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1-23 of 23
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Orson Bean, the American actor, television personality and author, was born Dallas Frederick Burrows on July 22, 1928 in Burlington, Vermont to George Frederick Burrows, a policeman who later went on to become the chief of campus police at Harvard University, and the former Marion Ainsworth Pollard. He was of Irish, Scottish, and English descent. Through the latter, the newborn Dallas Burrows was a first cousin, twice removed, to Calvin Coolidge, who was President of the United States at the time of his birth. The young Dallas, an amateur magician with a taste for the limelight, graduated from Boston's prestigious Latin School in 1946. Too young to see military service during World War II, the future Orson Bean did a hitch in the U.S. Army (1946-47) in occupied Japan.
After the war, he launched himself onto the nightclub circuit with his new moniker, the "Orson" borrowed from reigning enfant terrible Orson Welles. His comedy act premiered at New York City's Blue Angel nightclub, and the momentum from his act launched him into the orbit of the legitimate theater. He made his Broadway debut on April 30, 1954 in Stalag 17 (1953) producer Richard Condon's only Broadway production as a playwright, "Men of Distinction", along with Robert Preston and Martin Ritt. The play flopped and ran only four appearances.
The following year was to prove kinder: he hosted a summer-replacement television series produced at the Blue Angel, and won a Theatre World Award for his work in the 1954 music revue "John Murray Anderson's Almanac", which co-starred Harry Belafonte, Polly Bergen, Hermione Gingold and Carleton Carpenter. It was a hit that ran for 229 performances. He followed this up with an even bigger hit, the leading role in "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter". Next up was a succès d'estime as the leading man in Herman Wouk's comic play "Nature's Way", which co-starred Bea Arthur, Sorrell Booke and Godfrey Cambridge. Though the play lasted but 67 performances, Orson Bean had established himself on the Broadway stage.
He enjoyed his greatest personal success on Broadway in the 1961-62 season, in the Betty Comden and Adolph Green musical "Subways are for Sleeping", which was directed and choreographed by Michael Kidd and featured music by Jule Styne. Bean received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (his co-star Phyllis Newman won a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical). The following season, he was in a bigger hit, the comedy "Never Too Late", which would go on to play for 1,007 performances. After appearing in the flop comedy "I Was Dancing" in November 1964, Bean made his last Broadway appearance in the musical "Illya Darling" in 1967 with Melina Mercouri, directed by fellow blacklister Jules Dassin; it played 320 performances. He also toured in the Neil Simon-Burt Bacharach musical "Promises, Promises".
Bean made an impression as the Army psychiatrist in Otto Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder (1959). But it was as a television personality that he made his biggest inroads into the popular consciousness, as well as the popular culture. He appeared in numerous quiz and talk shows, becoming a familiar face in homes as a regular panelist on To Tell the Truth (1956). He also appeared on Norman Lear's cult favorite Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976) and its sequel, Forever Fernwood (1977), as "Reverend Brim", and as store owner "Loren Bray" on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993). Much of his role as 105-year-old "Dr. Lester" in the cult film Being John Malkovich (1999) wound up the cutting room floor, but audiences and critics welcomed back his familiar presence.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ann E. Todd was born Ann Todd Phillips on August 26, 1931, in Denver, Colorado. Both of her parents had extensive careers in music; her father, Burrill Phillips, was an accomplished composer and pianist. Ann also had one brother, Stephen, who was born in 1937 (and died in 1986). Ann was adopted and raised by her maternal grandparents; her official adopted name was Ann Todd Mayfield. Her grandparents took her to the movies often and hoped that she would one day become a child star like Shirley Temple (incidentally, she would have a small role as Temple's little sister in The Blue Bird (1940)). Ann's grandparents eventually prodded her into a career in film, and although she was not particularly interested in acting -- her childhood ambition was to be a pilot -- she excelled at it and became one of the most popular child stars of the 1930s and '40s. In the early 1940s, she added E to her professional name to avoid being mistaken for British actress Ann Todd (nevertheless, the two were and are frequently confused). Despite her success -- she appeared in some 27 films between 1939 and 1951 -- Ann quit acting in the 1950s. She married Robert Basart on January 29, 1951 in Berkely, California. In 1959, she was reunited with her parents, and following in her parents' footsteps, she pursued a career in music. Ann received a master's degree in music history from the University of California at Berkeley (UCB). She taught music history in San Francisco for three years and then served as the music librarian for UCB for 21 years. During this time, Ann also founded a publishing company, Fallen Leaf Press, and had two children, a daughter and a son. Her husband Robert died on February 7, 1993 in Berkely. As of this writing (2008), Ann is retired and living in northern California.- Nora Meerbaum was born on 13 May 1921. She was an actress, known for St. Elmo's Fire (1985), Airplane! (1980) and Code Red (1981). She died on 7 February 2020 in California, USA.
