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1-50 of 53
- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Legendary actor Christopher Plummer, perhaps Canada's greatest thespian, delivered outstanding performances as Sherlock Holmes in Murder by Decree (1979), the chilling villain in The Silent Partner (1978), the iconoclastic Mike Wallace in The Insider (1999), the empathetic psychiatrist in A Beautiful Mind (2001), the kindly and clever mystery writer in Knives Out (2019), and as Leo Tolstoy in The Last Station (2009). It was this last role that finally brought him recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, when he was nominated as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, one of three Academy Award nominations he received in the 2010s, along with All the Money in the World (2017) (as J. Paul Getty) and Beginners (2010); he won for the latter role. He will also likely always be remembered as Captain Von Trapp in the atomic bomb-strength blockbuster The Sound of Music (1965), a film he publicly despised until softening his stance in his autobiography "In Spite of Me" (2008).
Christopher Plummer was born Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer on December 13, 1929 in Toronto, Ontario. He was the only child of Isabella Mary (Abbott), a secretary to the Dean of Sciences at McGill University, and John Orme Plummer, who sold securities and stocks. Christopher was a great-grandson of John Abbott, who was Canada's third Prime Minister (from 1891 to 1892), and a great-great-great-grandson of Presbyterian clergyman John Bethune. He had Scottish, English, Anglo-Irish, and Cornish ancestry. Plummer was raised in Senneville, Quebec, near Montreal, at his maternal grandparents' home.
Aside from the youngest member of the Barrymore siblings (which counted Oscar-winners Ethel Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore in their number), Plummer was the premier Shakespearean actor to come out of North America in the 20th century. He was particularly memorable as Hamlet, Iago and Lear, though his Macbeth opposite Glenda Jackson was -- and this was no surprise to him due to the famous curse attached to the "Scottish Play" -- a failure.
Like another great stage actor, Richard Burton, early in his career Plummer failed to connect with the screen in a way that would make him a star. Dynamic on stage, he didn't succeed as a younger leading man in films. Perhaps if he had been born earlier, and acted in the studio system of Hollywood's golden age, he could have been carefully groomed for stardom. As it was, he shared the English stage actors' disdain -- and he was equally at home in London as he was on the boards of Broadway or on-stage in his native Canada -- for the movies, which did not help him in that medium, as he has confessed. As he aged, Plummer excelled at character roles. He was always a good villain, this man who garnered kudos playing Lucifer on Broadway in Archibald Macleish's Pulitzer Prize-winning "J.B.".
Plummer won two Emmy Awards out of seven nominations stretching 46 years from 1959 and 2011, and one Genie Award in six nominations from 1980 to 2009. For his stage work, Plummer has racked up two Tony Awards on six nominations, the first in 1974 as Best Actor (Musical) for the title role in "Cyrano" and the second in 1997, as Best Actor (Play), in "Barrymore". Surprisingly, he did not win (though he was nominated) for his masterful 2004 performance of "King Lear", which he originated at the Stratford Festival in Ontario and brought down to Broadway for a sold-out run. His other Tony nominations show the wide range of his talent, from a 1959 nod for the Elia Kazan-directed production of Macleish's "J.B." to recognition in 1994 for Harold Pinter's "No Man's Land", with a 1982 Best Actor (Play) nomination for his "Iago" in William Shakespeare's "Othello".
Until the 2009 Academy Awards were announced, it could be said about Plummer that he was the finest actor of the post-World War II period to fail to get an Academy Award. In that, he was following in the footsteps of the late great John Barrymore, whom Plummer so memorably portrayed on Broadway in a one-man show that brought him his second Tony Award. In 2010, Plummer finally got an Oscar nod for his portrayal of another legend, Lev Tolstoy in The Last Station (2009). Two years later, the first paragraph of his obituary was written when the 82-year-old Plummer became the oldest person in Academy history to win an Oscar. He won for playing a senior citizen who comes out as gay after the death of his wife in the movie Beginners (2010). As he clutched his statuette, the debonaire thespian addressed it thus: "You're only two years older than me darling, where have you been all of my life?"
Plummer then told the audience that at birth, "I was already rehearsing my Academy acceptance speech, but it was so long ago mercifully for you I've forgotten it." The Academy Award was a long time in coming and richly deserved.
Plummer gave many other fine portrayals on film, particularly as he grew older and settled down into a comfortable marriage with his third wife Elaine. He continued to be an in-demand character actor in prestigious motion pictures. If he were English rather than Canadian, he would have been knighted. (In 1968, he was appointed Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor and one which required the approval of the sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II.) If he lived in the company town of Los Angeles rather than in Connecticut, he likely would have several more Oscar nominations before winning his first for "The Last Station".
