 Gale Sondergaard |
Born: February 15th, 1899 Litchfield,
Minnesota Remarks: A successful stage actress before she entered films and married to a prominent stage director (Biberman), Gale followed her husband to Hollywood in the early 30’s. Her first role was Faith in Mervyn LeRoy’s “Anthony Adverse” (1936) but she soon became known as ‘The Lady They Loved to Hate’ in films that followed. Jimmy Stewart threatened to drop her down a manhole in “Seventh Heaven” (1937) and she was burned up in a forest after scaring Shirley Temple in “The Blue Bird” (1940). Gale and Biberman were blacklisted during the McCarthy probe. He went to jail as one of the infamous ”Hollywood 10” and her career came to a halt until she was able to get small roles in films and television in the 70’s. Films (41) include: “The Life of Emile Zola” (1937), “Juarez” (1939), “The Letter” (1940), “Appointment in Berlin” (1943) and “The Spider Woman Strikes Back” (1946). |
 Lyle Bettger |
Born: February 13th, 1915 Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. Remarks: Lyle entered films in the early
50’s after graduating from the AADA |
 Mary Astor |
Born: May 3rd, 1906 Quincy, Illinois Died: September 25th, 1987 Woodland Hills,
California (age 81) Remarks: Mary played “bitchy” better than most actresses of her day using her beauty as a foil. Off screen, her life was as dramatic as her roles: she took John Barrymore and George S, Kaufman as two of her many lovers, lost one husband to a plane crash, divorced three others because "they only wanted my money" and survived the publication of what was purported to be sordid passages in her diary. She also won a battle over alcoholism and depression (one suicide attempt), and almost lost the custody of her daughter. Mary won the Best Supporting Oscar for her role in “The Great Lie” and should have won for “The Maltese Falcon” (1941). Films (122) also include: “The Man Who Played God” (1922), “The Lost Squadron” (1932), “No Time To Marry” (1938) and “Meet Me In St. Louis” (1944). |
 Victor Jory |
Born: November 23rd, 1902 Dawson City,
Yukon Territory, Canada Remarks: Probably best known for his role as overseer Jonas Wilkerson in “Gone With the Wind” (1939), Jory played occasional leads in B films but, more often, was cast in character parts. Big and muscular, he was ideal for roles requiring the villain to look menacing while often presenting himself as an upstanding member of the community. By 1951 Jory also began doing roles on television including the “Manhunt” series. Films (106) also include: “Madame DuBarry” (1934), “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” (1938), “River’s End” (1940) and “Cheyenne Autumn” (1964) |
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Born: December 18th, 1913 Roanoke, Virginia Remarks: She began as a chorus girl in “Dancing Lady” (1933). Fox signed her to a contract in 1934 and she became “the other woman” in B films for 14 years. She was known as the “Girl with the Million-Dollar Figure” second only to Betty Grable as a pin-up favorite during WWII. Lynn said “I made as many as 3 pictures at a time. I’d go from one set to another shooting people or stealing husbands…so fast that I never knew what the hell the plots were..”. In 1950 Lynn turned to televion in “The Detective’s Wife” followed by “Boss Lady” , a syndicated series.Films (129) included “Café Metropole” (1937), “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” (1938), “Hotel for Women” (1939), “Blood and Sand” (1941, “the Bridge of San Luis Rey” (1944). |
 Elisha Cook, Jr. |
Born: December 26th, 1903 San Francisco,
California Remarks: Because of his size, Cook was tagged “the screen’s lightest heavy”. He debuted on Broadway at age 14 and worked in stage productions until 1936 leaving only to do the film version of his role in “Her Unborn Child” in 1929. Leaving Broadway for Hollywood, he soon became known for his roles as small-time gangsters often with a vicious streak. He is best known as Wilmer, the petty crook turned gunman in “The Maltese Falcon”. Cook appeared in movies and television well into the 1980’s working whenever someone had a script to offer him. Films (105) include: “Tin Pan Alley” (1940), “Sergeant York” (1941), “The Big Sleep”(1946), “The Great Gatsby” (1949), “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) and “Tom Horn” (1980). |
 Sally Eilers |
Born: December 11th, 1908 New York City,
