Showing results for "Rara" in Entertainment & Celebrities

Marie Magdalene "Marlene" Dietrich (December 27, 1901 - May 6, 1992) was a German and American actress and singer whose career spanned from the silent film era of the 1920s to the 1980s. Noted for her glamorous persona and exotic looks, Dietrich became one of Hollywood's highest-paid actresses. Dietrich, who sided with the allies, was known for her humanitarian efforts during World War II, housing German and French exiles, providing financial support and even advocating their American citizenship.

Jess Oppenheimer, "the brains" behind I Love Lucy, weaves this wonderfully entertaining tale of how his life experiences led him to create the iconic sitcom. Packed with humorous behind-the-scenes stories of stars like Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, William Frawley, Jack Benny, Douglas Fairbanks, and Fred Astaire.

Rare Stamps offers a revealing insight into the life of an actor and the making of a man. Beginning with an Academy Award nomination for Billy Budd in 1962, Terence Stamp was called "the most beautiful man alive," only to be discarded at the end of the decade with the words "we're looking for a younger Terence Stamp." Soul searching, he traveled alone through India, staying at the Taj Mahal Hotel while studying above a public lavatory with a chain-smoking guru, only to wind up back in London and broke by 1984.

Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson (June 1, 1926 - August 4, 1962), was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 60s, as well as an emblem of the era's sexual revolution. She was a top-billed actress for a decade, and her films grossed $200 million (equivalent to $2 billion in 2022) by the time of her death in 1962.

The following recording is a 1977 interview with Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 - November 7, 1980) was an American actor whose antihero personae, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the 1960s and 70s.

Joan Crawford, born Lucille Fay LeSueur (March 23, 1904-May 10, 1977) in San Antonio, TX, was an American dancer, businesswoman, and actress of 86 films. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. Her films were well received by Depression-era audiences and popular with women. In this 1971 recording, Crawford discusses filmmaking, her films, and her appearance at an upcoming AFI event in Washington, DC.

Myrna Loy, born Myrna Adele Williams in Helena, MT, (August 2, 1905-December 14, 1993) was an American film, television and stage actress. Trained as a dancer, Loy devoted herself fully to acting following a few minor roles in silent films. Originally typecast for exotic roles, Loy's career prospects improved greatly following her portrayal of Nora Charles in The Thin Man (1934) and helped elevate her reputation as a versatile actress. Although Loy was never nominated for an Academy Award, in 1991 she received an Honorary Academy Award in recognition of her life's work.

Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov, born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov in London, England (April 16, 1921-March 28, 2004) was a British actor, writer and director. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received two Academy Awards and two other Oscar nominations (one for screenwriting), a BAFTA Award, three Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. The following recording is from a tv interview from the 1980s.

Humphrey DeForest Bogart (December 25, 1899-January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema films like The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, and The Caine Mutiny, made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart as the greatest male star of classic American cinema. Lauren Bacall, born Betty Joan Perske (September 16, 1924-August 12, 2014), was one of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood cinema and an award-winning Broadway stage actress.

Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 to February 1, 1966), born in Piqua, Kansas, was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently maintained a stoic, deadpan facial expression that became his trademark and earned him the nickname "The Great Stone Face." In the following recording, from an April 17, 1964 television interview, Keaton reflects on his sixty-year career in show business.

Shirley Temple (April 23, 1928 - February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Temple began her film career in 1931 when she was three years old. In 1935, she received a special Juvenile Academy Award for her contributions in motion pictures. Temple embarked on her U.S. diplomatic career in 1969, later being named Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and also served as Chief of Protocol of the United States.

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 - May 24, 1974), born and raised in Washington, DC, was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra. Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. Ellington wrote or collaborated on more than one thousand compositions. Music critic Ralph J. Gleason called him "America's most important composer.

Sharon Marie Tate Polanski (January 24, 1943 - August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model who appeared in advertisements and small television and film roles. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic and dramatic acting performances, Tate was hailed as one of Hollywood's most promising newcomers, being compared favorably with the late Marilyn Monroe. Her first major role was as Jennifer North in the 1967 American drama film Valley of the Dolls, which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination.

Constance Frances Marie Ockelman (November 14, 1922-July 7, 1973), born in Brooklyn, NY, known professionally as Veronica Lake, was an American film, stage, and television actress. Lake was best known for her femme fatale roles in films noir with Alan Ladd during the 1940s, her peek-a-boo hairstyle, and films such as Sullivan's Travels (1941) and I Married a Witch (1942). The following audio recording is from a 1971 television interview.

Marilyn Ann Taylor (April 22, 1952 to April 12, 2009), raised in Westport, CT, known professionally as Marilyn Chambers, was an American pornographic actress, dancer, model, actress, singer, and vice-presidential candidate. She was known for her 1972 hardcore film debut, Behind the Green Door, and her 1980 film Insatiable. She is ranked as one of the top porn stars of all-time. Although she was primarily known for her adult film work, she made a successful transition to mainstream projects and has been called "porn's most famous crossover."

Eugene Allen Hackman (January 30, 1930 - February 17, 2025), a former US Marine, was an American actor with a career that spanned over four decades, winning two Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. Hackman's two Oscars were for Best Actor for his role as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in William Friedkin's action thriller The French Connection (1971) and for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a villainous sheriff in Clint Eastwood's Western film Unforgiven (1992). The following recordings are of his two Academy Award acceptance speeches.

Jean Harlow, born Harlean Harlow Carpenter (March 3, 1911 - June 7, 1937), from Kansas City, MO, was an American actress known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters. Often nicknamed the "Blonde Bombshell" and the "Platinum Blonde," Harlow was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the pre-Code era of American cinema. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Harlow number 22 on its greatest female screen legends list. In the following recording from 1936, Harlow is interviewed by Elsa Schalert, a radio show host and Los Angeles Times writer.

Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916-July 2, 1973) was an American actress, dancer, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and for 10 consecutive years (1942 to 1951) she placed among the Quigley Poll's top 10 box office stars. Throughout her career, Grable was a celebrated sex symbol. Her iconic bathing-suit poster made her the top pin-up girl of World War II, surpassing Rita Hayworth. The photo was later included in the Life magazine project, "100 Photographs That Changed the World." The following recording is a clip from a 1969 TV interview.

Dorothy Lamour, born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton (December 10, 1914 - September 22, 1996) was an American actress and big band singer, best remembered for having appeared in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Her appearance as Ulah in The Jungle Princess (1936) brought her fame and marked the beginning of her image as the "Sarong Queen." For her contribution to the radio and motion picture industry, Lamour has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The following recordings are from TV appearances in 1972 and 1981.

The following two recordings include Mr. Rogers' speeches for his 1997 Emmy Award, and his 1999 induction into the TV Critics' Television Hall of Fame. In the second clip, wheelchair-bound Jeff Erlanger, who had appeared on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as a boy, surprises Mr. Rogers with his on-stage presentation. Mr. Rogers goes on to address the audience of television celebrities and producers, and asks the poignant question, "How do we make goodness attractive?"