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Hearts Of The West
''Hearts of the West'', released in Europe as ''Hollywood Cowboy'', is a 1975 American comedy film directed by Howard Zieff, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Jeff Bridges, Andy Griffith, Blythe Danner, and Alan Arkin. Set in 1930s Hollywood, the story revolves around a wannabe Western writer who finds himself cast as a leading man in several B-movie Westerns. Despite good reviews, the film was a financial disappointment for MGM upon release in 1975, but it has since developed a significant cult following from midnight showings and college campus screenings. Screenwriter Rob Thompson launched his career with this film. He went on to be a major creative talent on the television series ''Northern Exposure'' (for which he won an Emmy) and ''Monk''. Plot In 1933, Lewis Tater (Jeff Bridges), an aspiring novelist who harbors dreams of becoming the next Zane Grey, decides to leave his family home in Iowa to go to the University of Titan in Nevada so he can soak up the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Howard Zieff
Howard Buton Zieff (October 21, 1927 – February 22, 2009) (pronounced Zeef) was an American director, television commercial director, and advertising photographer. Early life Zieff was born to Jewish parents in Chicago, Illinois, then moved to Los Angeles, CA. with his family.Mel Heimer. "Zany TV commercials do so sell goods," ''The Titusville Herald'' (Pennsylvania), November 11, 1969, page 5. Career He studied art for one year at Los Angeles City College, then dropped out in 1946 to join the United States Navy. He learned photography at the Naval Photography School in Pensacola, Florida and then, after his discharge, at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He became a commercial photographer in New York City in the 1950s, earning a reputation in the 1960s as one of the city's best-known advertising photographers. His campaigns included "You Don't Have To Be Jewish" for Levy's rye bread, "Mamma Mia, that's a spicy meatball" for Alka-Seltzer, and ads for the ''N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zane Grey
Pearl Zane Grey (January 31, 1872 – October 23, 1939) was an American author and dentist. He is known for his popular adventure novels and stories associated with the Western genre in literature and the arts; he idealized the American frontier. '' Riders of the Purple Sage'' (1912) was his best-selling book. In addition to the success of his printed works, his books have second lives and continuing influence adapted for films and television. His novels and short stories were adapted into 112 films, two television episodes, and a television series, ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre''.Hulse 2007, pp. vii–x. Biography Early life Pearl Zane Grey was born January 31, 1872, in Zanesville, Ohio. His birth name may have originated from newspaper descriptions of Queen Victoria's mourning clothes as "pearl grey." He was the fourth of five children born to Alice "Allie" Josephine Zane, whose English Quaker immigrant ancestor Robert Zane came to the American colonies in 1673, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Christopher
William Christopher (October 20, 1932 December 31, 2016) was an American actor and comedian, best known for playing Private Lester Hummel on ''Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'' from 1965 to 1968 and Father John Mulcahy on the television series ''M*A*S*H'' from 1972 to 1983 and its spinoff ''AfterMASH'' from 1983 to 1985. Early life Christopher was born in Evanston, Illinois, in a family believed to be descendants of Paul Revere. He spent his youth in several of Chicago's northern suburbs, including Winnetka, Illinois, where he attended New Trier High School. Christopher graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, with a bachelor of arts in drama, focusing on Greek literature. While at university, he participated in fencing, soccer, and the glee club, and was initiated as a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Career Christopher moved to New York and appeared in a variety of regional productions and later a number of off-Broadway productions such as '' The Hostage'' a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dub Taylor
Walter Clarence "Dub" Taylor Jr. (February 26, 1907 – October 3, 1994),Dub Taylor, 87, Actor in Westerns, The New York Times, October 5, 1994, Section B, Page 12 was an American character actor who from the 1940s into the 1990s worked extensively in films and on television, often in Westerns but also in comedies. He is the father of actor and painter Buck Taylor. Early life Taylor was born February 26, 1907, in Richmond, Virginia, the middle child of five children of Minnie and Walter C. Taylor, Sr."The Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1920" enumeration date January 15, 1920, Augusta City, Richmond County, Georgia. Digital copy of original census page, |
Anthony Holland (actor)
Anthony Holland (March 3, 1928 – July 9, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his comic performances in theatre, film and television. Holland graduated from the University of Chicago and studied acting with Lee Strasberg during the 1960s. He was one of the original members of The Second City improvisational comedy group. In 1987, he appeared in Martha Clarke's adaptation of several stories by Franz Kafka, ''The Hunger Artist'', for which he received praise from ''The New York Times'' theatre critic Frank Rich. His film appearances included the 1979 Bob Fosse film '' All That Jazz'', the original 1970 version of the Neil Simon-penned '' The Out-of-Towners'', Sidney Lumet's ''Bye Bye Braverman'', Alan J. Pakula's ''Klute'' and Paul Mazursky's 1982 film ''Tempest''. He also appeared in television series including ''Combat!'', ''Columbo'', ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', ''M*A*S*H'', ''Hill Street Blues'' and ''Cagney and Lacey''. In 1973 he starred opposite Bernadette Peter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marie Windsor
Marie Windsor (born Emily Marie Bertelsen; December 11, 1919 – December 10, 2000) was an American actress known for her femme fatale characters in the classic film noir features ''Force of Evil'', ''The Narrow Margin'' and '' The Killing''. Windsor's height (5'9") created problems for her in scenes with all but the tallest actors. She was the female lead in so many B movies that she became dubbed the "Queen" of the genre. Early years The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lane Bertelsen, Windsor was born in 1919 in Marysvale, Utah. She was graduated from Marysvale High School in 1934, doing a "musical reading" as part of the graduation exercises. She attended Brigham Young University, where she participated in dramatic productions. She was described in a 1939 newspaper article as "an accomplished athlete ... expert as a dancer, swimmer, horsewoman, and plays golf, tennis and skis." In 1939, Windsor was chosen from a group of 81 contestants to be queen of Covered Wagon Days in Salt Lak ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thayer David
