Category Archives: Actors

Joker – The Clown Prince of Crime

Joker is one of the most recognizable and iconic fictional characters in pop culture. The character’s origin dates to the publication of DC Comics Batman #1 in the spring of 1940. Joker was introduced as a criminal mastermind and Batman’s … Continue reading

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Behind the Curtain: A Look at The Wizard of Oz’s Difficult Production 85 Years Later

As a lifelong Oz fan, 1939’s The Wizard of Oz has been a throughline of positive memories for me. My parents called me “munchky” growing up, a nickname that would be apt when I made my stage debut as a … Continue reading

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Gale Cleven and George Niethammer: The Wyoming Connection in “Masters of the Air”

If you are interested in the history of the Second World War, or interested in aviation, you may have been watching Masters of the Air, a new television series on Apple TV+. A companion to Band of Brothers and The … Continue reading

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Meet Grande Dame Guignol at the American Heritage Center

This Halloween, we consider the sub-genre of horror films referred to as “Grande Dame Guignol,” also known as “Hagsploitation,” “Psycho-biddy,” or “Hag Horror,” and three films in that sub-genre that are represented in three of our collections. Films of this … Continue reading

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Holy Spectacle, Batman! Campy Fun with the 1960s Batman Television Series

As September 19 would have been Adam West’s 94th birthday, let’s look back on one of his best-known roles, Batman. The campy, smash hit of the 60s was loathed by some and loved by many more. But the people who … Continue reading

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Star Trek: Creating the Cultural Phenomenon

The 1960’s television show Star Trek spawned a long lived and beloved cultural phenomenon. Here at the American Heritage Center, we are fortunate to have photographs, scripts, and music scores from some of the original seventy-nine Star Trek episodes that … Continue reading

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American Heritage Center Exhibit Celebrates Buddy Ebsen, 1908-2003

Do you remember the TV comedy series The Beverly Hillbillies? How about the mystery series Barnaby Jones? More recently the series King of the Hill? No doubt you’ve seen the classic films The Wizard of Oz or Breakfast at Tiffany’s. … Continue reading

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Bill Walker: Advocate for Black Actors

William Franklin “Bill” Walker was born in Pendleton, Indiana, in 1896. The grandson of slaves who had escaped to the North on the Underground Railroad, he was the first Black graduate of Pendleton High School. A well-rounded student, he lettered … Continue reading

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Remembering Barbara Stanwyck – A Life in Film and Scrapbooks

“She wanted to be a dancer or a missionary, but eventually she decided to become an actress… She has intelligence, sincerity, and much charm. She is devoted to her husband and her home interests, and loves little children. Only recently … Continue reading

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James E. Brodhead: A Wolverine Makes Good on Stage and Screen

James Easton Brodhead (1932-2012) was a character actor who worked in various motion picture, television, and theatre productions. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in speech in 1954.  From 1950 to 1963, Brodhead appeared in … Continue reading

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