Don Abney (1923-2000) [Pete Kelly's Blues (1955); Cindy (1978) (TV)] was born in Baltimore, Maryland and became a jazz pianist accompanist to Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Thelma Carpenter, and the Billy Williams Quartet



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Sydney Chaplin (1926-2009) [Limelight (1952); Satan's Cheerleaders (1977)] was born in Beverly Hills, California as Sydney Earle Chaplin. He bore a similar, slightly forlorn facial resemblance of his famous dad, Charlie Chaplin. Drafted into the infantry at age 18, a new sense of purpose took over him when he was sent to Europe to serve in World War II as a bazooka man in the Third Army under General George Patton.
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Lonny Chapman (1920-2007) [Young at Heart (1954); Reindeer Games (2000)] was born Lon Leonard Chapman in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but grew up in the city of Joplin, Missouri. His interest in acting started while fairly young. Following his graduations from Joplin High School (1938) and Joplin Junior College (1940), the athletically-inclined Lonny attended the University of Oklahoma on a track scholarship. The bombing of Pearl Harbor, however, interrupted his college studies, joining the Marines the very next day. He saw major action in the South Pacific, including Guadalcanal. During his 5-year tour of duty, he contracted malaria; frequent recurrences would plague him the rest of his life. The track star returned to his Oklahoma college following war duty and graduated with a BFA in Drama in 1947.
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Julia Child (1912-2004). After Pearl Harbor she tried to join the Navy but was rejected as too tall. She joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) instead and began her WWII career in Washington working directly for Gen William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan, the OSS chief. In 1944 she was posted to Kandy, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) where she handled highly classified communications for the OSS's clandestine stations in Asia, and where she met her future husband, a high-ranking OSS cartographer. She was later posted to China where she received the Emblem of Meritorious Civilian Service as head of the Registry of the OSS Secretariat.
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Fred Clark (1914-1968) [White Heat (1949); Move Over, Darling (1963)] was born Frederick Leonard Clark on March 19 1914, the son of Frederick Clark, a county agriculture commissioner, and Stella (née Bruce) Clark, in Lincoln, California, Fred's initial interest was in medicine and he pursued his pre-med studies at Stanford University. A chance role in the college play Yellow Jack change the coarse of his destiny. Earning a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he paid his dues performing in local community theater and summer stock. By May of 1938, at age 24, he was making his Broadway debut with the short-lived comedy play Schoolhouse on the Lot. He then returned to Broadway a few months later to appear in the melodrama Ringside Seat, which also closed early. Fred's nascent career was interrupted when America entered World War II. He served as a Navy pilot in 1942 but later joined the Army and spent nearly two years with the Third Army in Europe. -- [Excerpted from Wikipedia and IMDB]
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Robert Clary (1926- ), born in France, early suffered the pangs of war, being interned in a Nazi concentration camp as a child. After World War II he became a singing star in France, and in 1949 came to the United States to promote his career. He appeared on "The Ed Wynn Show" (1949); still learning English he performed in a French language comedy skit. His comedic skills were recognized by Broadway, where he appeared in several revues, including one which moved from theater to film, New Faces (1954). In the 1950's he was a game show regular, and then in 1965 he became Corporal Louis LeBeau in "Hogan's Heroes" (1965-1971). Later film roles were based around WWII, such as Remembrance of Love (1982, TV) about Holocaust survivors. More recently he returned to television series, joining "Days of Our Lives" (1965) and appearing in "The Young and the Restless" (1973). [Text excerpted from IMDB]
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Lee Van Cleef (1925-1989) started out as an accountant. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard minesweepers and subchasers during World War II. After the war he worked as an office administrator, becoming involved in amateur theatrics in his spare time. An audition for a professional role led to a touring company job in Mr. Roberts. His performance was seen by Stanley Kramer, who cast him as henchman Jack Colby in High Noon (1952), a role that brought him great recognition despite the fact that he had no dialogue. For the next decade he played a string of memorably villainous characters, primarily in westerns but also in crime dramas such as The Big Combo (1955). His hawk nose and steely, slit eyes seemed destined to keep him always in the realm of heavies, but in the mid-'60s Sergio Leone cast him as the tough but decent Col. Mortimer opposite Clint Eastwood in For A Few Dollars More (1965). A new career as a western hero (or at least anti-hero) opened up, and Van Cleef became an international star, though in films of decreasing quality. In the 1980s he moved easily into action and martial-arts movies, and starred in "The Master" (1984), a TV series featuring almost non-stop martial arts action. He died of a heart attack in December 1989, and was buried at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills. -- [Excerpted from IMDB]
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Montgomery Clift (1920-1966) was rejected for service in World War II by the military due to chronic dysentery and colitis, conditions he suffered all of his life. Also he had pill problems and he was alcoholic. At 13, Clift appeared on Broadway (Fly Away Home), and chose to remain in the New York theater for over ten years, where he met wealthy former Broadway star Libby Holman, before finally leaving for Hollywood. Holman developed an intense decade-plus obsession over the young actor, even financing an experimental play, "Mexican Mural," for him. In Hollywood his film debut was Red River (1948) with John Wayne, quickly followed by his early personal successes: The Search (1948); A Place in the Sun (1951); From Here to Eternity (1953) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). Along the way, Holman would wield considerable influence over his film career. On her advice he turned down William Holden's role in Sunset Boulevard (1950, originally written specifically for him) and Gary Cooper's role in High Noon (1952). His friend Marilyn Monroe described him as "the only person I know who is in worse shape than I am."
