Kenneth Williams

Kenneth Charles Williams
1926 - 1988 (accidental overdose)
British born London

Nickname Casey, Kenny . Height 5' 8" (1.73 m) . The acting bug bit Kenneth Williams when, as a student, his English teacher suggested he try out for a school play. He found that he enjoyed it tremendously, but when he raised the possibility at home of becoming an actor, his father forbade it. Williams was eventually sent to art school in London in 1941. In 1944 he was drafted into the army, and although posted to the Royal Engineers, he managed to land a job in the Combined Services Entertainment unit, where he got a chance to act in shows that were put on to entertain the troops, and even designed the posters that advertised the shows.After his discharge from the army he began to work as a professional actor, and traveled the country in repertory companies. It was in a production of "Saint Joan", where he played the Dauphin, that a radio producer saw him and hired him to do voice characterizations on a popular radio comedy show, "Hancock's Half Hour". His penchant for wild, off-the-wall characters led to his being hired by the producers of the "Carry On" comedy series, where he performed in 26 entries in the long-running series. When the series ended, Williams returned to radio work, and also made the rounds of the TV talk shows in addition to writing several books, including his autobiography. Later in his life Williams developed a serious ulcer, and was given medication to combat the pain. On April 15th 1988, he was found dead in his bed; it was determined that in addition to his regular pain pills, he had apparently taken some sleeping pills the night before, and the combination of those and his regular medication proved fatal.

The Princess and the Cobbler (1993) , "Jackanory" (1975) , "Galloping Galaxies!" (1985) ,"Some You Win" (1984) , "Willo the Wisp" (1981) , "Whizzkid's Guide" (1981) , Carry on Emmannuelle (1978) , The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978) , Let's Make a Musical (1977) , Carry on Behind (1975) , Carry on Dick (1974) , Carry on Abroad (1972) , Carry on Matron (1972) , Carry on at Your Convenience (1971) , "Meanwhile on BBC2" (1971) , Carry on Henry (1971) , Carry on Loving (1970) , "The Kenneth Williams Show" (1970) , Carry on Again Doctor (1969) , "Join Jim Dale" (1969), Carry on Camping (1969) , Carry On... Up the Khyber (1968) , Carry on Doctor (1967) , Follow That Camel (1967) , Don't Lose Your Head (1966) , Carry on Screaming! (1966) , Carry on Cowboy (1965) , Carry on Cleo (1964) , "The Wednesday Play" (1964) , Carry on Spying (1964) , French Cricket (1964), Carry on Jack (1963) , Carry on Cruising (1962) , Twice Round the Daffodils (1962) , Carry on Regardless (1961) , His and Hers (1961) , Raising the Wind (1961) , Make Mine Mink (1960) , Carry on Constable (1960) , Tommy the Toreador (1959) , Carry on Teacher (1959) , Carry on Nurse (1959) , The Noble Spaniard (1958) , Carry on Sergeant (1958) , Saint Joan (1958) , "Hancock's Half Hour" (1956) , "Dick and the Duchess" (1957) , "Sword of Freedom" (1957) , Three Men in a Boat (1956) ,Moby Dick Rehearsed (1955) , The Seekers (1954) , Misalliance (1954) , Innocents in Paris (1953) , The Beggar's Opera (1953) , Valley of Song (1953) , Trent's Last Case (1952) , The Wonderful Visit (1952)

Gene Wilder

Jerome Silberman
1933 -
American born Milwaukee

Height 5' 10½" (1.79 m) . Gene Wilder caught his first big break playing a small role in the off-Broadway production of Arnold Wesker's "Roots" and followed quickly with his Broadway debut as the comic valet in "The Complaisant Lover" (both 1961), for which he won the Clement Derwent Award. His other Broadway credits included "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1963, with Kirk Douglas), "The White House" (1964, with Helen Hayes) and "Luv" (1966), but it was a 1963 Broadway production of "Mother Courage and Her Children" that altered the course of his life forever. In its cast was Anne Bancroft, who was dating Mel Brooks at the time, and the relationship established between the two men eventually led to Wilder's becoming part of Brooks' "stock company". Wilder's Actor's Studio connection may have helped him land his first feature, Bonnie and Clyde (1967), in which he drew much favourable attention in a small but memorable role as a frightened young undertaker abducted by the legendary duo. Wilder's performance as the endearingly frantic Leo Bloom in The Producers (1968) kicked off his celebrated collaboration with Mel Brooks and garnered him an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. His career gained momentum as he played a swashbuckler in Start the Revolution Without Me (1970), the candy impresario of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and a sheep-smitten doctor in Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972). Wilder re-teamed with Mel Brooks for the inspired lunacy of Blazing Saddles (1974) and Young Frankenstein (1974), earning his second Oscar nomination for his first-time screen-writing efforts (along with Mel Brooks) on the latter. Spurred by these triumphs, Wilder made his directorial debut (in addition to acting and starring) with The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975). His first association with Richard Pryor had come on Blazing Saddles (1974), but Richard Pryor (co-screenwriter) had lost out in his bid for the Cleavon Little role. Richard Pryor and Wilder first acted together in the highly entertaining and commercially successful Silver Streak (1976) and scored at the box office again with Stir Crazy (1980), but their later efforts were mediocre. Ironically, Hanky Panky (1982), Wilder's first of three films with his late wife Gilda Radner, originally was written to pair him with Richard Pryor again, but Richard Pryor's unavailability necessitated rewriting the part for Gilda Radner. Spouse Karen Boyer (8 September 1991 - present), Gilda Radner (18 September 1984 - 20 May 1989) (her death), Mary Joan Schutz (27 October 1967 - 1974) (divorced) 1 child, Mary Mercier (22 July 1960 - 1965) (divorced).

