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1-4 of 4
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Most certainly egged on by the dandified antics of an Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore and/or Franklin Pangborn, burlesque clown Billy DeWolfe in turn gave obvious inspiration to such effeminate cutups as Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilly. Billy's life was one hundred percent show business from start to finish in a career that lasted five decades, and it took everything, including the proverbial vaudeville hook, to get the delightful ham off the stage he craved and loved so well.
Christened William Andrew Jones, he was the son of a Welsh-born immigrant and bookbinder. Born in Massachusetts, the family returned to Wales almost immediately and did not come back to the States until Billy was nine years old. He began his career in the theater as an usher until he found work as a dancer with a band. He subsequently took his name from a theater manager, William De Wolfe, who actually offered him his name. Billy developed his own comedy-dance act and originally played the vaudeville circuit as part of a duo or trio. In London for five years, he eventually went solo and was given the chance to play the London Palladium at one point. He returned to America in 1939 and enjoyed notice as a prime radio and nightclub performer-impressionist, appearing in satirical revues, sometimes in drag, with great results.
Billy enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942 shortly after completing his first movie role as a riverboat conman in Dixie (1943) for Paramount. In civilian clothes again by war's end, he returned to Paramount and brought hyper comedy relief to a number of films including Miss Susie Slagle's (1946), Our Hearts Were Growing Up (1946), and The Perils of Pauline (1947). He then instigated what would become his suitor prototype. With trademark mustache and spiffy duds, he assumed the role of the highly ineffectual, fastidious, self-involved bore who loses the girl, in Dear Ruth (1947), one of his biggest film triumphs, which was followed by two "Dear..." movie sequels. Old-fashioned musicals were definitely his cup of tea and he was easily fit into such nostalgic fare as Tea for Two (1950) and Lullaby of Broadway (1951). One of his other film highlights includes getting snitty with bombastic Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam (1953).
Irrepressible and definitely hard to contain for film (not to mention difficult to cast due to his mincing mannerisms), Billy focused instead on the live stage. He won the 1954 Donaldson Award for the NY production of "John Murray Anderson's Almanac," returned to London in command performances, and revisited Broadway in the last edition of "The Ziegfeld Follies" in 1957. Better yet was his pompous performance in the musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" On TV he was a mildly popular raconteur on the talk show circuit. Fussy second-banana series roles took up his final decade of acting with such comedy series showcasing the likes of Imogene Coca, Phyllis Diller and Doris Day, who became a very close friend.
A lifelong hypochondriac, Billy was about to take on the role of Madam Lucy in a 1973 Broadway revival of "Irene" when the ravages of lung cancer forced him to leave the show before rehearsals even began. Character player George S. Irving replaced Billy and went on to win a supporting-actor Tony for his wild efforts. Billy lost his fight at age 67 in 1974.- Charlie Crafts was born on 6 October 1895 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Glen or Glenda (1953), The Art of Burlesque (1950) and Highway Patrol (1955). He died on 5 March 1974 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Sol Hurok was the legendary impresario who made the impossible breakthrough by bringing the Bolshoi Theatre Ballet to America During the Cuban Missile crisis. At that time he managed to separate the Russian art and culture from the Soviet politics of the day.
He was born Solomon Israilevich Gurkov on April 9, 1888, in Pogar, near Kharkov, Russia (now Kharkiv, Ukraine). He was the third son in a traditional Russian-Jewish family. His father, Israil Gurkov, was a retail trader. Young Hurok was a good balalaika player, albeit he was largely self-taught. He also worked for his father's business. At the age of 18, he was sent to study at the Kharkov Trade School, but instead he used all his money to emigrate to America in May, 1906, together with his girlfriend, Tamara Shapiro. They married in 1908 and had a daughter. In America, he changed his name to Sol Hurok, and learned English in addition to his native Russian and Yiddish. He was a peddler, streetcar conductor, bottle-washer, and hardware salesman before becoming the foremost impresario of his time. He became a naturalized American citizen in 1914.
Sol Hurok was a very inventive show promoter. In 1913, he inaugurated the popular concert series "Music for the Masses." By his own estimation, Hurok represented about four thousand artists and companies. His work was focused mainly on the Russian stars of music, opera, and ballet. He represented such performers as Efrem Zimbalist Sr., David Oistrakh, Leonid Kogan, Viktor Tretyakov, Valeri Klimov, Mstislav Rostropovich, opera singers Feodor Chaliapin Sr., Yelena Obraztsova, Irina Arkhipova, Galina Vishnevskaya, Zara Dolukhanova, ballet dancers Mikhail Fokin, Anna Pavlova, Isadora Duncan, Galina Ulanova, pianists Artur Rubinstein, Svyatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and also brought pianist Van Cliburn to Russia, among many others.
In 1935, in Paris, Hurok was introduced to singer Marian Anderson by the pianist Rubinstein. He was very impressed with her talent and organized her concerts in the United States. At that time any black performer could not be welcomed by most "elitist" concert halls in America. Sol Hurok managed to overcome that; he staged an open air performance for Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial on April 9, 1939. Anderson sang to the crowd of 75 thousands with such a tremendous success, that she became an overnight celebrity, and was invited to the White House by the first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
During the 1920s and 30s, Hurok managed American tours of the Diaghilev's Ballet Russe and also the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. In the 30s, 40s, and 50s, he brought theatrical companies from Europe, Russia, and Israel, such as Habima Players, Moscow Art Theatre, Comédie Française, and the Old Vic, among others. On one occasion, Hurok was asked by Joseph Stalin to "Bring Feodor Chaliapin back to Moscow." Stalin promised big money and glory to many famous Russian émigrés if they return, but Hurok's answer to Stalin was "No." In 1946 Hurok published his autobiography, 'Impresario', and the book was later adapted into film Tonight We Sing (1953) by director Mitchell Leisen.
Hurok's major achievements in the 60s were the impeccably organized international tours of the Bolshoi Theatre with it's famous large-scale Russian operas and ballets. He later organized numerous international tours for the Kirov Ballet of Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Russia. He also brought the Moscow Art Theatre and the 'Beriozka' ensemble on several tours to the United States. Hurok made the impossible breakthrough by bringing the Bolshoi Theatre Ballet to America During the Cuban Missile crisis. At that time he managed to separate the Russian art and culture from the Soviet politics of the day.
In 1972 Sol Hurok was injured by explosion of a bomb planted in his office, one of his staff receptionists was killed, several more were injured. However, Hurok continued his work on Russian - American projects, such as his Rudolf Nureyev project involving sponsorship from David Rockefeller. Hurok died of a heart attack en route to a meeting with David Rockefeller on March 5, 1974, in New York. The service was held at the Carnegie Hall, where thousands came, including many internationally renown performers. The last word was said by Hurok's protégé Marian Anderson.- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Lajos Bálint was born on 26 September 1886 in Újpest, Hungary. He was a writer and actor, known for Jehova (1918), Pique Dame (1921) and A Magyar Nemzeti Színház múltja, jelene és jövöje (1928). He died on 5 March 1974 in Budapest, Hungary.