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- A burly American supporting actor, Mickey Simpson was born Charles Henry Simpson to Fred and Bertha Rogers Simpson in Rochester, New York. His paternal heritage was Irish. He was the eldest of four sons, one of whom, Richard, died in childhood. When his father was unable to find work following the 1929 stock market crash, his mother supported the family as a waitress. By his 20s Mickey had grown into a hulking figure and considered a boxing career. He has been referred to in some sources as the 1935 "New York City Heavyweight Boxing Champion," but the only official records of his ring work are for two fights in Los Angeles in 1939, both of which he lost.
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 bit part in Stagecoach (1939), a film whose director, John Ford, would loom large in Simpson's career. Simpson found fairly steady movie work playing guards, cops, bouncers and thugs until his career was interrupted by World War II, in which he reportedly served in the U.S. Army. When he returned to Hollywood it was John Ford who resurrected his career, giving him 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).
Simpson worked, primarily in lesser roles--he even showed up in a short, Gents in a Jam (1952), with The Three Stooges--until his 57th year. He died of heart failure in Northridge, CA, near his Reseda home, on 23 September 1985, at the age of 71. He was buried at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in Los Angeles. - Actor
- Writer
Larry Shue, a promising young middle-aged actor and playwright, had his career cut short at the age of 39 by the crash of a commuter plane. He left behind a small published body of plays, including two crowd-pleasing comedies that are staples of community theatre repertory. His acting credits include stage (New York and regional), television, and film appearances. He won two Obies and two New York Drama Critics Awards.- Producer
- Director
Herbert Sussan was born on 24 February 1921 in the USA. He was a producer and director, known for Nightmare in Wax (1969), Coke Time (1953) and The Ken Murray Show (1950). He died on 23 September 1985 in New York City, New York, USA.- Teofila Koronkiewicz was born on 20 December 1901 in Lepel, Vitebsk Governorate, Russian Empire [now Lepiel, Vitebsk Oblast, Belarus]. She was an actress, known for Kalosze szczescia (1958), Wakacje z duchami (1970) and Podróz za jeden usmiech (1972). She died on 23 September 1985 in Otwock, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Saturno Meletti was an actor, known for Joan of Arc at the Stake (1954). He died on 23 September 1985 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.