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1-18 of 18
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Charles Bryant Pierce was an independent filmmaker from Arkansas whose movies have become cult classics. Films that he wrote, directed and/or produced were not only made in Arkansas with local actors but also drew their inspiration from Arkansas themes. He is believed to be the source of one of the most famous lines in American film history from the 1983 film 'Sudden Impact': "Go ahead, make my day."
Charles B. Pierce was born in Hammond, IN, on June 16, 1938, the son of Mack McKenny Pierce and Mayven Bryant Pierce. When he was a few months old the family moved to Hampton, Calhoun County, in the south-central part of Arkansas. Living in Hampton, Pierce grew up next door to Harry Thomason, who later became successful as a producer and director of such projects as TV's "Designing Women" (1986).
According to Pierce's family, one of his chores growing up was mowing the lawn. His father came home one day at lunchtime and asked if the boy planned to mow the yard anytime soon, adding, "When I come home tonight and the yard has not been mowed, you're gonna make my day." Later in life, Pierce would use the admonition to great advantage.
In the mid-1960s, Pierce was working as an art director at KTAL-TV in Shreveport, LA, and later became a weatherman and hosted a children's cartoon program at the small independent-owned TV station. Returning to Arkansas, he started an advertising business on State Line Avenue in Texarkana, Miller County, in addition to playing a character called Mayor Chuckles on a local television show.
In 1971, there were local headlines about a Sasquatch-like creature sighted in the wetlands vicinity around the nearby town of Fouke in Miller County. The "Fouke Monster" was reportedly seen in the Boggy Creek area and was suspected of attacking dogs and livestock as well as a local family. In mid 1972, while still working in advertising, Pierce created a semi-documentary film originally titled "Tracking the Fouke Monster"--later renamed 'The Legend of Boggy Creek.' Pierce shot the movie with a 16mm camera he assembled himself at home. Much of the movie was filmed in Fouke and Texarkana with local residents and students as actors and/or crew. Estimates place the cost of making the film at about $165,000. Becoming popular as a drive-in horror feature around the country, it became one of the top ten highest-grossing movies of the year, earning over $20 million.
Earning several hundred thousand dollars in residuals from the film, Pierce used his new found wealth to write and direct several other films, which included the crime comedy-drama Bootleggers (1974), the westerns Winterhawk (1975) and The Winds of Autumn (1976), the true-life horror flick The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976), the western Grayeagle (1977), the viking adventure The Norseman (1978), another true-life thriller The Evictors (1979), the western Sacred Ground (1983), a sequel to "Boggy Creek" titled Boggy Creek II (1985), the violent western Hawken's Breed (1987), the family drama Renfroe's Christmas (1997) and Chasing the Wind (1998). His earlier films in particular were shot in Arkansas and/or featured Arkansas themes and local residents in their production.
After moving to California in the early 1980s to further his career, he became friends with actor/director Clint Eastwood while living in Carmel, where Eastwood was elected mayor in 1986. After sharing a story treatment that Eastwood liked, Pierce became a writer for the fourth in the Dirty Harry series, Sudden Impact (1983), which Eastwood directed. Its most famous line, "Go ahead, make my day," has been ranked in the top ten of the American Film Institute's top movie quotes of all time.
Returning to his own independent;y produced films, Pierce was the star, writer, director and co-producer of The Barbaric Beast of Boggy Creek, Part II, (1985), a sequel to "Boggy Creek" that was eventually re-titled Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues (1985). The movie also contains footage of a University of Arkansas (UA) Razorback football game in Fayetteville, Washington County), complete with hog-hatted fans.
Pierce acquired the nickname "Sparkplug" due to his energy; he was always thinking about his next project while completing another. Pierce was married to Florence Lyons, a Tennessee native, for ten years and they had three children, one of whom was Charles Pierce Jr. They eventually divorced. Pierce's second wife was Cindy Butler; they also later divorced. While filming "Hawken's Breed" in 1987 with Peter Fonda (I) in the area around Dover, TN, Pierce met his third wife Beth Pulley; they married the following year.
