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1-22 of 22
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Damian Lewis was born on February 11, 1971, in St. John's Wood, London, England, to Charlotte Mary (Bowater), from an upper-class background, and J. Watcyn Lewis, a city broker whose own parents were Welsh. He was raised on Abbey Road in London until the age of 8 with his siblings Gareth, William, and Amanda. In 1979, he was sent to Ashdown House boarding school, then was educated at Eton College. At age 16, he formed his own theater company, then worked in South London, then traveled around Africa. From 1990 to 1993, he studied at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, alongside Daniel Craig and Joseph Fiennes. Among his teachers was RSC stalwart Colin McCormack. Lewis graduated in 1993, and worked on the stage, particularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company. There he was seen by director Steven Spielberg, who subsequently cast him as Richard Winters in the HBO/BBC miniseries Band of Brothers (2001), for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe, among other awards. Lewis continues his career in films, TV, and theater.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sally Ann Howes grew up in a show business family led by her father, famous English comedian/actor Bobby Howes, her mother Patricia Malone and grandfather, Broadway director Capt. J.A.E. Malone. She had her first screen test offer on her 12th birthday and went on to star in several films before she turned 20, including Anna Karenina (1948) with Vivien Leigh.
At 20, she received her first starring stage role in Glasgow in the Sandy Wilson musical Caprice. This led to other musicals including an 18-month run of Paint Your Wagon opposite her father Bobby Howes at Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket in 1953. This was followed by the plays Romance by Candlelight, A Hatful of Rain (non-musical) and 148 performances of the musical Summer Song. She continued to make the occasional film during the 1950's but the stage was her main focus. In 1958 she accepted the role of Eliza Doolittle in Broadway's My Fair Lady, taking over from Julie Andrews. The role had been offered to her three times previously, but film and stage commitments kept her from assuming the part that would skyrocket her fame in America.
Just before taking on My Fair Lady, she married composer Richard Adler, and he wrote the musical Gift of the Magi for her. It aired on CBS TV in December of 1958. Adler later wrote Kwamina for her, which she performed after her run in My Fair Lady. It was a short-lived run of the musical, and she went on to perform on Broadway in "Brigadoon", which earned her a Tony nomination in 1963. Afterwards she starred in the critically acclaimed musical, "What Makes Sammy Run" opposite Steven Lawrence. Soon after she landed the TV version of Brigadoon (1966) co-starring Robert Goulet and Peter Falk which went on to win seven Emmy Awards.
After she and Adler divorced in 1966, she began filming the movie that would become a mega-hit, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). Despite her large volume of work before and after the movie, she will always be most fondly remembered and loved around the world for her portrayal as the very lovely Truly Scrumptious. Producer Albert R. Broccoli wrote of her: "We wanted a typical English beauty. And to me, Sally Ann represents that ideal. She is also one of the finest musical comedy stars today, a rare combination of the right kind of beauty and the right kind of talent." Dick Van Dyke said of her in his documentary "Remembering Chitty Chitty Bang Bang": "They couldn't have picked a better Truly Scrumptious than Sally. They came up with Sally Ann and I heard her voice, and it was the richest contralto. She auditioned with the Lovely Lonely Man, and I thought, my God, this girl is great and then she was stunningly beautiful. She loved those kids and they loved her, which I think comes across on the screen. They just thought a great deal of her, and she spent a lot of time with them, you know, between shots... telling stories and playing games during all those long waiting periods."
Filming took place in England, France and Bavaria over 14 months. Critics were mixed about the film, but children were fanatical about it. The movie spawned a mass marketing phenomenon with everything from Truly Scrumptious Barbie dolls, to Jemima dress patterns, lunch-boxes, countless toys, and many other things all of which still enjoy a thriving collectible life on the secondary market. The Truly Scrumptious costumes in the film even sparked a mini-revival in Edwardian fashions, especially reflected by designer Laura Ashley.
Unfortunately, the movie came out at a time when musicals were beginning to be box office dead weight, including Julie Andrews ' Star! (1968) and Darling Lili (1970), which nearly sank Paramount. This nailed the lid shut on filmed musicals for a long time, leaving no filmed musical outlet for performers like Howes. Her film roles became very sporadic after Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). She was a frequent and popular guest panelist on many game shows throughout the 1960s, and even up until the early 1980s, and she made several guest appearances on television series during the early 1970s. However, the theatre called her back, and with the exception of a few films, she has devoted her career almost entirely to the musical stage. Her last appearance was in 1992. She remains very active in musical theatre even today and is considered one of the grand dames of the American and British musical stage.
