HOWARD KEEL
HAROLD CLIFFORD KEEL was born in GILLESPIE, Illinois, on April 13, 1917. Gifted with a powerful BARITONE voice, he took his first steps in his career as a “singing-waiter” at a restaurant near HOLLYWOOD, where he used to sing fashionable tunes to entertain the clients. As his salary was not enough for a living, he accepted a job as a vigilante, educated his voice and was hired for a tour in PARIS and LONDON. Here he was discovered by a talent-seeker who offered him a contract to act on BROADWAY. In 1949 he signed up with MGM and debuted in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (G. Sidney). HOWARD´s film career included such popular titles as SHOW BOAT (1951, G. Sidney), ROSE MARIE (M. LeRoy) and JUPITER´S DARLING (G. Sidney).
But the MUSICAL that brought him more prestige was 7 BRIDES FOR 7 BROTHERS (S. Donen) and, after mediocre KISMET (V. Minnelli), he cancelled his contract with METRO and began a second career on stage with THE AMBASSADOR. Then came DALLAS and the opportunity to portray CLAYTON FARLOW. His performance at the ROYAL ALBERT HALL in the 80´s proved that he could succeed as a singer again and got a GOLDEN DISC.
At the 90´s he only gueststarred on 3 series: MURDER SHE WROTE, WALKER TEXAS RANGER and a HART TO HART Reunion, besides nostalgia specials about musicals like Part 3 of THAT´S ENTERTAINMENT! (B. Friedgen & M.J. Sheridan). On 2000 he was given an honor award for his career at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival. He was finishing his memoirs when died on November 7, 2004, due to a colon cancer.
Very popular at the 60´s and 70´s, GEORGE KENNEDY was born on February 18, 1925 in N.Y.C. Her tough look typed him in roles of violent men or big-hearted gentlemen. The acknowledgement arrived in 1967 when co-starred in COOL HAND LUKE (S. Rosenberg), which achieved him an OSCAR as best supporting actor. At the 70´s came the disaster movies which could not do without him, especially in the AIRPORT saga. He met VICTORIA PRINCIPAL in EARTHQUAKE (M. Robson) and LOIS CHILES in DEATH ON THE NILE (J. Guillermin).
At late 80´s, he returned to TV, where he had been THE BLUE KNIGHT, playing CARTER McKAY on DALLAS until the end of the series. Besides he has co-starred in all 3 movies of spoof trilogy THE NAKED GUN, side by side with her DALLAS´s co-star PRISCILLA PRESLEY, with whom he never shared a scene or episode.
Since he appeared on J. R. RETURNS and WAR OF THE EWINGS, GEORGE hardly worked: he dubbed one of the toys on SMALL SOLDIERS (J. Dante) and participated in 2 movies: MEN IN WHITE and a TV sequel to DANNY THE MENACE. Recently he has played on daytime soap THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and his most recent films are 3 BAD MEN, TRUCE and DON´T COME KNOCKING.
SASHA MITCHELL, born on July 27, 1967 in LOS ANGELES, was cast as J.R.´s secret son: JAMES RICHARD BEAUMONT, whose mother was the oilman´s first love. His bodybuilder´s looks were an appeal again for the DALLAS´s audiences, who saw his debut in 1989. Barely experienced as an actor, but very skillful with MARTIAL ARTS, SASHA replaced JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME in the KICKBOXER movie saga. His sympathy and good chemistry with both KIMBERLY FOSTER and CATHY PODEWELL, saved his performance from DISASTER, in the middle of a writers´ crisis.
Later on SASHA became popular cousin CODY on the sitcom STEP BY STEP, again with PATRICK DUFFY, during 5 years. Apart from this, he has gueststarred on the sequel to THE LOVE BOAT, and in a few action movies like CLASS OF ´99 or GANGLAND. Former model for CALVIN KLEIN, SASHA had legal problems lately and almost quit acting. His last works have been the movie THE FAILURES in 2003 and guest stints on E.R. and N.Y.P.D. BLUE, both in 2005.
CATHY PODEWELL
CALLY HARPER-EWING´s performer was born on January 26, 1964 in Evanston, Illinois. A former cheerleader, she graduated in Drama and Dance at the Santa Barbara University. She got the part of J.R.´s young bride after LARRY HAGMAN saw her on one episode of sitcom GROWING PAINS.
