Date of Death between 1972-01-01 and 1972-12-31 (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)
1. Joi Lansing
Actress | Touch of Evil
Joi Lansing was born Joyce Renee Brown on April 6, 1929 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was a young lady who developed early, physically, as a teen. Because of her striking good looks, she began modeling and was extremely successful throughout the 1940s. It was only natural her physical assets ...
2. Gaby André
Actress | La vendetta di Ercole
Gaby André was born on March 5, 1920 in Châlons-sur-Marne, Marne, France [now Châlons-en-Champagne]. She was an actress, known for Goliath and the Dragon (1960), The Life and Music of Giuseppe Verdi (1953) and Highway 301 (1950). She was previously married to Eli Smith. She died on August 27, 1972 ...
3. George Sanders
Actor | All About Eve
George Sanders was born of English parents in St. Petersburg, Russia. He worked in a Birmingham textile mill, in the tobacco business and as a writer in advertising. He entered show business in London as a chorus boy, going from there to cabaret, radio and theatrical understudy. His film debut, in ...
4. Dan Blocker
Actor | Bonanza
Dan Blocker is one of the true television immortals, having played Hoss Cartwright -- the heart and soul of Bonanza (1959) -- for 13 seasons, before his untimely death in 1972 at the age of 43. "Bonanza" was the most popular TV series of the 1960s, ranked #1 for three straight seasons (1964-65 ...
5. Steve Ihnat
Actor | Countdown
Steve Ihnat was born on August 7, 1934 in Jastrabie, Czechoslovakia [now Jastrabie pri Michalovciach, Slovak Republic]. He was an actor and writer, known for Countdown (1967), The Honkers (1972) and Do Not Throw Cushions Into the Ring (1970). He was previously married to Sally Carter-Ihnat. He died...
6. Brandon De Wilde
Actor | Shane
Born into a theatrical family, he made a much-acclaimed Broadway debut a "The Member of the Wedding," when he was 9 years old. He was the first child actor to win the Donaldson Award, and went on to repeat his role in the film version (directed by Fred Zinnemann in 1952). As the blond-haired, ...
7. Gia Scala
Actress | The Guns of Navarone
This tall, dazzling, yet reserved and sensitive foreign import was born Giovanna Scoglio in Liverpool, England but moved to Sicily with her aristocratic Sicilian father and Irish mother at three months of age. She migrated to New York at age 14 and attended Bayside (Queens) High School, graduating ...
8. Marilyn Maxwell
Actress | 3 Men in White
The less famous, but still undeniably talented, of the "Marilyn" sex symbols of the 1940s/'50s was born Marvel Marilyn Maxwell in Clarinda, Iowa on August 3, 1920 (she later began using her middle name professionally at the suggestion of Louis B. Mayer). As a teenager, she worked as an usher at the...
9. Janet Munro
Actress | Darby O'Gill and the Little People
As Disney's lively lass Katie O'Gill she was the freshness of spring. She could inspire you to dance a jig through a field of flowers. Her entrancing green eyes and catchy spirit had that kind of life-affirming effect. Cute, spunky, almond-eyed British actress Janet Munro was deemed to be an ...
10. Brian Donlevy
Actor | Beau Geste
It seems that Brian Donlevy started out life as colorfully as any character he ever played on the stage or screen. He lied about his age (he was actually 14) in 1916 so he could join the army. When Gen. John J. Pershing sent American troops to invade Mexico in pursuit of Pancho Villa--Mexican ...
11. Margaret Rutherford
Actress | The V.I.P.s
Rare is the reference to Margaret Rutherford that doesn't characterize her as either jut-chinned, eccentric, or both. The combination of those most mundane of attributes has led some to suggest that she was made for the role of Agatha Christie's indomitable sleuth, Jane Marple, whom Rutherford ...
12. Jessie Royce Landis
Actress | North by Northwest
Jessie Royce Landis was called "an international star" in her New York Times obituary. She was 20 when she made her stage debut at the Playhouse in Chicago as the young countess in "The Highwayman". Soon she was on Broadway. In 1950 she went to London for "Larger Than Life", a dramatization of W. ...
13. Peter Whitney
Actor | The Big Heat
Peter Whitney's over-powering frame, swarthy looks, bushy brows and maniacal look in his eye made him one of the most fearsome character actors to lump around in 1940s-60s film and TV.
Born on May 24, 1916 in New Jersey of German ancestry, Peter King Engle was educated at Exeter Academy. He ...
14. Bruce Cabot
Actor | King Kong
Hollywood stalwart Bruce Cabot's main claim to fame, other than rescuing Fay Wray from King Kong (1933), is that he tested for the lead role of The Ringo Kid in John Ford's Western masterpiece Stagecoach (1939). John Wayne got the role and became the most durable star in Hollywood history, while ...
15. Isabel Jewell
Actress | Gone with the Wind
Isabel Jewell, like other actresses in Hollywood in the 1930s, suffered from chronic typecasting. The diminutive, platinum-haired daughter of a doctor and medical researcher seemed to be often playing hard-boiled, tough-talking broads: gangster's molls, dumb blondes, prostitutes and, of course, ...
16. Miriam Hopkins
Actress | The Heiress
Born into wealth in Savannah, Georgia, on October 18, 1902, Ellen Miriam Hopkins was able to attend the finest educational institutions, including Goddard Seminary in Plainfield, Vermont, and Syracuse University in New York State. Studying dance in New York, she received her first taste of show ...
17. Leo G. Carroll
Actor | North by Northwest
One of the most indispensable of character actors, Leo G. Carroll was already involved in the business of acting as a schoolboy in Gilbert & Sullivan productions. Aged 16, he portrayed an old man in 'Liberty Hall'. In spite of the fact, that he came from a military family, and , perhaps, because of...
18. Nigel Green
Actor | Zulu
The character actor Nigel Green, born in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1924, was educated in England and studied chemical engineering before winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. By age 24, he was appearing on stage at both the Old Vic and Stratford-on-Avon, and in the ...
19. Maurice Chevalier
Actor | Gigi
Maurice Chevalier's first working job was as an acrobat, until a serious accident ended that career. He turned his talents to singing and acting, and made several short films in France. During World War I he enlisted in the French army. He was wounded in battle, captured and placed in a POW camp by...
20. Reginald Owen
Actor | Mary Poppins
Born August 5th, 1887 in England, Reginald Owen was among Hollywood's busier character actors, making more than 80 films. He was educated in England at Sir Herbert Tree's Academy of Dramatic Arts. Owen excelled and made his professional debut also in England at the age of 18. He came to New York in...
21. Jerome Cowan
Actor | Miracle on 34th Street
Jerome Cowan was one of Hollywood's most prolific and instantly recognisable character actors. His trademark pencil-thin moustache and slicked back hair, immaculate suits and sophisticated manner were his stock-in-trade for impersonating an assortment of rejected husbands, shifty politicians, ...
22. Nita Hunter
Actress | Smart Woman
Nita Hunter was born on March 24, 1931 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She was an actress, known for Smart Woman (1948), Susie Steps Out (1946) and White Tie and Tails (1946). She was previously married to Glen Howard Dickey. She died on July 19, 1972 in Burbank, California, USA.
23. Tom Neal
Actor | Detour
Tom Neal is best remembered for his off-screen exploits, which involved scandal, mayhem and a charge of murder. Before his 1938 screen debut in MGM's Out West with the Hardys (1938), Neal had been a member of the boxing team at Northwestern University, had debuted on the Broadway stage in 1935 and ...
24. Marie Wilson
Actress | Satan Met a Lady
Lovely, innocent-looking, well-endowed comedienne Marie Wilson was a featherbrained delight instantly reminiscent of the zany Gracie Allen. Unlike Allen, however, Marie was a knockout--with high cheekbones, a wide slash of a mouth and a figure that wouldn't quit.
She was born Katherine Elizabeth ...
