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Air Raid Wardens
''Air Raid Wardens'' is a 1943 comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring Laurel and Hardy. It was the first of two feature films the duo made at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot Set during World War II, just after Pearl Harbor, Stan (Stan Laurel) and Ollie ( Oliver Hardy) try their hand at various business ventures. Their store opens and closes in various guises but without success. They finally open it as a bicycle store, but it goes bankrupt and they close it down to enlist in the army. They fail in every attempt to succeed in the military and return to their home town Huxton only to find out that their store now is open, with a man named Eustace Middling (Donald Meek) in charge, selling radios instead of bicycles. But Middling offers them to share the space in a joint venture. Stan and Ollie don't realize that Middling in fact is a German spy, using the shop as a front to cover a base for espionage on the US Military. The pair decide to support the civil defense by becomin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edward Sedgwick
Edward Sedgwick (November 7, 1889 – March 7, 1953) was an American film director, writer, actor and producer. Early life He was born in Galveston, Texas, the son of Edward Sedgwick, Sr. and Josephine Walker, both stage actors. At the age of four, young Edward Sedgwick joined his show business family in what was then the Sedgwick Comedy Company, a vaudeville act, doing a "singing speciality". He played child parts and did vaudeville acts until he was seven, when he was given his first comedy part, that of an Irish immigrant, in a comedy written by his father called ''Just Over''. During this time, he was only on stage during the summer months. In winter his father took him back to Galveston and sent him to school. He graduated from St. Mary's University of Galveston, and was then sent to the Peacock Military Academy in San Antonio, from which he graduated with the rank of first lieutenant. After graduation, he seriously contemplated a military life but the lure of the st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strategic Bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in total war with the goal of defeating the enemy by destroying its morale, its economic ability to produce and transport materiel to the theatres of military operations, or both. It is a systematically organized and executed attack from the air which can utilize strategic bombers, long- or medium-range missiles, or nuclear-armed fighter-bomber aircraft to attack targets deemed vital to the enemy's war-making capability. The term terror bombing is used to describe the strategic bombing of civilian targets without military value, in the hope of damaging an enemy's morale. One of the strategies of war is to demoralize the enemy so that peace or surrender becomes preferable to continuing the conflict. Strategic bombing has been used to this end. The phrase "terror bombing" entered the English lexicon towards the end of World War II and many strategic bombing campaigns and individual raids have been described as terror bombing by commen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William K
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of England in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is sometimes abbreviated "Wm." Shortened familiar versions in English include Will, Wills, Willy, Willie, Bill, and Billy. A common Irish form is Liam. Scottish diminutives include Wull, Willie or Wullie (as in Oor Wullie or the play ''Douglas''). Female forms are Willa, Willemina, Wilma and Wilhelmina. Etymology William is related to the given name ''Wilhelm'' (cf. Proto-Germanic ᚹᛁᛚᛃᚨᚺᛖᛚᛗᚨᛉ, ''*Wiljahelmaz'' > German ''Wilhelm'' and Old Norse ᚢᛁᛚᛋᛅᚼᛅᛚᛘᛅᛋ, ''Vilhjálmr''). By regular sound changes, the native, inherited English form of the name should b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don Costello
Eldon Lawrence "Don" Costello (September 5, 1901 – October 24, 1945) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio. Background Costello was born in New Orleans on September 5, 1901. He was the son of James J. Costello and Mary E. Costello (née Gillen). Career In the mid 1920s, Costello was stage manager for the Wright Players in Louisville, Kentucky. Later in that decade, he acted with the Majestic Players in Elmira, New York. Costello entered films in 1935 and in 1939 was put under contract with MGM. Known for his wicked sense of humor, Costello oftentimes played the role of a menace or a tough guy. He is probably best known for his role as Lefty in the movie '' Here Comes Mr. Jordan'' (1941). He appeared in 37 movies (31 times credited), including ''Another Thin Man'' (1939), ''Johnny Eager'' (1941) and ''The Blue Dahlia'' (1946). Accidental Death Costello died of an overdose of sleeping tablets. His wife, Louise, found him dead in the bedroom of their home at 13 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Coleman (actor)