- Actress
- Producer
Mary Griffith was born on 13 October 1934 in the USA. She was an actress and producer, known for Prayers for Bobby (2009) and Prayers for Bobby: Meet the Real Mary Griffith (2009). She died on 7 February 2020 in Walnut Creek, California, USA.- Actor
- Producer
Dino Mattielli was born on 4 July 1944 in Rome, Italy. He was an actor and producer, known for Ingrid sulla strada (1973) and The Big Racket (1976). He died on 7 February 2020 in Rome, Italy.- Lenine El-Ramli was born on 18 August 1945 in Cairo, Egypt. He was a writer, known for The Beginning (1986), Al-irhabi (1994) and Ali Baih Mazhar wa 40 Harami (1985). He was married to Fatma El Maadoul. He died on 7 February 2020 in Cairo, Egypt.
- Arnie Stenseth was born on 2 June 1937 in Tyler, Minnesota, USA. He was an actor, known for Twin Peaks (1990), Twin Peaks (1989) and Police Quest: SWAT 2 (1998). He died on 7 February 2020 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA.
- Vladimir Markov was born on 24 December 1938. He was an actor, known for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (1980), 72 gradusa nizhe nulya (1977) and Noga (1991). He died on 7 February 2020 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
- Nexhmije Pagarusha was born on 7 May 1933 in Pagarushë, Yugoslavia. She was an actress, known for Makedonska krvava svadba (1967), E kafshoja terrin (1977) and I ikuri (1980). She was married to Rexho Muliqi. She died on 7 February 2020 in Pristina, Kosovo.
- Angel Echevarria was born on 25 May 1971 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. He died on 7 February 2020 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA.
- Producer
- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
Grazia Volpi was born on 29 March 1941 in Pontedera, Tuscany, Italy. She was a producer and production manager, known for Caesar Must Die (2012), Elective Affinities (1996) and Fiorile (1993). She was married to Roberto Perpignani. She died on 7 February 2020 in Viareggio, Tuscany, Italy.- Pierre Guyotat was born on 9 January 1940 in Bourg-Argental, Loire, France. He was a writer, known for Balances des blancs (2013), Pierre Guyotat, le don de soi (2022) and Post-scriptum (1970). He died on 7 February 2020 in Paris, France.
- Len Gochman was born on 27 January 1931 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Another World (1964), If Ever I See You Again (1978) and Somerset (1970). He died on 7 February 2020 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- Melvin Heckt was born on 21 April 1924 in Dysart, Iowa, USA. He died on 7 February 2020 in Minnesota, USA.
- Ole Petersson was born on 29 May 1933 in Fredriksberg, Denmark. He was an actor, known for Kampen mod uretten (1949) and Those Damned Kids (1947). He died on 7 February 2020 in Denmark.
- Soundtrack
Steve Weber was born on 22 June 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He died on 7 February 2020 in Mount Clare, West Virginia, USA.- Gertrud-Elisabeth Zillmer was born on 22 March 1927. She was an actress, known for Zwei Mütter (1957), Emilia Galotti (1958) and Polonia-Express (1957). She died on 7 February 2020.
- Li Wenliang was married to Fu Xuejie. He died on 7 February 2020 in Wuhan, Hubei, China.
- Larry Popein was born on 11 August 1930 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. He was an actor, known for NHL on CBS (1957). He died on 7 February 2020 in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.
- Zdzislaw Cwioro was an actor, known for War of Love (2010), Szkoda twoich lez (1985) and Królowa Bona (1980). He died on 7 February 2020 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Music Department
Paul Copenhaver was born on 26 January 1951 in Louisiana, Missouri, USA. Paul is known for Punch Drunk (2023). Paul was married to Nancy. Paul died on 7 February 2020 in Moberly, Missouri, USA.- FMM Dboy was born on 3 May 2000 in Salinas, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Lil Chuggz feat. FMM Dboy: Run Up (2018), FMM Dboy feat. AOB Frost: Mud Walking (2018) and FMM Dboy feat. Arod: For the Low (2019). He died on 7 February 2020 in Salinas, California, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Editor
Manuel Fregoso was an actor and producer, known for Yako, cazador de malditos (1986), La tómbola de la muerte (1990) and Frontera (1980). He died on 7 February 2020 in Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico.