Date of Death between 1977-01-01 and 1977-12-31 (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)
1. Elvis Presley
Soundtrack | Girls! Girls! Girls!
Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in East Tupelo, Mississippi, to Gladys Presley (née Gladys Love Smith) and Vernon Presley (Vernon Elvis Presley). He had a twin brother who was stillborn. In 1948, Elvis and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he attended Humes High School. ...
2. Joan Crawford
Actress | What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Joan Crawford was born Lucille Fay LeSueur on March 23, 1904, in San Antonio, Texas, to Anna Belle (Johnson) and Thomas E. LeSueur, a laundry laborer. By the time she was born, her parents had separated, and by the time she was a teenager, she'd had three stepfathers. It wasn't an easy life; ...
3. Charles Chaplin
Writer | The Great Dictator
Considered to be one of the most pivotal stars of the early days of Hollywood, Charlie Chaplin lived an interesting life both in his films and behind the camera. He is most recognized as an icon of the silent film era, often associated with his popular character, the Little Tramp; the man with the ...
4. Leila Hyams
Actress | Freaks
Leila Hyams was one of the top leading ladies of the early talkie pre-code years. She was a likable, pleasing actress with a charming presence. She had much spark, personality and charisma, and a touch of down-to-earthiness and naturalness that won over movie fans; they could relate to her. A ...
5. Jean Hagen
Actress | Singin' in the Rain
Jean Shirley Verhagen (later shortened to Hagen) was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 3, 1923. Her father was a Dutch immigrant. Hagen and her family moved to Elkhart, Indiana when she was twelve; she subsequently graduated from Elkhart High School. Afterwards, she graduated from Northwestern ...
6. Matthew Garber
Actor | Mary Poppins
Matthew Garber was a British child actor. Both of his parents were theatrical actors, but neither was particularly famous.
In 1963, Garber came to the attention of actor Roy Dotrice (father of Karen Dotrice) who was seeking potential child actors. Roy recommended Garber to the casting department of ...
7. Stephen Boyd
Actor | Ben-Hur
Stephen Boyd was born William Millar on July 4, 1931, at Glengormley, Northern Ireland, one of nine children of Martha Boyd and Canadian truck driver James Alexander Millar, who worked for Fleming's on Tomb Street in Belfast. He attended Glengormley & Ballyrobert primary school and then moved on to...
8. Groucho Marx
Actor | A Night at the Opera
The bushy-browed, cigar-smoking wise-cracker with the painted-on moustache and stooped walk was the leader of The Marx Brothers. With one-liners that were often double entendres, Groucho never cursed in any of his performances and said he never wanted to be known as a dirty comic. With a great love...
9. Howard Hawks
Director | Rio Bravo
What do the classic films Scarface (1932), Twentieth Century (1934), Bringing Up Baby (1938), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), His Girl Friday (1940), Sergeant York (1941), To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Red River (1948) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and Rio Bravo (1959) have in...
10. Henry Hull
Actor | Lifeboat
Henry Hull, the actor who created the role of Jeeter on Broadway in "Tobacco Road," was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on October 13, 1890, the son of a drama critic. Originally intending to become an engineer, Hull became an actor and made his Broadway debut in "Green Stockings" less than two weeks...
11. Diana Hyland
Actress | The Boy in the Plastic Bubble
Diana Hyland, a striking, knowing beauty with a confident air about her, was born Diane Gentner on January 25, 1936, in Ohio and appeared on stage in summer stock, as a teen, before graduating from Cleveland Heights High School.
Moving to New York in 1955 to test her acting mettle, the slim-faced, ...
12. Andy Devine
Actor | Robin Hood
Rotund comic character actor of American films. Born Andrew Vabre Devine in Flagstaff, Arizona, he was raised in nearby Kingman, Arizona, the son of an Irish-American hotel operator Thomas Devine and his wife Amy. Devine was an able athlete as a student and actually played semi-pro football under a...