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Lee J. Cobb (1911-1976) [The Vanishing Shadow (1934); How the West Was Won (1962)]. Cobb's film career proper began with the westerns North of the Rio Grande (1937) (in which he was billed as Lee Colt) and Rustlers' Valley (1937) and spanned nearly 40 years until his death. After a hiatus while serving in the Army Air Force during World War II, Cobb's movie career resumed in 1946. He continued to play major supporting roles in prestigious A-list pictures. His movie career reached its artistic peak in the 1950s, when he was twice nominated for Best Supporting Actor Academy Awards, for his role as Johnny Friendly in On the Waterfront (1954) and as the father in The Brothers Karamazov (1958). Other memorable supporting roles in the 1950s included the sagacious Judge Bernstein in The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956), as the probing psychiatrist Dr. Luther in The Three Faces of Eve (1957) and as the volatile Juror #3 in 12 Angry Men (1957).
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Steve Cochran (1917-1965) [Wonder Man (1945); White Heat (1949)]. Born in Eureka, California but raised in Laramie, Wyoming, the son of a lumberman. His early work included that of a cowboy and railroad station hand. Was rejected for World War II military service because of a heart murmur. Instead he organized and directed shows for Army camps on the West coast. On June 15, 1965, at the age of 48, Cochran died on his yacht off the coast of Guatemala of an acute lung infection. His body, along with three alive but upset female assistants, remained on board for ten days until the boat drifted to shore and was found by authorities. His death was apparently a mystery, surrounded by various rumors about foul play and poisoning. Merle Oberon tried to use her influence to push for further police investigations.
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Nicholas Colasanto (1924-1985) was an American actor, known primarily for his role as Ernie 'Coach' Pantusso on the long-running sitcom Cheers (1982-1993). Feature films include Fat City (1972) and Raging Bull (1980). A decorated veteran of World War II, he also directed various television series, such as Starsky and Hutch and CHiPs. Colasanto died of a heart ailment at the age of 61, just as Cheers was achieving its greatest success. He was replaced by Woody Harrelson. After his death, his presence on the show was represented by the placing of a picture of Geronimo on the wall of the show's primary set. The photo had previously hung in Colasanto's dressing room and was said to hold a special meaning to the actor. The picture remained on the set for the rest of the series' run. Eight years after Colasanto's death, the show offered a subtle but important nod to him in its final scene: star Ted Danson walks up to and straightens the Geronimo picture before walking off stage for the last time.
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Kenneth Connor (1916-1993) MBE, was a British comedy film and TV actor, best known for the Carry On films. Born the son of a naval officer in London, England, Connor first appeared on the stage at the age of 2 and by 11 had his own act. After a period at drama school and six-years in the army, he returned to the stage, but found success in radio comedy. He had a small role in The Ladykillers (1955). In 1958 he was cast in the first Carry On film, Carry On Sergeant. He became one of the key regulars of the series, initially being cast as a romantic lead, appearing in 17 of the 29 original films. He was married to the Carry On actress Dilys Laye, until their divorce, and his son Jeremy Connor appeared in four of the series. In contrast with some of his Carry On co-stars, Connor found further success in television after the series ended, appearing in the children's show Rentaghost (1983–1984), as Monsieur Alphonse in 'Allo 'Allo! (1984–1992) and Hi De Hi (1986–1988). He also made a memorable cameo in an episode of Blackadder the Third in 1987, alongside fellow veteran comic star Hugh Paddick. He was in over fifty movies and received an MBE in 1991. Connor died of cancer in London and was survived by his wife Margaret.