Thayer David (born David Thayer Hersey; March 4, 1927 – July 17, 1978) was an American film, stage, and television actor. He was best known for his work on the ABC serial ''Dark Shadows'' (1966–1971), and as the fight promoter Miles Jergens in the film ''Rocky'' (1976). He also appeared as Count Saknussemm in the film ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (1959) and as Dragon in ''The Eiger Sanction'' (1975). His raspy distinctive voice narrated many voice-overs in commercials and instructional films. Early life Thayer David was born March 4, 1927, in Medford, Massachusetts. His father, Thayer Frye Hersey, was an executive in the paper pulp industry. David attended Harvard University in the 1940s but did not graduate, concentrating instead upon a career on the stage. With financial support from his father, he co-founded the Brattle Theater Company (1948–1952) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and established himself in the professional theatre. Stage career He went o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Candice Azzara
Candice Azzara (born May 18, 1945) is an American character actress. She is the aunt of actress Lana Parrilla. Azzara was born in Brooklyn, the daughter of Josephine (née Bravo) and Samuel Azzara. She was inspired to pursue acting by the film ''La Strada'' and theatre legend Eleonora Duse. She studied with Lee Strasberg and Gene Frankel and soon began appearing off-Broadway and in regional theatres. In the summer of 1965, she appeared as Eve in ''On the First Day'', a one-act play written by David Graeme and directed by Charles Merlis at the 41st Street Playhouse in Manhattan. Billed as Candy Azzara, she made her Broadway debut in ''Lovers and Other Strangers'' in 1968. Additional stage credits include '' Jake's Women'', '' Cactus Flower'', ''Any Wednesday'', ''Barefoot in the Park'', and ''The Moon Is Blue''. Azzara was cast as Gloria in the second pilot of ''All in the Family'', when it was titled "Those Were the Days" and the family name was Justice instead of Bunker. She ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matt Clark (actor)
Matt Clark (born November 25, 1936) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in Western films. Clark directed the 1988 film '' Da'', as well as one episode from the television series ''CBS Schoolbreak Special'' and two episodes from the television series ''Midnight Caller''. He also wrote the story for the 1970 film ''Homer''. Biography Clark was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Theresa (née Castello), a teacher, and Frederick William Clark, a carpenter. After serving in the Army, he attended college at George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ..., but later dropped out. After working at various jobs, he joined a local D.C. theatre group. He later became a member of New York's Living Theatre company and worked off-Broadway and i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Burton Gilliam
Burton Gilliam (born August 9, 1938) is an American actor. He is best known for memorable roles in several popular 1970s movies, such as '' Blazing Saddles'' and '' Paper Moon'', as well as comedic cameos in '' Back to the Future, Part III'' and ''Honeymoon in Vegas''. Biography Career Before acting, Gilliam was a member of the Coast Guard's boxing team, where he won 201 out of 217 fights. He remained in the boxing world for decades, working as a referee in California. While working as a fireman for the city of Dallas, Gilliam appeared in the role of "Floyd", the desk clerk, in the film '' Paper Moon''. He then went on to appear in such popular movies as '' Blazing Saddles'' and '' Back to the Future Part III''. Performing in ''Blazing Saddles'' was difficult for him, since he played a despicable racist who repeatedly hurls racial insults (including "nigger") at the black characters, especially the hero, played by Cleavon Little. Gilliam was so uncomfortable with his use of that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthony James (actor)
Anthony James (born James Anthony; July 22, 1942 – May 26, 2020) was an American character actor who specialized in playing villains in films and television, many of them Westerns. Early life Anthony James was born James Anthony in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on July 22, 1942, as the only child of Greek immigrants George Anthony (1893–1951) and Marika Palla (1913–2008). He later reversed the order of his given name and surname for his acting career. Career James made several guest appearances on the Western series ''Gunsmoke'' during the series' run, appearing in different roles, most often playing the character of Elbert Moses. Other shows he has guest-starred on include ''Hawaii Five-O''; ''The High Chaparral''; ''Bonanza''; ''The Rookies''; ''Charlie's Angels''; ''Starsky and Hutch;'' '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century''; ''Holmes & Yoyo'';'' The A-Team''; '' Hunter (1984)''; ''Quincy, M.E.''; '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''; and ''Beauty and the Beast''. James a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frank Cady
Frank Randolph Cady (September 8, 1915 – June 8, 2012) was an American actor best known for his role as storekeeper Sam Drucker in three American television series during the 1960s – ''Petticoat Junction'', ''Green Acres'', and ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' – and his earlier role as Doc Williams on ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. Early life Cady was born in Susanville, California, the youngest of three children of Leon and Clara Cady. In high school, he worked at a local newspaper, ''The Lassen County Advocate''. Cady's family later moved to Wilsonville, Oregon. He studied journalism and drama at Stanford University, where he was involved with the campus humor magazine, the ''Stanford Chaparral''. Following college graduation, Cady served an apprenticeship at the Westminster Theater in London, appearing in four plays. In England, he made an early television appearance on the BBC in late 1938. He returned to Stanford in 1939 for graduate studies a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
