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1-31 of 31
- Producer
- Actor
- Director
Enduring, strong-featured, and genial star of US cinema, Burt Reynolds started off in T.V. westerns in the 1960s and then carved his name into 1970s/1980s popular culture, as a sex symbol (posing nearly naked for "Cosmopolitan" magazine), and on-screen as both a rugged action figure and then as a wisecracking, Southern type of "good ol' boy."
Burton Leon Reynolds was born in Lansing, Michigan. He was the son of Harriette Fernette "Fern" (Miller) and Burton Milo Reynolds, who was in the army. After World War II, his family moved to Riviera Beach, Florida, where his father was chief of police, and where Burt excelled as an athlete and played with Florida State University. He became an All Star Southern Conference halfback (and was earmarked by the Baltimore Colts) before a knee injury and a car accident ended his football career. Midway through college he dropped out and headed to New York with aspirations of becoming an actor. There he worked in restaurants and clubs while pulling the odd TV spot or theatre role.
He was spotted in a New York City production of "Mister Roberts," signed to a TV contract, and eventually had recurring roles in such shows as Gunsmoke (1955), Riverboat (1959) and his own series, Hawk (1966).
Reynolds continued to appear in undemanding western roles, often playing a character of half Native American descent, in films such as Navajo Joe (1966), 100 Rifles (1969) and Sam Whiskey (1969). However, it was his tough-guy performance as macho Lewis Medlock in the John Boorman backwoods nightmare Deliverance (1972) that really stamped him as a bona-fide star. Reynolds' popularity continued to soar with his appearance as a no-nonsense private investigator in Shamus (1973) and in the Woody Allen comedy Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972). Building further on his image as a Southern boy who outsmarts the local lawmen, Reynolds packed fans into theaters to see him in White Lightning (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975) and Gator (1976).
At this time, ex-stuntman and longtime Reynolds buddy Hal Needham came to him with a "road film" script. It turned out to be the incredibly popular Smokey and the Bandit (1977) with Sally Field and Jerry Reed, which took in over $100 million at the box office. That film's success was followed by Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). Reynolds also appeared alongside Kris Kristofferson in the hit football film Semi-Tough (1977), with friend Dom DeLuise in the black comedy The End (1978) (which Reynolds directed), in the stunt-laden buddy film Hooper (1978) and then in the self-indulgent, star-packed road race flick The Cannonball Run (1981).
The early 1980s started off well with a strong performance in the violent police film Sharky's Machine (1981), which he also directed, and he starred with Dolly Parton in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and with fellow macho superstar Clint Eastwood in the coolly received City Heat (1984). However, other projects such as Stroker Ace (1983), Stick (1985) and Paternity (1981) failed to catch fire with fans and Reynolds quickly found himself falling out of popularity with movie audiences. In the late 1980s he appeared in only a handful of films, mostly below average, before television came to the rescue and he shone again in two very popular TV shows, B.L. Stryker (1989) and Evening Shade (1990), for which he won an Emmy. In 1988, Burt and his then-wife, actress Loni Anderson, had a son, Quinton A. Reynolds (aka Quinton Anderson Reynolds), whom they adopted.
He was back on screen, but still the roles weren't grabbing the public's attention, until his terrific performance as a drunken politician in the otherwise woeful Striptease (1996) and then another tremendous showing as a charming, porn director in Boogie Nights (1997), which scored him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Like the phoenix from the ashes, Reynolds resurrected his popularity and, in the process, gathered a new generation of young fans, many of whom had been unfamiliar with his 1970s film roles. He then put in entertaining work in Pups (1999), Mystery, Alaska (1999), Driven (2001) and Time of the Wolf (2002). Definitely one of Hollywood's most resilient stars, Reynolds continually surprised all with his ability to weather both personal and career hurdles and his almost 60 years in front of the cameras were testament to his staying ability, his acting talent and his appeal to film audiences.
Burt Reynolds died of cardiac arrest on September 6, 2018, in Jupiter, Florida, U.S. He was eighty two.- Jennifer Leak was born on 28 September 1947 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. She was an actress, known for Yours, Mine and Ours (1968), Eye of the Cat (1969) and The Incubus (1981). She was married to James Peter D'Auria and Tim Matheson. She died on 18 March 2024 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Karin Booth was born on 19 June 1916 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She was an actress, known for Swing Shift Maisie (1943), The Unfinished Dance (1947) and Tobor the Great (1954). She was married to Allan Pinkerton Carlisle. She died on 27 July 2003 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Producer
In a singing (and sometimes acting) career that spanned over six decades, the name Perry Como has come to mean that warm, smooth, easy-listening, general-audience, slow-flame romance that characterized popular music in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. It has also come to represent an overall good feeling. Telling of the success of the appeal of that good feeling early on in his career, during just a single week in the 1940s, the music industry pressed and sold 4 million Como records. In the 1950s, 11 of his singles sold well over 1 million copies each. In more than six decades of singing, his records sold more than 100 million copies; 27 individual prints reached the million-record mark.
