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1-16 of 16
- Actress
- Music Department
- Composer
"Loverly" soprano Marni Nixon ensured herself a proper place in film history although most moviegoers would not have recognize her had they passed her on the street. But if you had heard her, that might be a horse of a different color. She was one of those unsung (or "much sung") talents given short shrift at that time.
For those who think film superstars such as Deborah Kerr, Natalie Wood, and Audrey Hepburn possessed not only powerhouse dramatic talents but amazing singing voices as well ... think again. Kerr's Anna Leonowens in The King and I (1956), Natalie's Maria in West Side Story (1961), and Audrey's Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (1964) were all dubbed by the amazing but uncredited Nixon.
Born Margaret Nixon McEathron on February 22, 1930, in Altadena, California, she was a child actress. Once a soloist with the Roger Wagner Chorale in the beginning, she trained in opera. Possessing a versatile voice for pop music and easy standards as well, she not only sang for Arnold Schönberg and Igor Stravinsky, but also recorded light songs. During the war era, she appeared uncredited in the musicals Born to Sing (1942) and The Bashful Bachelor (1942), and later voiced one of the singing flowers in the Disney film Alice in Wonderland (1951).
Marni made her Broadway musical debut in 1954 in a show that lasted two months but nothing came from it. In 1955, the singer contracted to dub Deborah Kerr in The King and I (1956) was killed in a car accident in Europe and a replacement was needed. Marni was hired...and the rest is history. Much impressed, the studios brought her in to "ghost" Kerr's voice again in the classic tearjerker An Affair to Remember (1957). From there, she went on to make Natalie Wood and Audrey Hepburn sound incredibly good with such classic songs as "Tonight" and "Wouldn't It Be Loverly."
Providing the voice of the geese in Disney's Mary Poppins (1964), she finally appeared on screen in the box-office musical The Sound of Music (1965), starring Julie Andrews, who physically resembled Marni. The role was a minor one, however, and she was only given a couple of ensemble scenes and solo lines in "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" as a singing nun.
Marni's vocal career in films dissolved by the mid 1960s, but she continued on with concerts and in symphony halls, while billing herself as "The Voice of Hollywood" in one-woman cabaret shows. Throughout the years, she has played on the legit stage, including the lead roles in "The King and I" and "The Sound of Music," and in her matronly years has been seen as Fraulein Schneider in "Cabaret," and in the musicals "Follies" and "70 Girls 70."
Appearing very sporadically on the small screen, Marni appeared on such programs as "The Mothers-in-Law" (as herself), appeared in a filmed TV record of an off-Broadway musical entitled Taking My Turn (1985) and was featured in the romantic comedy film I Think I Do (1997) and made a final visual appearance on an episode of "Law & Order: SVU." Her last singing voice on film was as the grandmother in the animated feature Mulan (1998).
Married three times, twice to musicians, one of her husbands, Ernest Gold, by whom she had three children, was a film composer best known for his Academy Award-winning epic Exodus (1960). She died of breast cancer on July 24, 2016, in New York City, aged 86.- Make-Up Department
Doreen F. Schultz was born on 11 October 1963 in the USA. She is known for Lost (2004), Spontaneous Combustion (1989) and Torch Song Trilogy (1988). She was married to Robert Marchetti. She died on 24 July 2016 in the USA.- Ben Gerard was born on 28 November 1932. He was an actor, known for The Incredible Hulk (1978), Bustin' Loose (1981) and The Tree (1969). He died on 24 July 2016.
- Ennio Biasciucci was born on 4 June 1930 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was an actor, known for La gatta in calore (1972), Bella di giorno moglie di notte (1971) and Peccatori di provincia (1977). He died on 24 July 2016 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Script and Continuity Department
Jack Cowden was born on 24 November 1928 in the USA. He was a writer, known for Flipper (1995), Flipper (1964) and Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988). He died on 24 July 2016 in Greer South Carolina, USA.- Oleg Rogachyov was born on 23 November 1953. He was an actor, known for Lilya 4-Ever (2002), Ameriken boy (1992) and Gosudarstvennaya granitsa (1980). He was married to Svetlana Doroshenko. He died on 24 July 2016.
- Patrick Cashin was born on 28 August 1967 in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Creating Karma (2006). He was married to Terry Williams. He died on 24 July 2016 in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, USA.
- Claire Leistra was born on 7 March 1939. She was an actress, known for De Robins en het Robot komplot (1972), Dik Trom en zijn dorpsgenoten (1973) and Dik Trom weet raad (1976). She died on 24 July 2016.
- Editor
- Editorial Department
Howard Epstein was born on 14 April 1917 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. He was an editor, known for Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Alcoa Premiere (1961) and The Six Million Dollar Man (1974). He died on 24 July 2016 in Thousand Oaks, California, USA.- Horacio Olivo was born in 1933 in Dorado, Puerto Rico. He was an actor, known for Linda Sara (1994), Historia de un gangster (1969) and Dios los cría 2 (2004). He died on 24 July 2016 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Mario Heredia was born on 13 September 1941 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was an actor, known for Las alimañas (1977), Enrique Blanco (1973) and De Buen Humor (1993). He died on 24 July 2016 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- Composer
- Music Department
Keith Gemmel was born on 15 February 1948 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was a composer, known for Bronco Bullfrog (1970), The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971) and Top of the Pops (1964). He died on 24 July 2016 in the UK.- Oleg Rogatchov was born on 23 November 1959. He was married to Svetlana Doroshenko. He died on 24 July 2016 in Estonia.
- Producer
- Executive
Josetco Moreno was a producer and executive, known for Free Zone (2005). He died on 24 July 2016 in Pamplona, Navarra, Spain.- Additional Crew
Conrad Prebys was born on 20 August 1933 in South Bend, Indiana, USA. Conrad is known for Foyle's War (2002). Conrad was married to Marilyn E. Thompson, Beverly Jean Smith and Janet Ann Jewson. Conrad died on 24 July 2016 in San Diego, California, USA.- Steve Nagy was born on 28 May 1919 in Franklin, New Jersey, USA. He died on 24 July 2016 in Poulsbo, Washington, USA.