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1-17 of 17
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Kay Stewart was born on 17 April 1919 in Cleburne, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for Front Row Center (1955), The Best of the Post (1960) and Life with Henry (1940). She was married to William Russell Dickens, James Russell Halford and Langdon William Proctor. She died on 5 March 2002 in San Ramon, California, USA.- Actress
- Producer
Amanda Saunders was born on 30 January 1978 in Cleburne, Texas, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Rumble Through the Dark (2023), The Bygone (2019) and All My Children (1970).- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Sometimes a letter is more than just a letter. No one believes that more than Rex McGee, screenwriter, journalist, and creativity coach. While a film student at the University of Southern California, Rex wrote what could have been dismissed as an ordinary fan letter to his idol, six-time Oscar winner Billy Wilder, about the director's newest film at the time, a romantic comedy called Avanti!
Wilder was impressed with the letter, and invited 21-year-old Rex to meet him at his office. That first introduction ultimately led to a 29-year friendship like no other, with Rex assisting Wilder, famous for the classics Some Like It Hot and Sunset Boulevard, with newer films: The Front Page, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, and then Fedora with William Holden and Henry Fonda.
A native of North Texas, Rex was the son of a local movie projectionist who, ironically, hated movies. Prior to chasing his filmmaking dream at USC, he was raised in the Fort Worth area and graduated from Burleson High School (long before Kelly Clarkson). When he graduated with a bachelor of arts in Cinema, his skeptical father wondered whether he would ever get a 'real' job.
But that meeting with Wilder Rex's junior year of college provided the inspiration and courage necessary to launch the Texas native on a career doing what he loved. Rex began writing movie scripts, while also working as a studio story analyst and writing for magazines such as Playboy and American Film. His screenplays were soon being optioned, but as is so often the case, they weren't getting produced.
Though successful in a city that eats many alive, Rex finally hit the proverbial 'creative wall' in L.A. He had outlived both of his parents and endured the end of a long-term relationship when he lost his dear Aunt Alice, who considered him like a son. She bequeathed to him her 100-year-old home in Cleburne, and Rex took that as a sign that it was time to revisit his roots. He packed up and moved back to Texas.
Shortly after returning home, Rex got a call from film producer Jerry Weintraub (protégé of Elvis Presley's manager, Col. Tom Parker), who needed a movie script to showcase country music star George Strait. Rex wrote a story of a successful but unhappy singer who walks away from the limelight to return to his Texas roots, looking for a more genuine existence. The film, Pure Country (1992), was really Rex's own story in disguise, and it turned out to have universal appeal. The movie was a hit not only for Strait, but also for Rex.
Today, Rex's story of homecoming is now being developed into a stage musical with Tony-winning Broadway producer Michael Skipper (In the Heights). His movie about the aunt who left Rex her house, Where There's a Will (2006), starring Marion Ross, Frank Whaley and Keith Carradine, has become a beloved perennial on the Hallmark Channel. Whether as a writer in L.A. or Cleburne, Texas, Rex still battles the blank page every day, working on diverse film projects about the Soviet Union, cable TV news, and the Chicago Cubs. He has a thirteen-year-old daughter, Annie, who loves old movies.
Rex is also passing along the hard-won professional lessons he has learned over the years. He teaches screenwriting at SMU and the KD College of Film and Dramatic Arts in Dallas, and he has conducted creativity workshops at SMU, TCU, Texas Instruments and Radio Shack called "The Artist's Way," which are based on the bestselling book by Julia Cameron that sharpened his own artistic approach. He helps his students revive the creative process, guiding them toward their dreams of becoming writers, painters, musicians - whatever they desire -- or simply adding more creativity to their jobs as engineers and mathematicians, journalists and human resource specialists.
Just as in his own life, Rex enjoys seeing his students take the artistic reins. Being consistently creative is about removing fear and taking fresh risks, he says, and Rex knows first-hand that taking a risk -- whether a letter to a famous director or a move back home -- could be the chance of a lifetime.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Benjamin Wilbanks was born in the early morning hours of May 12, 1977 in Cleburne, Texas. His parents are David Wilbanks, and Judith Comer Wilbanks. He has one younger sister, Sarah Wilbanks. Benjamin's first taste of theater came at age seven when he played a native in the chorus of Cleburne's local theater company production of South Pacific. The next few years his mother encouraged his theatrical aspirations by enrolling him in Casa Mana's acting school in Fort Worth, Texas.
While spending a week with his grandparents in Dallas, Benjamin and his sister Sarah spent a few days as extras in the Steve Martin / Liam Neeson film Leap Of Faith. This was Benjamin's first taste of film production, which encouraged him to take film acting lessons the following summer in Dallas. In his junior year in high school, Benjamin lied about his age to make himself eligible as an extra on Walker, Texas Ranger starring Chuck Norris. More than once Benjamin skipped classes to go to the set and spent more time watching the crew than mugging for the camera.
Throughout high school Benjamin shot videos with his friends, editing them between VCRs, and showing them at Chapel at Chisholm Trail Academy in Keene, Texas.
In 1994 Benjamin auditioned for and was cast in The Promise - an epic musical drama based on the life of Jesus - produced in Glen Rose, Texas. This job with the outdoor theater company was Benjamin's first paying job. An actor. In the first rehearsal, he was terrified that he was going to be told that his casting was a mistake and that he was going to be asked to leave by the director, Mike Meece. Instead, he was chosen to play the part of Malchus, the servant whose ear is cut off by the Apostle Peter in the garden when Jesus is arrested. Benjamin played this part for two seasons in Glen Rose, and two seasons at The Promise in Branson, Missouri when The Promise opened there, as well as a weekend performance in Atlanta, Georgia, and a tour to the Kremlin State Palace theater in Moscow, Russia. In 1996 Benjamin left The Promise in Branson, and moved back to Texas to work in film and television. Again he found himself on the set of Walker, Texas Ranger as an extra. Frustrating to him, Benjamin decided it was time to make a change. He packed up his car and took off to Nashville, Tennessee to live with his uncle and aunt, Tim and Sharon Comer.
