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- Actor
- Stunts
- Soundtrack
The well-worn phrase "Tall in the saddle" is certainly one easy way of describing (and perhaps pigeon-holing) leathery, wiry-framed 1940s and early 1950s western film star Rod Cameron, although he proved quite capable in crime stories, horrors and even swing-era musicals.
The 6'4" Canadian-born actor was born Nathan Roderick Cox on December 7, 1910, and raised in Alberta. Once his aspirations of becoming a Royal Canadian Mountie passed, he decided to seek fame and fortune as an actor in New York and initially grabbed some work as a laborer on the Holland Tunnel project in Manhattan. When no progress was made acting-wise, he moved to California where he made his "debut" in an unbilled bit in one of Bette Davis' scenes in The Old Maid (1939). Upon release, however, he discovered his bit in the scene had been deleted.
Cameron found a slight "in" (as in "stand-in") with Paramount Pictures for such stars as Fred MacMurray while managing to find himself sparingly used in other Paramount films. To supplement his income he also played leading man in the studio's screen tests for starlet wanna-bes and his athleticism paid off playing stunt double for such established cowboy icons as Buck Jones. Cameron toiled as a bit player for quite some time and appeared insignificantly in such classics as Christmas in July (1940) and North West Mounted Police (1940) (where he fulfilled his early wish by playing a Mountie!). Occasionally he would find a noticeable secondary role, in such lesser films as The Monster and the Girl (1941), The Forest Rangers (1942) and as Jesse James in The Remarkable Andrew (1942).
Cameron's banner year was 1943, when he finally broke out of the minor leagues and into the major ranks. His breakout screen role was as clench-jawed Agent Rex Bennett, out to bring down the foreign enemy and save the world, in the Republic serial cliffhangers G-Men vs. The Black Dragon (1943) and Secret Service in Darkest Africa (1943). From there he was signed by Universal to appear in a flurry of low-budget westerns with Fuzzy Knight as his comic sidekick. Aside from the rough-hewn heroics he was paid to display, he would occasionally show a softer side for the ladies, such as with fellow Canadian Yvonne De Carlo in Salome, Where She Danced (1945), Frontier Gal (1945) and River Lady (1948). Seldom would he venture outside the action genre, however, one of the few times being his role as a symphony conductor in Swing Out, Sister (1945). For the most part he remained rooted in westerns and the only variance within that realm was the occasional black-hatted bad guy.
Among Cameron's many dusty showcases (more often than not made at Republic or Universal), Brimstone (1949), Stampede (1949), Dakota Lil (1950) and San Antone (1953) are worth a good look. Cameron never found his Stagecoach (1939) or Shane (1953), a vehicle that might have held him even "taller" in the saddle, but between 1953 and 1955 he was still ranked "top 5" box-office.
In the 1950s Cameron found time to settle into a couple of syndicated TV series. Both City Detective (1953) and State Trooper (1956) lasted a couple of seasons. He also guested on the more popular western series, such as Bonanza (1959), Laramie (1959) and The Virginian (1962). When his movie career began to fade in the early 1960s, he went to Spain for a few spaghetti westerns and appeared in a couple of low-budget westerns such as Requiem for a Gunfighter (1965) and The Bounty Killer (1965), which was noticed more for reuniting sagebrush stars from yesteryear than for its high quality. He also played an aging rodeo star who dies early in the story in the biopic Evel Knievel (1971).
The only serious tabloid scandal he ever found himself in was when he divorced wife Angela Alves-Lico (1950-1960) and then immediately married his ex-wife's mother, Dorothy, who was a few years older than him. An extended battle with cancer finally claimed the 73-year-old actor in 1983 at a Gainesville, Georgia, hospital.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Writer
Born in Houston, Texas on August 21, 1938, Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, actor, record producer and entrepreneur Kenneth Ray Rogers was the fourth of eight children born to a carpenter father who worked in a shipyard and a mother who was a hospital nurse's assistant. Of humble Irish and Native American heritage, the boy grew up in the poorer section of Houston, but would become the first member of his family to graduate from high school.
Kenny took an early interest in singing and, as a teenager, joined a doo-wop recording group called "The Scholars". The group recorded the song "Poor Little Doggie," and Kenny, age 19, recorded his first solo song, "That Crazy Feeling," for a small Houston label, Carlton Records, and his career was off and running. He subsequently joined the "New Christy Minstrels" 1966 as a singer and double bass/bass guitar player, then splintered off with others from the popular folk music group a year later to form the rock group "The First Edition," an eclectic-styled rock band whose repertoire included rock and roll, R&B, folk and country.
The First Edition's first Billboard hit, "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" (1968) was a psychedelic rock song which peaked at #5, and was followed by the more popular soft-rock hit "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" (1969) which hit #6 on the US charts and made them a star attraction. Other successes would include "Reuben James" (1969, #26), "Something's Burning" (1970, #11) and "Tell It All Brother" (1970, #17). By this time, the dark-haired, husky-framed, ear-pierced singer's ingratiating personality and sensual gravel tones, affectionately dubbed "Hippie Kenny," had taken center stage and the group changed their name to "Kenny Rogers and the First Edition" in 1969. The First Edition enjoyed worldwide success, appeared on such popular shows as "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," had featured roles in the TV movie The Dream Makers (1975) and went on to host the syndicated TV variety series Rollin' on the River (1971).
Sadly, the pressures of taping a weekly show caused extreme friction within the group and eventually took its toll. After a couple more years of producing songs that couldn't reach the "Top 20," the group decided to disband in 1976 and, inevitable as it was, Kenny went solo. It didn't take long before he started chalking up a string of country-tinged 'Top 20' pop hits with "Lucille" (#5), "Don't Fall in Love With a Dreamer" (#4, with Kim Carnes), "Through the Years" (#13), "We've Got Tonight" (#6, with Sheena Easton) and his two #1 hit sellers "Islands in the Stream" (with Dolly Parton) and "Lady." By the late 1970s, the (now) silver fox had sold over $100 million worth of records. He also made popular hit duets with both country female stars (Parton and Dottie West) as well as the distaff pop elite (Kim Carnes and Sheena Easton).
