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1-20 of 20
- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Writer, director and producer Richard Franklin was born on July 15, 1948 in Melbourne, Australia. Infatuated with cinema at an early age, Franklin first began making 8mm films at age 10. Franklin saw Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" two years later and was hooked on movies for life. Richard enrolled at Monash University in Melbourne and worked as an assistant cameraman at a television advertising company. Franklin eventually went to America and attended the University of Southern California in 1967. While studying at USC Franklin got Hitchcock to do a Q&A session for a screening of "Rope." Hitchcock in turn invited Franklin to watch him work on the set of "Topaz." Franklin returned to Australia following graduation in 1969 and got a job as an assistant director for the popular TV series "Homicide." Franklin went on to direct several episodes. He also made several short movies and documentaries around this time. Franklin made his feature film debut with the raunchy sex comedy "The True Story of Eskimo Nell." He followed this picture with the equally bawdy "Fantasm." His third movie "Patrick" was a nifty horror feature that proved to be a big international success; it won the Grand Prize at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival, was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Film, and won the Best Director Award at the Sitges-Catalonian International Film Festival. "Roadgames" was a tense and witty "danger on the road" thriller knockout which was the most expensive Australian film made in the early 80s. Franklin then did the surprisingly solid and satisfying belated sequel "Psycho II." His other movies include the delightful "Cloak and Dagger," the silly "Link," and the hugely enjoyable "F/X 2." However, Franklin became weary of Hollywood studio politics and returned to his native Australia. He made the acclaimed play adaptations "Hotel Sorrento" and "Brilliant Lies." "Hotel Sorrento" won an AFI Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for both Best Film and Best Director. Franklin also did a made-for-TV adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic fantasy adventure novel "The Lost World." His final feature was the horror thriller "Visitors." In addition to his film work, Franklin also directed episodes of the TV shows "Flatland," "A Fine Romance," and "Beauty and the Beast." He was a drummer in the Melbourne band The Pink Finks and was a lecturer at the Swinburne School of Film and Television in Australia. Richard Franklin died from prostate cancer at age 58 on July 11, 2007.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Rod Lauren was born Roger Lawrence Strunk in Fresno, California, on March 26, 1939. He moved with his parents to Tracy, California, when he was three. Father Larry Strunk was a schoolteacher who subsequently found work as a switchman for the Southern Pacific Railroad; his mother was also a teacher and a church organist. While attending Tracy High School, Roger appeared in school plays and played the trombone in the high school band. Graduating in 1957, he began singing in local clubs in Tracy.
A recording executive was taken by his easy vocal style that differed significantly from the popular rock 'n' roll genre. The exec gambled with it, offered the teen an audition and Roger ended up winning an RCA recording contract. He took on the professional name of Rod Lauren. The fledgling singer appeared on both Ed Sullivan and Dick Clark's variety showcases between 1959 and 1960 and earned a mild hit along the way (#31 on the Billboard chart) with "If I Had a Girl" in 1960. However, with the British invasion, his singing career fell away. Fortunately, Rod had a dark, sulky, greaser-type appeal that recalled the rebel in Fabian and, with that look, he started to find acting jobs on TV. He also earned singing work in Vegas and Southern California lounge clubs on the sly.
In 1963 alone Rod made six films, all of them low-budget in nature but a couple that found cult infamy. In the cheapjack shocker Terrified (1962) he is one of a group of college students trapped in a ghost town with a masked psychopathic killer. In Black Zoo (1963) it is veteran actor Michael Gough who imperils Lauren's life as a demented animal owner who triggers his caged pets to attack. The third horror flick is his best known, The Crawling Hand (1963), in which the hand of a deceased astronaut comes to life and wreaks havoc. Other genres mixed in were party flicks such as The Young Swingers (1963) and the mediocre oaters The Gun Hawk (1963) and Law of the Lawless (1964).
Following isolated appearances on Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964) and Combat! (1962), Lauren's film career pretty much dissolved. His last film appearance was in director John Derek's Childish Things (1969) (aka "The Confessions of Tom Harris"), which starred Derek's then-wife Linda Evans. The film was made in 1966 but not released until three years later.
In 1964 Lauren went to the Philippines for the filming of Once Before I Die (1966), and while there met Nida Blanca, a then-rising Filipino film star. He shuttled back and forth between the Philippines and Southern California for over a decade before finally marrying Ms. Blanca in 1979. He then took permanent residence in Manila. Ms. Blanca was a star in the Philippines comparable to Doris Day or Debbie Reynolds. Rod functioned as his wife's escort as his own career dissipated.
His last years were like a bad horror story. On November 6, 2001, wife Nida was viciously stabbed to death in a parking garage. In November of 2003 Rod (who had long returned to his real name of Roger Strunk) was to be charged with her murder after authorities claimed he hired an assassin to kill his wife who had threatened to divorce and disinherit him. In an example of the dysfunctional Manila justice system, authorities allowed Rod to return to the U.S. before charges could be filed against him. Claiming his mother, who lived back in Tracy, California, was dying of cancer and he needed to be with her, he managed to resist extradition and resettled in Tracy.
