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1-50 of 71
- Actor
- Writer
Handsome bodybuilder Steve Reeves certainly had an enviable Herculean physique, and made plenty good use of it in Europe during the late 1950s and early 1960s portraying some of filmdom's most famous bronzed gods. Reeves was originally a Montana boy born on a cattle ranch in 1926. His destiny was revealed early in the game when, at the age of six months, he won his first fitness title as "Healthiest Baby of Valley County." His father Lester died in a farming accident when Steve was just a boy, and his family moved to Oakland (California). He first developed an interest in bodybuilding while in high school.
Steve joined the Army in his late teens where his job was loading boxcars and trucks. He also worked out loyally at the gym during his free time and the combination helped develop his body quite rapidly. Following Army service (he served for a time in the Pacific), he decided to pursue bodybuilding professionally. In 1946, at the age of 20, he won "Mr. Pacific Coast" in Oregon, which led to his titles of "Mr. Western America" (1947), Mr. America" (1947), "Mr. World" (1948) and, ultimately, "Mr. Universe" (1950).
With all the body-worshiping publicity he garnered, he decided to travel to New York to study and pursue acting. He subsequently returned to California...and Hollywood. There were not huge opportunities for a muscleman in Tinseltown other than providing pectoral background. Steve was, however, considered for the lead role in Cecil B. DeMille's biblical costumer Samson and Delilah (1949), but refused when told by the legendary director he would have to lose some of his musculature (about 15 lbs.). The part instead went to Victor Mature. Steve did manage to snag the role of a detective in infamous director Edward D. Wood Jr.'s Jail Bait (1954). Small parts on TV also came his way, but they too were mostly posing bits or walk-ons. To the Hollywood power players, Steve was just a body. Whether he could act or not was not a concern or selling point. Fans just wanted to see him take his shirt off.
Down on his luck, Steve's fortunes change when Italian film director Pietro Francisci saw him play Jane Powell's boyfriend in the feature film Athena (1954) and persuaded him to go overseas to star in Hercules (1958) (US title: "Hercules"). Though critics dismissed the film as "muddled mythology" while denigrating its cheapjack production values (including a poorly-dubbed sound track), the public went crazy over the sword-and-sandal epic and, in particular, Steve's marvelous beefcake heroics. He became an "overnight" star. Sequels followed, none any better or worse, with him going through the paces as a number absurdly-muscled biblical and mythological figures. An able horseman, he also performed many of his own stunts. Moreover, he paved the way for other pumped-up acting hopefuls (Ed Fury, Mark Forest, Reg Park) to seek their fame and fortune in Italy as a feature-length Samson, Ursus or Colossus. Nobody, however, came close to topping Steve in popularity.
A shoulder injury forced Steve's retirement, spending the remainder of his life promoting steroid-free bodybuilding while living on a ranch and breeding horses. The more recent bodybuilders of fame such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno, both Hercules impersonators of yore, have given Steve significant credit for their respective acting successes. Married twice, Steve died in Southern California of lymphoma on May 1, 2000, at age 74.- Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, Louis Albert Denninger Jr. was the son of a garment manufacturer who relocated and set up shop in Los Angeles when Louis Jr. was 18 months old. After finishing school, Denninger enrolled at Woodbury Business College and majored in business and accounting, graduating cum laude with a master's in business administration. But Denninger, who never liked accounting, started becoming involved in little theater groups as a hobby and was encouraged to compete in a radio contest called "Do You Want to Be an Actor?", winning a screen test at Warner Brothers. Warners wasn't interested in him because he looked too much like another well-known actor under contract, but by now he had his heart set on a movie career. Denninger was soon signed by Paramount, who insisted on changing his name (to "Richard Denning") because his real name, Denninger, sounded too much like gunman John Dillinger's. He retired and moved to Maui but was asked to play the governor in TV's Hawaii Five-O (1968). He agreed to play the governor as long as he didn't have to be in every episode. It ran for 12 years, ending in 1980. Five years later, his actress-wife Evelyn Ankers died at their up-country Maui home (cancer). "I'm very grateful for a career that wasn't spectacular, but always made a good living or filled in "in-between," Denning said of his acting days. "I have wonderful memories of it, but I don't really miss it."
