Eddie Saeta (1914-2005) [Riders of the Dawn (1937); This Property Is Condemned (1966)] was an American production manager and assistant director who directed and produced films. A native of Philadelphia, Saeta grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was head of the Columbia Pictures electrical department. At 18, Saeta got a job as Columbia boss Harry Cohn's messenger boy, which led to work as a 3rd assistant director on westerns at Columbia and subsequently Monogram. Following service in World War II in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, Saeta returned to Columbia and spent nearly two decades as an assistant director. Subsequently he branched into work as a production manager, and produced and directed a few films as well. He received a Directors Guild Award for his work on the TV movie Brian's Song (1973).

Albert Salmi (1928-1990) [The Bravados (1958); Breaking In (1989)] was born in Brooklyn, NY, to Finnish parents. After serving in the Army during WWII, he used the GI Bill to study at the Dramatic Workshop of the American Theater Wing and the prestigious Actors Studio. He became a stage actor, very soon landing on Broadway, where his role as Bo Decker in Bus Stop was his biggest stage success. A compromise between the stage and screen was live TV drama, in which he was cast regularly. His portrayal of Bruce Pearson in the "The United States Steel Hour" (1953)'s live 1956 broadcast of Bang the Drum Slowly was heart-tuggingly poignant. Salmi's very first film appearance was a choice role in The Brothers Karamazov (1958), for which he turned down an Oscar nomination.

Harry Saltzman (1915-1994) [Produced: Call Me Bwana (1963); The Ipcress File (1965)] was a film producer best known for co-producing the James Bond film series with Albert R. Broccoli until selling his share of the franchise to United Artists in 1975. He retired from the business at that point with the exception of producing the 1988 British-Italian-Yugoslavian co-production Time of the Gypsies. Saltzman was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada but moved to Britain where he entered the film business producing social dramas such as 1959's Look Back in Anger and 1960's Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. He worked for the "OSS" during World War II.

Telly Savalas (1922-1994) [Kelly's Heroes (1970); The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973) which led to tv's "Kojak" (1973-1978)] was born Aristotle Savalas in Garden City, New York to Greek parents, Nicholas and Christina Savalas. He served during World War II after he dropped out of Columbia University, where he was studying psychology. It's not clear if he served overseas. One source indicates he recived a "Purple Heart disability" and was honourably discharged. But other sources say he was severely injured in a car crash in Virginia which may have resulted in a medical discharge. During the early 1950s, Savalas worked for ABC radio and eventually became the executive producer of his own popular talk show, Telly's Coffee House. He was in his thirties when he decided to turn to acting.

Paul Scofield (1922- ) [The Train (1964); Tell Me Lies (1968).] is an English actor who was born in Sussex. Scofield is not well-known to cinema-goers, despite having won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in A Man for All Seasons (1966). He began his stage career in 1940, and was soon being compared with Laurence Olivier. He took on all the experience he could handle by joining touring companies and also entertained British troops during World War II. Although his range is considerable, he has tended to be selective, preferring classical roles to those which might have won him more popular acclaim. He has won several awards for his stage appearances, including a Tony for the original stage version of A Man for All Seasons, and was Salieri in the original stage production of Amadeus in 1979.

George C. Scott (1927-1999) [Anatomy of a Murder (1959); Patton (1970)]. Joined the Marines Corps as a 17-year old in 1945, but the atomic bomb brought an end to World War II before he could see combat. After the war, he was stationed in the prestigious 8th and I Barracks in Washington, D.C. and was a guard at Arlington National Cemetery.

Fred D. Scott (1918-2002) [Sins of Rachel (1972); Guilty as Charged (1991)] was a Black American character actor. A graduate of Ithaca College and Dillard College, he studied voice culture and performing arts. As a surgical technician for the U.S. Army in World War II, he was decorated for service in the South Pacific. He contracted tuberculosis during the war and was unable to continue plans to become an opera singer. He studied theatre at San Jose State College and began appearing in plays in and around San Francisco. He relocated to Hollywood in the early 1970s and spent the next three decades appearing in commercials, television programs and films.

