Patty Duke was born Anna Marie Duke on December 14, 1946 in Elmhurst, Queens County, New York, to Frances Margaret (McMahon), a cashier, and John Patrick Duke, a cab driver and handyman. She was seven eighths Irish and one eighth German. Her acting career began when she was introduced to her brother Ray Duke's managers, John and Ethel Ross. Soon after, Anna Marie became Patty, the actress. Patty started off in commercials, a few movies and some bit parts. Her first big, memorable role came when she was chosen to portray the blind and deaf Helen Keller in the Broadway version of "The Miracle Worker". The play lasted almost two years, from October 19, 1959 to July 1, 1961 (Duke left in May 1961).

In 1962, The Miracle Worker (1962) became a movie and Patty won an Academy Award for best supporting actress. She was 16 years old, making her the youngest person ever to win an Oscar. She then starred in her own sitcom titled The Patty Duke Show (1963). It lasted for three seasons, and Patty was nominated for an Emmy. In 1965, she starred in the movie Billie (1965). It was a success and was the first movie ever sold to a television network. That same year, she married director Harry Falk. Their marriage lasted four years. She starred in Valley of the Dolls (1967), which was a financial but not a critical success. In 1969, she secured a part in an independent film called Me, Natalie (1969). The film was a box-office flop, but she won her second Golden Globe Award for her performance in it. In the early 1970s, she became a mother to actors Sean Astin (with writer Michael Yell) and Mackenzie Astin (with actor John Astin).

In 1976, she won her second Emmy Award for the highly successful mini-series, Captains and the Kings (1976). Other successful TV films followed. She received two Emmy nominations in 1978 for A Family Upside Down (1978) and Having Babies III (1978). She won her third Emmy in the 1979 TV movie version of The Miracle Worker (1979), this time portraying "Annie Sullivan".

In 1982, she was diagnosed with manic-depressive illness. In 1984, she became President of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). In 1986, she married Michael Pearce, a drill sergeant whom she met while preparing for a role in the TV movie, A Time to Triumph (1986). In 1987, she wrote her autobiography, "Call Me Anna". In 1989, she and Mike adopted a baby, whom they named "Kevin". Her autobiography became a TV movie in 1990, with Patty playing herself, from her 30s onward. In 1992, she wrote her second book, "A Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic Depression Illness".

Duke had a long and successful career. She was a political advocate on, among other issues, the Equal Rights Amendment, AIDS awareness, and nuclear disarmament. She died on March 29, 2016, aged 69, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, of sepsis from a ruptured intestine.

Lovely and ethereal in looks, and quite unassuming in nature, 1930s actress Evelyn Venable was born in 1913 in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she grew up and received her schooling. Both her father, Emerson Venable, and grandfather were writers/teachers. In her high school drama department, Evelyn played the top leads in their productions of "Romeo and Juliet" (Juliet) and "As You Like It" (Rosalind). Critics were so bowled over by her performances that she was cast in a professional production of "Dear Brutus" in the nearby area. Following graduation, she earned a four-year non-acting scholarship to Vassar but left after the first year to study at the University of Cincinnati. After college the acting bug returned. Encouraged by classical actor/director Walter Hampden, who was a family friend, he invited her to join his touring company where she eventually performed Ophelia to his Hamlet and Roxanne to his Cyrano. Film scouts at Paramount caught these productions and invited her to Hollywood.

Evelyn made her film debut with Cradle Song (1933) and proceeded to take on sensitive, soft-spoken leads or second leads in a number of "A" class fare including Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1934) with Pauline Lord; the classic fantasy Death Takes a Holiday (1934) starring Fredric March, which is deemed her best role; David Harum (1934) and The County Chairman (1935), both Will Rogers' vehicles; and Alice Adams (1935) starring Katharine Hepburn in the title role. In each of these Evelyn looked simply luminous and proved most able, but perhaps her modest, rather delicate nature didn't carry off enough weight to make her a star. In any event, she was thereafter relegated to working at "poverty-row" studios. She started appearing in movies with titles that indicated a downhill slide was imminent -- Vagabond Lady (1935), Streamline Express (1935), North of Nome (1936), Racketeers in Exile (1937), The Headleys at Home (1938) and Hollywood Stadium Mystery (1938). One bright spot would be her sooth voicing of the "Blue Fairy" in the Disney animated classic Pinocchio (1940).

By this time, Evelyn had married Hal Mohr, the Oscar-winning cinematographer she had met on the set of one of Will Rogers' films, and bore him two daughters, Dolores and Rosalia. Interest waned for the actress, who decided that family came first and completely retired after appearing opposite Stuart Erwin Jr. in the light comedy He Hired the Boss (1943). Evelyn gamely returned to college (UCLA) where she studied Greek and Latin and attained a Master's degree. Invited to join the UCLA staff as a drama instructor, she stayed there contentedly for decades. She and Mohr lived in Brentwood, California in later years and enjoyed a 40-year marriage that lasted until his death in 1974. Evelyn died in Idaho of cancer in 1993.

Jack Bannon was born on 14 June 1940 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Little Big Man (1970), L.A. Heat (1996) and Hard Vice (1994). He was married to Ellen Travolta and Kathleen Larkin. He died on 25 October 2017 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA.

Mary Currier was born on 9 August 1904 in Racine, Wisconsin, USA. She was an actress, known for The Valley of Decision (1945), Everything's on Ice (1939) and Voodoo Man (1944). She was married to Edward Hanes Currier. She died on 25 March 1997 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA.