As it is, as attested to in his witty and well-written autobiography, Plummer was amply rewarded in life. In 1970, Plummer - then a self-confessed 43-year-old "bottle baby" - married his third wife Elaine Taylor, a dancer, who helped wean him off his dependency on alcohol. They lived happily with their dogs on a 30-acre estate in Weston, Connecticut. He thanked her from the stage during the 2012 Oscar telecast, quipping that she "deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for coming to my rescue every day of my life." Although he spent the majority of his time in the United States, he remained a Canadian citizen. He died in his Weston, Connecticut home on February 5, 2021 at age 91.
His daughter, with actress Tammy Grimes, is actress Amanda Plummer.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Soundtrack
An out-of-wedlock child, Eartha Kitt was born in the cotton fields of South Carolina. Kitt's mother was a sharecropper of African-American and Cherokee Native American descent. Her father's identity is unknown. Given away by her mother, she arrived in Harlem at age nine. At 15, she quit high school to work in a Brooklyn factory. As a teenager, Kitt lived in friends' homes and in the subways. However, by the 1950s, she had sung and danced her way out of poverty and into the spotlight: performing with the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe on a European tour, soloing at a Paris nightclub and becoming the toast of the Continent. Orson Welles called her "the most exciting girl in the world". She also spoke out on hard issues. She took over the role of Catwoman for the third and final season of the television series Batman (1966), replacing Julie Newmar. Eartha Kitt died of colon cancer in her home in Weston, Connecticut, on Christmas Day 2008.- Charles Keating was born on 22 October 1941 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Another World (1964), The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) and The Bodyguard (1992). He was married to Mary Ellen Cudbody. He died on 8 August 2014 in Weston, Connecticut, USA.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Evan Hunter was born on 15 October 1926 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for The Birds (1963), High and Low (1963) and Columbo (1971). He was married to Dragica Dimitrijevic, Mary Vann Hughes (Finley) and Anita R Melnick. He died on 6 July 2005 in Weston, Connecticut, USA.- Actress
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Legendary stage actress Eva Le Gallienne's life began just as grandly as the daughter of poet Richard Le Gallienne. Sarah Bernhardt was her idol growing up and, at age 18, was brought to New York by her mother. Making her London debut with "Monna Vanna" in 1914, she proved a star in every sense of the word. She appeared on Broadway first in "Liliom" in 1921 and lastly at the Biltmore Theatre in 1981 with "To Grandmother's House We Go," which won her a Tony nomination at age 82. Noted for her extreme boldness and idealism, she became a director and muse for theatre's top playwrights, a foremost translator of Henrik Ibsen, and a founder of the civic repertory movement in America. A respected stage coach, director, producer and manager over her six decades, Ms. Le Gallienne consciously devoted herself to the Art of the Theatre as opposed to the Show Business of Broadway and dedicated herself to upgrading the quality of the stage. She ran the Civic Repertory Theatre Company for 10 years (1926-1936), producing 37 plays during that time. She managed Broadway's 1100-seat Civic Repertory Theatre (more popularly known as The 14th Street Theatre) at 107 14th Street from 1926-32, which was home to her company whose actors included herself, J. Edward Bromberg, Paul Leyssac, Florida Friebus, and Leona Roberts. Her gallery of theatre portrayals would include everything from Peter Pan to Hamlet. Sadly, she almost completely avoided film and TV during her lengthy career. However, toward the end of her life, she did appear in a marvelous 1977 stage version of "The Royal Family" on TV and rendered a quietly touching performance as Ellen Burstyn's grandmother in Resurrection (1980), for which she received an Oscar nomination.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Born in Nottingham to a mother who was one of the first women stage directors in Britain and a father who was a revue actor. He later moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music then went to drama school during which time he appeared in many school broadcasts for the BBC. After winning the Drama Cup he joined the Regents Park Open Air Theatre where he spent 3 seasons during which time he was also doing a great deal of broadcasting. and it was on the radio show 'Accent on Youth' which led him into revue. The writers Peter Myers and Alec Grahame gave him a chance in their Theatre Club Revues when he replaced Michael Medwin.Following this he did 'High Spirts' at the London Hippodrome and subsequently 6 seasons of Fol-de-Rols. While doing the show in Edinburgh he was spotted by George Innes who booked him for BBC television's 'High Summer' He has 4 daughters including twins.- Sam Lloyd Sr. was born on 8 September 1925 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Where the Rivers Flow North (1993), The Spitfire Grill (1996) and Bereft (2004). He was married to Barbara Lee, Marianne Taylor McGuffin and Shirley Dawn Johnson. He died on 24 March 2017 in Weston, Vermont, USA.
- Pamela Parsons was born on 15 September 1946 in West Hartford, Connecticut, USA. She was an actress, known for Dugo ng tarikan (1975) and Project: Kill (1976). She was married to James Naughton. She died on 9 April 2013 in Weston, Connecticut, USA.
