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1-15 of 15
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Producer
In a singing (and sometimes acting) career that spanned over six decades, the name Perry Como has come to mean that warm, smooth, easy-listening, general-audience, slow-flame romance that characterized popular music in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. It has also come to represent an overall good feeling. Telling of the success of the appeal of that good feeling early on in his career, during just a single week in the 1940s, the music industry pressed and sold 4 million Como records. In the 1950s, 11 of his singles sold well over 1 million copies each. In more than six decades of singing, his records sold more than 100 million copies; 27 individual prints reached the million-record mark.
Christened Pierino Como in Canonsburg, Pa., and one of a family of 13 children, Como pursued a career as a barber before he launched his singing career. At 11, he was working after school cutting hair in a barbershop. Before long he had set his sights on owning his own shop -- even making monthly payments toward one. He enjoyed singing, however, and let go of his barbershop ambitions soon after high school and his marriage to his high school sweetheart, Roselle Beline. It didn't take long to prove that he had talent and soon landed a spot in the Freddie Carlone Orchestra, where he made $28 a week touring the Midwest. In 1937, he joined the Ted Weems orchestra and was featured on the band's "Beat the Band" radio program. His career was on the rise. But, with the start of WWII and the eventual breakup of Weems' band, Como found himself back in Canonsburg in a barbershop cutting hair -- not for long, however. CBS radio soon offered him a weekly show at $100 a week and RCA signed him to a recording contract that garnered him in the next 14 years 42 Top 10 hits, a feat bettered only by Bing Crosby. These hits included "Dig You Later (A Hubba-Hubba-Hubba)," "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," "They Say It's Wonderful," "Surrender" and "Some Enchanted Evening." The 1945 rendition of "Till the End of Time," (a song associated with the movie "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" and based on Chopin's "Polonaise in A-Flat Minor") was perhaps his most memorable hit from this era. Other hits were on the lighter side of romance and included "Hot Diggity" and the forever a favorite "Papa Loves Mambo."
It was also during his singing career in the 1940s that Como appeared in three films for Twentieth Century Fox. His parts were unfortunately less than memorable, partly because of his overpowering screen presence of his co-star Carmen Miranda. But Como did have a screen presence, and he found its niche in the magic of the living room theater when he made his television debut in 1948 with NBC's "The Chesterfield Supper Club." In 1950, he was at the helm of his own show with CBS: "The Perry Como Show," which ran for five years. Back on NBC in 1955 he achieved his greatest success in the medium with an eight-year run. This was the show that featured his theme song: "Sing Along With Me." The show included the talents of the Ray Charles Singers and announcer Frank Gallop. It was also in this show where he developed and honed the image of the cardigan-wearing, relaxed, wholesome nice-guy that has been his trademark ever since. In 1956 and '57 he won Emmy Awards for most outstanding television personality. The show itself won Peabody and Golden Mike awards. During his tenure with this show he also received the Recording Industry Association of America's first ever Gold Disc Award for his rendition of "Catch a Falling Star." He retired from his show in 1963, opting to work only occasionally on t.v. specials. These specials included his traditional Christmas shows. After two decades of just canned music, he returned to live performances in the 1970s, playing Las Vegas and other circuits; he even did a sell-out tour of Australia. The 1970s also gave rise to his million record seller "It's Impossible." In one of his most gratifying moments in his career, President Reagan presented Como with a Kennedy Center award for outstanding achievement in the performing arts.- John Cliff was born on 26 November 1918 in Swainsboro, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for The Money Jungle (1967), The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962) and The Milkman (1950). He died on 12 May 2001 in Hayward, California, USA.
- One of the most brilliant novelists of his generation, Simon Raven was also one of Britain's foremost television scriptwriters. His magisterial 'Alms For Oblivion' sequence of novels concerned the foibles and moral hubris of the upper and upper-middle classes in the post war years and were deserved classics which acquired him an international reputation as a writer and something of a notorious libertine.
A larger than life character he loved cricket, gambling, alcohol and had affairs with both sexes. Sometimes accused of snobbery he claimed that he wrote "for people like myself, well educated, worldly and sceptical."
