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1-6 of 6
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Born Rex Lloyd Lease in West Virginia on February 11, 1903 (not 1901, according to Social Security records found), future cowboy actor Rex Lease was raised in Columbus, Ohio and very briefly attended Ohio Wesleyan University initially interested in the ministry. When this fell through, he decided to attempt an acting career instead. Setting his sights on Hollywood at age 19 in 1924, he broke into silent films as an extra and bit player.
Rex's first role of any significance was as the adult son of Irene Rich and Morgan Wallace in the melodrama A Woman Who Sinned (1924). Within a couple of years the strapping, exceedingly handsome actor had made it into the silent co-star ranks of romantic drama, jazz-age comedy, canine adventures and rugged action in such fare as Somebody's Mother (1926), Mystery Pilot (1926), The Timid Terror (1926), The Outlaw Dog (1927), Clancy's Kosher Wedding (1927), The College Hero (1927) and as the murderous bad guy, The Solitaire Kid, in the silent Tim McCoy western The Law of the Range (1928) co-starring a very young Joan Crawford.
Lease made an easy transition come the advent of sound and continued on as heroes and romantic leading men types in such early talkies as Borrowed Wives (1930), Troopers Three (1930), The Sign of the Wolf (1931), Chinatown After Dark (1931), The Monster Walks (1932) and Inside Information (1934). Having appeared in the title role of the western The Utah Kid (1930), within a few years Rex hit minor cowboy hero stardom with such offerings as The Cowboy and the Bandit (1935), Cyclone of the Saddle (1935), Fighting Caballero (1935), The Ghost Rider (1935), Rough Riding Ranger (1935), Custer's Last Stand (1936), Cavalcade of the West (1936) and The Silver Trail (1937). Just as quickly, however, his hero status fell aside and he found himself, more often than not, shuffled back to playing secondary partners or villains for a host of other established or ascending sagebrush stars such as his old pal Tim McCoy, as well as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Hoot Gibson, Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter, Tom Tyler, Bob Steele, Allan Lane, Bill Elliott and a quickly rising John Wayne.
By the late 1930's, Rex was finding himself with little to no billing at all -- appearing as a bank robber in the Laurel & Hardy comedy A Chump at Oxford (1940), a cop in The Grapes of Wrath (1940), and minor henchmen in such second-string westerns as Saddlemates (1941), Jesse James at Bay (1941), Idaho (1943), King of the Cowboys (1943), Rough Riders of Cheyenne (1945) and Frontier Gal (1945). Occasional featured roles included those in Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground (1943), Springtime in Texas (1945), Days of Buffalo Bill (1946), The People's Choice (1946) and the serial cliffhanger The Crimson Ghost (1946). Lease went on to appear in hundreds of films over a three and a half decade career.
In the 1950's Rex added TV to his extensive résumé with appearances on "The Abbott & Costello Show," "The Roy Rogers Show," "Tales of the Texas Rangers," "Fury," "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin," "Maverick" and several spots (his last being in 1960) on "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp." A few minor 50's western movie parts also came his way with Ride, Vaquero! (1953), Calamity Jane (1953), Backlash (1956) and Tension at Table Rock (1956).
Rex's personal life was turbulent, what with five marriages and divorces -- his first two being actresses Charlotte Merriam and Eleanor Hunt). He eventually retired and died of undisclosed causes in the Los Angeles area on January 3, 1966, at the age of 62. He was discovered by his son Richard, who was shot to death at age 25 the following year after being involved in a traffic altercation with two teenagers.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Ady Berber was born on 4 February 1913 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He was an actor and producer, known for Der Mörder mit dem Seidenschal (1966), The Return of Dr. Mabuse (1961) and Dr. Mabuse vs. Scotland Yard (1963). He was married to Anna Berber. He died on 3 January 1966 in Vienna, Austria.- Harry Welchman was born on 24 February 1886 in Barnstable, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Southern Maid (1934) and The Holiday Husband (1920). He died on 3 January 1966 in Penzance, England, UK.
- Jacques Roussel was born on 6 February 1901 in Paris, France. He was an actor, known for Ramuntcho (1919), Je chante (1938) and The French Way (1940). He died on 3 January 1966 in L'Etang-la-Ville, France.
- Marguerite Higgins was born on 3 September 1920 in Hong Kong. She was a writer, known for 1950, Alumni Fun (1963) and Front Page Challenge (1957). She was married to William E. Hall and Stanley Moore. She died on 3 January 1966 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Ugo Filippini was born on 17 January 1897 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was a composer, known for The Conqueror of Atlantis (1965), Hercules the Avenger (1965) and Suonno d'ammore (1955). He died on 3 January 1966 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.