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1-14 of 14
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Oona O'Neil was born in Warwick Parish, Bermuda, the daughter of famed American playwright Eugene O'Neill and English-born socialite Agnes Boulton. Oona had a fairly happy childhood, although she rarely saw her busy father. During her teens Oona attended boarding school in New York where she met Gloria Vanderbilt and Carol Marcus, and in 1941 Oona was named one of the most sought-after débutantes of the social season. Oona felt it was only natural that she become an actress, since she was the daughter of a playwright and the granddaughter of James O'Neill, a noted theater actor during the late 19th century.
Oona traveled to Hollywood in 1942, where she met silent film legend Charles Chaplin at the home of her agent. Chaplin began courting Oona after she auditioned for a film he was directing, and the pair married in 1943. He was 54; she was just 18. Oona scrapped plans to become an actress, opting instead to raise a family of what would be eight children with Charlie. Although Oona was content with her life, she was deeply troubled by the failed relationship with her father, who disowned her and cut communication with Oona when she married Chaplin.
During the height of McCarthyism 1952, Chaplin sailed to England to promote a film. En route, Chaplin learned that he would not be allowed to return to the U.S. unless he would submit to inquires regarding his morality. Refusing to do so, he and his family eventually ended up in Vevey, Switzerland.
Oona spent the rest of her life in Vevey, leaving only a few times after Charlie died in 1977 at the age of 88. (Oona was only 51.) Oona developed a few close relationships with Hollywood icons, like actor Ryan O'Neal, but she never married again. She died in Vevey from pancreatic cancer on September 27th, 1991.- Writer
- Actor
- Director
Considered to be one of the most pivotal stars of the early days of Hollywood, Charlie Chaplin lived an interesting life both in his films and behind the camera. He is most recognized as an icon of the silent film era, often associated with his popular character, the Little Tramp; the man with the toothbrush mustache, bowler hat, bamboo cane, and a funny walk.
Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in Walworth, London, England on April 16, 1889, to Hannah Harriet Pedlingham (Hill) and Charles Chaplin, both music hall performers, who were married on June 22, 1885. After Charles Sr. separated from Hannah to perform in New York City, Hannah then tried to resurrect her stage career. Unfortunately, her singing voice had a tendency to break at unexpected moments. When this happened, the stage manager spotted young Charlie standing in the wings and led him on stage, where five-year-old Charlie began to sing a popular tune. Charlie and his half-brother, Syd Chaplin spent their lives in and out of charity homes and workhouses between their mother's bouts of insanity. Hannah was committed to Cane Hill Asylum in May 1903 and lived there until 1921, when Chaplin moved her to California.
Chaplin began his official acting career at the age of eight, touring with the Eight Lancashire Lads. At age 18, he began touring with Fred Karno's vaudeville troupe, joining them on the troupe's 1910 United States tour. He traveled west to California in December 1913 and signed on with Keystone Studios' popular comedy director Mack Sennett, who had seen Chaplin perform on stage in New York. Charlie soon wrote his brother Syd, asking him to become his manager. While at Keystone, Chaplin appeared in and directed 35 films, starring as the Little Tramp in nearly all.
In November 1914, he left Keystone and signed on at Essanay, where he made 15 films. In 1916, he signed on at Mutual and made 12 films. In June 1917, Chaplin signed up with First National Studios, after which he built Chaplin Studios. In 1919, he and Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith formed United Artists (UA).
Chaplin's life and career was full of scandal and controversy. His first big scandal was during World War I, at which time his loyalty to England, his home country, was questioned. He had never applied for American citizenship, but claimed that he was a "paying visitor" to the United States. Many British citizens called Chaplin a coward and a slacker. This and other career eccentricities sparked suspicion with FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), who believed that he was injecting Communist propaganda into his films. Chaplin's later film The Great Dictator (1940), which was his first "talkie", also created a stir. In the film, Chaplin plays a humorous caricature of Adolf Hitler. Some thought the film was poorly done and in bad taste. However, the film grossed over $5 million and earned five Academy Award Nominations.
Another scandal occurred when Chaplin briefly dated 22 year-old Joan Barry. However, Chaplin's relationship with Barry came to an end in 1942, after a series of harassing actions from her. In May 1943, Barry returned to inform Chaplin that she was pregnant and filed a paternity suit, claiming that the unborn child was his. During the 1944 trial, blood tests proved that Chaplin was not the father, but at the time, blood tests were inadmissible evidence, and he was ordered to pay $75 a week until the child turned 21.
