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A former song-and-dance man and veteran of vaudeville, burlesque and Broadway, Jack Albertson is best known to audiences as "The Man" in the TV series Chico and the Man (1974), for which he won an Emmy. In 1968 Albertson, the brother of actress Mabel Albertson, won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in The Subject Was Roses (1968), a part which also won him the Tony award during its Broadway run.

Born Malden, Massachusetts on July 9, 1927 (real name Urick), Ed, Vic Ames, Gene Ames and Joe Ames were sons of Ukrainian Jewish parents and four of nine children. They were very poor but Ed attended Boston Public Latin School along with brother Joe. The singing group, The Ames Brothers, was formed in 1947 in Boston and later appeared at the "Roxy Theatre" in New York City. During their early years, they won many amateur contests and made their professional debut at the "Foxes and Hounds", a posh Boston nightclub. They went on to play at the "Chez Paree" in Chicago and "Ciro's" in Hollywood. "The Riviera", just across New York City west of the George Washington bridge, was another nightclub where they appeared regularly. Ed is still best known to audiences for his television role as "Mingo" on the Daniel Boone (1964) series on NBC. Ed also appeared on Broadway in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The Crucible". He also appeared in the off-Broadway production of "The Fantasticks" at the Sullivan Street Theatre in Greenwich Village which ran until 2002.

She was born Edna May Nutter, a child of solid New England stock, on 9th November 1883 in Malden, Massachusetts. The daughter of Ida May and Charles Edward Nutter, Edna was a descendant of the 2nd American president John Adams and his son, the 6th American president John Quincy Adams. In addition, her father's stepfather, Samuel Oliver, had a mother named Julia Adams who was descended from another John Adams (born 1724). Miss Oliver took an early interest in the stage, and she would quit school at the age of 14 to pursue her ambitions in the theater. Despite abandoning traditional schooling, Edna continued to study the performing arts, including speech and piano. One of her first jobs was as pianist with an all female orchestra which toured America around the turn of the century. By 1917 she had achieved success on Broadway in the hit play "Oh, Boy". By 1923 she had appeared in her first film. Edna May Oliver seems to have been born to play the classics of American and British literature. Some of her most memorable film roles were in adaptations of works of Charles Dickens. Although some have described her as plain or "horse faced", Edna May Oliver's comedic talents lent a beautiful droll warmth to her characters. She was usually called upon to play less glamorous roles such as a spinsters, but she played them with such soul, wit, and depth that to this day she remains one of the best loved of Hollywood's character actresses. A fine example of her comedic talent can be found in Laugh and Get Rich (1931). Here we find her playing a role almost autobiographical in nature, that of a proud woman with Boston roots who has married "down". As the plot unwinds, she is invited to a society gala despite her modest circumstances. At the gala she becomes tipsy. With a frolicsome air Edna May seems to use the role to gently mock her real self. Her slightly drunk character seizes upon a bit of flattery, and alluding to her old New England family, proudly proclaims to each who will listen, "I am a Cranston. That explains everything!". In real life, Edna May Oliver was a Nutter, and perhaps that explains everything. Edna May Oliver married stock broker David Pratt in 1928, but the marriage ended in divorce five years later. In 1939 she received an Oscar nomination for her supporting role as Widow McKlennar in the picture Drums Along the Mohawk (1939). That was to be one of her last films. Miss Oliver was struck ill in August of 1942. Although she seemed to recover briefly, she was re-admitted to Los Angeles's Cedars of Lebanon hospital in October Her dear friend actress Virginia Hammond flew out from New York to stay by her bedside. Edna May Oliver died on her 59th birthday, 9th November 1942. Virginia Hammond was with her and said, "She died without ever being aware of the gravity of her condition. She just went peacefully asleep."

Mike Road was born on 18 March 1918 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor and director, known for The Roaring 20's (1960), Hawaiian Eye (1959) and The Fantastic Journey (1977). He was married to Ruth Brady and Norma Lehn. He died on 14 April 2013 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Wally Brown was born on 8 October 1904 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Notorious (1946), Zombies on Broadway (1945) and Seven Days Ashore (1944). He was married to Mildred (Lane) Lehman. He died on 13 November 1961 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Betty Lou Keim was born, in 1938, in Malden, Massachusetts. She made her debut as Peggy Allison in the television series, My Son Jeep (1953). She later appeared on The Philco Television Playhouse (1948) and The Alcoa Hour (1955). Two movie roles followed in 1956, those being These Wilder Years (1956) and Teenage Rebel (1956). Betty's best performance was in Some Came Running (1958). In this fine film, she played Dawn Hirsh, the pretty, out of control daughter of a small town jeweler and his wife, played by Arthur Kennedy and Leora Dana. After appearing in the TV series The Deputy (1959) as Fran McCord in 1959, Betty married Warren Berlinger in 1960 and left show business. They have four children.

