Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-39 of 39
- Misty Anne Upham, born in Kallispell, Montana, grew up in south Seattle, the fourth of five children. She began her career at the age of thirteen when she joined a community theater group, Red Eagle Soaring. What began as a summer workshop soon turned into a full-time job. By the age of fourteen she was writing and directing short skits and performing on tours throughout the northwest. In the next four years she would be accepted to several Seattle theater companies, all while attending high school. Her first break came in 2001 when she landed the role of Mrs. Blue Cloud in Chris Eyre's sophmore project Skins (2002), where she portrayed a victim of domestic abuse on the Pine Ridge reservation. She also had a large role in the family drama August: Osage County (2013), playing Johnna Monevata, a live-in housekeeper.
Misty died in 2014, in Auburn, Washington, of blunt-force trauma. - Samantha Smith was born on 29 June 1972 in Houlton, Maine, USA. She was an actress, known for Lime Street (1985), Charles in Charge (1984) and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962). She died on 25 August 1985 in Auburn, Maine, USA.
- Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Ross, c. March 1822) was an American abolitionist and political activist. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. During the American Civil War, she served as an armed scout and spy for the Union Army. In her later years, Tubman was an activist in the struggle for women's suffrage.
- Actor
- Writer
Colin Drake was born on 8 March 1917 in Palisades, Colorado, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Lost in the Wild (1976), Sherlock Holmes (1954) and Goliath Awaits (1981). He died on 27 March 2011 in Auburn, California, USA.- Leon Czolgosz was an American anarchist of Polish extraction who shot President William McKinley while the president was attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York in September 1901.
Born in Michigan in May 1873, the 28-year-old Czolgosz was the son of ethnic Polish immigrants from Prussia. He arrived in Buffalo on August 31, 1901 and stalked the president once he arrived at the exposition. He bought a pistol on September 2nd and on September 6th, joined a receiving line at the Temple of Music whose members moved forward to shake hands with the president. The meet-and-greet was only expected to last was 10 minutes, but that was enough to change history.
The assassin had secreted his pistol wrapped in a handkerchief inside his pocket. When he made it to the head of the line and McKinley extended his hand, Czolgosz swatted it away and twice pulled the trigger of his weapon, shooting McKinley in the stomach. The two bullets fired at point-blank range staggered the president, but did not immediately kill him. (He lived on for a week and a day, expiring on the 14th.)
The crowd in the Temple of Music seized Czolgosz and beat him to the point of death before soldiers and police intervened. The near-dead Czolgosz was jailed and stood trial on September 23rd, nine days after McKinley died of his wounds. Czolgosz had been deeply influenced by the anarchists Alexander Berkman (himself the would-be assassin of Henry Clay Frick) and Emma Goldman, whom he had seen give a public speech and subsequently met.
Czolgosz's meeting with Goldman occurred the very same year he killed McKinley, and she was arrested as part of a possible conspiracy but was released for lack of evidence. It was apparent Czolgosz acted alone. Goldman tried to rally support for the assassin, comparing him in print to Brutus who had slain Julius Caesar, but many anarchists shunned Czolgosz, as he had brought opprobrium onto the movement. Theodore Roosevelt, the new president, had declared, "When compared with the suppression of anarchy, every other question sinks into insignificance.
At his arraignment, Czolgosz pleaded guilty, which is not allowed in a capital trial, and the judge changed his plea to "not guilty". His lawyers wanted to go with an insanity defense such as used for Charles J. Guiteau, the assassin of President James Garfield, but a defiant Czolgosz refused to cooperate with them as, to him, they were symbols of the authority he hated and had struck out against in the Temple of Music. He clearly wanted to be martyred, and he was, convicted after a two day trial when the jury came back with a guilty verdict after one hour. He was executed in the electric chair at Auburn State Prison (Auburn, New York) on October 29, 1901, 53 days after he shot and fatally wounded President McKinley. - Slammin' Sam Menacker personified Wrestling. Born Frank Menacker in 1915, Sam became a famous wrestler (or "Rassler") in the 1940s. His high-profile character even got him some movie roles, his most famous being one of the 10 strongmen in "Mighty Joe Young" (1949) where, alongside onetime world boxing champion Primo Carnera, and actor Henry Kulky, they had a tug-rope match with the giant ape. Around 1960, Sam migrated to Indianapolis where, retired from wrestling, he did color commentary for the American Wrestling Association, and after 1964 for the World Wrestling Association, on local WTTV Channel 4. Along with the wildly popular Chuck Marlowe (and occasionally with local villain Handsome Bobby Heenan,who later gained fame as Bobby "the brain" Heenan) they provided exciting ringside reports every Saturday afternoon, commenting on the tactics of Dick the Bruiser ("The World's Most Dangerous Wrestler"), Wilbur Snyder ("The World's Most Scientific Wrestler"), Cowboy Bob Ellis, Bobo Brazil and other arch-heroes and arch-villains. (In 1963, when I was 10, I was amazed that every World Champion lived in Indianapolis.) As Sam provided the lively commentary (Wrestling shows are mainly hype) every main event, it seemed, called for "an investigation by the Commission" and "a Re-Match" -- usually a Lumberjack Match, or a Texas Death Match (which would not be televised, you'd have to go to the arena and pay). Sam retired from commentating in the late 1970s; he died in Illinois in 1994.
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Harold G. Moore was born on 13 February 1922 in Bardstown, Kentucky, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for We Were Soldiers (2002), Small Town Boy, Real American Hero (2011) and Inside the Vietnam War (2008). He was married to Julia Compton. He died on 10 February 2017 in Auburn, Alabama, USA.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
It's probably very safe to say that no performer within memory ever became a has-been as quickly as the man born Abbott Vaughn Meader. After toiling away on the small-club circuit for several years, his spot-on impersonation of then-President John F. Kennedy got him noticed by writer/performer/producer Earle Doud, who decided to build a comedy album around the nation's highly popular Presidential family. Built up of a series of satiric audio sketches about the Kennedys, and surrounding Meader with a supporting cast of top New York-based character actors, "The First Family" (Cadence: 1962) became an unprecedented success when it was released around Thanksgiving time in 1962. Its sales were so phenomenal that copies had to be rationed, it occupied several weeks at Number One on the Billboard Album charts, and was one of only two comedy albums ever to be awarded the Grammy for Album of the Year. A follow-up, "The First Family, Part Two" (Cadence: 1963), released the following summer, did almost as well. Both a third album and a TV special were in the works. Kennedy himself was a fan of the album, his biggest criticism being that he felt Meader sounded more like Robert F. Kennedy than himself.
Then, on November 22, 1963, the unthinkable happened. John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas. Literally within hours of the shooting, all of Meader's engagements were canceled. Meader, who admired Kennedy and was as much in shock as everybody else, was at a loss. His Kennedy impersonation, which comprised a small portion of his club act, could have been easily cut. But, as he himself later put it, "literally overnight, nobody wanted to know from me. As far as they were concerned, I was as dead as the President."
In the forty years since that time, Meader has made numerous attempts at a comeback. A 1970 album, "The Second Coming," on which Meador played a hip Jesus, won the praise of the critics, but didn't sell well. In 1975, he played Walter Winchell in the film Lepke (1975), again to critical praise. At one point, during the mid-'seventies, there was even talk of his doing a serious one-man show on JFK, much in the manner of Hal Holbrook's "Mark Twain Tonight!" or James Whitmore's "Will Rogers' U.S.A.," but nothing came of it. When last heard from, he was living in quiet retirement in Gulfport, Florida.
As to "The First Family," it was reissued several years ago, in tandem with "The First Family, Part Two," on CD on the Collector's Choice label. Heard today, it is a good-humored reminder of a bygone era.- Shoota Shellz was born on 10 September 1995. He was an actor, known for Shoota Shellz: Real Ones (2017), Shoota Shellz: Drill Mode (2015) and Shoota Shellz: Thought It Was a Drought (2017). He died on 10 July 2017 in Auburn Gresham, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Bobby was born in Indiana and may have inherited his show business talent from his grandfather who played the alto horn and disappeared- never to be seen since-with a carnival that was passing thru Indiana. Bobby, who is multi-talented, recorded a song called "Yes Indeed", in which he plays ten instruments, sings all four voices of the quartet, sings the solo, and also arranged the song. Sherwood's father was a singer and trambone player and his mother was a pianist. They had a vaudeville act called Bob-Gayle Sherwood & Co. Bobby joined the act when he was ten singing , dancing, and playing the banjo. Playing the horse was a favorite pastime of Bobby's. To quote "I didn't learn much about history and arithmetic, but I could tell you the best time of any horse at any track.". After vaudeville folded, Bobby played in clubs around Los Angeles, and became Bing Crosby's accompanist on records, in the band, in movies, and on radio. He later played on radio shows with Burns and Allen, Al Jolson, Rudy Vallee, Edie Cantor, and many more. Later he formed his own band, and starting appearing on television getting his first taste in Cleveland in 1948 appearing in everything from straight dramatic roles to a straight man for top comedians.- Animation Department
- Art Department
Ed Benedict was the main character designer for all the early Hanna-Barbera cartoons, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw. Benedict, who worked at MGM, Universal and other studios on short, theatrical cartoons, joined Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera soon after the pair launched their groundbreaking Hanna-Barbera TV animation studio in the late 1950s. Among his many designs for them were the characters for their first series, 1957's "The Ruff & Reddy Show."
For "The Flintstones," the story of a "modern Stone Age family," Benedict not only designed the hapless cavemen Fred and Barney, but also their long-suffering wives, Wilma and Betty, and the show's clever array of Stone Age houses and gadgets, including the characters' foot-powered cars.
"The Flintstones," one of the first cartoon series created for adults as well as children, debuted in 1960 and was an immediate hit. Forty-six years later, Fred and Barney remain squarely in the public consciousness as pitchmen for various products, including Flintstones' vitamins. Without the time and budget that were lavished on classic theatrical cartoons, TV animated comedies had to leave out beautiful backgrounds and lifelike movement in favor of witty dialogue and stories with vivid characters.
Before joining Hanna-Barbera, Benedict worked for another cartoon legend, Tex Avery, at both Universal and MGM studios. At MGM, where Hanna and Barbera also worked, he was the lead layout artist and designer on "Deputy Droopy" and other popular theatrical shorts.
He also worked with "Woody Woodpecker" creator Walter Lantz on several shorts, including "The Dizzy Dwarf" and "Unpopular Mechanic."
He died in August, 2006 at the age of 94. He requested that his ashes be scattered over California's Carmel Bay.- Vincent Speranza was born on 23 March 1925 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for One Fine Morning (2022) and Libertas: 75th Anniversary of D-Day (2019). He was married to Iva Leftwich. He died on 2 August 2023 in Auburn, Illinois, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Writer
- Producer
James Doherty was born on 1 August 1921 in Jackson, Missouri, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Sam (1978), Adam-12 (1968) and The Six Million Dollar Man (1974). He died on 27 September 1985 in Auburn, Washington, USA.- Jerry Brent was born on 16 October 1938 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Eight Men Out (1988), Retreads (1988) and Sea Hunt (1958). He died on 6 August 2024 in Auburn, California, USA.
- Location Management
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Additional Crew
Michael Looney was born on 6 February 1946 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. Michael was an assistant director, known for Back to School (1986), Heartbreak Ridge (1986) and The Right Stuff (1983). Michael died on 9 June 2010 in Auburn, Massachusetts, USA.- Robert Sherwood was born on 30 May 1914 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Grounds for Marriage (1951), Two Dollar Bettor (1951) and Three Guys Named Mike (1951). He died on 23 January 1981 in Auburn, Massachusetts, USA.
- Director
- Producer
Theodore Case was born on 12 December 1888 in Auburn, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Theodore Case Test Film (1925). He died on 13 May 1944 in Auburn, New York, USA.- Bonita Barker was born on 21 July 1916 in Rocky, Oklahoma, USA. She was an actress, known for Outlaw's Highway (1934) and Back to the Soil (1934). She was married to Bennett Albert Robinson. She died on 11 May 2006 in Auburn, California, USA.
- William Henry Seward was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined opponent of the spread of slavery in the years leading up to the American Civil War, he was a prominent figure in the Republican Party in its formative years, and was praised for his work on behalf of the Union as Secretary of State during the Civil War. He also negotiated the treaty for the United States to purchase the Alaskan Territory.
- A Tony-winning choreographer who also created the role of Bobby in the original production of "A Chorus Line," Thommie was a dance-maker. Best known for his collaborations with Tommy Tune, the lanky performer, choreographer and director who was among Broadway's leading figures in the 1980's. He received his two Tony Awards for choreography for collaborating with Mr. Tune in 1980 on "A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine" and in 1983 on "My One and Only."
Thommie also shared a Tony nomination with Mr. Tune for directing "My One and Only" and received a Tony nomination for the choreography of "Nine."
Born on March 15, 1950, he was taking dancing classes by the age of 5 at the Irma Baker School of Dance in upstate New York. By 1973, he was dancing on Broadway as a member of the chorus, under the name Thomas J. Walsh, in "Seesaw," directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett.
