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1-14 of 14
- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Charley Bowers led an extraordinary life even prior to getting involved with motion pictures. Supposedly kidnapped by circus performers at age six, he became an accomplished tightrope walker before returning home two years later. He did all types of work over the years, including circus jobs, theatrical work, bronco busting, and cartooning. Bowers was an accomplished cartoonist, and used his skills and highly creative mind to get into the animation field, eventually taking charge of the entire Mutt and Jeff series of cartoons for Pathe-Freres and Bud Fisher Film Corp., personally writing, producing, directing and often animating several hundred of these popular cartoons through 1926. In 1926 he began to give serious thought to live-action filmmaking, and had invented a photographic process and camera by which he could accomplish truly amazing and mind-boggling stop-motion-based special effects, incorporating them into a non-animated context. These live-action Bowers comedies - at least the few that are known to still exist - are unparalleled in their anarchic comic invention and creativity, though, admittedly, much of this is due to the outstanding special effects Bowers created. His character, often a foolish ne'er-do-well or eccentric inventor, was modeled after the standards: Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harry Langdon. However, although likeable, the Bowers film persona played second banana to the films' conceptual comedy and effects. He made 12 two-reel comedies from 1926 to 1927, most of them released through R-C Pictures. In 1928 he followed with six more released through Educational Pictures ("The Spice of the Program"). No one is quite sure what he did following these last two-reelers, aside from a film called It's a Bird (1930), and two films made later on: Pete Roleum and His Cousins (1939), a short directed by Joseph Losey for the 1939 New York World's Fair, and Wild Oysters (1941), a short he made for the Fleischer Brothers; both of these films circulate on the occasional public domain compilation video. Unfortunately, Bowers is almost completely forgotten today, though his films are regarded as some of the most astounding of his time, in the opinion of those few who are lucky enough to have seen them. Three of the live-action shorts were rediscovered not too long ago and preserved by Cinematheque Quebecoise in Montreal: A Wild Roomer (1927), Egged On (1926) and Now You Tell One (1926). The third of these can be seen on the "Tons of Fun" volume of Kino's video series, "The Slapstick Encyclopedia." A fourth, There It Is (1928), was recently preserved by George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. Seek and ye shall find!- Actor
- Stunts
Pat Comiskey was born on 27 October 1920 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Peter Gunn (1958), 77 Sunset Strip (1958) and The Thin Man (1957). He died on 24 May 1989 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.- Lou Duva was born on 28 May 1922 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Blood Salvage (1990), Living Single (1993) and WBO Jr. Lightweight Championship: Hector Camacho vs. Vinny Pazienza (1990). He was married to Enes Rizio. He died on 8 March 2017 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.
- Hershel Slappy was born on 2 February 1934 in Newark, New Jersey. He was an actor, known for Lean on Me (1989). He was married to Sarah Slappy. He died on 28 June 1997 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.
- Stephen Ellsworth was born on 28 April 1908 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Rawhide (1959), Wild Heritage (1958) and Klondike (1960). He died on 10 September 1985 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.
- Desmond Flynn was born on 2 August 1918 in Dublin, Ireland. Desmond was married to Eithne Flynn. Desmond died on 23 August 1999 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.
- Garret A. Hobart was born on 3 June 1844 in Long Branch, New Jersey, USA. He was married to Jennie Tuttle. He died on 21 November 1899 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.
- 495Lightbulb was born on 14 July 2001. He was an actor, known for 495Lightbulb: Eazy E (2020), 495Lightbulb: Put on a Shirt (2020) and 495Lightbulb: Lights On (2020). He died on 11 September 2021 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.
- Forrest Orr was born on 6 September 1886 in Dallas, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Rainbow Island (1944). He was married to Bertha C. Wells, Gladys Reardon and Frances McGrath. He died on 20 April 1963 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.
- James A. Feury was born on 7 December 1899 in New York City, New York, USA. He died in December 1977 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.
- Charles Weinberg was born on 19 September 1889 in New York City, New York, USA. He died on 11 November 1955 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.
- Lou Steele, the former actor whose voice later became familiar to New Yorkers as the announcer who first introduced Channel 5 News with, "It's 10 pm, do you know where your children are?" died 25 February 2001 of a heart attack at St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey He was 72.
Steele started his radio career in his teens before heading to Hollywood at age 21. As a contract actor, he appeared in several films, including "The Furies" and "September Affair."
He was called into the Army during the Korean War and was assigned to Armed Forces Radio in Japan. Steele's was the voice that announced to the U.S. Army in Korea the removal of their commander, General Douglas MacArthur, by President Truman in November 1950.
Steele went back into radio after the war and moonlighted as a soap opera star on both "Guiding Light" and "Secret Storm." He was also well known for his role at Channel 5 as "The Creep," the host of the station's regular horror movie series, "Creature Feacture".
Steele is survived by his wife, Laura Steele (whose radio and television psychic career he helped develop), a son and a brother. - Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Wallace Roney was born on 25 May 1960 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for Love Jones (1997), The Visit (2000) and The Jazz Griots: Liberty in Cadence Volume 2. He was married to Geri Allen. He died on 31 March 2020 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.- C.W. Stowell was born on 1 May 1876 in Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for The Ramparts We Watch (1940). He was married to Helen. He died on 26 November 1940 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA.