The Amazing Criswell
Jeron Criswell King (August 18, 1907 – October 4, 1982), known by his stage-name The Amazing Criswell , was an American psychic known for wildly inaccurate predictions. In person, he went by Charles Criswell King, and was sometimes credited as Jeron King Criswell. Criswell was flamboyant, with spit curled hair, a stentorian style of speaking, and a sequined tuxedo. He owned a coffin in which he claimed to sleep. He grew up in a troubled family in Indiana with relatives who owned a funeral home, and said that he became comfortable with sleeping in caskets in the storeroom. He appeared in two films directed by Ed Wood—''Plan 9 from Outer Space'' (1957) and ''Night of the Ghouls'' (1959)—and also appeared in ''Orgy of the Dead'' (1965), which was scripted by Wood. Early life Criswell claims that he never talked until the age of four. During a thunderstorm he first spoke, making his first prediction, "the rain will stop." From this point on he was talkative, often plac ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Plan 9 From Outer Space
''Plan 9 from Outer Space'' is a 1957 American independent science fiction-horror film produced, written, directed, and edited by Ed Wood. The film was shot in black-and-white in November 1956 and had a theatrical preview screening on March 15, 1957, at the Carlton Theatre in Los Angeles (the onscreen title at this time read ''Grave Robbers from Outer Space''). It went into general release on July 22, 1959, in Texas and several other southern states re-titled ''Plan 9 from Outer Space'', before being sold to television in 1961. The film stars Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Tor Johnson, and "Vampira" (Maila Nurmi) and is narrated by Criswell. It also posthumously bills Bela Lugosi (silent footage of the actor had been shot by Wood for another, unfinished film prior to Lugosi's death in August 1956, and was inserted into ''Plan Nine'' later). Other guest-stars are Hollywood veterans Lyle Talbot, who claimed that he never refused any acting job, and former cowboy star Tom Ke ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mae West
Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy sexual independence, and her lighthearted bawdy double entendres, often delivered in a husky contralto voice. She was active in vaudeville and on stage in New York City before moving to Los Angeles to begin a career in the film industry. West was one of the most controversial movie stars of her day; she encountered problems especially with censorship. She once quipped, "I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it." She bucked the system by making comedy out of conventional mores, and the Depression-era audience admired her for it. When her film career ended, she wrote books and plays, and continued to perform in Las Vegas and the United Kingdom, on radio and television, and recorded rock 'n roll albums. In 1999, the American Film ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1970 In Television
The year 1970 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of notable television-related events in that year. Events *January 1 – WXTV becomes a full time Spanish-language station based in Paterson, New Jersey, which it remains into the 21st century, in this case, becomes an affiliate of SIN, the network's first affiliate east of the Mississippi River. *January 3 – Jon Pertwee makes his first appearance as the Third Doctor in the ''Doctor Who'' serial ''Spearhead from Space''. It also marks the first time that the series is broadcast in colour. *January 19 – CBS in the United States launches ''Operation 100'', a plan to beat NBC's ratings in the last 100 days of the season, using the slogan "The man can't bust our network." *February 7 – '' The Hollywood Palace'' variety series airs its 192nd and final hour-long episode on ABC, with Bing Crosby in his 31st appearance as guest host. *March 7 – The "eclipse of the century" is covered by all three Amer ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1996 In Film
The year 1996 involved many significant films. The major releases this year included ''Scream'', '' Independence Day'', '' Fargo'', '' Trainspotting'', '' The Rock'', ''The English Patient'', ''Twister'', ''Space Jam'', ''Mars Attacks!'', ''Jerry Maguire'' and a film version of the musical '' Evita''. Highest-grossing films The top 10 films released in 1996 by worldwide gross are as follows: Box office records * ''Independence Day'' became the highest-grossing film of Will Smith's career, up until it was surpassed by '' Aladdin'' (2019). * ''Rumble in the Bronx'' was released in North America, becoming Jackie Chan's first major box office hit in the region. It became the year's most profitable film, with its US box office alone earning over 20 times its budget. It was Chan's biggest ever hit up until then. Events * July 10 – Nickelodeon releases its first feature film, ''Harriet the Spy'', a spy-comedy-drama film based on the 1964 novel of the same name. It also launches ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1994 In Film
This is a list of films released in 1994. The top worldwide grosser was ''The Lion King'', becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all-time, although it was slightly overtaken at the North American domestic box office by '' Forrest Gump'', which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer celebrated its 70th anniversary in 1994. Highest-grossing films The top 10 films released in 1994 by worldwide gross are as follows: Events *February 15 - Viacom acquired 50.1% of Paramount Communications Inc. for $9.75 billion, following a five-month battle with QVC. *March 21 - Steven Spielberg wins his first Academy Award for Best Director for '' Schindler's List''. *April 14 - '' Gone with the Wind'' becomes the first movie ever to air on the cable channel Turner Classic Movies. *June 7 - Pierce Brosnan is officially announced as the fifth actor to play James Bond. *June 15 - ''The Lion King'' opens in New York and Los Angeles and goes on to become Buena Vis ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Andrew Solt
