Dolores Del Rio (1904 - 1983)

Dolores Del Rio Dolores del Rio was the first Mexican movie star with international appeal and had a meteoric career in 1920s Hollywood (an extraordinary accomplishment for an Hispanic female on those years). She came from an aristocratic family in Durango. In the Mexican revolution of 1916, however, the family lost everything they had and […]

Dolores Faith (1941 - 1990)

She was born Dolores Faith Hedges, July 15, 1941 in Cleveland, Ohio. She was of Hungarian-Italian descent. She lost her hearing at age 4 from an accident but it later returned by age 8. A natural blonde, she died her hair black to better match her olive skin. She graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School in […]

Dolores Fuller (1923 - 2011)

Her first screen appearance was at the age of 10, when she appeared briefly in Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night. According to Fuller[citation needed], the female lead in Bride of the Monster was written for her but Wood gave it to Loretta King instead. In August 1954, Fuller was cast in Wood’s The Vampire’s Tomb, […]

Dolores Gray (1923 - 2002)

Born as Sylvia Dolores Finkelstein (but known by Sylvia Dolores Vernon growing up) to Barbara Marguerite Gray (born Marguerite Gray) and Harry Vernon Finkelstein (Stage Name Harry Vernon) in Los Angeles, California. Both her mother and father were Vaudeville actors – which is how they met. Gray’s parents divorced when she was a young child. […]

Dolores Michaels (1933 - 2001)

Michaels was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to Raymond Roscoe Michaels and his wife Esther Marie Holcomb.). Her father had been a professional baseball player who was a catcher with the Chicago Cubs. He then became a food broker. Michaels had the same birthday as Franklin D. Roosevelt, and was born only five weeks before he […]

Dolores Moran (1924 - 1982)

Dolores Moran’s brief career as a film actress began in 1942 with some uncredited roles in such films as Yankee Doodle Dandy (as “the Pippirino”, with whom George blows off a date to go with Mary). By 1943, she had become a popular pin-up girl and appeared on the cover of such magazines as Yank. […]

Dom DeLuise (1933 - 2009)

Dom DeLuise DeLuise was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian American parents Vincenza “Jennie” (née DeStefano), a homemaker, and John DeLuise, a public employee (garbage collector). He was the youngest of three children, having an older brother, Nicholas “Nick” DeLuise, and an older sister, Antoinette DeLuise-Daurio. DeLuise graduated from Manhattan’s High School of Performing […]

Dom Mintoff (1916 - 2012)

Mintoff was born in Bormla. He attended a seminary before enrolling at the University of Malta. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science and, later, as an architect and civil engineer (1937). That same year he received a Rhodes Scholarship and pursued his studies at Hertford College, Oxford, where he received a Masters in Science […]

Domenico Ghirardelli (1817 - 1894)

Candy Maker. Ghirardelli was born in Rapallo, Italy. In 1837 he married and moved to Uraguay where he obtained work at a coffee and chocolate business. In 1838 he moved to Peru where he opened his first confectionary store. By 1849 he was attracted to the United States by the prospect of gold. He sailed […]

Domenikos Theotokopoulos El Greco (1970 - 1614)

Renowned Greek artist. He developed his career in Italy and Spain. His paintings show long figures and powerful colors, included in mannerism and movement. Among his paintings: “El Caballero de la Mano en el Pecho”, “El Martirio de San Mauricio” or “El Entierro del Señor de Orgaz.” First he was buried in the church of […]

Dominique Ellen Dunne (1959 - 1982)

Actress, she is best remembered for her role of Dana Freeling in the movie “Poltergeist” (1982).   Born Dominique Ellen Dunne in Santa Monica, California, she was the youngest child and only daughter of Dominick Dunne, a film producer, and Ellen Dunne, an actress.  While growing up, film stars and movie producers were regular guests […]

Dominique Laffin (1952 - 1985)

French Actress. She appeared in the films, “Passage Secret” (1985), “Akropolis Now” (1983), “Room Service” (1982), “Vive La Mariee” (1982), “His Master’s Eye” (1982), “Nocturnal Uproar” (1979), “Seeking Asylum” (1979), “The Crying Woman” (1978), “The Little Wheedlers” (1978), “A Night All Cats Are Crazy” (1977), and “The Sweet Sickness” (1977).  (bio by: K)

Dominique-Vivant Denon (1747 - 1825)

French Designer and Painter. He moved to Egypt in the Expedition of Napoleon Bonaparte, and maded designs of monuments and landscapes that contributed to the birth of Egyptology. His works and the others expedicionaries appeared in “Description de l’Egypte” de Jomard. He also wrote “Voyage dans le Haute et Basse Egypte.” (bio by: José L […]

Domino Harvey (1969 - 2005)

Domino Harvey dropped out of school as a teenager to pursue a career in modeling, but did not enjoy working in the industry. Harvey later claimed to have attended the Lee Strasberg Institute and been represented by the Ford Modeling Agency; in a 2005 article, Aida Edemariam of The Guardian notes that she was unable […]

