Superman 1978 (LA) premiere

Jimmy McNichol (A.K.A. James Vincent McNichol, III,) is an actor, musician, and environmentalist. Additionally, McNichol is co-partner in the entertainment production company Playground Television, Inc.

McNichol is internationally known; was a top T.V. & Film star; a teen-age heart-throb; and one of the most popular actors in the entertainment industry from the late 1970s through the early 90s. He continues to have an international fan base, with many young people discovering his old work and becoming new fans. Now, McNichol was just named celebrity spokesman for the nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation "Pet Power Kids."

Formerly, McNichol appeared on countless magazine covers and was consistently the star of top T.V. and film productions. McNichol had several network T.V. shows and feature films created just for him, and even co-produced a CBS network variety special with producer Jerry Weintraub. Also, McNichol worked with numerous Academy Award winners and nominees, including Jill Clayburgh, Shirley Knight, Richard Jaeckel, and Susan Tyrrell.

In conjunction with the "Pet Power Kids," McNichol and Playground Television are developing a T.V. series documenting animal rescue and animal issues, entitled, "Animal Rescue The Rockies" A.K.A. "ARTR." "Animal Rescue The Rockies" is an animal welfare T.V. show documenting the process and suspense of rescuing animals in the Colorado Rockies; with a segment dedicated to the Pet Power Kids' 501(c)(3) corporation and the nonprofit's mission to save older shelter dogs and older shelter cats that are unlikely to ever be adopted, and would have been euthanized.

McNichol is an active philanthropist and successful real estate developer, who later this year, will be making his return to the entertainment industry. Previously, he had moved away from Hollywood to raise his kids, but now that the children are older, he is making his return to television and film, and his sister Kristy McNichol is by his side to help him out whenever necessary.

McNichol's two-decade absence, and much public anticipation, explains why fans are still selling his autographed photos for $300.

During his absence from California, McNichol has spent time in France with his wife and children, while continuing to give a rare concert performance. This year, McNichol is releasing a new C.D. entitled "Eco Warrior" under Aurora Entertainment's Ecology Music Group label "EMG," and donating part of the proceeds to charity. Also, McNichol is performing at benefit concerts and giving away a free promotional "video D.V.D. sample" to promote ecological awareness and philanthropy.

Notably, the feature film and cult classic that McNichol starred in with Oscar nominee Susan Tyrrell, "Night Warning," is about to be released on D.V.D. Additionally, Jimmy has a new D.V.D. box set, released in 2013, with Producer Roger Corman, which includes "Smokey Bites The Dust". In 2015, "Escape from El Diablo" was also released on D.V.D. .

Lee Kramer is known for Xanadu (1980), Party & Prey and Jimmy's Bastards.

Shirlee Fonda was born on 11 February 1932 in Aurora, Illinois, USA. She is known for Joanne Carson's VIPs (1972), To Tell the Truth (1956) and V.I.P.-Schaukel (1971). She was previously married to Henry Fonda.

Barbara Harris was born on 30 September 1950. She has been married to David Jaynes since 2001. She was previously married to Cary Grant.

Joe Hamilton was born on 6 January 1929 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was a producer and director, known for The Carol Burnett Show (1967), Sills and Burnett at the Met (1976) and The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show (1966). He was married to Lee Troggio, Carol Burnett and Gloria M. Hartley. He died on 9 June 1991 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Carrie Hamilton was born on 5 December 1963 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for Fame (1982), Shag (1988) and Tokyo Pop (1988). She was married to Marc Templin. She died on 20 January 2002 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Cicely Tyson was born in Harlem, New York City, where she was raised by her devoutly religious parents, who had come from the Caribbean island of Nevis. Her mother Theodosia was a domestic worker and her her father William was a carpenter and painter. Tyson was discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony Magazine, and with her stunning looks she quickly rose to the top of the modeling industry. In 1957 she began acting in Off-Broadway productions. She had small roles in feature films before she was cast as Portia in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968). Four years later, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her sensational performance in the critically-acclaimed film Sounder (1972). In 1974, she went on to portray a 110-year-old former slave in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), which earned her two Emmy Awards. She also appeared in the television miniseries Roots (1977), King (1978), and A Woman Called Moses (1978). While Cicely has not appeared steadily onscreen because of her loyalty to solely portraying strong, positive images of Black women, she is definitely one of the most talented, beautiful actresses who ever graced stage or screen.

