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The Escape Artist
''The Escape Artist'' is a 1982 film starring Griffin O'Neal and Raúl Juliá. It was based on a book by David Wagoner, and was the directorial debut of Caleb Deschanel. It was the final film of Joan Hackett, Desi Arnaz, and Gabriel Dell, and the film debut of Harry Anderson. It was also the final film performance of Jackie Coogan, though one film he had shot earlier ('' The Prey'', which was shot in 1979) was not released until 1983. Plot Young and self-confident Danny Masters is the teen-aged son of the late Harry Masters, the "greatest escape artist except for Houdini". Danny himself is an accomplished magician and escape artist. He leaves home to join Uncle Burke and Aunt Sibyl in their magic/mentalist act; Sibyl welcomes him, but Burke is unenthusiastic. Danny soon finds himself embroiled with Stu Quiñones, corrupt son of Mayor Leon Quiñones. The quest for a missing wallet (pick-pocketed by Danny) leads to the comeuppance of the crooked mayor, and separately of his vindic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caleb Deschanel
Joseph Caleb Deschanel, (born September 21, 1944) is an American cinematographer and director of film and television. He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography six times. He is a member of the National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress, representing the American Society of Cinematographers. He has been married to actress Mary Jo Deschanel since 1972, with whom he has two daughters, actresses Emily and Zooey Deschanel. Early life and professional education Deschanel was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Ann Ward (née Orr) and Paul Jules Deschanel. His father was French, from Oullins, Rhône, and his mother was American. Deschanel was raised in his mother's Quaker religion. He enrolled in Severn School for his high school. He attended Johns Hopkins University from 1962 to 1966, where he met Walter Murch, with whom he staged "happenings," including one in which Murch simply sat down and ate an apple for an audience. Murch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Anderson
Harry Laverne Anderson (October 14, 1952 – April 16, 2018) was an American actor, comedian and magician. He is best known for his role of Judge Harry Stone on the 1984–1992 television series '' Night Court''. He later starred in the sitcom ''Dave's World'' from 1993 to 1997. In addition to eight appearances on ''Saturday Night Live'' between 1981 and 1985, Anderson had a recurring guest role as con man Harry "The Hat" Gittes on ''Cheers''. He toured extensively as a magician, and did several magic/comedy shows for broadcast, including ''Harry Anderson's Sideshow'' (1987). He played Richie Tozier in the 1990 miniseries '' It'', based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Early life Anderson was born October 14, 1952, in Newport, Rhode Island. He spent much of his youth performing magic on the streets of Chicago, New York, St. Louis and New Orleans before landing in California at the age of 16. After moving to Los Angeles, he joined the Dante Magic Club and wor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dead End Kids
The Dead End Kids were a group of young actors from New York City who appeared in Sidney Kingsley's Broadway play ''Dead End'' in 1935. In 1937, producer Samuel Goldwyn brought all of them to Hollywood and turned the play into a film. They proved to be so popular that they continued to make movies under various monikers, including the Little Tough Guys, the East Side Kids, and the Bowery Boys, until 1958. History (1934–1939) In 1934, Sidney Kingsley wrote a play about a group of children growing up on the streets of New York City. Fourteen children were hired to play various roles in the play, including Billy Halop (Tommy), Bobby Jordan (Angel), Huntz Hall (Dippy), Charles Duncan (Spit), Bernard Punsly (Milty), Gabriel Dell (T.B.), and Leo and David Gorcey (Second Avenue Boys). Duncan left for a role in another play before opening night, and was replaced by Leo, his understudy. Leo had been a plumber's assistant and was originally recruited by his brother David to audi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Bradford (actor)
