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American actor Lee Marvin was born Lamont Waltman Marvin Jr. in New York City. After leaving school aged 18, Marvin enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in August 1942. He served with the 4th Marine Division in the Pacific Theater during World War II and after being wounded in action and spending a year being treated in naval hospitals, he received a medical discharge. Marvin's military decorations include the Purple Heart Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon. Returning to the United States it was while working as a plumbers apprentice, repairing a toilet at a local community theater, that he was asked to stand in for an actor who had fallen ill during rehearsals. He immediately caught the acting bug, moving to Greenwich Village to study at the American Theater Wing and began making appearances in stage productions and TV shows. His film debut came in 'You're in the Navy Now' (1951) but it was his portrayal of villains in 'The Big Heat' (1953) and 'The Wild One' (1953) that brought him to the attention of the public and critical acclaim. Now firmly established as a screen bad guy, he began shifting towards leading man roles and landed the lead role in the popular TV series 'M Squad' (1957-1960). Returning to feature films, Marvin had prominent roles in 'The Comancheros' (1961), 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' (1962), 'Donovan's Reef' (1963) and 'The Killers' (1964) but it was his dual comic role in the offbeat western 'Cat Ballou' (1965) that made him a star and won him the Academy Award for Best Actor. He was now a much sought-after actor and starred in a number of movies as a new kind of leading man including 'The Professionals' (1966), 'The Dirty Dozen' (1967), 'Point Blank' (1967), 'Hell in the Pacific' (1968), 'Monte Walsh' (1970), 'Prime Cut' (1972), 'Emperor of the North' (1973) and 'The Spikes Gang' (1974).Later film credits include 'Shout at the Devil' (1976), 'Avalanche Express' (1979), 'The Big Red One' (1980), 'Death Hunt' (1981) and 'Gorky Park' (1983). His final film role was alongside Chuck Norris in 'The Delta Force' (1986). Lee Marvin died of a heart attack in August 1987. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Marvin paved the way for leading men that didn't fit the traditional mould. An iconic American tough guy and one of the 20th Century's greatest Hollywood stars.

Minnesota-born Noel Neill's ambition was to be a journalist like her father, the editor of a Minneapolis newspaper. However, she was hired by Bing Crosby to sing at the Turf Club at the race track in Del Mar, California (Crosby was one of the owners). Shortly thereafter, in 1941, she was signed to a contract by Paramount Pictures. She got early experience in television by hosting and performing on several experimental programs broadcast locally in Los Angeles in the late 1940s, and it was around that time that she began appearing in serials, first at Columbia and then for Republic. While she is best known for playing Lois Lane in the TV series Adventures of Superman (1952) beginning in the second season in 1953, she actually first played Lois in the 1948 serial Superman (1948). She replaced Phyllis Coates in the part when the series went on hiatus and Coates accepted a leading part in another TV series before the hiatus ended. When the series ended in 1957, Neill retired from the industry.

Charles is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He also took drama classes at Los Angeles City College and is a graduate of Cal. State at LA, receiving his BA in theatre arts. Aside from his many film and tv credits he is especially proud of his body of work in the LA theatre. He was a member of the company of angels for 25 years. He is a recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for best performance by an actor for his role in The Caretaker and a dramalogue award for best performance by an actor.

Carl Steven was born on 7 November 1974 in Glendale, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Crossings (1986). He was married to Dawn Krakoff. He died on 31 July 2011 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Irish McCalla was born on 25 December 1928 in Pawnee City, Nebraska, USA. She was an actress, known for She Demons (1958), Sheena: Queen of the Jungle (1955) and The Beat Generation (1959). She was married to Patrick Horgan and Patrick H. McIntyre. She died on 1 February 2002 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

A dark, exotic beauty, Katherine DeMille was a fascinating screen presence in the 1930s and 1940s. She was born in Canada to a Scottish schoolteacher, Edward Gabriel Lester, and his Italian-Swiss wife, Cecile Bianca Bertha (Colani) Lester. Her father was killed in France during World War I, and her mother, who was terminally ill, traveled to California to find Katherine's paternal grandparents and leave her with them. Mrs. Lester died before she could contact her in-laws and Katherine was placed in a Los Angeles orphanage. Constance Adams, the wife of Hollywood's top filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille, was a director of the orphanage. The DeMilles were moved by Katherine's misfortune and decided to adopt her. She became a member of a family that also included the DeMilles' only natural child, Cecilia de Mille; another adopted child, John de Mille; and Richard de Mille, who was actually DeMille's nephew.

