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1-14 of 14
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Thanks for the memory, Shirley! Little recalled today, with the exception of die-hard "Golden Age" musical fans, the ever vivacious and talented Shirley Ross had the makings of a major singing film star, but her career remained on the second tier which included 25 pictures within a decade's time. The oval-faced blonde is probably best remembered via her movie pairing with entertainment legend Bob Hope.
She was born Bernice Maude Gaunt on January 7, 1913 (some sources list 1909), in Omaha Nebraska, the elder daughter of two born to Charles Burr and Maude C. Ellis Gaunt. Studying piano in her youth, her family eventually moved West where she attended Hollywood High School. During that time she appeared on radio and gave teen vocal recitals. Following high school graduation, she studied classical piano at UCLA.
Shirley found early work singing and recording with Gus Arnheim's band and appeared in a number of the swankier clubs of the day, including the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Of her early recordings with the band, one was the single "I'm No Angel," which would later become a signature song for none other than Mae West. Other recordings would include the tune "If You Leave Me Now."
Having made a decent enough name for herself recording and warbling on radio shows, Shirley sparked the interest of up-and-coming songwriting team Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, who chose her to help them sell their songs to MGM. This led to a MGM screen test and film contract in 1933. She made her unbilled debut in the Jean Harlow starrer Bombshell (1933) and appeared briefly in the musical film Manhattan Melodrama (1934) as a specialty singer offering the Rodgers and Hart song "The Bad in Every Man" which was later retitled "Blue Moon" with revised lyrics.
Paying her dues as a starlet with a number of musical shorts and unbilled appearances in such feature films as The Merry Widow (1934) and The Girl from Missouri (1934), Shirley began to move further up the credits with Calm Yourself (1935), Devil's Squadron (1936) and in the popular San Francisco (1936) wherein she sang "Happy New Year." She also starred as Reno Sweeney in a 1935 local stage production of "Anything Goes."
Shirley's big break came with her playing sweet, young ingénue Gwen Holmes who comes to New York seeking radio stardom in The Big Broadcast of 1937 (1936). She displayed a natural talent for comedy as well as a lovely voice ("You Came to My Rescue," "I'm Talking Through My Heart") opposite handsome Ray Milland in this studio loan-out to Paramount.
Paramount took to Shirley and continued their burgeoning love affair offering her leads opposite Robert Cummings in the romantic comedy Hideaway Girl (1936) and John Trent in the musical comedy Blossoms on Broadway (1937) in which she sings the title song. Now signed to a five-year contract, she spent the next few years paired up vocally and romantically with either Bing Crosby or Bob Hope. She co-starred with Crosby in Waikiki Wedding (1937) ("In a Little Hula Heaven") and in Paris Honeymoon (1939) ("I Have Eyes to See With").
With Hope she co-starred in The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) and soloed on the tune "The Waltz Lives On," but more famously duetted with Hope on the chic and bittersweet Academy Award-winning song "Thanks for the Memory," which would become Hope's iconic signature tune. This collaboration proved quite memorable and the two went on to co-star in the musical Thanks for the Memory (1938) in which they again duetted on the now-famous title tune as well as the song "Two Sleepy People." Bob and Shirley paired up one more time for Some Like It Hot (1939) in which she sang the title song and duetted with Hope on "The Lady's in Love with You").
A pleasing but rather understated performer who never quite caught on, Shirley continued with a second lead in the Paramount comedy Cafe Society (1939) starring Madeleine Carroll and Fred MacMurray, and then appeared in films for other studios. She -- the Universal Baby Sandy comedy vehicle Unexpected Father (1939) opposite Dennis O'Keefe; a second lead in the Warner Bros. comedy Kisses for Breakfast (1941) and in the minor Republic musical Sailors on Leave (1941), she was paired with William Lundigan.
Preferring live audiences, Shirley stopped filming and focused on radio work, appearing frequently on "Command Performance," "Personal Album" and "The Bob Burns Show," as well as Hope's popular radio show. She also played the lead in Rodgers and Hart's musical "Higher and Higher" in 1940. In her only Broadway performance, she introduced the songs "It Never Entered My Mind" and "Nothing But You."
Shirley returned to the big screen only one more time, towards the end of the war, with the "B" Republic musical A Song for Miss Julie (1945) co-starring the little known Barton Hepburn. After leaving pictures, she was little heard or seen and settled into domestic life. Married to agent Ken Dolan, she had two sons and a daughter.
Shirley died in Menlo Park, California of cancer on March 9, 1975, aged 62. By having had a bit of "Hope" in her life, a fine flicker of "Thanks for the Memory" will always be in deference to wonderful singer Shirley Ross.- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Born in San Francisco on July 17, 1928, Vince Guaraldi graduated from Lincoln High School and then San Francisco State College. Guaraldi was already performing while in college in such venues as the Black Hawk and Jackson's Nook, sometimes with the Chubby Jackson/Bill Harris band, other times in combos with Sonny Criss and Bill Harris. He did minor gigs as well, such as weddings. Guaraldi's first recorded work can be heard on "Vibratharpe," a 1953 release by the Cal Tjader Trio. In 1955, he put together his own trio: longtime friend Eddie Duran on guitar and Dean Reilly on bass--and tackled North Beach's bohemian-hungry club, where his piano work became a huge attraction. It soon came to be recognized as the Guaraldi sound. The original Vince Guaraldi Trio, with Eddie Duran and Dean Reilly, can be heard on two genuinely pleasant releases: "The Vince Guaraldi Trio" (1956) and "A Flower is a Lonesome Thing" (1957). Guaraldi toured in 1956 with Woody Herman's third Thundering Herd, replacing Nat Pierce on piano for one season.
Inspired by the 1959 French-Brazilian film Black Orpheus (1959) (Black Orpheus) Guaraldi hit the studio with a new trio: Monty Budwig on bass, Colin Bailey on drums--and recorded his own interpretations of Antonio Carlos Jobim's haunting soundtrack music. The 1962 album was called "Jazz Impression of Black Orpheus," which was released on then-owner Saul Zaentz's Fantasy Records, and "Samba de Orpheus" was the first selection released as a single. Combing the album for a suitable B-side number, Guaraldi's producers finally made a new version of a modest original composition titled "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," which became a smash hit, and won the 1963 Grammy for Best Instrumental Jazz Composition. However, Guaraldi's greatest fame came from scoring A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) in 1965, based on Charles M. Schulz's "Peanuts" comic strip, and he continued to score all the Peanuts television specials till his death.
On February 6, 1976, while waiting in a motel room between sets at Menlo Park's Butterfield's nightclub, Guaraldi died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 47.- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Robert Blees was born on 9 June 1918 in Lathrop, Missouri, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Frogs (1972), The Fighting Chance (1955) and Project U.F.O. (1978). He was married to Dorothy Robinson. He died on 31 January 2015 in Menlo Park, California, USA.- David Halberstam was born on 10 April 1934 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for Rowing Through (1996), The Fifties (1997) and In the Year of the Pig (1968). He was married to Jean Sandness Butler and Elzbieta Czyzewska. He died on 23 April 2007 in Menlo Park, California, USA.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Director
F. McGrew Willis was born on 18 August 1891 in Pleasanton, Iowa, USA. F. McGrew was a writer and director, known for The Quest (1915), Midshipman Jack (1933) and The Winner (1926). F. McGrew was married to Viola Barry and Theo Sadonna Emmons. F. McGrew died on 13 October 1957 in Menlo Park, California, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Fakir Musafar was born on 10 August 1930 in Aberdeen, South Dakota, USA. He was an actor, known for Die Jungfrauenmaschine (1988), My Father Is Coming (1991) and Bizarre World (2000). He was married to Cléo Dubois. He died on 1 August 2018 in Menlo Park, California, USA.- Phar Lap was born on 4 October 1926 in Timaru, New Zealand. He died on 5 April 1932 in Menlo Park, California, USA.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Additional Crew
- Actor
John T. Churchill was born on 25 October 1967 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. He was an assistant director and actor, known for Inland Empire (2006), The One (2001) and Mulholland Drive (2001). He was married to Elizabeth Day. He died on 26 June 2016 in Menlo Park, California, USA.- Herb Wong was married to Marilyn. He died on 20 April 2014 in Menlo Park, California, USA.
- Buck Shaw was born on 28 March 1899 in Mitchellville, Iowa, USA. He died on 19 March 1977 in Menlo Park, California, USA.
- Jack McCauley was born on 10 January 1900 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Valley of Fear (1916) and Hearts of Men (1915). He was married to Amy Revere. He died on 13 June 1980 in Menlo Park, California, USA.
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Melinda Boss was born on 12 October 1916 in Columbus, Kansas, USA. She was an actress. She was married to Andrew Milton Larry, Jr.. She died on 29 January 1983 in Menlo Park, California, USA.- Additional Crew
- Writer
Allan Nevins was born on 20 May 1890 in Camp Point, Illinois, USA. He was a writer, known for Profiles in Courage (1964), Omnibus (1952) and Critic at Large (1948). He was married to Mary Fleming Richardson. He died on 5 March 1971 in Menlo Park, California, USA.- Frankie Albert was born on 27 January 1920 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for The Spirit of Stanford (1942), The NFL on CBS (1956) and 1961 East-West Pro Bowl (1961). He was married to Marty. He died on 4 September 2002 in Menlo Park, California, USA.