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Ray Ashley was born on 9 March 1911 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer and director, known for Little Fugitive (1953). He was married to Evelyn Kurinski. He died on 25 August 1960 in Weston, Connecticut, USA.- Doris Wiss was born on 12 June 1929 in Düsseldorf, Germany. She was an actress, known for The Three Musketeers (1956), Schlitz Playhouse (1951) and Perry Mason (1957). She was married to Don Elliott. She died on 17 July 2015 in Weston, Connecticut, USA.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Don Elliott was born on 21 October 1926 in Somerville, New Jersey, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for The Getaway (1972), The Happy Hooker (1975) and Walk Don't Run (1966). He was married to Doris Wiss. He died on 5 July 1984 in Weston, Connecticut, USA.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
William Spier was born on 5 December 1906 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for The Untouchables (1959), The Clock (1949) and Lady Possessed (1952). He was married to June Havoc, Kay Thompson and Mary Scanlan. He died on 30 May 1973 in Weston, Connecticut, USA.- Haila Stoddard was born on 14 November 1913 in Great Falls, Montana, USA. She was an actress, known for The Prudential Family Playhouse (1950), Suspense (1949) and Coronet Blue (1967). She was married to Whitfield Connor, Harald Bromley , Jack Kirkland and William L. Gude. She died on 21 February 2011 in Weston, Connecticut, USA.
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Producer
Adrian Warren was born on 20 July 1949 in England, UK. He was a cinematographer and producer, known for The Living Planet (1984), Universum (1987) and Great Wildlife Moments (2003). He died on 5 June 2011 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, UK.- Additional Crew
Grace Grefé was born on 17 July 1930 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Grace is known for Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976). Grace was married to William Grefé. Grace died on 26 August 2022 in Weston, Florida, USA.- Doric Kendall was born on 25 October 1913 in Birmingham, England, UK. She was married to Terry Kendall. She died on 18 September 1959 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, UK.
- Madoline Thomas was born on 2 January 1890 in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for No Trace (1950), How Green Was My Valley (1960) and Pride and Prejudice (1958). She was married to John W. H. Thomas. She died on 30 December 1989 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, UK.
- Bronia Wheeler was born on 22 July 1925 in Franklin, New Hampshire, USA. She was an actress, known for Bed & Breakfast (1991), The Proposition (1998) and Billy in the Lowlands (1979). She died on 15 March 2017 in Weston, Massachusetts, USA.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Songwriter ("Kisses Sweeter than Wine", "I Never Will Marry"), composer, author and singer, educated at Brooklyn College (Bachelor of Arts degree) and Columbia University. He served in the US Coast Guard during World War II, and co-founded the Weavers folk-singing group, for which he also sang and accompanied on guitar. He also arranged for folk singers, including the Kingston Trio, Harry Belafonte, and Theodore Bikel, and was the music director for "The Moon Besieged". Joining ASCAP in 1960, his other popular-song compositions included "I'm Just a Country Boy", "Delia", "Darlin' Cora", "The Biggest Ride (Since Paul Revere)", "Long About Now", "Come Away Melinda", "Cherries and Plums", "The Honey Wind Blows", and "Healing River".- Writer
- Director
John G. Fuller was born on 30 November 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a writer and director, known for The DuPont Show of the Week (1961), Colgate Theatre (1949) and Armstrong Circle Theatre (1950). He was married to Elizabeth. He died on 7 November 1990 in Weston, Connecticut, USA.- Anne Sexton was born on 9 November 1928 in Newton, Massachusetts, USA. She was a writer, known for The Lobster (2018) and Great Poets: In Their Own Words (2014). She was married to Alfred "Kayo" Muller Sexton II. She died on 4 October 1974 in Weston, Massachusetts, USA.
- F. Britten Austin was born on 8 May 1885 in Mile End, London, England, UK. He was a writer, known for The Last Outpost (1935), Buried Treasure (1921) and A Woman Redeemed (1927). He was married to Ethel King and Edith Abbot. He died on 12 March 1941 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, UK.
- Additional Crew
Kenneth J. Germeshausen was born on 12 May 1907 in Woodland, California, USA. Kenneth J. is known for Quicker'n a Wink (1940). Kenneth J. died on 16 August 1990 in Weston, Massachusetts, USA.- Paula Marshall was born in 1926 in Lambeth, London, England, UK. She was married to David Nixon. She died on 9 December 1956 in Alconbury Weston, Huntingdonshire, England, UK.
- Writer
- Producer
Vivian Perlis was born on 26 April 1928 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She was a writer and producer, known for American Masters (1985) and Do Not Go Gently (2007). She was married to Sanford J. Perlis. She died on 4 July 2019 in Weston, Connecticut, USA.