25. Akim Tamiroff
Actor | Touch of Evil
Though born in Georgia and having a Russian-sounding name, Akim Tamiroff is actually of Armenian descent. At 19 he decided to pursue acting as a career and was chosen from among 500 applicants to the Moscow Art Theater School. There he studied under the great Konstantin Stanislavski, and launched a...
26. John Litel
Actor | They Died with Their Boots On
John Litel's tough, no-nonsense demeanor on screen was not entirely due to his skill as an actor--when World War I broke out he enlisted in the French army, not wanting to wait until the US entered, and was twice decorated for bravery. Returning to the US after the war, he enrolled in the American ...
27. William Boyd
Actor | Flaming Gold
The son of a day laborer, William Boyd moved with his family to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was seven. His parents died while he was in his early teens, forcing him to quit school and take such jobs as a grocery clerk, surveyor and oil field worker. He went to Hollywood in 1919, already gray-haired. ...
28. Rochelle Hudson
Actress | Imitation of Life
Rochelle Hudson was born on March 6, 1916 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. She was an actress, known for Imitation of Life (1934), The Officer and the Lady (1941) and Born Reckless (1937). She was previously married to Robert Louis Mindell, Charles Kenneth Brust Jr., Richard Francis Hyland and ...
29. Kenneth MacDonald
Actor | The Ten Commandments
Kenneth MacDonald was born Kenneth Dollins on September 8, 1901, in Portland, IN. He began his career as a stage actor in the 1920s and came to Hollywood in the early 1930s. He broke into motion pictures, but after several small roles, he found employment difficult to come by. He hit upon the idea ...
30. Oscar Levant
Actor | An American in Paris
Oscar Levant's own versatility may have helped to cloud his memory as a sort of Hollywood utility man, perhaps in the worst sense; people tended to see him as one among many personalities, but he was so much more. It is unfortunately forgotten that he was first and foremost, a brilliant musician ...
31. Lane Chandler
Actor | Samson and Delilah
American actor who had a brief flirtation with stardom before settling into character roles and bit parts. Born in rural South Dakota (according to government records, though some sources say Walsh County, North Dakota) as Robert C. Oakes, the son of a horse rancher, he moved with his family to ...
32. James Patterson
Actor | In the Heat of the Night
James Patterson was born on June 29, 1932 in Derry, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for In the Heat of the Night (1967), Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) and Play of the Week (1959). He was previously married to Rochelle Oliver. He died on August 19, 1972 in New York City, New York, USA.
33. Edgar G. Ulmer
Director | The Black Cat
Edgar G. Ulmer was born on September 17, 1904 in Olmütz, Moravia, Austria-Hungary [now Olomouc, Czech Republic]. He was a director and writer, known for The Black Cat (1934), The Naked Dawn (1955) and Isle of Forgotten Sins (1943). He was previously married to Shirley Ulmer and Joan Warner. He died...
34. George Mitchell
Actor | The Andromeda Strain
George Mitchell was born on February 21, 1905 in Larchmont, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Andromeda Strain (1971), The Twilight Zone (1959) and One Step Beyond (1959). He was previously married to Katherine Squire. He died on January 18, 1972 in Washington, District of ...
35. Ross Bagdasarian
Actor | Rear Window
Composer, prolific songwriter ("Come On-a My House", "Witch Doctor", "Chipmunk Song"), author, actor, producer, impressionist, educated at Coll. Writer, and has made many records. He joined ASCAP in 1951, and specialized in catchy, hummable melodies. Some of his other popular-song compositions ...
36. Jackie Robinson
Self | The Jackie Robinson Story
Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), ABC Stage 67 (1966) and 1955 World Series (1955). He was previously married to Rachel Robinson. He died on October 24, 1972 in Stamford, Connecticut, USA.
37. Betty Blythe
Actress | She
Brunette, buxom matinee idol Betty Blythe capitalised on the 'roaring 20's' infatuation with exotic screen sirens to achieve a brief period of stardom. She was, notoriously, one of the first actresses to ever appear nude (or in various stages of undress) on screen. It wasn't that Betty couldn't act...
