Given name: Jeanette Anna MacDonald; born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Legendary operatic soprano, actress and comedienne; one of the very best of the golden era. Became a star on Broadway before moving to films in 1929, where she again quickly rose to stardom. Probably the best and most-loved soprano ever in U.S. films. She was first partnered with Maurice Chevalier, then with Nelson Eddy. By the 1940s, she was on her own and playing opposite a variety of leading men, including her own husband, Gene Raymond.

Sadly, almost none of Jeanette's films have seen studio transfers to DVD as of this writing (November, 2007).

Real-life mother of Angela Lansbury. Began her acting career in England, moved to the U.S. during WWII. Worked in Hollywood in relatively small parts until the mid-1960s. Often played zany characters.

Given name: Shirley MacLean Beaty; born in Richmond, Virginia. Sister of Warren Beaty. Really cute dancer / singer / actress / comedienne on stage and screen. Most popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

Given name: Fred MacMurray; born in Illinois. Started out playing saxaphone and singing in bands, touring the country. An extended stop in Hollywood introduced him to the world of movies, where he played some small parts in several silent films. He then landed a part in the Broadway musical "Roberta" where he was noticed by a Paramount talent scout. MacMurray was equally adept at comedy and drama. In 1959, he moved to Walt Disney studios, where he enjoyed a long and popular tenure. And, of course, he had the popular, long-running television series, "My Three Sons." Married June Haver in 1954.

Given name: Gordon MacRae; born in New Jersey. Baritone; began as big band singer, moved to Hollywood in the late 1940s. Best remembered for his parts in the Rodgers and Hammerstein screen adaptations of Oklahoma! and Carousel, opposite Shirley Jones.

Given name: Mary Tomlinson; born in Indiana. Character actress known for her down-home mannerisms and her chalk-on-blackboard voice. Lots of fun! Starred with Percy Kilbride in the "Ma and Pa Kettle" series of films.

Given name: Dorothy Maloney; born in Chicago, IL. Child model turned actress. Worked her way up in support roles to an Oscar-winning performance in Written on the Wind, 1956. But, after that lofty award she seemed to slide back into less meaty support roles.

Given name: Herbert Marshall; born in London, England. British actor of stage and screen, moved to Hollywood around 1930. Character actor generally playing a sophisticated man of quiet voice and manner. Marshall lost a leg in WWI, and wore a prosthetic, though it was never noticeable in any of his films.

Given name: Dino Crocetti; born in Ohio. Much-loved legendary singer / actor / comedian in films, on television, in the recording studio and in nightclub acts. Worked with Jerry Lewis in a series of films in the late 1940s and the 1950s; they were generally referred to as "Martin and Lewis" in that era. Later in his career, his image seemed to be that of a boozed playboy type, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and talking and singing as if he were a little tipsy. He was also famous for his long-running television show which culminated in a series of "Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts" in the late 1970s and '80s, where he and his guests would pay tribute to a guest celebrity by telling jokes and poking fun at them. Dean Martin was one of the great entertainers!

Given name: Frederick Alfred Martin; born in Cleveland, Ohio. Drummer / saxaphonist / orchestra leader / composer / arranger. Martin's experimenting with classical music led to his Orchestra's biggest hit, "Tonight We Love," adapted from Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto in B-Flat. One of the orchestra's memorable vocalists was Merv Griffin. The orchestra worked from the time it was formed (ca. 1940) until Martin's death in 1983.

See also: Composers: Freddy Martin

Given name: Mary Martin; born in Weatherford, Texas. Mother of actor Larry Hagman. Martin was a Broadway superstar. Moved to Hollywood in 1939 and signed with Paramount. Like Marilyn Miller before her, Martin was never able to achieve any popularity in film, so she returned to Broadway. Her return marked the beginning of major success with shows including "South Pacific," "The Sound of Music" and "Peter Pan." The latter was produced on television with great success -- I remember how upset I was as a youngster when I found out that Peter Pan was a woman!

Given name: Alvin Morris; born in San Francisco, California. Singer / actor with big bands until signed by 20th Century Fox in 1936. Popular actor and recording artist. Married to Alice Faye (1937 - 1940). Married to Cyd Charisse (1948 - present).

Given name: Leonard Marx; born in New York, New York. One of the legendary Marx Brothers comedy team. Also a gifted pianist and composer.

Given name: Julius Marx; born in New York, New York. One of the legendary Marx Brothers comedy team and television game show host.

Given name: Adolph Marx; born in New York, New York. One of the legendary Marx Brothers comedy team. Played harp and never spoke on-screen. Harpo was not mute, and he talked just fine. But, after a tiff with Groucho over scene-stealing, Harpo clammed up in anger. He found that the silent gag made his character more comical, so he exploited that gimmick as a part of his character for the remainder of the Marx Brothers movies. (l-r: Harpo, Groucho, Chico)

Given name: Herbert Marx; born in New York, New York. One of the legendary Marx Brothers comedy team, though only occasionally appearing in films with his brothers.

Given name: James Neville Mason; born in Yorkshire, England. Prolific actor, writer, director, producer. Major actor in British film before moving to Hollywood in the late 1940s. Though he was in many great films, he is probably best remembered today for his portrayal of Captain Nemo in the 1954 production of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and his followup role in Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959).

Given name: Ilona Hajmassy; born in Hungary. Opera singer / actress.

Given name: Harold Mattox; born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dancer / actor / dance teacher, mostly on stage. Shown here with Ruta Lee in a publicity photo for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 1954.

Given name: Marvel Marilyn Maxwell; born in Iowa. Started as child dancer, radio singer, actress. Very popular actress especially during the 1940s. With Bob Hope, she introduced the Christmas carol "Silver Bells" in The Lemon Drop Kid" (1951).

Selected Feature Films:

Given name: Virginia Jones; born in St. Louis, Missouri. Began dance lessons at age six. After high school, she joined the St. Louis Municipal Opera. There she was spotted by a talent scout and ended up on contract to Sam Goldwyn. At first her roles were not fast in coming, but each time she appeared on screen, she became more popular with the public. By the late 1940s, she had become a major star and worked through the 1950s and into the 1960s before retiring from films.

Given name: James Paul McCartney. Singer / composer born in Liverpool, England. Member of legendary rock group The Beatles

Pictured clockwise from top left: John, Paul, Ringo and George on the "Let It Be" album, 1970.

One very cool lady! Born in Wichita, Kansas. Gifted singer / actress. Started in minstrel shows, moved to nightclubs, radio and film. For more information, see the Hattie McDaniel Featured Actress Page. Won Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work in Gone with the Wind, 1939. Why is she looking at this paragraph that way?? Did I say somethig wrong, Hattie?

Dancer / singer / actor; born in Boston, Massachusetts.