13. Sebastian Cabot
Actor | The Jungle Book
Sebastian Cabot was an English actor, often working as a voice actor in animation.
On 6 July, 1918, Cabot was born in London. He dropped out of school in 1932, to work in an automotive garage. He was eventually hired as both a chauffeur and a valet for actor Frank Pettingell (1891-1966). He learned ...
14. Allison Hayes
Actress | Attack of the 50 Foot Woman
Anyone who loves B-movies of the 1950s appreciates this lovely actress Allison Hayes. She was born Mary Jane Hayes on March 6, 1930 in Charleston, West Virginia. The raven-haired beauty was the 1949 Washington, D.C. entry into the Miss America pageant. Shortly afterwards, Mary Jane adopted the ...
15. Burt Mustin
Actor | The Lusty Men
Burt Mustin was a salesman most of his life, but got his first taste of show business as the host of a weekly radio variety show on KDKA Pittsburgh in 1921. He appeared onstage in "Detective Story" at Sombrero Playhouse in Phoenix Arizona, and played the janitor in the movie version, (Detective ...
16. Margaret Hayes
Actress | Sullivan's Travels
Auburn-haired Margaret 'Maggie' Hayes made her Broadway debut in 1940 and was signed by Paramount the following year. She generally played second leads, often as 'the other woman', but was never quite fulfilled in her profession. Instead, she pursued diverse other career paths outside of acting, ...
17. Bing Crosby
Actor | White Christmas
Bing Crosby was born Harry Lillis Crosby, Jr. in Tacoma, Washington, the fourth of seven children of Catherine (Harrigan) and Harry Lincoln Crosby, a brewery bookkeeper. He was of English and Irish descent. Crosby studied law at Gonzaga University in Spokane but was more interested in playing the ...
18. Peter Finch
Actor | Network
Despite being one of the finest actors of his generation, Peter Finch will be remembered as much for his reputation as a hard-drinking, hell-raising womanizer as for his performances on the screen. He was born in London in 1916 and went to live in Sydney, Australia, at the age of ten. There, he ...
19. Geraldine Brooks
Actress | Possessed
A resolute, blue-eyed brunette with attractive, slightly pinched features, Geraldine Brooks was born to a Dutch couple on October 29, 1925, in New York City. Her parents had a theater-based background -- father, James Stroock, owned a top costume company and mother, Bianca, was a costume designer ...
20. Freddie Prinze
Actor | Chico and the Man
Freddie Prinze was born Frederick Karl Pruetzel in New York City, New York, to a Puerto Rican mother, Aurea Elena Ruiz, and a German immigrant father, Edward Karl Pruetzel. Freddie grew up in the Washington Heights section of New York City. As a chubby child, he was often bullied, but was quite ...
21. Timmy Everett
Actor | The Music Man
Timmy Everett was born on February 14, 1938 in Helena, Montana, USA. He was an actor, known for The Music Man (1962), Ben Casey (1961) and Playhouse 90 (1956). He died on March 4, 1977 in New York City, New York, USA.
22. Patricia Haines
Actress | The Avengers
Patricia Haines was born on February 3, 1932 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Avengers (1961), The Last Shot You Hear (1969) and The Adventures of Don Quick (1970). She was previously married to Bernard Kay and Michael Caine. She died on February 25, 1977 in ...
23. Zero Mostel
Actor | The Producers
Zero Mostel was born Samuel Joel Mostel on February 28, 1915 in Brooklyn, New York, one of eight children of an Orthodox Jewish family. Raised in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the young Zero, known as Sammy, developed his talent for painting and drawing at art classes provided by the ...
24. Stanley Adams
Actor | Star Trek
Stanley Adams was a character who had a lengthy theatrical motion picture career. The majority of his roles were playing minor characters with the possible exception of his role playing Rusty Trawler who's a pint sized millionaire in the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's. Otherwise, he played ...
