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- Born Lawrence Vonetta McGee, she got her break in Melinda (1972) and Hammer (1972) and hit paydirt as the love interest of the vampire in Blacula (1972), then starred with her then-boyfriend Max Julien in Thomasine & Bushrod (1974). In 1978 she starred opposite Bernie Casey and Ron O'Neal in Brothers (1977). Other movies include Repo Man (1984) To Sleep with Anger (1990). She has also done much work on television. She was married to actor Carl Lumbly.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
In 1953 Eddie Fisher was given his own fifteen-minute TV show called Coke Time (1953), sponsored by the Coca-Cola company. This show proved to be so popular that Coke then offered Eddie a $1 million contract to be their national spokesperson. A deal of that magnitude was almost unheard of at this time and helped push Fisher towards being one of the most popular singers by 1954. In 1955 Eddie married Debbie Reynolds and daughter Carrie Fisher was born a year later, followed by son Todd Fisher in l958. Later that year, the scandal of the decade broke when stories of Eddie's affair with Elizabeth Taylor were made public. She had been widowed earlier that year when her husband Mike Todd, Eddie's best friend, died in a plane crash. The bad publicity that followed did a great deal of damage to Eddie's career, while it actually increased the amount of money Elizabeth was offered for films. He and Liz did the movie BUtterfield 8 (1960), which actually earned Taylor an Academy Award, though it was received with mixed reviews. From there Liz went on to star in Cleopatra (1963), with Richard Burton, another scandal and divorce for Liz. With his TV show long gone and hit records a thing of the past, his career in the sixties consisted mainly of stage shows in Las Vegas, New York, and smaller venues as time went on. For a few years he was married to Connie Stevens and they had two daughters, Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher before divorcing in 1968. Eddie Fisher has written two autobiographies, the latest "Been There, Done That" published with great controversy. It seems some of the women in his past, including Debbie Reynolds, did not care for his portrayal of them. He must be given credit, however, for owning up to his own actions, which led to the degradation of his career. His fifth wife, Betty Lin, passed away from lung cancer on April 15, 2001.- Editorial Department
- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
Nora O'Brien was born on 2 October 1964 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. She was a production manager, known for Starship Troopers (1997), The Edge (1997) and Outbreak (1995). She died on 29 April 2009 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Mario Mark Kennedy was born on 9 January 1966 in New York, USA. Mario Mark died on 15 June 1995 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Director
- Animation Department
Glenn McQueen was born on 24 December 1960 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was a director, known for A Bug's Life (1998), Toy Story (1995) and Monsters, Inc. (2001). He was married to Audrey Fleisher and Terry McQueen. He died on 29 October 2002 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Cinematographer
- Director
- Editor
Born in 1935 in Tampa, Florida, Les Blank attended Tulane University in New Orleans, where he received a B.A. in English literature and an M.F.A. in theatre. In 1967, after two years in the Ph.D. film program at the University of Southern California, and five years of freelancing in Los Angeles, he began his first independent films, on Texas blues singer Lightnin Hopkins (The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins (1970)) and the newly forming sub-culture, known as flower children, (God Respects Us When We Work, But Loves Us When We Dance (1968)). To finance these and other of his own films, he continued to make industrial and promotional films for such organizations as Holly Farms Poultry, Archway Cookies and the National Wildlife Federation until 1972.
Blank's first independent films began a series of intimate glimpses into the lives and music of passionate people who live at the periphery of American society - a series that grew to include rural Louisiana French musicians and cooks.
Major retrospectives of Les Blank's films have been mounted in Los Angeles at FILMEX in 1977; the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in 1978 and 1984; New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1979; the National Film Theatre, London in 1982; Cineteca Nacional, Mexico City in 1984; the Cinematheque Francais, Paris in 1986; the Independent Film Week, Augsburg, Germany in 1990 and the Leipzig Film Festival in 1995 and the Sofia Music Film Festival, Bulgaria in 1998. Feature articles on Blank have appeared in American Film, Film Quarterly, Take One, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Image Magazine, Mother Jones, The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Premiere, Downbeat and Video Review. In 1984, Blank co-edited the "Burden of Dreams" book, which included journals written during the making of Burden of Dreams by him, sound recordist-editor Maureen Gosling and Werner Herzog, plus an article by legendary journalist Michael Goodwin. In 1986, National Public Radio aired a half-hour special on Les Blank's work and, in 1991, CNN aired a special on him, worldwide.