- Henry ( Hank) J. Deutschendorf was born in America on April 29, 1988. He and his twin brother William were nephews of folk singer John Denver, and became actors. He is remembered for Ghostbusters II (1989) and Clean Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2017). He and his twin "tag teamed" the role of baby Oscar in Ghostbusters II (1989). Tragically, he struggled with mental illness. Although a loved boyfriend, son, and brother, he committed suicide on June 14, 2017 in Escondido, California at age 29.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Neil Hamilton's show business career began when he secured a job as a shirt model in magazine ads. He became interested in acting and joined several stock companies. He got his first film role in 1918, but received his big break from D.W. Griffith in The White Rose (1923).
After performing in several more Griffith films, Hamilton was signed by Paramount in the late 1920s and soon became one of that studio's most popular leading men. His rugged good looks and sophisticated demeanor kept him steadily employed, and he worked for just about every studio in Hollywood, from glittering MGM to rock-bottom PRC. Hamilton worked steadily over the years, and grew gracefully into mature supporting parts. He is probably best known to modern-day audiences, however, as Police Commissioner Gordon in the TV series Batman (1966).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Gale Gordon was born on 20 February 1906 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Here's Lucy (1968), Our Miss Brooks (1952) and The 'Burbs (1989). He was married to Virginia Gordon. He died on 30 June 1995 in Escondido, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Roger Robinson was born on 2 May 1940 in Seattle, Washington, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Brother to Brother (2004), Newman's Law (1974) and Kojak (1973). He died on 26 September 2018 in Escondido, California, USA.- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Tracy Tormé was born on 12 April 1959 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Fire in the Sky (1993), I Am Legend (2007) and Sliders (1995). He was married to Jennifer Marie Tormé and Robin Tormé. He died on 4 January 2024 in Escondido, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Fernando Luján was born on 23 August 1938 in Bogotá, Colombia. He was an actor and writer, known for Cadenas de amargura (1991), Nora's Will (2008) and The Last Call (2013). He was married to Martha Mariana Castro. He died on 11 January 2019 in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico.- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Billy Bevan's show-business career began in his native Australia, with the Pollard theatrical organization. The company had two theater troupes, one which toured Asia and the other traveling to North America. Bevan wound up in the latter, performing in skits and plays all over Canada and Alaska then down into the continental US. While in a road company of the play "A Knight for a Day", Bevan was noticed by comedy pioneer Mack Sennett, who hired him on the spot. Bevan made many one- and two-reel shorts for Sennett over a ten-year period, and then transitioned into a reliable comic actor in many Hollywood comedies over the next 20 years or so (even doing voice-overs for cartoons). He made his last film in 1950, then retired. He died in Escondido, CA, in 1957.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
With all due respect to the man himself, it is hard to think of any horror filmmaker who made movies that were as cheap or as ridiculed as Jerry Warren's. Whether making shoestring quickies like The Incredible Petrified World (1959) or Teenage Zombies (1959), or mangling Mexican imports, Warren could be counted on through the late '50s and early '60s to deliver the lowest common denominator in horror. Warren said that he grew up with the same natural inclination that every other kid growing up in Los Angeles had: He wanted to get into the movie business. He first pursued this ambition by playing small parts in such '40s films as Ghost Catchers (1944), Anchors Aweigh (1945) and Unconquered (1947). A producer made a big impression on Warren when he said, "In this town, producers are the ones that have it all". Warren subsequently took the producers' plunge in 1956 with the horror adventure Man Beast (1956).- Patricia Winters was born on 4 February 1933 in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA. She was an actress, known for Missile to the Moon (1958), Mannix (1967) and This Is a Hijack (1973). She died on 14 March 2023 in Escondido, California, USA.