"Will & Grace" (2002) , The Lady in Question (1999) , Alice in Wonderland (1999) , Murder in a Small Town (1999), "Something Wilder" (1994) , Another You (1991) , Funny About Love (1990) , See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) , Haunted Honeymoon (1986) , The Woman in Red (1984) , Hanky Panky (1982) , Stir Crazy (1980) , Sunday Lovers (1980) , The Frisco Kid (1979) , The World's Greatest Lover (1977) , "The Electric Company" (1977) , Silver Streak (1976) , The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) , Young Frankenstein (1974) , Annie and the Hoods (1974) , The Little Prince (1974) , Thursday's Game (1974) , Blazing Saddles (1974) , Rhinoceros (1974) , Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972) , The Scarecrow (1972) , Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) , Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx (1970) , Start the Revolution Without Me (1970) , The Producers (1968) , Bonnie and Clyde (1967) , Death of a Salesman (1966) , "The DuPont Show of the Week" (1962) , "Armstrong Circle Theatre" (1962) , "The Defenders" (1962)

Richard Widmark

1914 -
American born Sunrise

Height 5' 10" (1.78 m) . Richard Widmark grew up in Princeton, Illinois, and attended Lake Forest (IL) College, where he first began acting. He taught acting at Lake Forest after graduation until 1938, when he made his radio debut in New York in "Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories". Widmark made his Broadway stage debut in 1943 in "Kiss and Tell". He had been rejected as unsuitable for military service because of a perforated eardrum. In 1947 he got his big break, making film history as Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death (1947), beginning a seven-year contract with 20th Century-Fox. His hand and footprints were cast in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1949. After his contract with Fox expired, Widmark went independent. He first appeared on TV as himself in an episode of "I Love Lucy" (1951), and began producing films om the late 1950s. His film career slowed after the 1970s, but he remained active in made-for-TV movies. He starred in his own TV series in 1972, "Madigan" (1972), based on his hit movie of 1968, but only six episodes were produced before the show was canceled. In 1988 The American Movie Classics cable TV channel honored Widmark by airing "The Richard Widmark Film Festival." Spouse Susan Blanchard (September 1999 - present), Jean Hazlewood (5 April 1942 - 2 March 1997) (her death) 1 child.

Lincoln (1992) , True Colors (1991) , Cold Sassy Tree (1989) , Once Upon a Texas Train (1988) , A Gathering of Old Men (1987) , Blackout (1985) , Against All Odds (1984) , Who Dares Wins (1982) , Hanky Panky (1982) , National Lampoon Goes to the Movies (1982) , A Whale for the Killing (1981) , All God's Children (1980) , Bear Island (1979) , Mr. Horn (1979) , The Swarm (1978) , Coma (1978/I) , Rollercoaster (1977) , The Domino Principle (1977) , Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977) , The Sell-Out (1976) , To the Devil a Daughter (1976) , The Last Day (1975) , Murder on the Orient Express (1974) , "Benjamin Franklin" (1974) , Brock's Last Case (1973) ,
"Madigan" (1972) , When the Legends Die (1972) , Vanished (1971) , The Moonshine War (1970) , Death of a Gunfighter (1969) , A Talent for Loving (1969) , Madigan (1968) , The Way West (1967) , Alvarez Kelly (1966) , The Bedford Incident (1965) , Cheyenne Autumn (1964) , Flight from Ashiya (1964) , The Long Ships (1963) , How the West Was Won (1962) , Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) , Two Rode Together (1961) , The Secret Ways (1961) , The Alamo (1960) , Warlock (1959) , The Trap (1959) , The Tunnel of Love (1958) , The Law and Jake Wade (1958), Time Limit (1957) , Saint Joan (1957) , The Last Wagon (1956) , Run for the Sun (1956) , Backlash (1956) , The Cobweb (1955) , A Prize of Gold (1955) , Broken Lance (1954) , Garden of Evil (1954) , Hell and High Water (1954) , Take the High Ground! (1953) , Pickup on South Street (1953) , Destination Gobi (1953) , My Pal Gus (1952) , O. Henry's Full House (1952) , Don't Bother to Knock (1952) , Red Skies of Montana (1952) , The Frogmen (1951) , Halls of Montezuma (1950) , No Way Out (1950) , Panic in the Streets (1950) , Night and the City (1950) , Slattery's Hurricane (1949) , Down to the Sea in Ships (1949) , Yellow Sky (1948) , Road House (1948) , The Street with No Name (1948) , Kiss of Death (1947)

Mae West

Mary Jane West
1892 - 1980 (complications from strokes)
American born Brooklyn

Height 5' 1" (1.55 m) . Mae West was born in Brooklyn, New York, to "Battling Jack" West and Matilda Doelger. She began her career as a child star in vaudeville, and later went on to write her own plays, including "SEX", for which she was arrested. Though her first movie role was a small part in Night After Night (1932), her scene has become famous. A coat check girl exclaims, "Goodness! What lovely diamonds!", after seeing Mae's jewelry. Mae replies, "Goodness had nothing to do with it". Her next film, in which she starred, came the following year. She Done Him Wrong (1933) was based on her earlier and very popular play, "Diamond Lil". She went on to write and star in seven more films, including My Little Chickadee (1940) with W.C. Fields. Her last movie was Sextette (1978), which also came from a play. She died two years later. Spouse Frank Wallace (11 April 1911 - 21 July 1942) (divorced).