While in Nashville, Benjamin found production work fairly easily. He worked regularly with Stephen Yake Productions, and was the Assistant Art Director for the A/V Squad's production of the Bob Carlisle music video Father's Love. In 1998, Benjamin worked with producer Michael B. Seligman on the A Taste of Lexus tour in Dallas and in Washington D.C. where Seligman then moved him to his production office at the Kennedy Center.
After about a month in Washington, Benjamin left Washington and returned to Texas via Nashville. Returning to Texas, he slowly stepped out of production work and found himself working at the Kimbell Art Museum as the manager of the audio tours, and at the Sundance Square Barnes & Noble Bookstore. In April of 2002, Benjamin heard about a turnover in the staff of his old first-love, The Promise in Glen Rose, and felt that there may be an opportunity for him to offer his services and passion to the production that he'd started at. He got a job with the company as the marketing manager, a job that turned into more responsibility than he'd expected. Soon Benjamin found that he was the only full time employee of the entire theater company and unofficially filled the job of general manager, producer and operations manager.
After a stressful two and a half seasons attempting to keep the production together without his old mentor and director, Mike Meece, and facing the difficulties of keeping a tourist attraction outdoor theater open after 9/11, Benjamin felt that his time had come to get out of the outdoor theater company.
Benjamin left The Promise, and worked in television for shows such as It's A Miracle, Biker Buildoff, Rennovate My Family, Design Invasion and more. In the fall of 2004 Benjamin worked on the independent horror film Bit Parts directed by artist and filmmaker Michael McWillie. It was on that set that Benjamin formed a friendship with producer Max Steward, and actress Eryn Brooke. This also was the first major collaboration with friend and collaborator Ron Gonzalez.
After working on bit parts, Ron, Max and Benjamin decided to shoot their own digital horror film, and Benjamin presented his script, The Night Crawlers, to them. In the spring of 2005, Benjamin and Max were working together on developing the fund raising and production company to make the film when the opportunity came for Benjamin to go to Iraq with his uncle, Tim Comer.
In April of 2005, Benjamin and Tim left for the Middle East to shoot create what would eventually become the documentary A Journey To Iraq. The eleven day trip turned into a twenty-one day trip, and nothing on the journey took place according to the schedule or to Benjamin's liking. Editing the project took over a year.- Actor
- Writer
John Steakley was born on 26 July 1951 in Cleburne, Texas, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Vampires (1998), Don't Hang Up (1974) and Scary Texas Movie (1997). He was married to Nannette Roshell Felter and Lori Jo Jones. He died on 27 November 2010 in McKinney, Texas, USA.- Actress
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Nikki Lee Hinson was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas to Ronda and Vincent Hinson. She has one older sister, Mandi, one older step-brother Michael, a younger brother Nathan, a younger step-sister Brittany, and some German, Irish, and English ancestry.
An openly creative and imaginative child, she found the love of entertaining at the age of three. When she was about twelve years old, Nikki's Aunt, a costume designer for a children's theatre in Houston, Texas, invited her to a summer workshop where she was cast as Violet Beauregard in a production of "Willy Wonka". After that she was hooked. Nikki returned to Houston every summer in high school to perform with the Express Children's Theatre and eventually performed a local tour with the company. For ten consecutive years Nikki stayed active in the Texas performance circuit, performing in over 30 regional and college theatrical productions.
Nikki obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Texas Wesleyan University, with an emphasis on directing and performance. Since then she continues to stay active with directing, writing, and performing for independent film projects. She lives in Los Angeles, California with her family.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Jack Hays was born on 28 September 1898 in Cleburne, Texas, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Mr. Lemon of Orange (1931), Kid 'in' Africa (1933) and The Pie-Covered Wagon (1932). He was married to June Glory and Josephine. He died on 30 May 1975 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Costume Designer
Gordon Conway was born on 18 December 1894 in Cleburne, Texas, USA. She was a costume designer, known for Rome Express (1932), The Good Companions (1933) and High Treason (1929). She died on 9 June 1956 in Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA.- Dillon Gee was born on 28 April 1986 in Cleburne, Texas, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Johnny Carroll was born on 23 October 1937 in Cleburne, Texas, USA. He is known for Rock Baby - Rock It (1957) and To Say Goodbye (2011). He died on 18 February 1995 in Dallas, Texas, USA.- Jane Burr was born on 27 December 1882 in Cleburne, Texas, USA. She was a writer, known for The Arnelo Affair (1947). She died in 1958 in the USA.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Del Sharbutt was a very familiar voice on radio and television into the 1970s. Educated at Texas Christian University, he began his broadcasting career at WBAP in Fort Worth, Texas. Then Del worked at CBS in New York (1934-1938), and did freelance announcing thereafter. He joined ASCAP in 1952 and has a song credit: "A Romantic Guy, I" with Joseph Lilly.- Jim Bentley was born on 18 October 1952 in Cleburne, Texas, USA. He was a producer, known for Day 51: The True Story of Waco (1995). He died on 16 September 2010 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
- Kaci Hickox was born on 21 January 1981 in Cleburne, Texas, USA.
- Bert Haily was born on 23 December 1894 in Cleburne, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Reformation (1920). He died on 13 February 1952 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Willie Lewis was born on 10 June 1905 in Cleburne, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Cinderella (1937) and Fanfare d'amour (1935). He died on 13 January 1971 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Spike Owen was born on 19 April 1961 in Cleburne, Texas, USA.