Gordon Scott (1926-2007) [Tarzan's Hidden Jungle (1955); Tarzan the Magnificent (1960)] was born Gordon Merrill Werschkul in Portland, Oregon, one of nine children of advertising man Stanley Werschkul and his wife Alice. He grew up in Oregon, where he discovered body-building, which he took up to attract women. He attended the University of Oregon for one semester. Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944, he served as a military policeman and drill instructor during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1947. For the next six or seven years, he worked at various jobs, mostly delivering soda pop for the beverage company owned by his brother Rafield. An offer of a job as a lifeguard at the Las Vegas Sahara Hotel led him to leave his delivery job. Soon thereafter, a Hollywood talent scout took note of him and signed him to a contract with Sol Lesser, producer of the Tarzan movies.

Douglas Seale (1913-1999) [Once in a Lifetime (1937) TV; Palookaville (1995)] was born in London, England, the son of Robert Henry Seale and his wife Margaret Law Seale. The classical actor/ producer/ director enjoyed a 65-year transatlantic career that included stage, films and television. He studied for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and took his first professional curtain bow at London's Embassy Theatre in a production of The Drums Begin in 1934. He then appeared in repertory until the outbreak of World War II. He served with the British Army in 1940 and was commissioned in the Royal Signals. Following demobilization in 1946, Seale joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theater Company for two seasons at Stratford-on-Avon. He extended his noble talents to include stage producing.

Jackie Searl (1921-1991) was a fairly well-known child actor who never made it to the ranks of a Jackie Cooper or Freddie Bartolomew. Jackie Searl nevertheless gained a film following in the 30s. A bratty counterpart to Jane Withers, the blond, freckled, clean-cut Jackie was born in Anaheim, California in 1921 and started on L.A. radio in "The Children's Hour" at the age of three. By the end of the 20's film beckoned and Jackie hit it big playing mean little Sid Sawyer in the early Mark Twain film classic Tom Sawyer (1930). Paramount Pictures promptly signed the youngster up and he followed this with Finn and Hattie (1931), Huckleberry Finn (1931), Skippy (1931), Topaze (1933) and Alice in Wonderland (as The Doormouse) (1933). Infamous at playing sissified brats, obnoxious squealers and sandbox bullies he was a natural scene-stealer and aptly labeled on the Paramount sets as "The Kid Everybody Wants to Spank." He continued playing secondary parts into his teens with roles in Ginger (1935), Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936), That Certain Age (1938) and Small Town Deb (1941). He joined the service in World War II and tried to resurrect his career following his discharge but had a tough time of it. In the 1960s he played character parts, nominally as minor heavies, in such films as The Couch (1962) and Shotgun Wedding (1963) and on TV dramas. He retired in the 1970s.

James Seay (1914-1992). The first studio contract for durable, dependable actor James Seay was initially designed for romantic leads after being signed by Paramount in 1940. Caught up in a number of uncredited roles, the actor seemed to fare better as a villain or stern, officious type. Although military service in World War II may have taken away any chance for outright stardom, he compensated in later years by focusing on minor character roles, finding steady employment in late 40s and 50s films as a voice of authority. He was the benign old folks home doctor who expounds on Kris Kringle's mental condition in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), portrayed Col. George Washington during his early military career in When the Redskins Rode (1951), and became a familiar figure in "B" sci-fi classics, notably The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), When Worlds Collide (1951), The War of the Worlds (1953), Killers from Space (1953), The Beginning of the End (1957), and as the ill-fated officer who is fatally pierced by a humongous hypodermic needle in The Amazing Colossal Man (1957).

Peter Sellers (1925-1980) was born to a well-off English acting family. His mother and father worked in an acting company run by his grandmother. As a child, Sellers was spoiled, as his parents' first child had died at birth. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force and served during World War II. After the war he set up a review in London, which was a combination of music (he played the drums) and impressions. Then, all of a sudden, he burst into prominence as the voices of numerous favorites on "The Goon Show" (1951-1960), making his debut in films in Penny Points to Paradise (1951) and Down Among the Z Men (1952), before making it big as one of the criminals in The Ladykillers (1955). Small roles continued throughout the 1950s, but he got his first big break playing the dogmatic union man, Fred Kite, in I'm All Right Jack (1959). The film's success led to starring vehicles into the 1960s but after the relative failure of What's New Pussycat (1965), which was Woody Allen's first film, Sellers embarked on a rapid downfall to "Grade Z" movies in the 1970s, all of which he claimed to have made only because he needed the money. In 1972 he read the book "Being There" and decided to make it into a film. It took him seven years to finally bring it to the screen, but it earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination (he lost to Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of "Superdad" in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)). Being There (1979) proved to be somewhat of a last hurray for Sellers, as he died the following year. His last movie, The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980), completed just before his death, proved to be another flop.

