Alice Cary (1820 - 1871)

Poet, Author. Her first published poem appeared in the Sentinel, a Cincinnati Universalist newspaper, when she was 18. Among her books were two volumes of reminiscent sketches entitled “Clovernook Papers” (1852, 1853), three novels and several volumes of poetry. She also began writing regularly, both poetry and prose, for the National Era in Washington, D.C., […]

Alice Elizabeth Nunn (1927 - 1988)

Actress. Best known for her role as ‘Large Marge” in the 1985 comedy motion picture  “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”, she appeared in other notable films such as “Johnny Got his Gun” (1971), “Mame” (1974), “Airport 1975” (1974), “The Fury” (1978), “Mommie Dearest” (1981), (1985), “Trick or Treat” (1986) and “Who’s That Girl” (1987). Her television […]

Alice Elvira Freeman Palmer (1855 - 1902)

Educator. She served as President of Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, becoming the first woman to head a nationally known college in the United States.  Family links:  Parents:  James Warren Freeman (1828 – 1909)  Elizabeth Josephine Higley Freeman (1837 – 1910)  Spouse:  George Herbert Palmer (1842 – 1933)  Siblings:  Alice Elvira Freeman Palmer (1855 – […]

Alice Faye (1915 - 1998)

Alice Faye Ms. Faye’s warm, husky contralto and demure sexuality in ”Tin Pan Alley,” ”Hello, Frisco, Hello” and ”Alexander’s Ragtime Band” made her one of Hollywood’s top 10 moneymaking stars in 1938 and 1939. Under contract to 20th Century Fox for a little over a decade, during which she made 32 movies, Ms. Faye walked […]

Alice Ghostley (1923 - 2007)

Ghostley was born in Eve, Vernon County, Missouri in 1923, to Edna Muriel (née Rooney) and Harry Francis Ghostley, who worked as a telegraph operator. She grew up in Henryetta, Oklahoma. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Oklahoma but dropped out to pursue a career in theatre. Ghostley first came to Broadway […]

Alice Hollister (1886 - 1973)

Alice Hollister (September 28, 1886 – February 24, 1973) was an American silent film actress who appeared in 85 films between 1911 and 1925. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, she is believed to have been the daughter of French-Canadian immigrants. In 1903, at age seventeen, she married George K. Hollister who a few years later became a […]

Alice Joyce (1890 - 1955)

Alice Joyce Actress. A popular star of the silent film era, she was called “The Madonna of the Screen” for her ethereal beauty and the serene aura she projected, regardless of the roles she played. Joyce was born in Kansas City, Missouri. After working as a telephone operator and fashion model, she entered films with […]

Alice Lake (1895 - 1967)

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Lake began her career as a dancer. She made her screen debut in 1912, and she appeared in a number of comedy shorts by Mack Sennett. Lake was often the leading lady of Roscoe Arbuckle in comedies like Oh Doctor! (1917) and The Cook (1918). Arbuckle directed both films and […]

Alice Lon (1926 - 1981)

By age 6, Alice Lon was taking lessons in piano, singing, and dancing. When she was 10, she was featured as a singer, earning $20 per week on her own radio program in Henderson, Texas. In her teens, she traveled across Texas, performing in a variety of venues. She attended Kilgore College in Texas and […]

Alice Maison (1900 - 1976)

Actress. She appeared in 22 movies from 1917 to 1923. She became well known for It Pays to Exercise (1918), and Oh, Promise Me (1922). Alice was an original Mack Sennett Bathing Beauty but left Hollywood for Broadway to pursue her true passion of dancing. She was also a dance partner of Rudolph Valentino’s on […]

Alice Marble (1913 - 1990)

Born in the small town of Beckwourth, Plumas County, California, Marble moved with her family at the age of five to San Francisco. A tomboy, she excelled in many sports, including baseball; but her brother persuaded her to try the more ladylike tennis. She quickly mastered the game, playing in Golden Gate Park. She suffered […]

Alice Paul (1885 - 1977)

In 1907, after completing her master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania, Alice Paul moved to England where she eventually became deeply involved with women suffragists and their work. Paul encountered Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst, the militant founders of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in Britain. Through working with these women Paul determined […]

Alice Pearce (1917 - 1966)

Alice Pearce was born in New York City, the only child of Margaret Clark and Robert E. Pearce. Her father was a foreign banking specialist, and her family moved to Europe when she was 18 months old. They lived in Brussels, Antwerp, Rome, and Paris. At age nine, she fell off of a swing after […]

Alice Playten (1947 - 2011)

Alice Playten (August 28, 1947 – June 25, 2011) was an American actress and singer. Born Alice Plotkin in New York City, Playten began her career in the Broadway musical Gypsy (1959). Her other Broadway credits included Oliver!, Henry, Sweet Henry, Hello, Dolly!, Rumors, Seussical, and Caroline, or Change. Her many off-Broadway credits include Promenade, The Last […]

Alice Playten (1947 - 2011)

Actress. Born Alice Plotkin, her career spanned nearly five decades performing on stage, television and movies. She made her Broadway debut in the role as Baby Louise for the original musical production “Gypsy” in 1959. She went on to star in productions of “Hello, Dolly!”, “Seussical”, “Oliver!”, “Rumors” and “Caroline or Change”. For feature films, […]