Along with starring and directing Boggy Creek II, Pierce acted in several of his films, in small roles; these included "Bootleggers," "The Winds of Autumn," and "The Town that Dreaded Sundown." Pierce directed a number of noted character actors, such as Slim Pickens (I), Jack Elam, Kathleen Freeman (I), Woody Strode and L.Q. Jones, along with lead actors including Jaclyn Smith (I), Dawn Wells (I), Andrew Prine, Lee Majors (I), Cornel Wilde, Mel Ferrer (I), Vic Morrow, Michael Parks (I) and Academy Award winner Ben Johnson (I).
Suffering from poor health later in life, Charles B. Pierce died on March 5, 2010, at the Signature Care nursing home in Dover, TN, at age 71, where he had been living for the past seven years. He is buried at Stewart Memorial Gardens near his home in Dover. Two years before his death, the frail-looking Pierce attended and was spotlighted by the Little Rock Film Festival in 2008 with a retrospective, received the Arkansas Arts Council's Judges Special Recognition award in 2009, honored annually by the Little Rock Film Festival through the Charles B. Pierce Award for Best Film Made in Arkansas. He was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame in 2010.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Richard Stapley, aka Richard Wyler, not only enjoyed great success as an actor and writer on both sides of the Atlantic, but managed to do it under two names as well.
A descendant of Sir Richard Stapley, noted in history for signing the death warrant of King Charles I, Stapley was born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England on June 20, 1923 and made his first stage appearance at the age of 15 at Theatre Royal, Brighton. He played juvenile leads at several regional theaters until an audition for Laurence Olivier led to a contract to appear in two leading roles at London's famous Old Vic. With the heightening of World War II, however, he enlisted in the Royal Air Force and learned to fly solo.
In 1946, he wrote his first novel, I'll Wear It On My Head," which was published in England, and sailed for America, armed with letters of introduction to Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne from his friends John Gielgud and Cathleen Nesbitt.
Through the Lunts, he landed a lead in a Broadway play, "Darling, Darling, Darling," in which he was spotted by a talent scout and signed to star in "The Challenge" for the small Eagle Lion studio. MGM bought his contract and he quickly co-starred with Lana Turner and Gene Kelly in "The Three Musketeers" and in "Little Women" with June Allyson, Janet Leigh, Margaret O'Brien and Elizabeth Taylor.
He was menaced by Boris Karloff in the cult classic "The Strange Door," and made a dashing action hero in such films as "Charge of the Lancers" with Paulette Goddard and Jean-Pierre Aumont, "King of the Khyber Rifles" with Tyrone Power, "The Iron Glove" with Robert Stack, "Jungle Man-Eaters" with Johnny Weissmuller, "Target Zero" with Charles Bronson and "D-Day The Sixth of June" with Robert Taylor.
Between movies, he was a frequent guest on TV dramatic shows and returned to Broadway in two plays, "Second Threshold" at the Morosco and the Theatre Guild's production of "Jane" with Edna Best and John Loder.
Stapley also teamed up with composer Dickson Hughes to write a musical revue, "About Time," and three songs for the film "The Restless Breed," starring Anne Bancroft. They were then commissioned by Gloria Swanson to write a musical version of "Sunset Boulevard," in which she hoped to make a stage comeback. Production plans fell through, but Swanson did perform one of the songs, "Those Wonderful People Out There in the Dark," in a major production number on the Steve Allen TV show.
Disheartened by the whole Swanson incident and ready for a change, he returned to England, where he was offered the starring role in a new TV series, "The Man From Interpol," with the new screen name of "Richard Wyler". The show was a tremendous success throughout the world, but he also found himself type-cast in that one role. He took two years off and bought three racing motorbikes and was soon competing with such champions as Mike Hailwood, Phil Read, Jim Redman and Luigi Tavieri.
He returned to films in "The Barbarians" with Jack Palance and continued to star in a series of European action films including "Identity Unknown," "The Rattler Kid," "The Exterminators," "The Bounty Killer," "Two Pistols and a Coward," "The Girl From Rio" with George Sanders and Shirley Eaton and the popular spy picture "Dick Smart."
While shooting "Connecting Rooms" with Bette Davis and Michael Redgrave, he showed the producer, Dimitri de Grunwald, a short story he'd written that was published in a collection that included stories by John Lennon and Romain Gary. Grunwald, who'd formed a new production company with Sir Peter Hall and Robert Bolt (writer of "Dr. Zhivago" and "Lawrence of Arabia"), optioned the story as their first movie project.
Since then, Stapley, reverting back to his birth name, combined acting with his new love of writing and for 10 years was even featured in three long-running commercials for Imperial Leather soap, which was chosen as one of the best-ever British TV ads and also shown in selected U.S. cities.
A chance meeting with Monte Cook at an acting audition led to their collaborating on the novel "Naked Legacy," which Stapley wrote based on Cook's life story. Stapley also completed an additional novel, "Tomorrow Has Been Canceled," as well as his memoirs, "To Slip and Fall in L.A." A new musical, "Swanson On Sunset," was also written with former partner Dickson Hughes, based on their adventures while writing the ill-fated musical version of "Sunset Boulevard." A private demo recording of the complete score, featuring Swanson in her original role of "Norma Desmond" was recently released on CD by Stage Door Records.- Marco Polo Garcia was an actor, known for Pieta (1983), Pita: Terror ng Kaloocan (1993) and Dugong buhay (1983). He died on 5 March 2010 in Quezon City, Philippines.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Philip Langridge was born on 16 December 1939 in Hawkhurst, Kent, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Great Performances (1971), Le nozze di Figaro (2006) and Idomeneo (1983). He was married to Ann Murray. He died on 5 March 2010 in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Vincent A. Martinelli was born on 22 May 1933 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. He was a cinematographer, known for Amazing Stories (1985), The Bionic Woman (1976) and The Amazing Spider-Man (1977). He died on 5 March 2010 in Bend, Oregon, USA.- During his 40-year fitness career, Lee developed his own, unique and revolutionary teaching style, having trained major players at leading talent agency CAA and A-list celebrities like Gregory Peck, Natalie Wood, Ali MacGraw, Steve McQueen, Barbra Streisand, and Priscilla Presley.
From humble beginnings, Lee caught his big break as a line dancer on Dick Clark's Where the Action Is (1965) at the age of 19. Two years later, he moved to Hollywood where he began working as a dancer and choreographer performing at top venues. His career soon led him to Pilates Method at Ron Fletcher's Studio where he eventually served as a director and helped grow the studio's clientele list to include Cher, Dorothy Hamill, Goldie Hawn, Paula Abdul, Katharine Ross, Steven Spielberg and Susan Dey.
In 1975, Lee opened his own studio with his wife Wanda Bouvier and Richard Simmons, establishing America's first gym to include a salad bar. Two years later, Lee and Bouvier parted ways with Simmons and opened their own studio on Burton Way in Beverly Hills, providing instruction to such Hollywood personalities as the Jackson family, Tina Turner, the cast of Charlie's Angels (1976), George Harrison, Vidal Sassoon and the Sinatra family.
Throughout the 90's, Lee focused on private training of his esteemed clientele, as well as teacher's certification in his native Salt Lake City, Utah. His methodology became known as Kim Lee's Pilates Zen, and his clients in the 2000's included stars such as Madonna, Angelina Jolie, Denise Richards, Gerard Butler, Matt Damon, and Christian Bale.
He passed away in his sleep on March 5, 2010 and his ashes are interred in his native Utah. - Sabino Garza was born on 29 August 1946. Sabino was a writer, known for Amor chicano es para siempre (1977) and Please, Don't Bury Me Alive! (1976). Sabino died on 5 March 2010 in Laredo, Texas, USA.
