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1-17 of 17
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
American character actor and teacher. Born Jewel Guy in Powderly, Kentucky, on July 26, 1926, he was orphaned at three and adopted by Armen and Essa Knowland Best, who renamed him James Knowland Best and raised him in Corydon, Indiana. Following high school he worked briefly as a metalworker before joining the Army during World War II in July 1944. The majority of his service was as an MP in Wiesbaden, Germany just after the end of the war. While still in Germany, Best was transferred to Special Services and began his acting career. According to Best, he first acted in a European tour of "My Sister Eileen" directed by Arthur Penn. Upon his return to the U.S., he toured in road and stock companies in plays and musicals, and was finally spotted by a scout from Universal Pictures, who put him under contract. A handsome young man, his rural inflections perhaps kept him from frequent leading man roles. During the 1950s and '60s, he was a familiar face in movies and television in a wide range of roles, from Western bad guys to craven cowards and country bumpkins. Physical ailments curtailed his work for a long period late in his career, and he established a well-respected acting workshop in Los Angeles. He also served as artist-in-residence at the University of Mississippi, teaching and directing. He worked in both acting and producing capacities for Burt Reynolds on several of the latter's films in the late 1970s, before taking on his greatest commercial success. Although the The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) TV series was far beneath his talents, his role as Sheriff Rosco Coltrane was the part that gave him his greatest fame. He continued teaching, both in Hollywood and later in Florida (at the University of Central Florida). Semi-retired, he makes personal appearances and exhibits his paintings. James Best starred in the 2007 feature film, Moondance Alexander (2007), along with Don Johnson, Lori Loughlin, Kay Panabaker, Sasha Cohen and Whitney Sloan.- Ben Powers was born on 5 July 1950 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The New Mike Hammer (1984), Good Times (1974) and The Greatest American Hero (1981). He was married to Julia Harper. He died on 6 April 2015 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA.
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
- Composer
Ray Charles was born on 13 September 1918 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a composer, known for Radio Days (1987), The First Nine Months Are the Hardest (1971) and Three's Company (1976). He was married to Bernice P Rosengarden. He died on 6 April 2015 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Composer, songwriter ("Orange-Colored Sky"), "Just Another Polka", "Hoop Dee Doo"), accordionist and pianist, conductor and author, educated at UCLA and a student of Tibor Serly. He began as a staff musician with a Hollywood radio station, and with film studios. During World War II, he served in the Radio Production Unit of the United States Army Air Force. He arranged and conducted the Abe Burrows radio show, and later, Joseph Levine films and recordings, night club revues and Broadway shows. Joining ASCAP in 1949, he collaborated musically with his wife Anne Delugg, Bob Hilliard, Sammy Gallop, William Stein, and Allan Roberts. His other popular-song and instrumental compositions include "Shanghai", "Sailor Boys Have Talk to Me in English", "My Lady Loves to Dance", "Be My Life's Companion", "Wrong Wrong Wrong", "Roller Coaster" ("What's My Line" theme), "The Little White Horse", "The Big Beat", "Honolulu", and "Gee I'm Glad I Married You".- Animation Department
- Art Department
- Production Designer
Cliff Voorhees was a production designer, known for He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword (1985), He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983) and Mighty Mouse in the Great Space Chase (1982). He died on 6 April 2015.- David Devilfish Ulliott was born on 1 April 1954 in Hull, East Yorkshire, England, UK. He was married to Susan and Amanda Ashby. He died on 6 April 2015 in Kingston upon Hull, England, UK.
- Colette Dunne was born in 1938 in Dublin, Ireland. She was an actress, known for The Saint (1962), Festival (1963) and The Plane Makers (1963). She died on 6 April 2015 in Kildare, County Kildare, Ireland.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
Started work at Ealing studios in 1946 as post boy then worked his up to the the production dept.and after several months training, worked as 3rd Asst on the film"It always rains on Sunday", was made redundant in 1948 when crews returned from the services.
He then started his free lance career an Asst Director working at all the major studios, and with top Directors, and had the privilege of working as 1st Asst with all the Ealing Directors Sandy Mackendrik, Charles Crichton, Basil Deardon,Les Norman, Michael Truman.- Józef Kopocz was born on 2 September 1931 in Pszczyna, Slaskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Sprawa sie rypla (1985) and Szesc milionów sekund (1984). He died on 6 April 2015 in Poland.
- Anne-Claude Leflaive was born on 17 January 1956 in Paris, France. She was married to Christian Jacques. She died on 6 April 2015 in Gilly-lès-Cîteaux, Burgundy, France.
- Béla Somfai was born on 5 August 1932 in Hungary. He died on 6 April 2015 in Pickering, Ontario, Canada.
- Art Powell was born on 25 February 1937 in Dallas, Texas, USA. He was married to Betty M. Haggerty. He died on 6 April 2015 in Aliso Viejo, California, USA.
- John Papit was born on 25 July 1928 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was married to Barbara W.. He died on 6 April 2015 in Forest, Virginia, USA.
- Executive
David L. Kaplan was born on 12 December 1923 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an executive. He was married to Susanne Micheaux. He died on 6 April 2015 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.- Dollard St. Laurent was born on 12 May 1929 in Verdun, Québec, Canada. He was an actor, known for 1953 Staney Cup Finals (1953), 1961 Stanley Cup Finals (1961) and 1958 Stanley Cup Finals (1958). He died on 6 April 2015 in Beloeil, Québec, Canada.
- Zinaida Afanasenko was born on 8 February 1930. She was an actress, known for Vlyublyon po sobstvennomu zhelaniyu (1982), Sofya Kovalevskaya (1956) and Gospoda Golovlyovy (1969). She died on 6 April 2015 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
- Walter H. Haas was born on 3 July 1917 in New Waterford, Ohio, USA. He died on 6 April 2015 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA.