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1-18 of 18
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Ken Takakura was a Japanese actor best known for his brooding style and the stoic, honorable presence he brought to his roles.
Known as the "Clint Eastwood" of Japan, Takakura gained his streetwise swagger and tough guy persona watching yakuza turf battles over the lucrative black market and racketeering in postwar Fukuoka. This subject was covered in one of his most famous movies, Brutal Tales of Chivalry (1965) in which he played an honorable old-school yakuza among the violent post-war gurentai.
A graduate of the prestigious Meiji University in Tokyo, Takakura happened by an audition in 1955 at the Toei Film Company, and decided to look in. Toei found a natural in Takakura as he debuted with Denkô karate uchi (1956) (Lightning Karate Blow) in 1956. As luck would have it, Japan experienced a boom in gangster films in the 1960s as the Japanese people struggled with the generational differences between those raised in pre-war and post-war Japan and these were Takakura's stock in trade. His breakout role came in 1965 playing a ex-con antihero in Abashiri Prison (1965). By the time he left Toei in 1976, he had appeared in over 180 films.
Takakura gained international recognition after starring in the 1975 Sydney Pollack sleeper hit The Yakuza (1974) with Robert Mitchum and is probably best known in the West for his role in Ridley Scott's Black Rain (1989) in which he surprises American cops played by Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia by showing he can speak English. He again proved himself bankable to Western audiences in the 1992 Fred Schepisi comedy Mr. Baseball (1992) starring Tom Selleck.
While he slowed down a bit in his older years, he remained active. His later films included Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2005), by Chinese director Yimou Zhang.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Nancy O'Connor was born on 13 December 1929 in the USA. She was an actress, known for A Whale of a Tale (1976), The Celluloid Closet (1995) and The Mike Douglas Show (1961). She was married to Carroll O'Connor. She died on 10 November 2014 in Malibu, California, USA.- Jovian was born in 1994 in Durham, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor, known for Zoboomafoo (1999). He died on 10 November 2014 in Durham, North Carolina, USA.
- Actor
- Composer
- Sound Department
Steve Dodd was born on 1 June 1928 in Dodnadatta, Australia. He was an actor and composer, known for The Matrix (1999), Gallipoli (1981) and The Flying Doctors (1985). He died on 10 November 2014 in St. Georges Basin, New South Wales, Australia.- Writer
- Producer
Ernest Kinoy was born on 1 April 1925 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The Defenders (1961), Naked City (1958) and Roots (1977). He was married to Barbara Powers. He died on 10 November 2014 in Townshend, Vermont, USA.- By now everyone knows that the best thing about Maali Zayed, on a long list of very good things, is her bright, incredibly instinctive, impulsive, dangerous choices. Maali had started her career in a string of supporting roles in movies like "Wa Daa Al Omr Ya Waladi" and in TV series: "Eilet El Doughry". Maali had begun to map out her own unique territory in film. She did remarkable roles in TV series and on cinema like: Bein El Quassrein, and Quasr El Shawk, written by Naguib Mahfouz. Her versatile career choices have provided her with success beyond the craze her sitcom has generated.
She is of rare Egyptian beauty, her warm brown eyes, lustrous dark hair, and olive skin complexion. When you come to visit her at her home, you would experience the holiness soul of this actress. Her home is an artist's home, high walls, covered with unique paintings of her, and certificate awards. Her lovely, welcoming dog, accompanying you everywhere around. You get the feeling of cosiness and warmth. Her decorative sense at her home reflects the unique quality of an artist she is, few comfortable furniture, elite, neat, each corner is a tableau by itself. You got to discover the high qualities of this unique actress, her paintings, her high taste, and her love for animals, and above all the warm Egyptian hospitality.
Maali graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Painting department, she then applied to the Faculty of theatrical arts, but she was not able to continue as she began her acting career. Although she stopped painting, she still has her very special dream of making her own exhibition, she works on preparing her paintings during the few months off which she grabs in between her acting engagements. - Dorian Paskowitz was born on 3 March 1921 in Galveston, Texas, USA. He was married to Juliette Paskowitz, Marilyn L. Schneider and Elizabeth Paskowitz. He died on 10 November 2014 in Newport Beach, California, USA.
- Tomas Young was born on 30 November 1979 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. He was married to Claudia Cuellar and Brie Townsend. He died on 10 November 2014 in Seattle, Washington, USA.
- Seeska Vandenberg was born on 7 June 1958 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. She was an actress, known for Runaway Nightmare (1982) and Bitter Heritage (1979). She died on 10 November 2014 in Stevenson Ranch, California, USA.
- Harland Stonecipher was born on 4 June 1938 in Ashland, Oklahoma, USA. He was married to Shirley Ann Thompson. He died on 10 November 2014 in Ada, Oklahoma, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Gaetano Varcasia was born on 6 September 1959 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was an actor, known for Romeo & Juliet (2013), Il maresciallo Rocca (1996) and Le quattro porte del deserto (2004). He died on 10 November 2014 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.- Bobby Bernard was born on 19 March 1931 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Moonstone (1996), Home Before Midnight (1979) and Breakthrough at Reykjavik (1987). He died on 10 November 2014 in London, England, UK.
