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Almira Sessions
Almira Sessions (September 16, 1888 – August 3, 1974) was an American character actress of stage, screen and television. Born in Washington, D.C., her career took her through all the acting mediums of the 20th century. She appeared in over 500 films and television shows. She worked into her 80s, finally retiring shortly before her death in 1974 in Los Angeles. Early life and career Sessions was born into a very well-known family in Washington D.C. on September 16, 1888. A debutante, she followed her coming out party with her introduction into the acting profession, appearing in a 1909 performance of the comic operetta ''The Sultan of Sulu'' by George Ade and Nathaniel D. Mann. Her early career was spent performing in cabarets before she moved to New York City, where she began performing on the stage and on Bob Hope's radio show. During the 1930s she appeared in many stage productions, including several Broadway productions. Film and television While appearing on the stage i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sullivan's Travels
''Sullivan's Travels'' is a 1941 American comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges. A satire on the film industry, it follows a famous Hollywood comedy director (Joel McCrea) who, longing to make a socially relevant drama, sets out to live as a tramp to gain life experience for his forthcoming film. Along the way he unites with a poor aspiring actress (Veronica Lake) who accompanies him. The title is a reference to ''Gulliver's Travels'', the 1726 novel by satirist Jonathan Swift about another journey of self-discovery. ''Sullivan's Travels'' received disparate critical reception: ''The New York Times'' described it as "the most brilliant picture yet this year", praising Sturges's mix of escapist fun with underlying significance, and ranked it as one of the ten best films of 1941. But ''The Hollywood Reporter'' said that it lacked the "down to earth quality and sincerity which made turges'sother three pictures of 1941 – ''The Great McGinty'', ''The Lady Eve'', and '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rodgers And Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popular Broadway productions in the 1940s and 1950s initiated what is considered the "golden age" of musical theater. Gordon, John Steele''Oklahoma'!'. Retrieved June 13, 2010 Five of their Broadway shows, ''Oklahoma!'', '' Carousel'', '' South Pacific'', ''The King and I'' and ''The Sound of Music'', were outstanding successes, as was the television broadcast of ''Cinderella'' (1957). Of the other four shows that the team produced on Broadway during their lifetimes, ''Flower Drum Song'' was well-received, and none was an outright flop. Most of their shows have received frequent revivals around the world, both professional and amateur. Among the many accolades their shows (and film versions) garnered were thirty-four Tony Awards, fifteen Academ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Betty Hutton
Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg; February 26, 1921 – March 11, 2007) was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. Early life and education Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg on February 26, 1921, in Battle Creek, Michigan. While she was very young, her father abandoned the family for another woman. They did not hear of him again until they received a telegram in 1937, informing them of his suicide. Betty and her older sister, Marion, were raised by her alcoholic mother, who took the surname Hutton. Marion was later billed as the actress Sissy Jones. The three started singing in the family's speakeasy when Betty was 3 years old. Troubles with the police kept the family on the move. They eventually landed in Detroit, where she attended Foch Intermediate School. On one occasion, when Betty, preceded by a police escort, arrived at the premiere of '' Let's Dance'' (1950), her mother, arriving with her, quipped, "At least this ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eddie Bracken
Edward Vincent Bracken (February 7, 1915 – November 14, 2002) was an American actor. Bracken became a Hollywood comedy legend with lead performances in the films ''Hail the Conquering Hero'' and ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' both from 1944, both of which have been preserved by the National Film Registry. During this era, he also had success on Broadway, with performances in plays like '' Too Many Girls'' (1940). Bracken's later movie roles include ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' (1983), ''Oscar'' (1991), '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' (1992), '' Rookie of the Year'' (1993), and ''Baby's Day Out'' (1994). Life and career Edward Vincent Bracken was born in Astoria, Queens, New York on February 7, 1915, the son of Joseph L. and Catherine Bracken. Bracken performed in vaudeville at the age of nine and gained fame with the Broadway musical '' Too Many Girls'' in a role he reprised for the 1940 film adaptation. He had performed in a short film series called ''The Kidd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek
''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' is a 1944 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken and Betty Hutton, and featuring Diana Lynn, William Demarest and Porter Hall. Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamiroff reprise their roles from Sturges' 1940 film ''The Great McGinty''. ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'', which was filmed in 1942 and early 1943, but not released until 1944, was nominated for a 1945 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and in 2001, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film ranks #54 on the American Film Institute's AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs, 100 Years... 100 Laughs list of the top 100 funniest films in movie history. Plot Trudy Kockenlocker is the daughter of the police chief of the small town of Morgan's Creek. Against her father's orders, she attends a wild farewell party ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Coburn
