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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Mickey Simpson (1913-1985) [Keep 'Em Flying (1941); The Great Bank Robbery (1969)] was born Charles Henry Simpson to Fred and Bertha Rogers Simpson in Rochester, New York. He was the eldest of four sons, one of whom, Richard, died in childhood. By his twenties, he had grown into a hulking figure and considered a boxing career. Simpson, nicknamed "Mickey," arrived in Los Angeles in the late 1930s. Some unconfirmed stories have him working as a chauffeur for Claudette Colbert. In 1939, he reportedly played a tiny bit part in his first film, Stagecoach (1939), a film whose director, John Ford, would loom large in Simpson's career. Simpson found fairly steady movie work as various guards, cops, bouncers, and thugs until his career was interrupted by World War II, in which he served in the U.S. Army. When he returned to Hollywood, it was Ford who resurrected his career, giving Simpson a small but notable role as one of Walter Brennan's sons in My Darling Clementine (1946). Simpson would appear in a total of nine Ford films, though his most familiar role is probably that of Sarge, the racist diner owner who beats up Rock Hudson near the end of Giant (1956).
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Sir Donald Sinden, KBE, (1923- ) is a British stage actor. A stalwart of the Royal Shakespeare Company he broke into acting after appearing in revues for the Royal Navy during World War II. He is more known for the puppet of him in Spitting Image that characterised him as a toady obsessed with the royal family and gaining a knighthood. One of his more familiar roles was as Simon Peel in the comedy Never the Twain (1981). He also appeared on radio including Sir Charles Baskerville in the Radio 4 adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles. In the late 1970's, he starred with Elaine Stritch in a BBC television series later shown on PBS, Two's Company. Other roles include many stage appearances in the works of Sheridan and even a small role in the cult series The Prisoner.
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Jeremy Slate (1926-2006) [G.I. Blues (1960); Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962); Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn (1989)] was born Robert Perham. He attended a military academy, joined the navy at 16 and was barely 18 when his destroyer joined the invasion of Normandy on D-Day (June 6, 1944). Aboard that destroyer at Omaha Beach that day, Jeremy vowed if he survived the attack he would make his life a never-ending series of adventures. He has lived up to that promise with adventures as a lifeguard, a swimming instructor, the first person to swim across Long Island Sound after the war, college graduate with honors in English, writer, songwriter, screenwriter, a radio announcer, actor and director. After college he became a radio sportscaster and DJ for CBS and ABC affiliates while beginning a family that ultimately included three sons and two daughters. As a young man with a growing family, he had a promising career as a public relations executive with W.R. Grace and Co. For six years he worked for Grace as travel manager for president, J. Peter Grace. He then joined the Grace Steamship Line and moved with his family to Lima, Peru. While in Peru he joined a professional theater group and became involved with the production of The Rainmaker. He was awarded the Peruvian equivalent of the Tony award for his portrayal of the character Starbuck. After a year of training, he left W.R. Grace to pursue a theatrical career and was cast in a small, significant role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Look Homeward, Angel on Broadway and did 254 performances.
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George F. Slavin (1916-2001) [], writer of 17 Hollywood feature films and 300 episodes and pilot episodes for television. In World War II he served with the RAF, AAF, Ferry Command and Air Transport Command. Decorations include: Victory Medal, American Theatre Service Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, Allied Ribbon, British General Service.
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Kent Smith (1907-1985) was born in New York City on March 19, 1907, to a hotelier. He graduated from boarding school (Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire) and attended Harvard University, finding theater work at various facilities during his time off. Aside from an isolated appearance in The Garden Murder Case (1936), Kent's film output didn't officially begin until 1942. RKO took an interest in the stage-trained actor and offered him a lead role in the low-budget horror classic Cat People (1942) as the husband of menacingly feline Simone Simon. He returned to his protagonist role in the lesser-received sequel The Curse of the Cat People (1944). After a few more decent film, including Hitler's Children (1943) and This Land Is Mine (1943), Kent joined the U.S. Army Air Force and appeared in several government training films during World War II. Because of his age and the winding down of war-time film projects, his service ended in 1944.
