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1-10 of 10
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Musical theater devotees will undoubtedly know that the song "Let Me Entertain You" was from the classic musical "Gypsy", the born-in-a-trunk story of resilient kid troopers Gypsy Rose Lee and June Havoc who were mercilessly pushed into vaudeville careers by an unbearably headstrong mother. While the lesser-talented Gypsy, of course, became the legendary ecdysiast who turned stripping into an art form, sister June survived her "Baby June" vaudeville child days of old and the tougher road of Depression-era dance marathons to become a reputable actress of stage, screen and TV, among other things. While June may have immortalized in "Gypsy," based on her older sister's memoirs, it was a bittersweet notoriety as she felt it was a very unjust, hurtful and highly inaccurate portrait of her. It also caused a deep rift between the sisters that lasted for well over a decade.
The Canadian-born actress (she was born in Vancouver, not Seattle) entered the world in 1912 (some sources insist 1913 or 1916, but Havoc confirmed her true birth date in 2006), the younger daughter of audacious "stage mother" Rose Thompson Hovick and her husband, John Olaf Hovick, a cub reporter for a Seattle newspaper. Baby June was primed for stardom by Rose by age 2 and was soon dancing with the great ballerina Anna Pavlova and appearing in Hal Roach film shorts (1918-1924) with Harold Lloyd. A flexible, high-kicking vaudeville sensation at 5, she was featured front-and-center in an act completely built around her ("Dainty June and Her Newsboys"). Earning around $1,500 a week at her peak, the delightful child star had audiences eating out of the palm of her little hand while sharing the stage with the likes of "Red-Hot Mama" Sophie Tucker and "Baby Snooks" Fanny Brice. The unrelenting pressures and suffocating dominance of her mother, however, led to a capricious elopement at age 13 with a young boy from the act (Bobby Reed, who inspired the dancing character of Tulsa in "Gypsy"). They married in North Platte, Nebraska with each lying about their age. By the time the Depression hit, however, vaudeville, the nation's economy and her marriage had all collapsed.
Now a mother of a young daughter, April (born out of wedlock in 1930, April Kent acted briefly in the 1950s and died of a heart attack in 1998), June made ends meet by modeling, posing and toiling in dance marathons. The blonde, blue-eyed stunner also found work in stock musicals and on the Borscht Belt circuit. She made her Broadway debut in the musical "Forbidden Melody in 1936". Years passed before she earned her big break as Gladys in Rodgers and Hart's classic musical "Pal Joey" opposite Van Johnson and Gene Kelly in 1940. As a result of their scene-stealing work, the trio earned movie contracts - the two men heading off to the MGM studio and June to RKO.
Unlike her male counterparts, June found herself inextricably caught up in "B" level material. Her film debut in the war-era Four Jacks and a Jill (1942) was followed by the equally ho-hum Powder Town (1942) and Sing Your Worries Away (1942), neither requiring much in the line of acting. Her personality was big for the screen due to her broad vaudeville background, but she nevertheless could show some true grit and talent on occasion, particularly with her support role in My Sister Eileen (1942).
For the next few years she experienced both highs and lows. Her Broadway shows were either hits, such as the musical "Mexican Hayride" (1944) (for which she won the Donaldson Award), and the dramatic "The Ryan Girl" (1945), or complete misses, which included a musical version of the Sadie Thompson saga Rain. June's film acting continued to be a stumbling block, scoring best when asked to play brassy, cynical dames. While she fared well as the femme fatale in Intrigue (1947), the racist secretary in Gentleman's Agreement (1947), and the gun moll The Story of Molly X (1949), more often than not, she was handed second-rate fodder to flounder in such as The Iron Curtain (1948), Once a Thief (1950) and Follow the Sun (1951). She appeared on TV in the early 50s, and she received her own short-lived vehicles as a lawyer in Willy (1954) and as host of her own show The June Havoc Show (1964).
After completing her last film Three for Jamie Dawn (1956), June refocused on stage and TV - particularly the former. She earned some of her best reviews both here and abroad in later years: Titania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Mistress Sullen in "The Beaux' Stratagem," Sabina in "The Skin of Our Teeth," Millicent in "Dinner at Eight," Jenny in "The Threepenny Opera," Mrs. Swabb in "Habeas Corpus," and Mrs. Lovett in "Sweeney Todd". In 1982 she pulled out all the stops on Broadway and gave a real Rose's Turn as a Miss Hannigan replacement in "Annie".