Richard Edwin Bradford Jr. (November 10, 1934 – March 22, 2016) was an American actor. He is best known for his leading role in the television series ''Man in a Suitcase'' (1967–1968) and supporting role in the film ''The Untouchables'' (1987). Early life Bradford was born in Tyler, Texas, the son of Rose and Richard Edwin Bradford. His stepfather was a wholesale grocer. Raised by his grandparents in Conroe, Bradford received his schooling in San Antonio, Texas, then attended Texas A&M on a football scholarship. When an injury short-circuited Bradford's budding athletic career, and a switch to baseball at Texas State University was stymied due to insufficient semester hours, Bradford finally decided to seriously pursue a long-contemplated career in acting. To this end he made his way to New York. Career Supporting himself by waiting tables, Bradford studied acting, [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doug McGrath
Doug McGrath (born April 13, 1935) is a Canadian actor whose most notable role was that of "Peter" in the acclaimed Canadian film ''Goin' Down the Road'' (1970) and its sequel ''Down the Road Again'' (2011). He also played in acclaimed Canadian films ''Wedding in White'' (1972), ''The Hard Part Begins'' (1973), the original '' Black Christmas'' (1974), '' Russian Roulette'' (1975) and ''Coming Out Alive'' (1980). He had a supporting role as a gym teacher in the cult comedy ''Porky's'' (1981), and also played roles in ''The Escape Artist'' (1982), '' Twilight Zone: The Movie'' (1983), the Australian comedy ''The Return of Captain Invincible'' (1983), ''Always'' (1989) and ''Ghosts of Mars'' (2001). During McGrath's acting time in the U.S. he also appeared in several films alongside Clint Eastwood, including ''The Outlaw Josey Wales'' (1976), '' The Gauntlet'' (1977), ''Bronco Billy'' (1980) and ''Pale Rider ''Pale Rider'' is a 1985 American Western film produced and directe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Garry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall (November 13, 1934 – July 19, 2016) was an American filmmaker and actor. He started his career in the 1960s writing for ''The Lucy Show'' and ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' before he developed Neil Simon's 1965 play ''The Odd Couple (play), The Odd Couple'' for The Odd Couple (1970 TV series), television in 1970. He gained fame for creating ''Happy Days'' (1974–1984), ''Laverne and Shirley'' (1976–1983), and ''Mork and Mindy'' (1978–1982). He is also known for directing ''The Flamingo Kid'' (1984), ''Overboard (1987 film), Overboard'' (1987), ''Beaches (1988 film), Beaches'' (1988), ''Pretty Woman'' (1990), ''Runaway Bride (film), Runaway Bride'' (1999), and the family films ''The Princess Diaries (film), The Princess Diaries'' (2001) and ''The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'' (2004). He also directed the romantic comedy ensemble films ''Valentine's Day (2010 film), Valentine's Day'' (2010), ''New Year's Eve (2011 film), New Year's Eve'' (2011), and '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Margaret Ladd
Margaret Ladd (born November 8, 1942) is an American actress, best known for her role as Emma Channing in the CBS primetime soap opera, ''Falcon Crest'' (1981–90). Life and career Ladd was born in Providence, Rhode Island. She began acting on the 1960s soap opera ''A Flame in the Wind'' as Jane Skerba from 1964 to 1965. She later starred in films include '' The Friends of Eddie Coyle'' (1973) and '' A Wedding'' (1978), and appeared on number of television shows. like ''Taxi'' and '' Quincy, M.E.''. Ladd also co-starred in a number of made-for-television movies, and had supporting roles in films '' I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can'', '' The Escape Artist'', and ''The Whales of August''. She also appeared in Broadway shows, like ''My Sweet Charlie'' and ''Sheep on the Runway''. Ladd is best known for playing Emma Channing in the 1980s CBS primetime soap opera, ''Falcon Crest'' throughout its nine-year run from 1981 to 1990. She had a small part in the film ''What's up, Scarlet?'' (2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carlin Glynn
Carlin Glynn (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer and retired actress. She is the mother of actress Mary Stuart Masterson. Life and career Glynn was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Mirabeau B. Lamar High School in Houston, Texas. Mesinger, Maxine.Lamar High marks 50th anniversary" ''Houston Chronicle''. Friday August 7, 1987. Houston 1. Retrieved on October 13, 2012. A life member of The Actors Studio, Glynn made her belated but Tony-winning Broadway debut - as 1979's Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical - portraying "Mona Stangley" in the original production of ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'', a musical comedy adapted by Glynn's husband and fellow Studio member, Peter Masterson, from a non-fiction article published in ''Playboy'', in collaboration with the article's author, Larry L. King, and songwriter Carol Hall, and developed at length in workshop performances at the Studio. Glynn's award-winning performance would be reprised in the 1982 reviva ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Huntz Hall