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Chuck Connors (1921-1992) [Trouble Along the Way (1953); The Big Country (1958); TV: The Rifleman (1959-1961)] was an actor and professional baseball player. He was born Kevin Joseph Connors to Irish-American parents in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up with a sister named Gloria. He attended a private high school and later attended Seton Hall in South Orange, New Jersey. He then dropped out in 1942 to join the army at Camp Campbell, Kentucky and next went to West Point. After his discharge in 1946, he joined the Boston Celtics and left the team for spring training with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He played for numerous minor league teams before joining the Dodgers in 1949 for a few weeks. Later, in 1951 he also played for the Chicago Cubs. He was then sent to the minor leagues again, in 1952, and there he was spotted by an MGM casting director for an upcoming Tracy-Hepburn film Pat and Mike, in which he played a state police captain. He died of lung cancer in Los Angeles, California.
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Mike Connors (1925- ) is best known for playing the title role in "Mannix," a two-fisted TV detective show with a snappy theme song. Mannix had a knack for one-liners, and a bad habit of getting pistol-whipped by thugs when he came too close to unraveling each week's mystery. In high school Connors played basketball, receiving the nickname "Touch" for playing tight defense. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II. He attended UCLA on a basketball scholarship, and was approached after a ball game by William A. Wellman, who told him he had an actor's expressive face and suggested he call RKO. Billed as Touch Connors, his first film was the noir classic Sudden Fear (1952) with Joan Crawford and Jack Palance. He made several films with low-budget master Roger Corman, including Swamp Woman (1955) with Marie Windsor, and Five Guns West (1955) with Dorothy Malone. In 1967 Connors began playing Mannix. Like Connors, Mannix was of Armenian extraction, and would occasionally offer pithy sayings in fluent Armenian. Gail Fisher played Mannix's secretary, winning an Emmy in the role, the first black actress so honored.
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William Conrad (1920-1994), born William Cann, was an American actor in radio, film and television noted for his gifted use of a marvelous baritone voice, as well as for his sizable girth. He was born in Louisville, KY. He started in radio in the late 1930s in California. He served as a fighter pilot in World War II and returned to the airwaves after the war, going on to accumulate over 7,000 roles in radio by his own estimate. Conrad's deep, resonant voice led to a number of noteworthy roles in radio drama, most prominently his originating the role of Matt Dillon on the old-time radio program Gunsmoke (1952-1961). He was considered for the role when the series was brought to television in 1955, but his increasing obesity led to the casting of James Arness. Other series to which Conrad contributed his talents included Escape, Suspense and The Damon Runyon Theater. Among his various film roles, where he was usually cast as threatening figures, perhaps his most notable role was his first credited one, as one of the gunmen sent to eliminate Burt Lancaster in the 1946 film The Killers. He also appeared in Body and Soul (1947), Sorry, Wrong Number, Joan of Arc (both 1948), and The Naked Jungle (1954).
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Russ Conway (1913-2009) [Trapped (1949); Tomahawk (1951); Fort Osage (1952); Guns of Diablo (1964)] -- sometimes appeared as Russell Conway -- played father Fenton Hardy to Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk's Hardy Boy sleuths in the Mickey Mouse TV series. He served in the U.S. Army's Special Services Unit during World War II. He was entertainment director at Ft. Ord before serving in the Philippines and, at the end of the war, in Japan, where he served as producer and announcer for Armed Forces Radio before beginning his Hollywood career in 1947. He earned a Bachelor's Degree from the U. of California at Los Angeles in 1937, and a Master's Degree in theater arts from UCLA, as well as teaching credentials.
