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1-21 of 21
- Actress
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Virginia Davis was born on December 31, 1918, in Kansas City, Missouri. Her father was a traveling furniture salesman and spent much time away from home. With her husband gone for weeks at a time, Margaret Davis, a housewife, focused all her attention on her daughter; she began taking Virginia to dancing lessons and modeling auditions when she was 2. A striking child with long curls, Virginia was soon appearing in advertisements that played between films in local theaters. She also entered Georgie Brown's Dramatic School in Kansas City, where she studied drama and dance. In the summer of 1923, 22-year-old Walt Disney, a struggling but ambitious director, saw Virginia in an advertisement in a Kansas City theater and immediately decided to hire her. He quickly contacted Margaret Davis, who was eager to advance her Virginia's career. Alice's Wonderland (1923), the first short film of the Alice series, was filmed at the Davis home in Kansas City; both Margaret Davis and Walt Disney made brief appearances (which marked Disney's first live appearance in one of his own cartoons). After filming, Disney returned to Hollywood and began to build his movie empire with only forty dollars and one short film starring little Virginia Davis. The Davis family soon followed Disney to Hollywood, although their daughter's career was not the only reason for the move; Virginia had suffered a pneumonia and other health problems, and her doctor told her parents that she would be healthier in a drier, warmer climate. Virginia signed her first contract with Disney for a salary of $100 a month, and she began filming the Alice shorts in Walt Disney's first studio, his uncle's garage. His brother Roy O. Disney was the cameraman, and the Disney family dog Peggy appeared in many of the films. The Alice shorts became very popular, providing Disney with his first national success. But as the series progressed, Disney became more interested in the animation aspect, which minimized Virginia's live-action role; she only made about thirteen of the Alice shorts before her contract was severed. She later auditioned for the role of voice of Snow White in Disney's film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), but she didn't get the role because her mother refused to accept the frugal salary. Virginia had some small roles in full-length films, including The Harvey Girls (1946), before she left acting to earn a degree from the New York School of Interior Design. She later became an editor for the 1950s magazine "Living for Young Homemakers," and in the 1960s, she began working for real estate agents in Connecticut and later California. In 1992, interest was renewed in the Alice series. Living in retirement in Montana, Virginia was suddenly overwhelmed by the number of fans seeking to honor her and the remarkable role she played in the birth of Walt Disney Studios. She was the guest of honor at the Pordonone Silent Film Festival in Italy in 1992, and she was inducted as a Disney Legend in 1998. Virginia also became very active in silent film festivals and events at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.- Sam Patrello was an American nightclub and movie comedian best known as a Jerry Lewis imitator. Born in The Bronx to a show-business family, he began working on stage by the age of six. Petrillo went on to perform comedy on The Colgate Comedy Hour, NBC's Four Star Revue, Texaco Star Theater, ABC's Stop the Music; and several local New York City quiz shows and variety shows.
Petrillo relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he eventually teamed with singer Duke Mitchell for a successful nightclub act approximating the popular Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis team. In addition to impersonating Martin & Lewis, Petrillo mimicked other film stars and cartoon characters, and Mitchell would sing in the styles of Frankie Laine, Vaughn Monroe, and Billy Daniels, among others. For the climax of the show, they would announce to the audience that they would now do their impression of Martin and Lewis - followed by Petrillo playing Martin and Mitchell playing Lewis, inverting expectations.
In 1952, Mitchell and Petrillo starred opposite aged screen legend Bela Lugosi and the latest incarnation of the Tarzan film-series chimpanzee Cheeta in a low-budget, jungle-themed comedy, Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (also known as The Boys From Brooklyn).
By 1991, Petrillo was living in Pittsburgh, where he ran a family-oriented comedy club, The Nut House. Petrillo, who remained active performing standup comedy, mentored young comics including Richard Pryor and Dennis Miller, the latter a native of Petrillo's adopted home, Pittsburgh. On August 15, 2009, Petrillo died of colon cancer at age 74. - Jasmine Fiore was born on 18 February 1981 in Santa Cruz, California, USA. She was married to Ryan Jenkins. She died on 15 August 2009 in Buena Park, California, USA.