Erle Stanley Gardner, the prolific pulp fiction writer best known for creating the fictional lawyer Perry Mason; Della Street, Mason's secretary; private detective Paul Drake, Mason's favorite investigator; and Hamilton Burger, the district attorney with the worst won-lost record in the history of fictional jurisprudence, was born in in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1889, the son of a mining engineer. The family soon moved to Portland, Oregon, and later to the Klondike during the Gold Rush. Eventually, the Gardners settled in Oroville, California, a small mining town.

Young Erle graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1909, but his college education was cut short when he was expelled from Valparaiso University in Indiana early in his freshman year for fighting. The young Erle led a wild life, as befits a child of the Klondike and mining towns. He was to remain an ardent sportsman and traveler throughout his life. He also spoke fluent Chinese.

The wild young Mr. Gardner supported himself as a boxer and as a promoter of illegal wrestling matches. Eventually, fate was to intervene. While working as a typist in a California law office, he became intrigued by the subject and decided to make it his profession. In the first half of the 20th century, lawyers did not attend law school but gained their education via practical experience, i.e., working in a law office. Law school was for those who intended to teach the law or become judges. Without formal instruction, Garnder passed the bar examination and was admitted to the California Bar in 1911, opening his first law office in Merced, California, when he was 21 years old.

Initially, business was bad, but his Chinese fluency enabled him to make a living defending Chinese clients, who dubbed him "T'ai chong tze" ("The Big Lawyer"). Gardner moved south to Ventura, where he went into practice with another attorney in 1918. Gardner soon quit practicing law for three years, instead working as a salesman for the Consolidated Sales Co. He married Natalie Frances Talbert in 1921, the year he returned to Ventura and the practice of the law. He was a practicing attorney for the next 12 years.

In the early 1920s, Gardner began writing for the pulp fiction magazines under the pseudonym Charles M. Green, the first of many pen names he would use during his career. Gardner wrote strictly for the money, but he had a flair for it, and his mystery short stories were popular and proved highly salable. He soon became a quite successful writer. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Gardner "wrote nearly 100 detective and mystery novels that sold more than 1,000,000 copies each, making him easily the best-selling American writer of his time."

Gardner established himself as a major contributor to the Black Mask, the most famous of all the pulp magazines. He wrote stories about Gentleman Rogue Lester Leith, Sidney Zoom (The Master of Disguise and the King of Chinatown). After the Great Depression set in, Gardner began writing western stories for a penny a word. A 1931 trip to China gave birth to Major Copely Brane, International Adventurer. That same year, he began using a Dictaphone to dictate his stories. Gardner had averaged 66,000 typed words a week (10% longer than F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1949)). After dictating a story, Gardener's secretary would transcribe the recordings.

Perry Mason debuted in 1933 with two stories, The Case of the Velvet Claws and The Case of the Sulky Girl, and proved instantly popular. The first Perry Mason film, The Case of the Howling Dog (1934) was made the next year by Warner Bros.-First National, with Warren William as Perry Mason, ably supported by future Oscar-winner Mary Astor and character actor Allen Jenkins. Williams returned the following year in The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) and The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935), the former helmed by Michael Curtiz, one of Warner's top directors who won his first Oscar nomination for directing Alex Hakobian that same year. Curtiz eventually won his Oscar for directing Casablanca (1942).

The following year, at RKO, granite-chinned heart-throb Richard Dix played Gardner's detective Bill Fenwick in the B-movie Special Investigator (1936). Meanwhile, back at Warner Bros., William Warren reprised the role of Perry Mason in The Case of the Velvet Claws (1936) before handing the role over to former silent-film superstar Ricardo Cortez. Cortez had played Sam Spade in the original The Maltese Falcon (1931), and at whom the immortal line, "Who's the dame in my kimono?" was directed. In The Case of the Black Cat (1936), the series was foisted off on the B-unit. Donald Woods, who had made his film debut eight years earlier in the silent picture Motorboat Mamas (1928), took over the role for the final entry in the Warner Bros. series, The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (1937). Despite Ann Dvorak being cast as Della Street, it proved the last appearance of Perry Mason on-screen for 20 years, with the exception of his veiled appearance under another name in Granny Get Your Gun (1940), which was based on the Perry Mason novel "The Case of the Dangerous Dowager."

