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Paul Kelly born on 9 August 1899 in Brooklyn, New York, USA, Paul Kelly was one of the few actors who not only played killers, but also had first-hand experience in this capacity! On stage from age 7, "Master" Paul Kelly entered films at 8, performing on the sunlight stages of Flatbush's Vitagraph Studios. His first important theatrical role was in Booth Tarkington's Seventeen; he later appeared in Tarkington's Penrod, opposite a young Helen Hayes. Star billing was Kelly's from 1922's Up the Ladder onwards. In films from 1926, Kelly alternated between stage and screen until his talkie debut in 1932's Broadway Through A Keyhole. The actor's career momentum was briefly halted with a two-year forced hiatus. On May 31, 1927, Kelly was found guilty of manslaughter, after killing actor Ray Raymond in a fistfight. The motivating factor of the fatal contretemps was Raymond's wife, Dorothy MacKaye, who married Kelly in 1931, after he'd served prison time for Raymond's death (MacKaye herself died in an automobile accident in 1940). This unfortunate incident had little adverse effect on Kelly's acting career. Returning to Broadway in 1947, Paul Kelly won the Donaldson and Tony awards for his performance in Command Decision; three years later, he starred in the original stage production of Clifford Odets' The Country Girl. Kelly appeared in two movies with Wayne, Picture from The Flying Tigers, Kelly passed away on 6 November 1956 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Lee Marvin born 19 February 1924 in New York, New York, USA, A prematurely white-haired character star who began as a supporting player of generally vicious demeanor, then metamorphosed into a star of both action and drama projects. Born in New York City to Lamont Marvin, an advertising executive, and his wife Courtney, a fashion writer, the young Marvin was thrown out of dozens of schools for incorrigibility. His parents took him to Florida, where he attended St. Leo's Preparatory School near Dade City. Dismissed there as well, he enlisted in the U.S. Marines at the beginning of World War II. In the battle of Saipan in June 1944, he was wounded in the buttocks by Japanese fire which severed his sciatic nerve. He was invalided home and got menial work as a plumber's apprentice in Woodstock, New York. While repairing a toilet at the local community theatre, he was asked to replace an ailing actor in a rehearsal. He appeared in Three films with John Wayne, Lee Marvin died on 29 august 1987 in Tucson, Arizona, USA and will be greatly missed..
Laraine Day Born 13 October 1917 in Roosevelt, Utah, USA Born into a prominent Mormon family in Utah, Laraine Day's acting career began after her parents moved to Long Beach, California, where she joined the Long Beach Players. She appeared in her first film in 1937 in a bit part, then did leads in several George O'Brien westerns. Signing a contract with MGM, she achieved popularity playing the part of Nurse Lamont in that studio's "Dr. Kildare" series. An attractive, engaging performer, she had leads in several medium-budget films for various studios, but never achieved major stardom. She was married for 13 years to baseball manager Leo Durocher, and took such an active interest in his career and the sport of baseball in general that she became known as "The First Lady of Baseball." Laraine appeared in two films with John Wayne, Lariane passed away on 10 November 2007 in Ivins, Utah, USA.
John Mitchum was born in Bridgeport, Conn., in 1919. His father died in an accident before he was born. He spent part of his childhood on his uncle's farm in Delaware with brother, Robert, who was two years older. In 1930 they joined their mother, who had remarried, in New York City, where their sister, Annette, was dancing in a Broadway show. A 1936 graduate of Long Beach Polytechnic High School, John later followed his brother's lead and went to work at Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank. Drafted into the Army in 1944, he was assigned to the 361st Harbor Craft Company in Florida and later was stationed in Hawaii, where he was assigned to the G.I. Chorus. Discharged in 1946, Mitchum was walking down Santa Monica Boulevard a year later when an agent asked him if he was an actor. When Mitchum said he wasn't, the agent said, "So, do you want to be one?". As recounted in his memoir, Mitchum was taken to a studio on Cahuenga Boulevard where the director of a pioneer saga called "The Prairie" gave him a once-over and cast him as the naive young man in love with the heroine. But Mitchum, a singer, songwriter and poet, had a far more unusual show business distinction. He wrote and co-wrote the pieces on the only album John Wayne ever made: "America, Why I Love Her," a 1973 RCA recording of patriotic poetry recitations that was re-released after Wayne's death in 1979. He appeared in two of Wayne's films Chisum 1970 and Eldorado 1967, best known as Frank DiGiorgio (Dirty Harry's friend) in the first 3 Dirty Harry films Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, and The Enforcer sadly John died on 29 November 2001 in Los Angeles, California, USA. and is greatly missed.
