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- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
Frank Herbert was born on 8 October 1920 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. He was a writer, known for Dune (2021), Dune (1984) and Dune: Part Two (2024). He was married to Theresa Shackleford, Beverley Ann Stuart and Flora Parkinson. He died on 11 February 1986 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.- Nancy Parsons was born in Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, to Mary Margaret née Samsa and Charles Walter Parsons. She had two siblings -- Mary Jean Parsons and Theresa Mae Macrae née Parsons. When she was seventeen, her father remarried Genevieve Stack and moved with the three girls to South Pasadena, California. It was here that the acting bug first bit, when she appeared in the senior play and was subsequently given a full scholarship to the famed Pasadena Playhouse; 1960-1962. In her two years there, she appeared in some of the great works of Edward Albee, Clifford Odets, Tennessee Williams, Max Bollinger, and William Shakespeare, among others. Nancy married Alan Hipwell immediately after graduation and gave birth to Elizabeth Hipwell, on November 3, 1964, and to Margaret Hipwell, on October 7, 1969.
She returned to acting after divorcing her husband. While at UCLA, completing a theatre degree, she won the Hugh O'Brien Award; an event that launched her career. This award drew her to her lifelong friend and agent Susan Smith. Throughout her career, she garnered a Family Film Award for Best Actress in Porky's Revenge (1985), an Academy of Science Fiction and Fantasy nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Motel Hell (1980), a Dramalogue Award for the play "Dead End At Sunset," and a woman of the year award from the Alumni Association of her alma mater, The Pasadena Playhouse.
These are all her career achievements, but we would say the greatest legacy she has left us is the ability to live passionately, as individuals. Nancy always believed that art was the noblest of paths one could follow -- that it took an immense amount of courage, stamina and chutzpah (one of her favorite words). Nancy is survived by Margot Hipwell and her children Cassidy Coulson, and Jasper Coulson, and me, Elizabeth Hipwell. Thank you Mom! You will never be forgotten! - Sarah Danielle Madison was born in Springfield, Illinois. She was a 1992 graduate of Latin School of Chicago, the alma mater of Nancy Reagan, Bob Balaban, Brendan Baber, Crispin Freeman, Clark Freeman and Cassidy Freeman.
She attended Amherst College and graduated in 1996. A talented scientist, she decided to pursue her dreams of acting and moved to the West Coast. She hit her stride with Jurassic Park III (2001). - Tall, auburn-haired character comedienne, a buoyant and robust presence in television sitcoms of the 1960s/70s. Patty was born February 14, 1930, to Paul and Elsie (nee Lawrence) Regan in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She attended Clark College (in Dubuque, Iowa) and subsequently studied at the University of Wisconsin.
Having graduated from drama school in Pasadena she first made her mark in musical revues on Broadway (where she was billed as "Patti Regan") and eventually debuted on screen in 1960. She went on to guest star in diverse prime time TV series but was best served up in comedic roles, her credits including The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961), Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964), Bewitched (1964), F Troop (1965) (as Wilton's sister, Daphne Parmenter) and Get Smart (1965) (as Maxwell's put-upon landlady).
Regan left show business in 1988. She moved back to her home town in 1993. She died there in 1996 of cancer, aged 66. - One of the USA's most notorious serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer was born and raised in Bath Township, Ohio, a middle-class suburb of Akron. Much has been made of his childhood tendencies -including cases of cruelty to animals- but to outward appearances, at least, he seemed to be a normal child. As an adult he was always gainfully employed and was perceived as quiet and polite by co-workers. At the time of his arrest he had been working at a chocolate factory in Milwaukee and living alone in a small one-bedroom apartment. Dahmer's home was searched on July 22, 1991, after a young man fled his apartment and flagged down a police car. An investigation revealed that the apartment contained the remains of 11 young men, most of them black, Hispanic, or Asian. The bodies had been dismembered, and Dahmer confessed that he had cooked and eaten some of the remains. Asked why he committed such heinous acts, Dahmer told police that he killed because he was "lonely" and did not want his victims to leave him. He explained that he would meet potential victims in bars, shopping malls, or adult bookstores, and invite them back to his apartment where, in exchange for money or beer, he would photograph them naked. He would then drug the beer and, once the victim was unconscious, strangle and dismember the body. Dahmer's victims ranged in age from 14 to 33. On February 15, 1992, Dahmer was found guilty on 15 murder counts in Wisconsin. He was subsequently convicted of another killing in his Ohio hometown. Charges linking him to other murders were dropped for lack of evidence. He was sent to prison in Wisconsin with 15 mandatory life sentences to serve. The first year of his sentence, Dahmer was isolated from the general prison population for his own protection. In 1994 he was sent to a maximum security facility in Portage and was allowed some contact with the other inmates. He died after a brutal beating to death late night November 28, 1994, by Christopher Scarver, a fellow inmate who claimed God had instructed him to murder Jeffrey Dahmer. Even after Dahmer's death, legal battles continue over his estate. Several families of his victims sued him and were awarded millions of dollars in restitution. Those families have since been trying to gain control of the contents of Dahmer's apartment, including a 55-gallon vat he used to decompose bodies and the refrigerator where he stored his victims' hearts.
- Justin Mentell was born on 16 December 1982 in Austin, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for G-Force (2009), Boston Legal (2004) and 5-25-77 (2008). He died on 1 February 2010 in Blanchardville, Wisconsin, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Stunts
Bob Harks came from a rather large family where his father was a salesman for oil rig companies and where his mother was a stay at home mother. Throughout his life he was very devoted to his family but like most people, he yearned to get out and see the world.
Harks eventually drifted to California where he eventually became a clothing model. Through his connections he established as a model, he was able to get into the Screen Extras Guild where he was actually taken onto location for the movie Bullet. This began what was going to be a very long career in the Screen Extras Guild.
Harks came in at the tail end of the television western era, it was only natural for him to find work on the unpaved streets of several television westerns like Bonanza and Gunsmoke. With the downturn of popularity in westerns, Harks made the transition from a cowboy to a detective. Over the next 15 years, he would frequently be seen on shows like Kojak where he'd appear around the squad room and also on shows like Lou Grant where he'd make crosses.
In the early 1970s, Harks gained work as a utility stand-in on the Bill Bixby show The Magician and it would be his big break. Both he and fellow Magician stand-in Edna Ryan would later find themselves working on another show Bixby starred in called "The Incredible Hulk." Bixby was very fond of Bob and would frequently have him appear in roles that require Hark to be upgraded to a pay rate than you usual extra role. Harks would usually drive the car that would either pick up Bixby at the end of the episode or he would use his car to pass Bixby's character up as he was hitchhiking to his next destination.
After the closing of The Incredible Hulk, Harks got regular work as Bixby's stand-in on the short lived show Goodnight Beantown. As Bixby's career started to wind down, Harks found work as a stand-in on the show Alien Nation and he worked on it for the rest of his career not only appearing in the series but also most of the subsequent television movies. It was during this time that Harks decided to retire and move Wisconsin to be closer to his sister Sue and the rest of his family bringing a 30+ year career to a close.- Actor
- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stalwart, durable Monte Blue, a romantic leading man of the silent days, was born January 11, 1887, as Gerard Monte Blue (some sources indicate 1890, but his mother's application for his admission to the Soldier's and Sailor's Orphan's Home lists his birth date as January 11, 1887). Various sources have reported his first name as George or Gerald, but, again, in his mother's application, it is spelled Gerard. His father was killed in a railroad accident when Monte was eight and his mother could not support four children. He was admitted (along with another brother, Morris) to the orphanage at that time. There he built up his physique playing football. At one time or another the able-bodied gent was a railroader, a fireman, a coal miner, a cowpuncher, a ranch hand, a circus rider, a lumberjack and, finally, trekking west, he became a day laborer for D.W. Griffith's Biograph Studios.
Blue eventually became a stuntman for Griffith and an extra in The Birth of a Nation (1915), which was his first film. Griffith took him in and made him an assistant on his classic epic Intolerance (1916), where he earned another small part. Gradually moving to support roles for both Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille, Blue earned his breakthrough role as "Danton" in Griffith's Orphans of the Storm (1921) with sisters Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish. He rose to stardom as a rugged romantic lead opposite Hollywood's top silent stars, among them Gloria Swanson, Clara Bow and Norma Shearer. He made a relatively easy transition into talkies as he had a fine, cultivated voice, but, at the same time, lost most of his investments when the stock market crashed in 1929. By the 1930s the aging star had moved back into small, often unbilled parts, continuously employed, however, by his old friend DeMille and Warner Bros. At the end of his life he was working as an advance man for the Hamid-Morton Circus in Milwaukee. He died of a coronary attack complicated by influenza in 1963.- Irene Purcell was born on 7 August 1896 in Whiting, Indiana, USA. She was an actress, known for The Man in Possession (1931), The Passionate Plumber (1932) and Just a Gigolo (1931). She was married to Herbert Fisk Johnson Jr.. She died on 9 July 1972 in Racine, Wisconsin, USA.
- Actor
- Composer
- Producer
Mike Schank was an actor and composer, known for American Movie (1999), Storytelling (2001) and Coven (2000). He died on 13 October 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Stevie Ray Vaughan was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Dallas, Texas. He was the main guitarist and frontman for the musical trio "Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble" from 1978 to his death in 1990. Vaughan and his band-mates specialized in blues rock, and Vaughan was a key figure in the blues revival of the 1980s. He was killed in an accidental helicopter crash at the age of 35. His recordings continued to sell well following his death, and he has been cited as an influence on musicians of the blues, rock, and alternative genres.
In 1954, Vaughan was born in Dallas Texas. His father was Jimmie Lee "Big Jim" Vaughan (1921-1986), a World War II veteran who had served in the United States Navy. Vaughan's paternal grandparents were the sharecroppers Thomas Lee Vaughan (died in 1928) and Laura Belle LaRue. Laura was an amateur pianist and singer.
