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1-7 of 7
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Massachusetts-born Jean Rogers had hoped to study art in New York and Europe upon graduation from high school, but her plans changed when she won a national beauty contest in 1933 and was offered a contract by a Hollywood producer. She was soon signed by Warner Bros., and a year later jumped ship to Universal. She began appearing in several of the studios' serials, with 1936's "Flash Gordon" being her most fondly remembered role. Given her delicate blond beauty and the skimpy outfits she wore, it was no wonder she was lusted after so fiercely by archvillain Ming the Merciless (and most of the male audience). Universal took her out of the serial unit and put her in a string of B pictures. Unsatisfied with the way her career was going, and the fact that the studio refused to give her a raise, she left Universal for 20th Century Fox in 1939. Two years later the spunky Rogers left Fox for the same reasons she left Universal, and signed with MGM, where she found the treatment more to her liking. She walked off the Culver City lot in 1943 when studio boss Louis B. Mayer discovered that she planned to get married, and forbade her to do so. Althugh she freelanced over the next few years, nothing much really came of it, and after making "The Second Woman" in 1951, she retired to raise her family.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Squat, easygoing, crew-cut blond George Gobel was born George Leslie Goebel in Chicago, on May 20, 1919. Of Austrian/Scottish descent, his immigrant father, Hermann Goebel, was a butcher and grocer. Following graduating from Chicago's Theodore Roosevelt High School in 1937, the young man won initial Midwest attention singing (billed as "Little Georgie Gobel") on radio. He also toured with country music bands while billed as "The Littlest Cowboy."
George's career was interrupted by WWII, in which he served with the Army Air Force as a pilot instructor. While serving, he began doing stand-up for his fellow servicemen and later took to the nightclub, hotel and county fair circuit. His mild-mannered comic delivery, coupled with a cracker-barrel warmness, finally caught fire when the 33-year-old humorist hit the TV waves in 1952. From then on, he focused on comedy rather than singing.
George moved into the new TV medium in 1950 as a guest on "The Bill Slater Show," and continued on the talk/musical variety circuit appearing on the self-titled shows of Garry Moore, Spike Jones, and Dinah Shore. Increasing in popularity, he was given a show on his own The George Gobel Show (1954), winning an Emmy award for his efforts. His alter-ego was this hapless, unassuming, hen-pecked husband who tried to breeze through life the best he could. "Lonesome" George's folksy, non-threatening 'little man' appeal, while working so well on TV, did not extend itself on the large screen, although given a couple of chances. Two lightweight comedy showcases offered him as put-upon protagonists in The Birds and the Bees (1956) and I Married a Woman (1958) had a lukewarm reception.
After the cancellation of his TV series, Gobel lost severe momentum. From 1958 to 1961, he returned to the clubs and headlined in Las Vegas at the El Rancho Vegas and in Reno at the Mapes Hotel. In 1961, George co-starred with Sam Levene in the Broadway musical "Let It Ride, based on the 1935 original Broadway play "Three Men on a Horse." It had a fairly short run. He was also spotted on such TV shows as "Wagon Train," "Death Valley Days," "Daniel Boone," "F Troop," "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In," "The Red Skelton Show," "Love, American Style," "Chico and the Man" and "The Love Boat."
George made a resurgence on the late 1960's talk show circuit, notably trading off with Johnny Carson on his popular night time show. In 1974, George became a household name again after replacing the late Cliff Arquette (aka "Charley Weaver") as the bottom left square star on the popular game show The Hollywood Squares (Primetime/Nighttime) (1968). He also appeared as an actor in several TV movies, often cameos, including Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover (1977), A Guide for the Married Woman (1978), Better Late Than Never (1979), The Invisible Woman (1983) and Alice in Wonderland (1985). He returned to film only twice -- in the comedy satire Rabbit Test (1978) (as the President) and the backwoods comedy Ellie (1984) (as a preacher).
George won a role on the short-lived series Harper Valley P.T.A. (1981) as a tipsy mayor. The comedian died in Encino, California, on February 24, 1991, at age 71 following bypass surgery. He was survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Alice, and their three children.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
John Daly was born on 20 February 1914 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was an actor and producer, known for The Front Page (1949), The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956) and Pistols 'n' Petticoats (1966). He was married to Virginia Warren and Margaret Criswell Neal. He died on 24 February 1991 in Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Webb Pierce was born on 8 August 1921 in West Monroe, Louisiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Ad Astra (2019), Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) and The Help (2011). He died on 24 February 1991 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Marcella Markham was born on 1 August 1922 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for The Boys from Brazil (1978), Valentino (1977) and The Avengers (1961). She was married to Irving Palmer and Frank Kingdon. She died on 24 February 1991 in New York City, New York, USA.- Lina Volonghi was born on 4 September 1916 in Genoa, Liguria, Italy. She was an actress, known for Paese senza pace (1946), La 7ème cible (1984) and L'idiota (1959). She was married to Carlo Cataneo and Pietro Bastogi. She died on 24 February 1991 in Milan, Italy.
- Héctor Rial was born on 14 October 1928 in Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor, known for Micaela (1992). He died on 24 February 1991 in Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain.