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- Actor
- Soundtrack
Born in 1919 in Jerusalem, Nehemiah Persoff emigrated with his family to America in 1929.
Following schooling at the Hebrew Technical Institute of New York, he found a job as a subway electrician doing signal maintenance until an interest in the theater altered the direction of his life.
He joined amateur groups and subsequently won a scholarship to the Dramatic Workshop in New York. This led to what would have been his Broadway debut in a production of "Eve of St. Mark", but he was fired before the show opened. He made his official New York debut in a production of "The Emperor's New Clothes" in 1940.
WWII interrupted his young career in 1942, when he was inducted into the United Sates Army, returning to the stage after his hitch was over in 1945, three years later. He sought work in stock plays and became an intern of Stella Adler and, as a result, a strong exponent of the Actor's Studio. Discovered by Charles Laughton and cast in his production of "Galileo" in 1947, Persoff made his film debut a year later with an uncredited bit in The Naked City (1948).
Short, dark, chunky-framed and with a distinct talent for dialects, Persoff became known primarily for his ethnic villainy, usually playing authoritative Eastern Europeans.
In a formidable career which had him portraying everything from cab drivers to Joseph Stalin, standout film roles would include Leo in The Harder They Fall (1956) with Humphrey Bogart, Gene Conforti in Alfred Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (1956), Albert in This Angry Age (1958) and gangster Johnny Torrio in Al Capone (1959). That same year he played another gangster, the small role of Little Bonaparte, in Some Like It Hot (1959).
He was a durable performer during TV's "Golden Age" (Gunsmoke (1955), The Twilight Zone (1959)) and well beyond (Chicago Hope (1994), Law & Order (1990)), playing hundreds of intense, volatile and dominating characters.
In later years, his characters grew a bit softer as Barbra Streisand's Jewish father in Yentl (1983) and the voice of Papa Mousekewitz in the An American Tail (1986) will attest. Later stage work included well-received productions of "I'm Not Rappaport" and his biographical one-man show "Sholem Aleichem".
After declining health and high blood pressure forced him to slow down, Persoff took up painting in 1985, studying sketching in Los Angeles. Specializing in watercolor, he created more than 100 works of art, many of which have been exhibited up and down the coast of California. He celebrated his 100th birthday in 2019.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Topol was born on 9 September 1935 in Tel Aviv, Palestine [now Israel]. He was an actor and producer, known for Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Flash Gordon (1980) and For Your Eyes Only (1981). He was married to Galia Topol. He died on 8 March 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel.- Director
- Animation Department
- Writer
Ralph Bakshi worked his way up from Brooklyn and became an animation legend. He was born on October 29, 1938, in Haifa, Israel, the son of Mina (Zlotin) and Eliezar Bakshi, and is of Krymchak Jewish descent. He was raised in Brownsville, after his family came to New York to escape World War II. Bakshi attended the Thomas Jefferson High School and was later transferred to the High School of Industrial Arts and graduated with an award in cartooning in 1957.
At the Terrytoons studio, he started as a cel polisher then graduated to cel painting. Practicing nights and weekends, he quickly became an inker and then an animator. There, he worked on such shows as Mighty Mouse, Heckle and Jeckle, Deputy Dawg, Foofle and Lariat Sam. At 28 he created and directed a series of superhero spoof cartoons called The Mighty Heroes.
In 1967, Bakshi moved to Paramount Studios. Working with producer Steve Krantz, Bakshi worked on episodes of the Spider-Man TV series and several short films. In the 1970s, Bakshi set out to produce films using his innovative vision for how animated films should be. Krantz suggested Robert Crumb's "Fritz the Cat" comic book as Bakshi's first feature. The two set out to meet with Crumb and get the film rights. In 1972, the film premiered and was extremely successful, as the first feature-length animated film to receive an X rating by the American rating system (when it was distributed worldwide, it generally received lower ratings the equivalent of an R rating, and was released as being unrated on DVD).
The success of "Fritz the Cat" allowed Bakshi to produce films featuring his own characters and ideas, and so "Heavy Traffic" and "Coonskin" were produced, both of which were extremely controversial, but were praised by critics. During the same period, he shot and completed another feature titled "Hey Good Lookin'" for the Warner Brothers studio, who didn't think that a combination of live-action and animation would sell, and forced Bakshi to go back and animate the live action sequences.
During this period, Bakshi also produced two very successful fantasy films, "Wizards" and part one of an animated film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." Although these films were financially successful, they were misunderstood by critics, and United Artists, the studio that produced "The Lord of the Rings" refused to fund the second part, or sequel to Bakshi's ambitious adaptation.
During the 1980s, animation went into a decline. "American Pop," done using the same style of realistic animation as "The Lord of the Rings" was not successful financially, and critics did not see the point of the film being animated. The finished version of "Hey Good Lookin'" was released during the same year as "American Pop," but was also unsuccessful financially. Bakshi's last film of the decade, "Fire & Ice," a collaboration with famed artist Frank Frazetta, was a flop.
Bakshi produced several television features with mixed results before returning to film with what would eventually become "Cool World" - the script was rewritten several times during production without Bakshi's knowledge until it came to the point where Bakshi did not recognize his own work. The film was critically scorned, and was a box office flop. Fans feel that the film is not a true Bakshi film.
Since then, the Internet and DVD releases of Bakshi's work have brought him a new generation of fans and increased interest, encouraging Bakshi to produce another film. "Last Days of Coney Island" is in production. Bakshi lives in New Mexico. A three-day retrospective was held at American Cinematheque at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California and the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, California in April, 2005.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Ziva Rodann was born on 2 March 1933 in Haifa, Palestine [now Haifa, Israel]. She is an actress, known for The Story of Ruth (1960), The Private Lives of Adam and Eve (1960) and Macumba Love (1960).- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Menahem Golan was born Menahem Globus to parents of Polish decent in Tiberias, Israel, in May 1929. In his early years, he was a pilot for the fledgling Israeli Air Force, changing his surname to Golan for patriotic reasons in 1948. A few years later, he took the first step towards his future career by attending the Old Vic Theatre School in London. After returning to Israel, he produced for theater, until joining producer Roger Corman as an assistant on The Young Racers (1963). Golan's debut film in partnership with his younger cousin Yoram Globus was El Dorado (1963). The two cousins set up Noah Films to produce for the Israeli market. Golan's role was as producer and the creative partner, with Globus as the financial expert. The company was first recognized overseas when its production Sallah Shabati (1964) won an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and then won the Golden Globe in the same category in 1965. However, the cousins were desperate to break into the international market. Some of their films had been picked up for distribution in America, such as Kazablan (1973) by MGM, but this was not enough.
In 1979 the pair bought control of a failing production company, The Cannon Group Inc., from Dennis Friedland and Christopher C. Dewey, and it was this company that gave them international renown. Under their control, the Cannon Group grew from a small company making a few obscure pictures a year to a studio that produced 35 pictures in 1987 alone. They developed a large, independent, and international empire, with production, distribution, and exhibition interests across Europe. Golan and Globus hit their peak with Cannon in the mid-1980s, signing Sylvester Stallone for a record US$13 million in 1983 for Over the Top (1987) and purchasing the UK's Thorn-EMI Screen Entertainment in 1986. This last deal led to their ownership of the ABC cinema circuit and Elstree Studios in Britain. However, by 1987, the money was starting to run out. Many of their movies were not making enough at the box office despite the cousins' wide cinema ownership, and they had taken on a lot of debt during their rapid growth, making more expensive pictures in the process. They were initially rescued by Warner Bros., which took distribution rights to Cannon's better films--for example, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), based on a character that Warner already owned--and also took an interest in some of its assets. The end of Cannon came in 1989 when, virtually bankrupt, the company was bought by the now-disgraced financier Giancarlo Parretti and renamed Pathé Communications (after the new MGM-Pathé collapsed in 1992, Globus produced pictures with Christopher Pearce, which were released under a resurrected Cannon Pictures label. The last of these was American Cyborg: Steel Warrior (1993) before the company folded for good).
Golan fell out with Parretti and Globus, leaving Pathé, and starting 21st Century Pictures. He produced a number of films that received widespread distribution, such as Death Wish: The Face of Death (1994) and Captain America (1990), but by the mid-1990s this company had folded, too. Golan's name was later linked with other new companies, such as International Dynamic Pictures and Magic Entertainment, and he rejoined cousin Yoram for both. However, the two soon fell out again and went their separate ways, with Golan writing and directing for other producers in the interim. Golan's latest company is New Cannon Inc., and his recent works include Crime and Punishment (2002) and Return from India (2002). Unfortunately for his fans, it now seems unlikely that Golan will recreate the success of his heyday. Menahem Golan has long been criticized (sometimes unfairly) for an emphasis on quantity rather than quality. It's true that some of the movies he has produced have been laughable or unwatchable. However, now out of the limelight of a critical industry, some of his company's once-derided films have achieved cult status, such as Mona Lisa (1986), Godfrey Reggio's Powaqqatsi (1988), and the "Lemon Popsicle" series. Golan's ongoing drive, energy, and past contribution to the world of cinema will undoubtedly and belatedly be recognized for the achievement this represents.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Arnon Milchan (PRODUCER) is widely renowned as one of the most prolific and successful independent film producers of his time, with over 100 feature films to his credit. Born in Israel, Milchan was educated at the University of Geneva. His first business venture was transforming his father's modest business into one of his country's largest agro-chemical companies. This early achievement was a harbinger of Milchan's now-legendary reputation in the international marketplace as a keen businessman.
