Trethewey. He died on 21 June 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Ty Cobb was born on 18 December 1886 in Narrows, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Somewhere in Georgia (1917), The Baseball Revue of 1917 (1917) and Ty Cobb and Grantland Rice Talk Things Over (1930). He was married to Frances Fairbairn Cass and Charlotte Lombard. He died on 17 July 1961 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Additional Crew
- Location Management
Chris O'Hara was born on 1 September 1975 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. Chris was an assistant director, known for Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), The Circle (2017) and Ava (2020). Chris was married to Carissa O'Hara and Cindy. Chris died on 27 January 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Carol Mitchell-Leon was born on 27 April 1951 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Idlewild (2006) and Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005). She was married to Kenny Leon. She died on 19 January 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Sandra Dorsey was born on 28 September 1939 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She was an actress, known for Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989), Dumb and Dumber To (2014) and The Three Stooges (2012). She was married to Joe Dorsey. She died on 26 September 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Rick Leahy was born on 3 February 1951 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. He was married to Kathryn Ann Leahy. He died on 26 February 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Chase Tatum was born on 3 November 1973 in Kennesaw, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Who's Your Caddy? (2007), Creature from Black Lake (1976) and WCW Monday Nitro (1995). He died on 23 March 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Don Kennedy began his radio career in 1943 with a half-watt homemade radio station in the basement of his mother and father's home in his native Beaver, Pennsylvania. His first paying position was in 1947 as an announcer at WPIC in Sharon, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Youngstown, Ohio. While in college, he announced news, sports scores and did music programs at WBVP in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. After military service as a radio studio manager in a psychological warfare unit during the Korean War, he anchored the eleven o'clock news at WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia eventually being assigned as a children's show host at that station, a program amassing the largest audience of any such local program in the nation. In 1960 he established WKLS-FM in Atlanta, serving as President and GM. He also set up and served as President of Georgia Network and Florida Network, two of the pioneer state news networks in the nation. In 1976 his company returned Atlanta's channel 36, WATL-TV to the air. He is the recipient of the Silver Circle Award and two Emmys from the Atlanta Chapter of NATAS, the Pioneer Broadcaster and Georgia Broadcaster's Hall of Fame awards from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters and honorary membership in the Di Gamma Kappa Broadcast Fraternity at the University of Georgia. He has been President of the Georgia Chapter of Muscular Dystrophy, treasurer of the Atlanta Humane Society and board member of the Atlanta Cancer Society. In recent years, Kennedy has been network coordinator for the Atlanta Braves radio network, the Georgia Tech Football and Basketball networks. He syndicated a now defunct weekly BIG BAND JUMP radio program. AT one time BBJ was heard on one hundred stations in thirty-two states, Canada, and the United Kingdom. He is also the voice of several cartoon characters on cable's Cartoon Network and narrator for award winning documentaries seen on the nine television stations of Georgia Public Television. He is also a regular volunteer reader for the Georgia Radio Reading Service for the Blind. Don resides in Atlanta.
- Actor
- Producer
Mikey Post was born on 29 April 1982 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Bedtime Stories (2008), Black Knight (2001) and Buttwhistle (2014). He died on 17 February 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Lewis Grizzard was born on 20 October 1946 in Fort Benning, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Designing Women (1986), Closeups (1986) and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962). He died on 20 March 1994 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Chris Kelly was born on 11 August 1978 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (2005), A Different World (1987) and Kris Kross: The Way of the Rhyme (1992). He died on 1 May 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Charles Stanley was born on 25 September 1932 in Dry Fork, Virginia, USA. He was a writer, known for In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley (1990), Ask Dr. Stanley (2013) and Praise (1973). He was married to Anna Johnson. He died on 18 April 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
Originally a carpenter in Chicago, Jordan started on stage there and moved to Atlanta in 1979 and went into voice-overs. Soon he was appearing in fims, writing and moved to L.A. and New York for a while and appeared on numerous daytime dramas.- Radcliffe Bailey was born on 25 November 1968 in Bridgeton, New Jersey, USA. He was married to Victoria Rowell and Leslie Campbell Parks. He died on 14 November 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Deborah Duke was born on 26 October 1950 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She was an actress, known for Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Venom (2005) and Stomp the Yard (2007). She died on 12 October 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Sajan Bhagat was born on 1 September 1971. He was an actor, known for Kids (1995). He died on 27 July 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Ellis passed away in 1983 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. His parents parents had immigrated from war-torn Syria and Lebanon.
Ellis worked as an apprentice draftsman at a shipyard. He later moved to Richmond, where he meet and married Gwen and had a son, Michael. The family relocated to Atlanta in the early 1950s.
Not long after they arrived, he and his wife began to establish themselves in the local theater community. But the relationship was strained, and by the end of the decade, the couple had divorced. Gwen soon left the country for the Philippines, taking their son with her.
Around this time, the character of "Bestoink Dooley" was born.
From 1962, Ellis began to host horror movie shows as the character "Bestoink Dooley", as well as a children's cartoon show. In 1965, he started in the horror movie "The Legend of Blood Mountain" as the character "Bestoink Dooley".
After his run as a horror host came to an end, he ran the Film Forum Theatre in Atlanta between 1971 and 1974.
In 2013, George Ellis - "Bestoink Dooley" for "Big Movie Shocker", was inducted into "The Official Horror Host Hall of Fame".