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1-16 of 16
- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Brittany Murphy was born Brittany Anne Bertolotti on November 10, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia, to Sharon Kathleen Murphy and Angelo Joseph Bertolotti. Her father's ancestry is Italian, and her mother is of Irish and Slovak descent. Her father moved the family back to Edison, New Jersey as a native New Yorker and to be closer to other siblings from previous marriages. While dining out one night in the presence of Hollywood royalty, Brittany at the age of 5 approached an adjoining table when Academy Award nominee Burt Reynolds and George Segal were seated. Brittany introduced herself to the Hollywood legends and confidently told them that someday she too would be a star.
She comes from a long line of international musicians and performers with three half-brothers and a sister. Angelo Bertolotti was torn from their tight-knit family as a made-man with the Italian Mafia. The Senior Bertolotti, who coined the nickname of "Britt" for his daughter, was also an entrepreneur and diplomat for organized crime families and one of the first to be subjected to a RICO prosecution. Brittany's interests and well-being were always her father's first goal and objective. To distance his talented daughter from his infamous past, Angelo allowed Sharon to use her maiden name for Brittany's, so that her shining star would not be overshadowed by a father's past, with the couple divorcing thereafter.
Brittany began receiving accolades and applause in regional theater at the early age of 9. At the age of 13, she landed several national commercials. She appeared on television and caught the attention of a personal manager and an agent. Soon, Brittany's mother Sharon turned full-time to being a "Stage Mom" where Angelo provided financial support throughout and their relationship is memorialized with a long and close history in pictures. The hopeful daughter and mother moved to Burbank, CA, where Brittany landed her first television role on Blossom (1990). Hearts and doors opened up for a starring role on Drexell's Class (1991), a short lived TV series.
Brittany's big screen movie debut started with Clueless (1995), where she was co-starring with Alicia Silverstone. Britt soared, demonstrating her musical and artistic talents with dramatic and comedic roles landing a nomination for best leading female performance in the Young Artist Awards for her role in the television film David and Lisa (1998). She garnered tremendous attention for her role in Girl, Interrupted (1999) with Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie. Brittany's band, "Blessed Soul" was growing with her as lead singer and Britt lent her vocal talents to the TV hit, cartoon sensation, King of the Hill (1997) as the voice of Luanne.
She is alleged to have been a witness in the case of the former Department of Homeland Security employee and persecuted whistleblower Julia Davis. According to Davis, Brittany and her fiancée Simon Monjack were then targeted for retaliation that included land and aerial surveillance and a threatened prosecution. Monjack was arrested and detained by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Brittany and Simon confided in Alex Ben Block of the Hollywood Reporter, telling him in an interview that they were under surveillance by helicopters and their telephones have been wiretapped. This information was published by THR posthumously, in an article entitled "The Last Difficult Days of Brittany Murphy."
On December 20, 2009, Brittany Murphy died an untimely death. The LAPD and Los Angeles County Coroner closed the case within one hour, attributing her death to pneumonia and anemia. Five months after Brittany's unexpected demise, her husband Simon Monjack was found dead in the house he shared with Brittany. The chief/spokesperson at the Los Angeles County Dept of Coroner, Craig Harvey, stated that Simon also died from the same exact causes as his wife, namely pneumonia and anemia. Neither Brittany, nor Simon, were given a thorough and complete forensic autopsy for poisons. Brittany's father, Angelo "AJ" Bertolotti, is pursuing the investigation of the true reasons behind Brittany's and Simon's sudden demise, as he believes that the two were murdered. Abnormally high levels of heavy metals and poisons were discovered in Brittany's hair, tested by two other independent forensic labs with famed Pathologist, attorney Cyril Wecht concluded from the appearances, Brittany could have been murdered and should be exhumed. Her father Angelo is preparing court actions to ensure she obtains justice.- Actor
- Soundtrack
A show-stopping comic for decades, the inimitable Arnold Stang, with the trademark Runyonesque voice and thick, black glasses, started out famously on radio before branching out to include Broadway, films and especially TV. Born on September 28, 1918, in New York City (for decades he himself perpetuated the myth of being born in 1925 in Chelsea, Massachusetts), he was the son of a lawyer. Following the 1929 stock market crash, his father was forced to look elsewhere for work and managed a living as a salesman. The scrawny kid from Manhattan grew up in Brooklyn and attended New Utrecht High School.
