With humble beginnings in local theater, Helen Walker made her big-screen debut in Lucky Jordan in 1942, co-starring with Alan Ladd in his first “leading man” role. Helen became well-known and reliable as a foil in comedies. She appeared as the female lead in the original Brewster’s Millions with Dennis O’Keefe. She later starred in …
Ilhan New was born in Pyongyang, North Korea in 1895. He and his family of nine brothers and sisters emigrated to the United States when Ilhan was nine. A good student, Ilhan eventually attended the University of Michigan where he graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Commerce. He teamed with a friend, Detroit grocer Wally …
Shannon Hoon had two passions — sports and music. In high school, he wrestled, played football and was a pole vaulter on the track and field squad. Influenced by The Beatles, The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan, Shannon began to front various bands on weekends. At 18, Shannon left his native Indiana for the bright …
For someone with such an interesting and unusual name, there is not a lot of information about Bo Peep Karlin. She was born Lioba Karlin in 1910 in Green Creek, Illinois, located midway between St. Louis and Terre Haute, Indiana. An aspiring dancer, Bo Peep made her film debut in an uncredited role in the …
Dino Martin was encouraged to pursue a career in show business. After all, his father was Dean Martin, one of the most famous figures in entertainment. Just into his teens, Dino teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Billy Hinsche and drummer Desi Arnaz Jr., both of whom Dino knew as grammar school classmates. The trio auditioned for Frank …
Al Adamson wasn’t about to set Hollywood on fire. He wasn’t making groundbreaking film. He wasn’t an innovator of directorial technique. He was churning out low budget schlock and he knew it. And he didn’t care. Al’s films touched on many genres — westerns, horror, sexploitation, blaxploitation, soft-core porn, outlaw biker films, sex comedies, science-fiction, …
My wife and I recently visited the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York. Despite its somewhat remote location, the center houses an impressive and comprehensive collection of all aspects of comedy — including films, props, costumes and awards. Through numerous interactive displays, the world of comedy is explored, reviewed, analyzed and, of course, celebrated. …
Tommy Cooper was a popular British comedian for four decades. The hulking funnyman, never without his trademark red fez, would perform magic tricks… most of which failed miserably. He used his failures as fodder for rapid fire one-liners that had his audiences rolling in the aisles. In April 1984, Tommy was performing on the popular …
Twenty-one year old Christa Speck was working as a secretary at Bank of America when she was discovered by Playboy talent scouts. Soon the German-born beauty found herself gracing the pages of the September 1961 issue as the “Playmate of the Month.” Her popularity earned her the title of “Playmate of the Year,” the first …