Vaughan reportedly had a difficult childhood. Big Jim (his father) struggled with alcohol abuse and had a violent temper. He was physically abusive with both his family and his friends. Vaughan idolized his own older brother, the aspiring musician Jimmie Vaughan (1951-). Vaughan wanted to become a musician as well, and unsuccessfully attempted to use the drums and the saxophone at an early age.
In 1961, Vaughan received a toy guitar as a gift. The guitar was a Western-themed "Wyatt Earp" model, a type produced by Jefferson Manufacturing from 1959 to 1968. Vaughan learned how to use the guitar by ear, and practiced on playing tunes by the Nightcaps. The Nightcaps (his favorite band) were a Dallas-based blues band. Vaughan would later study the music recordings of the guitarists Albert King, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Lonnie Mack, and Kenny Burrell. He tried to emulate their playing-style, in order to improve his own guitar skills.
In 1963, Vaughan received a hand-me-down electric guitar from his brother Jimmie. It was a Gibson ES-125T, a model popular from 1941 to 1970. In 1965, Vaughan joined the Chantones, his first band. They participated in a talent show, but were unable to perform a Jimmy Reed song in its entirety. Vaughan was disappointed and quit the band.
During his early teen years, Vaughan performed professionally at local bars and clubs. He performed with a local band, the Brooklyn Underground. He met with the disapproval of both his parents, and he was increasingly miserable in his home life. In 1969, Vaughan auditioned for a position in the pop rock band Southern Distributor. He was hired after impressing the band-mates with a perfect rendition of the song "Jeff's Boogie" by the the Yardbirds. However, his fascination with the blues met with the band's disapproval, as they believed that nobody could make a living by playing the blues. The band soon disbanded.
Later in 1969, Vaughan had a jam session with the experienced bass guitarist Tommy Shannon (1946-). They liked each other's style, and would on occasion perform together over the following years. In February 1970, Vaughan became the main guitarist of the band Liberation. The group's original guitarist, Scott Phares, stepped down from that role. He believed that Vaughan outclassed him in guitar performances. Later in 1970, the band performed with another new Texas-based band, called ZZ Top (1969-).
In September 1970, Vaughan recorded two songs with the band Cast of Thousands. The songs were intended for a compilation album, and were the first studio recordings in Vaughan's career. In January 1971, Vaughan quit the band Liberation in order to form his own band. He called the new band Blackbird. At that point, Vaughan decided to drop out of high school and move to Austin, Texas with his band-mates. Austin reputedly had more liberal and tolerant audiences than Dallas, and Vaughan was frustrated with the conservative culture of Dallas.
In Austin, Vaughan took residence in the blues club Rolling Hills Club. He and Blackbird opened shows for bands such as Sugarloaf, Wishbone Ash, and Zephyr. Success eluded them, and the band had a frequent changes in its membership. Vaughan himself quit the band in December 1972. He served for 3 months as a new member of the band Krackerjack.
In March 1973, Vaughan joined the band Nightcrawlers. The band included a number of his old acquaintances as members. They recorded an album at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, but it was rejected by a record company. The album included Vaughan's first songwriting efforts, "Dirty Pool" and "Crawlin". Later that year, the band signed a contract with music impresario Bill Ham (1937 -2016). Ham arranged gigs for them across the Southern United States, but was disappointed at the lack of audience interest in their performances. Ham left the band stranded in Mississippi, and later wanted the members to reimburse for his expenses.
In 1975, Vaughan joined the band "Paul Ray and the Cobras". He started giving weekly performances at Austin clubs. In late 1976, Vaughan and his new band recorded their first single. It was released in February 1977, to positive reviews by the local music press. The band topped a poll by the counterculture newspaper "Austin Sun" (1974-1978), voted by the readers as the band of the year. Vaughan went on a tour with the band.
In the autumn of 1977, Vaughan was disappointed to learn that the Cobras planned to change their music style and to strive for a "mainstream" musical direction. He soon quit the band, and formed the new band Triple Threat Revue. In January 1978, the new band recorded four songs. These were their only audio recordings, as they disbanded for unknown reasons. Vaughan had written the lyrics to one of their songs.
In May 1978, Vaughan co-founded the band Double Trouble with the singer Lou Ann Barton (1954-) and the drummer Fredde "Pharaoh" Walden. They named themselves after the title of a song by Otis Rush. Walden quit the band in July, and was briefly replaced by Jack Moore. Moore himself quit the band by early September, replaced by Chris Layton (1955-). Vaughan and Layton would continue performing together until 1990.
Vaughan's personal life underwent changes in the summer of 1978. He first met and befriended Lenora "Lenny" Bailey. The two soon started a romantic relationship to each other. They were married in December 1979, at Vaughan's insistence. The marriage lasted until 1988, ending in a divorce. Lenny was Vaughan's only wife, and his longest-lasting romantic relationship.
In October 1978, Vaughan and his band became resident performers at the Rome Inn, at the time one of the most popular music venues in Austin. In November 1979, Vaughan himself signed a management contract with Chesley Millikin. Millikin was the manager of Manor Downs, a horse racetrack which was also used as a music venue. In October 1980, Tommy Shannon applied for a position with the band. Vaughan thought about it, and recruited him in early 1981. Vaughan and Shannon would continue performing together until 1990.
