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Willard (1971 Film)
''Willard'' is a 1971 American horror film directed by Daniel Mann and written by Gilbert Ralston, based on Stephen Gilbert's novel ''Ratman's Notebooks''. Bruce Davison stars as social misfit Willard Stiles, who is squeezed out of the company started by his deceased father. His only friends are a couple of rats raised at home, including Ben and Socrates, and their increasing number of friends. When Socrates is killed by Willard's boss, he goes on a rampage using his rats to attack. ''Willard'' was released on February 26, 1971 by Cinerama Releasing Corporation, opening to positive reviews and high box office returns, and was the 12th highest-grossing release of the year. It was also nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Picture. The film was followed by a 1972 sequel ''Ben'', and a 2003 remake, also titled '' Willard'', with Crispin Glover portraying Willard, and Davison making a cameo as Willard's father. Plot Willard Stiles is a meek social misfit who develops an affinit ...
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Daniel Mann
Daniel Chugerman (August 8, 1912 – November 21, 1991), known professionally as Daniel Mann, was an American stage, film and television director. Originally trained as an actor by Sanford Meisner, between 1952 and 1987 he directed over 31 feature films and made-for-television. Considered a true "actor's director", he helmed seven Oscar-nominated and two Tony Award-winning performances, collaborating with actors like Burt Lancaster, Shirley Booth, Susan Hayward, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Dean Martin and Anthony Quinn. He was nominated for several accolades, including two Palme d'Or, three Directors Guild of America Awards and a Golden Bear. Biography Mann was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Helen and Samuel Chugerman, a lawyer. He was a stage actor since childhood and attended Erasmus Hall High School, New York's Professional Children's School and the Neighborhood Playhouse. He entered films in 1952 as a director and is known for his excellent ear for dialogue. Mo ...
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Ben (film)
''Ben'' is a 1972 American drama-thriller film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Lee Montgomery, Joseph Campanella, and Arthur O'Connell. It is a sequel to the film '' Willard'' (1971). The film follows a lonely boy named Danny Garrison who befriends Willard's former pet rat named Ben. Ben becomes the boy's best friend, protecting him from bullying and keeping his spirits up in the face of a heart condition. However, Ben forms an army of deadly rodents while the police attempt to control it. ''Ben'' was released on June 23, 1972 by Cinerama Releasing Corporation, and received mixed reviews from the critics. American singer Michael Jackson performs the theme song of the film, also titled "Ben". The song is also included on his 1972 album of the same name. Plot The movie begins with a recap of the ending of the first film where Willard Stiles is killed by the rats after he tries to kill them and Ben. Police arrives at the scene and finds Willard dead. 2 police officers sta ...
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Minta Durfee
Araminta Estelle "Minta" Durfee (October 1, 1889 – September 9, 1975) was an American silent film actress from Los Angeles, California, possibly best known for her role in ''Mickey'' (1918). Biography She met Roscoe Arbuckle when he was attempting to get started in theater, and the two married in August 1908. Durfee entered show business in local companies as a chorus girl at the age of 17. She was the first leading lady of Charlie Chaplin. Durfee and Arbuckle separated in 1921, just prior to a scandal involving the death of starlet Virginia Rappe. There were three trials and finally Arbuckle was acquitted, but his career was destroyed and he received few job offers. Durfee and Arbuckle divorced in 1925. Durfee in her later years said Arbuckle was "the most generous human being I've ever met", and "if I had to do it all over again, I'd still marry the same man." Durfee was an avid defender of her close friend Mabel Normand throughout Normand's many public scandals. A regular ...
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Alan Baxter (actor)
Alan Edwin Baxter (November 19, 1908 – May 7, 1976) was an American film and television actor. Early years Baxter was born in East Cleveland, Ohio. He earned a bachelor's degree from Williams College, where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and a classmate of Elia Kazan. He went on to study in the 47 Drama Workshop at Yale University. Stage After he completed his studies, Baxter became a member of the Group Theatre in New York City. His Broadway credits include ''The Hallams'' (1947), '' Home of the Brave'' (1945), ''The Voice of the Turtle'' (1943), ''Winged Victory'' (1943), ''Thumbs Up!'' (1934), and ''Lone Valley'' (1932). Military service Baxter served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. Personal life Baxter had been married to actress Barbara Williams for 17 years at the time of her death on November 9, 1953. Later, he was married to Christy Palmer until his death. Filmography * ''Mary Burns, Fugitive'' (1935) – 'Babe' Wilso ...
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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 ...
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Joan Shawlee
Joan Shawlee (March 5, 1926 – March 22, 1987), nee Joan Fulton (and also credited sometimes under that name, such as in the film noir, Woman On The Run, 1950), was an American film and television actress. She is known for her recurring role in ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' and a career-defining turn in Billy Wilder's comedy, ''Some'' ''Like'' ''It'' ''Hot'', playing '''Sweet'' Sue', the abrasive martinet in charge of Marilyn Monroe's all-girl jazz band. Early years Shawlee was born in Forest Hills, New York to Thomas Cuyler Fulton, an automobile salesman, and Esther L. Ring Fulton, and she moved with her parents and two brothers Theodore Cuyler Fulton Jr and Albert Fulton to Vancouver when she was five years old. Career Dancing and modeling Shawlee studied ballet under Ernest Belcher. At the age of fourteen, she began to work as a model for the John Robert Powers agency in New York, and worked later as a showgirl on Broadway. Billed as Joyce Ring, she appeared in the music ...
