Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-20 of 20
- Roman Gabriel, the great starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams during the late 1960s and early '70s, first achieved sports stardom at North Carolina State, where he was a two-time All-American at quarterback and an academic All-American. Such was his athletic prowess, setting virtually every NC State passing record, that on Jan. 20, 1962, Gabriel's jersey was officially retired and presented to him by North Carolina governor Terry Stanford. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame 27 years later, in 1989.
Roman Gabriel, Jr. was born on August 5, 1940 in Wilmington, North Carolina, the son of a Filippino immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1925, and his Irish-American wife. In 1962, he was the first round draft pick of both the NFL's Rams (and second player picked overall in the draft) and of the Oakland Raiders in the rival American Football League (first pick overall among all players). The Rams signed him for three years at $15,000, non-guaranteed; he eventually played 11 seasons for the Rams, from 1962 to '72. At 6'4" tall and 235-lb., Gabriel is considered the first large quarterback in NFL history.
In May of 1966, the Oakland Raiders signed Gabriel for the 1967 season, part of the AFL's raiding of the older league in an attempt to create parity and force a merger. Gabriel had been dissatisfied with the way he had been used by Rams coach Harland Svare, particularly irritated that he had been overlooked for starting assignments. He was ready to leave the Rams, but when the team hired George Allen as coach, he changed his mind. Under the legendary head coach, Roman Gabriel thrived as a starting QB. He won his first Pro Bowl berth in 1967, following it up with selections in 1968 and 1969, the latter being the year that he won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award and also was MVP of the Pro Bowl.
In his years coaching the Rams, George Allen had a record of 49-17-4, the best of any coach in Rams history. Yet, owner Dan Reeves did not like him fired him after the 1968 season. The dismissal did not stick as the players revolted, and Reeves was forced to back down. However, Reeves would have his revenge: Despite having a winning season in 1970, Allen was fired by Reeves (who was dying of cancer; the team would soon change hands not once but twice in a short-time). The next two years, Gabriel's play was hampered by a torn tendon in the elbow of his throwing arm. In the ethos of the NFL of the time, Gabriel was derided as a "psycho" and a slacker, and expected to suit up and play in pain. (The novel and movie North Dallas Forty (1979) exposed this plantation mentality among NFL owners, many of whom had reputed links to organized crime.) His statistics suffered, and after the 1972 season, Don Klosterman, the newly appointed general manager of the team, acquired quarterback John Hadl from the San Diego Chargers.
Gabriel took the acquisition of a starting QB by the team as an affront and demanded a trade. Klosterman obliged. When he was traded from L.A. to the Philadeliphia Eagles, Roman Gabriel ranked as the Rams' all-time passing leader with 22,223 yards and 154 touchdowns, which are still team records, as are his passes attempted (3,313) and passes completed (1,705).
With Philadelphia in 1973, Gabriel led the league with 3,219 yards and 23 touchdown passes, winning him the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award and making the Pro Bowl. His total yards and his passing completion percentage of 58.7 were the best of his career. While with the Eagles (1973-77), he threw for 7,221 total yards and made 45 touchdowns.
Though in 1978, his career was all but over, George Allen -- newly returned to the team -- wanted Gabriel as a third-string QB and quarterback coach. However, Klosterman (and to a lesser extent Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom) made it clear to Gabriel that he was not wanted back, so Gabriel walked away from playing. He did not turn his back on the game, though, serving as the offensive coordinator of the Boston Breakers and Arizona Wranglers franchises in the short-lived USFL. He had a lackluster career as a head coach, leading the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks of the World League of American Football to a 0-10 mark in their first and only season of 1991-1992.
Possessed of a stellar physique and dark, good looks, Gabriel took advantage of living in country's major entertainment center and had a brief career in movies and television. He made his TV debut as a "native" on Gilligan's Island (1964) and his movie debut as a prison guard in Otto Preminger's notorious stinker Skidoo (1968). The highlight of his acting career was playing Blue Boy, the Native American adopted son of the legendary John Wayne in the horse opera The Undefeated (1969). On the set, Gabriel struck up a close friendship with co-star Rock Hudson.
