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Kenley Players
The Kenley Players was an Actors' Equity Association, Equity summer stock theatre company which presented hundreds of productions featuring Broadway theatre, Broadway, film, and television stars in Midwestern cities between 1940 and 1995. ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' called it the "largest network of theaters on the straw hat circuit." Founded by and operated for its entire lifespan by John Kenley, it is credited with laying the groundwork for Broadway touring companies. The company's success was predicated on booking big-name stars for their box office potential, casting them in familiar plays and musicals, and keeping prices low, thereby attracting large crowds. In its heyday, Kenley Players productions drew crowds of 5,000 in Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, Akron, Ohio, Akron, Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, Flint, Michigan, and Warren, Ohio. Kenley "pioneered the notion of putting TV stars in summer stock." In a 1950 interview Kenley told The Washington Post, "I only charge $1.50 top...I' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Actors' Equity Association
The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American trade union, labor union representing those who work in Theatre, live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a Musical theatre#Definitions, book or through-storyline (vaudeville, cabarets, circuses) may be represented by the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA). The AEA works to negotiate quality living conditions, livable wages, and benefits for performers and stage managers. A theater or production that is not produced and performed by AEA members may be called "non-Equity". Background Leading up to the Actors' and Producers' strike of 1929, Cinema of the United States, Hollywood and California in general had a series of workers' equality battles that directly influenced the film industry. The films ''The Passaic Textile Strike'' (1926), ''The Miners' Strike'' (1928) and ''The Gastonia Textile Strike'' (1929) gave audience and produc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gypsy Rose Lee
Gypsy Rose Lee (born Rose Louise Hovick, January 8, 1911 – April 26, 1970) was an American burlesque entertainer, stripper, actress, author, playwright and vedette, famous for her striptease act. Her 1957 memoir, '' Gypsy: A Memoir'', was adapted into the 1959 stage musical ''Gypsy''. Early life Rose Louise Hovick was born in Seattle, Washington, on January 8, 1911;Karen Abbott (2010) ''American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare, The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee'', New York: Random House; ; however, she always gave January 9 as her date of birth. She was known as Louise to her family. Her sister, actress June Havoc, was born in 1912. Their mother, Rose Thompson Hovick, forged various birth certificates for each of her daughters—older when needed to evade varying state child labor laws, and younger for reduced or free train fares. The girls were unsure until later in life what their years of birth were. Their mother had married Norwegian-American John Olaf Hovick, a newspape ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 – 3 October 1998) was a British-American actor whose career spanned over 270 screen and stage roles across over 60 years. Born in London, he began his acting career as a child in his native England, before moving to the United States at the outbreak of World War II. He achieved prominence for his starring roles in ''How Green Was My Valley (film), How Green Was My Valley'' (1941), ''My Friend Flicka (film), My Friend Flicka'' (1943), and ''Lassie Come Home'' (1943). Unlike many of his contemporaries, McDowall managed to evolve from child star into an adult performer and appeared on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in films, winning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, Tony Award for his performance in Jean Anouilh's ''The Fighting Cock''. For portraying Octavian in the historical epic ''Cleopatra (1963 film), Cleopatra'' (1963), he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Pictu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney (born Ninnian Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the silent-film era. He was the top box-office attraction from 1939 to 1941, and one of the best-paid actors of that era. At the height of a career ultimately marked by declines and comebacks, Rooney performed the role of Andy Hardy in a series of 16 films in the 1930s and 1940s that epitomized the mainstream United States self-image. At the peak of his career between ages 15 and 25, he made 43 films, and was one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's most consistently successful actors. A versatile performer, he became a celebrated character actor later in his career. Laurence Olivier once said he considered Rooney "the best there has ever been". Clarence Brown, who directed him in two of his earliest dramatic roles in ''National Velvet (fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Florence Henderson
Florence Agnes Henderson (February 14, 1934 – November 24, 2016) was an American singer and actress. With a career spanning six decades, she is best known for her starring role as Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom ''The Brady Bunch''. Henderson also appeared in film, as well as on stage, and hosted several long-running cooking and variety shows over the years. She appeared as a guest on many scripted and unscripted (talk and reality show) television programs and as a panelist on numerous game shows. Henderson was also a contestant on ''Dancing with the Stars'' in 2010. Henderson hosted her own talk show, ''The Florence Henderson Show,'' and cooking show, ''Who's Cooking with Florence Henderson,'' on Retirement Living TV during the years leading up to her death at age 82 on Thanksgiving 2016 from heart failure. Early life Henderson, the youngest of 10 children, was born on February 14, 1934, in Dale, Indiana, a small town in the southwestern part of the state. She was a daughte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Betty White
