25 Oct 2019
Radio Permalink

Vin Scully

October 25, 2019

Vincent Edward Scully is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on Prime Ticket, KCAL-TV and KABC radio. His 61 seasons with the Dodgers is the longest of any broadcaster with a single club in professional sports history, and he is second by a year to only Tommy Lasorda in terms of length of years with the Dodgers organization in any capacity.

Scully received the Ford Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, and was honored with a Life Achievement Emmy Award for sportscasting and induction into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1995. The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association has named Scully as National Sportscaster of the Year three times and California Sportscaster of the Year 29 times, and inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 1991. He was named both Broadcaster of the Century by the American Sportscasters Association and top sportscaster of all-time on its Top 50 list. Scully has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6675 Hollywood Blvd.

Born in The Bronx, Scully grew up in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. He made ends meet by delivering beer and mail, pushing garment racks, and cleaning silver in the basement of the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City. His father was a silk salesman; his mother a Roman Catholic homemaker of Irish descent with red hair like her son. Scully attended high school at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx. As a kid growing up in Washington Heights, he was a big Mel Ott fan. He knew he wanted to be a sports announcer the moment he became fascinated with football broadcasts on his radio.

Scully began his career as a student broadcaster and journalist at Fordham University. While at Fordham, he helped form its FM radio station WFUV, was assistant sports editor for Volume 28 of The Fordham Ram his senior year, sang in a barbershop quartet, played center field for the Fordham Rams baseball team, got a degree, and sent about 150 letters to stations along the Eastern seaboard. He got only one response, from CBS Radio affiliate WTOP in Washington, which made him a fill-in.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Television Permalink

Vincent Price

October 25, 2019

Vincent Leonard Price II was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.

Price was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Marguerite Cobb and Vincent Leonard Price, Sr., who was the president of the National Candy Company. His grandfather, Vincent Clarence Price, invented “Dr. Price’s Baking Powder”, the first cream of tartar baking powder, and secured the family’s fortune.

Price attended St. Louis Country Day School. He was further educated at Yale in art history and fine art. He was a member of the Courtauld Institute, London. He became interested in the theatre during the 1930s, appearing professionally on stage from 1935.

He made his film debut in 1938 with Service de Luxe and established himself in the film Laura, opposite Gene Tierney, directed by Otto Preminger. He also played Joseph Smith, Jr. in the movie Brigham Young, as well as a pretentious priest in The Keys of the Kingdom .

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Television Permalink

Vilma Bánky

October 25, 2019

Vilma Bánky was a Hungarian-born American silent film actress, although the early part of her acting career began in Budapest, spreading to France, Austria, and Germany.

She was born Vilma Koncsics on January 9, 1901 to János Koncsics and Katalin Ulbert in Nagydorog, Austria-Hungary. Her father was a bureau chief under Franz Joseph’s Austro-Hungarian Empire. Shortly after her birth, her father was transferred to Budapest, and the family relocated.

She had two siblings ? an older brother, Gyula, and a younger sister, Gisella. After graduation from secondary school, Bánky took courses to work as a stenographer, but was offered a role in a film. Acting had been her interest since she was a young girl.

Her first film appearance was in the now lost film, Im Letzten Augenblick, directed by Carl Boese in Germany in 1919. On a trip to Budapest in 1925, Hollywood film producer Samuel Goldwyn discovered and signed her to a contract. Both her mother and father were vehemently against Bánky’s acting career as was her fiancé; nonetheless she left for the United States in March 1925, arriving to a great deal of fanfare.

25 Oct 2019
Recording Permalink

Vikki Carr

October 25, 2019

Vikki Carr is an American singer from Mexican origins, who has performed in a variety of music genres, including jazz, pop and country, but has enjoyed her greatest success singing in Spanish. Carr is a blond and blue-eyed white Hispanic.

After taking the stage name ‘Vikki Carr’ the singer signed with Liberty Records in 1962. Her first single to achieve any success was “He’s a Rebel”, which in 1962 reached No. 5 in Australia and No. 115 in the United States. Producer Phil Spector heard Carr cutting the song in the studio, and immediately recorded a cover version billed to The Crystals that reached No. 1 in the United States. In 1966, Carr toured Vietnam with actor/comedian Danny Kaye. The following year her album It Must Be Him was nominated for three Grammy Awards. The title track reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in 1967. “It Must Be Him” sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. She had two other songs make the US called her “the best girl singer in the business”. Carr had 10 singles which made the US pop charts and 13 albums which made the US pop album charts.