The former actor found employment as a camera operator for the city of Tracy's public-access station, Channel 26. The pressures of the ongoing investigation, however, finally took its toll and he ended it all on July 11, 2007, by jumping to his death from a second-floor motel balcony in Tracy. He was 68.- Actor
- Additional Crew
James Oliver was born on 8 December 1948 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Conspiracy Theory (1997) and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998). He died on 11 July 2007 in San Juan Capistrano, California, USA.- Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, the wife of Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the U.S., was one of the most prominent First Ladies in American history. Though Eleanor Roosevelt, Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton exercised more power, and Jacqueline Kennedy and Dolly Madison were more glamorous, Lady Bird made herself a force to be reckoned with. She was instrumental in her husband's rise to power, as she had beguiled Sam Rayburn, the powerful Speaker of the House, who was her husband's mentor. As First Lady, she was a major force in engendering an ecological consciousness in Americans, with her "Keep America Beautiful" campaign. A class act all around, she was warmly embraced by Americans.
- Cavada Humphrey was born on 17 June 1919 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), Dark Shadows (1966) and Robert Montgomery Presents (1950). She was married to Jerome Kilty. She died on 11 July 2007 in London, England, UK.
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Writer
Luis María Delgado was born on 12 September 1926 in Madrid, Spain. He was a director and assistant director, known for You're the one (una historia de entonces) (2000), The Grandfather (1998) and Diferente (1962). He died on 11 July 2007 in Celorio, Asturias, Spain.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Bill Flynn is one of South Africa's most successful and versatile actors. Equally at home in comedy or drama. He has appeared in leading, supporting and featured roles in over 40 feature films, more than 100 stage plays and hundreds of TV shows. His debut movie was in the supporting role of Simeon in House of the Living Dead (1974). His breakthrough movie was as Hotdog in the karate comedy Kill and Kill Again (1981). His most recent leading movie role was as Tjokkie in the comedy _ Running Riot (2006) the sequel to the highly successful Heel Against the Head (1999). Most recent roles on TV were as Captain Boki Basson in the crime series _Jozi Streets (2004) and as Schuit in _Krakatoa: The Last Days (2005). Last seen on stage in the musical _Fangs (2006). Bill has won 14 Best Actor awards for his work on stage, film and TV and been nominated as Best Actor a further 28 times. He has also won South Africa's top screen-writing award for his screenplay, Saturday Night at the Palace (1987). As a singer he has recorded nine solo albums ranging from rock to comedy opera. After ten years as a lead singer with the highly successful Vinnie & The Viscounts rock and roll band, he founded The Rock Rebels of which he is currently one of two lead singers.- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Writer
Félix Acaso was born on 18 August 1919 in Madrid, Spain. He was an actor and writer, known for Setenta veces siete (1968), Soledad (1958) and Las vidas que tú no conoces (1965). He was married to Carmen Bellón. He died on 11 July 2007 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.- Writer
- Producer
Alfonso López Michelsen was born on 30 July 1913 in Bogota, Colombia. He was a writer and producer, known for Llamas contra el viento (1956), Izbrannye (1983) and Camilo, el cura guerrillero (1974). He died on 11 July 2007 in Bogota, Colombia.- Special Effects
Gregg Bond was born on 24 October 1947 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Gregg is known for The Natural (1984), The Island (1980) and Thunder Run (1985). Gregg died on 11 July 2007 in Washington, USA.- Joseito was born on 23 December 1926 in Zamora, Castilla y León, Spain. He was an actor, known for Saeta rubia (1956). He died on 11 July 2007 in Granada, Andalucía, Spain.
- Additional Crew
Ed Mirvish was born on 24 July 1914 in Colonial Beach, Virginia, USA. He is known for Vida Y Danza Cuba - Life & Dance (2008), An Evening with Sir Peter Ustinov (1995) and Omnibus (1967). He was married to Anne Maklin. He died on 11 July 2007 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.- Shag Crawford was born on 30 August 1916 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was married to Vivian L. Gallagher. He died on 11 July 2007 in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Vladimir Kucherenko was born on 13 December 1936 in the USSR. He was an actor, known for Koktebel (2003), Mermaid (2007) and Sezon tumanov (2009). He died on 11 July 2007 in Russia.
- Mel Downey was born on 19 August 1936 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was an actor, known for Dead End City (1988), The Secret (2007) and Apocalypse: Caught in the Eye of the Storm (1998). He died on 11 July 2007 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Nana Gualdi was born on 29 April 1932 in Basel, Switzerland. She was an actress, known for Schlagerrevue 1962 (1961), Drei weiße Birken (1961) and Os abas Largas (1965). She was married to Jo Menke. She died on 11 July 2007 in St. Ulrich am Pillersee, Tyrol, Austria.
- Glenda Adams was born on 30 December 1939 in Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. She was a writer, known for Seven Deadly Sins (1993). She was married to Gordon Adams. She died on 11 July 2007 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- Ove Grahn was born on 9 May 1943. He was an actor, known for Fimpen (1974). He died on 11 July 2007 in Alingsås, Västergötland, Sweden.
- Production Manager
- Director
- Writer
István Imre was born in 1928 in Budapest, Hungary. He was a production manager and director, known for STOP! Közlekedj okosan! (1974), The Little Fox (1981) and Soemvolt király bánata (1962). He died on 11 July 2007 in Hungary.- Cinematographer
Xiaoning Chi was born in 1955 in Peking [now Beijing], China. He was a cinematographer, known for Roaring Across the Horizon (1999), The Story of Qiu Ju (1992) and The Coldest Day (2003). He died on 11 July 2007 in Yokohama, Japan.