Betty Marion Ludden ( White; January 17, 1922December 31, 2021), known professionally as Betty White, was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television with a career spanning almost seven decades, she was noted for her vast number of television appearances, acting in sitcoms, sketch comedy, and game shows. White produced and starred in the series '' Life with Elizabeth'' (19531955), thus becoming the first woman to produce a sitcom. After moving from radio to television, she became a staple panelist of American game shows such as ''Password'', ''Match Game'', ''Tattletales'', ''To Tell the Truth'', '' The Hollywood Squares'', and '' The $25,000 Pyramid''. Dubbed "the first lady of game shows", she became the first woman to receive the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host for the show '' Just Men!'' in 1983. She then became more widely known for her guest and recurring appearances on shows such as ''The Carol Burnett Show'', ''Mama's Family'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), ''Enterprise'' in the Where No Man Has Gone Before, second pilot of the Star Trek: The Original Series, first ''Star Trek'' television series to his final appearance as Captain Kirk in the seventh ''Star Trek'' feature film, ''Star Trek Generations'' (1994). Shatner began his screen acting career in Canadian films and television productions before moving into guest-starring roles in various American television shows. He appeared as James Kirk in all the episodes of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', 21 of the 22 episodes of ''Star Trek: The Animated Series'', and the first seven List of Star Trek films, ''Star Trek'' movies. He has written a series of books chronicling his experiences before, during and after his time in a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Crystal
William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He is known as a standup comedian and for his film and stage roles. Crystal has received List of awards and nominations received by Billy Crystal, numerous accolades, including six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award as well as nominations for three Grammy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2007, the 27th Critics' Choice Awards#Lifetime Achievement Award, Critics' Choice Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2023. Crystal gained prominence for television roles as Jodie Dallas on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC sitcom ''Soap (TV series), Soap'' from 1977 to 1981 and as a cast member and fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mae West
Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known for portraying sexually confident characters and for her use of double entendres, often delivering her lines in a distinctive contralto voice. West began performing in vaudeville and on stage in New York City before moving on to film in Los Angeles. She was frequently associated with controversies over Film censorship, censorship and once stated, "I believe in censorship. I made a fortune out of it." As her film career declined, she remained active by writing books and plays, performing in Las Vegas and London, and appearing on radio and television. In later years, she also released rock and roll recordings. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked her 15th among the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, greatest female screen legends of Classic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann; January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American singer and actress. Known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and her leading roles in musical theatre, musical theater,Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', February 22, 1984. she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." She performed on Broadway theatre, Broadway in ''Anything Goes'', ''Annie Get Your Gun (musical), Annie Get Your Gun'', ''Gypsy (musical), Gypsy'', and ''Hello, Dolly! (musical), Hello, Dolly!'' She is also known for her film roles in ''Anything Goes (1936 film), Anything Goes'' (1936), ''Call Me Madam (film), Call Me Madam'' (1953), ''There's No Business Like Show Business (film), There's No Business Like Show Business'' (1954), and ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' (1963). Among many accolades, she received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in ''Call Me Madam'', a Grammy Award for ''Gypsy'', an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Maharis
George Maharis (September 1, 1928 – May 24, 2023) was an American actor, singer, and visual artist who portrayed Buz Murdock in the first three seasons of the TV series ''Route 66 (TV series), Route 66''. Maharis also recorded several pop music albums at the height of his fame, and later starred in the TV series ''The Most Deadly Game''. Early life and education Maharis was born in Astoria, Queens, the third of six children born to Vasidos (later William) Mahairas and Demetra Stranis, both immigrants from Greece. He was raised in the Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of mid-town Manhattan. His brother Robert was a production assistant on ''Route 66'' and became a film location manager. Maharis attended Flushing High School, where his schoolmates recognized his talent as a singer. He left before graduating and served for 18 months in the United States Marine Corps and then earned his high school diploma. This profile was published in two parts, in the April 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor most famous during the 1970s and 1980s. He became well known in television series such as ''Gunsmoke'' (1962–1965), '' Hawk'' (1966) and '' Dan August'' (1970–1971). He had leading roles in films such as '' Navajo Joe'' (1966) and '' 100 Rifles'' (1969), and his breakthrough role was as Lewis Medlock in ''Deliverance'' (1972). Reynolds played leading roles in financial successes such as '' White Lightning'' (1973), '' The Longest Yard'' (1974), '' Smokey and the Bandit'' (1977) (which started a six-year box-office reign), '' Semi-Tough'' (1977), ''The End'' (1978), '' Hooper'' (1978), '' Starting Over'' (1979), ''Smokey and the Bandit II'' (1980), '' The Cannonball Run'' (1981), '' Sharky's Machine'' (1981), '' The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' (1982) and '' Cannonball Run II'' (1984), several of which he directed. He was nominated twice for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