Sextette (1978) , Myra Breckinridge (1970) , The Heat's On (1943) , My Little Chickadee (1940) , Every Day's a Holiday (1937) , Go West Young Man (1936) , Klondike Annie (1936) , Goin' to Town (1935) , Belle of the Nineties (1934) , I'm No Angel (1933) , She Done Him Wrong (1933) , Night After Night (1932)

Orson Welles

George Orson Welles
1915 - 1985 (heart attack)
American born Kenosha

Height 6' 1½" (1.87 m) . His father was a well-to-do inventor, his mother a beautiful concert pianist; Orson Welles was gifted in many arts (magic, piano, painting) as a child. When his mother died (he was nine) he traveled the world with his father. When his father died (he was fifteen) he became the ward of Chicago's Dr. Maurice Bernstein. In 1931 he graduated from the Todd School in Woodstock, Illinois; he turned down college offers for a sketching tour of Ireland. He tried unsuccessfully to enter the London and Broadway stages, traveling some more in Morocco and Spain (where he fought in the bullring). Recommendations by Thornton Wilder and Alexander Woollcott got him into Katherine Cornell's road company, with which he made his New York debut as Tybalt in 1934. The same year he married, directed his first short, and appeared on radio for the first time. He began working with John Houseman and formed the Mercury Theatre with him in 1937. In 1938 they produced "The Mercury Theatre on the Air", famous for its broadcast version of "The War of the Worlds" (intended as a Halloween prank). His first film to be seen by the public was Citizen Kane (1941), a commercial failure losing RKO $150,000, but regarded by many as the best film ever made. Many of his next films were commercial failures and he exiled himself to Europe in 1948. In 1956 he directed Touch of Evil (1958); it failed in the U.S. but won a prize at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. In 1975, in spite of all his box-office failures, he received the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 1984 the Directors Guild of America awarded him its highest honor, the D.W. Griffith Award. His reputation as a film maker has climbed steadily ever since. Spouse Paola Mori (8 May 1955 - 10 October 1985) (his death) 1 child, Rita Hayworth (7 September 1943 - 1 December 1948) (divorced) 1 child, Virginia Nicholson (14 November 1934 - 1 February 1940) (divorced) 1 child.

The Hitch Hiker (2004) , Moby Dick (1999) , Someone to Love (1987) , The Transformers: The Movie (1986) , The Enchanted Journey (1984) , Hot Money (1983) , Where Is Parsifal? (1983) , Butterfly (1982) , Slapstick (Of Another Kind) (1982) , History of the World: Part I (1981) , "Tales of the Klondike" (1981) , "Magnum, P.I." (1981) , Shogun (1980/I) , "Shogun" (1980/II) , Tajna Nikole Tesle (1980) , The Greenstone (1980) , The Double McGuffin (1979) , The Muppet Movie (1979) , The New Media Bible: Book of Genesis (1979) , A Woman Called Moses (1978) , Grande attacco, Il (1978) , It Happened One Christmas (1977) , Hot Tomorrows (1977) , Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1977), Some Call It Greed (1977) , Voyage of the Damned (1976) , Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1975) , And Then There Were None (1974) , Necromancy (1972) , The Man Who Came to Dinner (1972) , Treasure Island (1972) , Get to Know Your Rabbit (1972) , Décade prodigieuse, La (1971) , "Night Gallery" (1971) , A Safe Place (1971) , Freedom River (1971) , Malpertuis (1971) , London (1971) , Waterloo (1970/I) , "The Name of the Game" (1970) , Catch-22 (1970) , Start the Revolution Without Me (1970) , The Kremlin Letter (1970) , Is It Always Right to Be Right? (1970) , The Deep (1970) , Upon This Rock (1970) , The Golden Honeymoon (1970) , Bitka na Neretvi (1969) , 12 + 1 (1969) , The Southern Star (1969) , Kampf um Rom II - Der Verrat (1969) , The Merchant of Venice (1969) , Kampf um Rom I (1968) , House of Cards (1968) , The Immortal Story (1968) , Tepepa (1968) , I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967) , Oedipus the King (1967) , The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967) , Casino Royale (1967) , A Man for All Seasons (1966) , Paris brûle-t-il? (1966) , Campanadas a medianoche (1965) , Fabuleuse aventure de Marco Polo, La (1965) , A King's Story (1965) , The V.I.P.s (1963) , Ro.Go.Pa.G. (1963) , Procès, Le (1962) , Tartari, I (1961) , King of Kings (1961) , La Fayette (1961) , Austerlitz (1960) , Crack in the Mirror (1960) , David e Golia (1960) , Ferry to Hong Kong (1959) , Compulsion (1959) , High Journey (1959), The Roots of Heaven (1958) , The Fountain of Youth (1958) , The Vikings (1958) , Touch of Evil (1958) , The Long, Hot Summer (1958) , Man in the Shadow (1957/I) , Moby Dick (1956) , "Ford Star Jubilee" (1956) , "The Orson Welles Sketchbook" (1955) , Mr. Arkadin (1955) , Napoléon (1955) , Three Cases of Murder (1955) , Moby Dick Rehearsed (1955) , Trouble in the Glen (1954) , Si Versailles m'était conté (1954) , King Lear (1953) , Uomo, la bestia e la virtù, L' (1953) , Trent's Last Case (1952) , The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice (1952) , Petit monde de Don Camillo, Le (1952) , The Black Rose (1950) , Prince of Foxes (1949) , Black Magic (1949) , The Third Man (1949) , Macbeth (1948) , The Lady from Shanghai (1947) , Duel in the Sun (1946) , The Stranger (1946) , Tomorrow Is Forever (1946) , Jane Eyre (1944) , Journey Into Fear (1943) , The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) , Citizen Kane (1941) , Swiss Family Robinson (1940) , Too Much Johnson (1938) , The Hearts of Age (1934)

