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Ruby Keeler started as a dancer on Broadway. After her marriage to Al Jolson she moved to Hollywood and become a star in Warners musicals opposite Dick Powell. After her divorce from Jolson she retired for almost 30 years, until she appeared in "No No Nanette" on Broadway in 1971 under the direction of Busby Berkeley.

Influential Japanese film director born May 7th, 1911, often credited as being the father of Godzilla. His name is a combination of "I" (or Ino), meaning "boar", and "shirô," meaning fourth son in the family. Originally, the young Honda had aspirations of becoming an artist; however, as he entered into his teens, it was cinema that became his number 1 interest.

He attended Nippon University studying art, but was drafted by the Japanese military and spent nearly eight years in uniform. After a period of imprisonment in China as a P.O.W., he returned to Japan to join Toho Studios, where, soon afterward, he became acquainted with its special effects director, Eiji Tsuburaya. The two worked on a handful of films before collaborating on the ground-breaking epic monster film Godzilla (1954). Honda was also at the director's helm for such films as Rodan (1956), The Mysterians (1957) and its loose sequel Battle in Outer Space (1959), Mothra (1961), Matango (1963), and Destroy All Monsters (1968). Although the Japanese monster films had been derided by some U.S. critics, Honda was especially proud of his contribution to this rather unique aspect of the fantasy and science fiction genres.

Honda was a life-long friend of fellow Japanese director Akira Kurosawa and worked on several of his landmark films, including Stray Dog (1949), Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior (1980) (a.k.a. "Kagemusha the Shadow Warrior"), and Ran (1985).

Honda died at the age of 81 on February 28th, 1993, with Kurosawa delivering the eulogy at his funeral.

Genteel London-born actress Joyce Carey came from a distinguished theatrical family. Her own lengthy career on the stage began in 1916 when she played Princess Katherine in an all-female ensemble of "Henry V". She made her debut on the legitimate stage in a small part in the West End production of the exotic melodrama "Mr.Wu". During the 1920's, Joyce became a well-known interpreter of Shakespearean roles in Stratford-upon-Avon (including Miranda in "The Tempest" and Perdita in "The Winter's Tale"), as well as acting in several fashionable drawing room comedies in London. She came to be best known, however, for her long association with Noël Coward whom she met (and befriended) during a rehearsal for his play "The Vortex" in 1924. Coward liked her so much, that he cast her in the leading role of Sarah Hurst in "Easy Virtue" the following year. The play went from London to Broadway, opening at the Empire Theatre and enjoying a successful run of 147 performances. Joyce's career was now made and she regularly featured in Coward plays for the remainder of her life on stage.

In 1934, Joyce added another string to her bow as the author of the comedy "Sweet Aloes", written under the pseudonym 'Jay Mallory'. She also took on the key role of Lady Farrington. The play did better on the West End than on Broadway. Warner Brothers, nonetheless, bought the rights and filmed it as a teary melodrama entitled Give Me Your Heart (1936), starring Kay Francis and George Brent. Following wartime tours with the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) in Coward plays, she later repeated her stage successes in the filmed versions of the same, notably in Johnny in the Clouds (1945), Blithe Spirit (1945) and The Astonished Heart (1950). Her best remembered role was that of the train station buffet manageress Myrtle Bagot in David Lean's Brief Encounter (1945).

During Joyce's later career, her air of quiet authority and ladylike manner were perfectly suited to a gallery of aristocratic dowagers, doting or confused aunts or mothers. A true professional, she still performed at the age of 90 - on stage, unsurprisingly, in a minor Coward play, "Semi-Monde". On the screen she achieved critical acclaim for her role as an elderly lady facing eviction, in Michael Palin's BBC play Number 27 (1988). In 1982, Joyce was awarded the Order of the British Empire.

Franco Brusati was born on 4 August 1922 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. He was a writer and director, known for Bread and Chocolate (1974), Romeo and Juliet (1968) and I tulipani di Haarlem (1970). He died on 28 February 1993 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Patricia Wymer was a lovely, charming and vibrant bubbly blonde actress who only appeared in three enjoyably trashy low-budget exploitation features during her regrettably brief cinematic career. Patricia started out as a dancer on the short-lived groovy 60's rock'n'roll music variety TV show "Malibu U." She's one of the cute dancing girls featured in Leonard Nimoy's amazing music video for the goofy novelty song "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins". Wymer both graced the cover and did a nude pictorial for the August 1968 issue of the adults only magazine "Best for Men." In 1969, she acted as a coven witch in the nifty horror outing "The Witchmaker", and was delightful in the titular role of sexy and radiant free-spirited hippie pixie Candy Wilson in the drive-in flick "The Babysitter." Alas, following her typically lively and engaging portrayal of the eager and precocious Mindy Evans in the fun high school romp "The Young Graduates" in 1971, Patricia Wymer abruptly stopped acting. She tragically died in a house fire in 1994 at the age of 46.

Franca Manetti was born in April 1908 in San Piero Patti, Messina, Sicily, Italy. She was an actress, known for Il lumacone (1974), Extraconiugale (1964) and Virility (1974). She died on 28 February 1993 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Oswald Skilbeck was born on 10 July 1901 in Marylebone, London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for All Living Things (1939), Flying with Prudence (1946) and The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1937). He died on 28 February 1993 in Kensington, London, England, UK.