Violette Morris excelled at sports — all sports. She was an avid and fierce boxer, often defeating men. She was selected for the French national water polo team even though there was no women’s team at the time. She won gold medals in football at the 1921 and 1922 Women’s Olympiads. She was also successful in  airplane racing, horseback riding, tennis, archery, diving, swimming, weightlifting. She expressed an interest in auto racing and underwent a voluntary mastectomy so she could fit in the cars more easily. She competed in and won a number of automobile events throughout the 1920s.

Violette was invited to participate in the 1936 Summer Olympics by Adolf Hitler. She happily obliged. Post-Olympics, Violette began collaborating with the Nazis, securing black market gasoline, spying and even torturing prisoners. Several reports claim that Violette enjoyed inflicting torture, often smiling and laughing during lengthy interrogations. She earned herself the nickname “The Hyena of the Gestapo.”

In April 1944, Violette’s car was sabotaged by members of the French Resistance. A few minutes into a journey from Lieurey, Violette’s car sputtered to a halt. She was driving members of the Nazi-sympathizing Bailleul family to Normandy. The car was ambushed by the French Resistance and all occupants were killed. Violette’s bullet-ridden body was taken to a morgue where it lay unclaimed for months. She was eventually buried in an unmarked communal grave. Violette was 51.

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After performing in various stage productions in his native Kansas, Kendall McComas and his family relocated to Southern California to help Kendall in his pursuit of a movie career.

In 1927, 11-year. old Kendall landed a small part in Mickey’s Eleven, a two-reel short subject that was part of the “Mickey McGuire” film series. This series provided actors Mickey Rooney and Billy Barty with the starts of their respective careers. Kendall was cast as a member of Mickey’s gang. He would go on to appear in eleven “Mickey McGuire” shorts, playing several different characters, including “Stinky Davis” in his final three appearances.

Kendall appeared in several feature films before being signed to Hal Roach’s “Little Rascals” troupe. Despite being a teenager, Kendall was cast as sniveling grade-school student “Breezy Brisbane.” Kendall worked with the “Little Rascals” for a little over a year. In 1934, he played his last screen role as an uncredited “Boy” in the forgotten comedy I’ll Fix It starring Jack Holt. At 18, he said goodbye to show business.

In the 1960s, Kendall worked as an electrical engineer at the  U.S. Naval Weapons Center in China Lake, California. Later, he settled into a job as an institutional mortgage-backed bond salesman, using the name John Mandy.

Two weeks before turning 65, and facing mandatory retirement, Kendall took his own life.

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Kenyatta Jones was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 2001 NFL Draft. He was chosen in the fourth round based on his on-field performance at the University South Florida.

Kenyatta started in eleven games for the Pats, until he was placed on the “Physically Unable to Perform” list at the beginning of the 2003 season.  While inactive, he was arrested and charged with allegedly throwing hot tea on his cousin as the result of a disagreement. Kenyatta was released by the Patriots five days later.

In 2008, he was recruited by Arena Football team Tampa Bay Storm. Just after his signing, Kenyatta was arrested outside a Tampa nightclub after attempting to urinate on the dance floor and then shoving the off-duty police officer who threw Jones out of the club. Jones was arrested for battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.

Kenyatta disappeared from the spotlight for nearly ten years, resurfacing in the headlines only after his mother announced that Kenyatta passed away from cardiac arrest at the age of 39.

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In 1959, 14-year old Bernadette Carroll joined up with Lynda Malzone and sisters Barbara and Jiggs Allbut to form The Starlets. They made a few recordings for a small record label but, soon disbanded, leaving the door open for Bernadette’s solo career.

Under the guidance of music impresario Bob Gaudio, Bernadette recorded several singles, including “My Heart Stood Still.” The song did not chart nationally, buy it did register at Number 4 on a year end survey conducted by radio station WHYN 560 AM in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Bernadette became a popular back-up vocalist for national acts like Connie Francis, Patty Duke and Frankie Valli. She can be heard (along with Denise Ferri and Peggy Santiglia) backing up Lou Christie on his chart-topping hits “Lightning Strikes” and “Rhapsody in the Rain.”

In 1968, Bernadette reunited with her former Starlets bandmates, this time as The Angels. She toured with the group for a year.

Bernadette passed away at her Florida home in October 2018 at the age of 74.

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Nineteen-year-old Karen Morton was walking through the produce section of Vons Supermarket in Toluca Lake, California. She had accompanied her grandmother on a shopping trip. A man approached them and asked young Karen if she’d be interested in auditioning for Playboy. He handed over a business card, smiled and walked off. Some time later, Karen’s grandmother called her granddaughter and sternly asked, “Have you called those people back yet? Elaine did!” (Karen’s cousin Elaine Morton was Playboy Magazine’s “Miss June” in 1970.) On her grandmother’s prompt, Karen called. She became Playboy’s “Miss July” in 1978.

In 1982, through personal connections in the music business, Karen was cast as the titular “Jenny” in the music video for Tommy Tutone’s new wave hit 867-5309.” The video was in constant rotation in MTV. She was tagged for other videos, including songs by Van Halen and guitarist Moon Martin.

Karen was an in-demand model, representing a wide variety of companies, including Levis, Clairol and a number of products for the Japanese market. She attended events at Hugh Hefner‘s Playboy Mansion, where she rubbed elbows with the likes of Billy Idol, Muhammad Ali and Clint Eastwood.

In 2004, after experiencing discomfort while hiking, Karen was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare skin disease. Early symptoms of SJS mimic the flu, but soon manifest as painful skin blisters. In Karen’s case, she developed a rash that severely affected the skin surrounding her eyes. She withdrew from public life. Her skin was regularly treated in the same manner as a burn victim. Karen had a number of surgeries and eventually lost her eyesight. She passed away from the disease in 2014 at the age of 55.

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