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Aaron Spelling (1923- ) [Actor: Vicki (1953); Mad at the World (1955)] is a prolific American film and television producer. He has worked on almost 200 productions including Starsky and Hutch, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Hart to Hart, Dynasty, T.J. Hooker, Family, Twin Peaks, Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, Charmed and on and on and on! Certain sources list him as the world's most prolific television producer. He was born in Dallas, Texas. He went to Forest Avenue High School. After serving with the US Army Air Forces in World War II he graduated from Southern Methodist University, Dallas in 1945. He had his break as a writer, selling his first script to Jane Wyman Theater in 1954. He went on to write for Dick Powell, Playhouse 90, and Last Man, amongst others. He joined Powell's Four Star Productions. After the death of Powell he formed Thomas-Spelling Productions with Danny Thomas, their first hit was The Mod Squad. He lives in Los Angeles, his home is the largest single-family dwelling in California.
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Mickey Spillane (1918-2006) [created the P.I. character, Mike Hammer and authored: I, The Jury (1947); My Gun Is Quick (1950)] was born Frank Morrison Spillane, an only child, in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He started writing in high school, graduating in 1935. He briefly attended Fort Hays State College in Kansas and worked a variety of jobs, including summers as a life-guard and a period as a trampoline artist for Ringling Bros. - Barnum & Bailey Circus. During World War II Spillane enlisted in the Army Air Corps becoming a fighter pilot and a flight instructor. After the war he wrote crime novels, many featuring his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have sold internationally. In 1980, Spillane was responsible for seven of the top 15 all-time best-selling fiction titles in the U.S. He first married Mary Ann. They had four children (Caroline, Kathy, Michael, Ward), but the marriage ended in 1962. In Nov. 1965 he married night club singer Sherri Malinou. After that marriage ended in divorce (and a lawsuit) in 1983, Spillane shared his waterfront house in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, with Jane Rogers Johnson, whom he married in October 1983. He received an Edgar Allan Poe Grand Master Award in 1995. Spillane's novels went out of print, but in 2001, the New American Library began reissuing them. Spillane died at his home in Murrells Inlet, of pancreatic carcinoma. After his death, his friend and literary executor, Max Allan Collins, began editing and completing Spillane's unpublished typescripts, beginning with a Mike Hammer novel, The Goliath Bone (2008). -- Excerpted from Wikipedia.
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Robert Stack (1919-2003) [Written On The Wind (1956), The Untouchables (tv 1959-1963)] served as a gunnery officer in the U.S. Navy for more than three years during World War II.

Quotes:
"Well, I come from a military family. Whether it's the country or city, I never liked the bad guy. I never put my arms around John Gotti, Al Capone or Lucky Luciano. For me very simply they were the bad guys. And when I did The Untouchables (1959), I told them going in, 'If you try apologizing for any of these crumb bums, get someone else to play the part.' "



"I am very pro law enforcement."
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Harry Dean Stanton (1926- ) is a prolific character actor with a drooping, weather-beaten appearance and superb acting talent. He has appeared in over 100 films, and 50 TV episodes. Born in West Irvine, Kentucky, Stanton served in the Navy in World War II and was in the Battle of Okinawa. He then returned to the University of Kentucky to appear in a production of Pygmalion, before heading out to California and honing his craft at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse. Stanton then toured the US with a male choir, worked in children's theater, and then headed back to California. His first role onscreen was in the tepid Tomahawk Trail (1957), but he was quickly noticed and appeared regularly in minor roles as cowboys and soldiers through the late 1950s and early 1960s. His star continued to rise and he received better roles in which he could showcase his laid-back style, such as in Cool Hand Luke (1967), Kelly's Heroes (1970), Dillinger (1973), The Godfather: Part II (1974), and in Alien (1979). Stanton came to the attention of director Wim Wenders and was cast in his finest role yet, as Travis in the movie Paris, Texas (1984). Next, director Alex Cox gave Stanton a role that really brought him to the forefront, in the quirky cult film Repo Man (1984).
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Anthony Steel (1920-2001) [Once Upon a Dream (1949); The Monster Club (1980)]. Known primarily in Britain for his many "matinée idol" roles during the 1950s, Anthony Steel is perhaps best remembered in Hollywood and elsewhere as the erstwhile husband of Anita Ekberg. His career never really took off in Hollywood; at one point during his marriage to Ms. Ekberg, he was referred to as Mr. Ekberg -- a slight that reflected his success (or lack of it) in movies following the eventual breakup of the marriage. Steel was born in London and was the son of an Indian army officer. He was educated at Cambridge and served in the army for England during World War II. It wasn't until after the war that he pursued acting, starring in such adventure-charged films as Malta Story (1953) for the J. Arthur Rank studio.
