25 Oct 2019
Live Performance Permalink

Theodore Bikel

October 25, 2019

Theodore Meir Bikel is a character actor, folk singer and musician. He made his film debut in The African Queen and was nominated for an Academy award for his supporting role as Sheriff Max Muller in The Defiant Ones. Bikel was born in Vienna, Austria, the son of Miriam and Josef Bikel from Bukovina. His family fled to Palestine following the Nazi occupation of Austria. In Palestine, Bikel started acting while in his teens. He co-founded the Cameri Theatre there?which has gone on to become one of Israel’s biggest theaters?before moving to London to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1945. In 1948, Michael Redgrave recommended Bikel to his friend Laurence Olivier as understudy for the parts of both Stanley Kowalski and Mitch in the West End premiere of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire. Bikel graduated from understudy to star opposite the director’s wife, Vivien Leigh, who would go on to recreate her role as Blanche DuBois in the film version opposite Marlon Brando.

After several plays and films in Europe, Bikel moved to the United States in 1954, and became a naturalized citizen in 1961. He was the U-boat first officer to Curd Jürgens in The Enemy Below and played the captain of the Russian submarine in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming. He also portrayed the sadistic French general Jouvet in The Pride and the Passion Bikel was screentested for the role of Auric Goldfinger in the James Bond film Goldfinger. The screentest can be seen on the “Ultimate Edition” DVD released in 2006. Bikel also appeared in Frank Zappa’s 1971 film 200 Motels.

On Broadway he originated the role of Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music in 1959, for which he received his second Tony nomination.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Television Permalink

Theda Bara

October 25, 2019

Theda Bara, born Theodosia Burr Goodman, was an American silent film actress. Bara was one of the most popular screen actresses of her era, and was one of cinema’s earliest sex symbols. Her femme fatale roles earned her the nickname “The Vamp”. The term “vamp” soon became a popular slang term for a sexually predatory woman. Bara, along with Broadway turned film actress Valeska Suratt, and the French film actress Musidora, popularized the vamp persona in the early years of silent film and was soon imitated by rival actresses such as Louise Glaum, Nita Naldi and Pola Negri.

Theodosia Burr Goodman was born in 1885 in the Avondale section of Cincinnati, Ohio. Her father was Bernard Goodman, a prosperous Jewish tailor born in Poland. Her mother, Pauline Louise de Coppett, was born in Switzerland and was also Jewish. Bernard and Pauline married in 1882.

Theda’s brother and sister were Marque and Esther, who also became a film actress under the name Lori Bara and married Francis W. Getty of London in 1920.

The origin of Bara’s stage name is somewhat murky; The Guinness Book of Movie Facts and Feats says it came from director Frank Powell, who learned Theda had a relative named Barranger. At the time, many thought the name was taken from an anagram of “Arab Death”.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures Permalink

Thelma Todd

October 25, 2019

Thelma Alice Todd was an American actress. Appearing in about 120 pictures between 1926 and 1935, she is best remembered for her comedic roles in films like Marx Brothers’ Monkey Business and Horse Feathers, a number of Charley Chase’s short comedies, and co-starring with Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante in Speak Easily. She also had roles in Wheeler and Woolsey farces, several Laurel and Hardy films, the last of which featured her in a part that was truncated by her death.

Todd was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts to Jim and Bertha Todd, and was a bright student who achieved good academic results. She intended to become a school teacher. However, in her late teens, she began entering beauty pageants, winning the title of Miss Massachusetts in 1925. While representing her home state, she was spotted by a Hollywood talent scout and began her career in film.

During the silent era, Todd appeared in numerous supporting roles that made full use of her beauty but gave her little chance to act. With the advent of the talkies, Todd was given opportunity to expand her roles when producer Hal Roach signed her to appear with such comedy stars as Harry Langdon, Charley Chase, and Laurel and Hardy. In 1931 she was given her own series, teaming with ZaSu Pitts for slapstick comedies. This was Roach’s attempt to create a female version of Laurel and Hardy. When Pitts left Roach in 1933, she was replaced by Patsy Kelly. The Todd shorts often cast her as a working girl having all sorts of problems, and trying her best to remain poised and charming despite the embarrassing antics of her sidekick.

