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1-9 of 9
- Actor
- Director
Fiery, forceful and intimidating character actor James Tolkan has carved out a nice little niche for himself in both movies and television alike as a formidable portrayer of fierce and flinty hard-boiled tough guy types. James Stewart Tolkan was born on June 20, 1931 in Calumet, Michigan. His father, Ralph M. Tolkan, was a cattle dealer. James attended the University of Iowa, Coe College and Eastern Arizona College. After serving a year-long stint in the United States Navy, Tolkan went to New York and studied acting with both Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler at the Actors Studio. Short and bald, with beady, intense eyes, a wiry, compact, muscular build, a gruff, jarring, high-decibel voice, and an aggressive, confrontational, blunt-as-a-battle-ax, rough-around-the-edges demeanor, Tolkan has been often cast as rugged, cynical no-nonsense cops, mean, domineering authority figures, and various ruthless and dangerous criminals.
Tolkan first began acting in movies in the late 1960s and was highly effective in two pictures for Sidney Lumet: He was a rabidly homophobic police lieutenant in the superbly gritty Serpico (1973) and a sneaky district attorney in the equally excellent Prince of the City (1981). Best known as the obnoxiously overzealous high school principal Gerard Strickland in the Back to the Future films, Tolkan's other most memorable roles include Napolean in Woody Allen's Love and Death (1975), a ramrod army officer in WarGames (1983), mayor Robert Culp's mordant, wisecracking assistant in Turk 182 (1985), the hard-nosed Stinger in Top Gun (1986), the choleric Detective Lubric in Masters of the Universe (1987), meek mob accountant Numbers in Dick Tracy (1990), and Wesley Snipes' bullish superior in Boiling Point (1993).
James has had recurring parts on the television series A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001) (he also directed two episodes), Mary (1985), Cobra (1993), The Hat Squad (1992) and Remington Steele (1982). Among the television series James has done guest spots on are Naked City (1958), Hill Street Blues (1981), Miami Vice (1984), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), The Equalizer (1985), The Wonder Years (1988) and The Pretender (1996). Besides his film and television work, Tolkan has also performed on stage in productions of such plays as "Between Two Thieves", "Wings", "One Tennis Shoe", "The Front Page", "Twelve Angry Men", "Full Circle", "The Tempest", "Golda", "The Silent Partner" and the original 1984 Broadway production of David Mamet's "Glengary, Glen Ross". When he isn't acting, James Tolkan spends his spare time collecting folk art.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Betty Utey was born on 17 November 1934 in Calumet, Michigan, USA. She was an actress, known for The Tarnished Angels (1957), Party Girl (1958) and Mike Hammer (1958). She was married to Noel Leslie Pugh, Ward William Schwab, Nicholas Ray and Sanford Aaron Meltzer. She died on 16 January 2017 in Sun Lakes, Arizona, USA.- Actress
- Producer
She is a Republican who served as a top advisor to U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney from 2001-2003. Resigned to open a Washington, D.C.-based political consulting firm with her husband, former Bill Clinton advisor James Carville. Carville and she have two daughters, Matalin Mary Matty Carville and Emerson Normand Emma Carville. In 2008, they moved their family to New Orleans.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Paul J. Smith was the son of Joseph J. and Anna M. Smith of Caldwell, Idaho. Joseph J. Smith was the band director at the College of Idaho for many years and was penned by Idaho's former governor Robert Smylie as "The Father of Music" in the Boise Valley, as he taught all musical instruments.