Chaplin also was scrutinized for his support in aiding the Russian struggle against the invading Nazis during World War II, and the United States government questioned his moral and political views, suspecting him of having Communist ties. For this reason, HUAC subpoenaed him in 1947. However, HUAC finally decided that it was no longer necessary for him to appear for testimony. Conversely, when Chaplin and his family traveled to London for the premier of Limelight (1952), he was denied re-entry to the United States. In reality, the government had almost no evidence to prove that he was a threat to national security. Instead, he and his wife decided to settle in Switzerland.
Chaplin was married four times and had a total of 11 children. In 1918, he married Mildred Harris and they had a son together, Norman Spencer Chaplin, who lived only three days. Chaplin and Harris divorced in 1920. He married Lita Grey in 1924, who had two sons, Charles Chaplin Jr. and Sydney Chaplin. They were divorced in 1927. In 1936, Chaplin married Paulette Goddard, and his final marriage was to Oona O'Neill (Oona Chaplin), daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1943. Oona gave birth to eight children: Geraldine Chaplin, Michael Chaplin, Josephine Chaplin, Victoria Chaplin, Eugene Chaplin, Jane Chaplin, Annette-Emilie Chaplin, and Christopher Chaplin.
In contrast to many of his boisterous characters, Chaplin was a quiet man who kept to himself a great deal. He also had an "un-millionaire" way of living. Even after he had accumulated millions, he continued to live in shabby accommodations. In 1921, Chaplin was decorated by the French government for his outstanding work as a filmmaker and was elevated to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1952. In 1972, he was honored with an Academy Award for his "incalculable effect in making motion pictures the art form of the century". He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1975 New Year's Honours List. No formal reason for the honour was listed. The citation simply reads "Charles Spencer Chaplin, Film Actor and Producer".
Chaplin's other works included musical scores that he composed for many of his films. He also authored two autobiographical books, "My Autobiography" (1964) and its companion volume, "My Life in Pictures" (1974).
Chaplin died at age 88 of natural causes on December 25, 1977 at his home in Vevey, Switzerland. His funeral was a small and private Anglican ceremony according to his wishes. In 1978, Chaplin's corpse was stolen from its grave and was not recovered for three months; he was re-buried in a vault surrounded by cement.
Six of Chaplin's films have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress: The Immigrant (1917), The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936), and The Great Dictator (1940).
Charlie Chaplin is considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of American cinema, whose movies were and still are popular throughout the world and have even gained notoriety as time progresses. His films show, through the Little Tramp's positive outlook on life in a world full of chaos, that the human spirit has and always will remain the same.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
James Clavell was born on October 10, 1921, in Sydney, New South Wales, as Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell. He was a film and TV writer and producer. During World War II, he was a British soldier and a Japanese prisoner on Java and in Singapore, which led to his great interest in things East Asian and Japanese, and the experiences of prisoners of war. Clavell is very well-known for "The Great Escape" (1963), "The Satan Bug" (1965), "King Rat" (1965), "To Sir, with Love" (1967), "Tai-Pan" (1986), "Noble House" (1988), and especially "Shogun" (1980). Shogun won the Golden Globe Award for Best TV-Series - Drama and the Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series: James Clavell (executive producer).
Clavell was married to April Stride, and they were parents of two children. He died on September 7, 1994, in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland.- Born Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova, one of six children of Vladimir Baklanoff and his wife Alexandra, later billed as the Russian Tigress in her early talking films, was born August 19, 1893. She graduated from the Cherniavsky Institute in Moscow prior to her selection in 1912 at age 19 to apprentice at the Moscow Art Theatre. During her early years at M.A.T. (1914-1918) she appeared in perhaps 18 films bringing her into contact with Tourjansky, Boleslawski and M. Chekov among others. Her last Russian film, Bread (1918) was the first communist agitprop vehicle. From 1917 she appeared in the "classics" on the parent stage and at the M.A.T. First Studio. Her mentor, Nemirovich-Danchenko, showcased her in avant-garde productions of the newly created M.A.T. Musical Studio from 1920-1925. She was honored with the Worthy Artist Of The Republic by the Soviet regime.
Eight months after her M.A.T. New York debut in December 1925, she declined to return with the M.A.T. company to Russia and subsequently defected. She was noticed by the Hollywood studios while performing on stage in Los Angeles in The Miracle in the role of the nun. Her film debut was a bit in The Dove (1927). Her dramatic Portrayals in The Man Who Laughs (1928), Street of Sin (1928), The Docks of New York (1928) and Forgotten Faces (1928) brought her critical acclaim in 1928. Her subsequent vamp/tramp roles in early Paramount and Fox talking films nearly destroyed her promising start. Stagey mannerisms and a heavy accent relegated her to supporting roles. She appeared to advantage in three films at MGM including the infamous Freaks (1932) with an unrestrained and legendary performance.