Among Blank's numerous awards are the British Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary, 1982, (Burden of Dreams (1982)); the Golden Gate Award "Best of Festival", San Francisco Film Festival, 1982 ("Burden of Dreams"); Grand Prize, Melbourne Film Festival, 1985 (In Heaven There Is No Beer? (1984)); Special Jury Award U.S. (Sundance) Film Festival, 1985 ("In Heaven There Is No Beer?"); Grand Award, Houston Film Festival, 1983 ("Burden of Dreams"); Golden Hugo, Chicago Film Festival, 1969 (The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins (1970)). Blank also received a 10,000 Euro prize for "Yum, Yum, Yum" for best film in the International Ethnographic Film Festival, Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy, 2002
In 1990, Les Blank received the American Film Institute's Maya Deren Award for outstanding lifetime achievement as an independent filmmaker. In 1989-1990, Blank was the distinguished filmmaker-in-residence at San Diego State University and, in 1991, adjunct assistant professor in film at the University of California, Berkeley. He was also the Louis B. Mayer filmmaker-in-residence at Dartmouth College and a directing fellow at the Sundance Institute in Utah (both in 1984). His work has been supported by The National Endowment For the Arts, The American Film Institute, The National Endowment For the Humanities, The Ford Foundation, The Guggenheim Foundation, PBS and the BBC. Between 1973 and 1994, Blank toured extensively with the sponsorship of the United States Information Agency, screening his films and discussing them with audiences throughout Latin America, China, England, Spain, Germany, Italy, the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Egypt. Les Blank is a member of: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
Blank currently has four documentaries in production: about David Lee Hoffman, importer of rare and fine teas rom China; Alabama folk artist Butch Anthony; seminal documentary filmmaker Richard Leacock; and a project on the diRosa preserve in Napa, a major collection of Northern California art.- Kristina Holland was born on 25 February 1944 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA. She was an actress, known for Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (1972), The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969) and The Strawberry Statement (1970). She was married to Eric Alexander Tamm and Ron Poindexter. She died on 22 February 2023 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Art Department
- Additional Crew
- Visual Effects
Ralph McQuarrie was born on 13 June 1929 in Gary, Indiana, USA. He is known for Cocoon (1985), Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). He was married to Joan Benjamin. He died on 3 March 2012 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Neil Marcus was born on 3 January 1954 in Scarsdale, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for ER (1994), From the Heart... The First International Very Special Arts Festival (1989) and ADA30 Lead On Celebration of Disability Arts, Culture, Education and Pride (2020). He died on 17 November 2021 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Sound Department
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Alan Splet was born on 31 December 1939 in the USA. He is known for Dune (1984), Rising Sun (1993) and Blue Velvet (1986). He was married to Ann Kroeber. He died on 2 December 1994 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Erik Bauersfeld was born on 28 June 1922 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) and Crimson Peak (2015). He died on 3 April 2016 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Mark O'Brien was born on 31 July 1949 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He was a writer, known for The Sessions (2012), World's Worst Century (2004) and Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien (1996). He died on 4 July 1999 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Tom Luddy was born on 4 June 1943 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and actor, known for Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Secret Garden (1993) and Barfly (1987). He was married to Monique Montgomery. He died on 13 February 2023 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Composer