Alice Reinheart (1910 - 1993)

Actress. Born in San Francisco, California, she began her career on the stage appearing in a number of plays on Broadway, among them “The Wooden Slipper” and “Journey to Jerusalem”. She made her debut in motion pictures appearing in “The Lieutenant Wore Skirts” (1956) followed by “Bachelor Flat” (1962), “Rat Fink” (1965), “Horror Express” (1972) […]

Alice Stebbins Wells (1873 - 1957)

Social Pioneer. First female police officer in the United States. A Pentecostal minister from the Midwest, Wells’s church work helped her become familiar with dismal treatment that women and children received when they became involved in police cases. She petitioned the mayor, police commissioner and city council to allow her to join the force to […]

Alice Terry (1900 - 1987)

Alice Terry started in films as an extra during her mid-teens. For two years she worked in cutting rooms at Famous-Players-Lasky. This work would help her later on when she worked with her husband. Alice Terry was married to Rex Ingram, a prominent director. One of her biggest problems in her career was being the […]

Alice Trillin (1938 - 2001)

Alice Trillin’s interest in curriculum development led her to consult for WNET television station and help it design new approaches to educational programming. She formed a company “Learning Designs” to produce educational television series, such as Behind the Scenes, starring the illusionist duo Penn & Teller, aiming to teach pre-teens about the creative process in […]

Alice Washburn (1860 - 1929)

Actress. Her film credits include “Snow White,” “Aunt Elsa’s Visit,” “It Wasn’t Poison After All,” “How a Horseshoe Upset a Happy Family,” and “Mr. Bumptious, Detective.”  (bio by: Laurie)

Alice White (1904 - 1983)

Actress. Born Alva White in Paterson, New Jersey, she began her career in Hollywood as a script girl for Joseph Von Sternberg and later as a secretary for Charlie Chaplin. Signed to First National Studios, her film debut was in “Sea Tiger” (1927). Dubbed as the “Jazz Baby” she appeared in over forty movies including […]

Alicia Bruzzo (1955 - 2007)

Actress. Considered one of Argentina’s most popular and significant performers. After gaining initial fame in the television series “El Rafa” in the early 1970s,  she made her film debut in “Me Enamoré sin Darme Cuenta” (1972). She also starred in “Pasajeros de una Pesadilla” (1984), “Una Sombra Ya Pronto Serás” (1994),  and “El Che” (1997). […]

Alicia Rhett (1915 - 2014)

Actress. A respected painter and stage performer, she is remembered for her one and only movie role, that of India Wilkes in the 1939 Oscar-winning classic “Gone With the Wind” (GWTW). The child of an aristocratic Southern family (her great-grandfather was Senator Robert Barnwell Rhett, called the “Father of Secession”), she relocated to Charleston with […]

Alicia Vignoli (1970 - 2005)

Stage and movie Actress. Also a tango singer, she was one of the pioneers of Argentine cinema, making her debut on a silent movie, participating later in “Tango” the first Argentine talkie movie (1933.) She participated in 13 movies. (bio by: 380W)

Alida Valli (1921 - 2006)

Valli was born in Pola, Istria, Italy (today Pula, Croatia; until 1918 it had formed part of Austria-Hungary). Her paternal grandfather was the Baron Luigi Altenburger (also: Altempurger), an Austrian-Italian from Trento, a descendant of the Counts d’Arco; her paternal grandmother was Elisa Tomasi from Trento, a cousin of the Roman senator Ettore Tolomei. Valli’s […]

Aline MacMahon (1899 - 1991)

Actress. She had large, sleepy eyes and a bittersweet face. Her family moved to New York when she was a small child. She was educated at Erasmus Hall and Barnard College and made her first professional acting appearance with the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York in “The Madras House.” Her Broadway debut came the year […]

Alison Parker (1991 - 2015)

Alison Parker, loved by everyone who knew her, was taken from us at the age of 24 on August 26, 2015. Born in Annapolis, MD, Alison grew up in Collinsville, Virginia and graduated from Martinsville High School in 2009. Her many accomplishments included Piedmont District Swimmer of the Year award, Big M Trophy recipient, and […]

Alison Skipworth (1863 - 1952)

Actress in 54 films including “Raffles,” “The Road to Singapore,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Satan Met a Lady,” “The Gorgeous Hussy,” and “Ladies in Distress.” (bio by: TLS)

Alistair Cooke (1908 - 2004)

Television Personality. British Broadcaster and Commentator for BBC Radio and Television.  He is best remembered for his “Letters from America” series for BBC World Service, and for hosting the “Masterpiece Theatre” television series from 1971 to 1992.   He received four Emmy Awards, three George Foster Peabody awards for broadcasting, and was made an honorary […]

Alla Bayanova (1914 - 2011)

Singer. A noted folk and Cabaret artist sometimes compared to Edith Piaf, she had a career of nearly nine decades. The child of an opera singer father and a ballerina mother, she received her initial vocal training at home and started performing at nine, at first appearing with her father who by then had switched […]