Andrew Solt (born 13 December 1947) is a British-born American producer, director, and writer of documentary films. Solt has had a long career in television. A frequent focus of his documentaries is rock and roll music, its history and star performers. Solt owns the rights to ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' library, and has produced more than 100 hours of new programming from the archive. Personal life Solt was born in London and spent his early years in South Africa before moving to Los Angeles in 1959. Solt graduated from Hollywood High School before attending University of California, Los Angeles where he received a B.A. in Spanish. He also earned a master's degree in broadcast journalism from U.C.L.A. Solt is married to Claudia Falkenburg. She is the daughter of 1948 Wimbledon men's singles tennis champion Bob Falkenburg and the niece of 1950s actress-model-TV personality Jinx Falkenburg. He and his wife have two children, Joshua and Dakota. Solt is the nephew of Hungaria ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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It Came From Hollywood
''It Came from Hollywood'' is a 1982 American comedy documentary film compiling clips from various B movies. Written by Dana Olsen and directed by Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt, the film features wraparound segments and narration by several famous comedians, including Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Gilda Radner, and Cheech and Chong. Sections of ''It Came from Hollywood'' focus on gorilla pictures, anti- marijuana films and the works of Ed Wood. The closing signature song was the doo wop hit " What's Your Name" by Don and Juan. Cast * Dan Aykroyd as himself/col. Dan Diamond (segment ''Aliens'')/The High School Patrol (segment ''Troubled Teenagers'')/the Scientist (segment ''The Brains'') * John Candy as himself/the producer/the proiectionist * Cheech and Chong as themselves * Gilda Radner as herself/ Judy Miller The character of the col. Dan Diamond is a reference to the Motor Sergeant Frank Tree from the film 1941, also starring Aykroyd. List of films * '' Sunny Side Up'' (1929) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1982 In Film
The following is an overview of events in 1982 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths. Highest-grossing films North America The top ten 1982 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Outside North America The highest-grossing 1982 films in countries outside of North America. Worldwide gross revenue The following table lists known worldwide gross revenue figures for several high-grossing films that originally released in 1982. Note that this list is incomplete and is therefore not representative of the highest-grossing films worldwide in 1982. Events * January 1 - Terry Semel becomes president of Warner Bros. * June 11 ** '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' is released; it became the highest-grossing film to date. ** Michelle Pfeiffer appears in her first leading role, in ''Grease 2'', the sequel to the top-grossing film of 1978. * June 22 – The Coca-Cola Company ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Stephen C
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the first martyr (or " protomartyr") of the Christian Church. In English, Stephen is most commonly pronounced as ' (). The name, in both the forms Stephen and Steven, is often shortened to Steve or Stevie. The spelling as Stephen can also be pronounced which is from the Greek original version, Stephanos. In English, the female version of the name is Stephanie. Many surnames are derived from the first name, including Stephens, Stevens, Stephenson, and Stevenson, all of which mean "Stephen's (son)". In modern times the name has sometimes been given with intentionally non-standard spelling, such as Stevan or Stevon. A common variant of the name used in English is Stephan ; related names that have found some c ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1965 In Film
The year 1965 in film involved several significant events, with ''The Sound of Music'' topping the U.S. box office and winning five Academy Awards. Top-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1965 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Events * February 15 – George Stevens' production of '' The Greatest Story Ever Told'', a retelling of the account of Jesus Christ, premieres in New York City, New York. It was such a flop with critics and audiences that its failure discouraged production of religious epics for many years. It is considered notable in the 21st century for its astonishing landscapes, powerful and provocative cinematography, Max von Sydow's debut acting performance in an American film, and the final film performance of Claude Rains. * March 2 – The Rodgers and Hammerstein film adaptation of ''The Sound of Music'', directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, premieres. It quickly became a worldwide p ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1959 In Film
The year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with '' Ben-Hur'' winning a record 11 Academy Awards. Top-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1959 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Events * January 23 – Republic Pictures releases its last production, ''Plunderers of Painted Flats''. *January 29 – Walt Disney's '' Sleeping Beauty'' premieres, their most expensive film to date and the first animated film to be shot in Super Technirama 70. It initially ends up losing money for the studio due to its high production costs. However, it would eventually gain a cult following and is now considered one of Disney's great classics. *April 30 – François Truffaut's ''The 400 Blows'' opens the 1959 Cannes Film Festival bringing international attention to the French New Wave. * June 4 – The Three Stooges release their 190th and last short film, '' Sappy Bull Fighters''. * June 7 – A contract between Paramount and Jerry Lewis Productio ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1957 In Film
The year 1957 in film involved some significant events. ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'' topped the year's box office in North America, France, and Germany, and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Top-grossing films (U.S.) The top ten 1957 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: Top-grossing films by country The highest-grossing 1957 films in various countries. Events * February 1 – RKO ceases domestic distribution of feature films which is taken over by Universal Pictures. * May – Ingmar Bergman's ''The Seventh Seal'' wins the Special Jury Prize at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival. * June 6 – Jerry Lewis appears in his first film without Dean Martin in '' The Delicate Delinquent''. * June – United Artists rejoins the Motion Picture Association of America, following an expansion of the MPAA code appeals board members. The board had previously denied '' The Man With the Golden Arm'' a Production Code seal in 1955, leading UA ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |