Lewis Milestone (born Leib Milstein;[1] September 30, 1895 – September 25, 1980) was a Moldovan-born American motion picture director. He is known for directing Two Arabian Knights (1927) and All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), both of which received Academy Awards for Best Director. He also directed The Front Page (1931 – nomination), The General Died at Dawn (1936), Of Mice and Men (1939), Ocean's 11 (1960), and received the directing credit for Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), though Marlon Brando largely appropriated his responsibilities during its production.[2]
Biography
Milestone was born in Kishinev, in the Bessarabia Governorate of the Russian Empire (now Chişinău, Moldova), to a family of Jewish heritage.[3] He came to the United States in 1912, just prior to World War I.[4] Milestone held a number of odd jobs before enlisting in the U.S. Signal Corps, where he worked as an assistant director on Army training films during the war. In 1919 he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.[5]
After the war he went to Hollywood, where he first worked as a film cutter, and later as an assistant director. Howard Hughes promoted Milestone to director and one of his early efforts, the 1928 film Two Arabian Knights, won him an Oscar in the first Academy Award ceremony. He also directed The Racket, an early gangster film, and later helped Hughes direct scenes for his aviation saga Hell's Angels (for which he never received credit).
Milestone won his second Academy Award for All Quiet on the Western Front, a harrowing screen adaptation of the antiwar novel by Erich Maria Remarque. His next, The Front Page, brought the Ben Hecht/Charles MacArthur play to the screen. In the Front Page Milestone was one of the first directors to use the rotoambulator. The rotoambulator is a combination of a crane and a dolly with three wheels. The rotoambulator was effectively used in the scene of the Front Page where Walter Burns descends to the shipping area of his plant. The rotoambulator was used to capture the entire scene in a way that had never been done before. It earned him another Oscar nomination. His work during the 1930s and 1940s was always easily identifiable by its lighting and imaginative use of fluid camera. During this time, he made the original Of Mice and Men. Then in the war years Milestone made The North Star, The Purple Heart, and A Walk in the Sun, movies made during and set in World War II. In these films, he defended the world's fighting both Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. After the war, he was blacklisted under the suspicion that he was a Red sympathizer. Deciding to wait for anti-Communist hostility to cool, he and his wife left for Europe: here he did a few films. In the U.S., he made other films before leaving for Europe, but his postwar films did not have the same power as the early works. He worked extensively in television from the mid-1950s on.
He returned to the U.S. to do two more films: Ocean's 11 starring the Rat Pack including Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and Mutiny on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando. The original 'Ocean's 11' worked, but 'Bounty' became a box office bomb. With no other work to do, he turned to TV work which he disliked, then left directing as he became very sick. Milestone died from natural complications on September 25, 1980, short of his 85th birthday.
Lewis Milestone's final request before he died in 1980 was for Universal Studios to restore All Quiet on the Western Front to its original length. That request would eventually be granted nearly two decades later by Universal and other film preservation companies, and this restored version is what is widely seen today on television and home video.
Milestone is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Academy Awards
1927–28 Best Director (Comedy) Two Arabian Knights Won
1929–30 Best Director All Quiet on the Western Front Won
1930–31 Best Director The Front Page Nominated
1939 Outstanding Production Of Mice and Men Nominated
Filmography
1918 – The Toothbrush (director)
1918 – Posture (director)
1918 – Positive (director)
1919 – Fit to Win (director)
1922 – Up and at 'Em (screenwriter)
1923 – Where the North Begins (editor)
1924 – The Yankee Consul (screenwriter)
1924 – Listen Lester (screenwriter)
1925 – The Mad Whirl (screenwriter)
1925 – Dangerous Innocence (screenwriter)
1925 – The Teaser (screenwriter)
1925 – Bobbed Hair (screenwriter)
1925 – Seven Sinners (director and screenwriter)
1926 – The Caveman (director)
1926 – The New Klondike (director)
1926 – Fine Manners (director, uncredited)
1927 – The Kid Brother (director, uncredited)
1927 – Two Arabian Knights (director)
1928 – The Garden of Eden (director)
1928 – Tempest (director and screenwriter, uncredited)
1928 – The Racket (director)
1929 – New York Nights (director)
1929 – Betrayal (director)
1930 – All Quiet on the Western Front (director)
1931 – The Front Page (director)
1932 – Rain (director)
1933 – Hallelujah, I'm a Bum (director)
1934 – The Captain Hates the Sea (director)
1935 – Paris in Spring (director)
1936 – Anything Goes (director)
1936 – The General Died at Dawn (director)
1939 – Of Mice and Men (director)
1939 – The Night of Nights (director)
1940 – Lucky Partners (director and screenwriter)
1941 – My Life with Caroline (director)
1943 – Edge of Darkness (director)
1943 – The North Star (director)
1944 – Guest in the House (director, uncredited)
1944 – The Purple Heart (director)
1945 – A Walk in the Sun (director)
1946 – The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (director)
1948 – Arch of Triumph (director and screenwriter)
1948 – No Minor Vices (director)
1949 – The Red Pony (director)
1951 – Halls of Montezuma (director)
1952 – Les Misérables (director)
1952 – Kangaroo (director)
1953 – Melba (director)
1954 – They Who Dare (director)
1955 – La Vedova X (director and screenwriter)
1957 – Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV series) (director)
1957 – Schlitz Playhouse (TV series) (director)
1957 – Suspicion (TV series) (director)
1958 – Have Gun – Will Travel (TV series) (director)
1959 – Pork Chop Hill (director)
1960 – Ocean's 11 (director)
1962 – Mutiny on the Bounty (director)
1963 – The Richard Boone Show (TV series) (director)
1963 – Arrest and Trial (TV series) (director)
References
Notes
1. Leib Milstein at RootsWeb'sConnect Project
2. [1]
3. May, Larry. The Big Tomorrow: Hollywood and the Politics of the American Way, Univ. of Chicago Press (2000) p. 64
4. U.S. Census, 1930, State of California, County of Los Angeles, enumeration district 825, p. 21-B, family 587.
5. ""Kangaroo" producer is coming here by camp trailer.". The Mail (Adelaide: National Library of Australia). October 14, 1950. p. 2 Supplement: Sunday Magazine.
Bibliography
Genovés, Fernando R. (2013), Mervyn LeRoy y Lewis Milestone. Cine de variedades vs. de trinchera, Amazon-Kindle. ISBN 978-84-616-7452-7
Susan Denise Atkins (May 7, 1948 – September 24, 2009) was a convicted American murderer who was a member of the "Manson family," led by Charles Manson. Manson and his followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in California, over a period of five weeks in the summer of 1969. Known within the Manson family as Sadie Mae Glutz or Sexy Sadie, Atkins was convicted for her participation in eight of these killings, including the most notorious, the "Tate/LaBianca" murders. She was sentenced to death, which was subsequently commuted to life in prison. Incarcerated from October 1, 1969 until her death – a period exactly one week short of 40 years – Atkins was the longest-incarcerated female inmate in the California penal system, having been denied parole 18 times.[1]
Early life
Born in San Gabriel, California, the second of three children, Susan Atkins grew up in northern California. According to her, both her parents, Edward John and Jeanette, were alcoholics.[2] Her mother died of cancer in 1963. Over the next three years, Susan's life was disrupted by the gradual breakup of her family, frequent relocations, and her leaving home to live independently. Until she was 13 years old Atkins and her family lived in a middle-class home[2] in the Cambrian Park area of San Jose, California. She was described by those who knew her as a quiet, self-conscious girl who belonged to her school's glee club and the local church choir. Two weeks before her mother was hospitalized for the final time, Susan arranged for members of the church choir to sing Christmas carols under her bedroom window. After Jeanette Atkins' death, relatives were asked to help look after Susan and her two brothers.
Edward Atkins eventually moved to Los Banos, California, with Susan and her younger brother Steven. When he found work on the San Luis Dam construction project, Edward left the two children behind to fend for themselves. Susan took a job during her junior year in school to support herself and Steven. Atkins had been an average student in Leigh High School in San Jose, but her grades deteriorated when she entered Los Banos High School. During this time, she lived with various relatives.[3]
In 1967, Atkins met Charles Manson when he played guitar at the house where she was living with several friends. When the house was raided several weeks later by the police and Atkins was left homeless, Manson invited her to join his group, who were embarking on a summer road trip in a converted school bus painted completely black. She was nicknamed "Sadie Mae Glutz" by Manson and a man who was creating a fake ID for her at the time. Atkins later claimed to have believed Manson was Jesus. The growing "Manson Family" settled at the Spahn Ranch in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, where, on October 7, 1968, Atkins bore a son by Bruce White,[4] whom Manson named Zezozose Zadfrack Glutz. Atkins' parental rights were terminated once she was convicted of the murders and no one in her family would assume responsibility for the child. Her son was adopted and renamed from the time of her incarceration in 1969.[5] She had no further contact with him.
Murder of Gary Hinman
During the summer of 1969, Manson and his commune at Spahn's Ranch were attracting the attention of the police, who suspected them of auto thefts and were suspicious of the high number of underage runaways. In an attempt to raise money to move away to the desert, Manson encouraged drug dealing. Purportedly, a botched drug scam by Family member Charles "Tex" Watson led Manson to confront and shoot a man by the name of Bernard "Lotsapapa" Crowe. Manson believed he had killed Crowe, and he further believed Crowe was a Black Panther. Neither was true.[6] Nonetheless, Manson feared retaliation from the Black Panthers and pressured his followers for more money. During this time someone suggested that an old friend, Gary Hinman, had just inherited a large sum of money. Manson hoped Hinman could be persuaded to join the commune and contribute his purported new inheritance.
Manson sent Atkins, Bobby Beausoleil, and Mary Brunner to Hinman's home on July 25, 1969. When she pled guilty to murder, Atkins claimed she didn’t know a crime was going to take place, although she wrote in her 1977 book that she went to Hinman's home to get money and knew that it was possible they were going to kill him. When Hinman insisted he had not inherited any money, Beausoleil beat him severely. When this didn't change Hinman's story, Manson himself showed up, and swung at his head with a sword, slicing his face and severely cutting his ear. Manson directed Atkins and Brunner to stay behind and tend to Hinman's wounds. Two days later, and after a phone call from Manson, Beausoleil had Hinman sign over the registrations to his cars and then fatally stabbed him twice. Beausoleil left a bloody hand print on the wall along with vague revolutionary words reportedly placed there in hopes of implicating the Black Panthers. Beausoleil was arrested on August 7, 1969, when he was found asleep in one of Hinman's vehicles. He was still wearing the bloodstained clothing he wore during the crime. The murder weapon was hidden in the tire well of the car's trunk.
Tate/LaBianca murders
On the evening of August 9, 1969, Manson gathered Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel in front of Spahn's Ranch and told them to go with Charles "Tex" Watson and do as they were told.[7] In Atkins' grand jury testimony, she stated that while in the car, Watson told the group they were going to a home to get money from the people who lived there and to kill them.[8]
Five people were murdered at the Beverly Hills home where Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate lived: Tate (who was eight months pregnant), Steven Parent, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, and Abigail Folger. Polanski, Tate's husband, was in Europe finishing work on a film project. Forensic evidence indicated that the murders were brutal. Just prior to leaving the residence, Atkins wrote "PIG" on the front door in Sharon Tate's blood.[9]
The following night, August 10, 1969, Manson commented that the murders at the Tate residence had been too messy and announced he'd have to take his followers out and "show them how it's done". Manson called Atkins, Krenwinkel, Watson, Linda Kasabian, Leslie Van Houten, and Steve "Clem" Grogan, and they left Spahn's Ranch. Driving most of the night, he eventually found the home of grocery store owner Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary in Los Feliz, a section of northeastern Los Angeles. Manson and Watson entered the home and tied the couple up at gunpoint, winning their compliance by convincing them they were only going to be robbed.[10] He then went back to the car and sent Krenwinkel and Van Houten inside to do as Tex said, once again directing them to leave writings in blood, and to hitchhike back to Spahn's Ranch.