In 1931, Todd became romantically involved with director Roland West, and starred in his film Corsair.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Radio Permalink

The Three Stooges

October 25, 2019

The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid?20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe, Larry, and Shemp," among other lineups. The film trio was originally composed of Moe Howard, brother Shemp Howard and longtime friend Larry Fine. Curly Howard replaced brother Shemp, who later returned when Curly suffered a debilitating stroke in 1946.

After Shemp's death in 1955, he was replaced by comedian Joe Besser, after the use of stuntman Joe Palma to record several "Shemp" shorts after his death. Eventually Joe "Curly-Joe" DeRita replaced Joe Besser. Larry suffered a serious stroke in 1970, and was unable to continue performing. Emil Sitka, a longtime actor in Stooge comedies, was contracted to replace Larry, but no film was ever made with him in the role, although publicity photographs exist of him with his hair combed similarly to Larry's, posing with Moe and Curly-Joe. However, Larry's paralyzing stroke in 1970 effectively marked the end of the act. He died in January 1975. Moe died of cancer a few months later.

The Three Stooges started in 1925 as part of a raucous vaudeville act called 'Ted Healy and His Stooges'. In the act, lead comedian Healy would attempt to sing or tell jokes while his noisy assistants would keep "interrupting" him. Healy would respond by verbally and physically abusing his stooges. Brothers Moe and Shemp were joined later that year by violinist-comedian Larry Fine, and Fred Sanborn joined the group as well.

In 1930, Ted Healey and His Stooges, including Sanborn, appeared in their first Hollywood feature film: Soup to Nuts, released by Fox Film Corporation. The film was not a success with the critics, but the Stooges' performances were considered the highlight and Fox offered the trio a contract without Healy. This displeased Healy, who told studio executives that the Stooges were his employees. The offer was withdrawn, and after Howard, Fine and Howard learned of the reason, they left Healy to form their own act, which quickly took off with a tour of the theatre circuit. Healy attempted to stop the new act with legal action, claiming they were using his copyrighted material. There are accounts of Healy threatening to bomb theaters if Howard, Fine and Howard ever performed there, which worried Shemp so much that he almost left the act; reportedly, only a pay raise kept him on board. Healy tried to save his act by hiring replacement stooges, but they were inexperienced and not as well-received as their predecessors. In 1932, with Moe now acting as business manager, Healy reached a new agreement with his former Stooges, and they were booked in a production of Jacob J. Shubert's The Passing Show of 1932. During rehearsals, Healy received a more lucrative offer and found a loophole in his contract allowing him to leave the production. Shemp, fed up with Healy's abrasiveness, decided to quit the act and found work almost immediately, in Vitaphone movie comedies produced in Brooklyn, New York.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Recording Permalink

Thelonious Monk

October 25, 2019

Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered “one of the giants of American music”. Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including “Epistrophy”, “‘Round Midnight”, “Blue Monk”, “Straight, No Chaser” and “Well, You Needn’t”. Monk is the second most recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington, which is particularly remarkable as Ellington composed over 1,000 songs while Monk wrote about 70.

Often regarded as a founder of bebop, Monk’s playing later evolved away from that style. His compositions and improvisations are full of dissonant harmonies and angular melodic twists, and are consistent with Monk’s unorthodox approach to the piano, which combined a highly percussive attack with abrupt, dramatic use of silences and hesitations.

Monk’s manner was idiosyncratic. Visually, he was renowned for his distinctive style in suits, hats and sunglasses. He was also noted for the fact that at times, while the other musicians in the band continued playing, he would stop, stand up from the keyboard and dance for a few moments before returning to the piano. One of his regular dances consisted of continuously turning counterclockwise, which has drawn comparisons to ring-shout and Sufi whirling.