Christened Pierino Como in Canonsburg, Pa., and one of a family of 13 children, Como pursued a career as a barber before he launched his singing career. At 11, he was working after school cutting hair in a barbershop. Before long he had set his sights on owning his own shop -- even making monthly payments toward one. He enjoyed singing, however, and let go of his barbershop ambitions soon after high school and his marriage to his high school sweetheart, Roselle Beline. It didn't take long to prove that he had talent and soon landed a spot in the Freddie Carlone Orchestra, where he made $28 a week touring the Midwest. In 1937, he joined the Ted Weems orchestra and was featured on the band's "Beat the Band" radio program. His career was on the rise. But, with the start of WWII and the eventual breakup of Weems' band, Como found himself back in Canonsburg in a barbershop cutting hair -- not for long, however. CBS radio soon offered him a weekly show at $100 a week and RCA signed him to a recording contract that garnered him in the next 14 years 42 Top 10 hits, a feat bettered only by Bing Crosby. These hits included "Dig You Later (A Hubba-Hubba-Hubba)," "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," "They Say It's Wonderful," "Surrender" and "Some Enchanted Evening." The 1945 rendition of "Till the End of Time," (a song associated with the movie "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" and based on Chopin's "Polonaise in A-Flat Minor") was perhaps his most memorable hit from this era. Other hits were on the lighter side of romance and included "Hot Diggity" and the forever a favorite "Papa Loves Mambo."
It was also during his singing career in the 1940s that Como appeared in three films for Twentieth Century Fox. His parts were unfortunately less than memorable, partly because of his overpowering screen presence of his co-star Carmen Miranda. But Como did have a screen presence, and he found its niche in the magic of the living room theater when he made his television debut in 1948 with NBC's "The Chesterfield Supper Club." In 1950, he was at the helm of his own show with CBS: "The Perry Como Show," which ran for five years. Back on NBC in 1955 he achieved his greatest success in the medium with an eight-year run. This was the show that featured his theme song: "Sing Along With Me." The show included the talents of the Ray Charles Singers and announcer Frank Gallop. It was also in this show where he developed and honed the image of the cardigan-wearing, relaxed, wholesome nice-guy that has been his trademark ever since. In 1956 and '57 he won Emmy Awards for most outstanding television personality. The show itself won Peabody and Golden Mike awards. During his tenure with this show he also received the Recording Industry Association of America's first ever Gold Disc Award for his rendition of "Catch a Falling Star." He retired from his show in 1963, opting to work only occasionally on t.v. specials. These specials included his traditional Christmas shows. After two decades of just canned music, he returned to live performances in the 1970s, playing Las Vegas and other circuits; he even did a sell-out tour of Australia. The 1970s also gave rise to his million record seller "It's Impossible." In one of his most gratifying moments in his career, President Reagan presented Como with a Kennedy Center award for outstanding achievement in the performing arts.- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Del Tenney was born in Mason City, Iowa, and moved to California with his parents when he was 12. Attending Los Angeles City and State college, he developed an interest in the theater, became an actor and made a living at it for most of his young adult life. He acted on stage, did extra work in films (Stalag 17 (1953), The Wild One (1953)) and then came to New York looking for work. He found it--working in restaurants and as a detective--but he also managed to land roles in summer stock. Deciding to move behind the camera, Tenney started off as assistant director on some risqué low-budget pictures, then co-wrote and co-directed (without credit) his production of Violent Midnight (1963), a Connecticut-made suspenser with Shepperd Strudwick, Jean Hale, 'Sylvia Miles' and Margot Hartman (Mrs. Tenney). Tenney next made schlock horror history, bringing to the screen the cheapo classics The Horror of Party Beach (1964) and (his favorite) The Curse of the Living Corpse (1964).- Actress
- Casting Director
- Producer
Character actress Ilse Earl was born Ilene Helen Besman on May 4, 1931 in Limburg, Germany. Earl eventually moved to America and settled in Florida, where she first stated acting in films in the mid-1970's. Ilse had a recurring role as Mrs. Morris in the "Porky's" movies. Moreover, Earl not only appeared on several TV shows, but also was an associate producer and casting director for the film Redemption (2004). She died at age 74 on March 7, 2006 in Jupiter, Florida.- Barbara Voight was born on 2 January 1910 in Yonkers, New York, USA. She was married to Elmer Samuel Voight. She died on 3 December 1995 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Jay Jackson was born on 4 November 1918 in Stockdale, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for The Edge of Night (1956), Laurel and Hardy's Laughing 20's (1965) and Days of Thrills and Laughter (1961). He died on 16 August 2005 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Dorothy Flood was born on September 10, 1912 in Brooklyn, New York. She attended the Children's Professional school in New York City. When she was a teenager she danced with the Metropolitan ballet company. The sixteen year old made her Broadway debut in Whoopee starring Ruby Keeler. She impressed the producers so much that she became Ruby's understudy. Then she appeared on stage in The Midnight Frolic and Smile. Dorothy joined the cast of Ziegfeld Follies in 1931. That same year she made her film debut in the drama Resurrection. She also appeared in a Marx brothers film but her scenes were cut out. In 1932 she starred in the Broadway musical Hot-Cha! During the 1930s she worked as a model appearing in ads for Whitman's chocolates and make-up.