Into the 1980's Kenny began to feel a downswing in his singing career. After charting lower and lower, he wisely branched off into other successful areas. In 1980, he touched off a modest, lightweight, but highly appealing acting career starting with the Southern-styled TV-movie The Gambler (1980), based on his #1 1979 Grammy-winning song hit. The feature had Kenny starring as poker-playing card shark Brady Hawkes, who attempts to unite with a son he never knew. This led to four equally popular sequels -- Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (1983), Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues (1987), The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) and Gambler V: Playing for Keeps (1994). Two other old-fashioned western TV movies followed. The first was also based on a hit Kenny Rogers song, Coward of the County (1981), (Country, #3) in which he played a town preacher who tries to mentor his young "cowardly" nephew. The second, Wild Horses (1985), had him starring as a has-been rodeo champion looking for personal fulfillment herding wild mustangs.
Kenny also tried to parlay his popularity as a major country singer into a conservative film career. There would only be one starring role. In Six Pack (1982), Kenny stars as a race car driver who tangles with six roughhouse orphans. Instead, he was back to TV-movies where he went on to appear as himself in two TV country-flavored biopics -- Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story (1995) and Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story (1997). He also put out the folksy yuletide offering Christmas in America (1990) which had his real-life son Kenneth Rogers co-starring in a father-son strained relationship; and the western Rio Diablo (1993) in which he he essays the role of a nice-guy bounty hunter assisting a revengeful groom country singer Travis Tritt in a search for of kidnapped bride. Another then-reigning country star, Naomi Judd, was featured as a colorful madam.
In addition to a few acting appearances on TV with "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," "Touched by an Angel" and "How I Met Your Mother," Kenny also became a perennial star or guest of TV specials and seasonal events over the years, including Kenny Rogers and the First Edition: Rollin' on the River (1971), A Christmas Special... With Love, Mac Davis (1979), Kenny Rogers Live in Concert (1983), Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember (1984), Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton Together (1985), Kenny, Dolly and Willie: Something Inside So Strong (1989), Kenny Rogers Going Home (1995), Live by Request: Kenny Rogers (1999) and Consequence (2007). He also hosted two TV documentary series: The Real West (1992) and High Point Casinos of the World (2003).
In addition, Kenny published several books on photography and opened a rotisserie-chicken fast-food franchise (Kenny Rogers Roasters). Less and less visible in the ensuing years, Kenny produced the 1999 album "She Rides Wild Horses", which peaked at #6 on the country charts, his highest in 15 years, and included the #1 single "Buy Me a Rose."
Spending much of his free time over the years breeding Arabian horses and cattle on a 1,200-acre Georgia farm, Kenny's seemed to settle with his fifth wife Wanda Miller, whom he married in 1997. He had five children altogether and his namesake, son, Kenneth Rogers, left acting and briefly launched his own singing career in 1989 with "Take Another Step Closer". He now is on the business end of entertainment providing music for TV and movies.
Kenny made one last concert tour, "The Gambler's Last Deal," in 2015 and it was running worldwide, with visits including Australia, Scotland, Ireland, England, The Netherlands and Switzerland, as well as the U.S., until his health, plagued by bouts of bladder cancer and hepatitis C, failed him and he was forced to retire in 2018. The 81-year-old legend died on March 20, 2020, under hospice care at his home in Sandy Springs, Georgia.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Thelma McQueen attended public school in Augusta, Georgia and graduated from high school in Long Island, New York. She studied dance with Katherine Dunham, Geoffrey Holder, and Janet Collins. She danced with the Venezuela Jones Negro Youth Group. The "Butterfly" stage name, which does describe her constantly moving arms, actually derives from dancing the "Butterfly Ballet" in a 1935 production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Her stage debut was in "Brown Sugar," directed by George Abbott for whom she did several other stage shows. In 1939 she appeared as the shop girls' assistant Lulu in The Women (1939) and in her most famous role, the irresponsible, whiny Prissy of Gone with the Wind (1939) ("Oh, Miss Scarlett, I don't know nuthin' 'bout birthin' babies").
Two other notable appearances among her string of silly maid parts were in Flame of Barbary Coast (1945) and Mildred Pierce (1945). From 1947 to 1951, she was a regular on the radio show "Beulah" and then in the TV version 1950-52.
In 1980, a Greyhound Bus Lines guard mistook her for a pickpocket and handled her roughly, throwing her against a bench and cracking several of her ribs. She sued for assault, and after several years of litigation, she was awarded $60,000. She chose to live very frugally on the money and retired to a small town outside Augusta, Georgia, where she lived in anonymity in a modest one-bedroom cottage.
On the night of Dec. 22, 1995, a fire broke out in her home, and she was found by firefighters lying on the sidewalk outside with severe burns over 70 percent of her body. She said her clothes caught fire while she was trying to light a kerosene heater in her cottage, which was destroyed by the fire. She was taken to Augusta Regional Medical Center, where she died at age 84.- Patrick Troughton was born in Mill Hill, London and was educated at Mill Hill School. He trained as an actor at the Embassy School of Acting in the UK and at Leighton Rollin's Studio for for Actors at Long Island, New York in the USA. During World War II he served in the Royal Navy and after the war ended he joined the Old Vic and became a Shakespearean actor. He won his most famous role as the second Doctor in Doctor Who (1963), in 1966 and played the role for three years. His hobbies included golf, sailing and fishing. He was a father of six (David, Jane, Joanna, Mark, Michael and Peter), a stepfather to Gill and Graham and a grandfather to Harry Melling, Jamie and Sam Troughton.
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Thomas Mikal Ford was born on September 5, 1964 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for "Martin" (1992), "Harlem Nights" (1989), and "Across the Tracks" (1990).
He recently completed four seasons as the hilarious Pope of Comedy on TV One's hit show "Who's Got Jokes?", hosted by Bill Bellamy.
In the past few years Tommy has starred in over 15 films and a new TV series, "Basketball Wives."
Recently, Tommy has been focusing on building a successful career behind the camera. He has directed and produced several webisodes, television dramas, and sitcom pilots: including "Blvd West", "Ancestors", "Comedy Camp", and "Flipping Bird", and "Bird & Brick." He directed and produced seven films, "Switching Lanes" being the most recent. Mr. Ford joined the cast of three wonderful television productions on Uplifting Network: "Sugar Mamas", "To Love and to Cherish", and "In the Meantime."
Whether playing Tommy on FOX's hit "Martin", displaying a versatile style on FOX's drama "New York Undercover," or recurring as the fun-loving father on UPN's "The Parkers" Ford constantly makes changes in his career and finds success in any endeavor he chooses to take on. Following a long- time dream, he launched a series of award-winning children's books designed to promote healthy, spiritual, and non-violent living while guiding young people to become better people.
He has been involved in numerous legitimate theater productions for which he has received tremendous critical acclaim for his producing, directing and acting efforts. Among those productions are "Jonin", "South of Where We Live" (Drama Logue Award, Image Award nominations), "Monsoon Christmas" (Drama Logue & Image Award), "Living Room" (Image Award nomination), and "Distant Fires" (Drama Logue & Image Award nomination) among others.
Tommy is excited to introduce two variety talk-shows and a documentary that he is filming in Atlanta: "Don't Be Stupid" is best described as "Bill Maher meets Chelsea Lately on collard greens"! And "Spoken Word With Hank Stewart the Poet" highlights amazing poets and spoken-word artists.
He's also filming a documentary entitled "Reverse the Lynch Curse", an empowering piece about breaking curses of fear distrust and envy.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Noted for portraying characters older than his actual age, Whitman Mayo was in his early 40s in the early 1970s when he first played the sexagenarian "Grady" on "Sandford & Son" -- a role that popularized the expression "Good Goobily Goop!" Nearly thirty years later his "Grady" role had just about caught up with him in terms of age and, in terms of Americana, had assumed something of a cult status. In 1996, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" hosted a tongue-in-cheek "Where's Grady" search for the actor who so well played the part. Though this single role tended to typecast his acting and contributions to the profession, Whitman Mayo did not let it define him. In fact, his professional growth took him some distance from the Watts junkyard of the ABC sitcom. He rounded out his career teaching drama at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born and grew up in Harlem and Queens, N.Y., moving at 17 to Southern California with his family. He served in the army from 1951-53, then did tours of study at Chaffey College, Los Angeles City College, and UCLA. He began doing a little acting at this time, but nothing stuck. He drifted and liked to boast that he played serious volleyball in Mexico for a year. During these times in his life of not being fixed in a career, he also worked as a probation officer counseling young people, picked grapes, waited tables, and other things for the railroad and a dairy, and not necessarily in that order. In the late 1960s, he joined the New Lafayette Theater repertory company in New York City and began settling down in an acting career. His call to "Sanford & Son" came shortly thereafter when a friend from the New Lafayette group who was by that time writing for Norman Lear recommended Mayo for a part in a single episode. His portrayal caught on and he lasted through the entire duration of the show, even filling in for Redd Foxx when Foxx took a leave. Having a plethora of experience with the tentative in his life, Mayo viewed his continuing success on the series as fleeting and ventured into other trades to assure financial stability; in 1975, for instance, he opened a travel agency in Inglewood, California. In 1994, "burned out," as he said, on Los Angeles, he continued to ply his trade in acting, but moved to Fayetteville, Georgia.- Actress
- Composer
Natina Reed was born on 28 October 1980 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress and composer, known for Bring It On (2000), Honey (2003) and V.I.P. (1998). She died on 26 October 2012 in Duluth, Georgia, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Although best known for his role as "Detective Sgt. Neal Washington" on the long-running and critically acclaimed police drama Hill Street Blues (1981), Taurean Blacque was one of the best stage actors of his time. A long-time resident of Atlanta, Georgia, he performed in several productions at the Alliance Theatre of Atlanta. Among his notable roles were the James Baldwin play "The Amen Corner" opposite Carol Mitchell-Leon, Elizabeth Omilami and Crystal Fox; and as "Shealy" in the August Wilson play "Jitney" opposite such notables as John Lawhorn, John Beasley, Anthony Chisholm and Charles Canada. Both productions were directed by then-Alliance Artistic Director Kenny Leon. Noted for his involvement in the community as well, Blacque, who had two adult biological sons, adopted nine children in the late 1980s. A deeply spiritual man, he adopted the name "Taurean" from his astrological sign of "Taurus" and the name "Blacque" from his race.- Lady Chablis was born on 11 March 1957 in Quincy, Florida, USA. She was an actress, known for Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), Partners (1999) and Stranded with Cash Peters (2005). She died on 8 September 2016 in Savannah, Georgia, USA.
- Actress
- Production Manager
- Producer
Sultry, glamorous blonde Venetia Stevenson was a British-born starlet of late 1950s Hollywood whose face was her initial fortune; the camera simply adored her and, in her early years, she dotted the covers of several magazines. Her acting talent, however, never measured up and, within a few years, she willingly retired.
Born in London on March 10, 1938, Venetia came from strong entertainment stock. Her mother, actress Anna Lee, was a well-known co-star of the British cinema, and her father, director Robert Stevenson, was well-respected for his directing of such classy Grade "A" motion pictures as Nine Days a Queen (1936), King Solomon's Mines (1937), Back Street (1941) and Jane Eyre (1943). Just prior to the beginning of WWII in Europe, the family moved to Hollywood. By 1944, her parents had divorced and Venetia, eventually, decided to live with her father and new stepmother.
Venetia's photogenic beauty was apparent from the start. As part of the youthful Hollywood scene, she was quickly discovered and moved with ease into junior modeling work. This, plus her parents' obvious connections, led to a natural progression into acting. Self-admittedly, she was never a confidant actress. Making her TV debut playing a corpse on Matinee Theatre (1955), she also appeared with her mother and the husband/wife team of Fernando Lamas and Arlene Dahl in a 1955 Arizona stage production of "Liliom", in order to gain experience. Signed with RKO, Venetia took acting lessons and posed for publicity stills but she made little progress there. Warner Bros. eventually took her on and she made several guest appearances on TV, including that of Ricky Nelson's girlfriend on the popular series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952). Other WB series work included roles on Cheyenne (1955) and 77 Sunset Strip (1958).
Venetia made her film entrance with a decorous, second-lead femme role in the WB war picture Darby's Rangers (1958), starring James Garner, Peter Brown and Edd Byrnes. As part of the Hollywood dating swirl, there were obvious set-ups with such big stars as Tab Hunter, Anthony Perkins and, even, Elvis Presley. Such a set-up led to a 1956 marriage to up-and-coming actor/dancer Russ Tamblyn, but the bloom quickly fell off the rose and the couple divorced a year later.
For the most part. Venetia was cast as a beautiful distraction in action-adventure and crime movies. Her handful of hunky movie co-stars included Jeff Richards and Guy Madison. Such routine roles in Day of the Outlaw (1959), Island of Lost Women (1959), Studs Lonigan (1960), Seven Ways from Sundown (1960), The City of the Dead (1960), which was made in her native England and released here as "Horror Hotel", and The Sergeant Was a Lady (1961), her last, did little to boost her feelings of adequacy or her Hollywood ranking. Mother Anna Lee, who found renewed recognition as a daytime soap doyenne ("Lila Quartermaine" on General Hospital (1963)), appeared in support of her daughter in two films: Jet Over the Atlantic (1959) and The Big Night (1960). Divorced from Tamblyn, Venetia married one of The Everly Brothers, Don Everly, of "Wake Up, Little Susie" fame, in 1962. At this point, she had no qualms about retiring from the ever-competitive acting world and did so. The couple went on to have two daughters and a son. Stacy Everly and Erin Everly both dabbled in acting, and son Edan Everly delved into music as both a singer and guitarist. He also teaches music and produces/writes for other artists.
In later years, Venetia became a script reader for Burt Reynolds's production company and, subsequently, became vice-president of Cinema Group, a production company that made several films in the 1980s. Since her 1970 divorce from Everly, the still-beautiful lady, who enjoys horseback riding, has not remarried.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer, and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honorific nicknames "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986.
Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He first came to national public attention in the mid-1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames, a then-only Rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd. With the hit ballads "Please, Please, Please" and "Try Me", Brown built a reputation as a dynamic live performer with the Famous Flames and his backing band, sometimes known as the James Brown Band or the James Brown Orchestra. His success peaked in the 1960s with the live album Live at the Apollo and hit singles such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World".
During the late 1960s, Brown moved from a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music-making, emphasizing stripped-down interlocking rhythms that influenced the development of funk music. By the early 1970s, Brown had fully established the funk sound after the formation of the J.B.s with records such as "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "The Payback". He also became noted for songs of social commentary, including the 1968 hit "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud". Brown continued to perform and record until his death from pneumonia in 2006.
Brown recorded 17 singles that reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts. He also holds the record for the most singles listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that did not reach No. 1. Brown was inducted into the first class of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013 as an artist and then in 2017 as a songwriter. He also received honors from several other institutions, including inductions into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In Joel Whitburn's analysis of the Billboard R&B charts from 1942 to 2010, Brown is ranked No. 1 in The Top 500 Artists. He is ranked seventh on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.- Ji-Tu Cumbuka is one of the many U.S. African actors who overcame walls of adversity in the 60s. Born in Montgomery County, Alabama on March fourth, 1940 in an era of oppression, Ji-Tu did not let social norms hold him back from what he loved. Opportunities were slim; a U.S. African actor of the 40s and 50s held roles as house maids or were confined to the parody roles of minstrel shows. Being born in a society of black and white, Ji-Tu defined what the basis of the Civil Rights Movement was.
He saw his first movie "Shane" at the age of twelve years old which stimulated his desire to become an actor. Receiving discouragement from all sides, from teachers laughing at his aspirations and suggesting he be more realistic to his father, a Baptist minister who believed acting was "the devil's work". Inspired by his mother who believed he could achieve any dream with God's help, he left home and moved to New York. After several difficult years he joined the Army where he played football and ran track. Ji-Tu made All-Army in both sports. He was offered many college scholarships, but chose to attend Texas Southern University. After Texas Southern he felt it was time to move to California to continue to pursue his acting dreams. While working as an actor, Ji-Tu continued his education earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a Masters Degree in Cinematography.
After three years of attending acting classes and acting in community plays and workshops he landed his first top role in the movie "Uptight" directed by the late director Jules Dassin. Cumbuka is famed for roles in movies such as the epic film "Roots", "Harlem Nights", "Brewster's Millions", "Mandingo" and "Bound for Glory", as well as minor appearances in thirty other films. In television, Cumbuka is acclaimed for roles in major shows as "Knots Landing", "The A-Team", "The Dukes of Hazard", "Walker Texas Ranger" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation". In total Ji-Tu has appeared in over a hundred films and television series.
Ji-Tu Cumbuka's journey is a reflection of fiery passion and strength that will burn everlasting. He is the author of several screenplays and is presently pursuing opportunities as a writer, producer and director. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Gregg LeNoir Allman was NOT primarily known for being an actor, he was a musician, songwriter and singer that formed the Allman Brothers Band with his brother Duane in 1969. His music appeared in the movie soundtracks of films such as Walking Tall (2004) and Jack Reacher (2012) and in the television drama miniseries The Crowded Room (2023) and True Detective (2014).- Michael Roof was born on 24 November 1976 in Tampa, Florida, USA. He was an actor, known for xXx: State of the Union (2005), xXx (2002) and Black Hawk Down (2001). He died on 9 June 2009 in Snellville, Georgia, USA.
- Actress
Nora Allene Simmons was born and grew up in Zebulon, Georgia. For a time, she was a grammar school teacher in Stone Mountain. She began her career as an entertainer with a traveling Chautauqua troupe and later served as official storyteller for the Joel Chandler Harris Memorial Association in Atlanta. After briefly appearing on Broadway, she spent two years with Jane Addams at Hull House in Chicago.
In the 1920s, she became a staff artist at KGO radio in San Francisco. Although producers reportedly told her at first that she would never make it in radio or films if she did not lose her natural Southern accent, this proved not to be the case. Although she was white (Caucasian), she originated the "Colored Supplement" of NBC's Morning Magazine and wrote the "Magnolia, Henry and Charlie" episodes which provided the comedy features of the Wednesday morning program. She also wrote the Monday night feature, "Plantation Echoes".
In 1930, she accepted an invitation to Honolulu to appear as a guest artist on a radio station there. Instead, she returned to Atlanta temporarily due to homesickness. She soon returned to Los Angeles and radio, and later had several minor roles in motion pictures during the 1930s and 1940s.
Branching out into television roles, she still appeared in a few movies, even traveling to Italy in 1962 to appear as Marcello Mastroianni's grandmother in director Federico Fellini's 8½ (1963). Never having married, she retired in the late 1960s and returned to Georgia, living on Social Security until her death in 1980, aged 96.- Anna Cardwell was married to Eldridge Toney and Michael Cardwell. She died on 10 December 2023 in Georgia.
- Christopher Michael Benoit is a Canadian wrestler who was born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Michael and Margaret Benoit. He grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, from where he was billed throughout the bulk of his career. He had a sister living near Edmonton.
During his 22-year career, Benoit worked for numerous promotions including the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Industry historian Dave Meltzer considered him "one of the top 10, maybe even the top 5, all-time greats".