Milton Selzer (1918-2006) [The Last Mile (1959); Lady Sings the Blues (1972)] was born in Lowell, Massachusetts but moved with his family while young to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Graduating from Portsmouth High School in 1936, he studied at the University of New Hampshire before serving in the infantry in the Italian campaign during World War II. Moving to New York, he trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Art and The New School in the 1940s and received his first big break with minor roles in the Broadway classical plays Richard III, Julius Caesar and Arms and the Man. In the late 1950s, Selzer turned to film and (especially) to TV's "Golden Age", making an early mark in solid ethnic roles (German, Arab, etc).

Rod Serling (1924-1975) (Screen Writer) [Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962); The Twilight Zone, tv 1959-1964)]. Serling was a private in the 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific. He jumped at Tagaytay in the Philippines and was later wounded in Manila.

Jacques Sernas (1925- ) [The Red Falcon (1949); La Dolce Vita (1960)]. Lithuanian-born actor Jacques Sernas (aka Jack Sernas) is best known for cutting a fine figure in European spectacles in the 1950s and 1960s. He was raised and schooled in Paris before joining up as a French Resistance fighter during World War II. Captured by the Germans and imprisoned for over a year in Buchenwald, he was eventually freed and began studying medicine in his early post-war years. Acting soon caught his fancy, however, and he made his unbilled debut in the French film Miroir (1947).

Johnny Seven (1926-) [The Last Mile (1959); The Apartment (1960)] is a prolific American character actor born John Anthony Fetto in the Italian section of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York, to Marie and John Fetto. He was the only boy in a family of six children, with sisters Lillian, Terry, Connie, Dolores and Jean. Considering that much of his future acting work consisted of playing tough gangsters and criminals, it may come as a surprise to discover that, until the age of 14, he was a boy soprano. He served 2-1/2 years in the US Army in World War II, with the 187th Gun Battalion in the Pacific, and was bitten by the acting bug when he appeared in several USO shows in the Philippines. He married Edith Piselli on October 8, 1949, and they had two children, John Jr. and Laura. Seven worked in the New York theater community and did much live television until he was brought to Hollywood in 1958 by Universal Pictures to work in their many television series. He has since appeared in more than 600 TV shows, over 25 films, and numerous Broadway and off-Broadway productions. In addition to acting, he has also written and directed for the stage (his first play, "Salvage", was written in 1958), television and movies (he produced, directed and starred in a 1964 western, Navajo Run (1964), and has directed several TV shows and shorts since then). He enjoys gardening, golf and all kinds of fishing, ocean, lake and especially fly fishing.

Doc Severinsen (1927- ) was born Carl Hilding Severinsen in Arlington, Oregon, the son of Minnie Mae and Carl Severinsen, who was a dentist. He was nicknamed "Little Doc" after his father, and had originally wanted to play the trombone. But the senior Severinsen, a gifted amateur violinist, urged him to study the violin. The younger Severinsen insisted on the trombone, but had to settle for the only horn available in Arlington's small music store — a trumpet. A week later, with the help of his father and a manual of instructions, the seven-year-old was so good that he was invited to join the high school band. At the age of twelve, Little Doc won the Music Educator's National Contest and, while still in high school, was hired to go on the road with the Ted Fio Rito Orchestra. However, his stay with the group was cut short by the draft. He served in the Army during World War II. He made his broadcasting debut playing live popular music on radio station KODL in The Dalles, Oregon.

Mickey Shaughnessy (1920-1985) [Last of the Comanches (1953); The Boatniks (1970)] was born Joseph Michael Shaughnessy in New York City. As a performer, the young Mickey made his bones on the Catskill Mountains tourist resort circuit. During a stint in the Army during World War II, Mickey appeared in a service revue. After being demobilized, he made his living making the rounds of the nightclub circuit with a comedy act. His breakthrough as an actor came with his debut in support of the legendary Judy Holliday and great meat n' potatoes character actor Aldo Ray in George Cukor's The Marrying Kind (1952).