After 1940, a Gardner work would never again appear on the big screen, though Perry Mason was to achieve immortality on TVs as they became ubiquitous in American homes. Perry Mason, which had some success as a radio show on CBS, moved to television in a one-hour format on 1957 and was a smash hit. The series ran until actor Raymond Burr, the definitive small-screen attorney, tired of the role in 1966. The TV series was revived in 1989 as made-for-TV movies, starting with "The Case of Too Many Murders" (1989), written by Thomas Chastain.

Due to his prodigious output, Garnder had to resort to pseudonyms so that his works wouldn't flood the market and depress their value. His most famous pen name was that of A.A. Fair. Gardner had a staff of secretaries to transcribe his dictation. He married one of his long-serving secretaries in 1968, after the death of his wife Natalie, from whom he had been estranged from since 1935.

Out of necessity, Gardner developed formulaic characters and plots, though each book was worked out extensively in his own longhand, including the final courtroom confrontation, before he sat down to dictate it. Graduating from Black Mask in the late 1930s, most of the Perry Mason novels were serialized by the Saturday Evening Post before they were published in book form. Gardner's connection with that magazine lasted 20 years.

As a lawyer, Gardner became the bane of the legal establishment when he helped co-founding The Case Review Committee (colloquially known as the Court of Last Resort), a professional association of concerned lawyers who sought to investigate and reopen cases wherein a person might have been wrongly convicted serious crime. Beside Gardner, other founders included LeMoyne Snyder, a physician and lawyer who wrote well-regarded text books concerning homicide investigations; Dr. Leonorde Keeler, a pioneer and authority in the use of the polygraph in criminal proceedings; former American Academy of Scientific Investigators President Alex Gregory (another polygraph expert who replaced Dr. Keeler after his death), renowned handwriting expert Clark Sellers, and former Walla Walla Penitentiary warden Tom Smith. The Mystery Writers of America bestowed its prestigious Fact Crime Edgar Award on Gardner in 1952, for his non-fiction book The Court of Last Resort (1957), which detailed one of the Court's first investigations.

The most prominent case the Court was involved with was the murder conviction of Dr. Samuel Sheppard, who staunchly proclaimed his innocence of the murder of his wife. (The Sheppard case provided the basis for the fictional The Fugitive (1963) TV show.) During the initial phases of the Sheppard appeal, Gardner polygraphed members of the Sheppard family. He had hoped if the results were favorable, he would then administer the lie detector test to Sam Sheppard himself. However, when Sheppard family members were tested, the polygraph results indicated guilty knowledge. Consequently Gardner declined to test Sam Sheppard, and the Court of Last Resort withdrew from the case, even though Gardner believed in Sheppard's innocence. Sheppard was later freed by a Supreme Court decision that held that Sheppard had not gotten a fair trial due to pre-trial publicity that tainted the juror pool. The Supreme Court case was won by F. Lee Bailey, who also won acquittal for Sheppard during the subsequent retrial. Polygraph tests have never been allowed into evidence in a U.S. court due to their unreliability. Gardner ended his active membership in the Court of Last Resort in 1960. The Court - which conducted preliminary investigations of at least 8,000 cases -- eventually disbanded.

Gardner died on March 11, 1970, at his home, Rancho del Paisano, in Temecula, California. His last Perry Mason mystery, "The Case of the Postponed Murder" was published in 1973.

Singer/songwriter Norman Greenbaum was born November 20, 1942, in Malden, Massachusetts. He was raised in a traditional Jewish household and went to Hebrew school. His initial interest in music was sparked by Southern blues music and the folk music that was hugely popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He performed with various bands in high school, and attended Boston University for two years, performing at local coffeehouses during that time, but eventually dropped out and moved to Los Angeles in 1965. Norman formed the quirky psychedelic jug band Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band, which scored a minor mid-chart success with the offbeat novelty song "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago" in 1966. The group subsequently broke up and Greenbaum formed a few other short-lived acts before pursuing a solo career in 1968. Norman released his debut album "Spirit in the Sky" in 1969. The title track, with its hypnotic buzzing bass, captivating heavy guitar riff, crisp hand claps, soulful gospel chorus and funky spiritual lyrics, became an enormous hit single, peaking at #3 on the pop charts, and sold two million copies. Alas, follow-up singles "Canned Ham" and "California Earthquake" were both flops. Following the release of his 1972 album "Petaluma," Greenbaum took a hiatus from the music scene and focused instead on his rural California dairy farm.

