Bertha Ricketts was born in Mississippi, where her mother and grandmother provided a homeschooled education. They also provided a nickname — “Cid” — based on her calm and “placid” nature. She furthered her education at Columbia University, where she earned a Masters Degree. Cid enrolled in nursing school, but dropped out after a year when …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
While playing in the outfield for his high school baseball team, Dernell Stenson attracted the attention of a scout from the Boston Red Sox. He was selected in the 1996 MLB draft and quickly worked through the ranks of the minor leagues. After four seasons with the Red Sox Triple-A team, Dernall signed a minor …
On March 10, 1928, Christine Collins gave her 9-year old son Walter some money to go to the movies. When he didn’t return long after the show was over, she contacted the Los Angeles Police Department. Police followed hundreds of dead-end leads and conducted extensive searches that eventually spread nationwide. Five months after Walter’s disappearance, …
Despite being a key figure in the era of the “girl next door,” Patti Brill had a pretty unremarkable career. As compared to her contemporaries, like Debbie Reynolds and Jane Powell, the majority of Patti’s screen appearances were uncredited. She exhibited the same bubbly personality and demure demeanor as Reynolds and Powell, but, unfortunately, was …
Viola Fletcher was born in Comanche, Oklahoma, but moved to Tulsa with her family. The Fletchers lived in Greenwood, an affluent neighborhood of black families, known as “Black Wall Street.” On May 31, 1921, mobs of white residents — some supposedly working as deputized agent of local government — attacked and destroyed the homes and …