Motivation
At trial, the prosecution stated Manson's desire to start "Helter Skelter" (an apocalyptic race war) was the motive for the crimes. Initially, Manson told the group that during this war, they would hide in a hole in the desert and emerge when the war was over. He said the blacks would win the war, but would be unable to govern and would turn to Manson. In the weeks prior to the murders, Manson began to say that the war wasn't starting fast enough, and the group would have to start it by murdering wealthy white people. As evidence for this motive, several witnesses testified to Manson's statements regarding "Helter Skelter" and his obsession with the Beatles' music, and the individuals convicted for the murders have testified at various parole hearings that this was the motive (e.g., Leslie Van Houten testified to this at her 1993 parole hearing).[11] During Beausoleil's trial for the murder of Hinman, the defense, in order to discredit the prosecution's case, argued that the crimes were copycat murders made to misdirect police suspicion away from Beausoleil. The prosecution discounted this claim. In her 1977 autobiography Child of Satan Child of God, Atkins also stated that the Tate/LaBianca murders were carried out to convince authorities that Beausoleil was the wrong suspect in the Hinman case.
In later years, prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi stated that he believed the murders had numerous, disparate motives, all of which served to benefit Manson.[12] The home where Tate and Polanski were living with friends was known to Manson and Watson, who had been there once and knew where it was, and Manson knew that wealthy, famous people lived there.[13] One former tenant of the home was Terry Melcher, Doris Day's son, a record producer who Manson believed had made promises to him which had never materialized. Prosecutor Bugliosi suggested Manson may have very briefly encountered the eventual murder victims when he went to the home looking for Melcher and was reportedly turned away by Sharon Tate's photographer.[14]
Arrest and grand jury testimony
On August 16, 1969, the police raided Spahn's Ranch in connection with auto thefts. The charges were later dropped and everyone was released. Soon after their release, Manson and his followers left Spahn Ranch for Barker Ranch, another isolated location. However, the authorities were still suspicious of the group, raided the new location in October 1969, and arrested the group again on auto theft charges. It would be the last time many of them would be free. Just after this arrest, another member of the group implicated Atkins in the Hinman murder and she was charged with that crime.[15]
While in jail, Atkins befriended two middle-aged career criminals, Virginia Graham and Veronica "Ronnie" Howard, to whom she confessed her participation in the Tate/LaBianca murders, for example telling the women that she had stabbed Tate and tasted Tate's blood. They subsequently reported her statements to the authorities.[16] This, combined with information from other sources, led to the arrests of Atkins and others involved in the Tate/LaBianca murders (Van Houten, Krenwinkel, Kasabian, and Watson).
Atkins agreed to testify for the prosecution in exchange for dropping the death penalty, and she then testified before the grand jury as to what had transpired on the nights of August 8 and 9, 1969.[17] When asked if she were willing to testify knowing that she was not being given immunity, was not being freed of any of the charges, and might incriminate herself in her trial testimony, she responded, "I understand this, and my life doesn't mean that much to me, I just want to see what is taken care of."[18]
Atkins told the grand jury that she stabbed Frykowski in the legs and held Tate down while Watson stabbed her. She also testified that Tate had pleaded for her life and that of her unborn child, to which Atkins replied, "Woman, I have no mercy for you." Her explanation to the grand jury was that this was talking to (convince) herself, and not addressed to Tate as, "I was told before we even got there no matter what they beg don't give them any leeway." She also denied her earlier statement to Howard and Graham that she had tasted Tate's blood.[8]
Prior to the trial, Atkins discontinued her cooperation with the prosecution and repudiated her grand jury testimony. From the early 1970s onward however, Atkins told parole boards that her original grand jury testimony was truthful and accurate as to what transpired in the Tate home, however, it didn't completely match the forensics and autopsy reports.
Atkins alleged that the reason that she repudiated her grand jury testimony was that "Manson sent his followers to suggest that it might be better for me and my son if I decided not to testify against him."[19] She told her 1985 parole board that her son was legally adopted in either 1972 or 1973.[20]
Atkins claimed over the years that her participation in the crimes led by Manson was passive and that she did not actually kill anyone. In his 1978 memoir, Watson declared himself responsible for all of Tate's injuries,[21] characterizing Atkins' initial confessions as exaggeration, jail house bragging, and a bid for attention, but despite this, she was overheard by Family member Barbara Hoyt cheerfully describing the Tate murders to another Family member, days after the events took place.
Tate/LaBianca trial
Manson, Krenwinkel, Van Houten and Atkins went on trial on June 15, 1970. Watson was later tried separately as he was at the time in Texas fighting extradition. Kasabian was offered, and accepted, immunity. As Kasabian had not played a direct part in any of the murders and never entered either residence,[22] and by several accounts had challenged Manson over the killings, the offer of immunity to her was less bitterly contested, particularly by the prosecutor, Vincent Bugliosi, who commented that he was relieved the offer was withdrawn from Atkins.
During the sentencing phase of the trial, Atkins testified that she stabbed Tate. She stated that she had stabbed Tate because she was "sick of listening to her, pleading and begging, begging and pleading." She also denied that Manson had any role in orchestrating the murders. Little credibility was given to Atkins' testimony in general, as it frequently contradicted known facts. Atkins claimed that, "(Manson) told us that we were going to have to get on the stand and claim we had deliberately and remorselessly, and with no direction from him at all, committed all the murders ourselves."[19]
Throughout the trial, Atkins and her co-defendants attempted to disrupt proceedings and were noted for both their lack of remorse for their victims and lack of concern for their own fate. They sang Manson-penned songs while being led to the courtroom. All four defendants were sentenced to death on March 29, 1971. Atkins was transferred to California's new women's death row in April 1971.
Hinman trial
After the Tate/LaBianca trial, Atkins was convicted for the Hinman murder. She pleaded guilty to the charges against her. She testified she had not known Hinman was to be robbed or killed, although she subsequently contradicted herself on this point in her 1977 autobiography.
Imprisonment
Atkins' death sentence was automatically commuted to life in prison the next year following the California Supreme Court's People v. Anderson decision invalidated all death sentences imposed in California prior to 1972.[23]
In 1977, Susan Atkins published her autobiography, Child of Satan, Child of God, in which she recounted the time she spent with Manson and the family, her religious conversion, and her prison experiences.[24]
From 1974 onwards, Atkins stated she was a born-again Christian after seeing a vision of Jesus Christ in her cell. She became active in prison programs, teaching classes and received two commendations for assisting in emergency health interventions with other inmates, one of which was a suicide attempt.[25]
Atkins married twice while in prison.[26] Her first marriage was to Donald Lee Laisure in 1981: Atkins became the mercurial Laisure's 35th wife, but the two divorced after he sought to marry yet again.[26] She married a second time, in 1987, to a man fifteen years her junior, James W. Whitehouse, who earned a degree from Harvard Law School[27] and represented Atkins at her 2000 and 2005 parole hearings. He maintained a website dedicated to her legal representation.[28]
During Atkins' 2000 parole hearing, Sharon Tate's sister, Debra, read a statement written by their father, Paul, which said in part, "Thirty-one years ago I sat in a courtroom with a jury and watched with others. I saw a young woman who giggled, snickered and shouted out insults; even while testifying about my daughter's last breath, she laughed. My family was ripped apart. If Susan Atkins is released to rejoin her family, where is the justice?"[29]
In April 2002, she told a reporter of her work to discourage teenagers from idolizing Manson and her hope of someday leaving prison to live in Laguna Beach, California.[30]
In 2002, Atkins filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming that she was a "political prisoner" due to the repeated denials of her parole requests regardless of her suitability.[31]
On June 1, 2005, Susan Atkins had her 17th parole hearing. This hearing was attended by various family members of the victims, such as Debra Tate and members of the Sebring family, and they requested that her parole be denied. She received a four-year denial.[25]
Illness and compassionate release request
In April 2008, it was revealed that Atkins had been hospitalized for more than a month with an undisclosed illness that was subsequently reported to be terminal brain cancer. One leg had been amputated. Atkins was given less than six months to live and subsequently requested a "compassionate release" from prison.[32] In June, Atkins' attorney, Eric P. Lampel, stated that Atkins' condition had deteriorated to the point that she was paralyzed on one side, could only talk "a little bit," and could not sit up in bed without assistance.[32]
Opinions on Atkins' release request
Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Atkins, said he was not opposed to her release given her current condition, adding that she had paid "substantially, though not completely, for her horrendous crimes. Paying completely would mean imposing the death penalty."[33] Bugliosi also stated that he supported her release in order to save the state money. The cost for Atkins' medical care since she was hospitalized on March 18, 2008, "has reportedly surpassed $1.15 million with additional cost of over $300,000 to guard her hospital room."[32] Bugliosi stated that he was challenging the notion that "just because Susan Atkins showed no mercy to her victims, we therefore are duty-bound to follow her inhumanity and show no mercy to her." Former prosecutor Stephen R. Kay, who also prosecuted Manson supporters, opposed Atkins' release, stating:
“Atkins married twice while in prison. For a long time, she got conjugal visits and Sharon Tate and the others were dead and buried long ago. So I think it's a matter of principle that she should not be granted clemency. ”
Kay also stated that he had attended about 60 parole hearings related to the murders and spent considerable time with the victims' families, witnessing their suffering.[34]
Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley stated that he was strongly opposed to the release, saying in a letter to the board it would be "an affront to people of this state, the California criminal justice system and the next of kin of many murder victims." Cooley wrote that Atkins' "horrific crimes alone warrant a denial of her request" and that she "failed to demonstrate genuine remorse and lacks insight and understanding of the gravity of her crimes."[34] Suzan Hubbard, director of adult prisons in California, also recommended against granting Atkins' request. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also opposed Atkins' release, stating that: "I don't believe in [compassionate release]. I think that they have to stay in, they have to serve their time ... [T]hose kinds of crimes are just so unbelievable that I'm not for the compassionate release."[32]
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas also opposed Atkins' release, stating that "It would be a grave miscarriage of justice to burden the citizens of Orange County by paroling her to Orange County, where she can enjoy the comforts of her husband, home and mercy she did not show Sharon Tate [or] her unborn baby."[34]
Release hearing and results
Atkins' release hearing took place on July 15, 2008. During the 90-minute hearing, emotional pleas were made by both supporters and opponents of Atkins' release. The public hearing limited speakers' comments to five minutes each. After the board heard the case (as well as other agenda items), it retired to closed session for final deliberations. Due to her failing health, Atkins herself did not attend the hearing.
Debra Tate, the only surviving immediate relative of murder victim Sharon Tate, spoke in opposition to a compassionate release for Atkins, stating, "She will be set free when judged by God. It's important that she die in incarceration."[32] Pam Turner, a niece of Sharon Tate, also opposed Atkins' release, stating, "If she were capable of comprehending what our family's been through, she would be ashamed to come before this parole board and ask such a request." Anthony DiMaria, the nephew of murder victim Thomas Jay Sebring, also opposed Atkins' release, stating, "You will hear various opinions with respect to this today, but you will hear nothing from the nine people who lie in their graves and suffered horrendous deaths at the hands of Susan Atkins."[35]
Gloria Goodwin Killian, director of ACWIP (Action Committee for Women in Prison) and a Pasadena legal researcher and prisoner advocate, spoke in support for Atkins' compassionate release, arguing, "Susan has been punished all that she can be. Short of going out to the hospital and physically torturing her, there is nothing left anyone can do to her. The people who are suffering are the people you see in this room today." In July 2008, Atkins' husband, James W. Whitehouse, told the board, "They tell me we're lucky if we have three months. It's not going to be fun. It's not going to be pretty."[35]
The 11 members of the California Board of Parole Hearings ultimately denied Atkins' request in a unanimous decision after final deliberations. The decision — posted on its Web site — meant the Atkins' request would not be forwarded to the Los Angeles Superior Court that sentenced her, which would have had the final say as to whether or not she would be released.[32] On September 24, 2008, Atkins was transferred back to the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, California to the facility's skilled nursing center.[36]
Prior to her 2009 parole hearing, a website maintained by Atkins' husband claimed that she was paralyzed over 85 percent of her body and unable to sit up or be transferred to a wheelchair.[37] For the eighteenth and final time, Atkins was denied parole on September 2, 2009.[38]
Death
Susan Atkins died on September 24, 2009, at the Central California Women's facility in Chowchilla. A prison spokesman announced to reporters that her cause of death was listed as natural causes[2] because her family did not request an autopsy. Her husband, James Whitehouse, subsequently released the following statement: "Susan passed away peacefully surrounded by friends and loved ones and the incredible staff at the Skilled Nursing Facility at the Central California Women's Facility ... Her last whispered word was 'Amen'."[39]
Media portrayals
Susan Atkins was portrayed by Nancy Wolfe in the made-for-TV film Helter Skelter (1976)[40] and 28 years later by Marguerite Moreau in the film's 2004 remake. She was also portrayed by Maureen Allisse in The Manson Family (2003) and by Anjelica Scannura in Manson, My Name Is Evil (2009). Taryn Manning will portray Atkins in the 2014 film, "Manson Girls."
