Brisson, Frederick (17 March 1913–08 October 1984), stage and film producer, was born Carl Frederick Brisson, Jr., in Copenhagen, Denmark, the son of Carl Frederick Brisson, a Danish cabaret singing idol, and Cleo (maiden name unknown). At age ten, Brisson was taken to England, where he was educated and where he later began his lengthy career, the foundation of which had been formed when as a youngster he often accompanied his father on tour. After graduation from public school, he traveled as an advanced publicity man for Moss Empire Ltd., the owner of legitimate theaters in England....
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Brisson, Frederick (1913-1984), stage and film producer
Patricia Fox-Sheinwold
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Craven, Wesley Earl (2 Aug. 1939–30 Aug. 2015), director, writer, and producer of prominent American horror films
Kendall R. Phillips
Craven, Wesley Earl (2 Aug. 1939–30 Aug. 2015), director, writer, and producer of prominent American horror films, was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Craven described his mother, Caroline, as a religiously devout Baptist who took her children to church virtually every Wednesday and Sunday. His father, Paul, was a more distant and intimidating figure. Perhaps because of his strict upbringing, with prohibitions on activities like dancing, parties, or going to the movies, Craven was a strong student and went on to receive a B.A. in English from Wheaton College in ...
Article
Douglas, Kirk (9 December 1916–5 February 2020), actor, producer, and director
Barbara Bennett Peterson
Douglas, Kirk (9 December 1916–5 February 2020), actor, producer, and director, was born Issur Danielovitch to Herschel “Harry” Danielovitch and his wife, Bryna “Bertha” (Sanglel) Danielovitch, Russian Jewish immigrants who had settled in Amsterdam, New York in 1910. They had adopted the Americanized surname “Demsky” by the time Issur went to school. Issur (or Izzy) Demsky grew up with six sisters in abject poverty, which fired his ambition. His hardscrabble youth gave him the street savvy to overcome hardship and achieve great distinction; it also taught him compassion to aid the less fortunate....
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Lewton, Val (7 May 1904–14 Mar. 1951), film producer
Thomas W. Collins Jr.
Lewton, Val (7 May 1904–14 Mar. 1951), film producer, was born Vladimir Hofschneider in Yalta, Russia, the son of Maximillian Hofschneider, a soldier and gambler, and Nina Leventon. His parents’ marriage ended when he was a small child. In 1909 he emigrated with his mother and sister to the United States. His aunt was the actress ...
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Moore, Mary Tyler (29 December 1936–25 January 2017), actress and producer in television, film, and theater
Victoria E. Johnson
Moore, Mary Tyler (29 December 1936–25 January 2017), actress and producer in television, film, and theater, was born in Brooklyn, New York, the eldest of three children of Marjorie (Hackett) and George Tyler Moore, a utilities clerk. Mary’s earliest memories were of performing in order to seek approval from her parents, who were cold and unsupportive. She began taking ballet lessons upon the family’s relocation to Los Angeles in ...
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Parsons, Harriet Oettinger (23 August 1906–2 January 1983), journalist, filmmaker, and producer
J. E. Smyth
Parsons, Harriet Oettinger (23 August 1906–2 January 1983), journalist, filmmaker, and producer, was born in Burlington, Iowa, the only child of famed Hollywood columnist Louella Parsons and John Dement Parsons, a real estate salesman. When her parents’ marriage fell apart, she and her mother moved to Chicago. While Louella Parsons wrote scripts for Essanay Studios, Harriet was molded into a child star, “Baby Parsons,” and appeared in two films written by her mother, ...
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Sandrich, Mark (26 October 1900–04 March 1945), film director and producer
Bruce J. Evensen
Sandrich, Mark (26 October 1900–04 March 1945), film director and producer, was born Mark Rex Goldstein in New York City, the son of Jacob Moses Goldstein, a rabbi, and Clara Jacobson Goldstein from Rajec, Hungary (later Slovakia).
Mark and his sister Ruth were raised on New York City’s West Side and in Brooklyn, where Mark graduated from New Utrecht High School in Bensonhurst in ...
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Singleton, John Daniel (6 January 1968–28 April 2019), film director
Mark A. Reid
Singleton, John Daniel (6 January 1968–28 April 2019), film director, screenwriter, and film and television producer, was born in South Central Los Angeles, California. He was the only child of Daniel Singleton, a real estate agent, mortgage broker, and financial planner, and Shelia Ward, a pharmaceutical company sales executive. His parents never married. John went back and forth living with both parents until they agreed he should remain with his father. This living arrangement would inspire the fictional relationship of the central family in Singleton’s ...
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Weber, Lois (13 June 1879–13 November 1939)
In
Lois Weber. Lois Weber, no date. Glass negative by Bain News Service. Courtesy of the Library of Congress (LC-DIG-ggbain-32125).
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Weber, Lois (13 June 1879–13 November 1939)
Brenda Scott Royce
Weber, Lois (13 June 1879–13 November 1939), silent film director, screenwriter, and performer, was born Florence Lois Weber in Allegheny (now part of Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania, to George Weber, an upholsterer and decorator, and Mary Matilda Snaman. Weber displayed early musical prowess and, at age sixteen, toured briefly as a concert pianist. Her parents were devout Christians, and the influence of the church was a constant throughout Weber’s life. She spent two years with the Church Army, a Salvation Army–style missionary group, evangelizing on street corners and singing in rescue missions. She credited the advice of an uncle with her decision to enter the theater, a venue that allowed her to proselytize as well as perform....
