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1-50 of 52
- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Veronica Lake was born as Constance Frances Marie Ockleman on November 14, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York. She was the daughter of Constance Charlotta (Trimble) and Harry Eugene Ockelman, who worked for an oil company as a ship employee. Her father was of half German and half Irish descent, and her mother was of Irish ancestry. While still a child, Veronica's parents moved to Florida when she was not quite a year old. By the time she was five, the family had returned to Brooklyn. When Connie was only twelve, tragedy struck when her father died in an explosion on an oil ship. One year later her mother married Anthony Keane and Connie took his last name as her own. In 1934, when her stepfather was diagnosed with tuberculosis, the family moved to Saranac Lake, where Connie Keane enjoyed the outdoor life and flourished in the activities of boating on the lakes, skating, skiing, swimming, biking around Moody Pond and hiking up Mt Baker. The family made their home in 1935 at 1 Watson Place, (now 27 Seneca Street) then they moved to 1 Riverside Drive,(now Lake Kiwassa Road). Both Connie and Anthony benefited from the Adirondack experience and in 1936 the family left the Adirondacks and moved to Miami, FL., however, the memories of those carefree Saranac Lake days would always remain deeply rooted in her mind.
Two years later, Connie graduated from high school in Miami. Her natural beauty and charm and a definite talent for acting prompted her mother and step-father to move to Beverly Hills, California, where they enrolled her in the well known Bliss Hayden School of Acting in Hollywood. Connie had previously been diagnosed as a classic schizophrenic and her parents saw acting as a form of treatment for her condition. She showed remarkable abilities and did not have to wait long for a part to come her way.
Her first movie was as one of the many coeds in the RKO film, Sorority House (1939). It was a minor part, to be sure, but it was a start. Veronica quickly followed up that project with two other films. All Women Have Secrets (1939) and Dancing Co-Ed (1939), were again bit roles for the pretty young woman from the East Coast, but she did not complain. After all, other would-be starlets took a while before they ever received a bit part. Veronica continued her schooling, while taking a bit roles in two more films, Young as You Feel (1940) and Forty Little Mothers (1940). Prior to this time, she was still under her natural name of Constance Keane. Now, with a better role in I Wanted Wings (1941), she was asked to change her name, and Veronica Lake was born. Now, instead of playing coeds, she had a decent, speaking part. Veronica felt like an actress. The film was a success and the public loved this bright newcomer.
Paramount, the studio she was under contract with, then assigned her to two more films that year, Hold Back the Dawn (1941) and Sullivan's Travels (1941). The latter received good reviews from the always tough film critics. As Ellen Graham, in This Gun for Hire (1942) the following year, Veronica now had top billing. She had paid her dues and was on a roll. The public was enamored with her. In 1943, Veronica starred in only one film. She portrayed Lieutenant Olivia D'Arcy in So Proudly We Hail! (1943) with Claudette Colbert. The film was a box-office smash. It seemed that any film Veronica starred in would be an unquestionable hit. However, her only outing for 1944, The Hour Before the Dawn (1944) would not be well-received by either the public or the critics. As Nazi sympathizer Dora Bruckmann, Veronica's role was dismal at best. Critics disliked her accent immensely because it wasn't true to life. Her acting itself suffered because of the accent. Mediocre films trailed her for all of 1945. It seemed that Veronica was dumped in just about any film to see if it could be salvaged. Hold That Blonde! (1945), Out of This World (1945), and Miss Susie Slagle's (1946) were just a waste of talent for the beautiful blonde. The latter film was a shade better than the previous two. In 1946, Veronica bounced back in The Blue Dahlia (1946) with Alan Ladd and Howard Da Silva. The film was a hit, but it was the last decent film for Veronica. Paramount continued to put her in pathetic movies. After 1948, Paramount discharged the once prized star, and she was out on her own. In 1949, she starred in the Twentieth Century film Slattery's Hurricane (1949), which, unfortunately, was another weak film. She was not on the big screen again until 1952 when she appeared in Stronghold (1951). By Veronica's own admission, the film "was a dog". From 1952 to 1966, Veronica made television appearances and even tried her hand on the stage. Not a lot of success for her at all. By now alcohol was the order of the day. She was down on her luck and drank heavily. In 1962, Veronica was found living in an old hotel and working as a bartender. She finally returned to the big screen in Footsteps in the Snow (1966). Another drought ensued and she appeared on the silver screen for the last time in Flesh Feast (1970) - a very low budget film.