After DALLAS, she has quit acting, except for episodic roles on X-FILES, MURDER, SHE WROTE; WALKER TEXAS RANGER and BEVERLY HILLS 90210, and the TVM EARTH ANGEL. For her role on DALLAS she was nominee as best actress by the SOAP OPERA DIGEST´s readers. Currently she devotes herself to painting (water color, just like her character) and fighting against Muscular Dystrophy.
PRISCILLA PRESLEY
PRISCILLA PRESLEY´s case if quite different from the others. Her entrance on DALLAS took place on Season 1983-4, and meant to be an attempt to rise the show´s popularity, since JENNA #3 was already enjoying a considerable fame (and fortune) even before to get into show business. Born on June 16, 1945, adopted her stepfather´s surname BEAULIEU for her credits on DALLAS. At 17 she married rock & roll celebrity ELVIS PRESLEY. They kept the perfect family front up for 6 years, with daughter LISA MARIE. But in 1973, their divorce shattered the image and PRISCILLA suffered the rejection of the ELVIS´s fanbase, though a millionaire alimony was comforting enough.
The R & R´s King decease in 1977 brought her back to the front pages and, after co-hosting the show THOSE AMAZING ANIMALS, she began a presumed acting career that, without the 5-year-stint on DALLAS, would have equalled nothing. In the 90´s she has gueststarred on such popular shows like MELROSE PLACE, SPIN CITY and TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, as well as in THE NAKED GUN Trilogy in big-screen. Currently she is a member of the Managing Board of MGM, charge she alternates with a few telefilms and the control of ELVIS´s heritage. She has also produced the movie FINDING GRACELAND (D. Winkler).
DACK RAMBO
DACK RAMBO was born in DELANO, California, on November 13, 1941. His role as JACK EWING on DALLAS sort of fulfilled the void that would be then left by BOBBY´s “death”. RAMBO had already made bit parts in movies like RICH AND FAMOUS (G. Cukor) and had co-starred on PAPER DOLLS with MORGAN FAIRCHILD.
During PATRICK DUFFY´s absence (Season 8), he played the EWING´ sly cousin who courted 2 of the female members of the cast: PRISCILLA PRESLEY and MERETE VAN KAMP. But the Dream Solution changed the plans for him and he was soon written off, not without the previous introduction of his ex wife APRIL STEVENS, the future Mrs. BOBBY EWING, ironically. DACK died of aids on March 21, 1994 in LOS ANGELES.
DONNA REED
Born DONNA BELLE MULLENGER on January 27, 1921 in DENISON, Iowa, this redheaded actress was outstanding in small roles in films like THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (A. Lewin), or THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS (R. Brooks), until she got an OSCAR for best supporting actress, playing a prostitute in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (F. Zinnemann).
Her success was expanded on TV with THE DONNA REED SHOW and, at mid-80´s, she made the mistake of agreeing to replace BARBARA BEL GEDDES as MISS ELLIE. She did not only got a negative response from the audiences but also, after 25 episodes, her contract was cancelled, when it had been re-signed for 2 more years. The conflict was solved out at the court and DONNA equally got her salary paid. But a serious illness, worsened by a depression, caused DONNA´s death on January 14, 1986.
SHEREE J. WILSON
The actress who played APRIL STEVENS, JACK EWING´sex wife and BOBBY´s future wife, was born in MINNESOTA on December 12, 1958. Introduced at early Season 9, APRIL´s role went thorugh a deep evolution through the 4 years she remained in the show. She started off as a greedy golddigger who becomes an overnight millionaire, and eventually gets infatuated by the youngest EWING brother. But her relationship with BOBBY developed very slowly since nobody really knew for sure if VICTORIA PRINCIPAL would return to the series.
Finally the couple got married and, in the middle of their PARIS honeymoon, APRIL was kidnapped and murdered. In 1990, SHEREE decided to devote herself to her family for a couple of years and then went back to TV as the D.A.´s assistant ALEX CAHILL on the show WALKER TEXAS RANGER, also shot in DALLAS and written and produced by LEONARD KAZTMAN. The series ended in 2001 after an 8-year running. SHEREE gueststarred on WALKER TEXAS RANGER´s brief spin-off too, SONS OF THUNDER. Currently she alternates her wife and mother duties with the promotion of beauty products and her acting career: her last movies are the W.T.R. Reunion TRIAL BY FIRE, KILLING DOWN and FRAGILE.