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Joan Staley
Joan Staley (born Joan Lynette McConchie; May 20, 1940 – November 24, 2019) was an American actress and model. Early life Staley was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the daughter of James and Jean McConchie. Her father was a minister, and her mother was a musician who played violin, piano, organ, and viola. She grew up in Los Angeles, California. At age three, Staley's mother took her to a concert, after which Joan requested a violin. When her mother realized she was serious, she obliged. Her first instructor was Karl Moldrem, the founder of the Baby Orchestra in Los Angeles. By age six, Staley had won by audition first chair/second violin in Peter Meremblum's Junior Symphony (André Previn was an alumnus). This led to her first film appearance, as a child violinist, in ''The Emperor Waltz'', starring Bing Crosby and Joan Fontaine. Her mother and father were missionaries in Africa, after which her father joined the Army as a chaplain. As the family moved to various posti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bonanza
''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on American network television (behind CBS's '' Gunsmoke''), and one of the longest-running, live-action American series. The show continues to air in syndication. The show is set in the 1860s and centers on the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada, bordering Lake Tahoe. The series initially starred Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon and later featured (at various times) Guy Williams, David Canary, Mitch Vogel and Tim Matheson. The show is known for presenting pressing moral dilemmas. The title "Bonanza" is a term used by miners in regard to a large vein or deposit of silver ore, from Spanish ''bonanza'' (rich ore body) and commonly refers to the 1859 revelation o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Robe (film)
''The Robe'' is a 1953 American fictional Bible, Biblical epic film that tells the story of a Roman Empire, Roman military tribune who commands the unit that is responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus. The film was released by 20th Century Fox and was the first film released in the widescreen process CinemaScope. Like other early CinemaScope films, ''The Robe'' was shot with Henri Chrétien's original Hypergonar anamorphic lenses. The film was directed by Henry Koster and produced by Frank Ross (producer), Frank Ross. The screenplay was adapted from Lloyd C. Douglas's The Robe, 1942 novel by Gina Kaus, Albert Maltz, and Philip Dunne (writer), Philip Dunne—although Maltz's place among the blacklisted Hollywood 10 led to his being denied his writing credit for many years. The score was composed by Alfred Newman (composer), Alfred Newman, and the cinematography was by Leon Shamroy. The film stars Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature and Michael Rennie, and co-stars Jay Rob ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bells Are Ringing (film)
''Bells Are Ringing'' is a 1960 American romantic comedy-musical film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Judy Holliday and Dean Martin. Based on the successful 1956 Bells Are Ringing (musical), Broadway production of the same name by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne, the film focuses on Ella Peterson, based on the life of Mary Printz, who works in the basement office of a telephone answering service. Plot Ella Peterson works as a switchboard operator at the Susanswerphone answering service. She can't help breaking the rules by becoming overly involved in the lives of the subscribers. Some of the more peculiar ones include a dentist who exuberantly composes song lyrics on an air hose, an actor who emulates Marlon Brando and a little boy for whom she pretends to be Santa Claus. Ella has a secret crush on the voice of subscriber Jeffrey Moss, an insecure playwright whose writing partner has left him and who has taken to drinking too much, for whom she plays a comfor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vincente Minnelli
Vincente Minnelli (; born Lester Anthony Minnelli; February 28, 1903 – July 25, 1986) was an American Theatre director, stage director and film director. From a career spanning over half a century, he is best known for his sophisticated innovation and artistry in musical films. , six of his films have been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Minnelli made his stage debut as an actor in a production of ''East Lynne'', staged by the Minnelli Brothers' Tent Theater (co-founded by his father and paternal uncle). After graduating from high school, he worked as an apprentice window designer at Marshall Field's department store in Chicago. There, he attended the Art Institute of Chicago and became a costume designer for the Balaban and Katz theater chain. By the early 1930s, he moved to New York City and served as the art director for the Radio City Music Hall. In 1935, Minnelli became a theatre director with ''At Home Abroad'' (1935), starring Beatr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was founded on April 17, 1924, and has been owned by the Amazon MGM Studios subsidiary of Amazon (company), Amazon since 2022. MGM was formed by Marcus Loew by combining Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Pictures into one company. It hired a number of well-known actors as contract players—its slogan was "more stars than there are in heaven"—and soon became Hollywood's most prestigious filmmaking company, producing popular musical films and winning many Academy Awards. MGM also owned film studios, movie lots, movie theaters and technical production facilities. Its most prosperous era, from 1926 to 1959, was bracketed by two productions of ''Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles. Hefner extended the ''Playboy'' brand into a world network of Playboy Clubs. He also resided in luxury mansions where Playboy Playmate, ''Playboy'' Playmates shared his wild partying life, fueling media interest. Early life and