Other musicals and plays she has starred in Camelot; Blossom Time; The Sound of Music; King and I; Robert and Elizabeth; Man and Superman; I Do, I Do; Hans Anderson; A Little Night Music; Cinderella; Where's Charley?; James Joyce's The Dead.
She has sung at the White House for three US Presidents - Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
She is a naturalized U.S. citizen and resides in New York. She has been married for over 30 years to Douglas Rae.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Nigel Lindsay was born on 17th January 1969 and entered into the world of acting comparatively late. For three years he was a financial analyst in the City in his native London but, on his own admission, hated it and applied almost simultaneously for the law and the stage. He had a place at bar school beginning on the same day as the start of his three year course at the Webber Douglas Academy - but the lure of the stage prevailed and he chose the academy,where he won the Amherst Webber Scholarship. His finals role was in 'Charley's Aunt' directed by Michael Fry,for whom he first worked professionally with the Lincolnshire touring company Great Eastern Stage playing an assassin in 'Shoot the Archduke'. Since then he has appeared on many stages,the Royal Court,the National,the Old Vic and on Broadway in Tom Stoppard's 'The Real Thing'. With a range extending from Pinter to musicals - most notably under layers of green make-up in the title role of 'Shrek - the Musical - he also took the Whatsonstage award as best supporting actor in 2011 for 'Broken Glass'. On television he has been nice,as Sally Phillips' kindly boyfriend in comedy 'Jam and Jerusalem', and nasty,as a sinister policeman investigating one of the 'Midsomer Murders' and on film as a fervent white Muslim in the black farce 'Four Lions'.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
- Cinematographer
When he made his directorial debut in 1970, Nicolas Roeg was already a 23-year veteran of the British film industry, starting out in 1947 as an editing apprentice and working his way up to cinematographer twelve years later. He first came to attention as part of the second unit on David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (1962), with Roger Corman's The Masque of the Red Death (1964) two years later containing his first really distinctive solo work. He went on to photograph films for such distinguished directors as François Truffaut (Fahrenheit 451 (1966)), John Schlesinger (Far from the Madding Crowd (1967)) and Richard Lester (Petulia (1968)) before his sensational directorial debut in 1968. Co-directed with writer (and painter) Donald Cammell, Performance (1970) was intended to be a simple-minded star vehicle for Mick Jagger and Warner Bros were so horrified when they saw the final multi-layered kaleidoscope of sex, violence, and questions of identity that they delayed its release for two years. Roeg went to Australia for his solo debut as director (Walkabout (1971)), which was also his last film as cinematographer, and throughout the next decade he produced a world-class body of work (Don't Look Now (1973); The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976); Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (1980)) that revealed his uniquely off-kilter view of the world, expressed through fragmented, dislocated images and a highly original yet strangely accessible approach to narrative. He married the star of Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (1980), the elegant Theresa Russell who would play the female lead in nearly all his subsequent films, though these have generally found less favor with critics and audiences, and the release of both Eureka (1983) and Cold Heaven (1991) was severely restricted due to problems with the films' distributors.- Music Artist
- Composer
- Actor
Mark Ronson was born on 4 September 1975 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK. He is a music artist and composer, known for Barbie (2023), A Star Is Born (2018) and Spies in Disguise (2019). He has been married to Grace Gummer since 4 September 2021. They have one child. He was previously married to Joséphine de La Baume.- Clarissa Dickson Wright was an English celebrity chef, television personality, businesswoman and a former barrister. She was best known as one half, along with Jennifer Paterson, of the incredibly popular television series, Two Fat Ladies. Having trained as a lawyer, Dickson Wright was the youngest woman ever to be called to the Bar.
At the age of 11, Clarissa was sent to Sacred Heart School. After school Clarissa studied for the Bar at Gray's Inn, while pursuing a law degree at University College London.
She practiced successfully as a barrister for several years. However, she found cookery to be her true calling when she worked at Books for Cooks in London's Notting Hill while recovering from 12 years of alcohol abuse.
During her time in Edinburgh, television producer Patricia Llewellyn asked her and Jennifer Paterson if they wanted to make a television programme; they made a pilot in autumn 1994. After the pilot, BBC2 commissioned a series of Two Fat Ladies. Three successful series were made and shown around the world. Paterson died in 1998 mid-way through the fourth series and Clarissa refused to make another series after her co-star's death.
She also appeared with Johnny Scott in Clarissa and the Countryman from 2000 to 2003 and played the gamekeeper in the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous in 2003. In 2005, Dickson Wright took part in the BBC reality television show Art School.
Dickson Wright has campaigned for the Countryside Alliance and was the first female Rector of the University of Aberdeen. Her autobiography, Spilling The Beans, was published in September 2007.
In 2008, she presented a one-off documentary for BBC Four, Clarissa and the King's Cookbook, where she makes recipes from a cookbook dating to the reign of Richard II.
During her cooking career, Clarissa ran her own catering business, worked on a yacht in the Caribbean and served 60 meals a day at her London luncheon club. She also became one of only two women in England to become a guild butcher. She was represented in the UK by Useful Talent who are specialists in celebrity-led endorsements. - Betty Baskcomb was born on 30 May 1914 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Detective (1954), Armchair Theatre (1956) and It Always Rains on Sunday (1947). She was married to Antony R J Lehmann. She died on 15 April 2003 in West Wratting, Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
- Amber Le Bon was born on 25 August 1989 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Douglas Robert Steuart Bader was born in London on February 21, 1910. A good student, Bader won a scholarship to St Edward's School in Oxford. Following a visit to the RAF College at Cranwell, Bader set his sights on becoming a pilot and won a place as a cadet at Cranwell. During his time at Cranwell, Bader developed a reputation as a pilot of above average skill, albeit headstrong and inclined to challenge authority. An outstanding sportsman from school days, Bader excelled at rugby, cricket and also boxing and might have played rugby at national level, had it not been for his accident in 1931.
Bader was commissioned as an Officer in the Royal Air Force in 1930 and was posted to 23 Squadron at RAF Kenley. Bader's ability as a pilot was such that he was selected to fly in the Squadron's aerobatic display team at the prestigious RAF Hendon display in 1931 but he was also notorious for low level aerobatics. In December 1931, Bader crashed during an unauthorized low level aerobatic routine at Woodley while visiting the Reading Aero Club. Though Bader survived the crash, he came close to death in the days afterward and his injuries were so severe that both of his legs were amputated. He was fitted with artificial "tin" legs and soon learned to walk without the use of a stick and was not only soon driving his car but also flying - on an unofficial basis. Though Bader was passed by the Central Flying School as perfectly able to fly, the lack of any provision in King's Regulations to deal with his case meant that he could not be passed as fit to fly and Bader was offered a ground commission. Unwilling to remain in the RAF as a ground-based officer, Bader resigned and found work with the Asiatic Petroleum Company.
Never reconciled to civilian life, despite marriage and becoming a first class golfer, at the outbreak of the Second World War Bader applied to rejoin the RAF. With pilots in short supply the Regulations were overlooked and by June 1940 Bader had been posted to command 242 Squadron, a unit that had suffered high casualties during the Battle of France. Determined to raise morale, Bader's methods were typically uncompromising and he was responsible for transforming 242 back into an effective fighting unit.
During the Battle of Britain, Bader's aggressive and outspoken character and strong ideas on tactics brought him into conflict with his superior officers. Following the Battle, what became known as the Big Wing strategy favored by Bader became the chosen strategy of Fighter Command as it was better suited to the offensive posture of 1941, however undoubtedly Hugh Dowding had been right to reject the strategy in the desperate days of 1940.
The character of Fighter Command's operations during the summer of 1941 suited Bader's aggressive character perfectly. Promoted to Wing Commander, Bader was stationed at RAF Tangmere from where he lead the Tangmere Wing in sweeps over North West Europe aimed to bring the Luftwaffe into combat. By the summer of 1941, Bader had claimed 22 victories making him the fifth highest scoring pilot in the RAF. However, on 9th August 1941 Bader failed to return from an operation when his aircraft was downed near Le Touquet, France. The circumstances of Bader's loss are uncertain - Bader said that he thought that a German aircraft had collided with him, while General Adolf Galland said that Bader had been shot down by one of his pilots. Modern research suggests that Bader may have been a victim of 'friendly fire', accidentally misidentified and shot down by one of his fellow RAF pilots. Whatever the cause, Bader bailed out from his damaged machine and parachuted to the ground but both his artificial legs were badly damaged.