Jim Siedow (1920-2003) [The Windsplitter (1971); The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)] was a quirky and distinctive character actor who achieved instant cult favorite status with his portrayal of the weary and irascible the Cook in Tobe Hooper's immortal and outstanding horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). Siedow was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming and first acted in high school drama class. He moved to New York City at age 18 and continued to perform in touring shows for the W.P.A. theater. He served with the Army Air Corps during World War II. Following his tour of duty Siedow then moved to Chicago, Illinois and did radio soap operas.

Jay Silverheels (1912-1980) [The Girl from Monterrey (1943); Walk the Proud Land (1956)]. Familiar Canadian Indian actor who shot to fame as Tonto, the faithful Indian companion of the masked man on the US television series The Lone Ranger (1949). A member of the Mohawk tribe, he excelled at wrestling, horse racing, football, boxing, and hockey, and became a renowned lacrosse player. With the help of actor Joe E. Brown, Silverheels obtained work as a stuntman and extra in Hollywood films. Following military service in World War II, Silverheels returned to film work and began landing small, often stereotypical roles as Indian warriors in Westerns. John Huston used him as one of the fugitive Osceola brothers in Key Largo (1948), and Silverheels followed this with the two roles that would define his career, Tonto and the Apache leader Geronimo, whom he would play several times beginning with the Western classic Broken Arrow (1950).

Mickey Simpson (1913-1985) [Keep 'Em Flying (1941); The Great Bank Robbery (1969)] was born Charles Henry Simpson to Fred and Bertha Rogers Simpson in Rochester, New York. He was the eldest of four sons, one of whom, Richard, died in childhood. By his twenties, he had grown into a hulking figure and considered a boxing career. Simpson, nicknamed "Mickey," arrived in Los Angeles in the late 1930s. Some unconfirmed stories have him working as a chauffeur for Claudette Colbert. In 1939, he reportedly played a tiny bit part in his first film, Stagecoach (1939), a film whose director, John Ford, would loom large in Simpson's career. Simpson found fairly steady movie work as various guards, cops, bouncers, and thugs until his career was interrupted by World War II, in which he served in the U.S. Army. When he returned to Hollywood, it was Ford who resurrected his career, giving Simpson a small but notable role as one of Walter Brennan's sons in My Darling Clementine (1946). Simpson would appear in a total of nine Ford films, though his most familiar role is probably that of Sarge, the racist diner owner who beats up Rock Hudson near the end of Giant (1956).

Sir Donald Sinden, KBE, (1923- ) is a British stage actor. A stalwart of the Royal Shakespeare Company he broke into acting after appearing in revues for the Royal Navy during World War II. He is more known for the puppet of him in Spitting Image that characterised him as a toady obsessed with the royal family and gaining a knighthood. One of his more familiar roles was as Simon Peel in the comedy Never the Twain (1981). He also appeared on radio including Sir Charles Baskerville in the Radio 4 adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles. In the late 1970's, he starred with Elaine Stritch in a BBC television series later shown on PBS, Two's Company. Other roles include many stage appearances in the works of Sheridan and even a small role in the cult series The Prisoner.

Jeremy Slate (1926-2006) [G.I. Blues (1960); Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962); Goodnight, Sweet Marilyn (1989)] was born Robert Perham. He attended a military academy, joined the navy at 16 and was barely 18 when his destroyer joined the invasion of Normandy on D-Day (June 6, 1944). Aboard that destroyer at Omaha Beach that day, Jeremy vowed if he survived the attack he would make his life a never-ending series of adventures. He has lived up to that promise with adventures as a lifeguard, a swimming instructor, the first person to swim across Long Island Sound after the war, college graduate with honors in English, writer, songwriter, screenwriter, a radio announcer, actor and director. After college he became a radio sportscaster and DJ for CBS and ABC affiliates while beginning a family that ultimately included three sons and two daughters. As a young man with a growing family, he had a promising career as a public relations executive with W.R. Grace and Co. For six years he worked for Grace as travel manager for president, J. Peter Grace. He then joined the Grace Steamship Line and moved with his family to Lima, Peru. While in Peru he joined a professional theater group and became involved with the production of The Rainmaker. He was awarded the Peruvian equivalent of the Tony award for his portrayal of the character Starbuck. After a year of training, he left W.R. Grace to pursue a theatrical career and was cast in a small, significant role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Look Homeward, Angel on Broadway and did 254 performances.

George F. Slavin (1916-2001) [], writer of 17 Hollywood feature films and 300 episodes and pilot episodes for television. In World War II he served with the RAF, AAF, Ferry Command and Air Transport Command. Decorations include: Victory Medal, American Theatre Service Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, Allied Ribbon, British General Service.

Kent Smith (1907-1985) was born in New York City on March 19, 1907, to a hotelier. He graduated from boarding school (Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire) and attended Harvard University, finding theater work at various facilities during his time off. Aside from an isolated appearance in The Garden Murder Case (1936), Kent's film output didn't officially begin until 1942. RKO took an interest in the stage-trained actor and offered him a lead role in the low-budget horror classic Cat People (1942) as the husband of menacingly feline Simone Simon. He returned to his protagonist role in the lesser-received sequel The Curse of the Cat People (1944). After a few more decent film, including Hitler's Children (1943) and This Land Is Mine (1943), Kent joined the U.S. Army Air Force and appeared in several government training films during World War II. Because of his age and the winding down of war-time film projects, his service ended in 1944.

Aaron Spelling (1923- ) [Actor: Vicki (1953); Mad at the World (1955)] is a prolific American film and television producer. He has worked on almost 200 productions including Starsky and Hutch, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Hart to Hart, Dynasty, T.J. Hooker, Family, Twin Peaks, Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, Charmed and on and on and on! Certain sources list him as the world's most prolific television producer. He was born in Dallas, Texas. He went to Forest Avenue High School. After serving with the US Army Air Forces in World War II he graduated from Southern Methodist University, Dallas in 1945. He had his break as a writer, selling his first script to Jane Wyman Theater in 1954. He went on to write for Dick Powell, Playhouse 90, and Last Man, amongst others. He joined Powell's Four Star Productions. After the death of Powell he formed Thomas-Spelling Productions with Danny Thomas, their first hit was The Mod Squad. He lives in Los Angeles, his home is the largest single-family dwelling in California.

Mickey Spillane (1918-2006) [created the P.I. character, Mike Hammer and authored: I, The Jury (1947); My Gun Is Quick (1950)] was born Frank Morrison Spillane, an only child, in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He started writing in high school, graduating in 1935. He briefly attended Fort Hays State College in Kansas and worked a variety of jobs, including summers as a life-guard and a period as a trampoline artist for Ringling Bros. - Barnum & Bailey Circus. During World War II Spillane enlisted in the Army Air Corps becoming a fighter pilot and a flight instructor. After the war he wrote crime novels, many featuring his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have sold internationally. In 1980, Spillane was responsible for seven of the top 15 all-time best-selling fiction titles in the U.S. He first married Mary Ann. They had four children (Caroline, Kathy, Michael, Ward), but the marriage ended in 1962. In Nov. 1965 he married night club singer Sherri Malinou. After that marriage ended in divorce (and a lawsuit) in 1983, Spillane shared his waterfront house in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, with Jane Rogers Johnson, whom he married in October 1983. He received an Edgar Allan Poe Grand Master Award in 1995. Spillane's novels went out of print, but in 2001, the New American Library began reissuing them. Spillane died at his home in Murrells Inlet, of pancreatic carcinoma. After his death, his friend and literary executor, Max Allan Collins, began editing and completing Spillane's unpublished typescripts, beginning with a Mike Hammer novel, The Goliath Bone (2008). -- Excerpted from Wikipedia.

Robert Stack (1919-2003) [Written On The Wind (1956), The Untouchables (tv 1959-1963)] served as a gunnery officer in the U.S. Navy for more than three years during World War II.

Quotes:
"Well, I come from a military family. Whether it's the country or city, I never liked the bad guy. I never put my arms around John Gotti, Al Capone or Lucky Luciano. For me very simply they were the bad guys. And when I did The Untouchables (1959), I told them going in, 'If you try apologizing for any of these crumb bums, get someone else to play the part.' "

"I am very pro law enforcement."

Harry Dean Stanton (1926- ) is a prolific character actor with a drooping, weather-beaten appearance and superb acting talent. He has appeared in over 100 films, and 50 TV episodes. Born in West Irvine, Kentucky, Stanton served in the Navy in World War II and was in the Battle of Okinawa. He then returned to the University of Kentucky to appear in a production of Pygmalion, before heading out to California and honing his craft at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse. Stanton then toured the US with a male choir, worked in children's theater, and then headed back to California. His first role onscreen was in the tepid Tomahawk Trail (1957), but he was quickly noticed and appeared regularly in minor roles as cowboys and soldiers through the late 1950s and early 1960s. His star continued to rise and he received better roles in which he could showcase his laid-back style, such as in Cool Hand Luke (1967), Kelly's Heroes (1970), Dillinger (1973), The Godfather: Part II (1974), and in Alien (1979). Stanton came to the attention of director Wim Wenders and was cast in his finest role yet, as Travis in the movie Paris, Texas (1984). Next, director Alex Cox gave Stanton a role that really brought him to the forefront, in the quirky cult film Repo Man (1984).