New York Remarks: Sally’s big year was 1931. She had already made several films with hubby Hoot Gibson and played opposite Spencer Tracy in his second film “Quick Millions”. But once audiences caught her performance as Dorothy Haley in “Bad Girl”, Sally was on her way. The film’s director and screenwriter both received Oscars for their efforts but it clinched Sally’s onscreen image of “the girl from the wrong side of the tracks”. The studio felt she was best when she was bad. Films (68) include: “Hat Check Girl” (1932), “She mad Her Bed” (1934), “I Spy” (1934), “Without Orders” (1936), “Everybody’s Doing It” (1938) and “Tarnished Angel” (1938). |
 Eduardo Ciannelli |
Born: August 30th, 1889 Ischia, Italy Remarks: He had a medical degree from the University of Naples because his father wanted a doctor in the family. But Eduardo, the youngest of 3 sons, never practiced medicine. Instead, he sang in grand opera and followed an acting bug to America and Broadway. Success in the stage production of “Winterset”with Katharine Cornell propelled him westward to do the film version. His career of “crime” began after he played the gangster menace in “Marked Woman” with Bette Davis in 1937 and it continued even later on television. His last film “Boot Hill” was released in 1969 shortly after his death. Films (103) include: “I Was a Prisoner on Devil’s Island” (1941), “Foreign Correspondent” (1940), “Cairo” (1942), “Dillinger” (1945), “Prince of Foxes” (1949) and “Houseboat” (1958). |
 Mae West |
Born: August 17th, 1893 Brooklyn, New
York Remarks: She was one of a kind. They even named a life jacket after her. In 1929, Mae spent 10 days in jail for writing and performing in a play called “Sex” then wowed audiences on Broadway two years later as “Diamond Lil”. She became the queen of double entendres and irreverent quotations: “ When I’m good, I’m very, very good but when I’m bad, I’m better”…”It’s not the men in my life, it’s the life in my men”…:”It’s better to be looked over than overlooked”….”Come up and see me sometime” all became part of our lexicon. When Mae made her first movie she was almost 40 and when movie censorship became too tight, she took her act to nightclubs accompanied by her famous troupe of handsome young men.. Films (12) include: “She Done Him Wrong” (1933), “Belle of the Nineties” (1934), “Go West, Young Man” (1936), “My Little Chickadee” (1940) and “Sextette” (1978) when she was 85! |
 Jack La Rue |
Born: May 3rd, 1902 New York City, New
York Remarks: Jack made his Broadway debut playing a mandolin in a 1921 production of“Blood and Sand”. He was Mae West’s gigolo in “Diamond Lil” in 1929 . In 1930 Howard Hawks called him to Hollywood to play a heavy in “Scarface” but George Raft eventually got the part. But Jack stayed. He once got to play a priest in “A Farewell to Arms” (1932) but his definitive role was Miriam Hopkin’s sadistic abductor, Trigger, in “The Story of Temple Drake” (1933). Films (126) include: “Lady Killer” (1933), “Under the Pampas Moon” (1935), “Captains Courageous” (1937), “The Sea Hawk” (1940), “The Desert Song” (1943), “Robin and the 7 Hoods” (1964). |
 Margaret Hamilton |
Born: December 9th, 1902 Cleveland, Ohio Remarks: Surprise, surprise! The Wicked Witch of the North graduated from Miss Wheelock’s Kindergarten Training School in Boston and taught kindergarten and nursery school for several years before turning to acting. Her career covered the gamut from community playhouses, the Broadway stage, radio, television and films. Offscreen, she organized many educational programs for children. But to the children then and now, she will always be the Wicked Witch of Oz! Films (71) include: “Zoo in Budapest” (1933), “Saratoga” (1937), “Babes in Arms” (1939), “My Little Chickadee” (1940), “Journey for Margaret” (1942), “The Sun Comes Up” (1949), and “People Will Talk” (1951). |
 Anthony Caruso |
Born: April 7th, 1916 Frankfort,
Indiana Remarks: Caruso got his first break in “Johnny Apollo” (1940) with Tyrone Power. He played Joe, the henchman and from that point on, he was typecast as the typical Italian gangster. More sympathetic ethnic roles came later and he played everything from Arabs to Indians. While acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, he met actor Alan Ladd and worked with Alan in 10 of his films including “The Blue Dahlia” (1946) and “The Badlanders” (1958). He also made “His Kind of Woman” (1951) and “The Wonderful Country” (1959) with his close friend, Robert Mitchum. Films (117) include: “The Phantom” (1943), “Objective Burma” (1945), “The Boy From Oklahoma” (1954) and “The Legend of Grizzly Adams” (1990). |