38. Esma Cannon
Actress | Jassy
Legendary Australian character actress of the British screen, Miss Cannon was without doubt one of the best scene stealing actresses.
Her pixie like looks and extraordinary facial expressions made her a true favourite of many a British movie.
Without her appearances in many a 'Carry On..' film in the...
39. Ottola Nesmith
Actress | Becky Sharp
Ottola Nesmith was born on December 12, 1889 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She was an actress, known for Becky Sharp (1935), Television Spy (1939) and Four Star Playhouse (1952). She was previously married to Leon D'Usseau. She died on February 7, 1972 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, ...
40. Tod Andrews
Actor | Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Tod Andrews was born on November 9, 1914 in El Paso, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Heaven Can Wait (1943) and From Hell It Came (1957). He was previously married to Karolyn Rainwater, Valerie Veigel, Alice Kirby Hooker, Gloria Eleanor Folland and ...
41. Asta Nielsen
Actress | Hamlet
Danish leading woman of German films who became one of the greatest stars of the silent era. A native of the Copenhagen suburb of Vesterbro, Nielsen was the daughter of a coppersmith and a washerwoman, both of whom died before Nielsen was fifteen. Her stage debut came as a child in the chorus of ...
42. Colin Gordon
Actor | The Pink Panther
Ceylon-born Colin Gordon began acting on the West End stage as the hind legs of a horse in 'Toad of Toad Hall' in 1934. After wartime service, he returned to the stage, appearing in such plays as 'The White Carnation' and 'The Little Hut' (both 1953), 'Misery Me!' (1955) and 'The Touch of Fear' (...
43. John S. Battle
Self | Highway 301
John S. Battle was born on July 11, 1890 in Bern, North Carolina, USA. He was previously married to Mary Jane Lipscomb. He died on April 9, 1972 in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
44. Lew Parker
Actor | Are You with It?
Lew Parker was born on October 29, 1907 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Are You with It? (1948), That Girl (1966) and Country Music Holiday (1958). He was previously married to Betty Kean. He died on October 27, 1972 in New York City, New York, USA.
45. Val Parnell
Producer | Val Parnell's Startime
Val Parnell was born on February 14, 1894 in London, England, UK. He was a producer and actor, known for Val Parnell's Startime (1956), Val Parnell's Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1955) and The New London Palladium Show (1965). He was previously married to Aileen Cochrane, Helen Howell (...
46. Hugh McDermott
Actor | Devil Girl from Mars
Hugh McDermott was born on March 20, 1906 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Devil Girl from Mars (1954), 'Pimpernel' Smith (1941) and The Flying Swan (1965). He was previously married to Angela J. Laurillard and Daphne Courtney. He died on January 29, 1972 in London, England, ...
47. Richard H. Cutting
Actor | South Pacific
In the 1950s Richard Cutting derived fame as "Manners," a tiny butler in a Bowler derby hat in a series of commercials for Kleenex Napkins. By trick photography he appeared to be about only inches in height and would manifest under a dinner table in a traditional butler's cutaway. A paper napkin ...
48. William Dieterle
Actor | Faust: Eine deutsche Volkssage
Born in Ludwigshafen, Germany, Wilhelm Dieterle was the youngest of nine children of parents Jacob and Berthe Dieterle. They lived in poverty, and when he was old enough to work, young Wilhelm earned money as a carpenter and a scrap dealer. He dreamed of better things, though, and theater caught ...
49. Frank Tashlin
Director | Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
Frank Tashlin was born on February 19, 1913 in Weehawken, New Jersey, USA. He was a director and writer, known for Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957), The Girl Can't Help It (1956) and Artists and Models (1955). He was previously married to Jean Deines, Mary Costa and Dorothy Marguerite Hill. ...
50. Meena Kumari
Actress | Kaajal
The Empress of Indian Cinema!
A Sweetheart of 1950s, & The Undisputed Goddess of 1960s Bollywood, Meena Kumari bestrode the movies like few women in history have!
Combing enchanting grace, amazingly heart-melting expression, & consistently solid progressive content base, this Giant of Cinema will ...