He is one of only five jazz musicians to be featured on the cover of Time .

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Recording Permalink

Steve Miller

October 25, 2019

Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals.

In 1965, Steve Miller and keyboardist Barry Goldberg founded the Goldberg-Miller Blues Band along with bassist Shawn Yoder, rhythm guitarist Craymore Stevens, and drummer Lance Haas after moving to Chicago to play the blues. The band was contracted to Epic Records after playing many Chicago clubs. They also appeared on Hullabaloo with the Four Tops and the Supremes, and gigged at a Manhattan club.

Miller left the group to go to San Francisco where the psychedelic scene was flourishing. He then formed the Steve Miller Blues Band which, when they contracted with Capitol Records in 1967, they shortened their name to the Steve Miller Band. The band, consisting of Miller, guitarist James Cooke, bassist Lonnie Turner, and drummer Tim Davis, backed Chuck Berry at a gig at the Fillmore West that was released as a live album. Guitarist Boz Scaggs joined the band soon after and the group performed at the Monterey Pop Festival in June. In May 1968 while in England, they recorded their debut album Children Of The Future. The album did not have any successes and did not score among the Top 100 album chart, but standout tracks were the acoustic tune "Baby's Calling Me Home" and funky blues number "Steppin' Stone". Closing the album is a slow version of the blues standard "Key To The Highway".

The Steve Miller Band's second album Sailor appeared in October, and climbed the Billboard chart to #24. Successes included the singles "Livin' In The USA", "Lucky Man", and Boz Scaggs "Overdrive" and "Dime-A-Dance Romance".

25 Oct 2019
Recording, Television Permalink

The Spinners

October 25, 2019

The Spinners is a soul music vocal group, active under that name since 1961, and popular with a long run of pop and R&B hits during the 1970s. The group, originating from Detroit, still tours regularly. The band is also listed occasionally as The Motown Spinners, or as Detroit Spinners. These group monikers were used in the UK to avoid confusion with a British group also called The Spinners.

In 1954, a group of friends who grew up together in Royal Oak Township, Michigan, just outside Detroit, came together to make music. For a time, several of the band members resided in Detroit’s Herman Gardens public housing projects. Billy Henderson, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson, C. P. Spencer, and James Edwards called themselves The Domingoes. James Edwards lasted only a few weeks. He was replaced by Bobbie Smith, who sang lead on most of the Spinners’ early records. C. P. Spencer left the group shortly afterwards, and would later go on to be a member of the Voice Masters and The Originals. He was replaced by George Dixon. The group renamed themselves The Spinners in 1961. This name was chosen after looking at popular car hubcaps and noting how they spun around on a car’s wheel.

The Spinners first hit the charts in August 1961 on Harvey Fuqua’s Tri-Phi Records, with “That’s What Girls Are Made For,” peaking at number 27. Bobby Smith sang lead vocal on this track, coached by Fuqua. The group’s followup, “Love I Found You” also featured lead vocals by Smith, although again some sources credit Fuqua. This track would reach number 91 that November, but none of their other Tri-Phi singles charted.

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Television Permalink

The Osmonds

October 25, 2019

The Osmonds are an American family music group with a long and varied career?a career that took them from singing barbershop music as children, to achieving success as teen-music idols, to producing a hit television show, and to continued success as solo and group performers. The Osmonds are devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and their religious values have influenced their careers.

When it began as a barbershop quartet, the group consisted of brothers Alan Osmond, Wayne Osmond, Merrill Osmond, and Jay Osmond. They were later joined by younger siblings Donny Osmond and Jimmy Osmond. Their only sister Marie Osmond, who never sang with her brothers at that time, would launch a successful solo career in the 70's. Older brothers George Virl Osmond, Jr. and Tom Osmond were born deaf and did not originally perform, although they later made occasional appearances, most notably on the family Christmas specials from the 70s. All of the Osmonds were born in their hometown of Ogden, Utah except the youngest, Jimmy, who was born in Canoga Park, California.

