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1-9 of 9
- Actress
- Writer
Theda Bara was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, as Theodosia Goodman, on July 29, 1885. She was the daughter of a local tailor and his wife. As a teenager Theda was interested in the theatrical arts and once she finished high school, she dyed her blond hair black and went in pursuit of her dream. By 1908 she was in New York in search of roles. That year she appeared in "The Devil", a stage play. In 1911 she joined a touring company. After returning to New York in 1914, she began making the rounds of various casting offices in search of work, and was eventually hired to appear in The Stain (1914) as an extra, but she was placed so far in the background that she was not noticed on the screen. However, it was her ability to take direction which helped her gain the lead role as the "vampire" in A Fool There Was (1915) later that year, and "The Vamp" was born. It was a well-deserved break, because Theda was almost 30 years old, at a time when younger women were always considered for lead roles. She became the screen's first fabricated star. Publicists sent out press releases that Theda was the daughter of an artist and an Arabian princess, and that "Theda Bara" was an anagram for "Arab Death"--a far cry from her humble Jewish upbringing in Cincinnati. The public became fascinated with her--how could one resist an actress who allowed herself to be photographed with snakes and skulls? Theda's second film, later that year for the newly formed Fox Studios, was as Celia Friedlander in Kreutzer Sonata (1915). Theda was hot property now and was to make six more films in 1915, finishing up with Carmen (1915). The next year would prove to be another busy one, with theater patrons being treated to eight Theda Bara films, all of which would make a great deal of money for Fox Films, and in 1917 Fox headed west to Califoria and took Theda with them. That year she starred in a mega-hit, Cleopatra (1917). This was quickly followed by The Rose of Blood (1917). In 1918 Theda wrote the story and starred as the Priestess in The Soul of Buddha (1918). After seven films in 1919, ending with Lure of Ambition (1919), her contract was terminated by Fox, and her career never recovered. In 1921 she married director Charles Brabin and retired. In 1926 she made her last film, Madame Mystery (1926), and promptly went back into retirement, permanently, at the age of 41. She tried the stage briefly in the 1930s but nothing really set the fires burning. A movie based on her life was planned in the 1950s, but nothing ever came of it. On April 7, 1955, Theda Bara died of abdominal cancer at the age of 69 in Los Angeles, California. There has been no one like her since.- Actress
- Producer
In the 1910s, waifs and child-women like Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish and Mary Miles Minter were dominant forces at America's box offices. Audiences welcomed Marguerite Clark into this group, especially those who preferred her dark brown hair and large brown eyes to the blonde-haired, blue-eyed looks of Pickford, Gish and Minter. She was tiny (about 4'10", weighing about 90 pounds) with a very pretty, Kewpie-doll face that never seemed to age. Even at the end of her career, at the age of 38, make-up artists had little trouble making her look 12 years old. Marguerite began life on a farm southeast of Lima, Ohio. As a child she was sent to a convent southeast of Cincinnati for her education, remaining there until the age of 16, when she made her stage debut with a stock company in Baltimore. DeWolf Hopper Sr. saw her and brought her to New York as his co-star in the play "Happyland". For over a decade she appeared in some of the most popular plays and musicals on Broadway, including "Anatol" with John Barrymore. In 1914 she signed with Famous Players, which, along with its sister companies Paramount and Artcraft, would produce all but her last movie. Her looks and acting talent quickly made her one of the top movie stars of the time. However, she was dissatisfied with the acting life. In 1918 she married a New Orleans plantation owner and took up residence there. She split her time between New York (where she made most of her movies) and New Orleans, all the time planning to quit acting and move permanently to the plantation. Her only wish was to go out on top. In 1921 she got her wish. The annual Quigley Publications poll of motion picture exhibitors ranked her as the nation's top movie actress of 1920, and the second-place movie star overall to Wallace Reid. She had just completed Scrambled Wives (1921), produced by her own newly formed production company, for First National. After the release of the Quigley poll, she disbanded her production company and retired to her husband's plantation, where she lived until his death in 1936. She moved back to New York City shortly thereafter. She was also the model for Snow White in Walt Disney's masterpiece Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). She died following a short bout with pneumonia in 1940.- Michael Bennett was born on 13 November 1985 in Avondale, Louisiana, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Things That Make White People Uncomfortable, Hawaii Five-0 (2010) and The NFL on CBS (1956). He is married to Pele. They have three children.
- Writer
J. Carver Pusey was born on 18 February 1901 in Avondale, Pennsylvania, USA. J. Carver was a writer. J. Carver died on 15 July 1953 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Born in Avondale (Middle Arm), Newfoundland, Canada - Glen Gregory Doyle has been involved in filmmaking since 1987, studying at Ryerson University for Screenwriting and Theatre Arts and subsequently Humber College for Print, Radio, and Television Journalism. He has seen his written works both produced and published worldwide. He wrote the feature film 'Sometimes a Hero' ('Cold Vengeance' US DVD Title), and 'The Circuit', both projects were internationally distributed. The success of 'The Circuit' prompted demands from international buyers for 'Circuit 2', and 'Circuit 3 Street Monk' (which has just completed post production). Aside from his original works, he was contracted by Silverthorne Pictures in Toronto to adapt the novel 'Brotherhood of the Red Rat', which is now currently in pre-production. He is also the author of the non-fiction book 'The Martial Artist's Way' (1999) published by Harper Collins in Canada and Tuttle Publishing in the U.S.
In addition to his writing achievements, Doyle is also an accomplished martial artist with world-wide recognition (a former three-time Canadian Kung Fu Champion). Recently, he completed hosting and demonstrating in the instructional DVD '60 Minutes to Learn Kung Fu'. He has also worked as an action and fight choreographer for Cynthia Rothrock, and credited for all fight choreography in the film 'Sometimes a Hero'. He has been featured on the cover of numerous international magazines including: Inside Kung Fu, Black Belt Magazine, World of Martial Arts, and has made personal appearances on radio shows, numerous television talk shows including the award-winning Arlene Bynon Show (Bynon). He also served as a feature writer for Canadian Martial Arts Magazine, and has given lectures to aspiring screenwriters studying at Ryerson University in Toronto.
In May of 2005, he was named Head Coach for the Kung Fu Division of the WKA Team Canada (World Karate Association), after three of his students finished 1st, 2nd, and 4th at the Canadian National Championships and qualified for the national team.- Michael Wade was born on 30 October 1944 in Avondale, Newfoundland, Canada. He was an actor, known for Finding Mary March (1988), The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood (1986) and John and the Missus (1987). He died on 22 May 2004 in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
- Everson Griffen was born on 22 December 1987 in Avondale, Arizona, USA.
- Don Oliver was born on 16 April 1937 in Avondale, New Zealand. He died on 26 February 1996 in Auckland, New Zealand.
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Editor
- Director
Robert P. Killian was born on 17 March 1990 in Avondale, Arizona, USA. He is an editor and director, known for Ballad of Jackson (2009), Mago & Me (2010) and Sedona (2011).