Benoit held 22 championships between WWF/WWE, WCW, NJPW, and ECW. He was a two-time world champion, having been a one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and a one-time World Heavyweight Champion in WWE; he was booked to win a third world championship at a WWE event on the night of his death. Benoit was the twelfth WWE Triple Crown Champion and sixth WCW Triple Crown Champion, and the second of five men in history to achieve both the WWE and WCW Triple Crown Championships. He was also the 2004 Royal Rumble winner, joining Shawn Michaels as the only two men to win a Royal Rumble as the number one entrant. Benoit headlined multiple pay-per-views for WWE, including a victory in the World Heavyweight Championship main event match of WrestleMania XX in 2004.
Benoit murdered his wife and son on June 22, 2007, and hanged himself two days later. Research suggests depression and brain damage from numerous concussions are likely contributing factors leading to the crime. - Lou Walker was born on 20 February 1928 in Bessemer, Alabama, USA. He was an actor, known for My Cousin Vinny (1992), The Firm (1993) and Hiding Out (1987). He died on 2 August 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Ted Manson was born on 23 October 1926 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) and Runaway Jury (2003). He died on 1 June 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Al St. John was born on 10 September 1893 in Santa Ana, California, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Billy the Kid in Texas (1940), Prairie Badmen (1946) and Billy the Kid Trapped (1942). He was married to Yvonne June Villon Price Pearce (actress), Lillian Marion Ball and Flo-Bell Moore. He died on 21 January 1963 in Lyons, Georgia, USA.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Cinematographer
Sarah Elizabeth Jones was a child of Richard and Elizabeth Jones. She was the sister of Rebecca Jones and Eric Jones. Sarah began her film career while interning on the set of Army Wives (2007), a popular television show. Sarah continued to climb the ranks of the film industry, quickly finding a passion in the art of Cinematography. She was a loyal and respected member of the International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600).
Sarah was working on a biopic about Southern rock musician Gregg Allman entitled "Midnight Rider" when she was struck and killed by a freight train. The cast and crew were filming a dream sequence on an old railroad trestle bridge near Doctortown, Georgia, on an active line, when a freight train unexpectedly showed up giving them only seconds to scramble to safety. Crew members were forced to abandon the bed they were trying to move, leaving it partially on the tracks where it was struck by the train, shattering it into shrapnel-like pieces. One of those pieces struck Sarah, knocking her into the train, killing her instantly. Six others were also injured by the debris from the bed and had to be hospitalized. Sarah was age 27 when she died.
Sarah's tragic loss has led to a new push for safety on the set in a movement called Safety for Sarah. To honor her memory, family and friends also started a Facebook page entitled Slates for Sarah. In September 2014 the family announced the creation of an umbrella organization, The Sarah Jones Film Foundation, the purpose of which is to award film scholarships, promote set safety, and oversee the operations of Safety for Sarah and Slates for Sarah.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Make-Up Department
- Sound Department
Albert Omstead was born on 20 September 1982 in Florida. He is known for Captain America: Civil War (2016), Baby Driver (2017) and Freaky (2020). He was married to Que Omstead. He died on 19 July 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Actor
- Animation Department
- Art Department
Clay Martin Croker was the son of Marion Winchell Croker (1924-2004) and Ouida Thelma Martin (1925-2017). He showed talent for drawing at a very early age; no blank piece of paper stayed that way long. His first love was of dinosaurs, then Godzilla, Gamera, Ultraman and eventually comic book characters.
As a kid, Clay would recite Tex Avery and Chuck Jones cartoons verbatim - flawlessly providing all the accompanying voices.
As a teen, he was the part of a unique group of artists and full-time dreamers in the metro Atlanta area. They spent late nights in graveyards making home movies or passing a sketchbook around, each contributing their own art to what they called "the strip." For employment, they took over the airbrush booth at Six Flags Over Georgia. (Think Caddyshack but with art!) Those friends are still working as artists, producers and musicians to this day.
Clay's first animation gig was making the confederate soldiers carved on the side of Georgia's Stone Mountain gallop away, the big finish of the summer laser light show. He joked that many were happy to see them go.
He animated many national TV commercials and then arguably made Cartoon Network's Adult Swim what it is today with the success of Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Clay provided the animation as well as the voices for Zorak and Moltar. SG led to the Brak Show and Toonami, for which he provided voices and animation.
Later, Clay animated Aqua Teen Hunger Force and had a heavy hand in the development of the main characters, Frylock, Master Shake and Meatwad. He also provided the voices for Dr. Weird, Steve, and various characters. For a brief stint, he hauled his collection of 8 and 16 mm vintage cartoons to the Plaza Theatre, Atlanta's most popular indie movie house, for the Bizarro Saturday Morning show.
He became a fixture at various comic conventions and expos and was always humbled and flattered by the love and adoration of his fans.
In his untimely death, Clay leaves behind not only a legacy not to soon be repeated, but also a vast collection of personal art, priceless movie memorabilia and a trail of brokenhearted friends and colleagues. He died at his home on September 17, 2016.- Actor
- Producer
Born in Georgia, Byrd earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Morris Brown College and later received a master of fine arts degree in dance from California Institute of the Arts. He has starred in numerous regional stage productions including the San Diego Repertory Theater's award-winning performance of "Spunk". He has also starred in "Home" by Samm-Art Evans, "Two Trains Running", "The Piano Lesson" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" at the Alliance Theater, "Flyin' West", "Hamlet" and "Miss Evers' Boys" at the Indiana Repertory, and in other productions of "Flyin' West" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and at the Long Wharf Theater.- Bobbi Kristina Brown was born on 4 March 1993 in Livingston, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for For Better or Worse (2011), The Houstons: On Our Own (2012) and Being Bobby Brown (2005). She died on 26 July 2015 in Duluth, Georgia, USA.
- Hiram Keller was born on 3 May 1944 in Moody Field, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Fellini Satyricon (1969), Orestes (1997) and The Survivors of the Bounty (1974). He was married to Kristina St. Clair. He died on 20 January 1997 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Sandra Livingston was born on 2 June 1947 in Kentucky, USA. She was an actress, known for My Three Sons (1960). She was married to John Joseph Sable and Stanley Livingston. She died on 24 July 2021 in Marietta, Georgia, USA.
- Flannery O'Connor was born on 25 March 1925 in Savannah, Georgia, USA. She was a writer, known for A Good Man Is Hard to Find, The Violent Bear It Away and Katafalk (1990). She died on 3 August 1964 in Milledgeville, Georgia, USA.