Bader was captured by German forces and was taken to a hospital near St Omer where his damaged artificial legs were patched up. General Adolf Galland offered safe passage to a British aircraft to deliver replacement legs by parachute drop. Unaware of the indomitable character of their prisoner, the German hospital staff allowed Bader to retain his clothing and with the help of sympathetic locals broke out from the hospital. He was taken to a hiding place at the home of a local farmer but was betrayed and was re-arrested. Taking no further chances, the Germans put Bader under close guard and he was sent to prisoner of war camp in Germany, eventually ending up in the infamous Colditz camp as a result of his constant and unremitting hostility to his captors. Bader remained in captivity despite numerous escape attempts until Colditz was liberated in 1945.
Bader was promoted to Group Captain following his return to the UK but left the Royal Air Force in 1946. He returned to his former employer where he eventually became managing director of a subsidiary, Shell Aircraft, serving until 1969 when he left to become a member of the Civil Aviation Authority Board.
Paul Brickhill's biography of Bader, "Reach for the Sky", was published in 1954 and was later made into a movie. Bader's autobiography, "Fight for the Sky", appeared in 1973. He was knighted in 1976 for his work on behalf of the disabled. Douglas Bader died in 1982, but his heroic memory remains an inspiration to many throughout the world. The Douglas Bader Foundation, set up after his death to continue his work, continues to assist those who have lost limbs.- Patricia Raine was born on 29 March 1929 in St. Johns Wood, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Beggar's Opera (1953), It Happened in Soho (1948) and The Caretaker's Daughter (1952). She was married to Basil Henson and Bill Travers. She died on 19 July 1993 in Kent, England, UK.
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer Nichols was born on 25 March 1931 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK. She is known for Sea of Love (1989), Tootsie (1982) and The Secret of My Success (1987). She was previously married to Robert Nichols.- Arthur Goullet was born on 19 April 1894 in St John's Wood, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Detective Lloyd (1932), Potts in Parovia (1956) and Sherlock Holmes (1951). He died on 25 December 1978 in Belsize Park, London, England, UK.
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Michael immigrated from England to the USA in 1953. He stayed with his godmother, Jessica Tandy. He served as a Marine with Mike 3/7 made famous by "A Face Of War" (documentary). He is the only British subject to receive three purple hearts in Vietnam. He became the protege of famed cinematographer, Lee Garmes. later he was friends and partners with Peter Cook and Graham Chapman (Python Founder). Known as a multi-talented filmmaker.- Norris Stayton was born on 9 July 1909 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950), ITV Television Playhouse (1955) and Under Suspicion (1939). He was married to Pamela Page. He died in 2000 in Bournemouth, England, UK.
- Jacqueline Squire was born on 17 May 1915 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Thriller (1960), 77 Sunset Strip (1958) and H.M. Tennent Globe Theatre (1956). She died on 21 November 1995 in Westminster, London, England, UK.
- A.J. Ayer was born on 29 October 1910 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK. He was married to Dee Wells, Vanessa Salmon and Renée Orde-Lees. He died on 27 June 1989 in Bloomsbury, London, England, UK.
- Always known now as Andy Irvine, he has been one of Ireland's leading folk musicians since the 1960s, when he was a leader in the Irish folk music revival. A singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist (mandolin, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica), he performs solo or in ensembles such as Sweeney's Men, Planxty, Mozaik and Patrick Street.
- Bill Dwyer was born on 7 May 1887 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for On the Air (1934), Radio Parade of 1935 (1934) and Variety Hour (1937). He died on 11 January 1943 in Uppingham, Rutland, England, UK.
- Legal
- Actress
Skylar McKeith is a famous Immigration Lawyer. She commentates of legal affairs during her television appearances. She is the daughter of world renowned nutritionist and TV Personality Gillian McKeith. She is also the sister of British-American actress Afton McKeith. Skylar was born in London and is known for her appearances on TV.- Alan A. Freeman was born on 28 September 1920 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK. He was married to Shirley Bennett. He died on 15 March 1985 in Carshalton, Surrey, England, UK.
- Beryl Harrison was born on 25 April 1900 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for I Lived with You (1933) and Gay's the Word (1952). She was married to Stanley Brightman. She died on 20 November 1960 in St. Pancras, London, England, UK.
- Wensley Russell was born in 1872 in St. John's Wood, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Melody of My Heart (1936) and The Academy Decides (1937). He died on 2 April 1944 in St. Pancras, London, England, UK.