Katherine was educated at the Hollywood School for Girls and the Santa Barbara School for Girls. She loved acting in school plays and eventually found work as a movie extra, using the stage name Kay Marsh. DeMille, aware of his daughter's dream of becoming a star, hired her as a script supervisor for his film Four Frightened People (1934) and permitted her to visit the sets of his films and watch his editing process. She secretly auditioned for the role of Pancho Villa's wife, Rosita Morales, in the MGM production Viva Villa! (1934), starring Wallace Beery in the title role. She won the role and impressed the critics with her performance and beauty. Her portrayal of a Mexican maid in The Trumpet Blows (1934) earned her a contract with Paramount Pictures, and she was cast as the villain in Mae West's Belle of the Nineties (1934). Her ability to succeed in films on her own helped her gain her father's admiration as well as a featured role in his next epic, The Crusades (1935). She played Alice, Princess of France, and competed with Loretta Young's Berengaria for the love (and title as consort) of Richard the Lionheart (Henry Wilcoxon). The critics appreciated Katherine's talent and appearance in the lavish DeMille production. Her career was ascending.

After her excellent work in the prestigious DeMille picture, Katherine was finally elevated to leading lady status. Paramount starred her in Drift Fence (1936) and Sky Parade (1936). She was also loaned out to MGM for an uncredited appearance as Romeo's first love, Rosaline, in Romeo and Juliet (1936). 20th Century-Fox cast her in a supporting role in the Barbara Stanwyck-Joel McCrea starrer Banjo on My Knee (1936) and gave her second billing in Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937). Katherine fell in love with Mexican actor Anthony Quinn and married him in 1937. She was billed third in The Californian (1937) and appeared in Love Under Fire (1937), a Spanish Civil War drama. At Columbia Pictures, she was billed second in the Jack Holt vehicle Under Suspicion (1937). This was followed by a small role in another Spanish Civil War drama, Blockade (1938), and a leading lady role in another Jack Holt vehicle, Trapped in the Sky (1939). Unfortunately, the big studios failed to showcase her talent in notable productions. Her next roles were featured in B movies: In Old Caliente (1939), Isle of Destiny (1940), Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940), and Dark Streets of Cairo (1940). She returned to Paramount for a role in the Technicolor film Aloma of the South Seas (1941).

The Quinns had five children. She abandoned her film career after the tragic death of their firstborn, Christopher, in 1941. She made a comeback with a leading role in Black Gold (1947), co-starring her husband, and a supporting role as a Native American woman in her father's Unconquered (1947). She also starred in the film noir The Judge (1949). The Quinns divorced in 1965, and Katherine later moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she died of Alzheimer's disease in 1995.

Linda McCartney was born on 24 September 1941 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress and composer, known for Live and Let Die (1973), Super 8 (2011) and Grosse Pointe Blank (1997). She was married to Paul McCartney and Joseph Melville See Jr.. She died on 17 April 1998 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Don Pardo was born on 22 February 1918 in Westfield, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Radio Days (1987), Stay Tuned (1992) and 'Weird Al' Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection (2003). He was married to Catherine Anne (Kay) Lyons. He died on 18 August 2014 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Rex Allen started out as a singer in vaudeville, and sang on numerous radio shows before hooking up with a traveling rodeo show. He signed with Republic Pictures and became a popular singing cowboy, and was often paired with sidekick Slim Pickens. He starred in his own western TV series, Frontier Doctor (1956) and in the 1960s was the narrator on many nature documentaries for Walt Disney.

Marla English was born Marlene Gaile English in San Diego, Califonia, on January 4, 1935. She was the daughter of Bertha Lenore and Arthur H. English, and Marla was the nickname given to her by friends of the family who took care of her when her mother fell ill in 1939. She began modeling at the age of 12, and became a member of San Diego's Globe Theatre while a sophomore in high school, and played roles in their productions of "Mad Woman of Chaillot" and "Cricket on the Hearth" while continuing her modeling career. Paramount Pictures signed her to a contract in the fall of 1952, and she had parts in five Paramount films.