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John Myhers
John Benjamin Myhers (December 18, 1921 – May 27, 1992) was an American stage and screen actor. His film roles included playing Mr. Bratt in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (1967), Robert Livingston in the 1972 film adaptation of the Broadway musical ''1776'', and as the leader of the Roman Senate in Mel Brooks' ''History of the World, Part I'' (1981). Early life and education Myhers was born in Strum, Wisconsin, the son of Ole Myhers (1896–1941) and Mabel (née Borreson) Myhers (1902–1964), who later married Hal DeRoach. Myhers began singing at the age of 12 and won several leading roles in the St. Paul Civic Opera during his student years at McPhail School of Music in St. Paul. He served in the United States armed forces in Italy during World War II and stayed in Rome for 11 years after the war. He studied at the American Academy and earned a doctoral degree in literature from the University of Rome. C ...
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William Hansen (actor)
William Mansell Hansen (March 2, 1911 – June 23, 1975) was an American actor, active in film, television and the stage. Career A founding member of the Actors Studio in New York, Hansen originated the role of Mr. Lundie in the original Broadway production of ''Brigadoon'' in 1947, and the role of Royal Addams in original Broadway production of ''The Member of the Wedding'' in 1950. He also appeared in the role of Secretary Swensen in ''Fail Safe'', and as one of America's founding fathers, Caesar Rodney, in the film ''1776''. Filmography References External links * William Hansenat Internet Off-Broadway Database The Internet Off-Broadway Database (IOBDB), also formerly known as the Lortel Archives, is an online database that catalogues theatre productions shown off-Broadway. The IOBDB was funded and developed by the non-profit Lucille Lortel Foundatio ... * 1911 births 1975 deaths Male actors from Washington, D.C. American male film actors American ma ...
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Jody Gilbert
Jody Gilbert (March 18, 1916 – February 3, 1979) was an American actress. Biography Gilbert was born in Fort Worth, Texas. She studied voice and acting at Columbia University, and was a graduate of Pasadena Playhouse. One of her first notable roles was in the W.C. Fields film ''Never Give a Sucker an Even Break ''Never Give a Sucker an Even Break'' (known in some international releases as ''What a Man!'') is a 1941 Universal Pictures comedy film starring W. C. Fields. Fields also wrote the original story, under the pseudonym "Otis Criblecoblis." Fields ...'', playing a quick-witted diner waitress who has a verbal duel with Fields. She appeared in numerous roles in the movies, radio and television, often in supporting roles as "sizeable" but confident women. Gilbert died from complications from an auto accident in 1979. Filmography References External links * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, Jody 1916 births 1979 deaths 20th-century American actresses American film a ...
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Michael Dante
Michael Dante (born Ralph Vitti; September 2, 1931) is an American actor and former professional minor league baseball player. Early life Dante was born Ralph Vitti in Stamford, Connecticut. Growing up, he would sneak into a local movie theater with his friends to watch westerns.Lee, Natasha, "A reel cowboy: Actor doesn't forget Stamford roots", article in ''The Advocate'' of Stamford, October 22, 2006, page 1 "I grew up wanting to be the sidekick of The Lone Ranger and wanting to follow my heroes", Dante told a reporter in 2006. He was a shortstop on the Stamford High School baseball team, then played for "The Advocate All-Stars" team which won a 1949 New England baseball championship. After graduating from high school, Dante signed a bonus contract with the Boston Braves. He used his $6,000 bonus to buy his family a four-door Buick with whitewalls. Career During spring training with the former Washington Senators, Dante took drama classes at the University of Miami in Coral ...
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Socrates
Socrates (; ; –399 BC) was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, Socrates authored no texts and is known mainly through the posthumous accounts of classical writers, particularly his students Plato and Xenophon. These accounts are written as dialogues, in which Socrates and his interlocutors examine a subject in the style of question and answer; they gave rise to the Socratic dialogue literary genre. Contradictory accounts of Socrates make a reconstruction of his philosophy nearly impossible, a situation known as the Socratic problem. Socrates was a polarizing figure in Athenian society. In 399 BC, he was accused of impiety and corrupting the youth. After a trial that lasted a day, he was sentenced to death. He spent his last day in prison, refusing offers to help him escape. Plato's dialogues are among the most co ...
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Cameo Appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly either appearances in a work in which they hold some special significance (such as actors from an original movie appearing in its remake) or renowned people making uncredited appearances. Short appearances by celebrities, film directors, politicians, athletes or musicians are common. A crew member of the movie or show playing a minor role can be referred to as a cameo role as well, such as Alfred Hitchcock's frequent cameos. Concept Originally, in the 1920s, a "cameo role" meant "a small character part that stands out from the other minor parts". The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' connects this with the meaning "a short literary sketch or portrait", which is based on the literal meaning of " cameo", a miniature carving on a gemstone. More re ...
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