Born Richard Allen Boone on 18 June 1917 in Los Angeles, California,U.S.A. Boone was a college student, boxer, painter and oil-field labourer before ending up in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he used the G.I. Bill to study acting with the Actor's Studio in New York. Serious and methodical, Boone made his debut on Broadway in the stage play "Medea". In 1950, 20th Century Fox signed him to a contract and he made his screen debut in 'Halls of Montezuma" 1950, playing a marine. Tall and craggy, Boone would go on being cast in a number of war and western movies. In 1954, he was cast as Dr. Styner in the Television Series "Medic", Boone was cast as Paladin in the Television Series "Have Gun Will Travel 1957", Paladin was a cultured gun for hire. It is said he is a Descendent of Daniel Boone. He appeared in three John Wayne films, Picture from The Shootist, Richard died on 10 January 1981 in St. Augustine, Florida, U.S.A.
Jean Arthur, real name Gladys Georgianna Greene Born on 17 October 1900 in Plattsburgh, New York, USA Following her screen debut in a bit part in John Ford's "Cameo Kirby" 1923, Miss Arthur spent several years portraying unremarkable roles as ingénue or leading lady in comedy shorts and cheapie westerns. With the arrival of sound she was able to appear in films whose quality was but slightly improved over that of her past silents. She had to contend, for example, with the consummately evil likes of Dr. Fu Manchu portrayed by that future "Charlie Chan", Warner Oland. Her career bloomed with her appearance in Ford's "The Whole Town's Talking" 1935, in which she played opposite 'Edward G. Robinson', the latter in a dual role as notorious gangster and his look-alike, a befuddled, well-meaning clerk. Here is where her wholesomeness and her flair for farcical comedy began making themselves plain. The real turning point in her screen career came when she was chosen by Frank Capra to star with Gary Cooper in the now-classic 1936 social comedy, "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town". Here, she rescues the hero - thus herself becoming heroine! - from rapacious human vultures who are scheming to separate him from his wealth. She starred with Alan Ladd and Van Heflin in George Steven's 1953 western, "Shane", where she portrays the wife of a besieged settler (Heflin) who accepts help from a nomadic gunman (Ladd) in the settler's effort to protect his farm. She starred with John in A Lady Takes a Chance 1943 sadly Jean died on 19 June 1991 Carmel, California, USA. she is greatly missed.
Born Ella Wallace Raubes on 6 August 1920 in Snoqualmie Falls, Washington State, USA. The daughter of an engineer, Ella Raines completed her education at the University of Washington. After stage experience, Raines was signed for films by a production company headed by Charles Boyer and Howard Hawks. When this enterprise failed to yield fruit, Raines went with Universal Studios in 1943, where she received her best screen role: the inquisitive, extremely adaptable heroine in the 1943 film noir Phantom Lady. Impressed by this performance, Paramount producer/director Preston Sturges borrowed Raines from Universal to co-star with Eddie Bracken in Hail the Conquering Hero 1944. She appeared in one film with John which was Tall in the Saddle 1944, She retired in 1956 after filming The Man in the Road, 1957. Ella died on 30 May 1988 at Sherman Oaks, California, USA.
Born Denver Dell Pyle on 11 May 1920 in Bethune, Colorado, USA, Had he been born a decade earlier, American actor Denver Pyle might well have joined the ranks of western-movie comedy sidekicks. Instead, Pyle, a Colorado farm boy, opted for studying law, working his way through school by playing drums in a dance band. Suddenly one day, Pyle became disenchanted with law and returned to his family farm, with nary an idea what he wanted to do with his life. Working in the oil fields of Oklahoma, he moved on to the shrimp boats of Galveston, Texas. A short stint as a page at NBC radio studios in 1940 didn't immediately lead to a showbiz career, as it has for so many others; instead, Pyle was inspired to perform by a mute oilfield coworker who was able to convey his thought with body language. Studying under such masters as Michael Chekhov and Maria Ouspenskaya, Pyle was able to achieve small movie and TV roles. He worked frequently on the western series of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry; not yet bearded and grizzled, Pyle was often seen as deputies, farmers and cattle rustlers. When his hair turned prematurely gray in his early '30s, Pyle graduated to banker, sheriff and judge roles in theatrical westerns -- though never of the comic variety. He also was a regular on two TV series, Code 3 1956 and Tammy 1966. But his real breakthrough role didn't happen until 1967, when Pyle was cast as the taciturn sheriff in Bonnie and Clyde who is kidnapped and humiliated by the robbers -- and then shows up at the end of the film to supervise the bloody machine-gun deaths of B&C. He appeared in four films with John, Jet Pilot 1957, The Horse Soldiers 1959, The Alamo 1960 and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 1962. Picture from the Alamo, Sadly Denver died on 25 December 1997 in Burbank, California, USA. and is greatly missed.
Born Angeline Brown on 30 September 1931 Kulm, North Dakota, USA, Angie Dickinson was born in Kulm - 1931, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Brown. Mr. Brown was the publisher of The Kulm Messenger. The family left North Dakota in 1942 when Angie was 11 years old, moving to Burbank, CA. In December of 1946, when Angie was a senior at Bellamarine Jefferson High School in Burbank she won the Sixth Annual Bill of Rights Contest in that community. Two years later her sister Janet did likewise. Being the daughter of a printer, Angie at first had visions of becoming a writer but gave this up after winning her first beauty contest. After finishing college she worked as a secretary for Burbank Airplane parts Factory for 3 1/2 years. In 1953, she entered the local Miss America contest one day before the deadline and took 2nd. In August of the same year she was one of five winners in a beauty contest sponsored by NBC and appeared in several TV variety shows. She got her first bit part in a Warner Brothers movie in 1954 and gained television fame in the millionaire series in 1956. Her success then spiraled until she became one of the nation's top movie stars. She snagged the female lead in Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo 1959 her first major movie.
Born Vera Helena Hruba on 12 June 1921 Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic, After achieving modest fame as an ice skater, Vera Hruba was brought to America by Republic Pictures head Herbert Yates who hoped to turn her into the next Sonja Henie. After featuring her in several Ice escape movies, he added Ralston to her name making it Vera Ralston and tried to pass her off as a leading lady. Hruba's English was so limited she was forced to learn her lines phonetically. Her English improved, and directors said she tried hard to learn her craft, but bad acting and a thick accent left her hard for audiences to accept. She appeared with John Wayne in Dakota 1945 and The Fighting Kentuckian,1949 Vera died on 9 February 2003 in Santa Barbara, California, USA.
Born Franz Eberhard August Kruger on 12 April 1928 Berlin, Germany. Tall, blonde, handsome German actor Hardy Kruger was 16 when he appeared in his first film, Junge Adler 1943. His early ascendancy to stardom planted the seed of the widespread belief that Kruger had "favored" status with Goebbels as a member of the Hitler Youth. Whatever the case, his film career didn't really sprout wings until after the war, with the 1952 feature Illusion in Moll. Extremely popular in his own country, Kruger was also seen to good advantage in British films The One That Got Away 1957 Swanwick POW camp for German Officers was a mere 11 miles away from Hucknall airfield, at The Hayes, a large country house which had been in use as a conference centre during much of the previous thirty years. During both wars it was requisitioned as a prison camp for German officers. Oberleutnant von Werra was taken there after being recaptured in the lake district where he had earlier escaped from the Camp at Grizedale hall. Set in the early days of WW II, this is the true story of Franz von Werra (Hardy Kruger), a German Luftwaffe pilot who was captured by the British during the Battle of Britain and made a prisoner of war. Self-assured and confident, the brash flyer brags to his captors that he'll escape within six months. The wooden huts where the POW'S where housed were only demolished last year 2003 because they were becoming a fire hazard, I know this for a fact as my wife worked there. He also made Flight of the Phoenix 1966. and Hatari 1962. During the '70s and '80s, Kruger directed a number of European television documentaries. Hardy Kruger is the father of actress Christiane Kruger.