In July 1982, Vaughan and his band were booked for the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. They were booed by part of the audience, leaving Vaughan depressed. However, the performance impressed some music lovers. The band was soon booked for a performance at the lounge of the Montreux Casino, and were offered use of Jackson Browne's personal recording studio in downtown Los Angeles. They took the offer and recorded ten songs in two days.
While staying in Los Angeles, Vaughan was approached by famous musician David Bowie (1976-2016). They had met in Montreux, and Vaughan had made a favorable impression. Bowie wanted Vaughan to perform as a guitarist in his next studio album, "Let's Dance". Vaughan accepted. In January 1983, Vaughan performed on six of the album's eight songs. One of them was a new rendition of "China Girl", which Bowie had co-written in 1977. The album was released in April 1983, to massive commercial success. It became Bowie's best-selling album, and EMI's fastest-selling record since the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967).
In March 1983, Vaughan and Double Trouble signed a contract with Epic Records (1953-). The company was a music subsidiary of CBS Records. It became a leading record label of the 1980s, after signing contracts with such music stars of the era as Michael Jackson and Gloria Estefan. The company financed Double Trouble's music video "Love Struck Baby", a first for the band.
In April 1983, Vaughan initially agreed to perform with David Bowie in the concert tour Serious Moonlight Tour. Vaughan quit the tour days before its opening date in May 1983, due to the failure of contract re-negotiations for his performance fee. Although he was mildly disappointed at the lack of an agreement, the publicity generated by his resignation boosted Vaughan's fame. In early May 1983, Vaughan and Double Trouble opened a New York City show for Bryan Adams (1959-). At the time, the music press commented that Vaughan was more impressive than Adams.
Vaughan released his debut studio album in June 1983, "Texas Flood". The album peaked at 38th place on the Billboard 200 chart shortly after its release, despite part of the press complaining about Vaughan's supposed lack of originality. Two of its songs were nominated for Grammy Awards. On June 16, Vaughan gave a performance at Tango nightclub in Dallas, in order to celebrate the album's release. About 700 people attended the performance, including radio station personalities and executives from New York City. Based on the album's success Double Trouble were booked as the opening act for a two-months tour with The Moody Blues, receiving 5,000 dollars for each performance. For the first time, the band was performing in crowded coliseums.
In January 1984, Vaughan and his band recorded their second album, "Couldn't Stand the Weather". They were joined by several other musicians for the recordings, including Jimmie Vaughan. The album was released in May 1984, and quickly outsold its predecessor. It peaked at number 31, and spent 38 weeks on the charts. The album confirmed that Vaughan's acclaimed debut was no fluke, and Vaughan was considered a leader in the then-ongoing commercial revival of the blues genre. Having played blues for most of his life, Vaughan had no real need to change his style.
In October 1984, Vaughan headlined a performance at Carnegie Hall. His concert included several guest musicians, with vocalist Angela Strehli (1945-) performing with them. They performed in front of an audience of 2,200 people, including Vaughan's wife and his family. The performance was recorded and later released as an official live LP. In late 1984, the band toured Australia and New Zealand. In November 1984, they played two successful concerts at the Sydney Opera House. Vaughan took a short vacation in December, and toured Japan in January 1985.
In March 1985, Vaughan and his band started recording their third album, "Soul to Soul". Vaughan had trouble with their recording sessions. He suffered from a lack of inspiration, and he had trouble concentrating due to an excessive use of alcohol and other drugs. In April 1985, Vaughan performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" in the Houston Astrodome. He was barely lucid at the time. His performance was booed by the audience, and the music press noted that nobody had asked Vaughan for his autograph.
"Soul to Soul" was released in September 1985, to great commercial success. It peaked at 34th place on the Billboard 200, and remained in the charts through mid-1986. However, it did not match the sales of their previous album. The press commented that Vaughan was running out of gas. Vaughan himself commented in an interview about the troubled production of the album, though he felt that his band still managed to stay strong.
In 1985 and 1986, Vaughan and his band spend nearly 10th months in constant touring. They did not have time for recording sessions. Epic Records eventually notified them that they were under contractual obligation to record a 4th album. Vaughan decided to record the new LP ( "Live Alive") during three live appearances in Austin and Dallas. They used recordings of their concerts to assemble the LP, with Vaughan himself serving as the producer. What they recorded, however, were "chaotic jams with no control".
"Live Alive" was released in November 1986. It peaked at the 52nd place at the Billboard 200. Music critics complained about Vaughan's "uneven playing" in these recordings. Vaughan later commented in an interview that he was in a bad shape at the time, and that the recordings sounded like "the work of half-dead people".
Back in September 1986, Vaughan collapsed after a performance in Germany. He was suffering from near-fatal dehydration, and required medical treatment. The experience convinced Vaughan to quit drugs, and to seek rehabilitation. He spend months in three different rehab clinics, located in London, Atlanta, and Austin. He was released in November 1986, and required positive reassurance to start performing again. He started a new tour on November 23.
