Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-13 of 13
- Richard X. Slattery was born on 26 June 1925 in The Bronx, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Boston Strangler (1968), The Gallant Men (1962) and Herbie Rides Again (1974). He was married to Helene Irene Vergauwen, Mary N. Shelquist, Pegeen Rose and Ann Slattery. He died on 27 January 1997 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- "...And who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way!" Remember that familiar voice on TV's Adventures of Superman (1952)? That belonged to Bill Kennedy.
Kennedy's moneymaker was in his rich, resonant voice. One of the more prolific radio and (later) TV announcers to hit the airwaves, his career ran nearly five decades. Unlike others who established themselves and stayed comfortably behind a microphone, Bill gamely attempted a 1940s movie career with a big studio (Warner Bros.). And although he failed to make a strong impression visually, his face still is a familiar one thanks to the dozen or so "B" westerns he did for the smaller studios in post-war years.
Born Willard A. Kennedy in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, on June 27, 1908, he became interested in radio speaking early on and, as a teen, diligently practiced strengthening and shaping his voice so it would be suitable for the medium. He studied at Assumption College, in Ontario, Canada for a couple of years before leaving to find on-hands work. Hired by WTAM in 1934 as a staff announcer, he eventually relocated to WWJ in Detroit, Michigan.
A strong interest in acting propelled Bill to take a position as staff announcer in Los Angeles with KHJ. Hal B. Wallis caught his broadcasts and arranged for a Warner Bros. screen test. A genial and darkly handsome presence, the wavy-haired brunet was signed to a seven-year contract and groomed in minor, unbilled bits for the first couple of years in such classy fare as Now, Voyager (1942) and Air Force (1943). More visible roles came with the films Truck Busters (1943) and Mr. Skeffington (1944) but Bill's physical appearance proved to be less commanding on celluloid than his voice. The studio wound up using him increasingly in bit parts as announcers, reporters, and newsmen in such movies as Flying Fortress (1942), The Hard Way (1943), Mission to Moscow (1943) and This Is the Army (1943), to name a few.
The studio let Bill go after a couple of tryouts featured parts in Escape in the Desert (1945) and Night and Day. Undaunted, he proceeded to freelance and earned his first leading role as Corporal Decker in the Universal 13-part cliffhanger The Royal Mounted Rides Again (1945). Other occasional post-war leads came his way from the smaller studios with The People's Choice (1946) and Web of Danger (1947), but he still failed to register strongly. Bill found himself trapped in minor/secondary parts as in Don't Gamble with Strangers (1946), The Bachelor's Daughters (1946), the Bowery Boys entry News Hounds (1947), and I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes (1948). Within a few years, however, Bill fell into a comfortable niche as a featured "good guy" or "bad guy" in westerns -- Shadows of the West (1949), Gunslingers (1950), Law of the West (1949), Trail of the Yukon (1949), Storm Over Wyoming (1950), I Shot Billy the Kid (1950), Abilene Trail (1951) and Nevada Badmen (1951), among others.
When film work waned, Bill found guest parts on the small screen in episodes of "Boston Blackie," "The Public Defender," "Burns & Allen," "I Married Joan" and in several episodes of the western series "The Cisco Kid," Death Valley Days" and "The Gene Autry Show". In 1952, he was handed his most famous voiceover as Adventures of Superman (1952)'s opening credits announcer, while also finding work in the same vein in commercials.
During severe career lulls Kennedy would find employment as a door-to-door salesman and truck driver. In 1956, after losing his hosting job with KNXT in Hollywood, he returned to Detroit and eventually hosted the weekday "Bill Kennedy's Showtime" at CKLWf-TV, a station just across the Detroit River in Ontario, Canada, where he showed movies and took calls and reminisced with fans on the air. The show was later moved to WKBD and renamed "Bill Kennedy at the Movies." Bill remained a popular local personality until his retirement in 1983.
The twice married actor with three children spent his last years in Palm Beach, Florida, where he died of emphysema at the age of 88. - A Sicangu Lakota (Sioux) who spent most of his life on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota, Ted Thin Elk saw very few movies in his lifetime, and was 72 when he got his first role as "Grandpa Samuel Reaches" in the film Thunderheart (1992). Contrary to his bad boy reputation, Val Kilmer treated the septuagenarian first-time actor with deference and helped him with his scenes in front of the camera. When the camera wasn't rolling, the two could be found discussing Native American topics in general and Lakota ones in particular.
Ted Thin Elk was accorded a "First Americans in the Arts" award in 1992, the first year the honor was awarded. He was a highly respected elder on the Rosebud Reservation and was a member of the Sicangu Treaty Council and the Grey Eagle Society. - Director
- Writer
- Art Department
Aleksandr Zarkhi was born on 18 February 1908 in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire [now Russia]. He was a director and writer, known for Baltic Deputy (1937), Razgrom militaristkoy Japonii (1945) and Twenty Six Days from the Life of Dostoyevsky (1981). He died on 27 January 1997 in Moscow, Russia.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
As well as being an author, director, & one of the founders of the BBC, was one of the last known ace fighter pilots of the first World War. He served in No. 56 Squadron of the RFC/RAF. He is credited with victories over 8 German planes.- Writer
- Director
- Music Department
Zia Sarhadi was born in 1914 in Peshawar, North West Frontier Province, British India. He was a writer and director, known for Foot Path (1953), Abhilasha (1938) and Madhur Milan (1938). He died on 27 January 1997 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.- Michael Braun was born on 28 April 1936 in New York, USA. Michael was a producer, known for The Secret Life of Plants (1978). Michael died on 27 January 1997 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Actor
Gene Ross was born on 18 September 1921 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor. He was married to Barbara Stevens Lynch. He died on 27 January 1997 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Director
- Art Director
- Composer
Anatoli Slesarenko was born on 30 March 1923 in Kiev, Ukraine. Anatoli was a director and art director, known for Gori, moya zvezda! (1958), Lyuboy tsenoy (1959) and Pravo na lyubov (1977). Anatoli died on 27 January 1997 in Ukraine.- Jean Mostyn was born in 1935 in Romsey, Hampshire, England, UK. She died on 27 January 1997 in Palmdale, New South Wales, Australia.
- Actress
- Script and Continuity Department
Brita Ulfberg was born on 27 January 1929 in Västerås, Västmanlands län, Sweden. She was an actress, known for Lattjo med Boccaccio (1949), En natt på Glimmingehus (1954) and Starkare än lagen (1951). She died on 27 January 1997 in Västerås, Västmanlands län, Sweden.- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Gerald Marks was born on 13 October 1900 in Saginaw, Michigan, USA. He is known for Sweet and Lowdown (1999), All of Me (1984) and The Juror (1996). He died on 27 January 1997 in New York City, New York, USA.- Sirkka Osmala was born on 17 February 1928 in Viipuri, Finland. She was an actress, known for Kesäillan valssi (1951), Pontevat pommaripojat (1948) and Suomisen Olli yllättää (1945). She died on 27 January 1997.