25. Richard Carlson
Actor | Creature from the Black Lagoon
The son of an attorney, Richard Carlson had an introspective quality to his performances and looked every inch the academic he first aspired to be. Following his graduation from the University of Minnesota with a Master's Degree in English, the tall, dark-haired youth had a brief stint as a drama ...
26. Trevor Bardette
Actor | The Monolith Monsters
Wavy-haired, articulate, quietly-spoken Bardette was one of Hollywood's archetypal villains of westerns and cliffhanger serials. He initially aspired to become a mechanical engineer after graduating from Oregon State University in June 1925. However, by the late 1920s, he had changed his name from ...
27. Roberto Rossellini
Writer | Roma città aperta
The master filmmaker Roberto Rossellini, as one of the creators of neo-realism, is one of the most influential directors of all time. His neo-realist films influenced France's nouvelle vague movement in the 1950s and '60s that changed the face of international cinema. He also influenced American ...
28. Robert Middleton
Actor | The Court Jester
Despite the fact that hefty, beetle-browed character actor Robert Middleton (born Samuel G. Messer) was known for most of his career as a mop-faced villain capable of the most vicious and contemptible of crimes, the man himself was quite a happy and hearty gent who loved to play practical jokes, ...
29. Alan Reed
Actor | The Flintstones
Character player Alan Reed was a strong, gruff, burly presence on '40s and '50s film and TV but he would be best remembered for his equally strong, gruff, distinctive voice on radio and TV. In 1960, he gave vocal life to the bombastic prehistoric cartoon character Fred Flintstone on the prime-time ...
30. Willis Bouchey
Actor | The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Willis Bouchey appeared in almost 150 movies and television shows over a 30-year period from 1951 to 1979. He was one of those wonderful character actors who would be a crooked judge in one film and a humorous cavalry officer in another. He appeared in many of John Ford's movies as well as James ...
31. Jacques Tourneur
Director | Out of the Past
Born in Paris in 1904, Tourneur went to Hollywood with his father, director Maurice Tourneur around 1913. He started out as a script clerk and editor for his father, then graduated to such jobs as directing shorts (often with the pseudonym Jack Turner), both in France and America. He was hired to ...
32. Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson
Actor | You Can't Take It with You
The son of a minstrel and circus tightrope walker, Eddie Anderson developed a gravel voice early in life which would become his trademark to fame. He joined his older brother Cornelius as members of "The Three Black Aces" during his vaudeville years, singing for pennies in the hotel lobby. He ...
33. Henri-Georges Clouzot
Writer | Le salaire de la peur
Beginning his film career as a screenwriter, Henri-Georges Clouzot switched over to directing and in 1943 had the distinction of having his film Le Corbeau (1943) banned by both the German forces occupying France and the Free French forces fighting them, but for different reasons. He shot to ...
34. Claire Brennen
Actress | The Domino Principle
Claire Brennen was born on September 25, 1934 in Orange County, California, USA. She was an actress, known for The Domino Principle (1977), She Freak (1967) and The Touchables (1961). She died on November 27, 1977 in Hollywood, California, USA.
35. William Castle
Director | House on Haunted Hill
William Castle was born on April 24, 1914 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for House on Haunted Hill (1959), Homicidal (1961) and The Lady from Shanghai (1947). He was previously married to Ellen. He died on May 31, 1977 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
36. Niall MacGinnis
Actor | Jason and the Argonauts
Niall MacGinnis is not as well known outside of Europe, but he was a wonderful character actor whose variety of roles matched his great gift for characterization and the look beyond just makeup that he projected. He was educated at Stonyhurst College and Trinity College, Dublin. He obtained a basic...
37. Nora Marlowe
Actress | The Thomas Crown Affair
Nora Marlowe was born on September 5, 1915 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Westworld (1973) and Emergency! (1972). She was previously married to James McCallion. She died on December 31, 1977 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
38. Joan Tetzel
Actress | The Paradine Case
Aside from her movie career, Joan Tetzel was well known as a Broadway and London stage actress. She played Nurse Ratchett in the Broadway production of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". During the early 1970s, she appeared in the London play, "How The Other Half Loves". She had guest roles in such...
