Glen H Fanelli

Kate Castleton (1856-1892) stage actress, 'The idol of the fun loving public' was born 'Jane Freeman' in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, came to America as 'Kate Castleton' in 1876. She married 'Little Joe Elliott', aka Joe Clayton, aka Fred Elliott, aka Joe Reilly, who committed a serious insurance fraud. He escaped from prison and was recaptured during a burglary. She divorced, remarried then divorced him again before she married Harry Phillips who she also separated from in 1890. She died in Providence, Rhode Island of peritonitis in 1892 aged 36 and was buried at Wood Lawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.

A photo of Mae West

A photo of Edith Morgan Gellibrand (1864-1894) Stage actress born in Arkhangelsk, Russia at the British Chaplaincy. Her stage names included Edith Chester, Louise Chester and Leslie Chester. She married Major Frank Murray Maxwell Hallowell Carew (1865-1943) in 1887 then divorced him in 1892, citing grounds of cruelty and adultery. Another marriage to Mr. Loftus William Earle (1865-1949) took place in the year of her death. She died of typhoid fever in London, Middlesex 1894.

A photo of Edith Wynne Matthison (1871-1955) actress and suffragette was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England 1875. Her parents were Henry Matthison and Catherine Wynne. She married playwright Charles Rann Kennedy in 1897. Died following a stroke in Los Angeles, California 1955.

A photo of Grace Patricia Kelly

A photo of Agnes Ethel (1846-1903) stage actress was born Agnes Ethel Koen in New York City to parents Bernard Koen and Mary O'Donnell. She married millionaire, Francis Walsingham Tracy (1839-1886) in 1874. After his death she married her childhood sweetheart Clinton DeWitt Roudebush (1842-1913) in 1890, they divorced in 1901. She died of heart disease in Irving Place, New York 1903 aged 57.

A photo of Moss Hart's wife Kitty Carlisle - author and singer and TV Personality

A photo of Jane Winton (1903-1959) stage and screen actress, singer, painter and novelist born October 10th 1903 as 'Mazie Caroline Hodgson' to parents Isaac Hodgson (1881-) and Mazie Caroline Robinson (1882-1910) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She began her career as a dancer with the Ziegfeld Follies and appeared in about forty Hollywood films from 1925 to 1936. After leaving Hollywood she toured as a soprano with the National Grand Opera Company.

Jane Winton first married screen writer, Charles Arthur Kenyon (1880-1961) in 1927. They divorced in 1930 and she married stock broker, Horace Simon Gumble Jr. (1899-1951). Lastly she married stock broker and contract bridge master, Michael Theodore Gottlieb (1900-1980) in 1935. She died of a heart attack at the Pierre Hotel in New York City 1959 aged 56.

btw... Jane Winton's mother died in Rhode Island when she was six years old and in the 1910 US Census she is listed as 'Mazie C. Hodgson' with her aunt and uncle, Florence and Henry Hartman in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A photo of Katharine H Hepburn

A photo of Pauline Lucille Western (1843-1877) American stage actress was born 8 January 1843 in New Orleans, Louisiana to actors George (1821-1857) and Jane Western (1822-1898). Her parents separated sometime before 1850 and her mother then married theater manager, William B. English (1818-1864). Lucille first appeared on the stage aged six with her younger sister Helen Western (1844-1868) aged five in their step-father's theater, The National, Boston. Their quick change and cross dressing act billed them as "The Star Sisters".

Both sisters soon became popular young actresses touring successfully throughout the United States. Lucille became well known for emotional performances. Her acting style was said to be, "powerful but eccentric". In 1877 The New York Times described the intensity of her acting, stressing that "in spite of critical disapproval of her methods, realistic almost to brutality, the impression of these performances will not easily be effaced."

In 1859 Lucille Western married actor James Harrison Mead (1842-) who became known as Weston Mead after her death. Generous and charitable, Lucille had earned nearly half a million dollars during her career, yet by the time of her death had given or loaned much of her fortune to others. She died of pneumonia in Brooklyn, New York on 11 January 1877 aged 34. She was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The remains of her little niece, a daughter of the late Helen Western, were also interred with her.

A photo of Frederique Petrides

A photo of Phyllis Kirk (1927-2006) stage, film and television actress born on 18 September 1927 in Plainfield, New Jersey as "Phyllis Helene Kirkegaard" to parents, salesman Theodore Ansgar Kirkegaard (1900-1953) and Adele Kroohs (1901-1984). Started work as a waitress, perfume counter assistant and model for the 'Harry Conover Agency'. Studied acting with Sanford Meisner (1905-1997) in her late teens before her debut on Broadway in 1948.

Phyllis Kirk appeared in about 20 movies from 1950-1957 and about 30 television shows from 1952-1970. She married television producer Warren Vollman Bush (1925-1991) (birth name - Warren Louis Vollman) in December 1966 at Juarez, Mexico. Later in her career she became an activist and successful publicist. She died 19 October 2006 at Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California aged 79.

additional information:

Phyllis Kirk's most well known film was, 'House of Wax' 1953 with Vincent Price (1911-1993) and Charles Bronson (1921-2003). Her most well known television show was 'The Thin Man' 1957-1959 with Peter Lawford (1923-1984). As an artist's model she featured in illustrations by Jon Whitcomb (1906-1988). She was an active contributor for the 'American Civil Liberties Union' newspaper, opposed capital punishment and helped fund preschool programs in the aftermath of the 1965 'Watts Riots'.

A photo of Karen Black

A photo of Gary Cooper

A photo of Marlene Dietrich. Nathan Lefkowitz was invited to Dietrich's party at the Rainbow Room. October 1967.

A photo of Mary Jane "Mae" West with Cary Grant

A photo of James Cagney with Olivia deHavilland - from THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE

A photo of Ingrid Bergman

A photo of Joy Garrett. The former Miss Fort Worth appeared on Broadway and in Television, before passing away in LA, in 1993. The image was taken by her long-time close personal friend Ron McCoy, in the studios of KTVT-TV.

A photo of Naomi H (Kulbokas) Thomas's piano teacher Raymond Lewenthal. He is most noted for his playing of ALKAN's works.