Johnny Baker (1869 - 1931)

Showman, Entertainer. Foster son of William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Although his parents never allowed Cody to officially adopt him, he nevertheless travelled, worked and studied with Buffalo Bill from the age of 7 years, after the death of Cody’s natural son, Kit Carson, in 1876 at the age of 5. Under Cody’s tutelage he became […]

Hylda Baker (1904 - 1986)

Entertainer. She was one of Britain’s best loved comediennes in the 1960s/1970s. She was born in Farnsworth, Lancashire and began to perform in the musical halls at the tender age of 10. As an adult she continued to work in the music halls, teamed with a male stooge – always mute, and always called Cynthia, […]

C. Graham Baker (1883 - 1950)

A typical Hollywood professional, screenwriter C. Graham Baker had been a newspaper reporter prior to entering films in 1914 writing farces for Vitagraph’s rotund comedian John Bunny. Baker later supplied stories and/or scenarios for Inspirational, Fox, and Universal and, using the pseudonym of Leslie S. Barrows, penned Warner Bros.’ 1928 part-talkie The Singing Fool, a […]

Constantin Bakaleinikoff (1896 - 1966)

Conductor,  Composer.  Born in Moscow,  he was a student at the Conservatory there when the Bolshevik Revolution erupted in 1917.  He fled the country with his older brother,   Mischa Bakaleinikoff,  arriving in the United States in 1926.  The following year he was hired as conductor of the new Chinese Theatre in Hollywood,  which opened […]

Bil Baird (1904 - 1987)

Puppetteer, Entertainer. He was born William Britton Baird. Cause of death was pneumonia and bone marrow cancer. He and his wife Cora Baird, were the driving forces behind the Bil & Cora Baird Puppets, and were pioneer entertainers in U.S. TV, when commercial television was taking its first steps. Their medium  was their marionettes – […]

Mildred Bailey (1907 - 1951)

Entertainer. She is best remembered as a popular jazz singer in the 1930s, known by the names “The Queen of Swing,” “The Rockin’ Chair Lady,” and “Mrs. Swing”. She was born Mildred Rinker into a musical family, the oldest of four children. Her father played the fiddle and called square dances and her mother, who […]

Jim Bailey (1938 - 2015)

American Entertainer. Born James William Bailey, in his teens he studied opera at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music, and was cast on the television program ‘The Children’s Hour’ for almost a year, where he performed by acting, singing and dancing. During the mid-1960s, he performed in New York, mostly in summer stock and began honing […]

Jean Bailey (1970 - 1970)

Famous mezzo soprano singer. (bio by: Kieran Smith)

King Baggot (1879 - 1948)

Actor, Director, and Screenwriter. He is remembered as an internationally famous movie star of the silent era and the first individually publicized leading man in the US. He was often referred to as “King of the Movies,” “The Most Photographed Man in the World,” and “The Man Whose Face Is As Familiar As The Man […]

Ross “David Seville” Bagdasarian Sr. (1919 - 1972)

Singer, Songwriter. He was perhaps most famous for creating “Alvin and the Chipmunks”, providing the voices of some of the chipmunks and of ‘David Seville’ (sometimes his pseudonym). He was also a prolific composer who wrote many famous songs throughout the years. (bio by: wonderbrat)

Lloyd Francis Bacon (1889 - 1955)

Actor, Motion Picture Director. He appeared in vaudeville, on stage, and on screen. Began his film career with Charlie Chaplin’s Essanay Corporation. Many credits spanning from the 1920s to the 1950s. Directed “Knute Rockne All American” (starring Pat O’Brien and Ronald Reagan) in 1940, and “It Happens Every Spring” (1949) with Ray Milland and Jean […]

Pierre Bachelet (1944 - 2005)

French singer and songwriter. Born in Roubaix in northern France, he spent his childhood and youth in Calais. Initially concentrating on film projects, the first record he made in 1974 was the song “L’Atlantique”. He continued his success with the release of “Les corons”, “Elle est d’ailleurs”, “Ecris moi” and “Sans amour”, all of which […]

Salvatore Baccaloni (1900 - 1969)

Opera Singer. The archetypal fat Italian basso buffo, he is considered by many to have been the greatest clown in the history of opera. Raised in Rome he got his initial training with the Sistine Chapel Choir then after study with noted baritone Josip Kasman bowed at the Teatro Adriano of Rome in 1922 as […]

Fay Babcock (1895 - 1970)

Motion Picture Set Decorator. Worked on numerous films from the 1940s to the 1960s.  Family links:  Parents:  Bulia Cavanaugh Babcock (1870 – 1948)

Art Babbitt (1907 - 1992)

Cartoonist. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, as Arthur Harold Babitsky. After his fathers accident, Art decided to move to New York so he could send money home. Art began his career in New York City working for Paul Terry’s Terrytoons Studio. But in the early 1930s he moved to Los Angeles followed by his fellow Terrytoon […]

Beatriz Azurduy Palacios (1970 - 2003)

Motion Picture Director. She is bound very indissolubly to the filmography of Jorge Sanjinés, with whom she was united for more than 28 years. Among the works she contributed to, either as producer, editor or screenwriter, were “¡Fuera de aquí!”, “Banderas del amanecer”, “La nación clandestina” y “Para recibir el canto de los pájaros”. She […]

Thomas V. “Tom” Ayres, Jr (1933 - 2000)

Music Producer. He worked with, among others, RCA, Columbia, Capitol, Mercury, and Epic Records.  He was also instrumental in signing David Bowie to RCA Records. (bio by: Joel Manuel)  Family links:  Parents:  Thomas V. Ayres (1892 – 1966)  Bonnie Marie Dowden Hicks (1911 – 2006)  Spouse:  Joyce Sawyer Fryer (1940 – 2011)* *Calculated relationship

Estelle Axton (1918 - 2004)

Businesswoman. She co-founded Stax Records in 1957. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Stax became a rival to Detroit’s giant Motown sound. Ms. Axton’s record company produced hits from acts including Sam and Dave, Otis Redding Jr., Rufus and Carla Thomas, Booker T. and the MGs, Johnny Taylor, Albert King, Rick Dees and the […]

Roger Leonard “Casey Jones” Awsumb (1928 - 2002)

Minneapolis, Minnesota area Television Personality. He portrayed a railroad enigineer, dressed in a pin-striped jacket, cap, and overalls, with a red ‘kerchief’ around his neck, and called himself “your old buddy, Casey Jones” (named after a real life railroad engineer). He entertained children from 1954 until late 1972 at noon on weekdays. During the half […]

Jane Avril (1868 - 1943)

Dancer. Famed for dancing the “Can-Can”. She was painted by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec.

María Herminia Avellaneda (1933 - 1997)

Stage, movie and television director. Well remembered for being the director of the movies “Rosa de Lejos” and “Juguemos en el Mundo” and the soap operas “Rosa de Lejos” and “Señora de Ordoñez.” (bio by: 380W)

David Avadon (1948 - 2009)

Magician, Illusionist. For more than 30 years Avadon was known as America’s “premier exhibition pickpocket”. He began practicing magic as a hobby while in elementary school and later studied theater at UCLA. In his 20s he changed his last name from Hutchins to Avadon and began appearing as a professional illusionist at clubs in Hollywood […]

Edwin August (1883 - 1964)

Actor, director and screenwriter of the silent era. Born in Saint Louis, Missouri, as Edwin August Philip Von der Butz. He was better known as Edwin August. His parents were Sarah Mykins and August Butz. He began his career at the young age of 7, his stage debut was in “Little Lord Fauntleroy.” Edwin was […]

John H. Auer (1906 - 1975)

Motion Picture Director, Producer, Actor. Hungarian-born film figure of the 1930s through the 1950s. (bio by: A.J. Marik)

James Thomas Aubrey, Jr (1918 - 1994)

Television Producer. Born in La Salle, Illinois, he was know as the champion of CBS Television sitcoms, (1959-65). His many noted productions included “The Twilight Zone”, “Route 66”, “The Beverly Hillbillies”, “Mister Ed”, “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Defenders”. In 1969, he took on the job of production manager at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer where he oversaw the dismantling […]

Cholly Atkins (1913 - 2003)

Choreographer and Dancer. He was an American dancer and vaudeville performer, he later became noted for creating the system of “Vocal Choreography” and the distinctive moves for many of the great Motown stage acts: the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Night and the Pips, the Supremes and many more. Born Charles Sylvan Atkinson. He won a […]

Adele Astaire Douglass (1897 - 1981)

Entertainer and sister of actor Fred Astaire.  Born Adele Marie Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska, she was the daughter of Frederick Emanuel Austerlitz and his wife, Johanna “Ann” Austerlitz.  Her father was a beer brewer from Vienna, Austria.   In 1905, she began a successful vaudeville act with her younger brother, Fred, developing it into a […]

Ibu Devi Dja Assan (1914 - 1989)

Ibu Devi Dja Assan Devi Dja was born in 1914 on the island of Java. From the time she very small, she was taught to perform the temple dances called the “Legong.” Legong dancers generally retire at puberty, but she continued to dance to the delight of her villagers and would eventually grow to elevate […]

William Asher (1921 - 2012)

Television and Motion Picture Director, Producer. Best known for his behind-the-scenes contributions as producer and director for the TV series “Bewitched” (1964 to 1972), which starred his then-wife Elizabeth Montgomery. Born into a family of versed entertainers, his father was film producer Ephraim Asher, his mother Lillian Bonner was an actress, he spent his early […]

Hal Ashby (1929 - 1988)

Film director, editor, actor, producer. Among Ashby’s many films that he worked on include, “Jake’s Journey” (1988), “8 Million Ways To Die” (1986), “The Slugger’s Wife” (1985), “Let’s The Spend The Night Together” (1982), “Second-Hand Hearts” (1981), “Being There” (1979), “Coming Home” (1978), “Bound For Glory” (1976), “Shampoo” (1975), “The Last Detail” (1973), “Harold And […]