Charles Douville Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961) was an American actor and theatrical producer. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award three times – in ''The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941), ''The More the Merrier'' (1943), and ''The Green Years'' (1946) – winning for his performance in ''The More the Merrier''. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 for his contribution to the film industry. Biography Coburn was born in Macon, Georgia, the son of Scots-Irish Americans Emma Louise Sprigman (May 11, 1838 Springfield, Ohio – November 12, 1896 Savannah, Georgia) and Moses Douville Coburn (April 27, 1834 Savannah – December 27, 1902 Savannah). Growing up in Savannah, he started out at age 14 doing odd jobs at the local Savannah Theater, handing out programs, ushering, or being the doorman. By age 17 or 18, he was the theater manager. He later became an actor, making his debut on Broadway in 1901. Coburn formed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
My Kingdom For A Cook
''My Kingdom for a Cook'' is a 1943 American comedy film directed by Richard Wallace, which stars Charles Coburn, Marguerite Chapman, and Bill Carter. Synopsis A visiting British emissary on a goodwill tour of the United States struggles to replace his long-standing cook when he is unable to join him on the journey. Cast list * Charles Coburn as Rudyard Morley * Marguerite Chapman as Pamela Morley * Bill Carter as Mike Scott * Isobel Elsom as Lucille Scott * Edward Gargan as Duke * Mary Wickes as Agnes Willoughby * Almira Sessions as Hattie * Eddy Waller as Sam Thornton * Ralph Peters as Pretty Boy Peterson * Ivan Simpson as Professor Harlow * Betty Brewer as Jerry * Melville Cooper as Angus Sheffield * Kathleen Howard as Mrs. Carter * Charles Halton as Oliver Bradbury * Andrew Tombes as Abe Mason * Norma Varden as Margaret * William Austin as Brooks * Constance Worth as Auxiliary girl * Reginald Sheffield as English reporter * Sterling Campbell as British wing commander * Ethe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthony Quinn
Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in numerous critically acclaimed films both in Hollywood and abroad. His notable films include ''La Strada'', '' The Guns of Navarone'', ''Guns for San Sebastian'', ''Lawrence of Arabia'', ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'', '' The Message'', ''Lion of the Desert'', and '' Jungle Fever''. He also had an Oscar-nominated titular role in ''Zorba the Greek''. Quinn won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice: for ''Viva Zapata!'' in 1952 and '' Lust for Life'' in 1956. In addition, he received two Academy Award nominations in the Best Leading Actor category, along with five Golden Globe nominations and two BAFTA Award nominations. In 1987, he was presented with the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. Thr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dana Andrews
Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts into the 1980s. He is best known for his portrayal of obsessed police detective Mark McPherson in the noir '' Laura'' (1944) and his critically acclaimed performance as World War II veteran Fred Derry in ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' (1946). Early life Andrews was born on a farmstead near Collins in southern Mississippi, the third of 13 children of Charles Forrest Andrews, a Baptist minister, and his wife Annis (''née'' Speed). The family subsequently relocated to Huntsville, Texas, the birthplace of his younger siblings, including fellow Hollywood actor Steve Forrest (born William Forrest Andrews). Andrews attended college at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville and studied business administration in Houston. During 1931, he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and raised in Nebraska, Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor and made his Hollywood film debut in 1935. He rose to film stardom with performances in films like ''Jezebel'' (1938), '' Jesse James'' (1939), and ''Young Mr. Lincoln'' (1939). His career further progressed with his portrayal of Tom Joad in ''The Grapes of Wrath'' (1940), receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. In 1941, Fonda starred opposite Barbara Stanwyck in the screwball comedy classic ''The Lady Eve''. Book-ending his service in WWII were his starring roles in two highly regarded Westerns: ''The Ox-Bow Incident'' (1943) and '' My Darling Clementine'' (1946), the latter directed by John Ford, and he also starred in Ford's Western '' Fort Apache'' ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Ox-Bow Incident
''The Ox-Bow Incident'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman, starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews and Mary Beth Hughes, with Anthony Quinn, William Eythe, Harry Morgan and Jane Darwell. Two cowboys arrive in a Western town, when news arrives that a local rancher has been murdered and his cattle stolen. The townspeople, joined by the two cowboys and cowboys from other ranches, form a posse to catch the perpetrators. They find three men in possession of the cattle, and are determined to see justice done on the spot. The film premiered in May 1943 to positive reviews from critics. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture at the 16th Academy Awards, losing to '' Casablanca''. ''The Ox-Bow Incident'' and ''The Outlaw'' (also produced in 1943) are the earliest films in the AllMovie list of psychological Westerns. In 1998, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "cultural ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