After appearing in west coast stage productions in 1931-32, she permanently left for the Broadway stage in 1933 following one last film at Paramount. From 1933 to 1943 she starred in various Broadway productions and then toured in road companies of Cat And The Fiddle, Twentieth Century, Grand Hotel and Idiot's Delight. She debuted on the London stage in 1936 in Going Places. One last big role in Claudia (1943) kept her busy for two years (1941-1943). She returned to Hollywood in 1943 to recreate her stage role. Some summer stock and occasional night club appearances followed as she moved into retirement.
During the mid-1960s Olga was interviewed by Richard Lamparski, Kevin Brownlow and John Kobal who all recognized her unique contributions in the performing arts. Her death occurred at Vevey, Switzerland on September 6, 1974 after a period of declining health. - Henryk Sienkiewicz was born on 5 May 1846 in Wola Okrzejska, Poland, Russian Empire [now Wola Okrzejska, Lubelskie, Poland]. He was a writer, known for Quo Vadis (1951), Na jasnym brzegu (1921) and Invasion 1700 (1962). He was married to Maria Babska, Maria Romanowska and Maria Emilia Kazimiera Szetkiewicz. He died on 15 November 1916 in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland.
- Music Department
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Pianist (a child prodigy) and band leader, trained at London's Royal Academy of Music. The son of a master tailor, Geraldo began as a relief pianist at a cinema on the Old Kent Road and then played organ at a restaurant in London. He first fronted his 'Light Orchestra' -- under his real name, Gerald Bright -- at the Hotel Majestic at St. Anne's-on-Sea for a five-year residency. After touring South America to study Latin rhythms and collect arrangements, he created the 'Geraldo Tango Gaucho Band' and briefly became 'The Tango King' of England, based for ten years at the Savoy from where he made more than 2000 broadcasts. By 1933, he led a more conventional dance orchestra under the tag line 'Geraldo & His Sweet Music' with "Hello, Again" as his signature song. He revamped this organisation yet again in the 1940's and 50's, transforming it into one of the foremost American-styled swing bands in Britain, particularly after the inclusion of trumpeter Leslie Jiver Hutchinson, saxophonist/arranger George Evans, guitarist Ivor Mairants and saxophonist Harry Hayes.
In addition to his prolific broadcasts for BBC radio and numerous recordings for Decca and Parlophone, Geraldo also sidelined as musical director for Herbert Wilcox's British & Dominions film studio from 1935 to 1940. During World War II, he took on another job as Supervisor of Bands for ENSA and conducted several tours of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. After the war, he became involved with band management, supplying ensembles (popularly known as 'Geraldo's Navy') to perform on Cunard ocean liners. In the mid-1950's, he became musical director for Scottish television after retiring as a band leader.- Bryher MacPherson was born on 2 September 1894 in Margate, Kent, England, UK. Bryher was a producer, known for Borderline (1930). Bryher was married to Kenneth MacPherson and Robert McAlmon. Bryher died on 28 January 1983 in Vevey, Switzerland.
- Music Department
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Nikita Magaloff was born on 8 February 1912 in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire. He was an actor, known for Dreams of Love (1947), Portugal (2018) and L'appel du destin (1953). He died on 26 December 1992 in Vevey, Switzerland.- Vera Nabokov was born on 2 January 1902 in St Petersburg, Russian Empire [now Russia]. She was married to Vladimir Nabokov. She died on 7 April 1991 in Vevey, Switzerland.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Hugues Cuénod was born on 26 June 1902 in Corseaux, Vaud, Switzerland. He was an actor, known for Turandot (1987), Love Reinvented (1996) and On Such a Night (1956). He died on 6 December 2010 in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland.- Marcel Cellier was born on 29 October 1925 in Switzerland. He was a composer, known for A Place to Stay (2003). He was married to Cathrine. He died on 13 December 2013 in Vevey, Switzerland.
- Actress
Winifred Ellerman was born on 2 September 1894 in Margate, Kent, England, UK. She was an actress. She was married to Kenneth Macpherson and Robert McAlmon. She died on 28 January 1983 in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland.- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Bronislaw Huberman was born on 19 December 1882 in Czestochowa, Poland. He is known for Orchestra of Exiles (2012). He was married to Elsa Galafrés. He died on 16 June 1947 in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.- Dimitri Nabokov was born on 10 May 1934 in Berlin, Germany. He was an actor, known for Una jena in cassaforte (1968), Omnibus (1967) and Saturday Review (1986). He died on 22 February 2012 in Vevey, Switzerland.