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1-6 of 6
- Veteran character actress Anne Revere became another in the long line of talented artists whose careers would crash under the weight of the "Red Scare" hysteria that tore through Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s. Born in Manhattan and a direct descendant of Revolutionary War figure Paul Revere, Anne graduated from Wellesley College, then trained for the stage at the American Laboratory Theatre.
She made her Broadway bow in 1931 with "The Great Barrington" and her film debut in a version of another Broadway play, Double Door (1934). Returning to Broadway after receiving no other film offers, she would not make another movie until 1940...then she stayed. She went on to epitomize the warm, wise and invariably stoic mother to a number of great "golden age" stars, her understated power and intensity capturing the hearts of critics and war-torn audiences alike. Her plain, freckled, careworn looks appeared equally at home on the frontier or in a tenement setting. Anne was nominated three times for an Oscar for her strong, matriarchal figures -- as Jennifer Jones' mother in The Song of Bernadette (1943), Elizabeth Taylor's in National Velvet (1944) and Gregory Peck's in Gentleman's Agreement (1947), winning the Oscar on her second try for National Velvet (1944).
A versatile talent, she extended her range to include a number of brittle, neurotic and even crazy ladies. This all ended abruptly in 1951 when her name appeared as one of 300 on the infamous "Hollywood blacklist". She had just completed a major role as Montgomery Clift's Salvation Army mom in A Place in the Sun (1951). She stood on her Fifth Amendment rights before the Communist-obsessed House Un-American Activities Committee and, as a result, her part in that film was reduced to a glorified cameo. She did not appear in another film for nearly 20 years (a starring role in a new TV series was also taken from her).
In the interim, she and husband Samuel Rosen, a stage actor, writer and director, ran an acting school in Los Angeles before relocating to New York, where she managed to find employment in stock productions and under the Broadway lights. She received the Tony Award during the 1960-1961 season for her fine portrayal of a spinster sister in Lillian Hellman's "Toys in the Attic," a part that went to British actress Wendy Hiller when it transferred to film. TV jobs began coming her way again in the mid-1960s, and by 1970 she was working sporadically on such daytime soaps as Search for Tomorrow (1951) and Ryan's Hope (1975). She appeared briefly in Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970) starring Liza Minnelli, and then earned a showier part in Birch Interval (1976).
Anne passed away after contracting pneumonia at age 87 and was survived by a sister. She had no children. Although a victim of "Cold War" paranoia, she always persevered, showing the same kind of grit and courage that embodied her gallery of characters on film. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Shapely, sultry singer Connie Russell came from show biz parents and was already performing in her parent's song-and-dance vaudeville act by age two. The New York-born Connie, whose musical heritage included well-known vaudevillian and grandmother Marie Russell, traveled both in the U.S. and Europe during her early days. She turned solo at age 11 and, quite mature for her age, began booking her own shows at popular London night spots in her mid-teens.
Making her musical film debut in Melody and Romance (1937) while in England, MGM signed her up and she appeared to good advantage in Lady Be Good (1941) in which she sang "Fascinating Rhythm" but, despite her pin-up good looks, did not go on to better things with the studio, appearing in nothing parts in Joe Smith, American (1942) and the Red Skelton/Eleanor Powell musical Ship Ahoy (1942). She also dubbed Claire Trevor's singing voice in the film Crossroads (1942).
TV proved to be more viable medium for her when she auditioned for Dave Garroway and became a regular on his Garroway at Large (1949) show. She appeared on a number of variety TV shows for such luminaries as Morey Amsterdam, Ed Sullivan, Steve Allen, Milton Berle and Eddie Cantor, and appeared in New York clubs in the early 50s. Returning to Hollywood she earned a strong showing in the musical film Cruisin' Down the River (1953) alongside Dick Haymes and became a prominent Las Vegas headliner. On the musical stage one of her most popular roles was in 1951's "South Pacific" as Nellie Forbush co-starring Richard Eastham," but hopes for the subsequent film role went down the tubes when the role went to Mitzi Gaynor.
A solid recording artist with a jazzy style, her more popular renditions include "That's What a Rainy Day is For" and "You've Changed." Her last films were in This Is My Love (1954), in which she appeared as herself and sang the title tune, and the femme lead in the film noir thriller Nightmare (1956) with Kevin McCarthy and Edward G. Robinson. Marrying agent Mike Zimring, she abandoned her four-decade career after giving birth to her third daughter. She died in 1990 at age 67 of a heart ailment. Eldest daughter Lisa is also a singer.- Orazio Orlando was born on 14 June 1933 in Naples, Campania, Italy. He was an actor, known for Help Me Dream (1981), Woman of Wonders (1985) and Les Misérables (1964). He died on 18 December 1990 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
- Actress
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- Soundtrack
Dessie Flynn was born on 24 November 1895 in Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for Out of Scale (1951), The Magical World of Disney (1954) and Working for Peanuts (1953). She was married to Ellsworth H. Rumer. She died on 18 December 1990 in North Palm Springs, California, USA.- Mischa De La Motte was born on 21 July 1904 in Richmond, Surrey, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Every Home Should Have One (1970), Vanity Fair (1967) and Up the Front (1972). He died on 18 December 1990 in Camden, London, England, UK.
- Paul Tortelier was born on 21 March 1914 in Paris, France. He was married to Maud Monique Martin and Madeleine Gaston. He died on 18 December 1990 in Chaussy, Val-d'Oise, France.