39. Gertrude Astor
Actress | Stage Struck
The first actress to sign a contract with Universal in 1915, Gertrude Astor (born in Ohio as Gertrude Irene Astor) began her career playing trombone and saxophone on a riverboat. Towering over most of her leading men at 5'11", she often played golddiggers, rich socialites or a leading lady's best ...
40. Virginia Chapman
Actress | Official Detective
Virginia Chapman was born on June 14, 1921 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Official Detective (1957), Highway Patrol (1955) and Whirlybirds (1957). She was previously married to James Arness and Leo Myron Morton. She died on July 29, 1977 in Malibu, California, USA.
41. Walter Baldwin
Actor | The Best Years of Our Lives
Walter Baldwin was born on January 2, 1889 in Lima, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Winter Meeting (1948) and Mourning Becomes Electra (1947). He died on January 27, 1977 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
42. Delmer Daves
Director | 3:10 to Yuma
Although Delmer Daves obtained a law degree at Stanford University, he never had the opportunity to use it; while still in college, he obtained a job as a prop boy on The Covered Wagon (1923) and after graduation was hired by several film companies as a technical advisor on films with a college ...
43. Cyril Ritchard
Actor | Producers' Showcase
Legendary for his preening, prancing, delightfully playful villain Captain Hook on the award-winning stage (as well as TV) opposite America's musical treasure Mary Martin, beloved musical star Cyril Ritchard had a vast career that would last six decades, but "Peter Pan" would become his prime ...
44. Ronnie Van Zant
Soundtrack | Kingsman: The Secret Service
Ronnie Van Zant was born on January 15, 1948 in Jacksonville, Florida. He was the oldest son of six children (3 sisters and 2 brothers - musicians Donnie and Johnny). Ronnie attended Lee High School in Jacksonville with fellow band members Gary Rossington and Allen Collins. They soon formed what ...
45. Duke Fishman
Actor | The Doris Day Show
Duke Fishman was born on July 15, 1906 in Manila, Philippines. He was an actor, known for The Doris Day Show (1968). He died on December 22, 1977 in Palm Springs, California, USA.
46. Kinuyo Tanaka
Actress | Joyû Sumako no koi
Tanaka Kinuyo was a highly regarded and prolific actress best known for her films with director Mizoguchi Kenji. She was immersed in the world of film having received her start in the world of entertainment at age fourteen, being a filmmaker herself, being the cousin of director Kobayashi Masaki ...
47. Muriel Landers
Actress | Doctor Dolittle
Muriel Landers was born on October 27, 1921 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for Doctor Dolittle (1967), Musical Comedy Time (1950) and The Red Skelton Hour (1951). She was previously married to Ernest Richman. She died on February 19, 1977 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, ...
48. Charlotte Greenwood
Actress | Oklahoma!
Charlotte Greenwood was born Frances Charlotte Greenwood on June 25, 1890, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was a sickly child and her father left the family when she was very young. Charlotte grew into a healthy, six foot tall woman. She started her career dancing in vaudeville where she became ...
49. Ethel Waters
Actress | Cabin in the Sky
The child of a teenage rape victim, Ethel Waters grew up in the slums of Philadelphia and neighboring cities, seldom living anywhere for more than a few weeks at a time. "No one raised me, " she recollected, "I just ran wild." She excelled not only at looking after herself, but also at singing and ...
50. Stephen Dunne
Actor | The Woman from Tangier
A minor "B" leading man of 1940s and early 1950s films who moved easily to 60s TV when film offers dried up, blue-eyed, brown-haired actor Stephen Dunne was born Francis Michael Dunne and raised in his hometown of Northampton, Massachusetts in 1918. His interest in acting occurred following high ...