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1-11 of 11
- Actress
- Additional Crew
The enticing, voluptuous European beauty Greta Thyssen filled out the pages of movie magazines everywhere during the 1950s. Born on March 30, 1927, she was a freshly-scrubbed brunette when she was crowned Miss Denmark in 1952. The subsequent attention had her packing her bags for Hollywood. At that time, Marilyn Monroe had become an international sex symbol and Hollywood hopefuls were falling all over themselves to be just like her. Enter Greta, in a major, major transformation, as a statuesque, peroxide-blonde bombshell -- competing against the whistle-blowing likes of Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. With mouth-dropping measurements reported at 40-24-36, this pin-up favorite became the best piece of Danish pastry in town. She also had her eyes out for films.
Like Ms. Mansfield and Ms. Van Doren, Greta's movie career was a bust -- literally. She bordered slightly on the seamy side and was offered such roles. However, she proved a trooper and was qualified enough to handle a scattered amount of low-grade crime dramas, adventures and horror stories -- a few having since reached "cult turkey" status. Greta actually started off in the quality movie Bus Stop (1956), unbilled as a "cover girl". She also served as Ms. Monroe's double in the movie. Another small film role in Accused of Murder (1956) led to a regular role as a busty "Pirate Girl" model on the quiz show Treasure Hunt (1956) starring wolfish host Jan Murray. She momentarily took a few male minds off the horrific The Beast of Budapest (1958) and did her scream queen schtick in Terror Is a Man (1959), in which she played vulnerable to a mad scientist-turned-panther-like creature à la "The Island of Dr. Moreau".
Greta added the requisite hard-boiled touch to the noirish detective film Three Blondes in His Life (1961) opposite Jock Mahoney and showed up in Journey to the Seventh Planet (1962) as well, which was another John Agar sci-fi cheapie. On television, she played a fetching foil in some of The Three Stooges shorts (Joe Besser was the third Stooge at the time) and appeared on television series, mostly crime stories, including Dragnet (1951) and Perry Mason (1957). Her film career ended dismally with the inane comedy Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers (1967), which pretty much says this all. Toward the end, she appeared in a couple of wink-wink stage comedies such as "Pajama Tops" until the early 1970s. She then retired from acting and moved to New York City where she found success as a painter, combining representational nude figures and surrealistic allegory. Generally, Greta took advantage of the equipment she had, made this work for her, and got her "fifteen minutes".
Greta Thyssen passed away at age 90 of complications from pneumonia on January 6, 2018 at her Manhattan home.- Pat Englund was born Patricia Julia Ripley on February 16, 1925 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Pat was an actress, known for her roles on Appointment with Adventure (1955), Kraft Theatre (1947-1956), The Day of the Dolphin (1973) and a TV movie Last Wish (1992)
Her mother was actress Mabel Albertson, best known for her role on Bewitched as Darren's interfering mother. Her uncle was Jack Albertson, best remembered as The Man in Chico and the Man with Freddie Prinze. (1974-1978)
Her birth father was Harold Austin "Rip" Ripley, a successful newspaper columnist for the Chicago Tribune. He was a former alcoholic and founder of "Guest House Treatment Centers" that solely treated alcoholic priests in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Mabel and Rip divorced in 1928. In 1933, Rip married Leone M Johannes and moved to Wisconsin.
In 1937, Mabel Albertson married Ken Englund, screenwriter best known for writing the scripts for No, No, Nanette (1940), This Thing Called Love (1940), and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947). He also wrote scripts for TV series like My Three Sons, Bewitched, and That Girl. When Rip relinquished his parental rights to the children, Ken Englund adopted Pat and her brother George in 1938.
Her brother was producer, director, and actor George Englund best known for producing The Streets of San Francisco (1979), The Eddie Fisher Show (1958), and The Vegas Strip War (1984). George was married to actress Cloris Leachman and they had five children.
In 1955, Pat married Dunham Barney Lefferts, an editor for The New York Times Sunday Magazine and later a freelance journalist. She became stepmother to his son Tom. In 1959, Pat gave birth to their son, Nicholas. Her husband died on January 4, 1976. Pat never remarried.
Pat made her Broadway debut in 1946 when she was the understudy to the ingenue in George Kelly's "The Fatal Weakness" starring Ina Claire. In 1948, she joined the cast of "Oklahoma" on Broadway in the role of Ado Annie, appearing again in the role at the Drury Lane Theater in London. In New York, she played Audrey in a Broadway production of "As You Like It" starring Katharine Hepburn. It was in this show that Pat met her future sister-in-law Cloris Leachman. In 1962, she played the role of April Monkhood on Broadway in S J Perelman's comedy "The Beauty Part" starring Bert Lahr. Her final Broadway role was in "Angel" a 1978 musical version of Thomas Wolfe's "Look Homeward, Angel."
Pat was a resident of Westport Connecticut for 50 years until 2013 when she moved to Santa Monica, California. She died there on January 6, 2018 at the age of 92. - Additional Crew
David Toschi was born on 11 July 1931 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is known for Zodiac (2007), Zodiac Deciphered (2008) and This Is Zodiac (2007). He was married to Carol Jean Bacigalupi. He died on 6 January 2018 in San Francisco, California, USA.- Peter Preston was born on 23 May 1938 in Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, England, UK. He was married to Jean Burrell. He died on 6 January 2018 in the UK.
- Horace Ashenfelter was born on 23 January 1923 in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA. He was married to Lilian Wright. He died on 6 January 2018 in West Orange, New Jersey, USA.
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cinamon Hadley was born on 6 November 1969 in Barstow, California, USA. She is known for We Love You, Sally Carmichael! (2017). She died on 6 January 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.- Giose Rimanelli was born on 28 November 1925 in Casacalenda, Molise, Italy. He was a writer, known for The Awakening (1956) and Tiro al piccione (1961). He died on 6 January 2018 in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA.
- Actor
- Composer
Veli Chaushev was born on 11 September 1934 in Zlatograd, Smolyan Province, Bulgaria. He was an actor and composer, known for Dimitrovgradtsy (1956), Der Revolver des Korporals (1967) and Parolata (1965). He died on 6 January 2018 in Sofia, Bulgaria.- Director
- Writer
Edmund Zbigniew Szaniawski was born on 10 July 1926 in Zabludów, Bialostockie [now in Podlaskie], Poland. Edmund Zbigniew was a director and writer, known for Haslo 'Wolne Niemcy' (1968). Edmund Zbigniew died on 6 January 2018 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.- Romano Tamberlich was born on 3 December 1938 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He died on 6 January 2018 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
- Jack Livesley was born on 13 January 1928. He was an actor, known for Dear Aunt Agnes (1986) and The Academy (1983). He died on 6 January 2018.