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
1-8 of 8
- Actress
- Soundtrack
The highly versatile character actress Lee Patrick could readily play a tough, scrapping, hard-bitten dame as she did in the gritty women's prison drama Caged (1950), or a meek and twittery wife as exemplified by her uppity socialite Doris Upson in the freewheeling farce Auntie Mame (1958). She would have plenty of places to show off her range from the late 1930's on for over five decades.
She was born in New York City on November 22, 1901, the daughter of an editor of a trade paper who initially prompted her interest in theater. Lee started off on the stock stage as a teen and debuted on Broadway as part of the ensemble of the musical "The Bunch and Judy" with the dancing Astaires in 1922. She continued regularly on Broadway, despite many short runs, in more visible roles with "The Green Beetle" (1924), "Bachelor Brides" (1925), "The Matrimonial Bed" (1927), "June Moon" (1929), "Little Women" (as Meg) (1931), "Blessed Event" (1932), "Knock on Wood" (1935), "Stage Door" (1936) and "Michael Drops In" (1938).
Lee's film career began at the advent of sound. Making her debut as the star of the drama Strange Cargo (1929), she focused thereafter on theatre work until returning to the big screen with a vengeance in 1937 when she was featured in the RKO western Border Cafe (1937) starring Harry Carey. Appearing in scores of films, Lee made strong impressions as a stock player in such Warner Bros. films as Law of the Underworld (1938), The Sisters (1938), Invisible Stripes (1939), Saturday's Children (1940), City for Conquest (1940), Ladies Must Live (1940), Dangerously They Live (1941), Footsteps in the Dark (1941), Million Dollar Baby (1941), Kisses for Breakfast (1941), Now, Voyager (1942), In This Our Life (1942), and Mildred Pierce (1945), as well as other studio pictures of quality, including A Night to Remember (1942), Larceny with Music (1943), Mrs. Parkington (1944) and See My Lawyer (1945). Lee's most fondly-remembered role of that period would be that of Effie, the wry, altruistic Girl Friday to Humphrey Bogart' 's Sam Spade in the Warner film noir classic The Maltese Falcon (1941).
Lee also found time to do radio with a running part on the family drama "The O'Neils." She later appeared in the 50's detective drama "Let George Do It" and in "Suspense." She continued in post-WWII filming with roles including The Walls Came Tumbling Down (1946), Mother Wore Tights (1947), The Snake Pit (1948), The Fuller Brush Girl (1950) and Tomorrow Is Another Day (1951). During her potboiler run at Warner Bros., she seemed to play everything with a biting, cynical edge, from nurses to floozies, but in the mid-1950's, the more matronly actress suddenly seemed to blossom into a dithery and obtuse Billie Burke-like delight.
As she geared herself towards these comedy eccentrics, TV got a heads up on this delightful angle and signed her to play society doyenne Henrietta Topper, the flighty, quivery-voiced wife of Leo G. Carroll on the popular ghostly sitcom Topper (1953) which ran from 1953 to 1955. Henrietta was initially played on late 1930's film by none other than Billie Burke.
There would be other fun and fluttery film turns as snooty patricians or gossipy types in such films as Pillow Talk (1959), Wives and Lovers (1963) and 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964), to name a couple, in addition to standard dramas like Vertigo (1958), Summer and Smoke (1961) and A Girl Named Tamiko (1962). TV guest appearances would include "Circus Boy," "The Lineup," "Wagon Train," "Lawman," "Hawaiian Eye," "77 Sunset Strip," "The Real McCoys," "The Farmer's Daughter," "The Donna Reed Show" and "Hazel." She also had a recurring role on Mr. Adams and Eve (1957) and occasionally lent her voice to animated projects ("The Alvin Show").
