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A Man Called Adam (film)
''A Man Called Adam'' is a 1966 American drama musical film directed by Leo Penn and starring Sammy Davis Jr. It tells the story of a self-destructive jazz musician, played by Davis, and his tumultuous relationships with the people in his life. Plot Adam Johnson is a talented African-American jazz cornetist, plagued by ill health, racism, alcoholism and a short temper, as well as guilt over the deaths years before of his wife and child. The result is a caustic personality that wears even on those who care the most about him, such as his best friend Nelson, and Vincent, a young Caucasian trumpeter whom Adam mentors. Arriving unexpectedly at his New York home drunk after walking out on his jazz quintet, Adam finds prominent Civil Rights Movement worker Claudia Ferguson and her grandfather, Willie, who is himself a well-known jazz trumpeter, in his apartment. The two have been given access to the apartment by Nelson, but despite having authorized this, the drunken Adam is rude to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leo Penn
Leonard Francis Penn (August 27, 1921 – September 5, 1998) was an American actor and director and the father of musician Michael Penn and actors Sean Penn and Chris Penn. Early life Penn was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants Elizabeth (née Melnicoff) and Maurice Daniel Penn (Lithuanian-Jewish family). Penn served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II as a B-24 Liberator bombardier with the 755th Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group, stationed in England as part of the Eighth Air Force. Career A life member of The Actors Studio, Penn won the Theatre World Award in 1954 for his performance in the play ''The Girl on the Via Flaminia''. He acted in numerous roles in the early years of television. In 1956, he was cast as Mr. Rico in the episode "Ringside Padre" of the religion anthology series, ''Crossroads''. In 1957, he appeared in the episode "One If by Sea" of the military drama series, '' Navy Log''. He was also cast in an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ossie Davis
Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis (December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He and his wife were named to the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame; were awarded the National Medal of ArtsLifetime Honors – National Medal of Arts and were recipients of the . He was inducted into the in 1994. Early life Raiford Chatman ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lester Wilson
Lester Wilson (April 13, 1942 – February 14, 1993) was an African-American dancer, choreographer, and actor. Wilson attended the Juilliard School. Bob Fosse cast him in a 1963 revival of Pal Joey at the New York City Center. Wilson toured London with Sammy Davis Jr. in ''Golden Boy''. In 1969, he was responsible with 24 of his dancers for the choreography of Johnny Hallyday's show at the Palais des Sports in Paris. Lester's best known choreography was the 1977 movie '' Saturday Night Fever'' for which he coached John Travolta. Wilson had choreographed for Diana Ross, Dalida, Gladys Knight, Billy Crystal, Liza Minnelli and Ann-Margret, in her Las Vegas stage spectaculars. He also choreographed the 1992 movie ''Sister Act''. In 1991, Wilson was nominated for an American Emmy Award for the choreography in the ABC special ''American Dance Honors''. Lester also choreographed several Broadway musicals, including ''Grind'' with Ben Vereen. In February 1993, Wilson died of a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carl Lee (actor)
Carl Lee (born Carl Vincent Canegata; November 22, 1926 – April 17, 1986) was an American actor. His father was actor/professional boxer Canada Lee (1907–1952). Biography Lee, billed as Canada Lee Jr at age 16, played a student at Tuskegee Institute in an April 1952 episode of ''American Inventory''. His father starred in the episode as George Washington Carver. Lee made his first film appearance in ''Human Desire'' (1954). Lee played a heroin dealer, the central role in the Obie Award-winning play '' The Connection''. He appeared in the film version released in 1961. Lee appeared in films such as '' A Man Called Adam'' (1966) opposite Sammy Davis, Jr. and Cicely Tyson, and the blaxploitation film '' Superfly'' (with Ron O'Neal, 1972). He also appeared on television in such shows as '' The Defenders'', ''Mannix'', and ''Good Times'' ("Willona's Surprise", 1977) in which he portrayed Willona Woods' ex-husband Ray, who makes sexual advances towards Thelma Evans ( Bernadette St ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gerald S
Gerald is a male Germanic given name meaning "rule of the spear" from the prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Variants include the English given name Jerrold, the feminine nickname Jeri and the Welsh language Gerallt and Irish language Gearalt. Gerald is less common as a surname. The name is also found in French as Gérald. Geraldine is the feminine equivalent. Given name People with the name Gerald include: Politicians * Gerald Boland, Ireland's longest-serving Minister for Justice * Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States * Gerald Gardiner, Baron Gardiner, Lord Chancellor from 1964 to 1970 * Gerald Häfner, German MEP * Gerald Klug, Austrian politician * Gerald Lascelles (other), several people * Gerald Nabarro, British Conservative politician * Gerald S. McGowan, US Ambassador to Portugal * Gerald Wellesley, 7th Duke of Wellington, British diplomat, soldier, and architect Sports * Gerald Asamoah, Ghanaian-born German football player * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kenneth Tobey
Kenneth Jesse Tobey (March 23, 1917 – December 22, 2002) was an extremely prolific American actor who performed in hundreds of productions during a career that spanned more than half a century, including his role as the star of the 1957-1960 Desilu Productions TV series ''Whirlybirds''. Early years Tobey was born in 1917 in Oakland, California. Following his graduation from high school in 1935, he entered the University of California, Berkeley, with intentions to pursue a career in law, until he began to dabble in acting at the school's theater. His stage experience there led to a drama scholarship, a year-and-a-half of study at New York City's Neighborhood Playhouse, where his classmates included fellow actors Gregory Peck, Eli Wallach, and Tony Randall."Kenneth Tobey Probably Has Redde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lola Falana