In January 1987, Vaughan filed for a divorce from his wife Lenny. The legal proceedings restricted him from taking part in new music projects. He could not write or and record songs for almost two years. His band-mates composed the new song "Crossfire" without him. Vaughan was ,however, able to appear with them in concerts. Vaughan toured Europe with the band in 1988, ending his concert appearances in Finland.
In 1988, Vaughan's divorce was finalized. He and his band started recording their fourth and final studio album, "In Step". Vaughan wrote songs about addiction and redemption, and the album's liner notes contained references to the twelve-step program proposed by the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The album was released in June 1989. It peaked at 33rd on the Billboard 200, spending 47 weeks on the chart. Critics took note of songs with "startling emotional honesty", remarking that Vaughan's songwriting ability had improved.
On August 27, 1990, Vaughan performed at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre, located in the Alpine Valley Resort of East Troy, Wisconsin. He was performing with members of Eric Clapton's touring entourage. Vaughan departed the music venue with a Bell 206B helicopter, as the only road in and out of the area was nearly inaccessible due to heavy traffic. The helicopter crashed into a nearby ski hill shortly after takeoff. Vaughan was killed, along with the pilot and three other passengers. Vaughan was only 35-years-old at the time of his death.
At the time of the accident, there were foggy conditions in the area, resulting in low visibility for the pilot. A later investigation determined that the pilot was qualified to fly by instruments in a fixed-wing aircraft, but had no such qualifications for flying a helicopter. Vaughan was buried at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas, Texas, with his funeral attended by 3,000 mourners. In 1993, a memorial statue of Vaughan was unveiled in Austin.- A 26-year old African-American named Anthony Sears is now famous for being the fifth victim of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. He was bisexual, had a girlfriend and worked at the Bakers Square restaurant in Milwaukee. Sears met Dahmer on the evening of March 25, 1989 at the Milwaukee gay club "La Cage". Later that night, when the bar closed, Sears' friend Jeffrey Connor drove him, Dahmer and Bob Keel, another friend of his, back to his grandmother's house. Before Connor let Anthony and Dahmer go, he reminded Sears that he was going to spend time with his family on Easter and asked him to call him in case he needed a ride back home. He had since never been seen again. According to his mother Marilyn, who didn't know he was going to be dead, Anthony was planning to see her on the next day to celebrate his recent promotion at his job at the Bakers Square restaurant as a manager, but he never showed up. As for Dahmer, he brought Sears inside his grandmother's house, where they had sex and Dahmer gave him a drink that put him to sleep. Once Sears fell asleep, Dahmer killed and dismembered his body, mummifying his head and penis, while the rest of the body was disposed. He eventually boiled his face by removing the skin and kept his skull as a souvenir. According to Dahmer, the body parts of Sears were in a black cabinet when he was serving a one-year sentence for a second degree sexual assault charge involving a teenage boy. In late July 1991, two years after his murder, Sears' remains were identified by a local coroner, when the world discovered the infamous ruthless serial killer of all time: Jeffrey Dahmer.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Byron Gilliam was born on 3 November 1940 in Gary, Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Playboy After Dark (1969), Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967) and Soul (1968). He died on 22 November 1990 in Wisconsin, USA.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Jay Leggett was born on 9 August 1963 in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Employee of the Month (2004), Without a Paddle (2004) and Live Nude Girls (2014). He died on 23 November 2013 in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, USA.- Errol Lindsey was born on 3 March 1972. He died on 23 July 1991 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Of Jewish-Puerto Rican descent, 23 year old handsome Chicagoan, Jeremiah Weinberger would become known as serial killer Jeffrey Dahmers 15th murder victim. They met in early July 1991 when Dahmer was prowling the streets of Chicago at "Carols Speakeasy Bar", located on Chicago's near north side, in Oldtown. Despite reservations, Weinberger was lured by the charming, boyishly handsome Dahmer to his Milwaukee apartment (Formerly The Oxford Apartments). After 4 days, Dahmer drugged Weinberger's drink. Once unconscious, Dahmer conducted experiments on Weinberger, by drilling a hole in his head, and injecting acid and boiling water into the frontal lobe of his brain, in an attempt to create a "sex zombie". Weinberger regained consciousness, but was groggy. Dahmer then drugged him again. Weinberger struggled for life for a day and a half before slipping into a coma. When his experiment failed, Dahmer strangled him. He severed Weinberger's head and placed it in his freezer. Dahmer dismembered Weinberger's body with a chainsaw and stored his torso in a 57 gallon blue drum which was filled with acid. In late July, 1991, along with a number of other victims, Jeremiah Weinberger's remains were returned to his parents for burial, when the world discovered a new infamous serial murderer; Jeffrey Dahmer.