On July 7, 1973, Veronica died of hepatitis in Burlington, Vermont. The beautiful actress with the long blonde hair was dead at the age of 50.- Nerene Virgin was born on 27 December 1946 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She was an actress, known for Murder in Space (1985), Night Heat (1985) and Today's Special (1981). She was married to Alan Smith,. She died on 15 January 2024 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
- Writer
- Actor
Gordie Tapp was born on 4 June 1922 in London, Ontario, Canada. He was a writer and actor, known for Sweet Country Music (1983), Wild Horse Hank (1979) and Hee Haw (1969). He was married to Constance Helen Mair. He died on 18 December 2016 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Billie Mae Richards was born on 21 November 1921 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was an actress, known for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), The Care Bears Movie (1985) and Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (1986). She was married to Bill Richards. She died on 10 September 2010 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Producer
Denise Cronenberg was born on 1 October 1938 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was a costume designer and producer, known for A Dangerous Method (2011), Dead Ringers (1988) and Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010). She was married to Raymond Woodley. She died on 22 May 2020 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.- Lynn 'Buck' Compton was born on 31 December 1921 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was married to Donna Newman and Jerry Star. He died on 25 February 2012 in Burlington, Washington, USA.
- Kathleen Carrey was born on 14 December 1927 in Keswick, Ontario, Canada. Kathleen was married to Percy Joseph Carrey. Kathleen died in 1991 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
- Vern Reed was born on 9 September 1918 in the USA. He was an actor, known for The Music Man (1962). He died on 25 January 1992 in Burlington, Vermont, USA.
- Producer
- Animation Department
- Director
Kaj Pindal was born on 1 December 1927 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was a producer and director, known for Peep and the Big Wide World (2004), Peep and the Big Wide World (1988) and Caninabis (1979). He was married to Annie. He died on 27 June 2019 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.- Joseph A. Marella was born on 28 February 1963 in Willingboro, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for WWE Raw (1993), Saturday Night's Main Event (1985) and No Holds Barred (1989). He died on 4 July 1994 in Burlington, New Jersey, USA.
- Jeanne Robertson was born on 21 September 1943 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for Flat Out Funny at the Paramount (2007), 60 Minutes (1968) and Jeanne Robertson: Here She Is... (1998). She was married to Jerry Robertson and Walter Bailey Bowline III. She died on 21 August 2021 in Burlington, North Carolina, USA.
- Joe Kirkwood Sr. was born on 3 April 1897 in Canterbury, New South Wales, Australia. He died on 29 October 1970 in Burlington, Vermont, USA.
- Diego Cortez was born on 30 September 1946 in Geneva, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Experimenter (2015), The Offenders (1980) and Cymbeline (2014). He died on 21 June 2021 in Burlington, North Carolina, USA.
- W. Kerr Scott was born on 17 April 1896 in Haw River, North Carolina, USA. He died on 16 April 1958 in Burlington, North Carolina, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Robert E. Rager was born on 19 September 1979 in Burlington, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor, known for The Wind Is Watching (2014), Young Harvest (2013) and Colony 52 (2017). He died on 28 May 2020 in Burlington, North Carolina, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Calvin Hart was born on 30 November 1948 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Shaft (2000), Kiss of Death (1995) and Freedomland (2006). He died on 30 May 2020 in Burlington, New Jersey, USA.- Music Department
- Composer
- Sound Department
Roy Prendergast was born on 23 February 1943 in Canal Zone, Panama. He was a composer, known for Casanova (2005), Tears of the Sun (2003) and Troy (2004). He died on 2 September 2020 in Burlington, Vermont, USA.- Annee Lamaje was born on 16 August 1952 in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989). She died on 4 March 2023 in South Burlington, Vermont, USA.
- Rachel Bissex was born on 27 December 1955 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for Nothing Like Dreaming (2004). She was married to Stephen Goldberg. She died on 20 February 2005 in Burlington, Vermont, USA.
- Additional Crew
Gerald S. Lesser was born on 22 August 1926 in Queens, New York, USA. He is known for The Electric Company (1971), Square One Television (1987) and Shalom Sesame (1987). He was married to Stella Scharf. He died on 23 September 2010 in Burlington, Massachusetts, USA.- Additional Crew
- Producer
Meg Anne Schindler was born on 20 January 1974 in Norwich, Connecticut, USA. Meg Anne was a producer, known for Nightfall (2002), Jazz (2001) and Mark Twain (2001). Meg Anne died on 11 September 2002 in Burlington, Massachusetts, USA.- Casting Department
Phil DiMaggio was born on 29 August 1951 in the USA. Phil is known for Blood Simple (1984) and The Demon Murder Case (1983). Phil died on 15 August 2009 in Burlington, Vermont, USA.- Director
- Producer
Jake Burton was born on 29 April 1954 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for For Right or Wrong (2006), Thirteen: Burton Snowboards (2012) and White Space (2005). He was married to Donna Lynn Gaston. He died on 20 November 2019 in Burlington, Vermont, USA.- Jim Holt was born on 27 May 1944 in Graham, North Carolina, USA. He died on 29 March 2019 in Burlington, North Carolina, USA.
- Soundtrack
Howard Tate was born on 13 August 1939 in Macon, Georgia, USA. He died on 2 December 2011 in Burlington, New Jersey, USA.