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Miyoshi Umeki was born as the youngest of 9 children. The daughter of a prominent Japanese iron factory owner, she developed an early passion for music, learning to play the mandolin, harmonica & piano. She also enjoyed singing American-styled tunes, much to the chagrin of her parents. This propensity for Americanized pop songs later paid off.

Although she projected the typical Japanese female stereotype of humbleness, delicacy & subservience in most of her prime film & stage roles, she was nevertheless an assertive scene-stealer. This docile & deceptive-looking talent w/ cropped hair as well as a heart-shaped face radiated charm in addition to innocence so effortlessly, she managed to make history at Academy Awards time as the 1st Asian actor to receive an acting Oscar for her superb work in the tragic post-WWII film drama Sayonara (1957).

Following World War II, she traveled w/ a U.S. Army G.I. jazz band in Japan as Nancy Umeki & was the 1st to record American songs for RCA Victor Japan. She became an extremely popular radio & nightclub artist, which sparked a move to the U.S. in 1955. Again, she demonstrated a demure prowess for gaining attention w/ her 1-season regular role (1955-1956) on the musical variety show Arthur Godfrey and His Friends (1949). W/ that popularity, she was able to sign w/ Mercury Records, eventually releasing 2 albums.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect. From this recognition, she was immediately cast in Sayonara (1957), which was based on James A. Michener's best-selling romantic tale. Inspired casting opposite comedian Red Buttons in a tragic, counterpoint romance as a World War II airman & his naive Japanese war bride who fall victim to post-war prejudice led to supporting Academy Awards for both actors. Despite her win, she would not make another film for 4 years.

Following her Oscar win, she starred on Broadway w/ the 1958 musical Flower Drum Song, in which she proved a highlight as a starry-eyed Chinese immigrant/mail-order bride w/ her captivating rendition of A Hundred Million Miracles, earning a Tony nomination in the process. She scored additional points after recreating her role for the film version of Flower Drum Song (1961).

In total, she made only 5 American films in all. Her other appearances were supporting roles in the naval comedy Cry for Happy (1961), The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962) & A Girl Named Tamiko (1962). She also tread fairly lightly on TV w/ random 60s appearances on The Donna Reed Show (1958), Dr. Kildare (1961), Rawhide (1959) & Mister Ed (1961), among others.

Duing the 50s & 60s, she was an occasional guest on variety shows for TV titans such as Perry Como, Dinah Shore, Merv Griffin, Andy Williams & Ed Sullivan. Arguably her biggest claim to fame was Mrs. Livingston in the heart-tugging TV comedy The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1969). Following this renewed attention, she went into a complete self-imposed retirement.

She lived a sedate family life for more than 3 decades. Her 1958 marriage to TV producer/director Win Opie ended in divorce after 9 years. She subsequently married TV director Randall Hood in 1968. They ran a business renting editing equipment to film studios & university film programs until his sudden death in Los Angeles in 1976. A longtime resident of North Hollywood, she eventually moved to Missouri w/ advancing age to be nearer to her son & his family. She died of cancer at age 78 on August 28, 2007 in Licking, Missouri.

Kurt was the Tijuana smalls man in 1970, when cigar ads were still televised, he was with Buffy St Marie in one. Kurt's best pal was Reid Smith Actor who was boyfriend to Jaclyn Smith and Maude Adams. Kurt never married but had a longtime relationship with Melanie Wilson of perfect strangers TV show. Melanie the Daughter of Dick Wilson, Mr Charmin and drunk on Bewitched.

Martin B. Cohen was born on 23 April 1923 in New York, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for The Rebel Rousers (1970), Humanoids from the Deep (1980) and Instant Love (1964). He was married to Shannon Elizabeth Brennan. He died on 28 August 2007 in Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Sokrates Kapsaskis was a Greek poet, film director, historian and translator. He was born on the island of Zante. In 1938 he left Zante to live at his grandfather's house on the Peloponnesus, where he met the poets Takis Sinopoulos, Giorgos Pavlopoulos and 'Gavriel Pentzikis'. Together they published poems, essays and various translations. He later joined the Resistance during the Civil War. He moved to Athens after the war, where he published some of his poems in the art magazine "O Aionas Mas". In 1953 he published his first books of poetry, "Aesthesis" (Feelings) and in 1955 "Efimerida" (Newspaper). In 1954 he married Viktoria Kapsaski and together they left for Paris, where he studied film directing at the IDHEC. He returned to Athens in 1956, where he made 13 films until 1966. During the shooting of his last film, The Hot Month of August (1966), he met American director Doris Wishman, who acquired the distribution rights for the film. Without his consent, Wishman changed the story, added nude scenes and sexier dialog, and for more than 40 years it would circulate at drive-ins and midnight screenings with the tagline, "He blew her cool . . . she blew his . . . and her husband blew all in". After the late 1960s military coup in Greece, he stopped making films and opened an ArtCinema called "Studio".

His films include "The Hot Month of August" and One Street Organ, One Life (1958). He won the Aristeion Prize in 1992 for his Greek translation of James Joyce's "Ulysses".

He died on 28 August 2007 due to complications following triple-bypass heart surgery.

Hilly Kristal was born on 23 September 1931 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for CBGB (2013), Blitzkrieg Bop! (1978) and Punking Out (1978). He was married to Karen Kristal. He died on 28 August 2007 in New York City, New York, USA.

Rita Colton was born on 23 October 1927 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Project X (1949), Man Against Crime (1949) and Masterpiece Playhouse (1950). She died on 28 August 2007 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

She was born in Egypt and became a member of the Hellenic Actors Union in 1936. From 1951 and for 15 years she was a permanent member of the National Theater with participation in 37 plays. From 1967 until 1972, when she retired, she starred in performances of the National Theatre of Northern Greece. She mainly performed roles of the classical repertoire. She particularly stood out as Labito in Lysistrata, directed by Alexis Solomos in 1957, next to Mary Aroni and also as Clytemnestra in "Iphigenia in Aulis" in 1961. She married in her first marriage the actor Ioakeim Ratopoulos and in her second marriage the great protagonist of the National Theater Thanos Kotsopoulos with whom in the late 50s they had a son.

Draga Jonas was born on 10 September 1922 in Valjevo, Kingdom of Serbia. She was an actress, known for Istorija srpske knjizevnosti (1981), Prijatelj za sva vremena - Dr Rudolph A. Reiss (1985) and Letopis - O jeziku rode (1997). She died on 28 August 2007 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Antonio Puerta was born on 26 November 1984 in Seville, Spain. He was an actor, known for El penalti más largo del mundo (2005) and LaLiga (1929). He died on 28 August 2007 in Seville, Spain.

Arthur A. Jones was born on 22 November 1926 in Morrilton, Arkansas, USA. He was a director and writer, known for Savage! (1962), Voodoo Swamp (1962) and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962). He died on 28 August 2007 in Ocala, Florida, USA.

Francisco Umbral was born on 11 May 1932 in Madrid, Spain. He was an actor and writer, known for Estudio 3 (1963), Madrid, 1987 (2011) and Delirios de amor (1989). He was married to María España Suárez Garrido. He died on 28 August 2007 in Madrid, Spain.

Pertti Nieminen was born on 3 May 1939 in Halikko, Finland. He was an actor, known for Juha (1999), Pahat pojat (2003) and Päivää, herra Kivi (1984). He died on 28 August 2007 in Vihti, Finland.

Roger Desbois was born on 19 January 1923 in Paris, France. He died on 28 August 2007 in Champigny-sur-Marne, Val-de-Marne, France.

Dayton Anderson was born on 13 September 1931 in Karlstad, Minnesota, USA. He is known for Ghostbusters (1984), Turner & Hooch (1989) and Stewardess School (1986). He died on 28 August 2007 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Paul B. MacCready was born on 29 September 1925 in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. He is known for Nova (1974), 20/20 (1978) and The Flight of the Gossamer Condor (1978). He was married to Judy MacCready. He died on 28 August 2007 in Pasadena, California, USA.

András Tolnai was an actor, known for Before the Bat's Flight Is Done (1989), A Noszty fiú esete Tóth Marival (1960) and Csinibaba (1997). He died on 28 August 2007.

Florence Scala was born on 17 September 1918 in Little Italy, Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was married to Charles Scala. She died on 28 August 2007 in Little Italy, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Bill Newbery is known for The Trap (1966), The Keeper (1976) and Out of the Blue (1980). He died on 28 August 2007.