My grandfathers talent and teaching skills was obviously passed on to his four son's, as all but one of them became well know and sought after composers and musicians in Los Angeles both before and after WWII. Paul J. Smith had one older brother, Jerome Smith, who although a talented woodwind player, became an electrical engineer in the 30's and worked for RCA as a lead engineer for his entire career. Paul J. Smith also had two younger brothers, Arthur Smith, a woodwind player and studio musician who was under contract with Universal Studios for many years before studio contracts were eliminated in the early 60's, after which he continued to work in all major studios (including Disney), and continued to be very active in the music business for many years to come. Paul J. Smith's youngest brother was George W. Smith, who was also a woodwind player, and was employed for many years as 1st chair clarinet for Columbia Studios, once again, until musicians contracts were cancelled in the 60's, at which point he continued to work in both the major studios (including Disney), as well as recording sessions with major vocal talents and jazz artists of the day. During the later years of his career, George performed with the Disneyland Band in Anaheim, being featured in the Dixieland Band and the Polka Band on clarinet and the Main Street Saxophone Quartet on Alto.
Overall, and impressive an unique accomplishment for the three musical talents from Caldwell Idaho.- Actress
Edith Penn was born on 2 July 1912 in Calumet, Oklahoma, USA. She was an actress. She died on 8 April 1996 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Sound Department
Harold J. Steck was born on 30 April 1909 in Calumet, Michigan, USA. He is known for Lady and the Tramp (1955), Cinderella (1950) and Alice in Wonderland (1951). He died on 15 September 1962 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
Ed Coppo was born on 23 May 1900 in Calumet, Michigan, USA. He was an actor. He died on 19 September 1969 in Rawlins, Wyoming, USA.- Born in Calumet, Michigan., Lee Perenchio moved to Fresno, California with her family when she was a teenager. She began her career in Hollywood in the office at Paramount Pictures, and later worked as Harry Cohn's executive assistant at Columbia Pictures. Encouraged by Cohn, Perenchio began writing scripts, and co-wrote the screenplay for actress Marion Davies's final film, "Ever Since Eve" in 1937. Perenchio co-authored the book "If This Be My Harvest" in 1948, and a year later she wrote the screenplay "The Bright Dame" for a film starring James Cagney. She also wrote episodes for several television shows including "You Are There", "Waterfront", and "Code 3".
Perenchio died on June 3, 1994. - Additional Crew
Joseph Edward "Larry" Kleno was born March 14, 1933 in Calumet, Michigan, the only child of Joanna and Edward Kleno. Growing up during the depths of The Depression, Larry found escape at the movies. He was barely more than a toddler when his mother noted his natural talent for dancing, and he began performing at local events. Later on, after a teacher suggested he consider pursuing a career in show business, it became his goal. But after a teenage sojourn in NYC (resulting in sporadic chorus work) Larry returned to Michigan and enlisted in the Army (the Korean War). Upon discharge he gave New York another try, this time with more success. But Hollywood and the movies was still on his mind and, in his late 20s, he headed west.
Between jobs as a movie extra ("King Rat", etc) he found work with United Fan Mail Service. It was while doing this work that Larry's empathy with actors led him to his ultimate destiny and a friendship with legendary publicist, Helen Ferguson.
By the mid-1960s Ferguson's list of clients had grown to more than 200 and it was starting to overwhelm her. Often Helen would call on Larry for help, and this is how he came to know her foremost client, Barbara Stanwyck. Later, after Ferguson suffered a stroke and closed her agency, Stanwyck asked Larry if he would take on the job. Thus was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Through the years, Kleno was the person Stanwyck called on during times of crisis (the day her house burned, the night she was beaten and robbed) and, finally, he was the one she chose to scatter her ashes over her favorite Lone Pine film location.
Kleno was the author of the much admired book "Kim Novak on Camera", as well as numerous magazine articles on the entertainment industry. At the time of his passing, he had two novels and a biography of actress Jean Seberg ready for publication. He was also the CEO of VIP Fan Mail which served scores of A-list celebrities. But Larry was much more than a publicist, he was also their dear and trusted friend. A true gentleman whose thoughtfulness and generosity was legendary.
He died January 13, 2010 at his home in Los Angeles. Although he had been ill for several months, he didn't retire until the middle of December --- so much was he devoted to his clients.