Anthony Steel (1920-2001) [Once Upon a Dream (1949); The Monster Club (1980)]. Known primarily in Britain for his many "matinée idol" roles during the 1950s, Anthony Steel is perhaps best remembered in Hollywood and elsewhere as the erstwhile husband of Anita Ekberg. His career never really took off in Hollywood; at one point during his marriage to Ms. Ekberg, he was referred to as Mr. Ekberg -- a slight that reflected his success (or lack of it) in movies following the eventual breakup of the marriage. Steel was born in London and was the son of an Indian army officer. He was educated at Cambridge and served in the army for England during World War II. It wasn't until after the war that he pursued acting, starring in such adventure-charged films as Malta Story (1953) for the J. Arthur Rank studio.

Rod Steiger (1925-2002) [On the Waterfront (1954); In the Heat of the Night (1967)]. Steiger's breakthrough role came in 1954, with the classic On the Waterfront for which he was nominated for an Oscar. Since then he was a presence on the screen as everything from a popular leading man to a little-known character actor. Steiger made a name for himself in many different types of roles, from a crooked promoter in The Harder They Fall (1956) to the title character in Al Capone (1959). Steiger falsified his age to enlist in the U.S. Navy at 16 and served as a Torpedoman in World War II.

Robert Sterling (1917-2006) [Two-Faced Woman (1941); A Global Affair (1964)] was born William Sterling Hart in Pennsylvania, the son of a professional ballplayer. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, then worked as a clothing salesman before deciding to give acting a try. He certainly had the requisite looks as Columbia signed him in 1939. Billed as Robert Sterling as not to confuse anyone with the silent screen legend William S. Hart, he was groomed in two-reeled shorts and bit parts in minor features but nothing much happened. Sterling serve during World War II with the Army Air Force as a pilot instructor and at one point was stationed in London.

Warren Stevens (1919- ) [Red Skies of Montana (1952); Phone Call from a Stranger (1952); Stroker Ace (1983)] was born in Pennsylvania and joined the Navy at age 17. His interest in acting was piqued while he was attending Annapolis, and this resulted in 12 weeks of summer stock in Virginia. His friends, Gregory Peck and Kenneth Tobey, later arranged interviews for Stevens at the renowned Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. Following Air Force service as a pilot during World War II, Stevens began concentrating on his acting career, working in radio and summer stock and joining New York's Actors Studio. His break came via a key role in Broadway's Detective Story, which in turn led to offers from Hollywood studios and a contract with 20th Century-Fox. In the half-century since his movie debut, he has acted in dozens of features and hundreds of TV episodes.

James Stewart (1908-1997) [Rear Window (1954); Anatomy of a Murder (1959)]. Entered the Army Air Forces as a private and worked his way to the rank of Colonel. During WWII Stewart served as a bomber pilot. His service record credits him with leading more than 20 missions over Germany and taking part in hundreds of air strikes during his tour of duty. He earned the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, France's Croix de Guerre, and 7 Battle Stars during WWII. In peace time Stewart continued to be an active member of the Air Force Reserves reaching the rank of Brigadier General before retiring in the late 1950s.

Nigel Stock (1919-1986) [Lancashire Luck (1937); Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)] was a veteran British actor of stage, screen, radio and TV, known as a character actor in particular. He studied for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he earned the Leverhulme Exhibition, Northcliffe Scholarship, and the Principal's Medal. He was born in Malta, grew up in India and died of a heart attack. His acting career was interrupted by wartime service between 1939 and 1945, serving in Burma, China and Kohima. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Major. He made his debut stage appearance in 1931 and during his career achieved numerous classical and contemporary credits at various distinguished theaters, including the Old Vic and on Broadway, with productions of The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, She Stoops to Conquer, Uncle Vanya and Sleuth.