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Rod Steiger (1925-2002) [On the Waterfront (1954); In the Heat of the Night (1967)]. Steiger's breakthrough role came in 1954, with the classic On the Waterfront for which he was nominated for an Oscar. Since then he was a presence on the screen as everything from a popular leading man to a little-known character actor. Steiger made a name for himself in many different types of roles, from a crooked promoter in The Harder They Fall (1956) to the title character in Al Capone (1959). Steiger falsified his age to enlist in the U.S. Navy at 16 and served as a Torpedoman in World War II.
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Robert Sterling (1917-2006) [Two-Faced Woman (1941); A Global Affair (1964)] was born William Sterling Hart in Pennsylvania, the son of a professional ballplayer. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, then worked as a clothing salesman before deciding to give acting a try. He certainly had the requisite looks as Columbia signed him in 1939. Billed as Robert Sterling as not to confuse anyone with the silent screen legend William S. Hart, he was groomed in two-reeled shorts and bit parts in minor features but nothing much happened. Sterling serve during World War II with the Army Air Force as a pilot instructor and at one point was stationed in London.
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Warren Stevens (1919- ) [Red Skies of Montana (1952); Phone Call from a Stranger (1952); Stroker Ace (1983)] was born in Pennsylvania and joined the Navy at age 17. His interest in acting was piqued while he was attending Annapolis, and this resulted in 12 weeks of summer stock in Virginia. His friends, Gregory Peck and Kenneth Tobey, later arranged interviews for Stevens at the renowned Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. Following Air Force service as a pilot during World War II, Stevens began concentrating on his acting career, working in radio and summer stock and joining New York's Actors Studio. His break came via a key role in Broadway's Detective Story, which in turn led to offers from Hollywood studios and a contract with 20th Century-Fox. In the half-century since his movie debut, he has acted in dozens of features and hundreds of TV episodes.
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James Stewart (1908-1997) [Rear Window (1954); Anatomy of a Murder (1959)]. Entered the Army Air Forces as a private and worked his way to the rank of Colonel. During WWII Stewart served as a bomber pilot. His service record credits him with leading more than 20 missions over Germany and taking part in hundreds of air strikes during his tour of duty. He earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, France's Croix de Guerre, and 7 Battle Stars during WWII. In peace time Stewart continued to be an active member of the Air Force Reserves reaching the rank of Brigadier General before retiring in the late 1950s.
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Nigel Stock (1919-1986) [Lancashire Luck (1937); Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)] was a veteran British actor of stage, screen, radio and TV, known as a character actor in particular. He studied for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he earned the Leverhulme Exhibition, Northcliffe Scholarship, and the Principal's Medal. He was born in Malta, grew up in India and died of a heart attack. His acting career was interrupted by wartime service between 1939 and 1945, serving in Burma, China and Kohima. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Major. He made his debut stage appearance in 1931 and during his career achieved numerous classical and contemporary credits at various distinguished theaters, including the Old Vic and on Broadway, with productions of The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, She Stoops to Conquer, Uncle Vanya and Sleuth.
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Leonard Stone (1923–2011) [The Mugger (1958); Hardly Working (1980); TV movie: Surrender, Dorothy (2006)] was born Leonard Steinbock in Salem, Oregon. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. After World War II, he studied drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, England. Then he moved to Australia where he joined the traveling theatre production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical, South Pacific. Was nominated for Broadway's 1959 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Musical) for Redhead. Best remembered as the self-important father of gum-crunching Violet Beauregarde in the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). On 22 September 2000, he appeared as an ordinary, non-celebrity contestant on Wheel of Fortune placing second, winning $4,250 and a trip to Bermuda valued at $5,310. Last acting role was in the TV-movie Dorothy (2007) starring Diane Keaton. He died November 2, 2011 (age 87) in Encinitas, California.