- James E. Doxtator was born on 1 March 1973. He died on 16 January 1988 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Additional Crew
Ed Gein and his elder brother Henry lived on a rural farm near Plainfield, WI. George Gein, his father, was a tanner and carpenter and was drunk most of the time. Augusta, Ed's domineering mother, was the real power of the house. She was a religious fanatic who constantly warned her sons about the sins of premarital sex and railed against "evil" women. Ed's father died in 1940, and brother Henry died four years later fighting a marsh fire (although it was later suspected that Ed might have killed him). Ed stayed at the family farm with his mother and never strayed out of the surrounding few counties. When she died of a stroke in 1945, Ed was left all alone at the "tender" age of 39. He sealed her bedroom and the rest of his house off, living in just the kitchen and one other room. During the period of 1950-55, he visited three local cemeteries at night and dug up at least ten graves. He removed bits and pieces from each body, returning some to their graves. He used skullcaps for bowls, and stitched chair seats and lampshades out of human skin. On special occasions, he would dance outside in the moonlight wearing numerous stitched skin coverings, including the face masks of some of his victims. His first murder was committed on December 8, 1954, the other occurred on November 16, 1957. He attacked his last victim in her store and dragged her body to a truck parked out back. Later that evening the victim's son stopped in at the store to check on his mother and found the doors locked, the cash register missing and a trail of blood leading out to the back door. He recalled that he had seen Ed at the store the day before. When the police went to his farm, they found her headless body in his shed, hanging by it's heels from the rafters. Gein was arrested and eventually confessed to his crimes. On January 16, 1958, he was sent to Central State Hospital at Waupun, WI. In November 1968, he was judged competent to stand trial. He was now diagnosed to have chronic schizophrenia, found "not guilty by reason of insanity" and returned to Waupun. It has been theorized that Gein might have killed two men who hired him as their hunting guide in 1952 and were never seen again. There were also two other unidentified women's body parts were found at his farm. In that his murder & grave robbing victims were all of middle or elderly age, these two women's remains were decisively young, in their teenage years. This was never conclusively investigated. In 1978, he was moved to Mendota Mental Health Institute. Gein was a model prisoner and died quietly in his sleep in the geriatric psychiatric ward in 1984. He is buried next to his mother in the Plainfield Cemetery.- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Composer
Otis Redding was born on 9 September 1941 in Dawson, Georgia, USA. He was a music artist and composer, known for Top Gun (1986), Hamburger Hill (1987) and Road House (1989). He was married to Zelma Redding. He died on 10 December 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.- Lynn Fontanne was a British actress of French and Irish descent. She spend most of her acting career in the United States, and she is considered among the great leading ladies of American theatre. She formed an acting duo with her husband Alfred Lunt (1892-1977). Fontanne had few film roles, but was once nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Fontanne was born in Woodford, Essex in 1887, which was at the time a suburb of London with an ever-growing population. Woodford was annexed to Greater London in 1965 as part of an administrative reform. It is currently part of the London Borough of Redbridge. Fontanne's parents were Jules Fontanne (of French descent) and Frances Ellen Thornley (of Irish descent).
Fontanne first gained fame in 1921, at the age of 34. She portrayed the protagonist character Dulcy in the farce play "Dulcy" by George Simon Kaufman (1889-1961) and Marc Connelly (1890-1980), and won acclaim as a comedy actress. She became known for her witty roles, and had roles specifically written for her by Samuel Nathaniel Behrman (1893-1973), Robert Emmet Sherwood (1896-1955), and Noël Coward (1899-1973).
Fontanne enjoyed further success with a leading dramatic role in "Strange Interlude" (1928) by Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953). Fontanne portrayed protagonist Nina Leeds, a woman who lost her original fiance in World War play. The grieving Nina then engages in a series of affairs, before marrying "amiable fool" Sam Evans. She is aware that madness runs in the Evans family, so she has a child with a lover and has Sam acknowledge it as his own. She then maintains secret affairs for the next twenty years, while still posing as a loving wife. Due to its content, the play was considered controversial in the 1920s, but it was a hit.
Fontanne made her film debut in the romantic comedy "Second Youth". She had her greatest success in the medium with the comedy "The Guardsman" (1931). In the film, a jealous husband creates a second identity to seduce his wife. Fontanne played the wife, who recognizes her husband but decides to play along. Fontanne was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for this role, but the Award was instead won by rival actress Helen Hayes (1900-1993).
Fontanne's most notable theatrical success in the 1930s was the risque play "Design for Living" (1933), involving bisexuality and a ménage à trois. Fontanne continued performing as a stage actress until her official retirement in 1958. During her last year as a stage actress, Fontanne and Lunt introduced their new theatrical house, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
Fontanne continued appearing regularly in television until the mid-1960s. She received an Emmy Award for her role in "The Magnificent Yankee" (1965), and was nominated for a second one for her role as Maria Feodorovna (1847-1928) in "Anastasia" (1967). Fontanne received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964.
