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Joe Sawyer (born Joseph Sauers, August 29, 1906 – April 21, 1982) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1927 and 1962, and was sometimes billed under his birth name. He was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Sawyer gained acting experience in the Pasadena Playhouse. Popular roles that he portrayed included Sergeant Biff O'Hara in the Rin Tin Tin television program, a film, and on radio. On Stories of the Century in 1954, he portrayed Butch Cassidy, a role which he repeated in the 1958 episode "The Outlaw Legion" of the syndicated western series Frontier Doctor starring Rex Allen, with Doris Singleton and Michael Ansara as fellow guest stars. Sawyer also appeared on ABC's, Maverick, Sugarfoot, Peter Gunn, and Surfside 6 as well as NBC's Bat Masterson.
Sawyer died April 21, 1982, in Ashland, Oregon from liver cancer. He was 75. His interment was in Oregon.
One of MGM's more vivacious secondary stars during the 40s, petite and lovely Jean Porter was born in Texas in 1925 but left the state while young to pursue her dream as an actress. Following some vaudeville experience, she made her uncredited film debut in 1939 (age 14) and slowly graduated to sweet-natured ingénues in light, wholesome "B" fare. Most were sentimental trifles, such as Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944)and Easy to Wed (1946), or western action with such obvious titles as Heart of the Rio Grande (1942) and Home in Wyomin' (1942). Despite her promise and talent, none of her approximately 30 films managed to set her apart and top stardom remained elusive.
Jean's finest screen roles probably came with The Youngest Profession (1943) and Till the End of Time (1946), where she met future husband, director Edward Dmytryk. They married in 1948 and had three children: Richard, Victoria and Rebecca, the latter becoming a wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator. Not long into their marriage, Dmytryk was branded a Communist as one of the "Hollywood Ten" (he was admittedly once a member of The American Communist Party) and the next decade or so would be a dark period of time for them.
Unable to work, the blacklisted director moved his family to England where he found some employment. In 1951, however, Dmytryk decided to return to the States and was jailed for six months before giving testimony and being granted a reprieve. As a result, he was allowed to return to directing. Jean's last film, in fact, would be The Left Hand of God (1955) starring Humphrey Bogart and Gene Tierney, which was directed by her husband. Throughout their ordeal Jean and Edward remained a loyal couple and in later years wrote a book together "On Screen Acting" in 1984. Happily married until his death at age 90 of heart and kidney failure in 1999, Jean continues to be a regular attendee of film-related events and a by-line contributor for "Classic Images," the popular magazine for old-styled film fans, in which she reminisces of Hollywood back then.
Date of Birth 8 December 1922, Cisco, Texas
Arthur Lee Hunnicutt (February 17, 1910 – September 26, 1979) was an American actor known for his portrayal of wise, grizzled, and old rural characters. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Big Sky (1952). He was also known for his role in the Western television series Sugarfoot (1957–1961).
Frank Faylen (born Francis Charles Ruf) was an American stage, screen, and television actor. He is best remembered for his movie performances as the cynical male nurse in The Lost Weekend (1945) and Ernie the taxi driver in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), as well as for his portrayal of long-suffering grocer Herbert T. Gillis on the 1950s television sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
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Eddie Acuff (June 3, 1908 – December 17, 1956) was an American actor. His best-known recurring role is that of Mr. Beasley, the postman, in the Blondie movie series that starred Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake.
Acuff was born Edward DeKalb Acuff in Caruthersville, Missouri. His maternal uncle was a performer on 19th century showboats along the Mississippi River.
Before beginning his Hollywood film career in 1934, Acuff performed in Broadway theatre in the early-1930s. His Broadway credits include Jayhawker (1934), Yellow Jack (1934), John Brown (1934), Growing Pains (1933), Heat Lightning (1933), and The Dark Hours (1932).
He was seen in three film serials — as Curly in Jungle Girl, as Red Kelly, in Daredevils of the West, and as Spud Warner in Chick Carter Detective.
On December 17, 1956, Acuff died of a heart attack in Hollywood, California. He is buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.
Gino Corrado (born Gino Corrado Liserani; 9 February 1893 - 23 December 1982) was an Italian-born American screen actor, his career spanning the years 1916 to 1954. During the early years of his career he was extensively credited as Eugene Corey.
George DeNormand was born on September 22, 1903 in New York City, New York, USA. He is known for his work on "The Painted Stallion (1937)", "The Money Jungle (1967)" and "Dick Tracy (1937)". He was married to Bernice Victoria "Patsy" Peterson and Wanda Tuchock. He died on December 23, 1976 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Tom Fadden (January 6, 1895 – April 14, 1980) was an American actor. He performed on the legitimate stage, vaudeville, in films and on television during his long career.
He would make his film debut with a small role in 1939's I Stole a Million. He would have his first memorable bit in his next film, Destry Rides Again, where in the opening scene he is playing cards, and is cheated when the character portrayed by Marlene Dietrich distracts him by spilling coffee in his lap.
His film career would span almost forty years and encompass over 90 films, mostly in small or supporting roles, although with an occasional starring role, as in 1940's Zanzibar.
His final acting credit was the 1977 science fiction horror film Empire of the Ants.
Fadden died of natural causes on April 14, 1980 in Vero Beach, Florida.
Gregory Gaye was born on October 10, 1900 in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire as Gregory De Gay. He was an actor, known for Ninotchka (1939), Dodsworth (1936) and Tovarich (1937). He died on August 23, 1993 in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA.
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Earle Hodgins (October 6, 1893 – April 14, 1964) was an American actor.
Early in his career, Hodgins was active in stock theater, including working in the Ralph Cloninger troupe of Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Siegel Stock company of Seattle, Washington.
He appeared in over 330 films and television shows between 1932 and 1963. He specialized in playing fast-talking con men—often in westerns, such as The Lone Ranger, Judge Roy Bean, The Cisco Kid, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, Rawhide, Maverick, Lawman, The Rifleman, Cheyenne, Have Gun – Will Travel, Gunsmoke and Hopalong Cassidy. In the 1960-1961 season, he appeared in three episodes of Joanne Dru's ABC sitcom, Guestward, Ho! as the aging ranch wrangler known as "Lonesome." In one of those episodes, "Lonesome's Gal", he was cast opposite ZaSu Pitts. Thereafter, the two died within a year of each other.
Hodgins' other television roles were as carnival barkers, medicine-show salesmen, and the like. He was known for shooing away obstreporous children from his stage, snapping at them, "Get away, son, ya bother me".
Hodgins married Sue Hanley, who was described in a newspaper item as "a Seattle society girl."