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Larry Storch (1923- ) [The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951); Bittersweet Place (2005)]. As a kid in the 1930s growing up in a tough New York neighborhood, kinetic wiseguy Larry Storch took in the multi-ethnic flavor of his surroundings and started blurting out various accents as a juvenile to provoke laughs and earn attention. Little did he know that this early talent would take him on a six-decade journey as a prime actor and comedian. Larry's gift as an impressionist paid off early as a teen in vaudeville houses. Following military duty during World War II as a seaman (1942-1946), a happenstance meeting with comedian Phil Harris in Palm Springs led to an opening act gig at Ciro's for the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz show. From there, he received his biggest break on radio with "The Kraft Music Hall" when he was asked to sub for an ailing Frank Morgan. Larry not only delivered his patented star impersonations, he did a devastating one of Morgan himself that went over famously.
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Frank Sutton (1923-1974) [Four Boys and a Gun (1957); The Satan Bug (1965)] was born Frank Spencer Sutton in Clarksville, Tennessee. An only child, both his parents had jobs working for the local newspaper. When he was eight, the family moved to Nashville, his father dying some time later of an intestinal ailment. Belonging to the drama club and appearing in high school plays sparked his early interest in acting, and he majored in Dramatic Arts at Columbia University, graduating cum laude. Gaining experience on the local stages, he eventually found a job as a radio announcer. While serving in the U.S. Army in World War II, he distinguished himself by taking part in 14 assault landings, including Leyte, Luzon, Bataan and Corregidor. Following WWII military service, he returned to acting and in the 1950s segued into TV, appearing on a couple of the more popular children's adventure series -- Captain Video and His Video Rangers (1949) and Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1950). Based in New York, Sutton also found work on the soaps The Edge of Night (1956) and The Secret Storm (1954). Later, as the antagonistic, in-your-face Sgt. Vince Carter, whose outer bluster occasionally revealed a softer inner core, the 41-year-old Sutton finally found himself front and center co-starring in one of sitcomdom's most successful spin-offs -- Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964), the offspring of The Andy Griffith Show (1960). In an interesting turnaround, the actor whose best known role was playing a Marine sergeant, could not pass the Marine Corps. physical during WWII and ended up serving in the Army. BTW: Sutton held a Black Belt in Judo.
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Shaun Sutton (1919-2004) [TV series, acting: The Man in Armour (1951); The Cabin in the Clearing (1954)] was born Shaun Alfred Graham Sutton in Hammersmith, London, England to theatrical parents. He studied drama at the Embassy School. He worked as an actor in several London shows before the outbreak of World War II. He served in the Royal Navy in 1940 and after the war, he returned to acting. He joined the BBC in 1952 working on mainly children's comedies and in 1962 became one of the original directors for the then new series Z Cars. In 1966, he became head of serials for the BBC, responsible for a huge output of high quality drama including The Forsyte Saga. The 1967 serial put BBC2 on the map, attracting six million viewers on Sunday evenings and was repeated a year later on BBC1, gaining an audience of 18 million. It was the first serial ever to be sold to the Soviet Union and was purchased by stations all over America. The series confirmed the BBC's reputation for costume dramas and spawned a host of clones like The First Churchills and The Pallisers.
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Dolph Sweet (1920-1985) [Rhinoceros (1961); Gimme a Break! TV (1981)] was born in New York City, the son of an auto mechanic. He initially attended the University of Alabama in 1939, but his studies were interrupted by World War II Air Force duty. As a navigator of B-24s, he was shot down during a raid and captured, spending two years as a POW in Germany. For his valor he was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross and The Purple Heart. A semi-pro football player and a boxer at one point, he received his Masters from Columbia University in 1949 at age 29. He subsequently became the head of the drama division of the English Department at Barnard College from 1949 to 1961.

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William Talman (1915-1968) [The Hitch-Hiker (1953); Hamilton Burger on Perry Mason tv (1957-1966)]. Talman was appearing in Spring Again at Henry Miller's Theatre in January of 1942 when he received his draft notice for induction into the U.S. army. Prior to leaving for active duty he married actress Lynne Carter. He entered the army as a private and saw 30 months of service in the Pacific during WWII, where he won a commission to the rank of major. His assignments included the managing of a school that trained soldiers to put on shows. At one point he was in charge of training boxing and baseball teams. He was proud that his teams won both the boxing and baseball championships of the Western Pacific.
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