education Hefner was born in Chicago on April 9, 1926, the first child of accountant Glenn Lucius Hefner (1896–1976) and his wife Grace Caroline (Swanson) Hefner (1895–1997) who worked as a teacher. His parents were from Nebraska. He had a younger brother named Keith (1929–2016). His mother was of Swedish ancestry, and his father was German and English. Hefner was a descendant of Plymouth governor William Bradford (Plymouth Colony governor), William Bradford through his father's line. He described his family as "conservative, Midwestern, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. Known for its centerfolds of nude and semi-nude models (Playboy Playmate, Playmates), ''Playboy'' played an important role in the sexual revolution and remains one of the world's best-known brands, with a presence in nearly every medium. In addition to the flagship magazine in the United States, special #International editions, nation-specific versions of ''Playboy'' are published worldwide, including those by licensees, such as Dirk Steenekamp's DHS Media Group. The magazine has a long history of publishing short stories by novelists such as Arthur C. Clarke, Ian Fleming, Vladimir Nabokov, Saul Bellow, Chuck Palahniuk, P. G. Wodehouse, Roald Dahl, Haruki Murakami, and Margaret Atwood. With a regular displ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Life (magazine)
''Life'' (stylized as ''LIFE'') is an American magazine launched in 1883 as a weekly publication. In 1972, it transitioned to publishing "special" issues before running as a monthly from 1978 to 2000. Since then, ''Life'' has irregularly published "special" issues. Originally published from 1883 to 1936 as a general-interest and humor publication, it featured contributions from many important writers, illustrators and cartoonists of its time, such as Charles Dana Gibson and Norman Rockwell. In 1936, Henry Luce purchased the magazine, and relaunched it as the first all-photographic American news magazine. Its place in the history of photojournalism is considered one of its most important contributions to the world of publishing. From 1936 to the 1960s, ''Life'' was a wide-ranging general-interest magazine known for its photojournalism. During this period, it was one of the most popular magazines in the United States, with its circulation regularly reaching a quarter of the U.S. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lawrence Schiller
Lawrence Julian Schiller (born December 28, 1936) is an American photojournalist, film producer, director and screenwriter. Career Schiller was born in 1936 in Brooklyn to Jewish parents and grew up outside of San Diego, California. After attending Pepperdine College in Los Angeles, he worked for ''Life'' magazine, ''Paris Match'', ''The Sunday Times'', ''Time'', ''Newsweek'', ''Stern'', and ''The Saturday Evening Post'' as a freelance photojournalist. He published his first book, ''LSD'', in 1966. Since then Schiller has published 17 books, including W. Eugene Smith's book ''Minamata'' and Norman Mailer's '' Marilyn''. Having produced and directed the 1967 Capitol Records audio documentary album ''Why Did Lenny Bruce Die?'', he collaborated with Albert Goldman on the bestseller in 1974 ''Ladies and Gentleman--Lenny Bruce!!'', and also with Norman Mailer on the 1980 ''New York Times'' bestseller and the made-for-television motion picture of ''The Executioner's Song'' as well as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Studio One (American TV Series)
''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948, and ended on September 29, 1958, with a total of 467 episodes over the course of 10 seasons. History Radio On April 29, 1947, Fletcher Markle launched the 60-minute CBS Radio series with an adaptation of Malcolm Lowry's ''Under the Volcano''. Broadcast on Tuesdays opposite '' Fibber McGee and Molly'' and '' The Bob Hope Show'' at 9:30 pm Eastern Time, the radio series continued until July 27, 1948, showcasing such adaptations as '' Dodsworth'', ''Pride and Prejudice'', '' The Red Badge of Courage'' and '' Ah, Wilderness''. Top performers were heard on this series, including John Garfield, Walter Huston, Mercedes McCambridge, Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum. CBS Radio received a Peabody Award for ''Studio One'' in 1947, citing Markle's choi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Climax!
''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs of that era to be broadcast in color, using the massive TK-40A color cameras pioneered and manufactured by RCA, and used primarily by CBS's rival network, NBC (the broadcasting division of RCA). Many of the episodes were performed and broadcast live, but, although the series was transmitted in color, only black-and-white ''kinescope'' copies of some episodes survive to the present day. The series finished at #22 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1955–1956 season and #26 for 1956–1957. Production In February 1955, Martin Manulis became the producer, replacing Bretaigne Windust. The trade publication '' Variety'' reported that the change in producers would be accompanied by a change in format. It said, "The sponsor, Chrysler, has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Playhouse 90
''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of the mid-1950s usually were hour-long shows, the title highlighted the network's intention to present something unusual: a weekly series of hour-and-a-half-long dramas rather than 60-minute plays. Background The producers of the show were Martin Manulis, John Houseman, Russell Stoneman, Fred Coe, Arthur Penn, and Hubbell Robinson. The leading director was John Frankenheimer (27 episodes), followed by Franklin J. Schaffner (19 episodes). Other directors included Sidney Lumet, George Roy Hill, Delbert Mann, and Robert Mulligan. With Alex North's opening theme music, the series debuted October 4, 1956, with Rod Serling's adaptation of Pat Frank's novel '' Forbidden Area'' starring Charlton Heston. The following week, '' Requiem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