Tuesday Weld

Susan Ker Weld
1943 -
American born New York City

Height 5' 4" (1.63 m) . Susan Ker Weld was born on August 27, 1943, in New York City. When her father, Lathrop Motley Weld, died three years later at the age of 49, the cute little girl, whose name by then had somehow been transmogrified into "Tuesday", took over the role of the family breadwinner. She became a successful child model, posing for advertisements and mail-order catalogs. Her work and the burden of responsibility estranged her from her mother Aileen and her two elder siblings and catapulted the preteen girl into adulthood. At nine years of age she suffered a nervous breakdown, at ten she started heavy drinking. One year later she began to have affairs, and at the age of twelve she tried to commit suicide. In 1956 she debuted in the low-budget exploitation movie Rock, Rock, Rock (1956) and decided to become an actress. After numerous TV appearances in New York she went to Hollywood in 1958 and was cast for Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958), something of a breakthrough for her. Over the next few years Tuesday became Hollywood's queen of teen, playing mainly precocious sex kittens. Her wild private life added to the entertainment of her fans. Critics acknowledged her talent, directors approved of her professionalism, and in the late 1960s she even managed to grow out of her child/woman image and find more demanding roles - she had been "sweet little 16" for about 16 years. However, Tuesday Weld didn't achieve first-magnitude stardom. Maybe she was just unlucky with her selection of jobs (she turned down Lolita (1962), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), True Grit (1969), Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), among others); maybe her independence-loving mind made her instinctively shrink back from the restraints of superstardom. In any case, she kept on performing well in films that had either not much flair or not much success. From the mid-'70s on she focused more and more on made-for-TV movies, which was ironic in that the best (Once Upon a Time in America (1984)) and the most successful (Falling Down (1993)) films that came her way happened after her big-screen career had pretty much petered out. Spouse Pinchas Zukerman (18 October 1985 - 1998) (divorced) 1 child, Dudley Moore
(20 September 1975 - 1980) (divorced) 1 son, Claude Harz (October 1965 - 1970) (divorced) 1 child.

Chelsea Walls (2001) , Investigating Sex (2001) , Feeling Minnesota (1996) , Falling Down (1993) , "Cadavres exquis de Patricia Highsmith, Les" (1990) , Heartbreak Hotel (1988) , Circle of Violence: A Family Drama (1986) , Something in Common (1986) , Scorned and Swindled (1984) , Once Upon a Time in America (1984) , The Winter of Our Discontent (1983) , Author! Author! (1982) , The Rainmaker (1982) , Thief (1981) , Madame X (1981) , Serial (1980) , Mother and Daughter: The Loving War (1980) , Who'll Stop the Rain (1978) , A Question of Guilt (1978) , Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) , F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood (1976) , Reflections of Murder (1974) , Play It As It Lays (1972) , A Safe Place (1971) , I Walk the Line (1970) , Pretty Poison (1968) , "Cimarron Strip" (1968) , The Crucible (1967) , Lord Love a Duck (1966) , The Cincinnati Kid (1965) , I'll Take Sweden (1965) , "The Fugitive" (1964) , "Mr. Broadway" (1964) , Soldier in the Rain (1963) , "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1963) , "The DuPont Show of the Week" (1963) , "The Eleventh Hour" (1963) , "The Dick Powell Show" (1961) , "Ben Casey" (1962) , "Route 66" (1962) , "Naked City" (1962) , "Adventures in Paradise" (1962) , Bachelor Flat (1962) , "Bus Stop" (1961) , "Follow the Sun" (1961) , Wild in the Country (1961) , Return to Peyton Place (1961) , The Private Lives of Adam and Eve (1960) , "The Tab Hunter Show" (1960) , High Time (1960) , Sex Kittens Go to College (1960) , "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" (1960) , Because They're Young (1960) , "The Millionaire" (1959) , "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" (1958) , The Five Pennies (1959) , Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958) , "Goodyear Television Playhouse" (1957) , Rock, Rock, Rock (1956)

