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1-13 of 13
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Dabbling in practically every facet of show business during her over six-decade career -- nightclubs, cabaret, radio, recordings, TV, film and Broadway -- sultry, opulent, larger-than-life singing star Dolores Gray, distinctive for her sharp, somewhat equine features, lived the high life for most of her time on earth.
She was born Sylvia Dolores Finkelstein in Los Angeles, California on June 7, 1923, the daughter of vaudevillian parents (her father Harry went by the stage name of "Harry Vernon") who divorced when she was quite young. An older brother, Richard Vernon (later Gray) would also go into the entertainment business. Dolores attended Polytechnic High School in the Sun Valley suburb of Los Angeles and, while there, became a member of the girl's glee club.
Singing in Hollywood supper clubs as early as age 14, Dolores was discovered as a teenager by Rudy Vallee, who helped make her a minor celebrity on his self-titled radio show. She went on to earn two brief, uncredited bits as a singer in the films Lady for a Night (1942) (singing "Has Anybody Seen My Man?") and Mr. Skeffington (1944) (singing "It Had to Be You"). Making her Broadway debut in the show "Seven Lively Arts," a Broadway revue produced by Billy Rose, she co-starred in the musical "Are You With It?" with Johnny Downs a year later.
During this time Dolores developed a strong reputation on both coasts as a cabaret and supper club entertainer. By 1945, she was starring in her own radio program. A chance of a lifetime occurred in 1947 when Dolores gussied up London's post-war theater district as marksman "Annie Oakley" in the Broadway musical hit "Annie Get Your Gun." She was afforded this huge opportunity after the Broadway star, Ethel Merman, turned down the tour. Dolores became the toast of the West End for over two years.
Broadway beckoned following her London success and the dusky alto returned to New York. Co-starring with Bert Lahr in the Broadway musical revue "Two on the Aisle" (1951), which had a decent run, she went on to earn raves in the very short-lived 1953 musical "Carnival in Flanders" with John Raitt. She won the Tony award for this in spite of the fact it closed after only six performances! Dolores would return to Broadway in the 1959 musical "Destry Rides Again" co-starring pre-TV star Andy Griffith and earning a Tony nomination. This was followed by the ill-fated 1967 musical "Sherry!" based on the Kaufman/Hart play "The Man Who Came to Dinner."
Not only was Broadway interested when Dolores returned from London, but MGM also wanted in on the action. Signing the leggy star to a short-term contract, the results were disappointing as the "Golden Age of Hollywood" musicals was on a major decline. She did manage, however, to nab a few scene-grabbing second leads in such musicals as It's Always Fair Weather (1955) starring Gene Kelly; Kismet (1955) with Howard Keel and Ann Blyth; The Opposite Sex (1956) starring June Allyson; and in Joan Collins, a rather misguided musical version of "The Women" film classic. She would also co-star in the chic non-musical Designing Woman (1957) starring Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall. And then it was over for Dolores in movies.
As the years went by, Dolores would attract tabloid attention with her extravagant lifestyle, outlandish clothes and "Auntie Mame"-like joie de vivre. Being the trooper she was, she found work on TV variety (she made several appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show"), recorded for Capitol Records (the album "Warm Brandy"), and remained a top-of-the-line nitery star for decades to come. In 1973, she returned to London and replaced Angela Lansbury in the musical "Gypsy" at the Piccadilly Theatre. Over a decade later (1986), she came in as a replacement Dorothy Brock in the Broadway revival of "42nd Street," and, a year later, was featured in the London production of Sondheim's "Follies," earning show-stopping applause for her version of the classic song "I'm Still Here."
Despite her somewhat outré reputation, Dolores married only once -- to California businessman and race horse owner Andrew Crevolin in 1967. Although the marriage lasted only 9 years, the couple never divorced -- in fact, they never even formally separated as she was a devout Catholic. She and Crevolin would remain close friends until his death in 1992. Dolores herself passed away a decade later in her Manhattan apartment of a heart attack at age 78 on June 26, 2002.- Dublin-born stage actor, producer and writer Dermot Walsh was the son of a journalist and educated at Dublin's St. Mary's College and National University, initially focusing on law. He studied drama at the Abbey Theatre School of Acting and built up his reputation performing at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. Some talent scouts in Ireland interested in making some pictures about his homeland happened to spot him in a production and eventually signed him up after he had made a choice move to London to further his career.