Henry Richard "Huntz" Hall (August 15, 1920 – January 30, 1999) was an American radio, stage, and movie performer who appeared in the popular "Dead End Kids" movies, including ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938), and in the later " Bowery Boys" movies, during the late 1930s to the late 1950s. Life and career Hall was born in 1920 in New York CitySocial Security Death Index to Joseph Patrick Hall, an engineer from Ireland, and his wife, Mary Ellen ( Mullen) Hall.Leonard Getz in his 2006 book ''From Broadway to the Bowery'' published by McFarland & Company uses August 15, but the more authoritative Social Security Death Index uses August 18, 1920. The Independent uses August 15, 1919, and the New York Times lists his age as 78, which would make his birth year 1920. Walker and Roat's biography uses 1919. As was the case with many actors, their resumes often conflict with official documents submitted to the government. The fourteenth of sixteen children, he was nicknamed "Huntz ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Clennon
David Clennon (born May 10, 1943) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Miles Drentell in the ABC series ''thirtysomething'' and ''Once and Again'', as well as his role as Palmer in the John Carpenter film '' The Thing''. He has been frequently cast in films directed by Hal Ashby, Costa-Gavras and Jordan Walker-Pearlman. Life and career Born in Waukegan, Illinois, the son of Virginia, a homemaker, and Cecil Clennon, an accountant, Clennon attended the University of Notre Dame from 1962 to 1965. He studied at the Yale School of Drama for three years and became a member of their professional acting company. In 1996 he married Perry Adleman, a writer, camera assistant and photographer. They have two children. In 1980, Clennon provided the voice for Admiral Motti in NPR's ''Star Wars The Original Radio Drama''. He was a regular on the TV shows ''Barney Miller'', ''Almost Perfect'', '' The Agency,'' and '' Saved''. Clennon also played Carl Sessick (a.k.a. Carl the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helen Page Camp
Helen Page Camp (December 27, 1930 – August 1, 1991) was an American actress. Early years Born to Austin and Helen (née Landes) Camp in Washington, D.C., Camp's career began onstage, most notably Off Broadway in New York City. Career Her first known or credited screen appearance in film or television came in 1968, when she was 37 years old, as "Lucy" on ''Here Come the Brides''. Film In 1971, she was in the movie ''Cold Turkey'' as Mrs. Watson. Television Later, she made guest appearances on popular shows such as '' The Wild Wild West'', '' Maude'' (six different roles; most notably with James Coco as the swinging married couple "Channing and Hortence McGrath"), ''All in the Family'', '' Cheers'', ''Gimme a Break!'', ''Thirtysomething'' and ''Newhart''. In early 1976, the characters of Laverne De Fazio (Penny Marshall) and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams) from ''Happy Days'' were spun off into an equally successful eponymous sitcom, '' Laverne & Shirley'', and Camp was cast ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hal Williams
Halroy Candis Williams (born December 14, 1938) is an American actor, best known for his recurring roles as Police Officer Smith ("Smitty") on '' Sanford and Son'' (1972–1976), Harley Foster on ''The Waltons'' (1973-1980), and as the patriarch Lester Jenkins, the husband of Marla Gibbs's character, on the NBC sitcom ''227'' which originally aired from 1985 until 1990. His film credits include '' Private Benjamin'' (1980), '' Guess Who'' (2005), and ''Flight'' (2012). Biography Born Halroy Candis Williams on December 14, 1938), Williams was raised in Columbus, Ohio. In the early 1960s, Williams began acting in community theater in Ohio. Williams worked as a postal worker and corrections officer before moving to Hollywood to pursue an acting career in 1968. Williams began pursuing his acting career full-time in 1970. Since then, Willams has appeared in movies such as Paul Schrader's ''Hardcore'', Howard Zieff's '' Private Benjamin'' (he also portrayed the role of Sgt L.C. "Ted" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