After appearing in one of the more notorious flops of the 1970s, "Rachael Lily Rosenbloom and Don't You Ever Forget It," which closed before it opened on Broadway, Mr. Walsh won the role of Bobby in "A Chorus Line," the landmark musical directed and choreographed by Mr. Bennett, about the lives and loves of the gypsy dancers of Broadway.
Mr. Walsh's other Broadway credits were for musical staging on the shows "The 1940s Radio Hour" (1979), "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" (1982) and "My Favorite Year" (1993).
Mr. Walsh also directed the Off Broadway musical "Lucky Stiff" and provided staging and choreography for nightclub acts and solo spots for performers including Donna McKechnie and Priscilla Lopez as well as for Chita Rivera, Sandy Duncan and Barbara Cook. He also worked on regional theater productions and in 2001 directed and choreographed the national tour of "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," starring Ann-Margret and Gary Sandy. - Western writer Jackson Gregory was born on 12 March 1882,in Salinas, California, the son of Judge Durrell Stokes and Amelia Hartnell Gregory. He spent much of his youth living on a ranch near Point Pinos Rancho (now Pacific Grove), where his father was part owner of a sawmill. The year after Jackson's birth, the governor of California appointed his father to fill a vacancy on the Superior Court of San Luis Obispo County. D.S. Gregory, who had been practicing law since he was 20, settled in California the year after the 1849 Gold Rush. In 1860 he was named a delegate from California to the Democratic National Convention at Charleston, South Carolina. He passed away on 12 June 1889, at San Luis Obispo, just a couple of days shy of his 64th birthday. Sometime after his father's death Jackson, along with his mother and two siblings, went to live with the family of Jackson Gregory Jr., an uncle who lived in Alisal, California. Amelia Gregory died in 1916 at Berkeley.
Jackson was a member of the "Earthquake Class" (1906) of the University of California-Berkeley. In his senior year he had been the editor of the campus magazine, "Occident", and the class annual, "Blue and Gold". After graduation he became a teacher and within two years was named principal of Truckee High School in Truckee, California. Sometime during the Christmas break of 1910 Jackson married Lotus McGlashan in San Francisco. She was the daughter of a prominent lawyer and author, who had been instrumental in the development of the city of Truckee, Not long after their marriage Jackson became a newspaper reporter, working on papers in California, Illinois, Texas, New York and Cuba. He eventually returned to the Berkeley area to settle down and try his hand at writing.
He began his career as a fiction writer by contributing short stories to the pulp magazines. After a dispute with a magazine editor left him and his wife without an income, he literally spent his last penny to mail the manuscript of his first novel to a publisher. By the time the publisher's telegram came with an offer of $1000 for his story, the power to their cottage had been cut off, there was no running water and they were existing off of borrowed groceries from neighbors and friends. On the strength of the publisher's telegram Jackson was able to borrow enough money to pay back his creditors, throw a party for those who had helped them out and visit his in-laws in Truckee. When it came time for the couple to return home, their funds were so depleted that Jackson had to borrow five cents to cover the cost of their return train tickets.
He would go on to be one of America's more successful and prolific authors in the first half of the 20th century. Though the vast majority of his stories were about the American Old West, he did occasionally venture into other genres, like mysteries, fantasies or South Seas adventures. His writing formula was usually a successful combination of an abundance of action, adventure and suspense coupled with a dependable story line. His favorite settings were often areas of the American Southwest and Mexico that he grew up in or was familiar with (in his younger days he had actually been a cowboy, working on cattle ranches in Nevada).
Jackson Gregory died suddenly on the 54th anniversary of his father's death, while in Auburn, California, visiting his older brother Edward. With his wife Lotus he fathered two sons, Jackson Jr. and Roderick. - Lionel James was born on 25 May 1962 in Albany, Georgia, USA. He was married to Gail Fort. He died on 25 February 2022 in Auburn, Alabama, USA.
- H.B. Butler, also known as Dave Butler, was a motion picture producer, director, and a principal partner in W.A. Palmer Films for many years. He did industrial films, TV series, commercials, and documentaries. In the documentary The Day Manolete was Killed, he pioneered the use of all still photographs to tell the story.
- Charles Toogood was born on 16 July 1927 in North Platte, Nebraska, USA. He was an actor, known for Crazylegs (1953). He died on 24 February 1997 in Auburn, California, USA.
- Tim Cowgill was born on 19 November 1957 in Maywood, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Desert Fox (2009), Satisfy Me (2007) and The Michael Jackson Trial (2005). He died on 13 June 2010 in Auburn Township, Ohio, USA.