Raquel Welch

Jo Raquel Tejada
1940 -
American born Chicago

Height 5' 6" (1.68 m) . A new reigning 60s international sex symbol took her cinematic throne as soon as Raquel Welch emerged from the sea in her purposely depleted, furry prehistoric bikini get-up. Tantalizingly wet with her garb clinging to all the right amazonian places, One Million Years B.C. (1966), if nothing else, captured the hearts and libidos of modern men (not to mention their teenage sons) while producing THE most definitive and best-selling pin-up poster of that time. After a major dry spell following the death of Marilyn Monroe in 1962, the auburn-maned Ms. Welch effortlessly assumed Marilyn's title and forever wiped away the notion that enduring sex goddesses came only in one form -- bottled blonds.She was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois, the first of three children born to Bolivian Armando Carlos Tejada, an aerospace engineer, and his Irish-American wife Josephine Sarah Hall. The family moved to San Diego, California (her father was transferred) when Raquel was only two. Taking dance lessons as a youngster, she grew up to be quite a knockout and nailed a number of teen beauty titles ("Miss Photogenic," "Miss La Jolla," "Miss Contour," "Miss Fairest of the Fair" and "Miss San Diego"). With her sights set on theater arts, she studied at San Diego State College on a scholarship starting in 1958 and married her first husband, a high school sweetheart named James Welch, the following year. They had two children Damon (born 1960) and Tahnee (born 1961). Tahnee would go on to take advantage of her own stunning looks as an actress, most notably a prime featured role in Cocoon (1985).On the sly, Raquel became a local TV weather girl in San Diego and eventually quit college because of her responsibilities. Following the end of her marriage in 1961 (they divorced in 1965), she packed up her two children and moved to Dallas, Texas, where she modeled for Neiman-Marcus and worked as a barmaid for a time. Regrouping, she returned to California, migrated to Los Angeles, and made the rounds of film/TV auditions. Providing sexy/perky decoration on such shows as "Bewitched," "McHale's Navy" and "The Virginian," she also paid her dues in filler bits with such movies as Elvis Presley's Roustabout (1964) and Doris Day's Do Not Disturb (1965). In the midst of the "beach party" craze, it's not surprising to find that her first prime role would be in the obvious A Swingin' Summer (1965), which concentrated more on musical guests 'Righteous Brothers, The and 'Gary Lewis & the Playboys' than on Raquel's outstanding contributions. But 20th Century Fox certainly took notice and signed her up.With her very first film under contract (actually, she was on loan out to Britain's Hammer Studios at the time), she took on the remake of One Million B.C. (1940) in the Carole Landis role and the rest is history. Raquel remained an international commodity for her first few years of celebrity. In England, she was quite revealing as the deadly sin representing "lust" for the comedy team of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in their vehicle Bedazzled (1967), and as the title secret agent in the sexy spy spoof Fathom (1967). In Italy, she appeared in mediocre vehicles opposite such heartthrobs as Marcello Mastroianni. Back in the U.S. by 1968, she caused quite a stir in her brazen sex scenes with black athlete Jim Brown in the "spaghetti western" 100 Rifles (1969), and as the trans-gendered title role in the unfathomable Myra Breckinridge (1970), adapted from Gore Vidal novel while locking horns with the aging diva Mae West. The instant cult movie was a laughing stock to all concerned and certainly damaged Raquel's attempt at being taking seriously as an actress.Box office bombs abounded after this. Try as she might with dramatic stabs, the writing was pretty much on the wall that Hollywood was resistant, even though her performances in .Kansas City Bomber (1972) and The Wild Party (1975) drew good reviews. With determination, she partly offset this with modest supporting roles in large ensemble pieces. She showed definite spark and won a Golden Globe for the swashbuckler The Three Musketeers (1973), and appeared to good advantage in the mystery thriller The Last of Sheila (1973). She planned on making a comeback in Cannery Row (1982), even agreeing to appear topless (which she had never done before), but during production, she was suddenly fired without notice. She sued MGM for breach of contract and ultimately won a $15 million settlement, but this didn't help her film career. TV movies became a positive milieu for Raquel as she developed serious vehicles for herself such as The Legend of Walks Far Woman (1982) (TV) and Right to Die (1987) (TV). She also found a lucrative avenue pitching beauty products in infomercials and developing exercise videos à la Jane Fonda. Moreover, Raquel took advantage of her modest singing and dancing abilities, by performing in splashy Las Vegas showrooms and starring in such plausible stage vehicles as "Woman of the Year" and "Victor/Victoria." Still a dazzler at age 60+, she has been seen sporadically over the years and still able to turn heads. More recently she co-starred in the Hispanic-oriented TV series "American Family" (2002) and in the film Tortilla Soup (2001). She is currently married to fourth husband Richard Palmer, who is 15 years her junior. Spouse Richard Palmer (17 July 1999 - present) (separated), André Weinfeld (5 July 1980 - 1990) (divorced), Patrick Curtis (14 February 1967 - 1972) (divorced), James Welch (8 May 1959 - 1964) (divorced) 2 children.

Forget About It (2006) , "8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter" (2004) , "American Family" (2002) , Legally Blonde (2001) , Tortilla Soup (2001) , "Spin City" (1997) , Folle d'elle (1998) , Chairman of the Board (1998) , "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (1996) , "Central Park West" (1996) , "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (1995) , Central Park West (1995) , Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby (1993) , Torch Song (1993) , Tainted Blood (1993) , Trouble in Paradise (1989) , Scandal in a Small Town (1988) , Right to Die (1987) ,The Legend of Walks Far Woman (1982) , "Mork & Mindy" (1979) , Animal, L' (1977) , Crossed Swords (1977) , Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976) , "Saturday Night Live" (1976) , The Wild Party (1975) , The Four Musketeers (1974) , The Three Musketeers (1973) , The Last of Sheila (1973) , Kansas City Bomber (1972) , Fuzz (1972) , Bluebeard (1972) , Hannie Caulder (1971) , Myra Breckinridge (1970) , The Beloved (1970) , The Magic Christian (1969) , Flareup (1969) , "Bracken's World" (1969) , 100 Rifles (1969) , Lady in Cement (1968) , Bandolero! (1968) , The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968) , Bedazzled (1967) , Fathom (1967) , Plus vieux métier du monde, Le (1967) , Spara forte, più forte, non capisco (1966) , One Million Years B.C. (1966) , Fantastic Voyage (1966) , Fate, Le (1966) , Do Not Disturb (1965) , "Wendy and Me" (1965) , A Swingin' Summer (1965) , "The Baileys of Balboa" (1965) , "The Rogues" (1964) , Roustabout (1964) , "Bewitched" (1964) , "McHale's Navy" (1964) , "The Virginian" (1964) , A House Is Not a Home (1964) , "The Hollywood Palace" (1964)

