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1-46 of 46
- Actor
- Stunts
- Soundtrack
The well-worn phrase "Tall in the saddle" is certainly one easy way of describing (and perhaps pigeon-holing) leathery, wiry-framed 1940s and early 1950s western film star Rod Cameron, although he proved quite capable in crime stories, horrors and even swing-era musicals.
The 6'4" Canadian-born actor was born Nathan Roderick Cox on December 7, 1910, and raised in Alberta. Once his aspirations of becoming a Royal Canadian Mountie passed, he decided to seek fame and fortune as an actor in New York and initially grabbed some work as a laborer on the Holland Tunnel project in Manhattan. When no progress was made acting-wise, he moved to California where he made his "debut" in an unbilled bit in one of Bette Davis' scenes in The Old Maid (1939). Upon release, however, he discovered his bit in the scene had been deleted.
Cameron found a slight "in" (as in "stand-in") with Paramount Pictures for such stars as Fred MacMurray while managing to find himself sparingly used in other Paramount films. To supplement his income he also played leading man in the studio's screen tests for starlet wanna-bes and his athleticism paid off playing stunt double for such established cowboy icons as Buck Jones. Cameron toiled as a bit player for quite some time and appeared insignificantly in such classics as Christmas in July (1940) and North West Mounted Police (1940) (where he fulfilled his early wish by playing a Mountie!). Occasionally he would find a noticeable secondary role, in such lesser films as The Monster and the Girl (1941), The Forest Rangers (1942) and as Jesse James in The Remarkable Andrew (1942).
Cameron's banner year was 1943, when he finally broke out of the minor leagues and into the major ranks. His breakout screen role was as clench-jawed Agent Rex Bennett, out to bring down the foreign enemy and save the world, in the Republic serial cliffhangers G-Men vs. The Black Dragon (1943) and Secret Service in Darkest Africa (1943). From there he was signed by Universal to appear in a flurry of low-budget westerns with Fuzzy Knight as his comic sidekick. Aside from the rough-hewn heroics he was paid to display, he would occasionally show a softer side for the ladies, such as with fellow Canadian Yvonne De Carlo in Salome, Where She Danced (1945), Frontier Gal (1945) and River Lady (1948). Seldom would he venture outside the action genre, however, one of the few times being his role as a symphony conductor in Swing Out, Sister (1945). For the most part he remained rooted in westerns and the only variance within that realm was the occasional black-hatted bad guy.
Among Cameron's many dusty showcases (more often than not made at Republic or Universal), Brimstone (1949), Stampede (1949), Dakota Lil (1950) and San Antone (1953) are worth a good look. Cameron never found his Stagecoach (1939) or Shane (1953), a vehicle that might have held him even "taller" in the saddle, but between 1953 and 1955 he was still ranked "top 5" box-office.
In the 1950s Cameron found time to settle into a couple of syndicated TV series. Both City Detective (1953) and State Trooper (1956) lasted a couple of seasons. He also guested on the more popular western series, such as Bonanza (1959), Laramie (1959) and The Virginian (1962). When his movie career began to fade in the early 1960s, he went to Spain for a few spaghetti westerns and appeared in a couple of low-budget westerns such as Requiem for a Gunfighter (1965) and The Bounty Killer (1965), which was noticed more for reuniting sagebrush stars from yesteryear than for its high quality. He also played an aging rodeo star who dies early in the story in the biopic Evel Knievel (1971).
The only serious tabloid scandal he ever found himself in was when he divorced wife Angela Alves-Lico (1950-1960) and then immediately married his ex-wife's mother, Dorothy, who was a few years older than him. An extended battle with cancer finally claimed the 73-year-old actor in 1983 at a Gainesville, Georgia, hospital.- Gladys Baker was born on 27 May 1902 in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. She was married to John Stewart Eley, Martin Edward Mortensen and Jasper Newton Baker. She died on 11 March 1984 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
- Sonja Larson was born on 1 January 1972. She died on 24 August 1990 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
- Christina Powell was born on 30 November 1972. She died on 26 August 1990 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
- Director
- Actor
Born in Pennsylvania in 1908, Ross Allen appeared in several short films. He owned and operated the Ross Allen Reptile Institute in Silver Springs from 1929 until 1969. When he started this tourist attraction, Allen also asked local Seminole Indians to set up a village, demonstrate their traditional skills, and sell their crafts. His work gradually focused on scientific observation, research, and publications. As he explained on the TV show "What's My Line?" in the late 1960's, Allen said that one reason he became an expert in milking rattlesnake venom, because it was needed to treat his son's illness and there was a shortage of venom. In the 1970's, the success of Walt Disney World in Orlando hurt attendance at smaller tourist destinations throughout Florida, including Ross Allen's. He planned to locate his last tourist attraction, Ross Allen's Alligator Town, close to I-75 and Disney traffic, but died the month prior to the park's opening in June 1981. In his honor, the largest island in Silver Springs was renamed Ross Allen Island in January 2000.- Joe Clark was born on 8 May 1938 in Rochelle, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for 227 (1985). He was married to Hazel Gibson, Jetta M Barber and Gloria Williams. He died on 29 December 2020 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
- Tracy Paules was born on 4 October 1966 in Deerfield Beach, Florida, USA. She died on 27 August 1990 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
- Writer
- Editor
John Colton was born on 31 December 1887 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He was a writer and editor, known for The Invisible Ray (1935), The Wind (1928) and Two Lovers (1928). He died on 26 December 1946 in Gainesville, Texas, USA.- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Harry Crews was born on 7 June 1935 in Bacon County, Georgia, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Hawk Is Dying (2006), Charming Billy (1999) and The Indian Runner (1991). He was married to Sally Ellis. He died on 28 March 2012 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.- Art Department
- Production Designer
- Animation Department
Robert Little was born on 7 November 1902 in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. He was a production designer, known for Gulliver's Travels (1939), Jungle Drums (1943) and Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941). He died on 23 February 1994 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.- Writer
- Art Department
C.C. Beck is the co-creator of the Marvel Family and many other Fawcett properties. Beck started as a staff artist on Fawcett Publications' pulp magazine, but after the publisher switched its focus to comic books in 1939, he was brought on to design a character conceptualized by writer Bill Parker, called at the time Captain Thunder. By the time the character actually debuted in the pages of Whiz Comics #2 in 1940, the name had been changed to Captain Marvel, and a legend was born.- Music Department
- Sound Department
- Composer
Bruce Swedien was born on 19 April 1934 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He was a composer, known for Free Willy (1993), Running Scared (1986) and The Wiz (1978). He was married to Beatrice Anderson . He died on 16 November 2020 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.- Actor
- Art Department
Arnold Mesches was born on 11 August 1923 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Police Story (1973), Barnaby Jones (1973) and Heir to an Execution: A Granddaughter's Story (2004). He was married to Sylvia Sibby Snetzky and Jill Ciment. He died on 5 November 2016 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.- Allen Clayton West was born on 10 September 1926. He died on 21 December 1978 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
- Manuel Taboada was born on 14 September 1966. He died on 27 August 1990 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
- Additional Crew
Alberto Alonso was born on 22 May 1917 in Havana, Cuba. Alberto is known for Carmen Syuta (1970). Alberto was married to Sonia Calero, Sonia, Alexandra Denisova and Elena del Cueto. Alberto died on 31 December 2007 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.- Christa Hoyt was born on 20 November 1971 in Miami, Florida, USA. She died on 25 August 1990 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Writer
David Anthony Kraft was born on 31 May 1952 in Devils Lake, North Dakota, USA. He was a writer, known for Street Fighter: The Animated Series (1995) and G.I. Joe Extreme (1995). He was married to Jennifer Bush. He died on 19 May 2021 in Gainesville, Georgia, USA.- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Tracy Crockett was born on 10 September 1973 in Gainesville, Texas, USA. He was a producer and actor, known for Deadly Tales III (2018), The Ancient (2005) and Deadly Tales IV (2021). He was married to Jennifer Renay Bush and Danielle R. Wardrip. He died on 22 April 2016 in Gainesville, Texas, USA.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Alec Wilder was born on 16 February 1907 in Rochester, New York, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for Don't Look Up (2021), The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) and Welcome to Me (2014). He died on 24 December 1980 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.- Allan D. Cruickshank was born on 29 August 1907 in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. He was married to Helen. He died on 11 October 1974 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
- Ed Spivia was born on 6 June 1941 in Murphy, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor, known for B.L. Stryker (1989) and Southern Voices, American Dreams (1985). He died on 27 July 2019 in Gainesville, Georgia, USA.
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Additional Crew
- Director
Jerry Uelsmann was born on 11 June 1934 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was a director, known for Frames of Reference (1978), Kingdom Hospital (2004) and The Outer Limits (1995). He was married to Marilyn Schlott, Maggie Taylor and Diane Faris. He died on 4 April 2022 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.- Kenneth To was born on 7 July 1992 in Hong Kong. He died on 19 March 2019 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.
- Bobby Joe Green was born on 7 May 1936 in Vernon, Texas, USA. He died on 28 May 1993 in Gainesville, Florida, USA.