Hadji Ali performed for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Judy Garland proclaimed him her favorite vaudeville performed. More recently, magician David Blaine cited him as his favorite magician and a personal inspiration. Hadji Ali’s “talent” was impressive and decidedly unusual. Born in Egypt somewhere between 1888 and 1892, young Hadji developed an affinity for swimming in the …
Chicago transplant Mary Webster — in all honesty — had a pretty unremarkable career. As a twenty-year old aspiring actress, she took roles portraying teenage characters in episodic television. She made her big screen debut in 1957 opposite Jerry Lewis in The Delicate Delinquent, his first full-length motion picture after his split with partner Dean …
Considering the nature of his chosen profession and the fun-filled products with which he was associated, Leo Hirschfield led a complicated life. The son of an Austrian candy maker, young Leo came to the United States and began working for Manhattan confectioners Stern & Saalberg. While in the employ of Stern & Saalberg, Leo was …
Many, many years ago, my mom’s friend Arlene recommended a film called Little Shop of Horrors. She told my mom, in a phone conversation, that she had stumbled upon this little gem while trying to find something to watch during a a late-night bout with insomnia. Arlene settled upon this quirky little flick after watching …
For many years, I collected autographed photos of celebrities. “Celebrities,” I will admit, is a relative term and can only be defined as “someone who more people have heard of than have heard of me.” I obtained a good portion of my collection by attending local collector shows and conventions where promoters would gather together …
Budding actress Gloria Chin was in the Paramount Pictures commissary when she was spotted by the wife of Hollywood screenwriter and producer Sidney Buchman. Gloria was quickly cast in the 1947 film noir Singapore alongside Ava Gardner and Fred MacMurray. Gloria was also given a new name — the exotic-sounding mononym “Maylia.” Favorable reviews led …
On the advice of a numerologist, Terry Garr changed her name to “Teri,” a name containing no repeating letters. She was told this would lead to a successful career. Teri appeared as an uncredited go-go dancer in a number of youth-oriented film and television productions, including Shindig!, Hullabaloo, Shivaree, as well as a musical special …
See if you can follow this….. When Aynsley Dunbar left John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers to form Faces with Jeff Beck and a young singer named Rod Stewart, guitarist Eric Clapton suggested drummer Mick Fleetwood as a replacement. Clapton then asked Peter Green to fill in for him for a few gigs with The Bluesbreakers. …
After making his Broadway debut in The Wiz, Ken Page took the featured role of “Nicely-Nicely” in a Broadway revival of the Damon Runyon musical Guys and Dolls. He followed that up with a turn in Ain’t Misbehavin’, the acclaimed musical biography of jazz pianist Fats Waller. Ken reprised the role in a television broadcast …
I remember watching baseball with my mom and dad, both pretty avid baseball fans. It was a Philadelphia Phillies game and they were playing the Cincinnati Reds, who, at the time, were the powerhouse known as “The Big Red Machine.” When Pete Rose stepped up to the plate for the Reds, my mom — never …
