Tag: film
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DESILU SOLD!
July 27, 1967 Desilu Productions was formed in 1950 by Lucille Ball and her then-husband, Desi Arnaz. The name was a portmanteau of the couple’s first names and was originally applied to the Ball-Arnaz ranch. Desilu was one of many television production companies that sprung up all over the Hollywood catering to the growing needs…
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MORONI OLSEN
June 27, 1889 Moroni Olsen was born in Ogden, Utah, to Mormon parents. During World War I, he sold war bonds for the US Navy. In 1923, Olsen organized the ‘Moroni Olsen Players’ in Ogden. He got his start on Broadway in 1920 starring as Jason (of the Argonauts) in Medea alongside “Lucy” cast member Byron Foulger. He…
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MARY WICKES
June 13, 1910 – October 22, 1995 Mary Wickes (nee Mary Isabella Wickenhauser) was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to parents who were theatre buffs. A smart student, Mary skipped two grades and graduated from High School at age 16. In college, she majored in English and Political Science, though shifted her career goals to…
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HERB VIGRAN
June 5, 1910 – November 29, 1986 Herbert Vigran was a character actor from the 1930s to the 1980s. Vigran was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but his family moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, when he was 16. He married Belle Pasternack in 1952 and they had two sons. Over his 50-year career, he made over 350…
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MADGE BLAKE
May 31, 1899 – February 19, 1969 Madge Blake (née Cummings) was best remembered for her roles as Margaret Mondello on “Leave It to Beaver”, Flora MacMichael on “The Real McCoys,” and Aunt Harriet Cooper on “Batman”. Born in Kansas just before the turn of the last century, her father discouraged her from becoming an actress, so…
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THE COPACABANA
1940 – 2020 On May 26, 2020 it was announced that the legendary Copacabana in New York City has closed. The club was originally named for a neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, known for its crescent-shaped beach, one of the most famous in the world. The Club was popularized in song, screen, stage, and television. “It…
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RIP Kirk Douglas
1916-2020 Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch) was an actor, producer, director and author. After an impoverished childhood with immigrant parents and six sisters, he made his film debut in 1946. He went on to become one of Hollywood’s most enduring and popular actors, earning three Oscar nominations and receiving an honorary Oscar in 1996. In…
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RIP Wayne Fitzgerald
1930-2019 Emmy Award-winning film title designer who created the main titles for the Lucille Ball film Mame (1974). Over a career that spanned 55 years, he designed close to a thousand motion picture and television main and end title sequences for top directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, John Huston, Mike Nichols, Robert Redford, Roman…
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RIP Rip Torn
(1931-2019) Actor Rip Torn was known for his work on Broadway, off-Broadway, film and television. In 1963 he co-starred with Lucille Ball and Bob Hope in the film CRITIC’S CHOICE as Dion Kapakos.
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RIP Jerry Thorpe (1926-2018)
One-time Head of Production at Desilu Studios. He did many projects with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz before they parted ways in 1963. Assistant Director (33 episodes) – 1953-54 Assistant Director to Vincente Minnelli – 1954 Associate Producer – 1956 Director (10 episodes) – 1957-59 Producer & Director (9 episodes) – 1958-60 Director “K.O. Kitty”…