Michelle Phillips first became known as a member of the pop group The Mamas and the Papas. She sang the Mamas and Papas song "Dedicated To The One I Love" on a 1987 episode of Knots Landing (1979) in her role as Anne Matheson. She is the mother of singer Chynna Phillips and actor Austin Hines. Michelle's longest relationship was the 18 years she spent with Dr. Steven Zax, until his death in 2017.

From a talented acting generation of four brothers, Timothy Bottoms was the closest to achieving out-and-out super-stardom in the 1970s. The eldest of four siblings, he was followed in birth by Joseph Bottoms, Sam Bottoms and Ben Bottoms.

All four boys were born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, with Timothy James birth date being August 30, 1951. As the children of James "Bud" Bottoms, a sculptor and high school art teacher, and his wife Betty, artistic expression was certainly encouraged in this family and Timothy expressed an avid interest, even during his preschool years, of wanting to perform. He was a local member of the Youth Theater Productions at school and in 1967 toured Europe along with the Santa Barbara Madrigal Society, which sealed his aspirations.

Following high school, Timothy was spotted by Universal in a stage production of "Romeo and Juliet" and chosen (with no prior film experience) for a lead part in director Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun (1971). As Joe, a young American soldier who is shelled and left armless and legless on the last day of World War I, Timothy received excellent reviews and earned a Golden Globe nomination as "Most Promising Newcomer." His next starring role propelled him into the top leagues. Cast as aimless Texas-boy "Sonny," the sensitive, mournful-eyed, youthful focus of Peter Bogdanovich's downbeat Oscar winner The Last Picture Show (1971), the film went on to make full-fledged stars not only of Timothy, but of Jeff Bridges and Cybill Shepherd. Younger brother Sam, who frequently visited the set, wound up touchingly cast as simple, naive, ill-fated character.

The early 1970s was a time of great personal accomplishments for Timothy in film. Engagingly maladroit and looking slightly uncomfortable in his own skin, he proved that his first reviews were no flukes. He appeared to great advantage in the touching drama Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (1973) opposite British acting doyenne Maggie Smith and as the tousle-haired college protagonist in the coming-of-age box-office hit The Paper Chase (1973). In an effort to break free of his sensitive prototype, he delved into stranger, darker characters with The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974) and Rollercoaster (1977). These efforts were less successful, however, and he quickly began to discover his film career slipping away at the early age of 26.

Outgrowing his awkward adorableness, he shifted to the smaller screen in order to secure challenging roles, such as the biblical lead in The Story of David (1976); his ex-convict in A Small Town in Texas (1976); his bank teller in Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers (1976); his fatally-stricken track runner in A Shining Season (1979), and the Raymond Massey role (in which he aged 30 years) in the ambitious mini-series East of Eden (1981), with brother Sam recreating the James Dean part.

Timothy's success certainly encouraged his younger siblings. By this time Joseph, Sam and Ben were were all experiencing significant lifts in their own respective careers. As a group, the four brothers hooked up together for the TV movie Island Sons (1987), in which they all played brothers and used their real first names. The movie was promoted as a pilot for an upcoming weekly series, but it failed to make the grade. While Timothy continued to work steadily throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the quality of material he was given grew more standard. Roles in such films as Invaders from Mars (1986), The Drifter (1988) and the foreign-made Istanbul (1989) did little to reignite his earlier success. A sequel to his famous "The Last Picture Show", entitled Texasville (1990), could have had heads turning but the movie decided instead to focus instead on Jeff Bridges (who at this juncture was a big name star) while Timothy's character was given short shrift with what was essentially a cameo.