During his teen years (early 1930s) he auditioned for and won roles on radio's "Horn and Hardart's Children's Hour," a variety show, and the kiddie program "Let's Pretend," which set off a two-decade stint as one of radio's most popular vocal personalities. His squawky, unmistakable voice was heard as Jughead in the "Archie Andrews" series and as neighbor Seymour Fingerhood on the beloved, Bronx-styled Gertrude Berg classic "The Goldbergs," among others. He even appeared in radio soap operas and mysteries on occasion, often providing comedy relief. A reliable and feisty second banana, he traded quips with the best of them: Eddie Cantor; Jack Benny; Fred Allen; Fanny Brice; Milton Berle, you name it.
In between radio work Stang could sometimes be seen on the stage, his first legitimate play being on Broadway with the short-lived "All In Favour" (1942). This was followed by "You'll See Stars" at the end of that same year. He subsequently moved from radio to TV with the help of Milton Berle in the late 1940s and eventually found a very comfortable niche in comedy as a foil to the big stars. On the satirical Henry Morgan's Great Talent Hunt (1951), he was a regular member of Henry Morgan's stock company as a nerdy teen named Gerard. Plain, plucky but rather sad-sack, his puny-looking nerd types (5'3" and not much over 100 pounds) seemed to beg to have sand kicked in their faces. Yet, as much as they could be pushed around, they often displayed stubborn, delinquent-like streaks and could be mighty pesky in nature and irritating to the nth degree.
Stang also lent his vocal talents quite successfully to cartoon voiceovers beginning with Popeye the Sailor's pal Shorty. He later moved into a lengthy hitch as "Hoiman" the mouse in Paramount's popular "Herman and Katnip" series, but his best known animal character, of course, came later with the title role in Joseph Barbera - William Hanna 1961 classic cartoon series Top Cat (1961). His playing of "T.C", the slick, smart-alecky, Brooklynesque mastermind behind a gang of alley cats, was very reminiscent of Phil Silvers' Sgt. Bilko character from The Phil Silvers Show (1955).
Film work for Stang would be very sporadic over the years providing secondary but stalwart support in such escapism as Seven Days' Leave (1942), My Sister Eileen (1942), Let's Go Steady (1945), Two Gals and a Guy (1951) and the all-star epic It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). Stang's best featured part was a rare dramatic role opposite Frank Sinatra in the then-daring topical movie about drug addiction entitled The Man with the Golden Arm (1955). Here he played Frank Sinatra's seedy but loyal pal Sparrow, a role that easily could have influenced Dustin Hoffman when he created his Ratso Rizzo character a decade and a half later in Midnight Cowboy (1969).
From the 1950s, the bespectacled comedian would be a steadfast TV commercial spokesman pitching such products as Delco, Chunky candy ("Chunky...what a chunk o' chocolate!") and Orkin ("Stop squawkin', call Orkin!") using his own, unique style. As for the stage, a few of his later stints included the 1969 Broadway remake of "The Front Page," the role of Hysterium in a production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," and a part in Woody Allen's "Play It Again, Sam". The owlish comedian continued acting into the 90s with small roles in such movies as Ghost Dad (1990) and Dennis the Menace (1993).
Long married (since 1949) to wife JoAnn Taggart, a writer, Stang died of pneumonia at age 91 in Newton, Massachusetts, just before Christmas in 2009. He was also survived by his two children, David Donald and Deborah Jane.- Casting Department
- Casting Director
- Actress
Shari Rhodes was born on 14 July 1938. She was a casting director and actress, known for Jaws (1975), Mississippi Burning (1988) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). She died on 20 December 2009 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
A screen and stage performer, Thomas appeared on stage in "A Lesson Before Dying", and on screen in Fosse's "Lenny"(1974) and also in "Cocoon" (1985). The TV work he did included "Miami Vice" and "American Playhouse".
Thomas was a schoolteacher until his mid-forties. He gave that up to pursue acting full-time. He was born in Arkansas but also lived in Chicago, Knoxville, Tennessee and Florida. He attended Knoxville College in Tennesee, where he met his wife, Barbara Jones.- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Born in 1935 into a family of set designers and painters, Tedy Villalba inherited his name from his father and his grandfather, and passed it on to his son and his eldest grandson; there are five generations of "Tedy Villalbas" in Spanish cinema. Although he began in the family tradition of painting and design with his elders, Tedy Villalba made his own mark in production, gradually working his way up the ranks from Production Assistant to Executive Producer, working with Orson Wells, Manuel Mur Oti, King Vidor, Nicholas Ray, David Lean, Stanley Kramer, Henry Hathaway, John Huston, Robert Rossen, Anthony Mann, Stanley Kubrik, Joshua Logan, Lawrence Olivier, Peter Collison and Pedro Almodovar.