The beautiful brunette also posed nude for photographer Alfred Cheney Johnston. Dorothy starred in a 1937 stage production of The Curtain Rises. She was briefly engaged to actor Charles "Buddy" Rogers who later married Mary Pickford. On December 31, 1940 she married Edward E. Bates. Dorothy happily have up her career to become a housewife. Their only child, Wendy Ann, was born in 1952. The family lived in Manhattan where Edward ran the Bates Auto Rental Corporation. She and Edward remained together until his death in 1972. Later she moved to Jupiter, Florida. Dorothy died on August 21, 2005 at the age of ninety-two. - George L. Smith was born on 1 January 1919 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for The Doctors (1963), Route 66 (1960) and Suspense (1949). He died on 3 March 1993 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Vickie Long was born on 24 September 1956 in Texas, USA. She died on 10 September 1984 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Burt Reynolds Sr. was born on 9 July 1906 in Aurelius, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for Evening Shade (1990). He was married to Fern H. Miller. He died on 20 April 2002 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Emilie Benes Brzezinski was born on 21 January 1932 in Geneva, Switzerland. She was married to Zbigniew Brzezinski. She died on 22 July 2022 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Actor
- Stunts
James C. Lewis was born on 6 June 1948 in Provo, Utah, USA. He was an actor, known for Unbreakable (2000), The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and The Last Boy Scout (1991). He died on 26 November 2021 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.- George M. Cohan Jr. was born on 18 January 1914 in New York, USA. He was an actor, known for CBS Children's Film Festival (1967), Robert Q's Matinee (1950) and Winter of the Witch (1969). He died on 19 January 2000 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Letty Serra was born on 4 October 1933 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for The Producers (2005), Tony & Tina's Wedding (2004) and Say Nothing. She was married to William Becker. She died on 26 April 2022 in Jupiter Island, Florida, USA.- John van Kesteren was born on 4 May 1921 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. He was an actor, known for The Marriage of Figaro (1976), Die Hochzeit des Figaro (1963) and Carmina burana (1975). He died on 11 July 2008 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
- Director
Peter 'Pete' Fatovich was born on 1 July 1930 in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. He was an assistant director and actor, known for The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show (1966), The Doctors (1963) and ABC Stage 67 (1966). He was married to Mary Lou A. Furst. He died on 23 May 2015 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.- Actor
- Stunts
Earle E. Partridge was born on 7 July 1900 in Winchendon, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Battle Hymn (1957). He died on 7 September 1990 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.- John Havlicek is an American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA championships, four of them coming in his first four seasons with the team.
In the National Basketball Association he is one of four players to have won eight championships in their playing careers; only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones have won more, with 11 and 10 championships respectively. Havlicek is one of three NBA players with an unsurpassed 8-0 record in NBA Finals series outcomes. Havlicek is widely considered to have been one of the greatest players in the history of the game and was inducted as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984. He was a three-sport athlete at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, Ohio.
In 1997, Havlicek was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, by a panel of journalists, players, coaches, executives, and general managers. - James A. Verinis was born on 23 October 1916 in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. He died on 3 March 2003 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Chuck Daly was born on 20 July 1930 in St. Mary's, Pennsylvania, USA. He was married to Theresa Cierlitsky. He died on 9 May 2009 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Frank Lyman was born on 21 September 1907 in Cleveland, Tennessee, USA. He was an actor, known for Mister Dynamite (1935) and A Wedtime Story (1936). He died in April 1986 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Rick Mahler was born on 5 August 1953 in Austin, Texas, USA. He was married to Sheryl Winifred Horning. He died on 2 March 2005 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
- Mike Greenstein was born on 6 December 1920 in Wichita Falls, Texas, USA. He died on 16 February 2016 in Jupiter, Florida, USA.