- Director
- Producer
- Additional Crew
John Stroud was born on 27 January 1955 in England, UK. He was a director and producer, known for My Hero (2000), Game-On (1995) and Educating Marmalade (1982). He was married to Lesley. He died on 15 August 2009 in England, UK.- Kenneth Alton was born on 15 February 1929. He was an actor, known for Thunder Pass (1954), Kronos (1957) and Time Limit (1957). He died on 15 August 2009.
- Héctor Gómez was born on 13 October 1930 in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico. He was an actor, known for Ha llegado una intrusa (1974), Don't Mess with an Angel (2008) and Blue Demon: Destructor of Spies (1968). He died on 15 August 2009 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico.
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Writer
After starting at Toho in 1942, Matsubayashi's career, like that of so many others, was stalled by the Second World War. After serving in the Imperial Navy, to which he was fiercely loyal, Matsubayashi returned to the industry via the Shintoho studio in 1946. Shintoho gave him his first directorial job, Tokyo Dimples, in 1952. After returning to Toho in 1955, Matsubayashi specialized in salaryman comedies such as the Shacho (Boss) series. He directed more of that series (23 entries) than any other filmmaker. Due to Matsubayashi's wartime patriotism, greater than that of many of his contemporaries, Toho often entrusted him with their big-budget, special effects-laden war pictures from the 1960s up through the early 1980s. His best known movie outside Japan is probably Sekai Daisenso (aka The Last War, 1961).- Make-Up Department
Gordon Bond was born on 22 March 1919 in Hampshire, England, UK. He is known for The Italian Job (1969), Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) and Fiddler on the Roof (1971). He died on 15 August 2009.- Carlos Gómez was born on 6 March 1917 in Asunción, Paraguay. He was an actor, known for La burrerita de Ypacaraí (1962), Propiedad (1962) and En la vía (1959). He died on 15 August 2009 in Asunción, Paraguay.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Florin Bogardo was born on 16 August 1942 in Bucharest, Romania. He was a composer, known for Bunicul si doi delincventi minori (1976), The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005) and Graduation (2016). He died on 15 August 2009 in Bucharest, Romania.- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Jim Dickinson was born on 21 November 1941 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for Black Snake Moan (2006), Streets of Fire (1984) and Southern Comfort (1981). He was married to Mary Lindsay Dickinson. He died on 15 August 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.- Bela Jurdová was born on 5 October 1919 in Plzen, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for Dovolená s Andelem (1953), Portási (1947) and Capek's Tales (1947). She died on 15 August 2009 in Praha, Czech Republic.
- Casting Department
Phil DiMaggio was born on 29 August 1951 in the USA. Phil is known for Blood Simple (1984) and The Demon Murder Case (1983). Phil died on 15 August 2009 in Burlington, Vermont, USA.- Andre Prokovsky was born on 13 January 1939 in Paris, France. He was married to Galina Samsova and Elvire. He died on 15 August 2009 in Beausoleil, Alpes-Maritimes, France.
- Konstancja Tulewicz was born on 17 February 1931. She was an actress, known for Teddy Bear (1981), Zbrodniarz, który ukradl zbrodnie (1969) and Pomni imya svoye (1974). She died on 15 August 2009.
- Medy Ferdaous was an actor, known for Les discours de la méthode (2005). He died on 15 August 2009 in Agadir, Morocco.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Production Manager
- Actor
Miles Middough was born on 6 August 1922 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an assistant director and production manager, known for Deliverance (1972), Mannix (1967) and The High Chaparral (1967). He was married to Jean. He died on 15 August 2009 in Riverside, California, USA.- Everett King was born on 13 December 1925 in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA. He was an actor, known for Peace for a Gunfighter (1967). He was married to Susan Perry King. He died on 15 August 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
- Freddy Willenbucher was born on 19 January 1922 in Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin, France. He was an actor, known for Le crime de la maison Grün (1984) and Un été alsacien (1991). He died on 15 August 2009.
- Pablo Antoñana was born on 29 October 1927 in Viana, Navarra, Spain. He died on 15 August 2009 in Pamplona, Navarra, Spain.
- Patrick Kerr was born on 20 February 1941 in London, UK. He was married to Theresa Confrey. He died on 15 August 2009.