- Pascal Garnier was born on 4 July 1949 in Paris, France. He was a writer, known for Comment va la douleur? (2010), La résidence (2011) and Le bateau livre (2003). He died on 5 March 2010.
- Make-Up Department
- Additional Crew
Dusan Brodansky was born on 21 October 1938 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]. Dusan is known for Neobycejná trída (1965), Pacho, hybský zbojník (1976) and Trofej neznámeho strelca (1974). Dusan died on 5 March 2010 in Bratislava, Slovakia.- Production Designer
- Art Department
Leonid Rozsokha was born on 24 February 1942 in Zelyonoye, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR. He was a production designer, known for Na ostriye mecha (1987), Popugay, govoryashchiy na idish (1991) and Na svoey zemle (1987). He died on 5 March 2010 in Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.- David Michael Krueger was born on 5 March 1939. He died on 5 March 2010 in Ontario, Canada.
- Actor
- Music Department
Fernando Hasaj was an actor, known for Manuel de Falla, músico de dos mundos (2007) and El grosso concerto (2001). He died on 5 March 2010 in Montevideo, Uruguay.- Seiken Tamukai was a writer, known for Kemeko no uta (1968), Mofuku no houmonsha (1971) and Takeda Shingen (1988). He died on 5 March 2010 in Japan.
- Dorothea Meißner was born on 18 July 1949 in Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg, Germany. She was an actress, known for Keine Hochzeit ohne Ernst (1976), Der Dritte (1972) and Career (1971). She died on 5 March 2010 in Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
- Sam Calvano was married to Peggy Calvano. Sam died on 5 March 2010 in Tarzana, California, USA.
- Ingrid Loschek was born on 9 February 1950 in Vienna, Austria. She died on 5 March 2010 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
- Additional Crew
Alberto Ronchey was born on 27 September 1926 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He is known for La via del petrolio (1967), La casa in Italia (1965) and La notte della Repubblica (1989). He was married to Vittoria Aliberti. He died on 5 March 2010 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.- Actor
- Director
Aleksandr Grave was one of the oldest Russian actors who played over 150 roles at the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow.
He was born Aleksandr Konstantinovich Grave on September 8, 1920, in Moscow, Russia. From 1938 to 1942 he studied acting at the Shchukin Theatrical School of the Vakhtangov Theatre, graduating in 1942 as an actor. He served in the Red Army entertainment unit during the Second World War, finished the war in Berlin, Germany, and was decorated for his artistry and lifting the spirits of soldiers at the time when they were fighting the Nazis.
Since 1942 Aleksandr Grave has been member of the troupe at Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. There his stage partners were such actors as Mikhail Ulyanov, Ruben Simonov, Boris Zakhava, Mikhail Astangov, Varvara Popova, Vasiliy Lanovoy, Irina Kupchenko, Natalya Tenyakova, Yuliya Borisova, Lyudmila Maksakova, Lyudmila Tselikovskaya, Marianna Vertinskaya, Nina Ruslanova, Nikolai Plotnikov, Yuriy Yakovlev, Vladimir Etush, Vyacheslav Shalevich, Andrei Abrikosov, Grigori Abrikosov, Boris Babochkin, Nikolai Gritsenko, Nikolai Timofeyev, Evgeni Fedorov, Vladimir Koval, Viktor Zozulin, Evgeniy Karelskikh, Aleksandr Koznov, Vladimir Vdovichenkov, Sergey Makovetskiy, Mikhail Vaskov, Mariya Aronova, Elena Sotnikova, Anna Dubrovskaya, Olga Tumaykina, Aleksei Kuznetsov, and Ruben Simonov, among others. Since the 1940s, Aleksandr Grave has been delivering acclaimed performances as various characters in the legendary Vakhtangov's production of Carlo Gozzi's comedy 'Princess Turandot'.
Aleksandr Grave was designated People's Actor of Russia. He was a professor of acting at the Shchukin Theatrical School of the Vakhtangov Theatre. Aleksandr Grave is living in Moscow, Russia.