His first book, Feathers of Death, the story of a homosexual romance in the Army, was published in 1959, but he quickly discovered that he could earn far more by writing for television. His first TV play, Royal Foundation, was broadcast by the BBC in 1961. Several others followed but his most famous works were his Anthony Trollope adaptations, The Way We Live Now, a six part series which the BBC subsequently wiped and The Pallisers (1974), which was broadcast in 26 episodes with Susan Hampshire in the lead.
In 1974 he adapted Frances Donaldson's _"Edward & Mrs. Simpson" (1980) (mini)_ for Thames Television, a seven part series which topped the ratings despite complaints from Wallis Simpson herself and reputedly the Queen Mother. He adapted two of Nancy Mitford's novels, Love in a Cold Climate (1980) and The Pursuit of Love for Thames TV and his last work for television was Julian Symons quirky whodunnit The Blackheath Poisonings (1992) for Central Televison in 1992. Central Television earned a reprimand from the Broadcasting Standards Council for the opening of the series which had a particularly noisy sex scene.
In his later years Raven had planned to adapt Vanity Fair for BBC television and also Brideshead Revisited in three episodes but neither projects ever materialised. In an interview with The Stage newspaper, shortly before his death, he said "I don't think there is a place for me on television anymore. I find the strain of working under modern telvision conditions increasing. It is too politically correct for me these days."
Summing up his life, in the same interview, he said "I would like to think that as a writer one had not deliberately done anyone else a bad turn or suffered from envy. If there is to be an epitaph then let it read: He always shared his bottle - and his bed." - Special Effects
- Make-Up Department
- Additional Crew
Richard Rankin Davison took the GED to leave High School early so he could attend classes in special effects make up. After graduating Elegance International, he got his first professional make up job at the age of 17 and continued in the field until his death in 2001. He was survived by his wife, Jaz Davison, his step-daughter Diana and his son, Casey.- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Norman Kay was born on 5 January 1929 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, UK. He was a composer, known for No Sudden Move (2021), Late Night Horror (1968) and Journey to the Unknown (1968). He died on 12 May 2001 in Esher, Surrey, England, UK.- Myrtle Woods was born on 14 March 1900 in Albury, New South Wales, Australia. She was an actress, known for A Woman's Tale (1991), Homicide (1964) and The Great MacArthy (1975). She was married to Woods. She died on 12 May 2001 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Otto Hofmann was born on 9 December 1918 in Kyle, Texas, USA. He died on 12 May 2001 in Austin, Texas, USA.
- Didi was born on 28 October 1928 in Campos dos Goitacases, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He died on 12 May 2001 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Roger Boussinot was born on 2 May 1921 in Tunis, French Protectorate of Tunisia [now Tunisia]. He was a writer and director, known for Le 13ème caprice (1967), L'étang de la Breure (1973) and Visages du cinéma (1970). He died on 12 May 2001 in Bassane, Gironde, France.- Additional Crew
Míla Tomásová was born on 24 September 1920 in Kotvrdovice, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. Míla is known for Casu je málo a voda stúpa (1997). Míla died on 12 May 2001 in Prague, Czech Republic.- Production Designer
- Art Director
- Set Decorator
Georgi Prokopets was born on 2 January 1922 in Krasnodar, RSFSR [now Russia]. He was a production designer and art director, known for Lita molodiyi (1959), Kogda payut solovy (1957) and Mesyats may (1965). He died on 12 May 2001 in Kiev, Ukraine.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Loet Steenbergen was born in 1934. He was a director and producer, known for Hedenavond: voorstelling (1963), Vic Singel (1970) and Straatje om met Dorus (1966). He was married to Christina Cünne. He died on 12 May 2001 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands.- Juanita Martínez was born on 10 May 1925 in Argentina. She was an actress, known for El circo de Marrone (1970), El mago de las finanzas (1962) and Cristóbal Colón en la facultad de medicina (1962). She was married to José Marrone. She died on 12 May 2001 in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Additional Crew
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Cinematographer
Jacques Lowe was born on 24 January 1930 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Jacques was a cinematographer, known for Undefeatable (1993), The Making of the President 1960 (1963) and The Kennedy Years: JFK Remembered (1993). Jacques died on 12 May 2001 in New York City, New York, USA.- Cyril Guippet was born on 12 May 1979 in France. He died on 12 May 2001 in France.