The Midnight Story

Tony Curtis (June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010) was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama. In his later years, Curtis made numerous television appearances. Although his early film roles were partly the result of his good looks, by the later half of the 1950's he became a notable and strong screen presence. He began proving himself to be a “fine dramatic actor,” having the range to act in numerous dramatic and comedy roles. In his earliest parts he acted in a string of "mediocre" films, including swashbucklers, westerns, light comedies, sports films, and a musical. However, by the time he starred in Houdini (1953) with his wife Janet Leigh, "his first clear success," notes critic David Thomson, his acting had progressed immensely. He won his first serious recognition as a skilled dramatic actor in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) with co-star Burt Lancaster. The following year he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in another drama, The Defiant Ones (1958). Curtis then gave what many believe was his best acting, in a completely different role, the comedy Some Like It Hot (1959). Thomson calls it an "outrageous film," and it was voted the number 1 funniest film in history from a survey done by the American Film Institute. It costarred Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, and was directed by Billy Wilder. That was followed by Blake Edwards’ comedy Operation Petticoat (1959) with Cary Grant. They were both “frantic comedies,” and displayed "his impeccable comic timing." He often collaborated with Edwards on later films. His most significant serious part came in 1968 when he starred in the true-life drama The Boston Strangler, which some consider his "last major film role." The part reinforced his reputation as a serious actor with his "chilling portrayal" of serial killer Albert DeSalvo. He gained 30 pounds and had his face "rebuilt" with a false nose to look like the real DeSalvo. Curtis was the father of actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis by his first wife, actress Janet Leigh.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gilbert Roland (born Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso, December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994) was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice nominated for the Golden Globe Award in 1952 and 1964, and inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Roland was born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. When Pancho Villa took control of their town, Roland and his family fled to the United States. He lived in Texas until at age 14 he hopped on a freight train and went to Hollywood. He chose his screen name by combining the names of his favorite actors, John Gilbert and Ruth Roland. He was often cast in the stereotypical Latin lover role. Roland's first film contract was with Paramount. His first major role was in the collegiate comedy The Plastic Age (1925) together with Clara Bow, to whom he became engaged. In 1926, he played Armand in Camille opposite Norma Talmadge, with whom he was romantically involved, and they starred together in several productions. With the advent of sound films, Roland frequently appeared in Spanish language adaptations of American films, in romantic lead roles. Roland served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. Beginning in the 1940s, critics began to take notice of his acting and he was praised for his supporting roles in John Huston's We Were Strangers (1949), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Thunder Bay (1953), and Cheyenne Autumn (1964). He also appeared in a series of films in the mid-1940s as the popular character "The Cisco Kid". He played Hugo, the agnostic friend of the three shepherd children in The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima. In 1953, Roland played Greek-American sponge diver Mike Petrakis in the epic Beneath the 12-Mile Reef. His last film appearance was in the 1982 western Barbarosa. Roland married actress Constance Bennett in 1941. They were married until 1946 and had two daughters. His second marriage, to Guillermina Cantú in 1954, lasted until his death 40 years later. Gilbert Roland died of cancer in Beverly Hills, California in 1994, aged 88.

Marisa Pavan (born Maria Luisa Pierangeli; 19 June 1932 – 6 December 2023) was an Italian-born actress who first became famous as the twin sister to movie star Pier Angeli (Anna Maria Pierangeli) before achieving movie stardom on her own. Her breakthrough came in the film The Rose Tattoo as Anna Magnani's daughter; her role was first assigned to her twin, who at the time was unable to play the part. When Magnani won the Academy Award for Best Actress, Pavan accepted on her behalf as Magnani was not present at the awards ceremony. Pavan was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, losing to Jo Van Fleet (for East of Eden). Both Magnani and Pavan won Golden Globe awards that year. Afterwards, Marisa Pavan co-starred in films such as The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, Diane, John Paul Jones and The Midnight Story. She married in 1956, divorced in 1963, and remarried in 1969 the French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont until his death in 2001. Description above from the Wikipedia article Marisa Pavan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jay C. Flippen  (born March 6, 1899, Little Rock, Arkansas – February 3, 1971, Los Angeles, California) is an American character actor who often played police officers or weary criminals in many movies of the 1940s/'50s. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jay C. Flippen, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Argentina Brunetti (born Argentina Josefina Ángela Ferraù August 31, 1907 – December 20, 2005) was an Argentinian stage and film actress and writer.