Charles Pearce Coleman (December 22, 1885 – March 8, 1951) was an Australian-born American character actor of the silent and sound film eras. Early years Coleman was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on December 22, 1885. Career Coleman began his film career in the 1915 silent film, ''The Mummy and the Humming Bird'', which was also the screen debut of Charles Cherry, a noted stage actor. In more than half of his 200 performances in films, he appeared as a butler, doorman/concierge, valet, or waiter. In the 1930s, Coleman appeared in such films as ''Beyond Victory'' (1931), starring Bill Boyd and James Gleason, the Wheeler & Woolsey comedy ''Diplomaniacs'' (1933), 1934's '' Born to Be Bad'' which starred Loretta Young and Cary Grant, the 1934 version of ''Of Human Bondage'' starring Bette Davis and Leslie Howard, the first film to star the pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, ''The Gay Divorcee'' (1935), the first feature-length film to be shot entirely in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frederic Worlock
Frederick Worlock (December 14, 1886 – August 1, 1973) was a British-American actor. He is known for his work in various films during the 1940s and 1950s, and as the voice of Horace in ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (1961). Career On stage, he made his début in 1906 in ''Henry V'' in Bristol and acted in four productions in London before moving to the United States in the 1920s, where he appeared in Broadway productions between 1923 and 1954. From 1938 to 1966, Worlock appeared as a supporting actor in films including '' Man Hunt'', ''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', ''How Green Was My Valley'', '' The Imperfect Lady'', ''Singapore'', ''The Lone Wolf in London'', '' Love from a Stranger'', '' Ruthless'', ''Joan of Arc'', ''Spartacus'', ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (voice-over), and '' Spinout''. He appeared in a number of the Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone in the 1940s. Worlock often portrayed "professorial roles, some benign, some villainous". Personal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philip Van Zandt
Philip Van Zandt (October 4, 1904 – February 15, 1958), sometimes billed as Phil Van Zandt, was a Dutch-American actor of stage, film, and television. He made nearly 250 film and television appearances between 1939 and 1958. Life and career Born Philip Pinheiro in Amsterdam, he was brought to the United States when he was five months old in March 1905. Van Zandt made his stage debut in 1925, as an assistant to magician Howard Thurston. He began playing dramatic roles in 1927 and eventually landed on Broadway, appearing in 10 different productions between 1931 and 1938, none of which were hits. Van Zandt made his Hollywood debut in 1939 and, in the two decades that followed, appeared in over 140 films. The actor auditioned for director John Cromwell's film ''Flotsam'' (ultimately released as ''So Ends Our Night''). Cromwell explained that the role called for expert card manipulation. Van Zandt hadn't done this since his apprenticeship with Thurston but, as columnist Duncan Un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Russell Hicks (actor)
Edward Russell Hicks (June 4, 1895 – June 1, 1957) was an American film character actor. Hicks was born in 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland. During World War I, he served in the U.S. Army in France. He later became a lieutenant Colonel in the California State Guard. Hicks was a prolific character actor appearing in bit parts and small supporting roles in nearly 300 films between 1933 and 1956. He often appeared as a smooth-talking confidence man, or swindler as in the W.C. Fields film ''The Bank Dick'' (1940). Distinguished, suave and a consummate actor, Hicks played a variety of judges, corrupt officials, crooked businessmen and attorneys, working in a variety of mediums almost until his death. Hicks appeared once in the syndicated western television series ''The Cisco Kid'' as an uncle of the Gail Davis character, whom he threatens to disinherit if she marries a known gangster. Broadway plays in which Hicks acted included ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'' (1954), ''On Borrowed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Tannen
