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- Beulah Booker was born in Silverton, Colorado to William E. Booker and Marguerite (Gretchen) Brendel Booker. Her father was an engineer for the Silverton-Durango railway. She had one sibling, her older brother Lawrence A. Booker. Beulah's mother had dreams of her daughter becoming an actress, and took her to Los Angeles when Beulah was a young girl. They came back to Colorado periodically for visits, but became permanent residents of California.
Ms. Booker played key roles in several silent motion pictures, both shorts and full-length features. Among those, she played Buster Keaton's love-interest in his first full-length feature film, "The Saphead." By 1925, she had left the entertainment business and begun a new career as a real estate broker. She mentioned in a letter to family back in Colorado that because of her former career as an actress, she was well known in L. A., and had entrée into all the finest homes and properties in the area as a realtor.
Ms. Booker was married briefly at a young age to screenwriter, Kenneth O'Hara, and later married Thomas O'Farrell. - Music Department
- Soundtrack
Hugo Winterhalter earned eleven Gold Records, a Grammy and a Cash Box Award during his lengthy career, at least as many if not more than any other conductor-arranger in the music business. Educated at Mount St. Mary's College and the New England Conservatory of Music, he taught in public schools and labored in railroad and other such jobs while performing in area dance bands including those led by Larry Clinton, Nye Mayhew and Jack Jenney, for whom he arranged "Stardust". By 1940 he had proven himself to be a talented arranger and composer, going on to write for Count Basie, Claude Thornhill, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Raymond Scott, Vaughn Monroe and others. At the conclusion of the 1940s, he has begun to assemble his orchestra with its unmistakable Winterhalter "sound". His first record - "Jealous Heart", with vocalist Johnny Thompson for Columbia - made the Top Ten in 1949, as did his second, "Blue Christmas". His last three Columbia releases also charted - "Music! Music! Music!" with 'Theresa Brewer' qv), "The Third Man Theme" and "My Foolish Heart". Moving to RCA Victor, the 1950 "Count Every Star" was also a huge hit and stayed on the charts for five months. One hit after another followed, some remaining on the surveys for months. His orchestra was among the first to record long-playing (LP) recordings. As musical director for the MGM, Columbia, and RCA Victor record labels, the Winterhalter orchestra and chorus also supported a number of top vocalists, including among others Eddie Fisher, Kay Starr, Perry Como, the Ames Brothers and Stuart Foster. Near the end of his career, he worked on Broadway and television and conducted symphonic programs across the country.