- Scott Hall was born into a military family on October 20, 1958. Due to the army life he grew up a traveler and spent his high school years at the All American High in Munich, Germany. When his family returned to the States he attended St Mary's College in Maryland, where he graduated with a degree in Pre Med, with hopes to become a children's doctor. By this time Scott was already training to be a wrestler. He made his ring debut in South Carolina in 1984, and was picked up by the now defunct AWA soon after.
Almost a decade later without hitting major success in the wrestling world, Scott signed with the WWF in 1992. Taking a character he had used previously in WCW, Scott expanded the Diamond Studd and turned him into a Cuban gangster, basing "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon on the gangster movies he'd watched as a child.
After 3 successful years as Razor, and some great matches, including the Ladder Match against the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 10 (since voted the best Wrestlemania match of all time), Scott signed with WCW, where he had some of the most controversial years of his career. His May 1996 appearance on the Turner Broadcasting Monday Nitro program breathed life into a dying wrestling market when he instigated the New World Order. After winning several tag team golds with his best friend Kevin Nash, and a couple of singles US championships, Scott received an injury to his neck during a match with Jeff Jarrett in February 2000, which kept him off TV. Scott was fired from WCW in October of 2000, allegedly due to drunken behavior on a German tour prior to his injury.
In March 2001, Scott began to tour with New Japan. He did so well that New Japan invited him back several times throughout 2001. He also did a couple of independent shows around Florida and Alabama. In January 2002, Scott signed a two year deal with the WWF to bring back the New World Order with Kevin Nash and Hollywood Hulk Hogan. They made their first appearance in February. Scott faced Stone Cold Steve Austin at Wrestlemania X-8 in March, taking the loss. Granted custody of his two children and with a part time wrestling career, Hall finally found the balance he needed to go out a star. - Sofiko Chiaureli was born on 21 May 1937 in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, USSR [now Republic of Georgia]. She was an actress, known for The Color of Pomegranates (1969), Rats ginakhavs, vegar nakhav (1965) and Chveni ezo (1956). She was married to Giorgi Shengelaia and Kote Makharadze. She died on 2 March 2008 in Tbilisi, Georgia.
- Beverly Lunsford was born on 5 January 1945 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She was an actress, known for The Crawling Hand (1963), Jennie: Wife/Child (1968) and That Night! (1957). She died on 22 May 2019 in Canton, Georgia.
- Pro wrestling's Miss Elizabeth was born in Frankfort, KY in 1960, and grew up in Kentucky. According to the WWF's Spotlight magazine, Elizabeth enjoyed walks through the meadows and horses during her childhood. She earned a degree in communications from the University of Kentucky. She rose to national prominence in the fall of 1985 when she was introduced as the manager of WWF wrestler Randy "Macho Man" Savage (Randy Savage, whom she had married a year earlier). The two quickly became successful: Elizabeth guided Savage to the WWF's Intercontinental title in Boston on Feb. 8, 1986, and later the WWF World Title on March 27, 1988, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Merchandise and magazines bearing her picture were big sellers. She also figured as a key part of several angles, or story lines, in Savage's feuds with WWF foes George 'The Animal' Steele, Wayne Farris (aka "The Honky Tonk Man"), Jake Roberts, Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. Elizabeth later served as Hogan's manager, which touched off one of the WWF's fiercest feuds of 1989. Miss Elizabeth was never a "Diva" like the other women in WWE today. She was and will always remain the First Lady of Wrestling.
Elizabeth and Randy Savage were part of the "Match Made in Heaven" portion of the WWF's Summerslam '91 on August 26, 1991. Alas, the marriage was a work (i.e., fake), as the two were already married; the "wedding" was used to help set up Savage's feud with Roberts. In reality, the marriage (both the real and storyline marriage) wouldn't last; Elizabeth left the WWF in 1992, shortly before she and Savage divorced.
She returned to wrestling in 1996 in the rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where she served as manager for Hogan and Lex Luger (Larry Pfohl, who soon became her real-life boyfriend) while also working with ex-husband Savage on occasion. She left the WCW in early 1999. She later owned a clothing store in the Miami, Florida, area. She died on May 1, 2003, leaving behind many fond memories with her fans. - Writer
- Editorial Department
- Additional Crew
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York, to James and Sara Roosevelt. His father was 54 at the time of FDR's birth and already had a grown son, nicknamed "Rosy". Sarah was only 27 when FDR was born. Growing up, FDR had a happy but sheltered childhood. His family was very wealthy and FDR had a very privileged upbringing, with trips to Europe and private tutors. Sara Roosevelt was a loving but domineering and overprotective mother. FDR was a devoted son, but found clever and subtle ways to get around his mother's domination. At 14 he was sent to Groton, an exclusive prep school led by the Rev. Endicott Peabody. FDR did not enjoy his time at Groton, often being teased by the other kids for having a formal and stuffy manner. Since he had a nephew who was older than him, kids at Groton called him "Uncle Frank". He graduated from Groton in 1900 and went to Harvard, where he edited the "Crimson" but failed to be accepted into the Porcellian Social Club. He graduated Harvard in 1903. Soon after that he fell madly in love with his sixth cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt. They married in 1905, with President Theodore Roosevelt giving the bride away. However, from the start Franklin and Eleanor's marriage was not a happy one. She was quiet and shy, whereas he was boisterous and outgoing. The fact that his mother moved into the house next door to theirs, and ran things, did not help. Franklin and Eleanor had six children (one child died in infancy). In 1910 Franklin was elected to the New York State Legislature from Duchess County. There he made a name for himself as a crusading reformer who favored the "average guy" over big business and championed for honest government. In 1913 he was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy and served under Josephus Daniels and President Woodrow Wilson. In 1918 he began a love affair with his wife's social secretary, Lucy Mercer. When Eleanor discovered the affair, she was understandably devastated and told Franklin she wanted a divorce. At the urging of his mother, Frankilin chose to save the marriage and promised Eleanor that he would never have anything more to do with Lucy. The damage was done, however, and Franklin and Eleanor never again shared the intimacies of marriage, becoming more like political partners. In 1921 FDR was stricken with polio and paralyzed. He permanently lost the use of his legs, but refused to let that thwart his political ambitions. He spoke at the 1924 Democratic Convention for the candidacy of Alfred E. Smith, then the Governor of New York, calling him the "Happy Warrior". In 1928 FDR was elected Governor of New York and was well placed when the stock market crashed in 1929. As governor he took the lead in providing relief and public works projects for the millions of unemployed in the state. His success as New York's governor made him a strong candidate for the Presidency in 1932. He easily beat incumbent President Herbert Hoover.
