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1-22 of 22
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
As a child growing up in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Ernie Hudson wrote short stories, poems and songs, always thinking that his words might one day come to life on stage. After a short stint in the Marine Corps, he moved to Detroit where he became the resident playwright at Concept East, the oldest black theatre in the country. In addition, he enrolled at Wayne State University to further develop his writing and acting skills and found time to establish the Actors' Emsemble Theatre, where he and other talented young black writers directed and appeared in their own works. After graduating with a B.A. from Wayne State, he was rewarded a full scholarship to the M.F.A. program at the prestigious Yale School of Drama. While performing with the school's repertory company, he was asked to appear in the Los Angeles production of Lonne Elder III's musical "Daddy Goodness," which led to his meeting Gordon Parks, who gave Hudson the costarring role in his first feature film, Leadbelly (1976). Unfortunately, all that followed "Leadbelly" was a year of "bit parts and some harsh lessons about Hollywood," which led Hudson to enroll in another academic doctorate program at the University of Minnesota. He did not complete the program. Through his experience, he learned another vital lesson: "There are those who spend their lives studying it and those who spend their lives doing it." Hudson definitely wanted to be in the second group. Keeping in mind this self-revelation, Hudson accepted the starring role of Jack Jefferson in the Minneapolis Theatre In The Round's production of "The Great White Hope," a role that he put "everything he had into," including shaving his head. A series of starring and guest roles followed on such television shows as Fantasy Island (1977), The Incredible Hulk (1978), Little House on the Prairie (1974), Diff'rent Strokes (1978), Taxi (1978), One Day at a Time (1975), Gimme a Break! (1981), The A-Team (1983) and Webster (1983), as well as costarring roles in the TV movies White Mama (1980) with Bette Davis, Roots: The Next Generations (1979), Women of San Quentin (1983), California Girls (1985), Mad Bull (1977) and Love on the Run (1985). Other feature film credits include The Jazz Singer (1980), The Main Event (1979), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), Penitentiary II (1982), Going Berserk (1983), Joy of Sex (1984) and, of course, the mega-hit Ghostbusters (1984).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Sinbad was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan to two parents, Louise and the Baptist Rev. Dr. Donald Beckley Adkins and was then known as David Adkins. He is primarily known as an actor and somewhat a writer and proved his comedic acting style in House Guest (1994), Jingle All the Way (1996), First Kid (1996) and Good Burger (1997). He has been married to Meredith Adkins since 2002 with two children. He was previously married to Meredith Fuller.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Arte Johnson was born on 20 January 1929 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), Love at First Bite (1979) and Baggy Pants & the Nitwits (1977). He was married to Gisela Johnson and Texie Waterman. He died on 3 July 2019 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ruth Terry was born Ruth McMahon in Benton Harbor, Michigan, in 1920. She got her start in show business as a child when she would sing with the band in a dance hall where her father worked as a bouncer. She began entering amateur talent contests in the local area, and her beautiful singing voice resulted in her winning many of them. When she was in fourth grade her parents decided that she would embark on a professional singing career, and to that end took her out of school (her education continued with private teachers). She kept winning talent contests, and later became part of a vaudeville act called The Capps Family and Ruthie Mae. She eventually won a spot singing on a Chicago radio station, then she got her own 15-minute time slot on a station in South Bend, Indiana. At 12 years of age she won a contract to sing with a prestigious Chicago musical group, The Paul Ash Chicago Theater Orchestra. After that engagement she went to New York and got a job as a song plugger for composer Irving Berlin, who was a friend of her aunt's. She eventually got her own nightclub act--changing her name to Ruth Terry at the suggestion of gossip columnist Walter Winchell--and soon headed to Miami, where she was engaged to sing at several prestigious nightspots and hotels, and while there she was spotted by talent scouts from 20th Century-Fox. In 1937 she was playing in Chicago with bandleader Ted Lewis when Fox offered her a contract--and all this while she was barely 16 years old.
She was brought to Hollywood by Fox and given diction and acting lessons, and the studio soon put her in her first picture, International Settlement (1938), although she only had one line. She stayed with Fox for two more years, until she was dropped in 1939. In 1940 she was signed by Howard Hughes, who eventually sold her contract to Republic Pictures. It was at Republic where she began making westerns, a genre in which she would spend a lot of time. She made westerns with Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Robert Livingston, among others. Her contract with Republic ended in 1947, and she made only one other film, for Columbia, before retiring. She soon married, for a second time, and she and her husband moved to Canada. The marriage ended in 1957, and she moved back to the US. In 1962, as a favor to a friend, she did a small part in a low-budget horror film, Hand of Death (1962).- Music Department
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Niki Haris was born on 17 April 1962 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for Heat (1995), Corrina, Corrina (1994) and A Chorus Line (1985).- Anita Thomas was born on 30 November 1974 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for 100 Girls (2000), NightMan (1997) and Fat Girls (2006). She was previously married to Phil Collen.
- Ralph J. Rose was born on 26 April 1927 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964), Love Me Like I Do (1970) and Gunsmoke (1955). He died on 10 May 1997 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
- Actress
- Producer
- Production Manager
Colleen Meeker was born on 30 November 1944 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for The Mind Snatchers (1972), Hollywood High Part II (1981) and Mag Wheels (1978). She was married to Ralph Meeker. She died on 4 April 2007 in Palm Springs, California, USA.- Chet Walker was born on 22 February 1940 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. He is an actor, known for The White Shadow (1978), The NBA on CBS (1973) and The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... (1999).