Into the millennium Timothy had a slight taste of his former glory while showing a keen talent for parody with his uncanny impersonation of president George W. Bush. Who would have thought? Bottoms' dead-on spoof on That's My Bush! (2001), courtesy of the creators of "South Park", led to a brief Bush cameo in the family film The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (2002) and the much more serious TV-movie DC 9/11: Time of Crisis (2003). Interestingly, Timothy needed little in the way of prosthetics. He simply parted his hair differently, added a bit of a drawl and imitated his walk!

The still boyish-looking actor with that same trickle of sadness and discomfort has worked continuously for the past thirty years and appeared in over 65 films. Of late he has shined in small independent features such as with his dysfunctional father in writer/director Gus Van Sant's Elephant (2003), which chronicled a Columbine High School-like massacre, and his closer-to-home portrayal as a middle-aged actor in search of his early fame in Paradise, Texas (2006).

Other millennium films include Shanghai Kiss (2007), Along the Way (2007), the remake of Jack London's Call of the Wild (2009), Pound of Flesh (2010), Realm of the Mole Men (2012) and the quirky romantic comedy 1 Nighter (2012) opposite the producer/writer/director of the film Jill Jaress. In addition, he has been frequently viewed in such comedic and dramatic TV movies as Jane Doe: Now You See It, Now You Don't (2005), Vampire Bats (2005), I Married Who? (2012), Sweet Surrender (2014) and How Not to Propose (2015), and made guest appearances on the popular series "The Governor's Wife," "Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice" and "The Bridge."

Timothy's marriage to folk singer Alicia Cory from 1975 to 1978, produced son Bartholomew. He has three other children (Benton, William, Bridget) with current wife (since 1984) Marcia Morehart. Bottoms divides his time between his acting work and his other great love of training wild horses at his two ranches near Big Sur, California. On the sly he has worked as a surveyor's assistant.

While brothers Joseph and Ben are lesser seen these days and finding satisfying lives outside the Hollywood realm, Sam pursued his own career until his death from brain cancer in 2008 at age 53. Their eldest brother continues to display his talents with more recent prime roles in such films as the dramedy Welcome to the Men's Group (2016), horror opus The Shed (2019) and the adventure thriller Tar (2020).

Lisa Hartman is an American actress and singer from Houston, Texas. Her best known role was playing the protagonist Tabitha Stephens in the short-lived fantasy sitcom "Tabitha" (1977-1978). Her character was depicted as a young witch who worked as a production assistant in a television station. Tabitha was trying to start a career, while regularly dealing with supernatural events. The series was intended as a sequel to the hit sitcom "Bewitched" (1964-1972), with Tabitha being the grown-up daughter of the witch Samantha Stephens (played by Elizabeth Montgomery). The sequel series only lasted for 11 episodes, due to a rapid decline in its ratings.

Hartman had started a professional singing career in 1976, with the release of the eponymous studio album "Lisa Hartman". She subsequently released the studio albums "Hold On" (1979), "Letterock" (1983), and "Til My Heart Stops" (1987). Her albums were not commercially successful, despite her collaborations with successful songwriters and producers. Her single "If Love Must Go" (1982) was quite popular in the early 1980s, due to its use in television shows. Hartman had a brief career comeback with the duet "When I Said I Do" (1999), sang with her husband Clint Black. The song reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. It peaked at number 31 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the highest charting song in Hartman's singing career.

Hartman portrayed the villain Faith Stohler in the slasher film "Deadly Blessing" (1981), with the character motivated by an unrequited love for her neighbor Martha Schmidt (played by Maren Jensen). The film was among the early works of the famed horror director Wes Craven, but it was initially poorly received. It has a minor following among fans of vintage horror films, because a number of "eccentricities" make it quite different to other slasher films from this era.

In 1982, Hartman joined the cast of the soap opera "Knots Landing" (1979-1993). She portrayed the professional singer Ciji Dunne, who was a key figure in the series' 4th season (1983). The character was murdered off-screen by the end of the season, starting a murder mystery story-line with several suspects. Hartman's intended departure from the series was met with backlash from the viewers, as Ciji was a popular character. The writers then introduced the character of Cathy Geary (played by Hartman) who impersonated the deceased Ciji as part of a conspiracy. Cathy eventually became one of the series' main characters for several seasons, ensuring that the popular Hartman remained part of the cast. Hartman permanently left the series in 1986, at the end of the 7th season. The departure was part of a series of budget cuts at that time, but the writers had reportedly run out of ideas when it came to Cathy's story arc.

In 1984, Hartman portrayed co-protagonist Jennie Cooper in the sex comedy "Where the Boys Are '84". Jennie was portrayed as a vacationing college student during a spring break, who found herself romantically pursued by both a classical pianist and a free-spirited rocker. Hartman also performed the song "Where the Boys Are" for the film's soundtrack album. Her version of the song was also released as a single, but failed to chart.

For most of the late 1980s and the entire 1990s, Hartman regularly appeared in television films. She starred in the drama film "Roses Are for the Rich" (1987), as a miner's daughter who seeks revenge against the businessman whose negligence caused the accidental deaths of her loved ones.

In 1992, Hartman was cast in a main role in the short-lived soap opera "2000 Malibu Road". She portrayed the retired prostitute Jade O'Keefe, who had moved to a private beach house, along with 3 other women who were trying to rebuild their lives. The series only lasted for 6 episodes, leaving several unresolved cliffhangers. The series reportedly ended because its producers could not come to terms on license fees. Its ratings were relatively low, due to direct competition with another new soap opera: "Melrose Place" (1992-1999). This was Hartman's last recurring television role.

In 2020, Hartman and her husband Clint Black appeared on the fourth season of "The Masked Singer" under the guise of the "Snow Owls". They competed as the series' first duet competitors. They performed for 7 episodes, before being eliminated in the competition. So far, this has been the last notable television appearance by the veteran actress aside from an appearance on Talking in Circles with Clint Black (2021).

Burly, talented character actor who remained consistently busy playing "rough edged" or scary characters, often on the wrong side of the law. Young was born on April 30, 1940, in New York City, the son of a high school shop teacher. He is of Italian descent. Young received his dramatic arts training under acting coach Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.

Young first gathered notice playing tough thugs in such films as The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971), Across 110th Street (1972), Chinatown (1974) and The Gambler (1974). Director Sam Peckinpah cast Young as the getaway driver/assassin, "Mac", in The Killer Elite (1975), and Young came to the attention of newcomer Sylvester Stallone, who cast him as future brother-in-law "Paulie" in the 1976 sleeper hit Rocky (1976).

Young was nominated for an Oscar, and has gone on to reprise the role in all five "Rocky" sequels to date! Peckinpah re-hired him to play renegade trucker "Pigpen" in the moderately successful Convoy (1978) (watch for "Pigpen's" Mack truck where the writing on the door states "Paulie Hauling"!).

Young also appeared in Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989), Mickey Blue Eyes (1999) and The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002).

Quinn Cummings was born on 13 August 1967 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for The Goodbye Girl (1977), Family (1976) and Remington Steele (1982).

Philip McKeon was born on 11 November 1964 in Westbury, New York, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for The Jacket (2005), Murder in the First (1995) and Alice (1976). He died on 10 December 2019 in Wimberly, Texas, USA.

Born on April 6, 1947 in Paris (France), André Weinfeld is a French and American film and television producer, director, screenwriter, photographer and journalist.

After receiving a Master's Degree in Psychology and French Literature at the Sorbonne University, André Weinfeld - the son of Jean Weinfeld, a Bauhaus architect and Nina Lapina Weinfeld, a writer - was admitted in 1966, after a year of preparation for the entrance examination, as number 1 out of 300, at the highly regarded French Film School "Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques" (IDHEC) . He dropped out, however, after less than a semester, because he "didn't like it". Weinfeld further complained in an interview that the education there was "way too conventional". Other famous drop-outs from IDHEC include BAFTA Film Award Winner Louis Malle and Academy Award winner Volker Schlöndorff.

First, a Camera operator and then a Cinematographer to several French "New Wave" short and full-length feature films (collaborating with, among others, directors Philippe Garrel, Jean Eustache, Éric Rohmer, Néstor Almendros , Dennis Berry, Jackie Raynal, etc.) André Weinfeld became - at age 19 - one of the youngest television directors, producers and journalists in France.

For the next 10 years, André directed, produced and reported over 70 weekly news and documentary magazine programs and French Network Specials, covering everything from fashion to the 1960s and 1970s rock and roll and pop scenes in "Swinging London" and in the US for the hit TV Documentary series "Bouton Rouge" at the Monterey International Pop Festival, the Woodstock Festival, working with many major musicians, among them Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Cream, The Who, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, etc. Later on, this time as a Special Envoy and War correspondent, André accepted several "hard news" assignments to Israel, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon during the Six Day War, the Yom Kippur War and Saigon during the Vietnam War.

After serving as a director of several feature and documentary films during his military service in the French Army Cinema Service (ECPA), André Weinfeld went on to write and direct his first feature short La bonne nouvelle (1974) (The Good News), with late French "New Wave" director Claude Chabrol, Thomas Chabrol, Christine Boisson, Michel Duchaussoy, Mary Marquet and Daniel Prévost, which was awarded the Grand Prize at the International London Film Festival and thereafter distributed in France by Warner-Columbia.

André then worked as a screenwriter for several French films, among them the hit The Key Is in the Door (1978) (La clé sur la porte), starring French stars Patrick Dewaere and Annie Girardot.

Having met actress Raquel Welchin Paris in 1977, André moved to live and work in the USA in 1977. He started his own Production and Video Distribution Company while producing, writing and directing From Raquel with Love (1980), a variety TV Special with Raquel Welch, Mickey Rooney and Douglas Fairbanks Jr..

He then went on to produce and direct Raquel's Multi-Platinum collection of Fitness and Yoga videos.

Divorced from Raquel Welch in 1990, André Weinfeld is now living in New York with his 22-year-old son Zachary Weinfeld and actively working on several feature film and television projects both in the USA and France.

William Putch was born on 22 April 1924 in Bellevue, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Charlie's Angels (1976), True Story (1957) and Family (1976). He was married to Jean Stapleton. He died on 23 November 1983 in Syracuse, New York, USA.

Robin Gibb was born in 1949 on the Isle of Man, about half an hour before his twin brother Maurice. His parents, Barbara and Hugh, were both musical. Barbara sang and Hugh was a drummer and bandleader. Robin had four siblings - an older sister and brother, Lesley and Barry, twin Maurice and younger brother Andy. The family moved for some time to Manchester, England before emigrating to Australia in 1958.

During their childhood, Robin, Maurice and Barry began performing together. They played under various band names, but finally settled on The Bee Gees. It was in Australia that the band first tasted success, topping the charts there in 1965 with 'Spicks and Specks'. In 1966 they relocated back to the UK and landed a recording contract with Polydor. Chart success followed in the UK and USA.

In the late 60s, tensions arose in the band, and Robin briefly left to pursue a solo career, but the group reunited and continued having success, including switching to a more disco sound. In 1977, The Bee Gees wrote and produced five songs for the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever (1977). The film was a smash and the soundtrack album went on to become one of the biggest selling of all time, elevating The Bee Gees to superstar group status.

Robin and the group also became known for penning hit records for other artists including Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. The band continued writing and performing into the 1990s, but disbanded officially in 2003 when Maurice Gibb died suddenly at 53. Robin continued to write and perform solo material, and became involved in charity work in support of British troops. In 2011 it was announced that he was suffering with cancer. After a brave battle with the disease and other health problems, Robin Gibb passed away on May 20th 2012.

If you were to try and summarize Barry Gibb's forty-five year career in the music industry in a single phrase you would probably come up with something such as "versatile". Barry Gibb continues to remain an important, relevant figure in the music industry due to his willingness to adapt his music, his style and his image into whatever musical styling is at the fore. What makes the story of Barry Gibb so unique is that he has had a successful musical career of over forty years, continually restyling both the image and the music of the Bee Gees in order to remain relevant to the contemporary era. Barry has gone from being the front man of the soft rock/pop styling of the Bee Gees in the 1960s, to bringing the disco scene to the fore in the 70s, becoming a crooner in the 80s and reinventing his career yet again in the 1990s, as the Bee Gees enjoyed yet another reinvigoration, as their new albums and hit "One Night Only" tour proved that the music of the Bee Gees was timeless. Lasting over forty years, the Bee Gees are one of the longest running musical acts of all-time, and Barry's longevity can be attributed in part to the timelessness of his songs about unrequited love, soul-mates, people finding courage in times of dismay and above all, celebrating the short time we have on this earth.

Barry's story begins on the 1st of September 1946, where he was born the second of five children to parents Barbara and Hugh Gibb. In the early 1960s Barry, and his twin brothers, Maurice and Robin, formed pop group The Bee Gees, named in tribute to two people who helped launch their career, racetrack promoter Bill Goode and a DJ named Bill Gates. It was later changed to an acronym for the Brothers Gibb.

Barry and his family emigrated to Australia shortly after the birth of youngest sibling Andy, and the Gibbs performed anywhere and everywhere they could, in order to raise some pocket money. After securing a spot performing on local television shows, they were eventually signed for a record label in 1963. From the outset Barry was the primary creative force behind the music of the Bee Gees, penning the majority of their hit songs in the 1960s as well as countless other songs for other artists. In the 1970s the was a drastic change to the dynamics of the music industry, which saw singers from previous eras struggle to remain relevant. Barry helped pave the way for the Bee Gees most memorable decade, as he came up with the idea of performing in their now trademark falsetto's, as well as helping to launch the career of his youngest sibling, Andy Gibb. Barry became a mentor to the young Andy, guiding him in his initial foray into the music industry, by penning the majority of his hit singles.

The 1980s saw Barry struggle to remain relevant to the music industry, as the onset of the electro-funk styling of bands such as INXS saw the Bee Gees labeled as "uncool". Barry refused to be swayed by the Bee Gees dwindling record sales, and continued to record as both part of the Bee Gees, while also making his mark as a songwriter for other artists, penning memorable hit songs for artists as diverse as Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross and Olivia Newton-John. In 1988 Barry was heartbroken when brother Andy Gibb succumbed to years of substance abuse, and died at the age of 30. Just months before in was decided that Andy would be joining the Bee Gees as the fourth member, and Andy's death took a toll on Barry for the remainder of that decade, and his musical creativity diminished.

While Barry continues to record in the early 90s, it wasn't until 1997 that the Bee Gees returned to the fore, with the critically hailed "Still Waters" album. In late 1997 Barry, Robin and Maurice performed the legendary "One Night Only" concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, and the DVD recording of the concert has gone on to become the highest selling music DVD in Australian history, remaining on the ARIA DVD chart for over ten years.

In 2003 Maurice Gibb died of a cardiac arrest because of a congenital birth defect, bringing to a close the forty year career of The Bee Gees. However, Barry continues to remain in the public eye, as he has become more politically active, as he has generated controversy for his staunch criticism of the Schappelle Corby trial and lack of copyright protection for sound recordings in the UK. Few singers can boast having a number one record in five consecutive decades as Barry can, and with artists such as Faith No More, Wyclef Jean and Ronan Keating covering Barry's songs, Barry's timeless lyrics continue to reach out to a new generation of listeners.

Maurice Gibb was born on 22 December 1949 in Douglas, Isle of Man, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for Saturday Night Fever (1977), Ready Player One (2018) and Virtuosity (1995). He was married to Yvonne Gibb and Lulu. He died on 12 January 2003 in Miami Beach, Florida, USA.

Rhea Perlman was born on 31 March 1948 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Cheers (1982), Barbie (2023) and Matilda (1996). She has been married to Danny DeVito since 28 January 1982. They have three children.