Loletha Elayne Falana or Loletha Elaine Falana (born September 11, 1942), better known by her stage name Lola Falana, is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Early life Lola Falana was born in Camden, New Jersey. She was the third of six children born to Bennett, a welder and Cleo Falana, a seamstress (1921–2010). Falana's father, an Afro-Cuban, left his homeland of Cuba to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps, later becoming a welder shortly after meeting Falana's mother, who was African-American. By the age of three, Falana was dancing, and by age five she was singing in the church choir. In 1952, Falana's family, which by this time included two more siblings, moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the period she was in junior high school, Falana was already dancing in nightclubs to which she was escorted by her mother. Pursuing a musical career became so important to her that, against her parents' wishes, she dropped out of Germantown High School a few months before grad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ja'Net DuBois
Jeannette Theresa Dubois (August 5 – February 17, 2020), known professionally as Ja'Net DuBois, Ja'net DuBois, and Ja'Net Du Bois (), was an American actress and singer. She was best known for her portrayal of Willona Woods, the neighborhood gossip maven and a friend of the Evans family on the CBS sitcom '' Good Times'', which aired from 1974 to 1979. DuBois additionally cowrote and sang the theme song "Movin' on Up" for ''The Jeffersons'', which aired from 1975 until 1985. After beginning her career on the stage in the early 1960s, DuBois appeared on television shows and in films into the mid-2010s. Biography Early life and career DuBois was born Jeannette Theresa Dubois in either Brooklyn, New York City, or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Lillian Gouedy (1910–1984) and Gordon Adelbert Dubois (1915–1960) and was raised in Amityville, New York on Long Island. DuBois began her acting career onstage during the early 1960s, making her Broadway debut w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kai Winding
Kai Chresten Winding ( ; May 18, 1922 – May 6, 1983) was a Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is known for his collaborations with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson. His version of "More", the theme from the movie ''Mondo Cane'', reached in 1963 number 8 in the Billboard Hot 100 and remained his only entry here. Biography Winding was born in Aarhus, Denmark. His father, Ove Winding was a naturalized U.S. citizen, thus Kai, his mother and sisters, though born abroad were already U.S. citizens. In September 1934, his mother, Jenny Winding, moved Kai and his two sisters, Ann and Alice. Kai graduated in 1940 from Stuyvesant High School in New York City and that same year began his career as a professional trombonist with Shorty Allen's band. Subsequently, he played with Sonny Dunham and Alvino Rey, until he entered the United States Coast Guard during World War II. After the war, Winding was a member of Benny Goodman's orchestra, then Stan Kenton's. He partic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Rhodes (musician)
George Arthur Rhodes (October 10, 1918 – December 25, 1985) was an American arranger, conductor, music director, pianist, and composer. He is most known for being Sammy Davis Jr.'s long-time music director, arranger, and conductor. Rhodes made history as a black music director by being the first to work for a major network (at NBC in 1966 for ''The Sammy Davis Jr. Show'') and to work for a Las Vegas showroom (at the Tropicana Hotel in 1973). After being hired as a temporary pianist for Davis in 1955, Rhodes eventually became his principal arranger and conductor, working on his variety act, ''The Sammy Davis Jr. Show'', three of Davis' television specials, two musicals starring Davis, and three albums. Biography Early life George Arthur Rhodes was born in Indiana on October 10, 1918 to Margaret and James Rhodes." George Arthur Rhodes, Cartõ de Imigração; 1954." April 28, 1954. Cartões de imigração, Caixa 332, Maço 3, ''Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, registos de migração (parte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johnny Brown (actor)
Johnny Brown (June 11, 1937 – March 2, 2022) was an American actor and singer. He was most famous for his role as building superintendent Nathan Bookman on the 1970s CBS sitcom, ''Good Times''. Brown portrayed Bookman until the series was cancelled in 1979. Life and career A nightclub promoter and performer, his early best role was as a regular cast member of the television series ''Laugh-in''. Brown is mostly remembered for his portly physique, beautiful smile, mobile facial expressions, and easy, pleasant joking style. Brown made appearances on ''The Flip Wilson Show'', ''The Jeffersons'', ''Family Matters'', '' Sister, Sister'', ''The Jamie Foxx Show'', ''The Wayans Bros'', and ''Martin''. He had a recurring role as building super Nathan Bookman in the 1970's TV series ''Good Times''. He had a small role in the 1970 film '' The Out-of-Towners'' starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis as a waiter on a railroad dining car. Brown went to school with Walter Dean Myers when he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Lawford
Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford ( Aylen; 7 September 1923 – 24 December 1984) was an English-American actor.Obituary ''Variety'', 26 December 1984. He was a member of the " Rat Pack" and the brother-in-law of US president John F. Kennedy and senators Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy. From the 1940s to the 1960s, he was a well-known celebrity and starred in a number of highly acclaimed films. In later years, he was noted more for his off-screen activities as a celebrity than for his acting; it was said that he was " famous for being famous". Early life Born in London in 1923, he was the only child of Lieutenant General Sir Sydney Turing Barlow Lawford, KBE (1865–1953) and May Sommerville Bunny (1883–1972). At the time of Peter's birth, however, his mother was married to Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Ernest Vaughn Aylen D.S.O, one of Sir Sydney's officers, while his father was married to Muriel Williams. At the time, May and Ernest Aylen were living apart. May confessed to Aylen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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.jpg "Click for more on -> Kai Winding")