Roman Gabriel and his wife Lisa are deeply committed to charity work in his North Carolina community. The couple have raised $4 million for charity through their RG Sports Connection trust. - Antonio Cantafora was born on 2 February 1944 in Crotone, Calabria, Italy. He was an actor, known for Carambola (1974), Diamond Pedlars (1976) and And God Said to Cain... (1970). He died on 20 April 2024 in Rome, Italy.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Sandey Grinn was born on 26 July 1954. He was an actor, known for Beetlejuice (1988), Child's Play 3 (1991) and Child's Play 2 (1990). He died on 20 April 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Josef Laufer was born on 11 August 1939 in Les Sables-d'Olonne, Vendée, France. He was an actor, known for Zurivý reportér (1987), Lovec senzací (1989) and Starci na chmelu (1964). He was married to Irena Greifová. He died on 20 April 2024.- Editorial Department
- Producer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Kelvin Crumplin was a producer, known for Four Winds (2013), Fragment (2009) and Gary Driscoll The Old East End Tonight (2017). He died on 20 April 2024.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Lourdes Portillo was born on 11 November 1943 in Chihuahua, Mexico. She was a director and producer, known for The Mothers of the Plaza of Mayo (1985), Missing Young Woman (2001) and The Devil Never Sleeps (1994). She died on 20 April 2024 in San Francisco, California, USA.- David Pryor is an American politician and former Democratic United States Representative and United States Senator from the State of Arkansas. Pryor also served as 39th Governor of Arkansas from 1975 to 1979 and was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1960 to 1966. He served as the interim chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party.
Pryor was born in Camden, the seat of Ouachita County in southern Arkansas. He attended public schools in Camden, attended Henderson State Teacher's College in Arkadelphia, and graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 1957. Pryor was founder and publisher of the Ouachita Citizen from 1957 to 1960. He graduated from law school at the University of Arkansas in 1964. - Howie Schwab was born on 17 September 1960 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was married to Suzie Davie and Jodi Singer. He died on 20 April 2024 in Aventura, Florida, USA.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Kaj Chydenius was born on 16 October 1939 in Kuusankoski, Finland. He was a composer and actor, known for Käpy selän alla (1966), Sevillan parturi - Ilta Kom-teatterissa (1993) and Tie naisen sydämeen (1996). He was married to Jaana Jyrkänne and Kaisa Korhonen. He died on 20 April 2024 in Helsinki, Finland.- Chris King was born on 11 December 1991 in Fontana, California, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Trippie Redd feat. Antionia & Chris King: Rack City/Love Scars 2 (2017) and Sos Lo feat. Chris King & Trippie Redd: Honorable Flex (2021). He died on 20 April 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Andrew Davis was born on 2 February 1944 in Ashridge, Hertfordshire, England, UK. He was a composer, known for Only You (1994), The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). He was married to Gianna Rolandi. He died on 20 April 2024 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.- Additional Crew
- Director
- Music Department
He was a jazz historian and producer who focused on finding and issuing (or reissuing) forgotten sessions and recordings in the archives of Blue Note Records.
He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he worked at the campus radio station. He graduated with an English degree, and was hired as a disc jockey for a jazz program. He also reviewed bands and albums for DownBeat magazine, Rolling Stone and others.- Yurij Omel'chenko was an actor, known for New Year Teetotalism (2022). He died on 20 April 2024 in Azerbaijan.
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Jean-Marie Aerts was born on 25 May 1951 in Zeebrugge, Belgium. He was a composer, known for Steve + Sky (2004), Merci La Vie (1991) and Ad Fundum (1993). He died on 20 April 2024 in Belgium.- Bing Velasco was born on 28 June 1953. She died on 20 April 2024.
- Federico Patán López was born on 16 September 1937 in Gijón, Asturias, Spain. He died on 20 April 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico.
- Marco Ciatti was born on 1 July 1955 in Prato, Tuscany, Italy. He died on 20 April 2024 in Prato, Tuscany, Italy.
- Transportation Department
- Art Department
Roy Lance was born on 11 May 1961 in Ontario, Canada. He is known for RED (2010), John Q (2002) and Special Correspondents (2016). He was married to Cindy Carroll. He died on 20 April 2024 in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.- Robert Kane was born on 25 November 1938 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He died on 20 April 2024 in Guilford, Connecticut, USA.
- Antonieta Colón was born on 7 January 1938 in Santa Teresa de Tocuyo, Lara, Venezuela. She was an actress, known for Disparen a matar (1990), La boda (1982) and Bodas de papel (1979). She died on 20 April 2024 in Caracas, Venezuela.