William Fox kept his Movie Studio on the East Coast in New York City, instead of moving like many others to Los Angeles. A Fool There Was featured Bara in the role of woman who used charms to seduce and corrupt a moral Wall Street lawyer. The film was based on Rudyard Kipling’s poem The Vampire. Her screen credit was listed as the Vampire, although not a blood sucking one. From this came the word Vamp. The success of this film allowed Fox to create Fox Film Corporation.

She became a star as much through publicity as for her starring roles. Fox’s team had her develop a mysterious accent, for personal appearances since her film were silent, and dressed her in makeup, veils, copious jewelry and furs as the Vamp. In many ways she was the first Goth girl.

Her movies were just as mysterious and sexy as her off screen persona. Her costumes were scant and showed a great deal of skin in a time when women were always fully covered. She was the screen’s first sex symbol. Many consider her finest role being Cleopatra in 1917. The film was one of her biggest hits.

In 1919 her five year contact with Fox ended and was not renewed. Nearly all of her films were made during this five year period. After leaving Fox she would do The Unchastened Woman in 1956 and Madame Mystery in 1926, her last film. She married film director Charles Brabin in 1921.

She was born Theodosia Burr Goodman on July 29, 1885 and died on April 7, 1955 of abdominal cancer at the age of 69.

From 1902 to 1908 he toured in stock companies, and on vaudeville and burlesque circuits. He was in San Francisco during the great Earthquake in 1906 and was forced to clear debris. In 1908 he appeared as an extra for Selig’s Polyscope Company.

Between 1909 and 1921 Arbuckle made more than 150 silent films defining the art of slapstick at Keystone Studios, where he excelled as a performer, writer and director. Even though he had a bulky, 250-pound frame (the reason for the nickname, Fatty, one that he hated) he was an able acrobat and played the hero who saved the day by pie-throwing, back-flipping and outwitting his opponent. In “A Noise from the Deep,” Arbuckle became the first film comedian to be hit with a pie on film. He also had the ability to throw two of them at the same time in different directions.

While on vacation in September 1921 he hosted a party at his room. Virginia Rappe, who attended the party, died of an inflammation of the lining of the pelvis. Arbuckle was accused of raping Rappe, which allegedly caused her injuries. After two trials resulted in hung juries the third ended in an acquittal.

Even though he was acquitted of any crimes and having support from Hollywood friends, the motion picture industry, partly through public opinion, wasn’t. He was able to work behind the scenes, under the name William B. Goodrich as a director and gag writer. He also performed on the vaudeville stage under his own name, but his film career seemed to be at an end.

In 1932, Warner Brothers gave Arbuckle a chance to star in a comedy short called “Hey, Pop.” The public loved “Hey, Pop,” and its success led to five more talkie shorts. On June 30, 1933, hours after completing his sixth Warner’s short and signing to make a feature-length film, Arbuckle died of a heart attack. He was only 46.

It must have been for her beauty that Andress was given the role of Honey Ryder in the movie, since her voice was dubbed by two others. Nikki van der Zyl gave the character her speaking voice, while Diana Coupland was her singing voice.

Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, mentioned her by name in a later novel “On Her Majesty Secret Service”, where he described her as a “beautiful movie star.” She was one of only two performers to appear in a James Bond Film and mentioned in one of Ian Fleming’s books. The other was David Niven, who appeared as an older James Bond in the 1967 Bond parody “Casino Royale”. Andress also appeared in the film as Vesper Lynd.

In 1957 she became the second wife of John Derek. It was during their marriage that she portrayed Honey Ryder. Also while they were married she posed nude in Playboy Magazine. Those photos were taken by Derek.

Even though she will always be considered the first Bond Girl she was not the first to appear. That honor goes to Eunice Gayson who portrayed Sylvia Trench, who Bond meets at the beginning of the film at a Baccarat Table. Gayson’s Trench would also appear at the beginning of the second Bond film, “From Russia with Love”.

