Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-12 of 12
- Actress
- Soundtrack
One of the world's most underrated Academy Award-winning actresses, Jennifer Jones was born Phylis Lee Isley on 2 March 1919 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Flora Mae (Suber) and Phillip Ross Isley, who ran a travelling stage show. As a young aspiring actress, she met and fell for young, handsome, aspiring actor Robert Walker. They soon married, and moved to Chicago in order to fulfill their dreams of becoming film stars. Though their plans (initially) fell through, Phyllis began working as a model; sporting mainly hats, gloves and jewelry, and also occasionally found some work on local radio stations, where she provided the voice for various characters in radio programmes, along with her husband.
In a last-ditch attempt to pursue her dream, Phyllis traveled to Selznick studios for a reading which would ultimately change her life. It was that day where she met David O. Selznick, and after that, her career began to take shape. Initially, Phyllis thought the audition went terribly and stormed out of the studios in tears, only to be chased by Selznick, who assured her she had been fine. Although she didn't get that particular part (which was for the iconic character, Scarlett O'Hara, which would ultimately go to Vivien Leigh, in one of the most famous castings in Hollywood's history), Phyllis was given a contract with Selznick studios. In short order, Phyllis was 'renamed' to the alliterative Jennifer Jones, and was cast over thousands of other hopefuls in the role of Bernadette Soubirous in The Song of Bernadette (1943).
For her moving portrayal of the sickly teenager who sees a vision of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes and devotes her life to her by becoming a nun, Jones won the Academy Award for best actress in a leading role on 2 March 1944 (coincidentally her 25th birthday) beating out stiff competition such as Ingrid Bergman (who later became a close friend of hers), Greer Garson, Joan Fontaine and Jean Arthur.
Now, considered a 'true' star, Jones' career was marked out and moulded for her by Selznick, who would become the love of her life. They began an affair and eventually she left her husband and two sons for the producer, which ultimately led Walker to an untimely death, attributed to alcohol and drug abuse instigated due to their separation. As for her career, Jones took on the supporting role of Jane Hilton, a headstrong teenage girl who grows up fast when her fiance is killed in action during WWII, in Since You Went Away (1944). For her performance Jones received a best supporting actress Oscar nomination, but lost out to Ethel Barrymore for None But the Lonely Heart (1944). Jennifer continued to deliver strong performances, receiving further best actress Oscar nominations for Love Letters (1945) (she lost to Joan Crawford for Mildred Pierce (1945)) and Duel in the Sun (1946), (she lost to Olivia de Havilland for To Each His Own (1946)) which saw her cast against type as the seductive biracial beauty Pearl Chavez.
Jones continued to produce memorable performances throughout the 1940s , including Portrait of Jennie (1948). In the 1950s she received her fifth and final Oscar nomination for Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), losing out to Anna Magnani for The Rose Tattoo (1955).
Despite her success within the film industry, Jones was a very private person and managed to stay out of the spotlight that dominated so many other performers' lives. But a lack of publicity led to a lack of roles, a trend that amplified when Selznick died in 1965. She appeared in fewer and fewer films, and after a moderately successful supporting performance in The Towering Inferno (1974) Jones decided to make that role her swan song, bowing out of the film industry. She did, however, try to revive her film career in later years by campaigning for the role of Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment (1983), but Shirley MacLaine was cast instead and as a result, won the Oscar for best actress.
Jennifer Jones died 17 December, 2009, in Malibu, California. In the 21st century, Jones may not be as well known as other actresses of her time such as Ingrid Bergman, Katharine Hepburn, Greer Garson, Bette Davis etc. But for those who know of her and her extraordinary talent, she is alluring to watch and her acting abilities extended far greater than most of her contemporaries.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Alaina Reed-Hall was born on 10 November 1946 in Springfield, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for 227 (1985), Death Becomes Her (1992) and Cruel Intentions (1999). She was married to Tamim Amini, Kevin Peter Hall and Richard Hannum Cook. She died on 17 December 2009 in Santa Monica, California, USA.- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Dan O'Bannon was inspired at an early age by EC Comics like Tales from the Crypt and old horror films that he saw in St. Louis. He even wrote a few stories for Heavy Metal magazine (which also showed up in the film).
O'Bannon got his start when he and John Carpenter collaborated on the cult sci-fi film Dark Star (1974). After a failed attempt to make "Dune" with bizarre surrealist Alejandro Jodorowsky in Europe, O'Bannon returned to the US and began work on "Star Beast" (later retitled Alien (1979)) with Ronald Shusett (with whom he later worked again on Dead & Buried (1981)). He continued working in the Sci-fi/Horror genre mostly as a script doctor, but his directorial debut, The Return of the Living Dead (1985) is known as one of the best zombie movies ever made (and as of this writing two sequels with another in production). Lately O'Bannon has been appearing in a lot of DVD documentaries discussing his work and his influences. It is also worth noting that all of his films have interesting psychological interpretations. He has a tendency to appear in bow ties.- Actor
- Writer
James Cairncross was born on 21 December 1915 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Tom Jones (1963), Doctor Who (1963) and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950). He died on 17 December 2009 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.- Ronald Govey was born on 11 November 1931 in Hornchurch, Essex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Avengers (1961), Softly Softly (1966) and Blake's 7 (1978). He died on 17 December 2009 in Weybridge, Surrey, England, UK.
- Producer
- Writer
Chandu Lal Jain was a producer and writer, known for Praya-Praya-Praya (1981), Idu Saadhya (1989) and Narada Vijaya (1980). Chandu Lal was married to Leela. Chandu Lal died on 17 December 2009 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.- Composer
- Music Department
Peter Sandloff was born on 3 July 1924 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a composer, known for Viele kamen vorbei (1956), The Return of Dr. Mabuse (1961) and Löwengrube (1989). He died on 17 December 2009 in Berlin, Germany.- Script and Continuity Department
- Director
- Additional Crew
Erkki Pitkänen was born on 1 November 1926 in Kuopio, Finland. He was a director, known for Nummisuutarit (1957), Niskavuoren naiset (1958) and Nuori mylläri (1958). He died on 17 December 2009.- Chris Henry was born on 17 May 1983 in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, USA. He died on 17 December 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Dusan Jaksic was born on 5 June 1927 in Karlovac, Croatia, Yugoslavia. He was an actor, known for Vuk Karadzic (1987), Pozoriste u kuci (1972) and TV teatar (1956). He died on 17 December 2009 in Belgrade, Serbia.- Additional Crew
- Actor
Bob Hamilton was born on 26 November 1924 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Sunday Showcase (1959), Saturday Spectacular: High Button Shoes (1956) and RCA Victor Galaxy of Stars (1957). He died on 17 December 2009 in Tampa, Florida, USA.- Harry Caise was born on 9 March 1925. He was married to Prudence Caise. He died on 17 December 2009.