In 1968, she taped six specials for London Weekend TV. She appeared on various television programs, such as ABC’s The Bing Crosby Show in the 1964-1965 season. In 1970, she was named “Woman of the Year” by the Los Angeles Times. She guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1973. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1981. Carr also achieved the rare feat of singing for five presidents during her career: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bill Clinton. Ford writes in his autobiography, A Time to Heal, that when Carr appeared at the White House, she asked the president, “What Mexican dish do you like?” His response: “I like you.” He goes on to write that the First Lady was not pleased: “Betty overheard the exchange, and needless to say, she wasn’t wild about it.”

In the 1980s and 1990s Carr had enormous success in the Latin music world, winning Grammy Awards for Best Mexican-American Performance in 1986 for her album Simplemente Mujer; Best Latin Pop Album in 1992 for Cosas del Amor; and Best Mexican-American Performance in 1995 for Recuerdo a Javier Solis. She also received Grammy nominations for the discs Brindo a La Vida, Al Bolero, A Ti and Emociones. Her numerous Spanish-language hit singles include “Total,” “Discúlpame,” “Déjame,” “Hay Otro en Tu Lugar,” “Esos Hombres,” “Mala Suerte” and “Cosas del Amor.” The latter song spent more than two months at No. 1 on the US Latin charts in 1991, her biggest Spanish-language US hit. Her Spanish-language albums have been certified gold and platinum in Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures Permalink

Victor McLaglen

October 25, 2019

Victor Andrew de Bier Everleigh McLaglen was an English boxer and World War I veteran who became a leading American film actor.

McLaglen was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. His father, an Anglican bishop, moved the family to South Africa when McLaglen was a child. He had eight brothers and a sister. Four of his brothers also became actors: Arthur, an actor and sculptor, and Clifford, Cyril and Kenneth. Other siblings included Frederick, Sydney, Lewis, and a sister, Lily. Another brother, Leopold McLaglen, who appeared in one film, gained notoriety prior to World War I as a showman and self-proclaimed World Jujutsu Champion, who authored a book on the subject.

He left home at fourteen to join the British Army with the intention of fighting in the Second Boer War. However, much to his chagrin, he was stationed at Windsor Castle with the Life Guards and was later forced to leave the army when his true age was discovered.

Four years later, he moved to Canada, where he earned a living as a wrestler and heavyweight boxer, with several notable wins in the ring. One of his most famous fights was against Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson, in a 6 round exhibition bout. Between bouts, McLaglen toured with a circus, which offered $25 to anyone who could go three rounds with him. He returned to England in 1913 and during World War I served as a Captain with the 10th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, part of The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. Later he claimed to have served with the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He served for a time as military Provost Marshal for the city of Baghdad. He also continued boxing, and was named Heavyweight Champion of the British Army in 1918. After the war, he began taking roles in British silent films.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Recording Permalink

Vicente Fernández

October 25, 2019

Vicente Fernández Gómez, born February 17, 1940, simply known as Vicente Fernández, is a Mexican singer, producer and actor. Known as "Chente" or el "El rey de la cancion ranchera" throughout the Latin world, Vicente Fernández, who started his career singing for tips on the street, has become a Mexican cultural icon, recording more than 50 albums and contributing to many movies. He is the father of the popular singer Alejandro Fernández. Although less well known to English-speaking audiences, he has consistently filled stadiums and venues throughout his 35-plus years of performing. His repertoire is pure ranchera, a style described by Daniel Chang of the Miami Herald as representing "the Mexico of old – a way of life romanticized by rural ranches, revolution, and philandering caballeros". He has sold over 50 million copies worldwide.

Born in Huentitan el alto, Jalisco, Mexico, Fernandez spent the early years of his life on his father Ramon's ranch on the outskirts of Guadalajara. As a little boy Vicente also worked at a young age for his uncle as a waiter, dish washer, cashier, and finally the manager of his uncle's restaurant. He was known to all the people as "Chente". Here the idyllic ranchera lifestyle was instilled in him. His mother often took him to see the films of Pedro Infante. Fernandez told of the significance of these films: "When I was 6 or 7, I would go see Pedro Infante's movies, and I would tell my mother, 'When I grow up, I'll be like him.'" By age eight he had taken up the guitar and was practicing his singing in the style of the ranchera singers he heard on the radio.

As a boy he sang at a festival in Arandas, Mexico where he won the contest. Later in his life at the age of twenty-one he competed in a contest where he won thirty-one pesos. But In 1954, Fernandez won an amateur contest sponsored by a Guadalajara television station. It was his first break into performing and he began to play at local clubs and gatherings. Around this time, however, Fernandez's father lost the ranch and the family moved into the city of Tijuana. Fernandez, who had dropped out of school in the fifth grade, began working odd jobs in the city such as janitor, dishwasher, waiter – whatever he could find. All the while, he still held to his musical aspirations.

In 1960 Fernandez devoted himself to music full time. He went back to Colima, where he performed as a busker while also appearing occasionally on the television show La Calandria musical. After a couple of years Fernandez tried his luck in Mexico City, where he found a job singing in a restaurant called El Amanacer Tapatio. When he wasn't working he was auditioning for recording companies, and constantly being turned down.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Radio Permalink

Victor Fleming

October 25, 2019

Victor Fleming was an American film director, cinematographer, and producer. His most popular films were The Wizard of Oz, and Gone with the Wind, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Director.

Victor Fleming was born in Pasadena, California. He served in the photographic section during World War 1, and acted as chief photographer for President Woodrow Wilson in Versailles, France. He showed a mechanical aptitude early in life; while working as a car mechanic he met the director Allan Dwan, who took him on as a camera assistant. Fleming soon rose to the rank of cinematographer, working with both Dwan and D. W. Griffith, and directed his first film in 1919.

Many of Fleming’s silent films were action movies, often starring Douglas Fairbanks, or Westerns, and with his robust attitude and love of outdoor sports he became known as a “man’s director”. But he also proved an effective director of women. Under his direction, Vivien Leigh won the Best Actress Oscar, Hattie McDaniel won for Best Supporting Actress, and Ingrid Bergman was nominated.

In 1932 Fleming joined MGM and directed some of the studio’s most prestigious films. Red Dust, Bombshell, and Reckless showcased Jean Harlow, while Treasure Island and Captains Courageous brought a touch of literary distinction to boy’s-own adventure stories. His two most famous films came in 1939, when The Wizard of Oz was closely followed by Gone with the Wind.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures Permalink

Victor Jory

October 25, 2019

Victor Jory was a Canadian actor. Born in Dawson City, Yukon, Jory was the boxing and wrestling champion of the Coast Guard during his military service, and he kept his burly physique. He toured with theater troupes and appeared on Broadway, before making his Hollywood debut in 1930. He initially played romantic leads, but later was mostly cast as the villain. He made over 150 films and dozens of TV episodes, as well as writing two plays. His long career in radio included starring in the series Dangerously Yours.

He is remembered for his role as Jonas Wilkerson, the brutal and opportunistic overseer, in Gone with the Wind and as Lamont Cranston, aka ‘The Shadow’ in the 1942 serial film The Shadow. He also portrayed Oberon in Max Reinhardt’s 1935 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

From 1959-1961, he appeared with Patrick McVey in the syndicated television police drama, Manhunt. Jory played the lead role of Detective Lieutenant Howard Finucane. McVey was cast as police reporter Ben Andrews.

Near the end of his career, Jory guest starred as an aging FBI agent in The Rockford Files episode, “The Attractive Nuisance”.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Television Permalink

Victor Moore

October 25, 2019

Victor Frederick Moore was an American actor of stage and screen, as well as a comedian, writer, and director.

He was married twice, first to actress Emma Littlefield from 1902 until her death on June 25, 1934, then to Shirley Paige in 1942. The marriage was not announced for a year and a half. At the time of the announcement Moore was 67 years old and Paige was 22. They remained married until Victor Moore’s death 20 years later.

He had 3 children with his first wife: Victor Junior, Ora, and Robert. Victor Moore made his film debut in 1915, he starred in three films that year, two of which were directed by Cecil B. DeMille, Chimmie Fadden and Chimmie Fadden Out West.

25 Oct 2019
Recording Permalink

Victor Young

October 25, 2019

Victor Young was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor. He was born in Chicago.

Young began as a classical composer and concert violinist but moved into the popular music sphere when he joined Isham Jones’ orchestra. He studied the piano with Isidor Philipp of the Paris Conservatory. In the mid-1930s he moved to Hollywood where he concentrated on films, recordings of light music and providing backing for popular singers, including Bing Crosby.

His composer credits include “When I Fall in Love,” “Blue Star ,” “Moonlight Serenade ” from the motion picture The Star, “Sweet Sue,” “Can’t We Talk It Over,” “Street of Dreams,” “Love Letters,” “Around the World,” “My Foolish Heart,” “Golden Earrings,” “Stella by Starlight”, and “I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You.”

Young was signed to Brunswick in 1931 where his studio groups recorded scores of popular dance music, waltzes and semi-classics through 1934. His studio groups often contained some of the best jazz musicians in New York, including Bunny Berigan, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Joe Venuti, Arthur Schutt, Eddie Lang, and others. He used first-rate vocalists, including Paul Small, Dick Robertson, Harlan Lattimore, Smith Ballew, Helen Rowland, Frank Munn, The Boswell Sisters, Lee Wiley and others. One of his most interesting recordings was the January 22, 1932 session containing songs written by Herman Hupfeld “Goopy Geer” and “Down The Old Back Road”, which Hupfeld sang and played piano on .