His first postwar film role was a bit part as a chauffeur in Bedelia (1946), but after signing with Rank he was groomed immediately for prime parts. In only his second feature he showcased well as the philandering "Wild Johnnie" in Hungry Hill (1947). He became a strong fixture for Rank in plush Gainsborough's Victorian costumers or crime melodramas such as Jassy (1947) and The Mark of Cain (1947), To the Public Danger (1948) and My Sister and I (1948) opposite such lovelies as Margaret Lockwood, Glynis Johns, Sally Ann Howes and Hazel Court, the last mentioned becoming his wife in 1949.
In 1949 the dark, dashingly handsome actor left Rank and began to freelance in assembly-line programmers such as Paper Gallows (1950), and co-starred with wife Hazel in two of them: Ghost Ship (1952) and Undercover Agent (1953). Keyed in to playing hard-boiled characters in rather murky thrillers, frustration set in when he was unable to extricate himself from his "B" reputation. He later focused on TV work, including the adventure series Richard the Lionheart (1962), and the theatre. Some of his more prominent stage work over the years included "Reluctant Heroes" (1950), "Relations Are Best Apart" (1954), "Mary, Mary" (1963), "Ring of Jackals" (1965), "Lady Frederick" (1970), and "No Sex Please, We're British" (1986), not to mention an abundance of cat-and-mouse whodunnits including "Murder Among Friends" (1978), "Who Killed Agatha Christie?" (1979) and "The Mousetrap" (1980). He also wrote the play "The Murder Line" in 1967 and produced a few of his later endeavors such as "Stage Struck" and "Blithe Spirit" both in 1982.
Walsh was married three times in all -- divorcing twice and surviving his third wife Elisabeth Scott, who died in 1993. He had four children from his three marriages: Sally, Michael, Olivia, and Elisabeth (also an actress). He died on June 26, 2002 at age 77. - Turgut Ozatay, who had a renowned 'tough & bad' guy image in the recent history of Turkish Cinema, was born in Alasehir,Izmir in 1927. After working in a transportation company for a short time, he started his career in Turkish cinema with the movie Kahraman denizciler (1953). In the first years of his career, he played mainly in leading roles, but later, he played mostly in supporting roles. Throughout his career, Ozatay played in 350 films in most of which he performed a 'tough bad guy' character. This number could be considered as a record for Turkish Cinema. He died in June, 2002, of lung cancer.
- Joe Glenn Leard was born on 18 September 1937 in Dallas, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Ravenswan (2002). He was married to Patricia Ann Mazzurana and Sherry Joan Leaf. He died on 26 June 2002 in San Antonio, Texas, USA.
- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Paul Frizler was born on 18 April 1935 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and actor, known for Getting Wasted (1980) and Young Warriors (1983). He was married to Shirley Sabitay. He died on 26 June 2002 in Santa Ana, California, USA.- María Elena Orendaín was born in 1927 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She was an actress, known for Más allá de la violencia (1971), Descenso del pais de la noche (1974) and Los pepenadores de aca (1985). She died on 26 June 2002 in Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico.
- Phil Interlandi was born on 10 March 1924 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was married to Phoebe Interlandi. He died on 26 June 2002 in Laguna Beach, California, USA.
- Jay Berwanger was born on 19 March 1914 in Dubuque, Iowa, USA. He was an actor, known for The Big Game (1936). He was married to Jane Temple and Philomela Baker. He died on 26 June 2002 in Oak Brook, Illinois, USA.
- Kenneth A. MacDonald was born on 12 October 1929 in Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Sabrina (1995). He died on 26 June 2002 in Canton, Massachusetts, USA.
- Ilie Gutu was born on 27 July 1937 in Yegorovka, Moldova, USSR. He was an actor, known for Zhdite nas na rassvete (1964), Muzhchiny sedeyut rano (1974) and Puteshestviye v aprel (1964). He died on 26 June 2002.
- Queen Homairah Begum died on 26 June 2002.
- Philip Whalen was born on 20 October 1923 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He was an actor, known for Thot-Fal'N (1978) and The Source (1999). He died on 26 June 2002 in San Francisco, California, USA.
- Barbara Adams was born on 19 February 1945 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK. Barbara was married to Robert (Rob) Frederick Adams. Barbara died on 26 June 2002 in Enfield, London, England, UK.