- Actor
- Visual Effects
Jay Adams was born on 3 February 1961 in Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Ray (2004), Lords of Dogtown (2005) and Skateboard (1978). He was married to Tracy and Alisha. He died on 15 August 2014 in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico.- Director
- Actor
- Producer
John S. Robertson was born on 14 June 1878 in London, Ontario, Canada. He was a director and actor, known for The Girl of Today (1918), The Fighting Blade (1923) and Shanghai Lady (1929). He was married to Josephine Lovett. He died on 5 November 1964 in Escondido, California, USA.- Willie Sotelo was born on 28 July 1933 in Manila, Philippines. He was an actor, known for Captain Barbell kontra Captain Bakal (1965), Scout Rangers (1964) and Oy... Akin yata 'yan (1962). He was married to Van Sotelo and Jocelyn von Giese Sotelo. He died on 22 August 2010 in Escondido, California, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mark Krenik was born to parents Bob and Rose and is the second oldest of 5 boys and one girl. When he was 2-years old, his family moved from Waseca, Minn., to Marysville, Ca., where he lived until entering the US Navy at the age of 19. After 6 years in the Navy, while in the Active Reserves, he worked as a longshoreman, a construction worker, a nightclub bouncer, a Body Glove model and very briefly as a stripper. He began his acting career in 2010 and is known for Ford v Ferrari (2019), Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019) and Dolemite Is My Name (2019).- Actress
- Casting Director
- Producer
Noelle Balfour was born on 11 December 1984 in Reno, Nevada, USA. She was an actress and casting director, known for The Rite (2011), Exit Strategy (2012) and Banking on Love (2008). She died on 11 October 2017 in Escondido, California, USA.- Virginia Gordon was born on 8 January 1911 in St Louis, Missouri, USA. She was an actress, known for Our Miss Brooks (1952) and Study and Understudy (1936). She was married to Gale Gordon. She died on 3 May 1995 in Escondido, California, USA.
- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Composer
Ray Conniff was born on 6 November 1916 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, USA. He was a music artist and composer, known for There's Something About Mary (1998), Great Expectations (1998) and The Help (2011). He was married to Vera Schmidheiny, Ann Marie Engberg and Emily Jo Ann Imhof. He died on 12 October 2002 in Escondido, California, USA.- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
- Director
Joseph Depew was born on 11 July 1912 in Harrison, New Jersey, USA. He was an assistant director and producer, known for The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), The Bob Cummings Show (1955) and Park Row (1952). He was married to Dorothy Depew. He died on 30 October 1988 in Escondido, California, USA.- Duke Snider was born on 19 September 1926 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Rifleman (1958), The Trouble with Girls (1969) and Simon & Simon (1981). He was married to Beverly Null. He died on 27 February 2011 in Escondido, California, USA.
- Álvaro Ortiz was born on 10 August 1930 in Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico. He was an actor, known for Maldita ciudad (un drama cómico) (1954), La rebelión de los adolescentes (1959) and Guantes de oro (1961). He was married to Ofelia Montesco and Celia Campa. He died on 1 April 2013 in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico.
- Art Director
- Production Designer
- Set Decorator
Alfred Ybarra was born on 26 March 1905 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an art director and production designer, known for The High and the Mighty (1954), Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962) and Plunder of the Sun (1953). He was married to N. Florence and Carole. He died on 25 March 2001 in Escondido, California, USA.- Stacy Morgan was born on 24 May 1920 in Protection, Kansas, USA. He was an actor, known for The Amazing Transparent Man (1960), Frontier Circus (1961) and Laramie (1959). He died on 26 March 2003 in Escondido, California, USA.
- Marjorie Beebe grew up in Missouri before coming to California as a teenager with her mother. By 1924 she had been hired by Universal but it was only when she joined Fox that her career took off. Her talent for comedy became apparent. She played support in a number of Fox features before being given the title role in "The Farmer's Daughter" (1928). She got excellent reviews for her performance and was hailed as the best comedienne to emerge for many years.
Mack Sennett, The King of Comedy, was also impressed and within a year she had joined him. Marjorie Beebe's career changed in two ways. Instead of appearing in feature length movies she now starred in Sennett's two reel shorts. Instead of silent movies henceforth she appeared in talkies. She appeared in around forty shorts for Sennett many of which he had specially written for her. The titles were often named for her and she played a character called Marge. One of them "Cowcatcher's Daughter" (1931) was clearly a nod to her earlier Fox triumph. She was also leased out to other studios including Paramount and Vitaphone. Sennett declared that Beebe had the potential to be the greatest comedienne the screen had ever seen.
Sennett went bust in 1933 and Marjorie Beebe's career never recovered. She reverted to features and to support roles where her comic talents were frankly wasted. In 1940 she retired permanently from the movie business. She dabbled in property and lived in reasonable contentment with her last husband (there had been brief marriages in the 1930s) Andy Andersen. - Eddie Ehrhart was born on 27 December 1933 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Melodies Old and New (1942). He died on 19 January 2024 in Escondido, California, USA.