Atkins is played by Ambyr Childers in the 2015 TV series Aquarius . Although the character is officially listed in the series credits as "Sadie," Atkins' Manson Family pseudonym, she is repeatedly referred to as Atkins in the series' episodes.
American rock band Alkaline Trio's song "Sadie" on their album Crimson, is about Atkins.
References
1. Broughton, Ashley (March 30, 2009). "Aging Manson 'Family' members long for freedom". CNN.com. CNN.
2. Fox, Margalit (2009-09-26). "Susan Atkins, Manson Follower, Dies at 61". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
3. Deutsch, Linda (2009-09-25). "Charles Manson follower Susan Atkins dies". Associated Press.
4. Jensen, Vickie (2011). Women Criminals: An Encyclopedia of People and Issues. ABC-CLIO. p. 293. ISBN 0313337136
5. Transcript of Atkins' 2005 parole hearing.
6. Helter Skelter, p. 473.
7. Helter Skelter, pp. 350–351.
8. "Transcript of Atkins' Grand Jury Testimony", Manson Family Today.
9. Transcript of Atkins' 1996 parole hearing.
10. Manson, in his own words, pp. 208, 212.
11. Transcript of Leslie Van Houten's 1993 parole hearing.
12. Bertice Berry Show (TV program), transcript: pp. 10–11.
13. Helter Skelter, pp. 627–628.
14. Helter Skelter, pp. 229–230.
15. Helter Skelter, p. 88.
16. Helter Skelter, pp. 118, 149.
17. Helter Skelter, pp. 214, 216, 227, 283.
18. Grand Jury Proceedings : Susan Denise Atkins, December 15, 1969, mansonfamilytoday.info.
19. Atkins' official website, myth of Helter Skelter page
20. Atkins' parole hearing transcript, 1985.
21. Watson, Charles, and Ray Hoekstra, Will You Die For Me? (1978), Revell, pp. 143, 161.
22. Hoekstra, Ray (1978). Will You Die For Me?. Cross Roads Publications, Inc. pp. Ch. 14.
23. CDCR, History of capital punishment in California.
24. Atkins, Susan (1977). Child of Satan, Child of God: Her own story. Logos International. ISBN 0882702297.
25. Margarita Perez, Presiding Commissioner; Diane Lushbough; Deputy Commissioner (2005-06-01). "In the matter of the Life Term Parole Consideration Hearing of SUSAN ATKINS, CDC Number W-08304". In Triplett, Sandra. Subsequent Parole Consideration Hearing. California Institution for Women, Corona, California: Board of Prison Terms. Missing or empty |title= (help)
26. Michael Carlson (6 October 2009). "Susan Atkins". The Independent.
27. Letter from Susan Atkins-Whitehouse see postscript
28. Transcript of Paul Tate Letter Read at 2000 Hearing Manson Family Today.
29. OC Weekly, April 25, 2002.
30. AP, June 1, 2003.
31. "Ailing Manson follower denied release from prison". CNN. July 15, 2008.
32. Becerra, Hector. "Tables turn as a brutal killer asks for mercy", Los Angeles Times. June 14, 2008.
33. Blankstein, Andrew and Hector Becerra. "Protests against Susan Atkins' release request expand." Los Angeles Times. July 15, 2008.
34. "Parole board turns down dying Manson follower" The Press Enterprise, July 15, 2008.
35. De Atley, Richard K. "Ailing Manson follower transferred to Chowchilla facility" The Press Enterprise, November 21, 2008.
36. Atkins' website
37. Netter, Sarah; Lindsay Goldwert (2009-09-02). "Dying Manson Murderer Denied Release". ABC News.
38. Nick Atkins (2009-09-25). "Susan Atkins, Charles Manson cult member, dies in jail". Daily Telegraph.
39. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074621/
Carl Laemmle (born Karl Lämmle; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a German pioneer in American film making and a founder of one of the original major Hollywood movie studios – Universal.[1] Laemmle produced or was otherwise involved in over four hundred films.
Regarded as one of the most important of the early film pioneers, Laemmle was born in Laupheim in the Kingdom of Württemberg. He emigrated to the United States in 1884, working in Chicago as a bookkeeper or office manager for 20 years. He began buying nickelodeons, eventually expanding into a film distribution service, the Laemmle Film Service.
Life and career
Laemmle was born on January 17, 1867 in Laupheim, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, to a Jewish family, the son of Rebecca and Judas Baruch Lämmle.[2] His parents were born with the same surname, and were first cousins.[2] He emigrated to the United States in 1884, settling in Chicago. He married Recha Stern there, and worked there for almost 20 years.[3][4] He and his wife had a son, Carl Laemmle, Jr.
After moving to New York, Carl Laemmle got involved in producing movies, forming Independent Moving Pictures (IMP); the city was the site of many new movie-related businesses. On April 30, 1912, in New York, Laemmle of IMP, Pat Powers of Powers Motion Picture Company, Mark Dintenfass of Champion Film Company, William Swanson of Rex Motion Picture Company, David Horsley of Nestor Film Company, and Charles Baumann and Adam Kessel of the New York Motion Picture Company, merged their studios and incorporated the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, with Laemmle assuming the role of president.[1] They founded the Company with studios in Fort Lee, New Jersey, where many early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based at the beginning of the 20th century.[5][6][7][8] In 1915, the studio moved to 235 acres (0.95 km2) of land in the San Fernando Valley, California.[9]
Universal maintained two East Coast offices: The first was located at 1600 Broadway, New York City. This building, initially known as The Studebaker building, was razed around 2004-5. The second location to house Universal's executive offices was at 730 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Many years later, 445 Park Avenue was the location of Universal's executive offices.
After moving to California, Laemmle purchased as a residence for his family the former home of film pioneer Thomas Ince on Benedict Canyon Drive, Beverly Hills. The house was razed in the early 1940s. Laemmle also maintained a large apartment for himself and his two children, Rosabelle Laemmle (later Bergerman) and Carl Jr., at 465 West End Avenue, New York City, one block off Riverside Drive near the Hudson River.
In 1916, Laemmle sponsored the $3,000 three-foot-tall solid silver Universal Trophy for the winner of the annual Universal race at the Uniontown Speedway board track in southwestern Pennsylvania. Universal filmed each race from 1916 to 1922.