One of the most infectiously catchy and groovy of religious-themed one-hit wonder songs from the early 1970s, "Spirit in the Sky" has been featured on the soundtracks to such movies as Miami Blues (1990), Household Saints (1993), Wayne's World 2 (1993), Apollo 13 (1995), Michael (1996), Contact (1997), A Simple Plan (1998), Remember the Titans (2000), Ocean's Eleven (2001) and The Longest Yard (2005). The song has also been used in TV commercials and has popped up on episodes of various TV shows. Norman Greenbaum returned to the music business in the mid-'80s as both a music manager and a concert promoter. He lives in Petaluma, California.

Chad Addison was born in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Most Likely to Die (2015), NCIS: New Orleans (2014) and All Rise (2019).

Jason Santos was born on 1 March 1976 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He is married to Thuy Santos . They have one child.

Sebastian Di Modica was born on 16 February 1976 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Angels Around Me (2013), Our Lips Are Sealed (2000) and Kitchen Nightmares (2007). He has been married to Nichole Di Modica since 31 December 1999.

Dour-faced US character player in films for more than two decades from 1923, often in portrayals of peace officers such as judges and lawmen. Even at his most elderly, he could frequently be seen as a white-haired, uniformed policeman - often affecting an Irish accent to boot.

Eileen Way was born on 2 September 1911 in New Malden, Surrey, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Vikings (1958), Kidnapped (1960) and Sean's Show (1992). She was married to Felix Warden Brown. She died on 16 June 1994 in Canterbury, Kent, England, UK.

Paul Downs is a writer and animator with over twenty years of experience spanning film, TV, and commercial production. Paul has written and developed projects for Apple TV+, 20th Century Fox, Blue Sky Studios, Janet Yang Productions, Cartoon Network, Humanoids Publishing and Smart Entertainment.

Paul's animation credits include "Robots", the "Ice Age" franchise, "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who", "Rio", "Epic", "Free Birds", "Spies in Disguise", the 2017 Oscar® nominated film "Ferdinand" as well as the two short films "Surviving Sid" and the Oscar® nominated, "No Time for Nuts."

Arissa Hill was born on 29 April 1979 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress, known for The Challenge (1998), The Real World (1992) and The Challenge: All Stars (2021).

Michael Ferguson was born on 14 June 1937 in New Malden, Surrey, England, UK. He was a producer and director, known for The Sandbaggers (1978), Casualty (1986) and ITV Playhouse (1967). He was married to Jana Shelden and Susan Harris. He died on 4 October 2021.

Joe Ames was born on 3 May 1921 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Forever, Darling (1956), The Ames Brothers Show (1955) and Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (1948). He was married to Gertrude Henrietta Haussler and Ingeborg Heittman. He died on 22 December 2007 in Eltville am Rhein, Hesse, Germany.

Giuseppe Raucci was born on 18 January 1974 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and assistant director, known for A Night at the Silent Movie Theater (2012), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and Mad Men (2007).

Kenneth Countie was born on 18 July 1981 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He died on 21 March 2006 in Epping, New Hampshire, USA.

Julie Cummings was born on 28 June 1970 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. She is an assistant director and producer, known for Tangerine (2015), Black Panther (2018) and Spider-Man (2002).

Vic Ames was born on 20 May 1925 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Forever, Darling (1956), Batman (1966) and The Ames Brothers Show (1955). He was married to Hazel Eleanor Graham. He died on 23 January 1978 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Gary Cherone was born on 26 July 1961 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008).

Muriel Box was born on 22 September 1905 in New Malden, Surrey [now in Kingston upon Thames, London], England, UK. She was a writer and director, known for The Seventh Veil (1945), Mr. Lord Says No (1952) and A Novel Affair (1957). She was married to Gerald Gardiner and Sydney Box. She died on 18 May 1991 in London, England, UK.

Gene Ames was born on 13 February 1923 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Forever, Darling (1956), The Ames Brothers Show (1955) and Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (1948). He died on 26 April 1997 in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.

Joseph McCarthy was born on 27 September 1885 in Malden, Massachusetts, USA. He is known for The Theory of Everything (2014), Magic in the Moonlight (2014) and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). He was married to Dorothy Allen. He died on 18 December 1943 in New York City, New York, USA.