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1-11 of 11
- Actor
- Writer
Leslie Sands was born on 19 May 1921 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Z Cars (1962), BBC Sunday-Night Play (1960) and Department S (1969). He was married to Pauline Williams. He died on 9 May 2001 in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK.- Elizabeth Green (aka Betty Green) was an American sideshow performer who was presented to audiences as "The Human Stork" during the early 1900's. Elizabeth was actually the first "Koo Koo the Bird Girl" (predating Minnie Woolsey), and toured with Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus in the 1920s and '30s.
Her background is obscure, but it's generally accepted that a genetic condition was responsible for her unusual features, and she was described in a newspaper article as "a cross between a crane and a shaved dachshund." Also, she might have suffered from mild retardation, although she had no other known medical problems. Anton La Vey, who had worked in the circus with several oddities and later founded the Church of Satan, claimed that Betty Green was not a freak at all and had entered the profitable profession of circus life by exaggerating her worst features: deliberating sucking in her cheeks and bulging out her eyes. Some claim that Green, being one of the "less weird-looking" attractions, was placed at the entrance to the oddities sideshow to catch the attention of passersby. Evidently, she had a sense of humor about her condition, because her comedy act involved dancing like a bird in a feathered bodysuit, large bird feet, and a gigantic feather in her cap.
She was a first-rate comedienne, but she also had a rare aptitude for business; she owned five large apartment houses in the Boston area and managed them herself when she wasn't touring with the circus. Her agent said of her, "She may be koo koo enough to be able to make people laugh, but she's not koo koo when it comes to signing contracts."
Betty was an avid movie fan and had autographs of almost every well-known star in the picture business, securing them when Hollywood stars came to see her sideshow act. Her only film credit is Tod Browning's "Freaks" (1932), and it's claimed that Green only signed the contract to appear in "Freaks" for the opportunity to get the autograph of her favorite actor, Ronald Colman, and she was especially eager to leave for Hollywood immediately because she had heard of Colman's impending divorce. She appears in several scenes in "Freaks," including a conversation with the Armless Girl, Frances O'Connor, while seated at a table eating dinner.
At the time she obtained the role in "Freaks," Minnie Woolsey had already received billing as Koo Koo the Bird Girl. Betty's thoughts on this situation are unknown, but after the film was completed, she returned to the sideshow and continued her role as Koo Koo. It's unfortunate that because Minnie was featured in the table-dance scene instead of Elizabeth, Minnie should be commonly associated with the Bird Girl.
No information is known about the date or cause of Elizabeth Green's death. - Writer
- Actress
Marie Cardinal was born on 9 March 1929 in Algiers, France [now Algeria]. She was a writer and actress, known for Mouchette (1967), Les mots pour le dire (1983) and La clé sur la porte (1978). She was married to Jean-Pierre Ronfard. She died on 9 May 2001 in Valréas, Vaucluse, France.- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Saul Elkins was born on 29 June 1907 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Pride of the Navy (1939), Charlie Chan at the Race Track (1936) and Women in Prison (1938). He died on 9 May 2001 in Henderson, Nevada, USA.- Fons Derre was born on 20 August 1910 in Antwerpen, Flanders, Belgium. He was an actor, known for Merlina (1983), Johan en de Alverman (1965) and Tijl Uilenspiegel (1961). He was married to van Outryve, Clemy. He died on 9 May 2001 in Antwerpen, Flanders, Belgium.
- Director
- Actor
LeAnn Bartok was born on 1 August 1937 in Martins Ferry, Ohio, USA. He was a director and actor, known for Skyworks, Wind & Fire (1975), Skyworks, Light, Lighten, Lightning (1976) and Kimi wa nerawarete iru (1961). He died on 9 May 2001 in New York, New York, USA.- Sam Sherry was born on 12 January 1912 in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Coronation Street (1960) and Strangers (1978). He died on 9 May 2001 in Preston, Lancashire, England, UK.
- Hartzell Spence was born on 15 February 1908 in Clarion, Iowa, USA. He was a writer, known for One Foot in Heaven (1941) and Lux Video Theatre (1950). He died on 9 May 2001 in Essex, Connecticut, USA.
- Music Department
Mr. Schuman was a ubiquitous figure in the concert life of New York, the longtime principal oboist of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Westchester Philharmonic and the Opera Orchestra of New York, and the music director of the Washington Square Music Festival, with which he planned over 100 concerts, including the forthcoming season's programs.
Since 1970 he taught at the Manhattan School of Music. Just this week Mr. Schuman had been rehearsing for the Opera Orchestra's performance on Sunday of Donizetti's ''Maria Stuarda,'' conducted by Eve Queler, Mr. Schuman's former classmate from the High School of Music and Art in New York.
Mr. Schuman was born on Oct. 24, 1931, in Detroit. His father, a book publisher, moved the family to New York during Mr. Schuman's early years. After high school, Mr. Schuman attended the Juilliard School, where he studied oboe with Harold Gomberg. He became principal oboist with the Piccola Accademia Musicale in Florence, then served in the armed forces, playing principal oboe with the Seventh Army Symphony in Europe from 1956 to '58.
Back in New York in 1958, he became the principal oboist with the Clarion Orchestra, conducted by Newell Jenkins. As soloist with that ensemble Mr. Schuman toured the Soviet Union and Romania for two months in 1963, playing 10 performances of a Vivaldi concerto, while also serving as the orchestra's personnel manager when tours by American arts ensembles to the Soviet Union presented untold organizational challenges.
Mr. Schuman was solo English horn under the conductor Leopold Stokowski with the Symphony of the Air from 1958 to '62, and the next year he became the principal oboist with Stokowski's American Symphony Orchestra.
Among the other ensembles that he conducted were the Mostly Mozart Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Municipal Orchestra of São Paulo in Brazil. In addition to the Manhattan School, he taught at Queens College, the City University of New York and the Winter Music Festival in São Paulo. He was a visiting professor at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester and at Indiana University.- Smokey Yunick was born on 25 May 1923 in Maryville, Tennessee, USA. He died on 9 May 2001 in Daytona Beach, Florida, USA.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Production Manager
James Myers was born on 26 October 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an assistant director and production manager, known for Dinah East (1970), The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952) and The Brady Bunch (1969). He died on 9 May 2001 in Bonita Springs, Florida, USA.