In the early and mid-1930s, Laemmle's son, Carl Laemmle, Jr., produced a series of expensive and commercially unsuccessful films for the studio. His occasional successes included Back Street (1932), 1936's Show Boat (1936), and several horror movies of the 1930s that became considered classics. Carl Laemmle and his son were both forced out of the company in 1936 during the Great Depression
Legacy and honors
Laemmle remained connected to his home town of Laupheim throughout his life, providing financial support to it and also by sponsoring hundreds of Jews from Laupheim and Württemberg to emigrate from Nazi Germany to the United States in the 1930s, paying both emigration and immigration fees,[10] thus saving them from the Holocaust. To ensure and facilitate their immigration, Laemmle contacted American authorities, members of the House of Representatives and Secretary of State Cordell Hull. He also intervened to try to secure entry for the refugees on board the SS St. Louis, who were ultimately sent back from Havana to Europe in 1939, where likely many died.[11]
Following his death from cardiovascular disease on September 24, 1939, in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 72, Laemmle was entombed in the Chapel Mausoleum at Home of Peace Cemetery.
Asked how to pronounce his name, he told The Literary Digest, "The name means little lamb, and is pronounced as if it were spelled 'lem-lee'." [12]
His niece, Rebekah Isabelle Laemmle, known professionally as Carla Laemmle, appeared in several films until her retirement from acting at the end of the 1930s.
His great-grandniece, Antonia Carlotta, talks about him at length in her web series Universally Me, about the history of Universal Studios.[13]
The poet Ogden Nash observed the following about Laemmle's habit of giving his son and nephews top executive positions in his studios:
"Uncle Carl Laemmle
Has a very large faemmle."[14]
Representation in other media
Harold Robbins, a former Universal Studios employee, based the main character in the novel The Dream Merchants (1949) on Carl Laemmle.
Laemmle was featured as an historic character in the movie The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones.
David Menefee's novel, Sweet Memories (2012), features Carl Laemmle as a character.
Notes
1. Dick, Bernard F. (May 1, 1997). City of Dreams: The Making and Remaking of Universal Pictures. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813120164.
2. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=119658219
3. "The Jewish Past of Laupheim".
4. [1]
5. Rose, Liza (April 29, 2012), "100 years ago, Fort Lee was the first town to bask in movie magic", The Star-Ledger
6. Koszarski, Richard (2004), Fort Lee: The Film Town, Rome, Italy: John Libbey Publishing -CIC srl, ISBN 0-86196-653-8
7. "Studios and Films". Fort Lee Film Commission.
8. Fort Lee Film Commission (2006), Fort Lee Birthplace of the Motion Picture Industry, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 0-7385-4501-5
9. “Making moving pictures” The National Magazine, 42:409-417. Boston: Chapple Publishing, 1915
10. Geiger, Patricia (4 November 2012), "Laemmles Bürgschaften retteten vielen das Leben", Schwäbische Zeitung (in German)
11. "Jüdische Zeitung".
12. Charles Earle Funk, What's the Name, Please?, Funk and Wagnalls, 1936.
13. Hilb, Rosemary. "The New Generation". The Official Laemmle Family Website.
14. "Carl Laemmle". Jewish Currents.
Further reading
Bayer, Udo (2013). Carl Laemmle und die Universal. Eine transatlantische Biographe (in German). Würzburg: Königshausen and Neumann. ISBN 978-3-8260-5120-3.
Bayer, Udo (2015). Carl Laemmle. Von Laupheim nach Hollywood: Die Biographie des Universal-Gründers in Bildern und Dokumenten (in German). Berlin: Hentrich und Hentrich Verlag. ISBN 978-3-9556-5083-4.
Gabler, Neal (1988). An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood. New York: Crown. ISBN 0-385-26557-3.
Stanca-Mustea, Cristina (2013). Carl Laemmle - Der Mann der Hollywood erfand: Biographie (in German). Hamburg: Osburg Verlag. ISBN 978-3-9551-0005-6.
Mary Frann (February 27, 1943 – September 23, 1998) was an American stage, film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Bob Newhart's wife, Joanna Loudon, on the CBS sitcom Newhart, which aired from 1982 to 1990.
NEWHART
Early years
Born Mary Frances Luecke in St. Louis, Missouri, Frann was a child model and appeared in commercials for a local television station while she attended Nerinx Hall High School. At the age of 18, she was voted Missouri's "Junior Miss." She went on to win the 1961 national title of America's Junior Miss and earned a college scholarship to study drama at Northwestern University.[1] As America's Junior Miss, she starred in a Jam Handy educational film (Prom: It's a Pleasure) extolling the etiquette and fun of the high school prom.[2] While attending Northwestern, Frann worked as a weather reporter for the NBC station in St. Louis.[3][4] After a year, she dropped out of Northwestern and moved to Chicago where she co-hosted a morning show on an ABC affiliate. While working as a host, Frann worked in local theatre productions and began working in television and films.[5] In 1964, Frann made her television debut in an episode of the Kraft Suspense Theatre. That same year, she appeared in the television movie Nightmare in Chicago, starring Carroll O'Connor. In 1966, Frann made her film debut in the low budget musical drama Nashville Rebel, starring Waylon Jennings.[6]
THE WILD WILD WEST
Career
After receiving an offer to host another morning show, Frann realized she wanted to pursue a career as an actress rather than a broadcaster. In 1968, she moved to Los Angeles where she stayed with her best friend, actress Joan Van Ark. Shortly after her arrival, Frann won a role on the NBC crime drama series My Friend Tony.[5] After winning the role, Frann's agent told her that he felt she should change her name to something more appealing. Frann adopted to stage name of "Jennifer Douglas", a name she picked from the phone book. After My Friend Tony was canceled after one season, Frann returned to using the name "Mary Frann" (which she had gone by since high school) as her professional name.[1]
THE ROCKFORD FILES
