In 1967, a 28 year-old aspiring film maker named George Romero wrote the screenplay to what would be his first film, Night of the Living Dead. He gained technical experience working as a cameraman/producer for a local Pittsburgh television station where he created segments for the children’s show MisterRogers’ Neighborhood. Romero and his collaborator John Russo pitched the idea …
Wayland Flowers began making puppets by hand. A shy child, he was able to express himself through his puppets. One in particular, a loudmouth, crass “old broad” named Madame was his favorite. He patterned the character after a restaurant hostess famous for her outrageous eye shadow and her extremely colorful language. He landed his first …
When Donald wandered into SMC Cartage garage to pick up his car on that February morning in 1929, he didn’t know he was walking into a heap of trouble.
Nineteen-year old Brigitte Helm couldn’t have imagined what she signed on for. With lofty aspirations of starring on the big screen, the Berlin teen joined a cast of thousands on director Fritz Lang’s vision of a dystopian future, Metropolis. She was subjected to Lang’s attempt at presenting gritty realism and, in 1927, without the aid of …
Long before Jeff Dunham, even long before Paul Winchell, there was Edgar Bergen. Bergen started off as a ventriloquist in vaudeville. He was offered an appearance on Rudy Vallee’s radio program. Bergen proved himself so popular, he was given his own radio show, The Chase and Sanborn Hour (sponsored by the then-famous coffee company), in 1937. Bergen and his …
Stints as a mechanic, a chauffeur, valet and chef were not a good fit for Sebastian Cabot. He wanted to act — a type of lying, as he called the profession. Sebastian worked regularly in films for thirty years, beginning with his debut in Alfred Hitchcock‘s 1936 thriller Secret Agent. (Actors Michael Rennie and Michael Redgrave …
As a teenager traveling through Paris in the 1920s, Faith Bacon began her career as a dancer through a chance meeting with singer Maurice Chevalier. She performed in Paris reviews exclusively in the nude, using bubbles, flowers and fans as props. When she returned to the United States, she appeared in Earl Carroll’s notorious nude …
After a stint as a backup singer on for Leonard Cohen on an early 70s European tour, Laura Branigan knew she wanted a career as a professional singer. Impressed by her four-octave range, Atlantic Records chief Ahmet Ertegun signed Laura to a contract. She released her debut album, a collection of up-beat pop songs and ballads, …
Marc Feld was in love with rock and roll. The former child catalog model was obsessed with the music of Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry and Gene Vincent. At 12, he bought a guitar and formed a skiffle trio with future British pop singer Helen Shapiro. Marc played with dozens of bands and went through just as many …
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In 1950, Brandon deWilde became the talk of Broadway when he debuted in Member of the Wedding at the age of 7. Three years later, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his heart-rending performance as Joey Starrett opposite star Alan Ladd in Shane. Based on his popularity, Brandon was …