June expanded her talents to include both playwriting and directing. In addition to "I Said the Fly," she wrote "Marathon '33" (based on her Depression-era struggles) and received a 1964 Tony nomination for directing the play. June became the artistic director of the New Orleans Repertory Theatre in 1970, and later went on tour with her own one-woman show "An Evening with June Havoc". On stage and broaching age 80, the never-say-die actress appeared in a production of "Love Letters" and "An Old Lady's Guide to Survival".
June's mid-career biography "Early Havoc" was published in 1959. Married three times (her last husband, producer/director/writer William Spier died in 1973), June was long estranged from her sister, none too happy with Gypsy's portrayal of her in the best-selling memoir, "Gypsy" and equally dismayed of her Baby June character in the smash musical hit. The girls, noted for their trademark elongated faces and shapely gams, were estranged as children as well, but eventually patched things up for a time as adults. The sisters didn't truly grow close until Gypsy told June that she was dying of lung cancer in 1970. June elaborated more about her relationship with her sister in her second autobiography, "More Havoc" in 1980.
Ms. Havoc died peacefully on March 28, 2010, at her home in Stamford, Connecticut of natural causes. She was 97 years young.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Jacques Dacqmine was born on 30 November 1924 in La Madeleine, Nord, France. He was an actor and writer, known for The Ninth Gate (1999), La piovra (1984) and Classe Tous Risques (1960). He was married to Cécile Durand, Simone Matil, Odile Versois and Louise Conte. He died on 28 March 2010 in Caen, Calvados, France.- Producer
- Additional Crew
Cynthia Semon was one of the few PR Professionals to establish media relations with the international press center in Havana in over 40 years. Cynthia was initially hired to handle all the media for "Music Bridges Over Troubled Waters," but because of her vast and sensitive communications skills she also played a key role in producing the project working closely with the Instituto Cubano De La Musica and the Cuban Ministry of Culture. Working with over 300 press outlets covering "Music Bridges Over Troubled Waters" while also serving on the organizing committee with her Cuban colleagues, Cynthia experienced firsthand the true meaning of the art of communications helping to realize this historic event. "Cynthia left on us, and on the history of our relations, an indelible imprint that won't ever be removed," said Pedro Monzon, the Director of the International Division of the Cuban Ministry of Culture.
Born in Manhattan and raised primarily in Los Angeles, Cynthia grew up from the very beginning in an entertainment industry environment with both of her parents who had thriving careers in the entertainment industry, her father worked in film and television working with icons such as Alfred Hitchcock and her mother managed many legendary music artists such as Charlie Rich the Silver Fox and Andy Williams. Cynthia was also raised in a very vibrant environment with both her parents instilling the importance of being socially and politically aware in order to affect positive change fueling her passion to selectively work with people and projects of substance and significance.
Following in her parent's footsteps and philosophy, Cynthia enjoyed and appreciated a successful career in communications. She founded CS Communications in 1992 representing music, TV and film client's. Cynthia regularly advocated for her clients, guiding their success as much as publicizing it. "In an industry not known for it's grace, along came this incredible woman who embodied it," says Cynthia's client, Amanda Tapping, lead actress and producer of SyFy's Sanctuary.
In 2002, Cynthia became Director of Communications for American Apparel, while maintaining CS Communications. She led efforts to expand the company's outreach, labor relations, and sustainability programs helping brand the company as "Sweatshop Free and Made in America" and was asked to speak at a UN conference on Corporate Social Responsibility in 2004 representing American Apparel's progressive business practices. Dov Charney, founder of American Apparel, called Cynthia a passionate fighter for the "causes she believed in, always mindful of ethics and committed to living a life of substance."
It was also in 2002 that Cynthia provided her time pro bono representing Nobel Laureate Jody Williams in which she was also invited to travel to Afghanistan with Ms. Williams for a UN Conference on landmine, visiting hospitals, walking through minefields and witness President Karzai sign the International Mine Ban Treaty.