For the next five years, Frann continued to work in television and also worked in theatre in Los Angeles and New York. In 1974, she landed the role of Amanda Howard on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives. She would remain on the show until 1979.[7] While on the series, Frann also made guest appearances on Quincy, M.E., The Rockford Files, Fantasy Island, and WKRP in Cincinnati. In 1978, Frann was nearly cast as Sue Ellen Ewing on the CBS prime-time drama Dallas. Producers later decided to cast actress Linda Gray.[8] In 1982, she starred in the short-lived series King's Crossing with Linda Hamilton. That series was canceled after one season due to low ratings.[9] Later that year, she landed her most memorable role as Joanna Loudon, the wife of Vermont inn owner Dick Loudon (Bob Newhart), in the sitcom Newhart.[10] The series, which aired from October 1982, to September 1990, was a hit with audiences and was nominated for 25 Emmys and five Golden Globes. Shortly after filming the series finale, Frann was cast as "Clementine Duke" in the miniseries Lucky/Chances.[11] The series was based on two of Jackie Collins' novels, Lucky and Chances. The role was a dramatic departure from Frann's work on Newhart and surprised audiences. She later told the Los Angeles Times, "I thought it would be outrageous, flamboyant, glamorous. I wanted to remind people that I was capable of playing many different roles."[12]
DANCE 'TIL DAWN
During the run of Newhart, Frann continued acting in various projects. In 1985, she co-starred in the TV movie Gidget's Summer Reunion,[13] and in 1988, she appeared in Dance 'til Dawn with Alyssa Milano, Christina Applegate, and Kelsey Grammer.[14] Frann also co-hosted the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants of 1986 and 1987,[15][16][17][18] and acted as hostess for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Parade.[12]
Her last acting role came in the series Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction. Due to the sporadic airing of the series, the episode she was in, "The Curse of Hampton Manor," aired two years after her death.[19]
Personal life
Frann was married once and had no children. In 1973, she married T.J. Escott. They separated in 1982 and were divorced the following year.[7] At the time of her death, she was in a long term relationship with Jonathan Cookson.[12]
Charity work
Frann was active as a volunteer fund raiser and was involved with charitable works. She was a member of the Celebrity Action Council, a volunteer group of celebrity women who served the women’s outreach of the Los Angeles Mission, for seven years. The night before her death, she had attended a meeting at the Mission.[12]
Death
On September 23, 1998, Frann died in her sleep at her home in Beverly Hills, California.[20] Her body was discovered by her publicist and her longtime partner Jonathan Cookman Jr.[12] An autopsy later determined that she died of a heart attack and also suffered from an undiagnosed scarring of the heart muscle tissue.[21] Her remains are interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.[22]
References
1. Reinhold, Toni (January 4, 1987). "Mary Frann has character's spirit". Herald-Journal (Logan, Utah). p. 63.
2. "Prom: It's a Pleasure". Jam Handy.
3. Carter, Bill (1998-09-25). "Mary Frann, 55, Bemused Wife on 'Newhart'". The New York Times.
4. "Mary Frann, played Bob Newhart's wife on TV series". southcoasttoday.com.
5. Guttman, Monika (March 23, 1986). "Joking Around Way of Life on Set of 'Newhart'". The Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas). p. 8.
6. Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2003). Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris;Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, ed. All Music Guide to Country: The Definitive Guide to Country Music. Backbeat Books. p. 897. ISBN 0-879-30760-9.
7. Norbom, Mary Ann (July 20, 1986). "Proving The Allure Of An 'Older Woman'". philly.com.
8. Gold, Aaron (May 8, 1981). "Jane Wyman lands new TV series role". Boca Raton News (Boca Raton, Florida). p. 20.
9. Heldenfels, R.D. (October 9, 1982). "'Newhart' Actress Mary Frann Knows 'Inns' and Outs of Role". Schenectady Gazette (Schenectady, New York). p. 5.
10. Haviland, Joe (June 17, 1984). "Mary Frann Falls In Love With 'Newhart'". Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, South Carolina). p. 36.
11. "Vamp role up next". The Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas). May 23, 1990. p. 9D.
12. Oliver, Myrna (September 24, 1998). "Mary Frann; Veteran Actress Played Wife on 'Newhart'". latimes.com.
13. Anderson, Nancy (June 8, 1985). "'Gidget' returns to the tube". The Evening News (Newburgh, New York). p. 5E.
14. Burlingame, Jon (October 21, 1988). "'Mission: Impossible' Is Back!". Ocala Star-Banner (Ocala, Florida). p. 8B.
15. "Texas Wins Miss USA Title". Lakeland Ledger (Lakeland, Florida). May 21, 1986. p. 8A.
16. "Miss Texas wins...". Lodi News-Sentinel (Lodi, California). February 18, 1987. p. 12.
17. Zuckerman, Faye B. (July 21, 1986). "Miss Universe crowned tonight". Spokane Chronicle (Spokane, Washington). p. B5.
18. Major Holmes, Sue (February 18, 1987). "Barker wins; furs cut from pageant". The Times-News (Hendersonville, North Carolina). p. 14.
19. IMDb, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction:"The Curse of Hampton Manor" airdate
20. Errico, Marcus (1998-09-24). ""Newhart" Wife Mary Frann Dies". E! Online.
21. "Coroner: 'Newhart's Mary Frann died of heart attack". cnn.com. November 5, 1998.
22. Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland and Company
Mervyn LeRoy (October 15, 1900 – September 13, 1987) was an American film director, film producer and occasional actor.
Early life
LeRoy was born in San Francisco, to Jewish parents[1] Edna (née Armer) and Harry LeRoy.[2][3] His family was financially ruined by the 1906 earthquake. (His paternal grandfather owned a successful San Francisco department store that was destroyed in the quake; the store was heavily insured, but the insurance company went bankrupt in the aftermath of the earthquake.) To make money, young Mervyn sold newspapers and entered talent shows as a singer. Through this he worked his way into vaudeville. When his act broke up, he and his cousin, Jesse Lasky, went to Hollywood.
Career
LeRoy worked in costumes, processing labs and as a camera assistant until he became a gag writer and actor in silent films, including The Ten Commandments in 1923. LeRoy credits Ten Commandments director, Cecil B. DeMille, for inspiring him to become a director: "As the top director of the era, DeMille had been the magnet that had drawn me to his set as often as I could go."[4] Leroy also credits DeMille for teaching him the directing techniques required to make his own films.[4]
His first directing job was in 1927's No Place to Go. When his movies made lots of money without costing too much, he became well received in the movie business. In 1931 he directed two key films which launched Edward G. Robinson into major stardom, the Oscar-nominated critique of tabloid journalism Five Star Final, and the classic gangster epic Little Caesar. From that point forward, LeRoy would be responsible for a diverse variety of films as a director and producer. In 1938 he was chosen as head of production at MGM, where he was responsible for the decision to make The Wizard of Oz. He was responsible for discovering Clark Gable, Loretta Young, Robert Mitchum and Lana Turner.
In the 1950s LeRoy directed such musicals as Lovely to Look At, Million Dollar Mermaid, Latin Lovers and Rose Marie. He moved to Warner Brothers, where he was responsible for such famous films as Mister Roberts, The Bad Seed, No Time for Sergeants, The FBI Story and Gypsy.
He was nominated in 1943 for Best Director for Random Harvest, and also in 1940 as the producer of The Wizard of Oz. In addition, he received an honorary Oscar in 1946 for The House I Live In, "for tolerance short subject," and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1976.
A total of eight movies Mervyn LeRoy directed or co-directed were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, one of the highest numbers among all directors.
Personal life
LeRoy married three times and had many relationships with Hollywood actresses. He was first married to Elizabeth Edna Murphy in 1927, which ended in divorce in 1933. During their separation, LeRoy dated Ginger Rogers, but they ended the relationship and stayed lifelong friends. In 1934, he married Doris Warner, the daughter of Warner Bros. founder, Harry Warner. The couple had one son, Warner LeRoy and one daughter (Linda LeRoy Janklow). The marriage ended in divorce in 1942. In 1946, he married Katherine Spiegel, who was his wife until his death.
Later life
LeRoy retired in 1965 and wrote his autobiography, Take One, in 1974. He died[5] from Alzheimer's disease in Beverly Hills, California at age 86. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.[6] He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street.
A fan of thoroughbred horse racing, Mervyn LeRoy was a founding investor in Hollywood Park Racetrack and a member of the track's board of directors from 1941 until his death in 1986.[7] In partnership with father-in-law, Harry Warner, he operated a racing stable, W-L Ranch Co., during the 1940s/50s.
His son, Warner LeRoy, became a well-known restaurateur.
References
1. Mervyn LeRoy – Biography, Bruce Eder, Allmovie
2. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/14/obituaries/mervyn-leroy-86-dies-director-and-producer.html?pagewanted=2
. "Whither Quo Vadis?: Sienkiewicz's Novel in Film and Television" By Ruth Scodel and Anja Bettenworth p. 215
4. Tibbetts, John C. ed. American Classic Screen Profiles, Scarecrow Press (2010) p. 175
5. "Producer Mervyn LeRoy dies".
6. Mervyn LeRoy at Find a Grave
7. Hollywood Park History
Leo Z. Penn (August 27, 1921 – September 5, 1998) was an American actor and director and the father of musician Michael Penn and actors Sean Penn and Chris Penn.
Early life
Penn was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants Elizabeth (née Melincoff) and Maurice Daniel Penn. Leo Penn may have had distant Sephardic ancestry, as his father's surname was originally "Piñon."[1]
Penn served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II as a B-24 Liberator bombardier with the 755th Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group, stationed in England as part of the Eighth Air Force.[2]
Politics
Penn supported the Hollywood trade unions[3] and refused to accuse others to the House Un-American Activities Committee. He was blacklisted, and Paramount refused to renew his contract. As a result Penn was not able to work as a movie actor.[4] He found acting work in television, but CBS ousted him after receiving an anonymous accusation that he had addressed a political meeting.[5] Barred from acting in film or TV, he became a director.[6]
Career
A life member of The Actors Studio,[7] Penn won the Theatre World Award in 1954 for his performance in the play The Girl on the Via Flaminia. He acted in numerous roles in the early years of television. In 1956, he was cast as Mr. Rico in the episode "Ringside Padre" of the religion anthology series, Crossroads. In 1957, he appeared in the episode "One If by Sea" of the military drama series, Navy Log. He was also cast in an episode of Beverly Garland's 1957-1958 groundbreaking crime drama, Decoy. In 1960, he played Cabbage in "The Poker Fiend" on Richard Boone's CBS western series, Have Gun - Will Travel. In 1961, he was cast as Tiko in the episode "The World Is Her Oyster" of the ABC adventure series, The Islanders, set in the South Pacific, and appeared in an episode of the ABC crime drama The Asphalt Jungle. He also appeared in another ABC adventure series, Straightaway, which focuses on automobile racing.
Penn landed work as a director for many television series, including Star Trek, I Spy, Blue Light, Starsky and Hutch, Custer, the 1976 western Sara, St. Elsewhere, Kojak, Cagney and Lacey, Columbo, Trapper John, M.D. and Father Murphy. Penn later resumed some acting roles. On March 3, 1961, he co-starred with Peter Falk and Joyce Van Patten in the episode "Cold Turkey" of the ABC legal drama series, The Law and Mr. Jones starring James Whitmore. About this time, he also appeared on Pat O'Brien's ABC sitcom, Harrigan and Son. He directed also for the original hit TV series Hawaii 5-0. In the 1961-1962 television season Penn acted in the CBS crime drama, Checkmate in the episode The Button-Down Break and starred as Jerry Green in Gertrude Berg's CBS's sitcom Mrs. G. Goes to College renamed at mid-season as The Gertrude Berg Show. In 1983, Penn was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for The Mississippi.
Personal life
His first marriage, to Olive Deering, was dissolved in 1952. He was married in 1958 to actress Eileen Ryan, and became the father of three boys, singer Michael Penn (b.1958), and actors Sean Penn (b.1960) and Chris Penn (1965-2006). He died of lung cancer in Santa Monica, California, on September 5, 1998 at the age of 77, and was interred at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
References
1. Kelly, Richard T. (2004), Sean Penn: His Life and Times, New York: Canongate Books, pp. 9–10, ISBN 1-84195-623-6
2. "Famous B-24/PB4Y Crew Members". B-24 Best Web. 2011.
3. New York Times obituary of Leo Penn
4. Hilden, Julie at FindLaw.com In Defense of Sean Penn's Speaking Out dated Tuesday, January 18, 2005
5. [ reminiscence by Leo Penn] quoted on p.26 of Kelly, Richard T. (2004), Sean Penn: His Life and Times, New York: Canongate Books, p. 26, ISBN 1-84195-623-6
6. Elia Kazan—Genius or Informant?
7. Garfield, David (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 279. ISBN 0-02-542650-8.