Charles E. Sellier Jr. founder and president of Grizzly Adams Productions, Inc., was an acclaimed producer, writer and director in the independent film industry. Sellier skillfully pioneered market testing and "four-walling"--renting a theater to show his films, thereby enabling him to keep all the profits for himself--garnered him the distinction of having more pictures in the Top 50 independent grossers than any other independent producer in the 1970s. Sellier's techniques enabled him to achieve a commanding 52% success rate in the domestic theatrical market, during a time when the major studios only averaged one in seven. Joel Kotkin wrote in the Washington Post, "Today, Charles Sellier is the first of a series of new family filmmakers that is hitting Hollywood right where it hurts--the box office". The Wall Street Journal claimed Sellier "cleans up by marketing films like selling soap--the Utah moviemaker pre-tests his product and hasn't failed yet." When Variety listed its "Champs Among Bantamweights" in July of 1981, Sellier's name appeared on the list more than that of any producer. Included in its top 50 films were nine Sellier productions: In Search of Noah's Ark (1976), Beyond and Back (1978), The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1974), Chariots of the Gods (1970), The Mysterious Monsters (1975), In Search of Historic Jesus (1979), The Bermuda Triangle (1978), Hangar 18 (1980) and The Adventures of Frontier Fremont (1975). A tenth Sellier success soon appeared on that list: The Boogens (1981). After a lengthy meeting between Orson Welles and Sellier, Mr. Welles commented, "Young man, you are light-years ahead of the rest of the industry."

Not content simply with unprecedented success in theatrical features, Sellier began using similar audience preference studies in the area of television programming. In 1976 he created the The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1977) television concept, and in January 1977 the series began airing on the NBC. "Grizzly Adams" became an instant success, beating out the highly popular The Bionic Woman (1976) in six short weeks. As a result, "Grizzly Adams" entertained television audiences throughout the rest of the 1970s, and earned Sellier the reputation of being a major contributor to prime time television. Paul Klein, NBC's volatile programming chief at that time, lauded Sellier as a "brilliant and amazing innovator."

In 1980 Sellier was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the television film The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980). In 1986 Universal Studios put Sellier under contract as supervising producer for a series of movies-of-the-week that garnered high ratings, including the hugely popular six two-hour "Desperado" specials, which received a National Cowboy Hall of Fame award in 1989. In the early 1990s Sellier went on to create and produce two specials for CBS--Ancient Secrets of the Bible (1992) and the pilot "Miracles and Other Wonders". Both performed well in the ratings and the network responded with a multimillion-dollar contract for an additional 10 hours of primetime shows.

Starting in 2001, Sellier began writing and producing investigative documentaries for television and DVD for both the secular and Christian markets. In 2008 he wrote and produced what was to be his final film, the wilderness feature _Friends for Life (2006)_ (qv(, which has received over 30 independent film awards.

Along with his extensive film record, Charles E. Sellier Jr. authored many best-selling books including "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams", "Hangar 18", "In Search of Noah's Ark" (four weeks on the New York Post list), "The Lincoln Conspiracy" (22 weeks on the New York Times list), "The Conspiracy to Kill the President" and "Miracles and Other Wonders", to name just a few.

Charles E. Sellier was passionate about his profession as a filmmaker, served as an innovative industry leader and was a mentor and role model for those who had the pleasure of working with him over a career that spanned more than four decades. Mr. Sellier died on January 31, 2011 - survived by his wife, Julie Magnuson and his son, William Sellier. Chuck is missed by many, but his legacy lives on through the characters he brought to life, the careers he launched, and the stories he penned.

Poppy Wilde was born on 5 December 1914 in Oakland, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Gold Diggers in Paris (1938). She died on 1 August 2000 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA.

Dick Rutan was born on 1 July 1938 in Loma Linda, California, USA. He is known for The Magic of Flight (1996), Flying the Feathered Edge: The Bob Hoover Project (2014) and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962). He was married to Kristin Cremer and Geraldine. He died on 3 May 2024 in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, USA.

Jack Hayes was born on 8 February 1919 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was a composer, known for The Color Purple (1985), Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). He was married to Juanita Daniel Hayes. He died on 24 August 2011 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA.

Carl Benscheidt was born on 15 August 1944 in Long Beach, California, USA. He is known for The Young and the Restless (1973) and Tattletales (1974). He died on 29 September 2018 in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, USA.

Julius Rascheff was born on 1 July 1936 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He was a cinematographer and producer, known for Lydia (1964), The Lift (1965) and The Olive Trees of Justice (1962). He was married to Lora Jean Lenoir. He died on 12 August 2017 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA.

Jackie Taylor was born on 5 September 1937 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Son of Robin Hood (1958). He was married to Jill Marie and Doris. He died on 28 January 2007 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA.

Joe Tofflemire was born on 7 July 1965 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He died on 27 September 2011 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA.

Tinker Reese died on 2 May 2015 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA.

Jody Black was born on 2 November 1924 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She was an actress. She died on 15 May 2016 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA.

Rear Adm. Edward L. Feightner, a Navy air ace of World War II who shot down nine Japanese planes while flying propeller-driven fighters, then played a prominent role in the testing and development of postwar Navy jets. He became the head of the Navy's fighter design program and was twice awarded the Legion of Merit for his testing and administrative activities. He received four Distinguished Flying Crosses for his combat exploits.

In the early 1950s, Admiral Feightner was a member of the Navy's Blue Angels, whose close-formation flying and acrobatics thrilled crowds at air shows.