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Jackie Coogan (1914-1984) [Tom Sawyer (1930); The Joker Is Wild (1957)]. Coogan enlisted in the US Army in March 1941. After the attack on Pearl Harbor he requested a transfer to US Army Air Forces as a glider pilot because of his civilian flying experience. After graduating from glider school he was made a Flight Officer and volunteered for hazardous duty with the 1st Air Commando Group. In December, 1943 the unit was sent to India. He flew British troops, the Chindits, under General Orde Wingate on 5 March, 1944 landing them at night in a small jungle clearing 100 miles behind Japanese lines in the Burma campaign.
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Elisha Cook Jr. (1903-1995) [The Maltese Falcon (1941), Shane (1953)] was an established character actor when WWII broke out. He nevertheless enlisted in U.S. Army on 15 August 1942. Height and weight at enlistment given as 5' 5" and 123 lb. Education given as 3 years of high school. He died of a stroke on his ranch at Big Pine, California in 1995 at the age of 91.
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Jackie Cooper (1922- ) is an American actor and director, one of the few child actors who managed to transition into an adult career. Born in Los Angeles, California the nephew of director Norman Taurog, Cooper first appeared in the movies in Boxing Gloves in 1929, one of the Our Gang child actors. His first non-Our Gang role was in 1931, when his uncle Norman Taurog hired him to star in Skippy, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor (the youngest actor ever to receive the nomination). The movie catapulted young Jackie into superstardom. He began a long on-screen relationship with actor Wallace Beery in such films as The Champ (1931), The Bowery (1933), Treasure Island (1934), and O'Shaughnessy's Boy (1935). Cooper had problems finding roles as he became an adolescent, and he served in World War II, so his career was at a nadir when he starred in two popular television series, The People's Choice and Hennesey. It was his television acting that convinced him that he could become a director, and he successfully moved behind the camera, to become one of the busier television directors, for which he won Emmy Awards.
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Jeff Corey (1914-2002) [My Friend Flicka (1943); Joan of Arc (1948); Home of the Brave (1949)]. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and became a film and television character actor as well as one of the top acting teachers in America. He joined the U.S. Navy Photographic Service in 1943 and was assigned to the aircraft carrier Yorktown as a motion picture combat photographer. He earned three citations while serving during the War, including one for shooting footage on the Yorktown during a kamikaze attack on the ship. The citation, which was awarded in October 1945, read: "His sequence of a Kamikaze attempt on the Carrier Yorktown, done in the face of grave danger, is one of the great picture sequences of the war in the Pacific, and reflects the highest credit upon Corey and the U.S. Navy Photographic Service." [Text excerpted from IMDB]
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Patrick Cranshaw (1919-2005) had a lengthy career in the motion picture industry that included such features as Arthur Penn's classic Bonnie And Clyde (1967), Tim Burton's Pee Wee's Big Adventure (1985), Christopher Guest's Almost Heroes (1998) and Joel and Ethan Coen's The Hudsucker Proxy (1994). Most recently Cranshaw starred in Everyone Says I Love You (1996) as Drew Barrymore's grandfather. He has also had an extremely prolific career on the small screen, with recurring roles on such popular series as Mork And Mindy, The Ted Knight Show, Dukes Of Hazzard and Alice. He has guest starred on everything from Little House On The Prairie and Highway To Heaven to Three's A Crowd and Growing Pains. He became interested in acting while entertaining American troops before World War II.
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Eddie Craven (1909-1991) [Million Dollar Melody (1933); Down Missouri Way (1946)] was an American stage actor from a well-known theatrical family, who appeared in a few films. His parents, 'Edward Craven' and 'Maude Patterson', were actors, and his uncle was the renowned playwright/actor Frank Craven. Although a New York native, Eddie Craven was raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He attended the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, but followed his schooling with a turn toward the profession of his family. He made his Broadway debut in 1932, and his film bow three years later. Following military service during World War II, Craven wrote a comic strip, Dimestore Daisy.
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Broderick Crawford (1911-1986) [All the King's Men (1949); Down Three Dark Streets (1954); tv, 156 episodes of Highway Patrol (1955-1959)]. After many supporting roles (including a memorable turn as a big but kind-hearted lug in the comedy Larceny, Inc. (1942)) and a stint in the military during World War II, Crawford had his breakthrough role in Robert Rossen's adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, All the King's Men. Crawford gave a masterful performance as the Southern politician modeled on Louisiana's Huey Long. In addition to the Oscar, he also won the New York Film Critics' Award as Best Actor.
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