Robert Dix was born on 8 May 1935 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Forbidden Planet (1956), Five Bloody Graves (1969) and Young Jesse James (1960). He was married to Lynette Avery Allen, Jeanette P Dunn, Darlene Lucht, Anna Mae Slaughter and Janet Lake. He died on 6 August 2018 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Michael Blake was born on 5 July 1945 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, USA. He was a writer and director, known for Dances with Wolves (1990), Winnetou and The One. He was married to Marianne Mortensen. He died on 2 May 2015 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Robert Dryer was born on 9 October 1951 in the USA. He was an actor, known for Savage Streets (1984), Cyborg 2: Glass Shadow (1993) and The Rousters (1983). He died on 27 January 2021 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Louis Eppolito was born on 22 July 1948 in Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Lost Highway (1997), Goodfellas (1990) and Predator 2 (1990). He was married to Frances Ann . He died on 3 November 2019 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Lil Peep, was an American rapper and singer. He was cited as one of the primary artists responsible for the post-emo revival with his style of hip hop, which came to be known as emo trap. He was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Long Island, New York. His parents were both Harvard graduates who divorced when he was a teenager. His mother was a first grade teacher and his father was a college professor. Lil Peep attended Long Beach High School in Lido Beach, New York, which he rarely attended in spite of good grades. He later dropped out of the high school and took online courses to earn his diploma. Shortly thereafter, he began posting his music on YouTube and SoundCloud. When Lil Peep was 17, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career in music. He played the trombone and tuba and expressed an interest in music and fashion from a young age. Peep gathered a large cult fan-base and regularly sold out large venues. Peep's music, described as a fusion between hip hop and emo, helped introduce underground hip hop to styles that were more confessional.

Fred Kelly was born on 29 June 1916 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a director and actor, known for Deep in My Heart (1954), The Steve Allen Show (1950) and The Steve Allen Show (1952). He was married to Dorothy "Dottie" Greenwalt. He died on 15 March 2000 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Michael Bennett was born on 8 April 1943 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for A Chorus Line (1985), A Chorus Line and A Chorus Line (2016). He was married to Donna McKechnie. He died on 2 July 1987 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Boyd Bushman was born on 20 July 1936 in Globe, Arizona, USA. He died on 7 August 2014 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Veteran actress Gloria Jane Stroock was the daughter of James Stroock, president of the Brooks Costume and Uniform Company which supplied costumes to Broadway and to the film industry from 1914. It had been founded five years prior by Ely Stroock (1864-1949). Gloria's mother Bianca was a costume designer and her younger sister was the actress Geraldine Brooks.

Gloria began acting on Broadway from the mid-40s (her roles including that of Meg in 'Little Women'). After moving to California, she frequently performed at Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills and subsequently served on the board of directors. She first acted on screen in a 1948 anthology drama. Her career was thereafter mostly confined to television, her one high profile role being that of Rock Hudson 's secretary Maggie in several episodes of McMillan & Wife (1971). She also made repeat appearances on the navy sitcom Operation Petticoat (1977). Among Gloria's few film credits were small supporting parts in The Day of the Locust (1975), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) and Uncommon Valor (1983). She played Rose, the matriarch of the Kennedy family, in the TV movie Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy (1977). Her personal favorite acting role was playing the lead character in Driving Miss Daisy on stage at Theatre 40.

Gloria was married to the television producer Leonard Stern from 1956 until his death in 2011. She retired from screen acting in 1996 and in 2018 published her memoirs under the name Gloria Stroock-Stern, entitled 'Cast of Characters'. She has also been noted as a sculptor.

Gloria Stroock passed away on May 5 2024, two months before her 100th birthday.

Don Starr was born on 20 September 1917 in Riverside, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Bird (1988), V: The Final Battle (1984) and Dallas (1978). He was married to Beverly Allen Kunst and Mary Alyce Harnish. He died on 11 July 1995 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Self-described schlockmeister Larry Buchanan was born Marcus Larry Seale, Jr. on January 31, 1923. Orphaned at an early age, he was sent to a Baptist orphanage. After graduating from high school in Dallas, the 18-year-old turned down a scholarship to study the ministry at Baylor University to accept an apprenticeship in the props department with 20th Century-Fox Studios. Fox eventually signed Marcus Seale to an acting contract, renaming him Larry Buchanan, the name he would keep for his entire professional life.

Buchanan studied filmmaking in the Army Signal Corps, which made him want to become a director. Back at Fox he played bit parts, most notably in the Gregory Peck western The Gunfighter (1950). However, his creative interests lay elsewhere. In the early 1950s he satisfied his desire to become a director by helming religious documentaries for evangelist Oral Roberts. He also gained experience as an assistant director on The Marrying Kind (1952), directed by the legendary George Cukor.

Buchanan left behind acting for production, taking a job as a writer on The Gabby Hayes Show (1950). In 1951 he directed his first film, )The Cowboy (1951)_, which was nominated for a Peabody Award. Buchanan would never again taste critical praise, as he segued into directing low-budget exploitation fare intended for the grindhouse circuit, the drive-in or straight-to-television. In the late 1950s and 1960s he directed movies for drive-in exploitation specialist American-International Pictures, churning out such celluloid travesties as Attack of the Eye Creatures (1967), In the Year 2889 (1969) and Creature of Destruction (1968). With some of the lowest-rated films to chart on the Internet Movie Database, Buchanan gave legendary Z-movie "shlockmeister" Edward D. Wood Jr. a run for the roses for the title of "Worst Director Ever." In her NY Times obituary of Buchanan, Margalit Fox wrote: "One quality united Mr. Buchanan's diverse output: It was not so much that his films were bad; they were deeply, dazzlingly, unrepentantly bad. His work called to mind a famous line from H.L. Mencken who, describing President Warren G. Harding's prose, said, 'It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it'."

Buchanan directed a series of low-budget films in the early 1960s addressing such topical and taboo issues as sex (Under Age (1964)) and racial relations/miscegenation (Free, White and 21 (1963), High Yellow (1965)), themes that were perennial grindhouse circuit favorites. He also solidified his reputation as a hack with a spate of ultra-low-budgeted remakes of AIP science-fiction potboilers, including Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1967) and Mars Needs Women (1968), a film whose succinct title, at least, is a classic of sorts.

The year after president John F. Kennedy was cut down by sniper bullets in his hometown of Dallas, Buchanan exploited the event by writing and directing a fictionalized account of the "judicial reckoning" of J.F.K.'s alleged assassin, The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1964). He had been in Dallas to shoot a striptease-film at The Carousel, Oswald-killer 'Jack Ruby''s Dallas strip joint, which was eventually released as Naughty Dallas (1964). The Oswald picture was the first of what would become a lucrative vein for Buchanan: biopics and docudramas that limned the lives of everyone from Janis Joplin to Jesus, with Pretty Boy Floyd, Jean Harlow, 'Jimi Hendrix', Howard Hughes and Jim Morrison thrown in for good measure.

In the late 1960s Buchanan relocated to Texas to continue his film career, helping to boost the Lone Star State's film industry. His movies were made with budgets under $100,000 (a figure that approximates about 1/30th of Marlon Brando's daily wage on Superman (1978) and 1/20th of Robert Redford's daily haul on A Bridge Too Far (1977), to provide contrast with contemporaneous Hollywood budgets). Due to their low costs and the well-developed drive-in and grind-house circuits of the 1950s through the 1970s, almost all of Buchanan's movies finished financially in the black. His production overhead was minimal, as he typically was a picture's director, producer, screenwriter and editor.

In 1996 he published his memoirs, "It Came from Hunger: Tales of a Cinema Schlockmeister." In his memoir, Buchanan called his style of independent cinema "guerilla filmmaking." Classifying Buchanan as a genius of his genre, Rob Craig said on Horror-Wood.com: "Buchanan wrote or adapted prime pieces of pulp genre fiction on assignment, filmed them as best he could given his resources, and offered the results to the world with no apologies, nor any revisionist strings attached."

Buchanan was completing the editing of his last movie at his home in Phoenix, Arizona when he died on December 2, 2004, two months shy of his 82nd birthday. He considered "The Copper Scroll of Mary Magdalene," a story based on a Gnostic interpretation of Christ, to be his finest film. The man who had turned down the chance to become a minister had been working on the film since 1972. Returning to his roots, the film had became the goal of his career, and was an expression of his artistic as well as religious passion.

Buchanan was survived by wife of 52 years, Jane, by his sons Randy, Barry, and Jeff, and by his daughter Dee.

Donald E. Thorin was born on 12 October 1934 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. He was a cinematographer and assistant director, known for Thief (1981), The Golden Child (1986) and Tango & Cash (1989). He died on 9 February 2016 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Mitzi Mayfair was during the 30s and 40s a tap-dancer on Broadway. Her shows included "The Show Is On", and "Take a Chance". After Eleanor Powell's breakdown in January 1936, she replaced Miss Powell in "At Home Abroad". Mitzi Mayfair's film work was small, only co-starring in Four Jills in a Jeep (1944) and a few Vitaphone Shorts.

Eunice Murray was born on 3 March 1902 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was married to John Murray and Franklin Blackmer. She died on 5 March 1994 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Jim Ameche was born on 6 August 1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for The Story of Mankind (1957), Screen Snapshots Series 26, No. 6: Behind the Mike (1947) and The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers (1962). He died on 4 February 1983 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.