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1-7 of 7
- Back in the day, winning the title of "Miss America" sometimes provided a springboard to Hollywood and a film career as a leading lady. This was certainly true in the case of California-born Rosemary La Planche.
Born on October 11, 1923, in the Southern California city of Glendale, Rosemary and her older sister Louise La Planche (by four years) both expressed a desire to perform as children. Each found work as a toddler in a silent movie before focusing on a normal public school upbringing. The interest in acting didn't wane in either of them, however, and during her years at John Marshall High School, Rosemary was cast in minor roles in two of Deanna Durbin Universal film vehicles.
In the meantime, both girls entered the beauty pageant circuit. Louise earned the title of "Miss Catalina" in 1939 and then "Miss North America" the following year. This notoriety led to a minor MGM career with bits in such films as Strike Up the Band (1940) and Ziegfeld Girl (1941). Rosemary followed suit by being crowned both "Miss California" and "Miss America" in 1941. This led to a featured role in the Hal Roach "B' film Prairie Chickens (1943) and a minor RKO contract that included unbilled bits as various "tootsie" types as hat check girls and chorines.
The oval-faced Rosemary finally hit leading lady status, albeit minor and brief, with two cult "Poverty Row" horrors -- Strangler of the Swamp (1945) and Devil Bat's Daughter (1946), a sequel to the Bela Lugosi camp classic The Devil Bat (1940) in which she plays Lugosi's daughter who is tormented by her father's memory. Following this, Columbia signed her up and she was put in as the female lead in the serial Jack Armstrong (1947) starring John Hart.
In 1947 the actress married radio host and producer Harry Koplan and had two children by him, slowly letting her movie career fade away as she focused more and more on family life. Her last role was in the Republic cliffhanger Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. (1949) before retiring. Rosemary did have a Hollywood talk radio show in which she talked about fashion. In addition, she and her husband were given a three-day-a-week radio show as well. Scattered TV and commercial appearances came and went with assignments on such TV comedies as "Hennessey" and "The Donna Reed Show".
Once she retired, Rosemary focused on oil painting and exhibited her work from time to time. The family moved to Gallup, New Mexico where husband Harry continued to produce local TV programs until his death in 1973. Rosemary returned to the Los Angeles area but little was heard from her until her death from cancer at Glendale Adventist Hospital on May 6, 1979, at age 55. Both she and her husband were interred at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, California. Louise, who showed up in the original silent The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and appeared primarily in uncredited roles throughout her 1930s and 1940s MGM and Paramount movie career, outlived her sister by over 40 years, dying at age 93 in 2012. - Charles Saynor was born on 12 December 1902 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Avengers (1961), The Man in the White Suit (1951) and Blackmailed (1951). He died on 6 May 1979 in South Norwood, London, England, UK.
- Martin Berkeley was born on 21 August 1904 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for Tarantula (1955), Green Grass of Wyoming (1948) and Red Sundown (1956). He died on 6 May 1979 in Brandon, Florida, USA.
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Composer, publisher, pianist, and arranger. He was educated at Chicago's McKinley High School, and did piano accompaniment for film and vaudeville theatres, later accompanying singers and song-pluggers. Moving to New York in 1913, he arranged for Waterson, Berlin and Snyder, and for Wm. Jerome Co. He served in the US Army Morale Division during WW I. In 1922, he co-founded Ager, Yellen and Bornstein. His stage scores include "What's In A Name?"; "Rain or Shine"; and "John Murray Anderson's Almanac". His chief musical collaborators were George Meyer, Grant Clarke, Benny Davis, Lester Santly, Joe Young, Jack Yellen, Jan Schwartz, Joe McCarthy, and Stanley Adams. His songs include: "Ain't She Sweet"; "I Wonder What's Become of Sally"; "Crazy Words, Crazy Tune"; "I'm Nobody's Baby"; "Forgive Me"; "Big Bad Bill"; "Mama Goes Where Papa Goes"; "Who Cares?" "A Young Man'sFancy"; "Everything Is Peaches Down in Georgia"; "Hard-Hearted Hannah"; "Lovin' Sam"; "Glad Rag Doll"; "Only A Moment Ago"; "Happy Feet"; "A Bench in the Park"; "You Can't Pull The Wool Over My Eyes"; "Happy Days Are Here Again" (the FDR campaign song); "Auf Wiedersehn, My Dear"; "Seein' Is Believin'"; "Ten Pins in the Sky"; "Roll Out of Bed With a Smile"; "Trust in Me"; "Old Mill Wheel"; and Song of the Dawn".- Edith Norup was born on 10 May 1896 in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was an actress, known for Fra mørke til lys (1928). She died on 6 May 1979.
- Director
- Art Director
- Make-Up Department
George Stone was born on 25 July 1917 in Warren, Rhode Island, USA. He was a director and art director, known for Sabotear en la selva (1953), Un demonio con ángel (1975) and La Malvada (1978). He died on 6 May 1979 in Caracas, Venezuela.- Director
- Writer
- Animation Department
Kôji Fukiya was born on 2 December 1898 in Suibara, Niigata, Japan [now Agano, Niigata, Japan]. Kôji was a director and writer, known for Yumemi Dôji (1958), The Littlest Warrior (1961) and Little Prince and the Eight Headed Dragon (1963). Kôji was married to Rin Kawasaki. Kôji died on 6 May 1979 in Izu, Shizuoka, Japan.