Robyn Smith was born Constance Ann Miller. Her biological father deserted her and her mother at her birth. Her mother was 17 when she was born. Her mother was declared mentally unstable and Melody was placed in a foster home. She was adopted by a family surnamed Smith. After a grueling court battle, she was returned to her birth mother. When her mother's mental illness reappeared, she was placed back in the care of her adoptive family. She became a jockey in 1969, winning the Paumonok Handicap at Aqueduct in 1973 riding North Sea. She became the first woman to win a major race in the USA. At 5' 7", she was taller and heavier than most jockeys. She retired from racing in 1980. That same year, she married former actor and famed dancer extraordinaire Fred Astaire. She was 45 years his junior. She remained married to Astaire until his death in 1987.

Hervé Villechaize was born in Montauban, France on April 23, 1943. He stopped growing very early and his father (who was a surgeon) tried to find a cure by visiting several doctors and hospitals. But there was none, so Hervé had to live with his small height and also with undersized lungs. He studied at the Beaux-Arts in Paris and made an exhibition of his own paintings, which were well received. At 21, he left France for the USA where he continued to paint and to make photographs. He also started to participate in some movies and was quickly offered several roles for plays and then for cinema. His first big success was The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) where he was a killer associated to the villain Scaramanga (played by Christopher Lee). He inspired the TV-series Fantasy Island (1977) where he took the role of "Tattoo", the faithful servant of "Mr. Roarke" (Ricardo Montalban). This series was a great success and, thanks to it, Villechaize became famous and rich, mostly because of his enigmatic and charming smile.

In 1983, he argued with the producers of the show in order to earn as much money as Montalban but, instead, he was fired; he also lost his model-actress wife. The series continued without him but stopped one year later, when the media response meter decreased because of the lack of Tattoo's character!

Villechaize became alcoholic and depressed, so he missed several roles that he was offered. His health problems also increased (mostly suffering from ulcers and a spastic colon), and he nearly died of pneumonia in 1992. On the afternoon of Saturday September 4th, 1993, after having watched a movie, he wrote a note and made a tape recording before shooting himself in his backyard. His common-law wife, Kathy Self, discovered his body and called the ambulance which took him to the Medical Center of North Hollywood where he died at 3:40 pm. Villechaize was cremated and his ashes were scattered off Point Fermin, in Los Angeles.

Judy Busey was born on 2 January 1944 in Coffeyville, Kansas, USA. She is an actress, known for American Pie Presents: Band Camp (2005) and History's Mysteries (1998). She was previously married to Gary Busey.

Vic Tayback was born on 6 January 1930 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Alice (1976), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989). He was married to Sheila McKay Barnard. He died on 25 May 1990 in Glendale, California, USA.

Harriet Ikenson is known for The Facts of Life (1979) and This Is the Life (1952).

"I am too old to die young, and too young to grow up," Marty Feldman told a reporter -- a week before he died.

This beloved comedian, who poked fun at himself, as well as others, was born Martin Alan Feldman on July 8, 1934, in London, England. His parents were of Ukrainian Jewish heritage (from Kiev). He was the son of Cecilia (née Crook) and Myer Feldman, a gown manufacturer. Marty spent his childhood in the poverty-stricken London East End and left school at the age of 15, hoping for a career as a jazz trumpeter (his appearance in a Variety show earned him the title "the worst trumpeter in the world"). He had just started his comedy career, as a writer for BBC radio programs and TV shows in the late 1950s, when he married Lauretta Sullivan in January 1959 (they would stay married until his death in 1982). There's a saying: "Your face is your fortune"; Marty had received a double-whammy. His nose was mangled in his youthful years in a boxing match; his walleyed orbs were the result of both a hyperactive thyroid and a botched operation after a car accident before his 30th birthday, in 1963. American audiences first saw Marty in Dean Martin Presents the Golddiggers (1968), where he did comedy skits with Susie Ewing and the Golddiggers. He appeared in a number of movies, his most-remembered role being that of Igor (pronounced Eye-Gor) in Young Frankenstein (1974). Besides acting, he made his directorial debut in The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977). Beloved and popular, it seemed Marty was to enjoy a long career in the entertainment field. However, he died of a massive heart attack, caused by shellfish food poisoning, while filming Yellowbeard (1983) in Mexico City, on December 2, 1982... he was only 48.