Don “Uncle Don” Carney (1896 - 1954)

Actor. Born Howard Rice, in St. Joseph, Missouri, he was a piano vaudeville performer when offered a position in radio broadcasting. From 1928 to 1947, he was the host of the popular children’s radio program, “Uncle Don” which aired on station WOR in New York City. He also appeared in the film, “Rambling ‘Round Radio […]

Don Adams (1923 - 2005)

Don Adams Born Donald James Yarmy to a Hungarian-Jewish father and Irish Catholic mother, Adams dropped out of high school and served in the US Marine Corps during World War II. He began in show business as a stand-up comic and impressionist, gaining notice in 1954 as a winner on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, which […]

Don Alvarado (1904 - 1967)

Actor. He got his first break as an extra in “Mademoiselle Midnight” in 1924, after which his film roles grew in importance until he became established as a second-string “Latin lover” type in many late silents and early talkies such as “Loves of Carmen”, “Drums of Love”, “Battle of The Sexes” and “Breakfast at Sunrise”. […]

Don Ameche (1908 - 1993)

Actor, Singer. He was born Dominic Felix Amici in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to a father who was a saloon keeper.  At eleven he was attending St. Birchman’s Boys Academy in Marion, Iowa, where the acting bug bit. While enrolled at Loras College in Dubuque he was deemed a promising actor. A stay in Chicago resulted in […]

Don Avalier (1912 - 1973)

Actor. Appeared in motion pictures during the 1940s and 1950s. (bio by: A.J. Marik)

Don Baylor (1949 - 2017)

The Baltimore Orioles selected Don Baylor in the second round of the 1967 MLB draft. He received a $7,500 signing bonus from the Orioles. In 1970, he led the league with 34 doubles, 15 triples, 127 runs, and 140 games-played while playing for Rochester. The following year, he again led the league in doubles with […]

Don Beddoe (1903 - 1991)

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Beddoe made his Broadway acting debut in 1929, receiving top billing (over a young Spencer Tracy) in Nigger Rich.  After a decade of stage work and bit parts in films, Beddoe began more prominent film roles in the late 1930s. He was usually cast as fast-talking reporters and the like. His […]

Don Bexley (1910 - 1997)

Bexley was born on March 10, 1910 in either Jamestown, Virginia or Detroit, Michigan to the late Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bexley. His father was a Bible scholar and teacher and his mother a classical vocalist. “I was born with a flair for the stage, as I had always been a clown – even during […]

Don Briscoe (1940 - 2004)

Actor. A native of Yalobusha Couny, Mississippi, Briscoe is best remembered for his roles in television soap operas. Briscoes’s roles include, “The Guiding Light,” “Days Of Our Lives” as ‘Tony Merritt’ in 1967, “Dark Shadows” as ‘Tom Jennings’ in 1968, ‘Chris Jennings’ from 1968 to 1970, ‘Timothy ‘Tim’ Shaw’ in 1969, and ‘Chris Collins’ in […]

Don Brockett (1930 - 1995)

Actor. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he is best known for his role as Chef Brockett on the children’s television series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”. He also had parts in many major films including “Flashdance” (1983), “Day of the Dead” (1985), “Fletch Lives” (1989), “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) and “Houseguest” (1995). He died of a […]

Don Calfa (1939 - 2016)

Don Calfa was born on December 3, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Ozone Park, Queens and later West Hempstead, Long Island. According to his official biography, Calfa was originally interested in pursuing a career in the fine arts, but diverted his interest to acting after seeing Rebel Without a Cause. He […]

Don Carlos Harvey (1911 - 1963)

Actor. Born in Council City, Kansas, he began his career playing in tent shows, repertory companies and radio, before relocating to Hollywood in the 1940s. He signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1949 and began appearing in series of serials such as “Batman and Robin” and “Atom Man vs. Superman. For feature films, his […]

Don Casto (1898 - 1963)

Businessman. Born in Upper Arlington, Ohio, he is recognized as a pioneer in the shopping center industry. He began his career in real estate selling, then building single-family homes, which led to in town real estate properties and the upstart shopping center industry. After World War II, he worked to change the shopping patterns of […]

Don Chastain (1935 - 2002)

  Don Chastain (September 2, 1935 – August 9, 2002) was an American actor, singer and screenwriter. He was married to Jill Diamond and had one son, Colin Chastain. He worked in television in Los Angeles and New York and toured the United States and Canada with major productions. Leading ladies included Katharine Hepburn; Lauren Bacall; […]

Don Cornelius (1936 - 2012)

Don Cornelius Cornelius was born on Chicago’s South Side on September 27, 1936, and raised in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Following his graduation from DuSable High School in 1954, he joined the United States Marine Corps and served 18 months in Korea. He worked at various jobs following his stint in the military, including selling tires, […]

Don Costello (1901 - 1945)

American motion picture actor of the 1930s and 40s. Appeared with Lana Turner and Robert Taylor in Mervyn LeRoy’s film-noir crime drama “Johnny Eager” (1941). (bio by: A.J. Marik)