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 …
The second series — “Horror Actors of the 1940s” — concludes with George Zucco. British actor George Zucco gained fame as an upper-crust, but often villainous, character in dozens of dramas, mysteries and serials of the 30s and 40s. He was cast as the nefarious “Professor Moriarty” in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in 1939. …
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. …
Week 3 of the “Horror Actors of the 1940s” series in JPiC’s “Inktober” continues with Rondo Hatton. Rondo Hatton was a star athlete at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Florida, excelling in track and football. He was also voted Most Handsome Boy in his senior year. After high school, he worked as a sportswriter for …