Sigourney Weaver

Susan Alexandra Weaver
1949 -
American born New York City

Height 5' 11½" (1.82 m) . Sigourney Weaver was born Susan Alexandra Weaver, on October 8, 1949, in Leroy Hospital in New York City. Her father, TV producer Sylvester L. Weaver Jr., originally wanted to name her Flavia, because of his passion for Roman history (he had already named her elder brother Trajan). Her mother, Elizabeth Inglis, was a British actress who had sacrificed her career for a family. Sigourney grew up in a virtual bubble of guiltless bliss, being taken care by nannies and maids. By 1959, the Weavers had resided in 30 different households. In 1961, Sigourney began attending the Brearly Girls Academy, but her mother moved her to another New York private school, Chapin. Sigourney was quite a bit taller than most of her other classmates (at the age of 13, she was already 5' 10"), resulting in her constantly being laughed at and picked on; in order to gain their acceptance, she took on the role of class clown.In 1962, her family moved to San Francisco briefly, an unpleasant experience for her. Later, they moved back east to Connecticut, where she became a student at the Ethel Walker School, facing the same problems as before. In 1963, she changed her name to "Sigourney", after the character "Sigourney Howard" in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" (her own birth name, Susan, was in honor of her mother's best friend, explorer Susan Pretzlik). Sigourney had already starred in a school drama production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and, in 1965, she worked during the summer with a stock troupe, performing in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "You Can't Take It With You" (she didn't star in the latter because she was taller than the lead actor!). After graduating from school in 1967, she spent some months in a kibbutz at Israel. At that time, she became engaged to reporter Aaron Latham, but they soon broke up.In 1969, Sigourney enrolled in Stanford University, majoring in English Literature. She also participated in school plays, especially Japanese Noh plays. By that time she was living in a treehouse, alongside a male friend, dressed in elf-like clothes! After completing her studies in 1971, she applied for the Yale School of Drama in New York. Despite appearing at the audition reading a Bertolt Brecht speech and wearing a rope-like belt, she was accepted by the school but her professors rejected her, because of her height, and kept typecasting her as prostitutes and old women (whereas classmate Meryl Streep was treated almost reverently). However, in 1973, while making her theatrical debut with "Watergate Classics", she met up with a team of playwrights and actors and began hanging around with them., resulting in long-term friendships with Christopher Durang, Kate McGregor-Stewart and Albert Innaurato.In 1974 she starred in such plays as Aristophanes' "Frogs" and Durang's "The Nature and Purpose of the Universe" and "Daryl and Carol and Kenny and Jenny", as Jenny. After finishing her studies that year, she began seriously pursuing a stage career, but her height kept being a hindrance. However, she continued working on stage with Durang (in "Titanic" [1975]) and Innaurato (in "Gemini" [1976] ). Other 1970s stage works included "Marco Polo Sing a Song", "The Animal Kingdom", "A Flea in Her Ear", "The Constant Husband", "Conjuring an Event" and others. However, the one that really got her noticed was "Das Lusitania Songspiel", a play she co-wrote with Durang and in which she starred for two seasons, from 1979 to 1981. She was also up for a Drama Desk Award for it. During the mid-70s she appeared in several TV spots and even starred as Avis Ryan in the soap opera "Somerset" (1970).In 1977 she was cast in the role Shelley Duvall finally played in Annie Hall (1977), after rejecting the part due to prior stage commitments. In the end, however, Woody Allen offered her a part in the film that, while short (she was onscreen for six seconds), made many people sit up and take notice. She later appeared in Madman (1978) and, of course, Alien (1979). The role of the tough, uncompromising Ripley made Sigourney an "overnight" star and brought her a British Award Nomination. She next appeared in Eyewitness (1981) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), the latter being a great success in Australia that won an Oscar and brought Sigourney and co-star Mel Gibson to Cannes in 1983. The same year she delivered an honorary Emmy award to her father, a few months before her uncle, actor Doodles Weaver, committed suicide. That year also brought her a romance with Jim Simpson, her first since having broken up two years previously with James M. McClure. She and Simpson were married on 1 October 1984. Sigourney had meanwhile played in the poorly received Deal of the Century (1983) and the mega-hit Ghost Busters (1984). She was also nominated for a Tony Award for her tour-de-force performance in the play "Hurly Burly". Then followed Une femme ou deux (1985), Half Moon Street (1986) and Aliens (1986). The latter was a huge success, and Sigourney was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Oscar.She then entered her most productive career period and snatched Academy Award nominations, in both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, for her intense portrayal of Dian Fossey in Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey (1988) and her delicious performance as a double-crossing, power-hungry corporate executive in Working Girl (1988). She ended up losing in both, but made up for it to a degree by winning both Golden Globes. After appearing in a documentary about fashion photographer Helmut Newton, Frames from the Edge (1989), and reprising her role in the sequel Ghostbusters II (1989), she discovered she was pregnant and retired from public life for a while. She gave birth to her daughter Charlotte on 13 April 1990, and returned to movies as a (now skinhead) Ripley in Alien³ (1992) and a gorgeous Queen Isabella of Spain in 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), her second film with director Ridley Scott. She starred in the political comedy Dave (1993) alongside Kevin Kline, and then a Roman Polanski thriller, Death and the Maiden (1994).In 1995 she was seen in Jeffrey (1995) and Copycat (1995). The next year she "trod the boards" in "Sex and Longing", yet another Durang play. She hadn't performed in the theater in many years before that play, her last stage performances occurring in the 1980s in "As You Like It" (1981), "Beyond Therapy" (1981), "The Marriage of 'Bette and Boo'" (1985) and "The Merchant of Venice" (1986). In 1997 she was the protagonist in Grimm's Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997), The Ice Storm (1997) and Alien: Resurrection (1997). Her performance in "The Ice Storm" got her a BAFTA prize and another Golden Globe nod. She also gave excellent performances in A Map of the World (1999) and the sci-fi spoof Galaxy Quest (1999). Her next comedy, Company Man (2000), wasn't quite so warmly welcomed critically and financially, however. She next played a sexy con artist in Heartbreakers (2001) and had a voice role in Big Bad Love (2001). Her father died at the age of 93. Sigourney herself has recently starred in Tadpole (2002) and is planning a cinematic version of The Guys (2002), the enthralling September 11th one-act drama she played on stage on late 2001. She remains a remarkable and enormously talented actress, and at the age of 52 is still one of the world's great beauties. Spouse Jim Simpson (1 October 1984 - present) 1 child.