The Osmond Brothers' career began in 1958 when Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay began singing barbershop music for local audiences in and around their hometown of Ogden, Utah. In the made-for-TV movie "," the Osmonds explain that they originally performed to earn money to support Virl and Tom in buying hearing aids and serving missions for their church. Despite their young ages, within a few years, the boys' talent and stage presence were strong enough that their father, George Osmond, took them to audition for Lawrence Welk in California. Welk turned them down, but on the same trip, they visited Disneyland and were hired to perform there after joining an adult barbershop quartet for some impromptu singing.

While the Osmond Brothers were performing at Disneyland, Andy Williams' father saw them and was so impressed he told his son to book them for his television show. Andy did, and the Osmond Brothers were regulars on The Andy Williams' show from 1962?1969, where they earned the nickname "one-take Osmonds" because of their professionalism and tireless rehearsing. Donny soon joined them on the show, making the Osmond Brothers a 5-member group. Marie and Jimmy were also introduced on the show as the years went by. During this time, the Osmonds also toured Europe, performing with Sweden's most popular singer, Lars Lönndahl, and even releasing a single where they sang a swedish version of "Two dirty little hands" .

25 Oct 2019
Radio, Television Permalink

The Real Don Steele

October 25, 2019

Don Steele, born Donald S. Revert, was one of the most popular disc jockeys in the United States, from the middle of the 1960s until his retirement for health reasons in May 1997. He was often promoted as “The Real Don Steele” to distinguish himself from another DJ with the same name.

Born in Hollywood, California, Steele first became famous as a DJ on radio station KHJ in Los Angeles, where he helped to promote the “ultrahip” top-40 Boss Radio format which began on May 3, 1965. He also appeared on TV in his own programs called Boss City and The Real Don Steele TV Show, a show which ran from 1965 to 1975 on KHJ-TV channel 9 in Los Angeles. When the popularity of AM radio gave way to FM stereo in the 1970s, Steele continued to remain a popular personality at the station. For the remaining years of his life he spent his broadcasting days at Los Angeles’s KRTH-FM. He graduated from Hollywood High School, served in the United States Air Force and then studied at a local radio school. Shortly thereafter Steele began working outside of L.A. at KBUC in Corona, CA then moving onto Kennewick, KIMA Yakima and KXLY Spokane, Washington; KOIL Omaha, Nebraska; KISN Portland, Oregon, and KEWB San Francisco before returning to Los Angeles to work at the All-New KHJ in April 1965.

In the book Los Angeles Radio People, Steele recalled the beginnings of Boss Radio in May, 1965: “We were standing literally at ground zero, then became a huge giant. It was like a mushroom cloud that went up — heavy on the mushroom.”

25 Oct 2019
Motion Pictures, Recording Permalink

The Sons of the Pioneers

October 25, 2019

The Sons of the Pioneers is an American cowboy singing group founded in 1933 by Leonard Slye, with Tim Spencer and Bob Nolan. They were joined by Hugh Farr in 1934, Karl Farr in 1935, and Lloyd Perryman in 1936.

When Rogers began his film career, the group took on Pat Brady, who brought with him his flair for comedy. The group remained popular into the 1960s.

Though all of the original members are deceased, the group continues. Group "trail boss," Dale Warren, died in August of 2008, ending a 56-year stint with the group. The group still performs regularly at concerts in Branson, Missouri and other locations, as of 2010, led by current "trail boss" Luther Nallie. Current members are Luther Nallie, Gary LeMaster, Ken Lattimore, Randy Rudd, Ricky Boen and Mark Abbott.

It has been claimed that The Sons of the Pioneers is the oldest continually performing private musical group in history. Ken Curtis is best remembered as an actor, primarily for playing Festus on Gunsmoke, but was a member of the Sons from 1949 to 1953. Western character actor Shug Fisher was a member from 1943–46, 1949–53 and 1955–59.