Singer-songwriter, Buzzy, is most famous for writing "Ya Gotta Have Friends" for Bette Midler and the acid-folk classic "The Love's Still Growing" for ex-girlfriend Carly Simon. Buzz's catalog of visionary recordings for the Phillips and Buddah record labels in the late sixties and early seventies, as well as a major release on Atlantic in 1974 serve as a slice of his many contributions to modern music. He also played vibraphone on the Jimi Hendrix song "Drifting" and drums on a live jam-session with Hendrix, Noel Redding and Al Kooper, which included "Like a Rolling Stone" at an uptown club called "The Scene" in 1969.- Marion Zimmer Bradley was born on 3 June 1930 in Albany, New York, USA. She was a writer, known for Darkover, The Mists of Avalon (2001) and The Chronic Rift (1990). She was married to Walter Breen and Robert Alden Bradley. She died on 25 September 1999 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Wendell K. Phillips was born on 27 November 1907 in Blandinsville, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Close-Up (1948), Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (1950) and The Defenders (1961). He was married to Jean Shelton and Odielein Pearce. He died on 6 October 1991 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Leonard J. Waxdeck was a biology teacher at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, CA. In 1963, at the suggestion of a student, he started an annual bird calling contest. Contest winners have appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
- Marilyn Golden was born on 22 March 1954 in San Antonio, Texas, USA. She died on 21 September 2021 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Animation Department
- Editorial Department
- Art Department
Dan Lee was born on 19 May 1969 in Montreal, Québec, Canada. He is known for Finding Nemo (2003), A Bug's Life (1998) and Ratatouille (2007). He died on 15 January 2005 in Berkeley, California, USA.- J. Campbell Bruce was born on 5 May 1906 in Helvetia, Pennsylvania, USA. J. Campbell was a writer, known for Escape from Alcatraz (1979), TV Reader's Digest (1955) and Armstrong Circle Theatre (1950). J. Campbell died on 6 July 1996 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Music Department
- Actress
- Composer
Malvina Reynolds was born on 23 August 1900 in San Francisco, California, USA. She was an actress and composer, known for Weeds (2005), The Boxtrolls (2014) and Dogfight (1991). She was married to William 'Bud' Reynolds. She died on 17 March 1978 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Additional Crew
Reason A. Goodwin was born on 19 September 1903 in Costello, Kansas, USA. Reason A. is known for Password (1961). Reason A. died on 14 June 1985 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Leonard Michaels was born on 2 January 1933 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for Force Four (1975), Velvet Smooth (1976) and The Men's Club (1986). He was married to Katharine Ogden, Brenda Lynn Hillman, Priscilla Older and Sylvia Bloch. He died on 10 May 2003 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Hugh Wiley was born on 26 February 1884 in Zanesville, Ohio, USA. He was a writer, known for Mr. Wong, Detective (1938), The Fatal Hour (1940) and The Mystery of Mr. Wong (1939). He died on 30 December 1968 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Sydney Chatton was born on 6 May 1918 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Once Upon a Horse... (1958), Spotlight Scandals (1943) and Harvest Melody (1943). He was married to Mary E. Narsis. He died on 6 October 1966 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Writer
- Actor
Richard Allen Lupoff, born February 21, 1935 in Brooklyn, is an author perhaps best known for his science fiction and fantasy work; he has also written non-fiction, mysteries, and humor. Over his writing career, he's written dozens of books & novels, works of short fiction, essays and reviews, occasionally using pen names, such as Ova Hamlet for some of his lighter fare. He served a stint in the U.S. Army during the 1950s. He and his wife Pat (who has been a purchaser of children's books and has worked with him in the writing field) have lived for many years in Berkeley, California.- Writer
- Additional Crew
Theodore Roszak was born on 15 November 1933 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer, known for Flicker, P.O.V. (1988) and Making Sense of the Sixties (1991). He was married to Betty Roszak. He died on 5 July 2011 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Arthur H. Compton was born on 10 September 1892 in Wooster, Ohio, USA. He was a writer, known for Robert Montgomery Presents (1950), World Leaders on Peace and Democracy (1939) and Storia della Bomba Atomica (1963). He died on 15 March 1962 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Rick 'Grizzly' Brown died on 2 January 2002 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Calvin Keys was born on 6 February 1942 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. He was an actor, known for Under the Harlem Moon (2005). He was married to Maria. He died on 14 April 2024 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Marty Sullivan was born in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA. Sullivan hosted the Mad Theater as the character Superhost that aired monster movies on Saturday afternoons from 1969-1989 on our sister station Channel 43. During breaks in the movies, Superhost would star in skits playing memorable characters such as "The Moronic Woman" and "Fat Whitman." In addition to playing Superhost, Sullivan was a longtime floor director and staff announcer for WUAB. Also, he occasionally hosted the Prize Movie, when host John Lanigan was off. Sullivan passed away in 2020 in Berkeley Springs, Morgan County, West Virginia, USA.