Establishing his own production company, Tedy Villalba produced seven films; he was the Director of Production of the state-run network Television Espanola; he served two terms as Vice President of the Spanish Academy of the Arts and Sciences of Film. On the Board of the Academy for twenty years, he also served for eleven as its director. From 1994 to 2005, he was the Director of the Film and Audiovisual School of the Community of Madrid, Spain's most prestigious film school, and until 2007, Villalba headed the Advisory Board of the school.- Erik Gates was born on 17 September 1962 in the USA. He was married to Beth. He died on 20 December 2009 in Newbury Park, California, USA.
- Director
- Actor
- Producer
Charles Nedwin "Ned" Hochman began his motion picture career as a combat cameraman during World War II with the U.S. Army Air Corps Motion Picture Production Unit. Housed in the old Hal Roach Studios, Hochman helped to photograph hundreds of training films under the supervision of unit commander Ronald Reagan. Later, Hochman would go afield to photograph the hellish fighting conditions in the Burma-China Theater of Operations, rubbing elbows with Stillwell's Raiders and photographing the first instance of medical evacuation via helicopter, deep in the Burmese jungle. Upon return to civilian life, Hochman helped to establish film production studies at the University of Oklahoma; became a charter member of the University Film and Video Association; directed Stark Fear (1962), his first and only feature-length motion picture, and became a leading proponent of luring "runaway" film productions to Oklahoma. Many working motion picture professionals (around the world, as well in Oklahoma) can trace their roots back to this man and acknowledge him as a great teacher and true friend.- Editorial Department
Pamela Tomling was born on 13 September 1935 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. She is known for A Hard Day's Night (1964), The Bedford Incident (1965) and Maroc 7 (1967). She was married to Philip Finch. She died on 20 December 2009 in Iver, Buckinghamshire, England, UK.- Sound Department
Yuri Sayadyan was born in 1935 in Pyatigorsk, North Caucasus Krai, RSFSR, USSR [now Stavropol Krai, Russia]. Yuri is known for Ktor me yerkinq (1980), The Color of Pomegranates (1969) and Baghdasare bazhanvum e knojits (1977). Yuri died on 20 December 2009 in Yerevan, Armenia.- Matt Turney was born on 29 March 1925 in Americus, Georgia, USA. She was an actress, known for On the Sound (1962), Arias and Arabesques (1962) and Appalachian Spring (1958). She was married to Bob Teague. She died on 20 December 2009 in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA.
- Leonid Nitsenko was a Russian actor. He was born in 1944, in Sverdlovsk (Ekaterinburg), Russia. From 1963 - 1968 he studied acting at Leningrad Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema, graduating in 1968 as actor. In 1968-69 he worked for one season at the Leningrad Theatre of Leninsky Komsomol. From 1969 to 1988 he was member of Murmansk Drama. From 1990 to 2009 Nitsenko was a permanent member of the troupe at the Theatre of Komissarzhevskoi in St. Petersburg. There his stage partners were such actors as Galina Korotkevich, Tamara Abrosimova, Natalya Chetverikova, Natalya Danilova, Valentina Panina, Tatiana Samarina, Yelena Simonova, Yefim Kamenetsky, Ivan Krasko, Georgi Korolchuk, Stanislav Landgraf, Boris Sokolov, Petr Shelokhonov and other notable Russian actors. Leonid Nitsenko was designated Honored Actor of Russia and was awarded for his works on stage and in film. Over the course of his acting career he played over 50 roles on stage, and also appeared in popular film and television productions. He died of a heart failure on 20 December 2009, and was laid to rest in Volkovskoe Cemetery, in St. Petersburg, Russia.
- Lester Rodney was born on 17 April 1911 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He was married to Clare Dodge. He died on 20 December 2009 in Walnut Creek, California, USA.
- Actor
- Art Director
- Additional Crew
Marcel Cremer was born in 1955 in Crombach, Wallonia, Belgium. He was an actor and art director, known for Klein Londen, Klein Berlijn (1988), Geschiedenis mijner jeugd (1983) and Daar is een mens verdronken (1983). He died on 20 December 2009 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Ioannis Moralis was born on 23 April 1916 in Arta, Epirus, Greece. He died on 20 December 2009 in Athens, Greece.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
James Gurley was born on 22 December 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for Ball and Chain (1967), Monterey Pop (1968) and Janis (1974). He was married to Margaret and Nancy. He died on 20 December 2009 in Palm Springs, California, USA.- Aleksandr Koznov was born on 28 June 1963 in Ufa, Bashkir ASSR, RSFSR, USSR [now Bashkortostan, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Obratnyy otschet (2006), Priklyucheniya Kventina Dorvarda, strelka korolevskoy gvardii (1988) and Vybor (1988). He died on 20 December 2009 in Moscow, Russia.