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1-11 of 11
- Harry Townes was born and died in Huntsville, Alabama, where he served as an ordained Episcopal priest. Aside from Huntsville and the priesthood, he had a distinguished, prolific, and quite long career as a character actor in movies and on television. He attended the University of Alabama in the 1930s, but moved to New York, before finishing, in order to study acting. He found his niche at Columbia University where he also received his undergraduate degree. From there, it was on to roles on stage -- his first in 1936 playing Captain Tim in "Tobacco Road". A two-year run in the part of a leprechaun in "Finian's Rainbow" came next -- a role that also took him to London. After a spattering of roles in the movies, Townes found his greatest presence on television, amassing a very large portfolio of roles for his handbag of characters. Studio One (1948), Playhouse 90 (1956) and Ponds Theater (1953) all enjoyed his contributions. The more popular Gunsmoke (1955), Perry Mason (1957), Star Trek (1966), Rawhide (1959) and Bonanza (1959) also benefited from Townes' acting skills. Though he continued to perform occasionally into old age, he quit his Beverly Hills home and lifestyle, entered the priesthood, and settled back into his hometown of Huntsville in the 1970s.
- A lithe, brunette actress and photographer's model, Lita Chevret began promisingly enough at the very beginning of talking pictures. Her parents, already established in show business, helped along by paying for her dancing tuition. By the age of twenty, she worked as a professional dancer and show girl. Her proficiency as a hoofer (and her looks) secured a contract in Hollywood and a part in the Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 (1929). The following year, she was selected by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers as a WAMPAS Baby Star, a selection of thirteen young hopefuls destined for better things. On this occasion, however, the list ended up not being published, partly because of confusion arising from the transition of silent pictures to sound, partly because of fallout from the Wall Street crash and partly, because of objections raised by independent producers. Poor Lita, consequently, missed out on what would have been valuable publicity.
Still, she managed to sign a three-year contract with RKO, starting off with another uncredited part in the south-of-the-border musical Rio Rita (1929), featuring the comedy duo of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey. For the next few years, Lita seemed practically glued to the same company, appearing with Wheeler & Woolsey in The Cuckoos (1930) (as another dusky senorita); Everything's Rosie (1931), an attempt never to be repeated, to providing a solo vehicle for Woolsey; and Girl Crazy (1932), an expensive romp with music by the Gershwins, which also failed to recoup its cost at the box office. No improvement was the naive and shoddily-made crime drama The Pay-Off (1930). With a succession of her films now deemed palpable commercial failures, Lita found herself again relegated to the doldrums, sliding down the bottom of the cast lists. There was a glimmer of hope for her career with a sixth-billed role as Birdie Klauber in a maudlin Fannie Hurst three-handkerchief tearjerker, Symphony of Six Million (1932). Then followed another inconsequential comedy, Goldie Gets Along (1933), and a series of loan-outs to other studios. She co-starred (for once) in five two-reel comedies for Mack Sennett and in Sandflow (1937), an obscure Buck Jones western. She also had a cameo as a chorus girl in Fox's Charlie Chan's Courage (1934), and then came a succession of similar no-name parts as showgirls, secretaries and even an Indian squaw.
Lita Chevret briefly attracted newspaper headlines as one of George Raft's romantic conquests, but this was no more lasting than her remaining time in Hollywood. After a swan song in The Philadelphia Story (1940) (as a manicurist), she called it quits and retired to her home in Palm Springs. There, she lived out the rest of her days in relative obscurity, except for a wartime overseas tour with the USO. - Philson Ahn was born on 5 July 1912 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Buck Rogers (1939) and Disputed Passage (1939). He died on 23 May 2001 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Edward Coch was born on 20 December 1909 in Berlin, Germany. He was an actor, known for The Tiger Woman (1944), The Pathfinder (1952) and Haunted Harbor (1944). He died on 23 May 2001 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jean Champion was born on 9 March 1914 in Chalon-sur-Saône, Saône-et-Loire, France. He was an actor, known for Clean Slate (1981), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Red Circle (1970). He died on 23 May 2001 in Chalon-sur-Saône, Saône-et-Loire, France.- Chief Khotlacha was born on 15 January 1910 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was an actor, known for MacGyver (1985). He was married to Emily Baker . He died on 23 May 2001 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Juan Bruno Tarraza was born in Cuba in 1912. Not much is known about his beginnings but by the early 1940s he had achieved fame as a pianist and composer. He specialized in afro Cuban rhythms and developed a lively stage act to show off his virtuosity with the keyboard. Sometimes he would perform by himself and other times fronting his own band but either way he was quite popular on radio, cabaret and theaters appearing in the best venues all over the world. As a composer he wrote many romantic boleros which were recorded by the top vocalists of the era and became standards of the Latin America songbook. By the mid 1940s he became very popular in Mexico and settled down in that country. His music was featured in Mexican films and he guest starred in many movies from 1946 through 1960. In his long career he has also served as pianist and musical director to some of the most popular Latin performers including including Toña la Negra, Tongolele, Pedro Vargas and most notably Olga Guillot, Cuba's famous "queen of bolero" with whom Mr. Tarraza has had a successful and lasting collaboration for many years. The musician has also made an impact in recording studios turning out some great albums such as "Piano Tropical", "Piano Sabor" and "My Fair Lady Goes Latin." He remained active in show business way into the 2000s.- Jamileh Sheikhi was born on 19 May 1930 in Tabriz, Iran. She was an actress, known for Travellers (1992), Leila (1997) and The Accused (1996). She died on 23 May 2001 in Tehran, Iran.
- Ibrahim Abu Lughod was born on 18 February 1929 in Jaffa, Palestine. He was married to Janet. He died on 23 May 2001.
- Betty James was born on 16 May 1955 in St Louis, Missouri, USA. She died on 23 May 2001 in St Louis, Missouri, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Francis Ruivivar was born on 21 December 1960 in Hong Kong, China. He was an actor, known for Passion (1996), Murphy Brown (1988) and Pointman (1994). He was married to Kathy Stanley. He died on 23 May 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.