- Anthony Miller was born on 27 October 1971 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. He is an actor, known for Space Jam (1996) and Eddie (1996).
- Producer
Born in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Julie Krone rode her first horse when she was just two years old. At five years old, she won her first ribbon at a horse show-in an 18-and-under event. Sleeping with her whip, dreaming of racing, riding before school-this was the life of a little girl whose only dream was to be a jockey.
Forging her birth certificate to gain access to the track at Churchill Downs as an exercise rider, and talking her way into mounts, it was not long until Julie was racing-and winning.
From the start, sexism against Julie was fierce. Male riders colluded against her, closing gaps and boxing her horse in by the rail.
Though kind and patient with her horses, Krone competed ferociously against her fellow male jockeys. When Yves Truscott knocked into her horse during a race in 1982, she shoved him off the scales during the post-race weigh in. She punched Miguel Rujano in 1986 after his whip hit her ear during a race, before belting him with a chair. In 1989, she was fined for brawling with Joe Bravo-and knocking out several of his teeth.
By age 25, Julie was the first woman ever to win a riding title at a major track, the first woman ever to win five races in one day at a New York track, and one of three jockeys ever to win six races on one card. She had won 1,200 races, and $20 million in purses. In 1993, she became the first female winner of a Triple Crown race, riding 14-to-1 long-shot Colonial Affair to victory in the Belmont Stakes-"showing the patience, intelligence and tactical savvy that have made her one of the nation's leading performers," wrote William Nack of Sports Illustrated.
Shortly after, while racing in Saratoga Springs, Julie was thrown from her horse and kicked in the chest by another, bruising her heart and shattering her ankle. Months of recuperation lay ahead of her. But she refused to quit.
In the Del Mar meeting of 2003, Julie rode 49 winners, including the $1 million Pacific Classic. In October 2003, she became the first female jockey to win a prestigious Breeders' Cup race. Despite her retirement in 2004, Julie recently participated in Del Mar's "Living Legends Race," and will ride again this September at the UK's renowned St. Leger Festival, in a high-profile race for ex-flat jockeys.
In 2000, Julie Krone became the first female to be inducted into racing's Hall of Fame.- Bobo Brazil was born on 10 July 1924 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for WWF Championship Wrestling (1972), AWA All-Star Wrestling (1972) and WWF World Championship Wrestling (1972). He died on 20 January 1998 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA.
- A native of Benton Harbor, Michigan, he was born on June 14, 1941 (Flag Day), the beloved son of the late Chester C. & Marguerite Korb. He is survived by Ilze, his wife of 45 years, their children, Steven E., Wendy B. (Lester) Brown, their seven grandchildren (Darian & Alexandria Korb, Ashley & Nathan Korb, and Madison, Zoey and Riley Brown), and his sister Kathleen Mueller. He was preceded in death by his son, Jeffrey M. Korb, in 2012. He is also survived by many loving family members and friends. Michael (Mike) was proud to have honorably served his Nation in the United States Air Force, where he acted in, edited, and narrated survival training films. He later graduated from Western Michigan University. He had a long, storied career founded on an ambitious attitude, a strong work-ethic, and a gregarious personality. He was a self-made man and created opportunities that led to roles as a movie actor, radio DJ, dance instructor, sheriff's officer, volunteer fire-fighter, and several high-level positions in sales, advertising, and marketing. Mike drew upon his experience in entertainment, public service, and business to found his own company, Korb Marketing Group, from which he retired.
He passed away Tuesday, February 4, 2014 at the age of 72. - Iris Floyd Kyle (born August 22, 1974) is an American professional female bodybuilding champion. She currently lives in Henderson, Nevada. As of 2012, Iris Kyle is the most successful female bodybuilder ever with nine Ms. Olympia wins (8 overall and 1 heavyweight) and seven Ms. International wins. She ranks as the 1st best female bodybuilder in the IFBB Pro Women's Bodybuilding Ranking List.
- Walker Mahurin was born on 5 December 1918 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. He was married to Patricia Sweet. He died on 11 May 2010 in Newport Beach, California, USA.
- Actress
- Stunts
Mabel Strickland was born in July 1870 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. She was an actress, known for Rough Riding Ranger (1935). She was married to George E. Mack. She died on 1 November 1947 in The Bronx, New York, USA.- F Gamo was born on 17 January 1994 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for Project Kid feat. F Gamo: In My Bag (2020), F Gamo: Close Your Eyes (2021) and F Gamo: I Hope So (2021). He died on 8 August 2021 in St. Joseph, Michigan, USA.
- Music Department
Bill Berry was born on 14 September 1930 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. He is known for The Bob Braun Show (1967) and The Merv Griffin Show (1962). He died on 13 November 2002 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Khandi Simone was born on 2 May 1966 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for Laurel Avenue (1993).
- Bud Mahurin was born on 5 December 1918 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. He was married to Joan. He died on 11 May 2010 in Newport Beach, California, USA.
- Camera and Electrical Department
E.B. Dottley was born on 14 January 1958 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA. E.B. is known for The Corpse (2003).- Producer
- Cinematographer
- Executive
Arron Nelson was born and raised in the Midwest. After graduating from college he moved out to Los Angeles, CA. Starting out as a PA on commercial shoots he quickly rose in profession. Now as a producer he helps films get made and distributed that might not have had a chance.