From her work on "Music Bridges Over Troubled Waters", Cynthia established strong ties and deep bonds with her colleagues in Havana, which led her to form her own company Concerts for Humanity in partnership with Bill Martinez to continue their work in Cuba by organizing and producing the first ever outdoor rock concert by a U.S. rock group Audioslave in 2005. Over 70,000 people attended the concert waiving the flags of Cuba and the United States, Audioslave Live In Cuba DVD debuted on the Billboard charts at number one going platinum. "Cynthia was instrumental in helping my band Audioslave to be the first US rock band to play in Cuba," said Tom Morello, founder and lead guitarist of Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine. "For me it was a life changing experience and one I will remember forever. In short, (we were) breaking the rock n roll embargo and loving every minute of it."
Before she passed away, Cynthia was working to organize a concert to highlight the damaging impact the U.S. embargo was having on Cuban and U.S citizens who could not get life-sustaining medical treatment and supplies from either country.
Cynthia is survived by her husband Marc Cadieux, father Arthur Semon (Eva), sister Leah Kusher (Bill), nieces and nephews, godchildren, great-god children, many loving friends and cherished pets Mortimer and Saffi.
Cynthia always believed that music could help make a difference in peoples lives so the family requests that donations in her memory be made to the Cynthia Semon Scholarship Fund at The Silverlake Conservatory of Music because they are making a difference in young peoples lives.- Actor
- Director
Agim Qirjaqi was born on 27 January 1950 in Kolonjë, Albania. He was an actor and director, known for Dorina (1979), Lulekuqet mbi mure (1976) and Apasionata (1983). He died on 28 March 2010 in Tirana, Albania.- Jean Dalmain was born on 25 June 1915 in Paris, France. He was an actor, known for Violette (1978), The Aeronauts (1967) and L'amour à la chaîne (1965). He was married to Monique Leyrac. He died on 28 March 2010 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Herb Ellis was born on 4 August 1921 in Farmersville, Texas, USA. He is known for Les tricheurs (1958), Moonlighting (1985) and I Love You, Don't Touch Me! (1997). He was married to Patti Gahagan. He died on 28 March 2010 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
- Location Management
Leigh was born on 20th April in 1970. A natural athlete and a born leader, he excelled at swimming and athletics. He also played league soccer for Balfour Park and culminated his primary school career by being elected Head Boy. Leigh excelled in rugby during his high school career. He was the captain of the 1st Team and was chosen for the Craven Week Trials. As a rugby legend, pupils at King David spoke of his prowess for many years after. His team won the Rugby League in his Matric year, and the new rugby pavilion at King David was named for them and their feat, something which has not been achieved again. Leigh was a prefect in matric and was elected Sportsman of The Year. After completing two years in the Air Force, Leigh entered Rhodes University where he obtained a degree in Journalism and Psychology. After a short career in journalism, he joined the film industry, starting as a runner. He worked as a Location Manager for a period before joining the AD department. Leigh enjoyed spectacular success as a 1st Assistant Director, with a feature film and television career spanning the years from 1994 to 2009. Leigh grew to be a giant amongst us, with his reputation preceding him. Requests for him from international directors and producers became the norm. As a natural strategist, and imbued with equal measures of knowledge, experience and fairness, he was a joy to work with. He was thoughtful, intelligent, genuine, fun to be with and believed in the goodness of others. His considered approach to every project engendered confidence in all of those around him. Although a disciplined academic, with great tenacity and resolve, Leigh was always exceedingly kind and generous with his knowledge and time. We all learned from him and he will leave this industry considerably richer for the many future Assistant Directors that he mentored and guided. Leigh's plight has been a shattering blow to the industry and one that will take some time for many of us to recover from. The sheer volume and outpouring of love and support both here and internationally, bear testament to the truly special, inspirational and charismatic man that we had in our midst. In 1992, Leigh met his life partner, Karin. Our thoughts and prayers go to Karin and to their beautiful son Micah at this time.- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Writer
Eric Tunney was born on 9 September 1964 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor and writer, known for Get Serious: Seven Deadly Sins (1995), Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy (1996) and Naturally, Sadie (2005). He was married to Ellen. He died on 28 March 2010 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.- Mary Jay-Jacobson died on 28 March 2010 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Jeff Andrews was born in 1967. Jeff was a producer, known for The Acting Thing (1996). Jeff died on 28 March 2010 in Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada.