Věra Helena Hrubá competed in figure skating the 1936 Winter Olympics, representing her native Czechoslovakia. She placed 17th. During the games, she met Adolf Hitler, who asked her if she would like to “skate for the swastika.” Věra looked him right in the eye and replied that she’d rather skate on the swastika. The Führer was not amused. …
There were a few things that were unclear about Herb Jeffries, the handsome actor/singer/songwriter, whose career spanned seven decades. His year of birth was given, at various times, as either 1913 or 1914. He often told conflicting stories about his father — whether he was French or Sicilian or of African descent. It was also …
Statuesque Tamara Dobson participated in a few fashion shows while attending the Maryland Institute College of Art. Working her way towards a degree in fashion illustration, she began modeling and was soon appearing in commercials. After graduation, she moved to New York, where she modeled, appearing regularly in Vogue and Essence magazines. She represented high fashion …
Lucille Bogan began recording in the early 20s, for Okeh Records the record division of the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation. Okeh was a major producer of “race records.” They released early recordings by Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and future Academy Award winner Hattie McDaniel. Lucille mostly recorded in New York City, but at the end of 1923, …
The daughter of sharecroppers, Theresa Harris was born on New Year’s Eve 1906. Her family moved to Southern California when she was 11 and she longed to become an actress. In 1930, she made he debut in the gangster tale Thunderbolt, where she was featured in an uncredited performance singing “Daddy, Won’t You Please Come Home?” Soon. she …
“I’m not the smartest fellow in the world, but I can sure pick smart colleagues.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
Abe Vigoda died earlier this week. His career bridged eight decades and he spent the last few of those decades convincing the public that he wasn’t dead. He played mostly bit parts in the early days of television including long stints on the popular soap operas As The World Turns and Dark Shadows. Always giving the …
Kevin Connors dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, one day playing for his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. At an imposing six-foot-five, the athletic Connors was a natural at first base, often yelling “Chuck it to me! Chuck it to me!” to his teammates on the neighborhood ball clubs, thus earning him the nickname “Chuck.” Equally …
In 1975, I entered high school as a rambunctious, unwieldy fourteen year-old. After rattling the nerves of most of my teachers, I was quickly dismissed and sent to the only class that could keep me under control — art. The art class to which I was relegated was a senior class. I was the lone …
Born in Japan in 1929, Umeki Miyoshi was the youngest of nine children of the owner of an iron factory. In her 20s, using the stage name “Nancy Umeki,” she recorded a succession of American jazz standards for the RCA Victor Japan label and performed a popular nightclub act. A talent scout saw her act …