When Franklin Roosevelt was sworn in as President on March 4, 1933, more than 15 million Americans were unemployed. Millions more had been hard hit by the Depression and the banking system had collapsed. FDR wasted no time in launching a radical economic recovery program, known as the New Deal. He created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which made the federal government the guarantor of people's bank deposits - not the banks themselves - and allowed drought-stricken farmers to refinance their mortgages, He created public works programs including the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)--thus making the government the employer of last resort--as well as setting up the Social Security system, instituting a minimum wage, outlawing child labor--a widespread practice at the time, especially in mines, factories and textile mills--and mandating a 40-hour work week with overtime pay. In responding to the Depression, FDR forever changed the role of the federal government in American life. He was easily reelected in 1936, defeating Republican Alf Landon in a landslide. His second term as president was less successful than his first, however. The Supreme Court had ruled a number of New Deal measures unconstitutional. With an electoral mandate in the bank, FDR proposed "packing" the Supreme Court with justices of his political persuasion for every judge over the age of 70 that did not retire. However, Congress refused to pass the Supreme Court packing plan, and from that point on FDR was unable to get Congress to pass much of his legislation. Also, fascism was rising rapidly throughout Europe and Asia. Germany's Adolf Hitler and Italy's Benito Mussolini had both seized power and began to conquer other countries, such as Ethiopia, Austria and Czechoslavakia. FDR was unable to respond to the threats from Europe and Asia, however, because sentiment in the US was strongly isolationist and Congress had passed a series of neutrality laws that gave the President very little power to respond to international aggression. World War II began in September 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland. Nine months later all of Western Europe had fallen to Hitler. The UK and its Commonwealth and Empire was standing alone. FDR wanted to help Britain, but had to move carefully and skillfully. He negotiated a deal in which the US gave Britain 50 old destroyers in exchange for bases in the Western Hemisphere. With World War II underway, FDR took the unprecedented move of seeking a third term as president. He won that term in November 1940, defeating Republican Wendell Willkie. Safely re-elected, he proposed a radical new program for helping Britain, known as Lend-Lease, in which Britain could buy armaments and other supplies from the US but not have to pay for them until after the war. FDR used the analogy of borrowing a neighbor's hose to put out a house fire to sell Lend-Lease. It passed and America became the "arsenal of democracy" as it began to build armaments for Britain and then the Soviet Union, when Hitler invaded it in mid-1941. Roosevelt met Britain's Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for the first time in August 1941 where they drew up the Atlantic Charter. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, destroying much of America's Pacific fleet. The next day,FDR declared war on Japan, calling December 7 "a date that will live in infamy." America was in the war, and not only against Japan, but also against Germany and Italy. Under FDR's leadership, America quickly transformed itself from a decaying nation of idle factories, impoverished families, abandoned farms and masses of hobos roaming the streets to a nation turning out planes, tanks, guns, military vehicles and other armaments on a scale that quickly dwarfed the capability of Nazi Germany to do the same. World War II also changed American life as blacks got better jobs in the war plants and women began working outside the home in unprecedented numbers. Helped by Eleanor, FDR used the war as a vehicle for social progress, securing better treatment for minorities and women, higher wages and better benefits for workers and a GI bill, which guaranteed a free college education for all American soldiers who fought in the war. In so doing, he created the American middle class of today.
After a series of military defeats, the US and its allies began to win the war. Invasions of North Africa and Italy were launched and the US started retaking islands in the South Pacific it had lost to Japan at the beginning of the war, starting with the Battle of Midway in 1942. FDR met with Churchill several times throughout the war and with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin at Tehran in 1943 and at Yalta in 1945. The Allied invasion of France, known as D-Day, was launched on June 6, 1944. As the war ended, FDR pushed for his dream of a United Nations and for reforms that would ensure that another World War would never happen. The United Nations did come to pass, as well as new global institutions such as the World Bank and IMF. Also, FDR advocated for decolonization of Africa and Asia, leading to the collapse of the old European empires.
Because of the war, FDR felt he had no right to leave the presidency while Americans under his command were still fighting. So he sought a fourth term in 1944. His opponent was the new governor of New York, Thomas E. Dewey, who ran a campaign of innuendo, hinting that FDR was too ill to lead and that his government had gone stale. FDR retaliated with a speech accusing the Republicans of attacking his dog, Fala. FDR won his fourth term in November 1944. In January 1945 he journeyed to Yalta to confer with Churchill and Stalin for the last time, to settle the postwar world and push for Russian participation in the United Nations. By this time FDR was gravely ill. After the Yalta Conference, he traveled to his resort at Warm Springs, Georgia, where he died suddenly of a massive stroke on April 12, 1945. It was revealed that Lucy Mercer, his one-time lover, was with him when he died and that she had secretly visited him in the White House a number of times during his last year.
There was an elaborate funeral for him, with a train procession from Warm Springs to Washington DC, then to Hyde Park, where he was buried.- Actress
Born in Georgia and exhibited in sideshows along with sister Jenny Lee Snow. They were billed as Pip and Flip, Pipo and Zipo or under similar such names. At one time they were managed by their brother, Cliff. They appeared at Coney Island in the late 20s and were still being exhibited as late as the early 40s.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Gregg Burge was born on 14 November 1957 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for A Chorus Line (1985), Michael Jackson: Bad (1987) and School Daze (1988). He died on 4 July 1998 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- J. Don Ferguson was born on 21 November 1933 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. He was an actor, known for Maximum Overdrive (1986), Fast Food (1989) and My Cousin Vinny (1992). He was married to Gwendolyn Agnes Hebert . He died on 1 October 2008 in Savannah, Georgia, USA.
- Elvira and Jenny Lee Snow, also known as the Snow Twins, were born in Georgia, but they were often advertised in their sideshow act as being from the Yucatan of Mexico and sometimes from Australia. (Some reports state that they were not actually twins at all). Reputedly, Elvira's birthdate was March 2, 1901, and Jenny Lee was said to be 12 years younger, but as is the history of circus sideshow acts, the fact can vary dramatically.
They both suffered from microcephaly, characterized by abnormally small craniums, which in the language of the sideshow gave rise to the term "pinhead." Like most other microcephalics, they had severe mental limitations and were said to have the mental capacity of toddlers, requiring constant watching and care. Essentially rented from their families, they were based at the World Circus Sideshow at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York in the late 1920's into the 1940's. They were variously known as Zip and Pip, Pip and Flip, Pippo and Zippo and other similar names, and at one time, they were managed by their brother, Cliff. Their only film appearance was in Tod Browning's Freaks (1932), along with another microcephalic, Schlitzie.