The classic moment of Ryder emerging from the sea would be redone in “Die Another Day” by Halle Berry who wore an Orange Bikini.

Horton was born in 1886 and died 84 years later on September 29, 1970. He had a long entertainment career beginning on the Vaudeville stage in 1906 then on Broadway, motion pictures, radio and television.

Even though he is perhaps best remembered for his narration of Fracture Fairy Tales, he is also considered a master of the supporting role, appearing in many films of the 1930′s. His film career began in silent pictures with his last role in the film Cold Turkey, released after his death. He also appeared as Medicine Man Roaring Chicken in the 60′s TV series F-Troop.

Horton developed his own variation of the double-take for his supporting roles. He would smile and nod in agreement when encountering a possible embarrassing situation and once he realized what was happening his face turned into a sober, trouble mask.

Edward Everett Hale, author of The Man Without a Country was Horton’s grandfather and he was named after him. Horton used his full name as his stage name through the encouragement of his father, who said there may be others using the name Edward Horton, but no one else else would be using Edward Everett Horton.

After his death the city of Los Angeles named a street in the district where he lived Edward Everett Horton Lane in his honor.

Born March 12, 1917, in Baltimore, Kaufman spent two years as a merchant seaman after high school. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Johns Hopkins University in 1939. After graduation he moved to New York City and worked as a newspaperman.

In 1942 he enlisted in the marines and served on Guadalcanal, landed at Guam with the 1st Marine Brigade (Provisional) then participated in Okinawa with the 6th Marine Division. While serving in the Pacific, Kaufman was stricken with malaria and dengue fever. He returned to New York only to discover he couldn’t tolerate the climate changes. He and his wife moved to Los Angeles.

In 1949, Kaufman wrote the screenplay for the short film Ragtime Bear, the first appearance of Mr. Magoo. He followed this up in 1950 with another Mr. Magoo film, Punchy de Leon. Quincy Magoo is a wealthy, short-statured retiree who gets into a series of sticky situations as a result of his nearsightedness.

Kaufman shared an agent with Dalton Trumbo. Trumbo, also a screenwriter, was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Trumbo co-wrote the screenplay for Gun Crazy, but it was Millard Kaufman’s name that was on the credits.

A writer for most of his life it wasn’t until he was 90 that Kaufman published his first novel. Bowl of Cherries was released in October 2007. A second novel, Misadventure, came out in 2011.

Note: Mr. Magoo Theatrical Collection is scheduled for release in June 2012, while the Television collection is now available.

They first began to work together in 1935 at the Eltinge burlesque theater on 42nd Street in New York. Abbott had been working in burlesque for years, usually as the straight man. Costello had tried to become a film actor, but after his failure there, began work on burlesque circuit. In 1936 they formally made the partnership. Their act was built by refining sketches from vaudeville and burlesque with Abbott as the devious straight man and Costello as his stumbling, comprehension-challenged partner.

In the late 1930’s they worked on radio as regulars for 2 years on the Kate Smith Hour. It was there that Costello began using a high-pitched childish voice since it had been difficult for those listening to tell them apart.

In 1940 they appeared in their first movie, One Night in the Tropics, in a supporting capacity. They were the hit of the film and Universal signed them to a long-term contract. The duo made over 30 films between 1940 and 1956 and in many ways saved Universal Studios. Between 1942 and 1952 they were a top 10 box office attraction. Also in the 1940’s they appeared on their own radio program. The Abbott and Costello Show mixed comedy with musical interludes.

In 1951 they moved into television, first as frequent hosts of The Colgate Comedy Hour, a live hour of vaudeville. This gave new sparkle to their old routines. Then in 1952 they began a film a half hour comedy casting the duo as unemployed wastrels, similar to their radio program.

By the mid 50’s their popularity was waning, due in part to them glutting the market with the same routines. Universal dropped them in 1955 and after making one last independent film (Dance with me Henry) Abbott retired. In 1956 they were charged by the IRS for back taxes, which forced them to sell most of their assets.