The Tale of Despereaux (2008) , The Girl in the Park (2007) , Vantage Point (2007) , Happily N'Ever After (2007) , Infamous (2006) , The TV Set (2006), Snow Cake (2006) , The Village (2004) , Imaginary Heroes (2004) , Holes (2003) , The Guys (2002) , Futurama" (2002) , Tadpole (2002) , Big Bad Love (2001) , Heartbreakers (2001) , Company Man (2000), Galaxy Quest (1999) , A Map of the World (1999) , Alien: Resurrection (1997) , Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997) , The Ice Storm (1997) , Copycat (1995) , Jeffrey (1995) , Death and the Maiden (1994) , Dave (1993) , Rabbit Ears: Peachboy (1993) , 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) , Alien³ (1992) , Ghostbusters II (1989) , Working Girl (1988) , Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey (1988) , "Saturday Night Live" (1986) , Half Moon Street (1986) , Aliens (1986) , Une femme ou deux (1985) , Walls of Glass (1985) , Ghost Busters (1984) , Deal of the Century (1983) , The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) , Eyewitness (1981) , 3 by Cheever: O Youth and Beauty! (1979) , 3 by Cheever: The Sorrows of Gin (1979), Alien (1979) , Madman (1978) , "The Best of Families" (1977) , Annie Hall (1977) , "Somerset" (1970)

John Wayne

Marion Robert Morrison
1907 - 1979 (lung & stomach cancer)
American born Winterset

Nickname Duke, JW (family nickname) . Height 6' 4½" (1.94 m) . John Wayne (born Marion Morrison) was the son of pharmacist Clyde Morrison and his wife Mary. Clyde developed a lung condition that required him to move his family from Iowa to the warmer climate of southern California, where they tried ranching in the Mojave Desert. Until the ranch failed, Marion and his younger brother Robert E. Morrison swam in an irrigation ditch and rode a horse to school. When the ranch failed, the family moved to Glendale, California, where Marion delivered medicines for his father, sold newspapers and had an Airedale dog named "Duke" (the source of his own nickname). He did well at school both academically and in football. When he narrowly failed admission to Annapolis he went to USC on a football scholarship 1925-7. Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. On the set he became close friends with director John Ford for whom, among others, he began doing bit parts, some billed as John Wayne. His first featured film was Men Without Women (1930). After more than 70 low-budget westerns and adventures, mostly routine, Wayne's career was stuck in a rut until Ford cast him in Stagecoach (1939), the movie that made him a star. He appeared in nearly 250 movies, many of epic proportions. From 1942-43 he was in a radio series, "The Three Sheets to the Wind", and in 1944 he helped found the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, a right-wing political organization, later becoming its President. His conservative political stance was also reflected in The Alamo (1960), which he produced, directed and starred in. His patriotic stand was enshrined in The Green Berets (1968) which he co-directed and starred in. Over the years Wayne was beset with health problems. In September 1964 he had a cancerous left lung removed; in March 1978 there was heart valve replacement surgery; and in January 1979 his stomach was removed. He received the Best Actor nomination for Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) and finally got the Oscar for his role as one-eyed Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (1969). A Congressional Gold Medal was struck in his honor in 1979. He is perhaps best remembered for his parts in Ford's cavalry trilogy - Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Rio Grande (1950). Spouse Pilar Wayne (1 November 1954 - 11 June 1979) (his death) 3 children, Esperanza Baur (17 January 1946 - 1 November 1954) (divorced), Josephine Alicia Saenz (24 June 1933 - 25 December 1945) (divorced) 4 children.