William Tannen (November 17, 1911 – December 2, 1976) was an American actor originally from New York City, who was best known for his role of Deputy Hal Norton in fifty-six episodes from 1956 to 1958 of the ABC/Desilu western television series, ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.'' During the 1930s and 1940s, he was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player. Personal life Tannen was the son of actor Julius Tannen. He became active in drama — both acting and writing — while a student at Lawrenceville School. Stage Tannen made his stage debut in a production of ''The Honor of the Family'' with the National Theatre troupe in Washington, D.C. Filmography *''The Band Plays On'' (1934) - Rosy Rosenberg *''Murder in the Fleet'' (1935) - Pee Wee Adams (uncredited) *''She Couldn't Take It'' (1935) - Cesar *''It's in the Air'' (1935) - Pilot (scenes deleted) *''Exclusive Story'' (1936) - Kent (uncredited) *''Tough Guy'' (1936) - Heming (uncredited) *'' Small Town Girl'' (1936) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Emmett O'Connor
Robert Emmett O'Connor (March 18, 1885 – September 4, 1962) was an Irish-American actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1919 and 1950. He is probably best remembered as the warmhearted bootlegger Paddy Ryan in '' The Public Enemy'' (1931) and as Detective Sergeant Henderson pursuing the Marx Brothers in '' A Night at the Opera'' (1935). He also appeared as Jonesy (the older Paramount gate guard) in Billy Wilder's 1950 film ''Sunset Boulevard''. He also made an appearance at the very beginning and very end of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon short '' Who Killed Who?'' (1943). Selected filmography *''Pay Your Dues'' (1919 short) *''His Royal Slyness'' (1920 short) (uncredited) *'' Never Weaken'' (1921 short) (uncredited) *''Tin Gods'' (1926) - Second Foreman *'' The Love of Sunya'' (1927) - Detective with Umbrella (uncredited) *'' The Noose'' (1928) - Jim Conley *'' Dressed to Kill'' (1928) - Detective Gilroy *'' Four Walls'' (1928) - Sullivan *'' The Singing Fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Stanton (actor)
Paul Stanton (born Paul George Stahl; December 21, 1884 – October 9, 1955) was an American character actor and bit-part player in American films. Originally from Illinois, he appeared in about 130 films between 1918 and 1952, mostly in supporting roles. He often portrayed authoritarian figures like judges, attorneys, managers, officials and doctors. Selected filmography * ''The Girl and the Judge'' (1918) - Walter Stuyvesant * '' The Glorious Adventure'' (1918) - Bob Williamson * ''Her Price'' (1918) - Robert Carroll * '' Should Ladies Behave'' (1933) - Oscar McFarrey (uncredited) * ''The Women in His Life'' (1933) - Judge Malone (uncredited) * ''This Side of Heaven'' (1934) - Doctor (scenes deleted) * ''Viva Villa!'' (1934) - Newspaperman (scenes deleted) * ''Stand Up and Cheer!'' (1934) - Senator (uncredited) * ''The Most Precious Thing in Life'' (1934) - Charles Kelsey (uncredited) * ''Call It Luck'' (1934) - Mr. Morgan (uncredited) * ''His Greatest Gamble'' (1934) - ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nella Walker
Nella Walker (March 6, 1886 – March 22, 1971) was an American actress and vaudeville performer of the 1920s through the 1950s. Biography The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Walker, she was born and raised in Chicago. In 1910, she married Wilbur Mack. In 1912, they formed the vaudeville team Mack and Walker. By 1929, she had launched a film acting career, her first film role being in ''Tanned Legs''. She appeared in three films in 1929 and easily transitioned to sound films, appearing in another four films in 1930, possibly making the smooth transition because she was never an established actress in silent films. In 1931, her film career took off, with appearances in 10 films that year, five of which were uncredited. Her marriage ended not long after her film career was on the rise, and from 1932 to 1933, she appeared in 15 films, only five of which were uncredited. In 1935, her career improved, and from this year to 1938, she had 23 film appearances. Her biggest film app ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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