Soon, Milchan began to underwrite projects in areas that had always held a special interest for him - film, television and theater. Early projects include Roman Polanski's theater production of "Amadeus," "Dizengoff 99," "La Menace," "The Medusa Touch" and the mini-series "Masada." By the end of the 1980s, Milchan had produced such films as Martin Scorsese's "The King of Comedy," Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in America" and Terry Gilliam's "Brazil."
After the incredible successes of his films "Pretty Woman" and "The War of the Roses," Milchan founded New Regency Productions and went on to produce countless critical and box office successes including "J.F.K," "A Time to Kill," "Free Willy," "The Client," "Tin Cup," "Under Siege," "The Devil's Advocate," "The Negotiator," "City of Angels," "Entrapment," "Fight Club," "Big Momma's House," "Don't Say a Word," "Daredevil," "Man on Fire," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "What Happens in Vegas," "Love and Other Drugs," "Noah" and "Gone Girl."
In 1998, Milchan received an Academy Award® nomination for producing the film "LA Confidential." He served as producer of back-to-back Academy Award® Best Picture winners "12 Years A Slave" (2013) and "Birdman" (2014), 2015's multiple Oscar® winners "The Revenant" (2015) and "The Big Short" (2015) and 2019's Golden Globe® and Oscar® winning "Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)".
Along the way, Milchan partnered with Twentieth Century Fox and has taken advantage of the growing television and new media marketplace. Milchan has also successfully diversified his company's activities within the sphere of entertainment, most specifically in the realm of television through Regency Television ("Malcom in the Middle" and "The Bernie Mac Show"), and sports where the company was once the largest shareholder of PUMA, the worldwide athletic apparel and show conglomerate based in Germany, which was later sold after a successful re-branding in 2003.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Executive
Avi Lerner is the Chairman and founder of Nu Image, Inc., Millennium Films and all related companies. With more than 350 films to his credit, he is one of the most experienced, prolific and successful independent producers of our time.
Born and raised in Haifa, Israel, Lerner began as manager of Israel's first drive-in cinema. In 1979, Lerner anticipated the explosion of home video rental, which led to his pioneering the largest specialized video distribution company in Israel and becoming a partner in the country's largest theatrical distribution company.
In 1984, he executive produced the remake of King Solomon's Mines. He then sold his Israeli company and relocated to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he founded the Nu Metro Entertainment Group. The company's interests grew to include owned-and-operated theaters, a video distribution division representing top studios and independent companies, and a production arm that made over 60 features distributed worldwide by major studios. Lerner eventually sold Nu Metro to join MGM/United Artists.
In 1992, he moved to Los Angeles and opened Nu Image, Inc., focusing on production and distribution for the home entertainment market. In 1996, he launched Millennium Films, which produces theatrical motion pictures.
Under the Millennium Films label, Lerner has produced such films as Expendables 1, 2, and 3, Rambo IV, Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, Brooklyn's Finest, and The Mechanic.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Boaz Davidson is the Head of Development and Creative Affairs for Millennium Films. He has been with the firm and its parent company, Nu Image, Inc., since 1992. However, he is equally well known as the writer-director of the critically acclaimed worldwide hit film Lemon Popsicle, which debuted at the Berlin Film Festival, receiving its Panorama Audience Award and spawning more than a dozen sequels.
Davidson was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, graduated from London Film School, and moved to the United States in 1979. He joined Cannon Films, where he oversaw production on such films as: Going Bananas, Delta Force, American Cyborg, Salsa; and most notably an American version of Lemon Popsicle titled The Last American Virgin. Today both Israeli and American versions are considered cult classics.
In 1992, Davidson joined Nu Image, Inc. co-founders and played an integral role forming the new independent studio. He continued to write, direct, and produce such films as Looking for Lola, Shadrach, and The Big Brass Ring. In 1996, Nu Image formed Millennium Films, where Davidson has overseen the development and production of such films as The Expendables, Rambo IV, Righteous Kill, 16 Blocks, The Mechanic and Brooklyn's Finest and such forthcoming pictures as The Expendables 2, The Iceman, The Big Wedding, Playing the Field, and The Paperboy, an official selection of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.- Aliza Gur was born Aliza Gross in Ramat Gan, Israel, in 1944. She was Miss Israel of 1960 in the Miss Universe pageant, placing in the top 15. Her parents had fled Germany during the rise to power of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and they eventually settled in Israel, where she and her brother were born.