Jenny Lee passed away in 1934, and Elvira in 1976. - Art Department
- Stunts
- Camera and Electrical Department
Taraja Ramsess was born on 9 March 1982 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He is known for Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018). He died on 31 October 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Ed Ramey was born on 22 December 1918 in the USA. He was an actor, known for Deliverance (1972). He died on 28 January 1984 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Dorothy Pauline Schutte was born on 16 December 1920 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, USA to Frederick George Schutte and Elsie Jennie Schutte (nee Brewster). She was one of seven children - Thomas Samuel Schutte, Ralph E Schutte, Leslie George Schutte, Barbara Jensen, Gloria Bareford and Harold D Schutte. Her parents were aged 28 (Frederick George Schutte) and 22 ( Elsie Jennie Brewster).
She married Desmond T. Doss on 17 August 1942, in Richmond, Virginia, United States. She lived in Manchester, Chesterfield, Virginia, United States in 1930 and Walker, Georgia, United States in 1991.
Schutte appeared in the 1959 episode of Desmond Doss (1959) , about the life of his son Desmond T. Doss .
She was portrayed by Teresa Palmer in the 2016 Mel Gibson movie Hacksaw Ridge (2016).
Schutte passed away on 17 November 1991, in Catoosa County, Georgia, USA; and is buried in the Chattanooga National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee, USA. - Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
Jeff Kay was born on 11 April 1965 in Los Angeles, California. He was an assistant director and production manager, known for Courage Under Fire (1996), Powder (1995) and Gettysburg (1993). He died on 17 October 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.- The wrestler who would eventually become known as Ravishing Rick Rude was born Richard Erwin Rood on December 7th, 1958. He spent his childhood in Robinsdale, Minnesota, and had an early childhood friendship with future pro wrestler Curt Hennig. Rood broke into the business after a stint as a bouncer working with Barry Darsow, 'Joe Laurinatis' and Mike Hegstrand. He had a stint as an arm wrestler before Eddie Sharkey trained him as a professional wrestler. He got his first big breaks working in Memphis for Jerry Jarrett, who gave him his "Ravishing" nickname. He then worked for Dory Funk Jr. in Florida and World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas. After working in the upper mid-card of the NWA in the mid-80's, he made his way to the World Wrestling Federation under Vince McMahon in late 1987. He was a slow starter, but eventually won the WWF Intercontinental title from The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania V (1989) and headlined against the Warrior at _Summerslam (1990) (V)_. Shortly after that, he left the WWF to work in All Japan and then WCW. This led to arguably his greatest feuds, against Ricky Steamboat (Richard Blood) and Sting (Steve Borden). He won the NWA world title in 1993, but a dispute between the WCW & NWA left this achievement unrecognised. A back injury ended his wrestling career in 1993. He continued on as a manager & commentator, & in 1997 caused controversy when he appeared on _"Raw Is War" (1997)_ and _"WCW Monday Nitro (1995)_ on the same night. This was his last major stint with a company, and on April 20th, 1999, he died of cardiac arrest in a hospital in Alpharetta, Georgia. He was 40 years old.
- Director
- Actor
- Producer
Director/writer/producer Jeff Burr was born in 1961 in Aurora, Ohio. He grew up in Dalton, Georgia. Burr avidly watched low-budget independent movies at the local drive-in theater and made Super-8 pictures as a kid. Burr attended the University of Southern California for three years, where he met fellow student and aspiring filmmaker Kevin Meyer. The two of them dropped out of USC to complete Divided We Fall (1982), an acclaimed Civil War drama that wound up winning a plethora of awards at various film festivals all over the world. Burr made his first fright feature in 1987 with the superbly creepy and disturbing horror anthology winner From a Whisper to a Scream (1987). Burr then directed a handful of above average horror sequels: Stepfather II: Make Room for Daddy (1989) (Make Room for Daddy), Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990), Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1993), and the fourth and fifth "Puppetmaster" movies (Puppet Master 4 (1993) and Puppet Master 5 (1994)). Burr's more current spate of films have been a decidedly mixed bag. They range from mediocre (1999's Phantom Town (1999)) to awful (2006's "The Devil's Den"), with the strong, gritty and harrowing World War II action drama Straight Into Darkness (2004) rating as a definite recent career highlight. In addition to directing, Jeff Burr has also played small roles in such movies as The Mangler Reborn (2005), Dark Asylum (2001), High Tomb (1995), and Fear of a Black Hat (1993).- Actor
- Stunts
- Writer
Russell Comegys was raised in Vidalia, Georgia. Graduated from Vidalia Comprehensive High School and attended Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon Georgia, a Baptist College, where he took his first acting class. Transferred to the University of Georgia where he changed majors his senior year from Biology and Literature to Theatre and a Minor in Spanish. Studied with Martha Burgess, Nick Conti and Gene Gabriel Moore in Atlanta then moved to New York City to hone his craft at The Lee Strasberg Institute and the Gene Frankel Studio.- Harry Ellerbe was born on 15 January 1901 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for House of Usher (1960), The Outer Limits (1963) and One Step Beyond (1959). He died on 2 December 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Stunts
- Actor
John Bernecker was born on 2 March 1984 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Black Panther (2018), Looper (2012) and The 5th Wave (2016). He died on 13 July 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Virginia Patton was raised in Portland, Oregon, where she graduated from Jefferson High School in 1942. Her high school goal was to "make it in Hollywood". She relocated to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California, where she starred in a play written by William C. de Mille. She appeared in several films throughout the early 1940s before landing a supporting part in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), which she considered a once in a lifetime movie role.
She retired from acting in the late 1940s to concentrate on raising a family with her husband, Cruse W. Moss, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. - Actress
Dorothy Eveleigh was born on 17 October 1907 in Shanghai, China. She was an actress. She was married to Rod Cameron and Antonio Alves-Lico. She died on 14 August 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Ray Traylor was born on 2 May 1963 in Marietta, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Fully Loaded (1999), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WWE Smackdown! (1999). He was married to Angela Easterwood. He died on 22 September 2004 in Dallas, Georgia, USA.
- Dan Biggers was born on 18 January 1931 in Newton County, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Elizabethtown (2005), Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997) and Forces of Nature (1999). He died on 5 December 2011 in Rome, Georgia, USA.