Fontane continued living in retirement until 1983, residing in her summer home "Ten Chimneys" in Genesee Depot, Wisconsin. She was 95-years-old at the time of her death, one of the oldest living actresses. Following her death, Ten chimneys was converted to a house museum and social center for American theater. - Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch was born on 17 June 1923 in Wausau, Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for Zero Hour! (1957), Unchained (1955) and Crazylegs (1953). He was married to Ruth Stahmer. He died on 28 January 2004 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Julius LaRosa was born on 2 January 1930 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Godfather Part III (1990), Another World (1964) and Fargo (2014). He was married to Rosemary "Rory" Meyer. He died on 12 May 2016 in Crivitz, Wisconsin, USA.- Charlotte Zucker was born on 10 March 1921 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She was an actress, known for The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), Rat Race (2001) and My Best Friend's Wedding (1997). She was married to Burton Zucker. She died on 5 September 2007 in Shorewood, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, USA.
- William Henry O'Brien, also known as Kunu Hank, was a member of the Ho-Chunk-gra (formerly Winnebago) Native American tribe. He and Rifleman star Chuck Conners played pro and semi-pro baseball with some California teams in the 1950s and 1960s.
Some of his film credits include "One-Eyed Jacks," "The Professionals," "A Man Called Horse," and "The Car." His television credits include "Wild Wild West," "Petticoat Junction," "Rifleman," and "Branded."
Originally from Black River Falls, WI, he returned there when he retired. - Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Charlie Hill was born on 6 July 1951 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Impure Thoughts (1986), The Bionic Woman (1976) and Indian Time (1989). He was married to Lenora Hatathlie. He died on 30 December 2013 in Oneida, Wisconsin, USA.- Darlene Lucht was born on 17 March 1938 in Franklin, Wisconsin, USA. She was an actress, known for Bikini Beach (1964), The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) and Five Bloody Graves (1969). She was married to Robert Dix. She died on 5 March 2011 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Writer
- Actor
John Dann MacDonald was born on July 24, 1916, in Sharon, Pennsylvania. He served in the OSS in the far east during World War Two. While still in the military, he wrote a short story and mailed it home to his wife, simply for her entertainment. Unknown to him, she submitted it to the magazine "Story", and it was accepted. This launched a writing career that spanned more than 40 years. MacDonald is best known for the series of detective-style novels featuring Travis McGee, with an interesting twist on the usual hard-boiled character; McGee was NOT a licensed private investigator, and in most of the novels, he agrees to recover something of value for a friend or a friend of a friend; his fee is one-half the value of the object. MacDonald had enrolled in the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, but dropped out during his sophomore year. He later completed his studies at Syracuse University, graduating in 1938, and in 1939 he received a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University. While attending Syracuse, he met Dorothy Prentiss; they married in 1937. They had one son. At the age of 70, John D. MacDonald traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in December of 1986 to undergo heart surgery. He died at a hospital there on December 28th. He is buried in Milwaukee, at Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum.- Audrey Conti was born on 31 January 1933 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She was an actress, known for Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957), Conflict (1956) and The Sheriff of Cochise (1956). She was married to Gary Clarence Steenblock. She died on 3 June 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Konerak Sinthasomphone was born on 1 December 1976. He died on 27 May 1991 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Ryan Knight was born on 18 June 1986 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA. He died on 27 November 2014 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA.
- Steven W. Tuomi was born on 19 December 1962 in Ontonagon, Michigan, USA. He died on 15 September 1987 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Dan Cole was born on 20 December 1963 in Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor, known for The Office (2005), Two and a Half Men (2003) and Ruby Booby (2013). He died on 11 February 2024 in West Allis, Wisconsin, USA.
- Joseph Bradehoft was born on 24 January 1966 in Minnesota, USA. He was married to Cheryl. He died on 19 July 1991 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Oliver Lacy was born on 23 June 1968 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He died on 15 July 1991 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Paul Sills is best remembered as Chicago's father of improvisation, the innovative co-founder/director of the celebrated Compass Players and Chicago's Second City improvisational comedy troupes. Sills sought to teach the comedy acting techniques of improvisation instilled in him by his mother, Viola Spolin, who once taught creative dramatics to children and adults at a recreational center. Her techniques included acting games, storytelling, folk dances and other forms of self-expression now the basis of most improvisational training.
Reluctant of the limelight, Sills stayed pretty much out of the picture but his legion of followers have included some of entertainment's most renowned actors. One of his first ensembles (Compass Players) included Severn Darden, Elaine May, Mike Nichols and Barbara Harris, to whom he was once married. His original Second City troupe included Darden, Harris, Roger Bowen, Mina Kolb, Andrew Duncan and Eugene Troobnick. A famous branch of the Chicago group formed in Toronto, Canada and included upcoming comedy sketch stars Gilda Radner, John Candy, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. On Broadway, one of Sills' biggest successes came with the Tony-nominated revue "Story Theatre", a reworking of fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm. Cast member Paul Sand won a Tony award for his performance in 1971.