She emigrated to the US in her 20s and settled in California, where she began her film and television career. Her television credits include guest appearances on Get Smart (1965) and The Wild Wild West (1965), among other shows. Her film credits include From Russia with Love (1963), Kill a Dragon (1967) and the cult vampire film Beast of Morocco (1968) (she was also, at 12 years of age, an extra in The Ten Commandments (1956). Her parents came to the United States and settled in Cleveland, Ohio, for a time. They passed away in the mid-'70s. - Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Gila Almagor was born on 22 July 1939 in Haifa, Palestine [now Israel]. She is an actress and writer, known for Munich (2005), The Summer of Aviya (1988) and Under the Domim Tree (1994). She was previously married to Ya'ackov Agmon.- Ben Astar was born on 15 June 1909 in Palestine [now Israel]. He was an actor, known for Bye Bye Birdie (1963), The Magical World of Disney (1954) and 5 Fingers (1952). He was married to Isabella Milch. He died on 20 October 1988 in Tarzana, California, USA.
- Anne Crawford was born on 22 November 1920 in Haifa, Palestine [now Israel]. She was an actress, known for The Peterville Diamond (1943), The Hundred Pound Window (1944) and Knights of the Round Table (1953). She was married to Wallace Douglas and James Hartley. She died on 17 October 1956 in London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Born in Jerusalem November 4th, 1929. Fourth generation Israeli. Educated at "Alliance" school of Jerusalem. In his teens studied at "Haohel" Theatre Studio. At the age of 15 joined the "Palmach" underground forces and participated in safeguarding the convoys to Jerusalem. Also fought at the "Palyam" (Palmach's Naval section), where he met Dan Ben-Amotz, who was very impressed with his comic talents, and appointed him to his friend Haim Heffer, founder of the "The Cheezbatron", the Palmach's entertainment troupe. Ophir was the first person asked to contribute his multi-talents to the band and became its undisputed star. Besides his many comic pieces, he became a musical performer, singing the band's first songs: "Dahilak Motke" with Naomi Polani, "Inyan Shel Offi" (A matter of character) with Rivka Kramer and "Ani Akiva". He met his first spouse, the singer Ohela Halevi at The Cheezbatron.
Was invited by Marlene Dietrich to join her in creating a show. The great actress also designated him words of admiration in a book written by her. Life magazine defined him as standing in line with Marcel Marceau as one of the world's best mime artists.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Yoram Globus is an Israeli film producer, cinema owner and distributor who is most famous for his association with Cannon Films Inc., a company he ran with his cousin Menahem Golan.
In 1978, Globus and Golan moved to Hollywood and purchased the film production company Cannon (The Cannon Group) for $500,000. By the mid-80s Cannon had produced an average of 40 films a year and had become the largest independent production company in the world with a net worth of over 1 billion dollars. Because of their fast, low-budget style of filmmaking, they earned the nickname "the Go-Go Boys." For years the name Golan-Globus symbolized Hollywood's last moguls and an inspiration corner stone to a new generation of film makers. In addition Golan and Globus opened the foreign market of the world film industry to the United States. Among the films produced by them are Bloodsport (1988) with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) with Christopher Reeve, King Lear (1987) directed by Jean-Luc Godard, Runaway Train (1985), Over the Top (1987) with Sylvester Stallone and Street Smart (1987) with Morgan Freeman. In addition, they acquired the rights to properties like "Spider-Man", Captain America (1990) and more.
With Cannon's success Golan and Globus expanded the group's operations and entered into additional areas. Cannon acquired approximately 1,600 cinemas in Europe and the United States (some of which were acquired in later years by Silvio Berlusconi, who later became prime minister of Italy) Studios, a, film library and additional acquisitions expanded the activities of the Cannon and established it as a leading conglomerate in the world film industry. During these years, Cannon sold their movies by a new strategy invented by Globus, the pre-sale strategy. Substantial pre-sales of the next years' films were made based on the strong salesmanship skills of Globus, and the advertising created by Design Projects. The deposits made from these sales financed production of the first film in the production line-up, which-when completed and delivered to theatre owners around the world-generated enough money to make the next film in the line-up. For this purposes Cannon used to create posters of movies, before they even had a script, and large billboards prominently displayed at the Cannes Film Festival each year.
In 1986, Cannon Films bought Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment (see EMI Films) and the film library for £175,000,000, and Cannon sold its British Film Library Thorn-EMI Screen Entertainment Library which consisted of some 2,000 British films to Weintraub Entertainment Group in for approximately $85,000,000.
In 1989, 39.4% of the shares were acquired by the group Pathé Communications, a holding company controlled by Italian businessman Giancarlo Parretti in the amount of about $250 million. At the same year, Golan, citing differences with both Parretti and Globus, resigned from his position and left Cannon to start 21st Century Film Corporation, while Globus remained with Pathé. Globus and Paretti took over in 1990 through Pathé Communications for the American film company MGM and Yoram Globus became president of MGM.
In 1993, after he produced almost 300 films, Globus returned to Israel and has since focused on Israeli film and television production. His company GG Studios owns a large film and television studio in Neve Ilan, Israel where various Israeli broadcast stations, such as the Israeli News Company. Among its holdings of Israel Yoram Globus, of the Globus Group that includes a private arm Globus that owns the largest TV and film studio (Neveh Ilan) and is responsible for a significant part of film distribution industry (Noah CPP). In addition, Globus holds a public arm Globus Max that owns theaters in Israel. In 1999, Yoram Globus won other Ophir Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Israeli Academy of Film and Television.
In 2014 there were two documentary films released about the story of Golan & Globus in Cannon Films. Ratpac Entertainment released Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014) and The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films (2014), which was launched at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.- Sirhan Sirhan was born on 19 March 1944 in Jerusalem, Palestine [now Israel].
- Godfrey Quigley was born on 4 May 1923 in Jerusalem, Palestine [now Israel]. He was an actor, known for A Clockwork Orange (1971), Barry Lyndon (1975) and Get Carter (1971). He was married to Genevieve Lyons. He died on 7 September 1994 in Dublin, Ireland.
- Actor
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Uri Geller was born on 20 December 1946 in Tel Aviv, Palestine [now Israel]. He is an actor and producer, known for Once Upon a Time in Dublin (2009), An Honest Liar (2014) and Sanitarium (2001). He has been married to Hanna Shtrang since 1979. They have two children.- Tsilla Chelton was born on 21 June 1919 in Jerusalem, Palestine [now Israel]. She was an actress, known for Auntie Danielle (1990), Pandora'nin Kutusu (2008) and The Musketeer (2001). She was married to Jacques Noël. She died on 15 July 2012 in Brussels, Belgium.
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Assi Dayan was born on 23 November 1945 in Moshav Nahalal, British Mandate of Palestine [now Israel]. He was an actor and writer, known for Life According to Agfa (1992), Mr. Baum (1997) and Electric Blanket (1994). He was married to Aarona Malkind, Vered Tandler-Dayan, Caroline Langford and Smadar Kilchinsky. He died on 1 May 2014 in Tel Aviv, Israel.- Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Probably the pre-eminent violinist of our time, Itzhak Perlman is known for his brilliant technique, direct interpretation and precision. Mr. Perlman's recordings include not only all standard violin repertoires but those of contemporary composers. He has appeared with every major orchestra in the world, showcasing his talent at music festivals, recitals, and concerts around the world. The man who plays sitting down has never ceased to bring audiences and truly, the world, to its feet in appreciation of his gifts. Mr. Perlman was born to a barber in Israel in 1945. He contracted polio and lost the use of his legs at the age of four. Shortly after, he began to study the violin. After learning the violin at Shulamit High School in Tel-Aviv, he was performing with the Israel Broadcasting Orchestra. He toured with Ed Sullivan's Caravan of Stars, a showcase of talented children. He emigrated to the US in 1958 and under scholarship, Mr. Perlman went on to study at the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York with Ivan Galamian. Mr. Perlman made his professional debut playing Wienawski F-sharp minor Concerto at Carnegie Hall in 1963. He won the Leventritt Memorial Competition in 1964, which helped paved the way to his illustrious international career. Mr. Perlman returned to Israel in 1965 with a stunning eight concert and in 1968, made his British debut at Festival Hall with the London Symphony Orchestra. On the 4th of July in 1986, Mr. Perlman was one of 12 first-generation US citizens to be honored with the Medal of Liberty by President Ronald Reagan, in recognition and appreciation of his contributions to America. In December 2000, President Clinton awarded Mr. Perlman the "National Medal of Arts." With the Israel Philharmonic, Mr. Perlman performed several notable recitals in countries previously closed off. In November of 1987, the Philharmonic and Mr. Perlman performed in Warsaw and Budapest. It was the first time the Philharmonic and the violinist had performed in the Eastern Bloc. In April and May of 1990, the Philharmonic and Mr. Perlman journeyed to Russia for the first time, performing recitals in Moscow and Leningrad. The timing of this tour coincided with the 150th anniversary of Tchaikovsky's birth and Mr. Perlman honored the composer. In December 1994, Mr. Perlman and the Israel Philharmonic performed in China and India, marking the first time the Philharmonic played in either nation. Perhaps one of his greatest moments as an artist came when he collaborated with legendary composer John Williams. The film score that was created, with Mr. Perlman as a soloist, was used in the film _Schindler's List (1993)_ which won an Academy Award. Ever a teacher and holder of many teaching posts, Mr. Perlman participated in London South Bank Summer Music Series in 1968 and 1969. He created a master class in violin in 1970, at the Meadowbrooks Festival in the US. Mr. Perlman and his wife founded the Perlman Music Program in 1998 to nurture young musicians, ages 11-18. The program is costly but three quarters of the children receive some sort of financial aid. It includes year-round instruction and mentoring, a six-week summer residency on Shelter Island, New York and an annual international study/performance tour. In Mr. Perlman's 50th birthday year, he performed the major violin repertoire in a special concert series in London. That year was the launch of the Perlman Edition to commemorate his birth. The 20 CD set was released in May 1995. It was chosen by Mr. Perlman himself and included some of his favorite pieces by Sarasate, Wieniawski, Kreisler and Tchaikovsky. Later that year, EMI released a live recording of Beethoven's Triple Concerto with Yo-Yo Ma and the Berlin Philharmonic. The holder of honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, and Yeshiva Universities, among others, it's Itzhak Perlman's passion for music that recommends him to the world. The joy of making music has seldom been translated so well and it is this combination of talent and personal charm which makes him such an outstanding violinist and the greatest violin virtuoso of our time.- Born of Ukrainian Jewish immigrant parents in Palestine in 1915, Moshe Dayan joined the Haganah (Defense) the underground Jewish army in Palestine in 1929 with aimed to protect Jewish people from harassment and violence from the Muslim Palestinian population with resented Jewish presense in Palestine. In 1937 Dayan became a sergeant with the Jewish settlement police mobile unit and within a year launched raids against occupying British and local Palestinian troops. Within a year he was captured and imprisoned, but released in 1941 with an offer to join the British army in Palestine in fighting the pro-nazi Vichy French and Arab and German allies. It was during an early engagement in Lebanon that Dayan lost his left eye in combat. Dayan spent the rest of the war recovering from his wounds and slight seeing loss. In 1947 he became an officer in the Haganah for local Arab affairs and in 1948, at the start of the Israeli War for Independence, Dayan became a Colonel in the Israeli Army and saw many actions throughtout 1948. In 1952 Dayan became Chief of Operations in the Israeli army and in 1956 saw the highlight of his military career with the Sinai Campaign against Egypt (October 29-November 5) which his forces captured Sinai and the Gaza Strip. In 1958 he retired from active duty and spent time as a writer, journalist and military advisor. In 1967 Dayan became Minister of Defense for Israel which he was one of those who mastermined the decisive Six-Day War (June 5-10) against Egypt, Jordan and Syria which Israel again won the Sinai, Gaza Strip, as well as the West Bank of Jordan and the Golan Heights. Critized for the Israeli's army unreadness for the Yom Kipper War of 1973 (October 6-24) Dayan resigned as Minster of Defense on June 3, 1974. From 1977 to 1979 he was the Foreign Minster of Israel which he helped negotiate the final peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. Living from then on in virtual retirement, Moshe Dayan died in 1981.
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Amos Kollek was born in 1947 in Jerusalem, Palestine [now Israel]. He is a director and writer, known for Sue (1997), Fast Food Fast Women (2000) and Restless (2008). He has been married to Osnat Shalev since 11 September 1994. They have one child.- Director
- Editorial Department
- Editor
Seth Holt began as an assistant editor at Ealing in 1944, graduating to editor (1949), producer (1955) and director (1958).He returned to editing for Charles Crichton's The Battle of the Sexes (1960) and for Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960). Probably his best known film is The Nanny (1965), with Bette Davis. He was working on Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971) when he died.- Actor
- Writer
- Composer
Arik Einstein was born on 3 January 1939 in Tel Aviv, Palestine [now Israel]. He was an actor and writer, known for Florentine (1997), Metzitzim (1972) and Lo Kolel Sherut (1990). He was married to Sima Eliyahu and Alona Einstein. He died on 26 November 2013 in Tel Aviv, Israel.- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Yehoram Gaon was born on 28 December 1939 in Jerusalem, Palestine [now Israel]. He is an actor and writer, known for Operation Thunderbolt (1977), I Am a Jerusalemite (1971) and Sabri Maranan (2011).- Eddie Carmel's abnormal growth started when he was a teenager. He suffered from acromegaly because of a pituitary gland tumor that was incurable at the time. As an adult, the only work he could find involved exploiting his freakishness. With his best friend, Irwin Sherman, they worked together as stand-up comedians in New York.
Carmel starred in a B-grade monster movie (The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)) and made two 45-rpm records ("The Happy Giant" and "The Good Monster"). He joined the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baliey Circus from 1961 to 1968. They presented him as "The World's Greatest Giant" and "The Tallest Man on Earth." His height was billed at 8' 9" (a 14-inch exaggeration). He very much wanted to be respected for his talent and said, "I'd like someday to reach the point when I'm known as the reverse Mickey Rooney."