In the mid-1960s Lee retired to travel and paint, but was coaxed back one more time to revive her role of Effie in the Maltese Falcon spoof The Black Bird (1975) starring George Segal as Sam Spade, Jr. The only one to join her from the original cast was Elisha Cook Jr.. Long and happily married to newsman-writer H. Thomas ("Tom") Wood of the book "The Lighter Side of Billy Wilder," Lee was plagued by health problems (heart disease) in later years. Following a New York trip with her husband and a guest appearance on a live segment of Good Morning America (1975) honoring her Topper (1953) TV series, the couple returned to their Laguna Hills, California home. She died just days later of a coronary occlusion on November 25, 1982, three days after her 81st birthday. Many references list the date of her death as November 21st, but her death certificate confirms the date of November 25th. The couple had no children.- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Bob Kelljan was born as Robert Kelljchian on June 23, 1930, in Union City, NJ. He began his show-business career as an actor: He appeared in episodes of both The Twilight Zone (1959) and The Outer Limits (1963) but also pops up in small roles in the fun biker opus Hells Angels on Wheels (1967) and the groovy hippie flick Psych-Out (1968) Kelljan made his filmmaking debut as writer and co-director of the sordid incest drama Flesh of My Flesh (1969). He achieved his greatest commercial success with the excellent drive-in horror hit Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) and its equally solid sequel, The Return of Count Yorga (1971). His other theatrical features include the funky blaxploitation outing Scream Blacula Scream (1973), the splendidly sleazy vigilante revenge exploitation winner Act of Vengeance (1974) and the enjoyable redneck action romp Black Oak Conspiracy (1977). He also directed episodes of such TV shows as Hill Street Blues (1981), Bring 'Em Back Alive (1982), Fame (1982), Police Story (1973), Charlie's Angels (1976), The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), +"Vega$ (1977)_, _"Starsky and Hutch" (1975)_ and Wonder Woman (1975).
Bob Kelljan died from cancer at the tragically young age of 52 on November 25, 1982.- Producer
- Director
- Animation Department
Hugh Harman was one of the pioneers of animation. While not a great animator, (compared to co-worker, Rudolf Ising) he was present during the early days. He began his work with Walt Disney in 1922, working on Disney's early Laugh-o-Gram toons. When that company went bankrupt, Harman and partner Rudolf Ising tried to start a new series based on the Arabian Nights, but were unable to obtain funding. Disney called them back when he began work for Charles Mintz, producing the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. After a dispute over pricing, Mintz forced out Disney and kept Harman and Ising on for another year, when they in turn were forced out (and replaced by a young Walter Lantz). Harman, Ising, and a few other ex-Disney animators put together a pilot short, "Bosko the Talkink Kid", which was used by producer Leon Schlesinger to obtain a contract with Warner Brothers' studios to produce animated cartoons. Harman and Ising started the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, and produced them for several years. After another argument over money (this time with Schlesinger), Harman and Ising left Warner Brothers for MGM in 1933. They produced quite a few "Happy Harmonies" for MGM until yet again they left over another financial arrangement. After MGM, Harman & Ising formed their own studio, but was not successful. MGM hired them back, but by this time their faux-Disney style of animation was out of fashion, and they found themselves eclipsed by the works of William Hanna & Joseph Barbera (whom they had hired) & Fred Tex Avery. In the 40s and 50s, both men did some work for Walter Lantz Studios.- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Brian Probyn was born on 30 November 1920 in England, UK. He was a cinematographer and director, known for Badlands (1973), The Mango Tree (1977) and Shatter (1974). He died on 25 November 1982.- Cinematographer
William Wheeler was born on 26 February 1900 in Hungary. He was a cinematographer, known for Bachelor's Club (1929), Divorce Made Easy (1929) and The Heroic Lover (1929). He died on 25 November 1982 in Riverside, California, USA.- László Bathó was born on 19 March 1912 in Vértestarcsa, Hungary. He was an actor, known for Sziget a szárazföldön (1969), Süsü, a sárkány kalandjai (1977) and Hollókirály (1960). He died on 25 November 1982 in Budapest, Hungary.
- Erich Markaritzer was born on 18 March 1914 in Graz, Styria, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He was a composer, known for Von Venedig nach Wien (1954). He died on 25 November 1982 in Vienna, Austria.
- Morris Lavine was born on 3 October 1896 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was a writer, known for Day of Reckoning (1933). He died on 25 November 1982 in Los Angeles, California, USA.