Leonard Stone (1923–2011) [The Mugger (1958); Hardly Working (1980); TV movie: Surrender, Dorothy (2006)] was born Leonard Steinbock in Salem, Oregon. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. After World War II, he studied drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, England. Then he moved to Australia where he joined the traveling theatre production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical, South Pacific. Was nominated for Broadway's 1959 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Musical) for Redhead. Best remembered as the self-important father of gum-crunching Violet Beauregarde in the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). On 22 September 2000, he appeared as an ordinary, non-celebrity contestant on Wheel of Fortune placing second, winning $4,250 and a trip to Bermuda valued at $5,310. Last acting role was in the TV-movie Dorothy (2007) starring Diane Keaton. He died November 2, 2011 (age 87) in Encinitas, California.

Larry Storch (1923- ) [The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951); Bittersweet Place (2005)]. As a kid in the 1930s growing up in a tough New York neighborhood, kinetic wiseguy Larry Storch took in the multi-ethnic flavor of his surroundings and started blurting out various accents as a juvenile to provoke laughs and earn attention. Little did he know that this early talent would take him on a six-decade journey as a prime actor and comedian. Larry's gift as an impressionist paid off early as a teen in vaudeville houses. Following military duty during World War II as a seaman (1942-1946), a happenstance meeting with comedian Phil Harris in Palm Springs led to an opening act gig at Ciro's for the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz show. From there, he received his biggest break on radio with "The Kraft Music Hall" when he was asked to sub for an ailing Frank Morgan. Larry not only delivered his patented star impersonations, he did a devastating one of Morgan himself that went over famously.

Frank Sutton (1923-1974) [Four Boys and a Gun (1957); The Satan Bug (1965)] was born Frank Spencer Sutton in Clarksville, Tennessee. An only child, both his parents had jobs working for the local newspaper. When he was eight, the family moved to Nashville, his father dying some time later of an intestinal ailment. Belonging to the drama club and appearing in high school plays sparked his early interest in acting, and he majored in Dramatic Arts at Columbia University, graduating cum laude. Gaining experience on the local stages, he eventually found a job as a radio announcer. While serving in the U.S. Army in World War II, he distinguished himself by taking part in 14 assault landings, including Leyte, Luzon, Bataan and Corregidor. Following WWII military service, he returned to acting and in the 1950s segued into TV, appearing on a couple of the more popular children's adventure series -- Captain Video and His Video Rangers (1949) and Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1950). Based in New York, Sutton also found work on the soaps The Edge of Night (1956) and The Secret Storm (1954). Later, as the antagonistic, in-your-face Sgt. Vince Carter, whose outer bluster occasionally revealed a softer inner core, the 41-year-old Sutton finally found himself front and center co-starring in one of sitcomdom's most successful spin-offs -- Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964), the offspring of The Andy Griffith Show (1960). In an interesting turnaround, the actor whose best known role was playing a Marine sergeant, could not pass the Marine Corps. physical during WWII and ended up serving in the Army. BTW: Sutton held a Black Belt in Judo.

Shaun Sutton (1919-2004) [TV series, acting: The Man in Armour (1951); The Cabin in the Clearing (1954)] was born Shaun Alfred Graham Sutton in Hammersmith, London, England to theatrical parents. He studied drama at the Embassy School. He worked as an actor in several London shows before the outbreak of World War II. He served in the Royal Navy in 1940 and after the war, he returned to acting. He joined the BBC in 1952 working on mainly children's comedies and in 1962 became one of the original directors for the then new series Z Cars. In 1966, he became head of serials for the BBC, responsible for a huge output of high quality drama including The Forsyte Saga. The 1967 serial put BBC2 on the map, attracting six million viewers on Sunday evenings and was repeated a year later on BBC1, gaining an audience of 18 million. It was the first serial ever to be sold to the Soviet Union and was purchased by stations all over America. The series confirmed the BBC's reputation for costume dramas and spawned a host of clones like The First Churchills and The Pallisers.

Dolph Sweet (1920-1985) [Rhinoceros (1961); Gimme a Break! TV (1981)] was born in New York City, the son of an auto mechanic. He initially attended the University of Alabama in 1939, but his studies were interrupted by World War II Air Force duty. As a navigator of B-24s, he was shot down during a raid and captured, spending two years as a POW in Germany. For his valor he was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross and The Purple Heart. A semi-pro football player and a boxer at one point, he received his Masters from Columbia University in 1949 at age 29. He subsequently became the head of the drama division of the English Department at Barnard College from 1949 to 1961.