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia   Ted de Corsia (September 29, 1903 [or 1905] – April 11, 1973) was an American radio, film, and television actor best remembered for his role as a gangster who turned state's evidence in the film The Enforcer (1951).

Kathleen Freeman (February 17, 1919 – August 23, 2001) was an American film, television, voice actress, and stage actress. In a career that spanned more than fifty years, she portrayed acerbic maids, secretaries, teachers, busybodies, nurses, and battle-axe neighbors and relatives, almost invariably to comic effect.

A well known character actor, Vigran was originally a law school graduate. He later chose to pursue acting, and performed in hundreds of radio shows with the likes of Jack Benny, Bob Hope and Jimmy Durante. He appeared frequently as various villains on the television series Adventures of Superman (1952), and made several guest appearances on television series like The Brady Bunch (1969) and I Love Lucy (1951).

Tito Vuolo (22 March 1893 – 14 September 1962) was an Italian-born American actor, best known for his supporting work, often playing stereotypical Italian characters. Prior to his film career, he toured the United States as a stage actor. Vuolo was born in Gragnano, Campania, Italy, and died in Los Angeles, California. His wife was Grazia "Grace" Vuolo. From Wikipedia.

Helen Wallace was born on October 23, 1889 in Van Nuys, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Matinee Theatre (1955), The Twilight Zone (1959) and The Midnight Story (1957). She died on December 17, 1970 in New York City, New York, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bobby Barber (December 18, 1894 – May 24, 1976) was an American actor who appeared in over 100 films. Barber is notable for his work as a foil for Abbott and Costello on and off screen. Barber was often used by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello as a form of "court jester" on the set of their films. It was his job to keep the energy level up with pranks and practical jokes. Sometimes, he even suddenly appeared on camera during a take to break up the cast and crew. In Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Costello answers a knock at the door expecting to see large actor Lon Chaney Jr. Instead, the very short Barber walks in wearing a funny hat with a feather. In another outtake from that film, Bela Lugosi, in full Dracula regalia, is solemnly descending a staircase to meet Abbott and Costello when all of a sudden the actors and crew burst out laughing. Lugosi, annoyed, turns around to see Barber following right behind him, mimicking his steps. Barber also appeared in bit parts, such as a delivery boy, waiter, bellhop, or man on the street, often uncredited in movies, and in many of Abbott and Costello's films and about half their television shows. Sometimes his likeness was in a picture on a wall or a "wanted" poster in a post office. His final film appearance was in Lou Costello's last movie, The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959). His film career included bit parts in over 100 (known) feature films.

Richard "Pepe" Benedict (born Riccardo Benedetto, January 8, 1920 – April 29, 1984) was an Italian-American television and film actor and director. He was born in Palermo, Italy. He appeared in dozens of television programs and movies from the 1940s to the 1960s, most notably Ace in the Hole (1951), directed by Billy Wilder. Benedict appeared with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack in the 1960 movie Ocean's 11 as one of the 11 men who rob five Las Vegas casinos on the same night. He also played the commander of the Mars rescue ship in the 1958 B sci-fi movie It! The Terror from Beyond Space. Benedict's television appearances included Adventures of Superman, The Lone Ranger, Perry Mason, Zorro, Dragnet, Peter Gunn and Hawaii Five-O. His directing credits included Impasse, an adventure film starring Burt Reynolds. He died of a heart attack at Studio City, Los Angeles, on April 29, 1984, and was interred in Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in the Churchyard section. He was the father of three children, including actor Nick Benedict.

Chet Brandenburg (October 15, 1897 - July 17, 1974), was an American actor.

Born in East Boston, Johnny Indrisano was from a poverty stricken family. As a youth he vowed to "have money" some day. He boxed 155 amateur fights. He turned professional and went on to fight 83 main events in which he won 80. He defeated 5 world champions. His career lasted from 1924 to 1934. He defeated among others, Joe Dundee(World Welterweight Champ/non-title fight), Nick Testo, Johnny Freeman, Sig Keppen, and Sammy Baker. From 1934 to 1949 he worked as a boxing referee. He began as a boxing coach for movie stars and from there became a full-time boxing adviser on films. He also worked as a character actor. Among the stars he trained were John Garfield, Spencer Tracy, Carey Grant, Mickey Rooney, Robert Ryan, Robert Taylor, Jimmy Durante, Fred MacMurray, Ricardo Montalban, and William Lundigan. He died under mysterious conditions - possibly a suicide. Date of Death 9 July 1968, San Fernando Valley, California  (apparent suicide by hanging)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sammee Tong (April 21, 1901 – October 27, 1964) was an American film and television character actor. One of Tong's more notable roles was that of Peter Tong on the sitcom Bachelor Father, which aired on all three national networks from 1957 to 1962. Tong signed with Columbia Pictures, and in 1934, he made his film debut in a bit part in the comedy film The Captain Hates the Sea. In 1939 he returned to his home town as director of entertainment at the Chinese Village of San Francisco's World's Fair, and began the first Chinese radio hour on KSAN. Throughout the 1940s, he had small, usually uncredited, roles in films. He returned to Hollywood in the early 1950s and took roles on television. Tong made his television debut in 1953 in an episode of You Are There. The following year, he appeared in a recurring role as "George, the cook" in a series of television shorts which aired during The Mickey Mouse Club entitled The Adventures of Spin and Marty. In 1955, he reprised his role as George in the feature-length film Spin and Marty: The Movie. He also had a role in the sequel series The Further Adventures of Spin and Marty. In 1957, he landed a co-starring role in the sitcom Bachelor Father, starring John Forsythe and Noreen Corcoran. In the series, Tong portrayed "Peter Tong", Bentley Gregg's (Forsythe) live-in houseboy and valet. Although he was playing a servant, Tong enjoyed the role stating, "Houseboys in movies and the theater always bow low, mutter a few sing song words and disappear, but not on this show. I get dialogue and laughs." In his Bachelor Father role, Tong was not subservient and at one point walked out because he was not paid enough. He spoke with an accent even though the actor was born in the U.S., making it hard to judge how he spoke in real life. After Bachelor Father's cancellation in 1962, Tong was cast as Sammy Ling in the ABC sitcom Mickey, starring Mickey Rooney. Due to low ratings, ABC was considering canceling Mickey. The network was hesitant to cancel the series due to the popularity of Tong's character who had a solid fanbase thanks to his role in Bachelor Father. Tong's death effectively ended any chance for the series' survival and ABC canceled Mickey in December 1964. His final screen appearance was as "Cook" in the 1965 film Fluffy, starring Tony Randall and Shirley Jones. The film was released after Tong's death. In October 1964, Tong committed suicide at the age of 63. At the time of his death, he was appearing in a supporting role on the ABC sitcom, Mickey, starring Mickey Rooney.

Joseph Turkel was a prolific American character actor. He was noted for his craggy Bronx looks and distinctive, penetrating voice. Turkel worked steadily from 1949 - 1998 in both films and television. He retired in 1998. He still made the occasional appearance at fan conventions even at the age of 90+.

Renata Vanni was born on October 12, 1909 in Naples, Campania, Italy. She was an actress, known for A Patch of Blue (1965), Lady in White (1988) and Pay or Die (1960). She died on February 19, 2004 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Mother of Delia Salvi.