Into the '90s, Sills continued to influence up-and-coming talent with his lectures and workshops. He also published a book in 2000 entitled "Paul Sills' Story Theater: Four Shows." The father of five (one son and four daughters -- David, Rachel, Polly, Aretha and Neva), Paul lived in Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin with his third wife, Carol Bleackley, a painter and teacher, until his death of pneumonia at age 80 in 2008.- Director
- Producer
- Editor
Eli Grier Hayes was born on November 5th, 1993 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He fell in love with cinema at a relatively early age upon viewing the works of directors such as James Benning and Chantal Akerman. Eli began screenwriting as he entered high school, and directed his first short films, "The Life That Follows" and "Nobody," during his senior year. While enrolled at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York -- where he received his bachelor's degree in abnormal psychology, with a minor in creative writing -- he founded Hazel Eye Productions. Eli has since directed, produced & edited more than twenty-five feature films, and approximately fifty short films. His work has been screened at over seventy festivals across six continents, including The Beijing International Short Film Festival, Hell's Half Mile Film & Music Festival, The Pune Short Film Festival, The Cannes International Film Festival's Court Métrage, The Princeton Film Festival, Phoenix Film Festival Melbourne, and The Milwaukee Short Film Festival, as well as venues such as Anthology Film Archives and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 2017, he graduated from Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee with a master's degree in film & creative media, and went on to become the Project Manager at The Nashville Film Institute. Eli recently relocated back to his home city of Milwaukee, where he was working on several different projects, both short form and feature length, before passing away on May 23rd, 2020 at the age of 26 of an accidental overdose.- Dolores Avery was born on 20 August 1937 in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, USA. She was married to Allan Avery. She died on 8 July 2021 in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, USA.
- Raymond Smith was born in 1957. He died in May 1990 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
E. Gary Gygax was born on 27 July 1938 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Dungeons & Dragons (1983), Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Mystery (1981). He was married to Gail Carpenter. He died on 4 March 2008 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Linda Hopkins was born on 14 December 1924 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. She was an actress, known for Leprechaun 2 (1994), Great Performances (1971) and The Kitchen (2019). She died on 10 April 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.- Julie Haydon was born on 10 June 1910 in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The Age of Innocence (1934), Citizen Saint (1947) and A Family Affair (1937). She was married to George Jean Nathan. She died on 24 December 1994 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA.
- Catherine Dahmer was born on 29 October 1904 in Iowa County, Wisconsin, USA. She was married to Herbert Walter Dahmer. She died on 25 December 1992 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Guerdon Trueblood is the grandson of General Billy Mitchell, who's the founding father of the U.S. Air Force. Trueblood attended George Wastington University in Virginia. He achieved his greatest success as a solid and dependable television writer. Trueblood has written scripts for such TV shows as "The Young Rebels," "Adam-12," "The Young Lawyers," "The Streets of San Francisco," and "Automan." In addition, Trueblood wrote the screenplays for the excellent psycho Vietnam veterans exploitation winner "Welcome Home, Soldier Boys" and the gritty Western "The Last Hard Men;" Trueblood also was an associate producer of the latter movie. Moreover, Trueblood penned the scripts for the 70s made-for-TV killer animal fright features "The Savage Bees," "It Happened at Lakewood Manor," "Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo," and "Terror Out of the Sky." He also supplied the story for "Jaws 3-D." Trueblood made a rare foray into theatrical film directing with the terrifically rough and sleazy 70s grindhouse crime cult classic "The Candy Snatchers." Trueblood's college friend Vincent Martorano portrays a dim-witted kidnapper in the picture and his son Christopher appears as a little autistic boy. Trueblood's other son Guerdon is a highly successful digital effects artist/compositor.- Curtis Straughter was born on 6 April 1973. He died on 18 February 1991 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- Nicholas Hitchon was born on 22 October 1957 in Littondale, North Yorkshire, England, UK. He was married to C. Cryss Brunner and Jacqueline Bush. He died on 23 July 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Ernest Miller was born in 1968 in the USA. He died on 3 September 1990 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
- August Derleth was born on 24 February 1909 in Sauk City, Wisconsin, USA. He was a writer, known for Thriller (1960), Lights Out (1946) and Night Gallery (1969). He was married to Sandra Evelyn Winters. He died on 4 July 1971 in Sauk City, Wisconsin, USA.
- Rosemary Kennedy was born on 13 September 1918 in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA. She died on 7 January 2005 in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
Bill Borchardt was born on 22 September 1914 in Wisconsin, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Coven (2000) and American Movie (1999). He died on 13 September 1997 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.- Though he started as an extra late in life, Nico was able to break the Greek stereotype that would have pigeonholed him into ethnic setting settings which lead to a successful career that lasted over 40 years.
When he started in the late 1960s, Stevens typically played hoods and generic Italian character actor types during the era of the police dramas. Like many extras, Stevens' biggest issue was his well pronounced Greek accent. Stevens could frequently be seen working in movies and shows filmed at Universal Studios.
By the mid-1970s, the more mature Stevens grew a mustache and this changed his fortune entirely. He developed a character which was suitable to be work the upper scale dress extra scenes. The now distinctive looking Stevens was frequently cast as a maître d' and was a frequently utilized on shows like Hart to Hart and Murder, She Wrote. Never really growing tired of the entertainment business, Stevens continued to work commercials well into the 2000s with his usual mustache, and his dignified manner.