- Sound Department
- Art Department
Nick Bertoni was born on 15 January 1941 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Nick is known for The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009), P.O.V. (1988) and American Experience (1987). Nick was married to Judith Ehrlich. Nick died on 21 June 2017 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Virginia Zurí was born on 26 February 1906 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. She was an actress, known for México de mis recuerdos (1944), La noche del pecado (1933) and Divorciadas (1943). She was married to Irving Seiden. She died on 2 January 1996 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Art Department
- Camera and Electrical Department
Phil Devonshire was born on 23 November 1949 in Darby, Pennsylvania, USA. Phil is known for The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Duplicity (2009) and The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). Phil died on 27 April 2014 in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, USA.- Katherine Miller was born in 1859 in Missouri, USA. She was an actress, known for The Eyes of the World (1917). She was married to Branch M. Miller (c.1858-1925). She died on 24 March 1960 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Michael Raffetto was born on 30 December 1899 in Placerville, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Seven Doors to Death (1944), A Foreign Affair (1948) and I Was a Shoplifter (1950). He died on 31 May 1990 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Diarmid Cammell was born on 21 July 1945 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for A French Mistress (1960), The Magical World of Disney (1954) and Probation Officer (1959). He died on 27 February 2009 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Writer
- Composer
Huston Smith was born on 31 May 1919 in Suzhou, China. He was a writer and composer, known for Camera Three (1955), Huston Smith: The Mystic's Journey (2003) and A Zen Life: D.T. Suzuki (2006). He was married to Kendra Wieman. He died on 30 December 2016 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Hiroshi Kashiwagi was born on 8 November 1922 in Sacramento, California, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Virtues of Corned Beef Hash (2010), Infinity & Chashu Ramen (2013) and Notes on a Scale (1994). He died on 29 October 2019 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Clement C. Young was born on 28 April 1869 in Lisbon, New Hampshire, USA. He was married to Lyla J. Vincent. He died on 26 December 1947 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Ralph Miller was born on 27 August 1923 in the USA. He was an actor, known for Outbreak (1995), Village of the Damned (1995) and Mission Mars (1968). He died on 14 December 2006 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Michael Rossman was born on 15 December 1939 in Denver, Colorado, USA. He was married to Karen McLellan. He died on 12 May 2008 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Additional Crew
Ben Bagdikian was born on 20 January 1920 in Marash, Ottoman Empire [now Kahramanmaras, Turkey]. He is known for Reporting America at War (2003), Fear & Favor in the Newsroom (1996) and The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009). He was married to Marlene D. Griffith, Betty Medsger and Elizabeth (Betty) Sandra Ogasapian. He died on 11 March 2016 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Writer
- Additional Crew
Sheila Ballantyne was born on 26 July 1936 in Seattle, Washington, USA. She was a writer, known for Imaginary Crimes (1994). She was married to Philip Spielman. She died on 2 May 2007 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Michele Serros was born on 10 February 1966 in Oxnard, California, USA. She was a writer, known for George Lopez (2002) and One World (2001). She was married to Antonio Magaña and Gene Trautman. She died on 4 January 2015 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Producer
- Writer
Ralph J. Gleason was born on 1 March 1917 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for NET Playhouse (1964), Payday (1973) and San Francisco Rock: A Night at the Family Dog (1970). He was married to Jean Rayburn. He died on 3 June 1975 in Berkeley, California, USA.- Yuri Kochiyama was born on 19 May 1921 in San Pedro, California, USA. She was married to Bill Kochiyama. She died on 1 June 2014 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Frank Moore was born on 25 June 1946 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He died on 14 October 2013 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Barrett Willoughby was born on 18 May 1901 in Territory of Alaska, USA. He was a writer, known for Spawn of the North (1938), Rocking Moon (1926) and Alaska Seas (1954). He was married to Robert Prosser. He died on 29 July 1959 in Berkeley, California, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Leon Litwack was born on 2 December 1929 in Santa Barbara, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow (2002), Scales of Injustice and Booker (1984). He was married to Rhoda Goldberg. He died on 5 August 2021 in Berkeley, California, USA.