Born Mary Wayne Marsh Born on 9 November 1895 in Madrid, New Mexico Territory [now state of New Mexico], USA. Mae's father was an auditor for the railroad who died when Mae was four. Mae moved to San Francisco where her stepfather was killed in the 1906 Earthquake. Her great aunt then took Mae and her sister to Los Angeles. With her show business background, Mae's aunt took them to the various movie studios for work as extra's. Mae was a little freckled face girl, who came to work one day as an extra at Biograph, to substitute for her sick sister. She had blue eyes and her hair color was indeterminate, but she had screen presence. She began her film career working for Mack Sennett and D. W. Griffith. Her first leading role was as the bare legged prehistoric girl in 'Man's Genesis 1912. By 1913, Mae was being groomed as the successor to Mary Pickford. Most of her film roles were dramatic or tragic or a combination of both. She appeared in Griffith's 'The Birth of a Nation 1915 and 'Intolerance 1916, she retired on the eve of her marriage in 1918. During the 20's, Mae did a few movies in Hollywood and in England, but stayed retired for the most part. It was not until the 1929 Wall Street Crash wiped out most of her funds that she would return full time to the screen. After her financial situation improved, she returned to films sporadically usually out of boredom. She was a favorite of Director John Ford and worked on a number of his big budget westerns over the years. The Grapes of Wrath 1940, How Green Was My Valley 1941, My Darling Clementine 1946, A Star Is Born 1954. The films she appeared in with John Wayne are That's My Boy 1932, 3 Godfathers 1948, Fort Apache 1948, The Fighting Kentuckian 1949, The Quiet Man 1952, The Searchers 1956, The Wings of Eagles 1957, Donovan's Reef 1963. Mae died on 13 February 1968 Hermosa Beach, California, USA. and was greatly missed.
Birth name Michail Mazuruski born on 25 December 1907 in Tarnopol, Austria. now in Ukraine. Mike Mazurki this massively built 6' 6", craggy-featured ex-wrestler was both ideally cast and remarkably effective as the dull-witted thug Moose Malloy "I want you should find my Velma" in the classic whodunit, Murder, My Sweet 1944. It was the high point of his lengthy (if somewhat one-note) acting career. Mazurki often played dumbbell hoods, but he also inherited Victor McLaglen's place in John Ford's stock company, and appeared in many costume dramas and swashbucklers as well. He had enough of a sense of humor to kid his own tough guy image in many feature-film and TV appearances, including a 1986 Rod Stewart music video. He appeared in three films with John Wayne Dakota 1945, Blood Alley 1955, Donovan's Reef 1963, Mike died on 9 December 1990 in Glendale, California, USA.
Born Strother Martin Jr. 26 March 1919 Kokomo, Indiana, USA, Grew up in Indianapolis IN. Excelled at swimming and diving. At 17 won the National Junior Springboard Diving Championship. Attended University of Michigan as diving team member. Navy service as swimming instructor in World War II. Nicknamed "T-Bone" Martin, his 3rd place finish in the adult National Springboard Diving Championships cost him a place on the 1948 Olympic team. Moved to California to become an actor, but worked in odd jobs and as a swimming instructor to Marion Davies and the children of Charles Chaplin Worked as a swimming extra in several films and as a leprechaun on a local children's TV show, Mabel's Fables. Bit parts came his way, leading to television work with Sam Peckinpah which led to a lifelong relationship. He also found memorable roles with John Ford and by the 1960's was a familiar face in American movies. With Cool Hand Luke 1967 in 1967 came new acclaim and a place among the busiest character actors in Hollywood. He appeared in six films with JohnWayne The Horse Soldiers 1959, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 1962, McLintock 1963, The Sons of Katie Elder 1965, True Grit 1969, Rooster Cogburn 1975, Picture from True Grit, Strother died on 1 August 1980 in Thousand Oaks, California, USA.
Born John Nicholas Foran 18 June 1910 Flemington, New Jersey, USA, Dick Foran 6' 2¼" was the matinee idol of the B movies. He started as a band singer and then sang on the radio. He was hired by Warner Brothers as a supporting actor who could croon a tune when called upon. His good looks and good natured personality made him a natural choice for the supporting cast. His first starring role was in the western Treachery Rides the Range 1936 which was Warner Brothers answer to Gene Autry. In the westerns that followed, Song of the Saddle 1936 California Mail 1936, his character name may be different, but 'The Singing Cowboy' tag was always the same. While at Warner's he also played straight dramatic roles, supporting the star. In 1940, Dick headed for Universal where he was, again, in the supporting cast. He worked in serials, Rangers of Fortune 1940 horror, The Mummy's Hand, 1940 to comedy, Ride 'Em Cowboy 1942 His signature theme "I'll Remember April" was introduced in Ride 'Em Cowboy 1942. After that, roles were sporadic. He made a half dozen films in the late fifties and did some Television. His last film role was in Donovan's Reef 1963 with his longtime friend John Wayne, he also appeared in Fort Apache 1948. Dick died on 10 August 1979 in Panorama City, California, USA.