He developed severe kyphoscoliosis (abnormal curvature of the spine) at the time of his death that shortened his height to about 7 feet (213 cm). Eddie died at the age of 37 in Montefiore Hospital. - Amos Oz was born on 4 May 1939 in Jerusalem, Palestine [now Israel]. He was a writer, known for A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015), Black Box (1993) and The Little Traitor (2007). He was married to Nily Zuckerman. He died on 28 December 2018 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Cinematographer
Yitzhak Rabin was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974-77, and from 1992 until his assassination in 1995.
Rabin was born in Jerusalem to Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe and was raised in a Labor Zionist household. He learned agriculture in school and excelled as a student. He led a 27-year career as a soldier and ultimately attained the rank of Rav Aluf. As a teenager he joined the Palmach, the commando force of the Yishuv. He eventually rose through its ranks to become its chief of operations during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. He joined the newly formed Israel Defense Forces in late 1948 and continued to rise as a promising officer. He helped shape the training doctrine of the IDF in the early 1950s, and led the IDF's Operations Directorate from 1959 to 1963. He was appointed Chief of the General Staff in 1964 and oversaw Israel's victory in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Rabin served as Israel's ambassador to the United States from 1968 to 1973, during a period of deepening U.S.-Israel ties. He was appointed Prime Minister of Israel in 1974 after the resignation of Golda Meir. In his first term, Rabin signed the Sinai Interim Agreement and ordered the Entebbe raid. He resigned in 1977 in the wake of a financial scandal. Rabin was Israel's minister of defense for much of the 1980s, including during the outbreak of the First Intifada.
In 1992, Rabin was re-elected as prime minister on a platform embracing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. He signed several historic agreements with the Palestinian leadership as part of the Oslo Accords. In 1994, Rabin won the Nobel Peace Prize together with long-time political rival Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Rabin also signed a peace treaty with Jordan in 1994. In November 1995, he was assassinated by an extremist named Yigal Amir, who opposed the terms of the Oslo Accords. Amir was convicted of Rabin's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Rabin was the first native-born prime minister of Israel and was the only prime minister to be assassinated and the second to die in office after Levi Eshkol. Rabin has become a symbol of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.- Yusef Bulos was born on 14 September 1940 in Jerusalem, Palestine [now Israel]. He is an actor, known for The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Awakenings (1990) and Simon (1980).
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George Spiro Dibie was born on 15 November 1931 in Jerusalem, Palestine [now Israel]. He was a cinematographer and producer, known for Growing Pains (1985), Just the Ten of Us (1987) and Dudley (1993). He was married to Daniele Parker. He died on 8 February 2022 in Encino, California, USA.- Edward Said was born on 1 November 1935 in Jerusalem, Palestine [now Israel]. He was a writer, known for The Myth of 'The Clash of Civilizations' (1998), Great Performances (1971) and The Other (1999). He was married to Mariam Said and Maire Jaanus. He died on 25 September 2003 in New York City, New York, USA.
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- Camera and Electrical Department
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Hanania Baer was born on 24 September 1943 in Palestine [now Israel]. He is a cinematographer and producer, known for Masters of the Universe (1987), ABC Afterschool Specials (1972) and CBS Schoolbreak Special (1984).- Actor
- Director
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Eli Cohen was born on 18 December 1940 in Hadera, Palestine [now Israel]. He is an actor and director, known for Under the Domim Tree (1994), The Summer of Aviya (1988) and Hora 79 (2013).- Actor
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Oshik Levi was born on 7 April 1944 in Palestine [now Israel]. He is an actor, known for The Policeman (1971), Operation Black September (1976) and Florentine (1997).- Cinematographer
- Director
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Nurith Aviv was born on 11 March 1945 in Tel Aviv, Palestine [now Israel]. She is a cinematographer and director, known for Des mots qui restent (2022), Yiddish (2020) and Lettre errante (2024).- Actor
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Carlo Mossy was born in October 1946 in Tel Aviv, Palestine [now Israel]. He is an actor and producer, known for As Massagistas Profissionais (1976), Bonitas e Gostosas (1979) and Boa Sorte, Meu Amor (2012).- Ghassan Kanafani was born in Acre, Palestine - while it still was Palestine. His father was a lawyer. Right before the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli War the whole family fled north. After living in a Lebanese village just by the border, in hope of a possibility of returning they moved to Syria after the borders were closed due to the cease fire agreement, and finally settled down in Damaskus. Young Ghassan had to help feeding his family of eight. By taking part of evening classes he graduated in 1955.
He then moved to Kuwait, like many Palestinians before him. It was there he began to write. His writing illustrated the life of the Palestinian people. Their miserable lives. Their exile. And later on; their struggle. In 1961 he moved to Beirut, Libanon. Their he wrote his most famous novel; Men under the sun. It was later made to a movie by the name al-Makhdu'un, or The Dupes.