- Troy Nabors was born on 2 October 1931 in Antlers, Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for Raising Arizona (1987) and Apache Blood (1973). He was married to Janice R. Elder. He died on 10 November 2014 in Mesa, Arizona, USA.
- Ljiljana Josipovic was born on 2 December 1948 in Kragujevac, Serbia, Yugoslavia. She was an actress, known for TV teatar (1956), Tuga (1966) and Nervcik (1976). She died on 10 November 2014 in Belgrade, Serbia.
- Jacques Bertrand was born in 1953 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was an actor, known for Gaz Bar Blues (2003). He died on 10 November 2014 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Brian McClellen was born on 9 February 1993 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Je t'aime, Jean (2014) and Zygote Party vs Tea Party (2014). He died on 10 November 2014 in Valhalla, New York, USA.
- Born in Porterville, California in 1928, A. John Graves was writing songs and playing piano for school and vaudeville type shows at the age of eight, with his first professional engagement coming six years later. Through the World War II years, his high school dance band had a corner on most of the dances in Tulare County, since all the other musicians had been drafted. His other early professional musical experiences were with former big band jazz players who were too old for the service. (This is where he learned many of the some three thousand songs now included in his request book, The Memory Flogger).
Upon graduating from The College of the Pacific, he went to Los Angeles to try starting a career in broadcasting. When his money ran out, he went on the road with a small comedy band, replacing Stan Freberg. Besides playing for dancing, they did three floor shows a night, and Graves was featured as a dead-pan comedian. After a tour with Rick Fay's Krazy Kats, he settled in Los Angeles and started a family while earning a living playing in piano bars.
Since his efforts to break into broadcasting had been unsuccessful, he finally decided to start at the very bottom, and became a page at NBC. Six months later he was selecting recorded background music for Matinee Theater daily dramas, followed by an eight year stint as an NBC Broadcast Standards Program Policy Editor (so-called censor). This led to the position which had become his goal: Manager of Film Programs, where he supervised for NBC such shows as Bonanza, I Dream of Jeannie, Ironside, The Man from Uncle, Then Came Bronson, The Debbie Reynolds Show, The Monkees, and a series shot in London with Lord Lew Grade called The Strange Report.
In 1970 the management changed at MGM-TV and Graves moved over to become Director of Current Programming. He was the executive in charge of the award-winning Medical Center, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, GE Monogram Documentaries, and several syndicated talk shows. Since executive regimes at this level tend to change about every two years, 1972 gave him the opportunity to become a producer. He helmed Assignment Vienna, with Robert Conrad, an eight hour miniseries filmed on location in Vienna, Austria for MGM-TV and the ABC Television Network.
The newly formed South Australian Film Corporation was looking for someone with network, major studio, and international experience to head up their feature film and television area in1974, and Graves accepted the challenge. Under his guidance, the Corporation made its first major feature success: Peter Weir's critically acclaimed Picnic at Hanging Rock, of which Graves was Executive Producer. During his two year contract, he was also responsible for the BBC's feature Storm Boy, the re-editing of Sunday Too Far Away, and a TV feature movie, The Sound of Love.
Back in the U.S., there followed a series of development deals with Universal, Zev Braun Productions, and EMI. In 1981 Graves became a partner in L.A. House Productions and made a pilot for a syndicated sports show and produced corporate and institutional projects. At the same time, he enrolled in a graduate program at California State University at Northridge with the goal of teaching upon getting his master's degree in Mass Communication. After ten gratifying years as an associate professor in the Communication Department at Central Missouri State University, plus an exchange professorship in Wales, he retired to Pagosa Springs, Colorado as Professor Emeritus. He's very active in the local show business scene, as writer, performer, producer, and consultant.
Throughout this varied career, he has always played several nights a week as a single pianist, side man, or band leader at private parties, including affairs for Judy Garland, Groucho Marx, Danny Thomas, and John Wayne. He has recorded, been a staff pianist at KLAC-TV and on the first Betty White show, was musical director for the Gloria Hart Show on KLAC-TV, and has accompanied such artists as George Burns, June Christy, Rosemary Clooney, Rudy Vallee, Redd Foxx, Arthur Duncan, and Jimmy Durante.
Of the myriad of famous people Graves has met and/or worked with, he recalls associations with three that particularly stand out in his memory: a morning with Lord Bertrand Russell at his home in Wales, an afternoon tea with Katharine Hepburn at her home in Beverly Hills, and the delight of having Eric Sevareid as a house guest for three days in Warrensburg, Missouri.
After almost fifty years of evaluating other people's writing, he's now doing his own, as well as teaching a correspondence course in Creative Writing for Radio, Television, and Film for Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado. He also enjoys playing with different jazz groups, and at clubs and private parties for people who love the music of jazz, standards, and showtunes.
"Boom, Bust, and Battle" was a radio series he originated to explore the music and culture of the 20s, 30, and 40s. It became the basis for a musical variety show he produced with John Porter featuring a Dixieland band, singers, dancers, and comedians celebrating those three decades. This year (04) he created an original musical revue based on the life work of Richard Rodgers called "The Hills Are Alive...," which featured a cast of nearly fifty singers, dancers, and instrumentalists celebrating Rodgers' collaborations with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. - Brian Farrell was born in 1929 in Manchester, England, UK. He was married to Marie-Therese Dillon. He died on 10 November 2014 in Dublin, Ireland.