The Shootist (1976) , Rooster Cogburn (1975) , Brannigan (1975) , McQ (1974) , Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973) , The Train Robbers (1973) , The Cowboys (1972) , Big Jake (1971) , Rio Lobo (1970) , Chisum (1970) , The Undefeated (1969) , True Grit (1969) , Hellfighters (1968) , The Green Berets (1968) , The War Wagon (1967) , El Dorado (1966) , Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) , The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) , In Harm's Way (1965) , The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) , Circus World (1964) , Donovan's Reef (1963) , McLintock! (1963) , How the West Was Won (1962) , "Alcoa Premiere" (1962) , The Longest Day (1962) , Hatari! (1962) , The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) , The Comancheros (1961) , "Wagon Train" (1960) , North to Alaska (1960) , The Alamo (1960) , The Horse Soldiers (1959) , Rio Bravo (1959) , The Barbarian and the Geisha (1958) , I Married a Woman (1958) , Legend of the Lost (1957) , Jet Pilot (1957) , The Wings of Eagles (1957) , The Searchers (1956) , The Conqueror (1956) , "Screen Directors Playhouse" (1955) , Blood Alley (1955) , The Sea Chase (1955) , The High and the Mighty (1954) , Hondo (1953) , Island in the Sky (1953) , Trouble Along the Way (1953) , Big Jim McLain (1952) , The Quiet Man (1952) , Miracle in Motion (1952) , Flying Leathernecks (1951) , Operation Pacific (1951) , Rio Grande (1950) , Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) , She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) , The Fighting Kentuckian (1949) , Wake of the Red Witch (1948) , 3 Godfathers (1948) , Red River (1948) , Fort Apache (1948) , Tycoon (1947) , Angel and the Badman (1947) , Without Reservations (1946) , Dakota (1945) , They Were Expendable (1945) , Back to Bataan (1945) , Flame of Barbary Coast (1945) , Tall in the Saddle (1944) , The Fighting Seabees (1944) , In Old Oklahoma (1943) , A Lady Takes a Chance (1943) , Reunion in France (1942) , Pittsburgh (1942) , Flying Tigers (1942) , In Old California (1942) , The Spoilers (1942) , Reap the Wild Wind (1942) , Lady for a Night (1942) , The Shepherd of the Hills (1941) , Lady from Louisiana (1941) , A Man Betrayed (1941) , Seven Sinners (1940) , The Long Voyage Home (1940) , Three Faces West (1940) , Dark Command (1940) , Allegheny Uprising (1939) , New Frontier (1939) , Wyoming Outlaw (1939) , Three Texas Steers (1939) , The Night Riders (1939) , Stagecoach (1939) , Red River Range (1938) , Santa Fe Stampede (1938) , Overland Stage Raiders (1938) , Pals of the Saddle (1938) , Born to the West (1937) , Adventure's End (1937) , Idol of the Crowds (1937) , I Cover the War (1937) , California Straight Ahead! (1937) , Conflict (1936) , Sea Spoilers (1936) , Winds of the Wasteland (1936) , The Lonely Trail (1936) , King of the Pecos (1936) , The Lawless Nineties (1936) , The Oregon Trail (1936) , Lawless Range (1935) , The New Frontier (1935) , Westward Ho (1935) , Paradise Canyon (1935) , The Dawn Rider (1935) , The Desert Trail (1935) , Rainbow Valley (1935) , Texas Terror (1935) , 'Neath the Arizona Skies (1934) , The Lawless Frontier (1934) , The Trail Beyond (1934) , The Star Packer (1934) , Randy Rides Alone (1934) , The Man from Utah (1934) , Blue Steel (1934) , West of the Divide (1934) , The Lucky Texan (1934), Sagebrush Trail (1933) , College Coach (1933), Riders of Destiny (1933) , The Man from Monterey (1933) , Baby Face (1933) , The Life of Jimmy Dolan (1933) , His Private Secretary (1933) , Somewhere in Sonora (1933) , Central Airport (1933) , The Three Musketeers (1933) , The Telegraph Trail (1933) , Haunted Gold (1932) , The Big Stampede (1932) , That's My Boy (1932) , Ride Him, Cowboy (1932) , The Hurricane Express (1932) , Lady and Gent (1932) , Two-Fisted Law (1932) , Texas Cyclone (1932) , The Shadow of the Eagle (1932) , Running Hollywood (1932) , The Voice of Hollywood No. 13 (1932) , Maker of Men (1931) , Range Feud (1931) , The Deceiver (1931) , Arizona (1931) , Three Girls Lost (1931) , Girls Demand Excitement (1931) , The Big Trail (1930) , Cheer Up and Smile (1930) , Rough Romance (1930) , Born Reckless (1930) , Men Without Women (1930) , The Forward Pass (1929) , Salute (1929) , Words and Music (1929) , The Black Watch (1929) , Speakeasy (1929) , Noah's Ark (1928) , Hangman's House (1928) , Four Sons (1928) , Mother Machree (1928) , The Drop Kick (1927) , Annie Laurie (1927) , The Great K & A Train Robbery (1926) , Bardelys the Magnificent (1926) , Brown of Harvard (1926)

Dennis Waterman

1948 -
British born London

Height 5' 9" (1.75 m) . Spouse Rula Lenska (3 January 1987 - 31 March 1998) (divorced), Patricia Maynard (2 April 1977 - ?) (divorced) 2 children, Penny Dixon (1972 - 1976) (divorced).

Back in Business (2007) , "New Tricks" (2006) , "Where the Heart Is" (2003) , "The Canterbury Tales" (2003) , New Tricks (2003) , "Murder in Mind"(2002) , Arthur's Dyke (2001) , "Dalziel and Pascoe" (1999) , "The Knock" (1997) , Circles of Deceit: Kalon (1996) , Vol-au-vent (1996) , Circles of Deceit: Dark Secret (1995) , "Stay Lucky" (1991) , Circle of Deceit (1993) , "On the Up" (1992) , "Boon" (1991), "Fiddley Foodle Bird" (1991) , Cold Justice (1989) , Minder: An Officer and a Car Salesman (1988) , "Tube Mice" (1988) , Mr. H Is Late (1988) , The First Kangaroos (1988) , Who's Our Little Jenny Lind (1987) , "The Life and Loves of a She-Devil" (1986) , "Minder" (1980) , Minder on the Orient Express (1985) , The World Cup: A Captain's Tale (1982) , Comedy Tonight (1980) , "The Sweeney" (1978) , Sweeney 2 (1978) , Sweeney! (1977) , "Churchill's People" (1974) , Regan (1974) , "Special Branch" (1974) ,"Play for Today" (1974) , "Man About the House" (1974) , "Play of the Month" (1973) , "Thriller" (1973) , "The Pathfinders" (1973) , "New Scotland Yard" (1973) , The Belstone Fox (1973) , "Colditz" (1972) , Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972) , Follow the Yellow Brick Road (1972) , "The Sextet" (1972) , Man in the Wilderness (1971) , "Thirty-Minute Theatre" (1967) , Fright (1971) , Scars of Dracula (1970) , "Paul Temple" (1970) , My Lover My Son (1970) , "Journey to the Unknown" (1969) , "The First Lady" (1969) , I Can't... I Can't (1969) , A Promise of Bed (1969) , School for Unclaimed Girls (1969) , Up the Junction (1968) , "The Secret Agent" (1967), "Half Hour Story" (1967) , Go Kart Go (1964) , "William" (1962) , Crooks Anonymous (1962) , "Fair Exchange" (1962) , Pirates of Blood River (1962) , Snowball (1960) , Night Train for Inverness (1960)