Alongside his writing career, he was a activist for the Palestinian cause. He was a member of dr. George Habash's Arabic Nationalist Movement (ANM) faction, which later became Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). 1963 Kanfani became editor in chief of ANM's newspaper, al-Muharrir. In 1967 ANM became PFLP. They made Marxism-Leninism their official ideology. Two years later, Kanafani founded the new movements official newspaper, al-Hadaf (The Target). al-Hadaf still exists, as the official voice of PFLP.
The 8th of July, 1972 Kanafani entered his car as he was headed for the office for al-Hadaf. The car was rigged with a bomb, and he died instantly. His pen was as threatening to Israel as the guerrillas rifles, if not more. His legacy lives on among the Palestinians, and he is considered one of the greatest modern Arabic authors. - Actor
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Yaron London was born on 24 August 1940 in Tel Aviv, Palestine [now Israel]. He is an actor and writer, known for London et Kirschenbaum (2003), Scouting Patrol (1967) and The War After the War (1969).- Actor
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Avni Dilligil was born in 1908 in Haifa, Palestine [now Israel]. He was an actor and director, known for Oglum için (1950), Evlat acisi (1954) and Benli Emine (1960). He was married to Nezahat Tanyeri and Belkis Dilligil. He died on 21 May 1971 in Istanbul, Turkey.- Actress
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Rivka Michaeli was born on 14 April 1938 in Palestine [now Israel]. She is an actress and writer, known for Elisha (2015), Muchrachim Lehiyot Same'ach (2005) and Where Do You Live? (2015).- Actress
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Anne Marisse was born on 15 December 1935 in Palestine [now Israel]. She was an actress and writer, known for Graduation Day (1981), Haunts (1976) and High Street (1976). She was married to Herb Freed. She died on 18 February 1984 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Tuvia Tzafir was born on 31 December 1945 in Tel Aviv, Palestine [now Israel]. He is an actor, known for Sabri Maranan (2011), Snooker (1975) and Ha-Chartzufim (1996).
- Ariel Sharon was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006.
Sharon was a commander in the Israeli Army from its creation in 1948. As a soldier and then an officer, he participated prominently in the 1948 Palestine war, becoming a platoon commander in the Alexandroni Brigade and taking part in many battles, including Operation Bin Nun Alef. He was an instrumental figure in the creation of Unit 101 and the reprisal operations, as well as in the 1956 Suez Crisis, the Six-Day War of 1967, the War of Attrition, and the Yom-Kippur War of 1973. Yitzhak Rabin called Sharon "the greatest field commander in our history".
Upon retirement from the military, Sharon entered politics, joining the Likud party, and served in a number of ministerial posts in Likud-led governments in 1977-92 and 1996-99. As Minister of Defense, he directed the 1982 Lebanon War. An official enquirer found that he bore "personal responsibility" for the Sabra and Shatila massacre and recommended that he be removed as Defense Minister. His role in the massacre led to him being known as the "Butcher of Beirut" among Arabs.
From the 1970s through to the 1990s, Sharon championed construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He became the leader of the Likud in 2000, and was elected Prime Minister of Israel after defeating Ehud Barak in the 2001 prime ministerial election. He served as Israel's prime minister from 2001 to 2006, during the Al-Aqsa Intifada. As Prime Minister, Sharon orchestrated Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2004-05. Facing stiff opposition to this policy within the Likud, in November 2005 he left Likud to form a new party, Kadima. He had been expected to win the next election and was widely interpreted as planning on "clearing Israel out of most of the West Bank", in a series of unilateral withdrawals. After suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006, Sharon remained in a permanent vegetative state until his death in January 2014.
Sharon remains a highly polarizing figure in Middle East history. Israelis almost universally revere Sharon as a war hero and statesman who played a vital role in defining the country's borders. Palestinians revile Sharon as a war criminal, who suppressed their aspirations for statehood. - Actress
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Zaharira Harifai was born in December 1929 in Jaffa, Palestine [now Tel Aviv, Israel]. She was an actress, known for Jellyfish (2007), 5 and 5 (1980) and Sallah Shabati (1964). She was married to Shlomo Shva. She died on 2 January 2013 in Tel Aviv, Israel.- Mahmoud Abbas was born on 26 March 1935 in Safed, Mandatory Palestine [now Israel]. He is married to Amina Abbas. They have three children.
- Ehud Barak was born on 12 February 1942 in Kibbutz Mishmar Ha-Sharon, Palestine [now Israel]. He was previously married to Na'ava Barak.
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Ehud Manor was born on 13 July 1941 in Binyamina, Palestine [now Israel]. He was a composer and writer, known for The Band (1978), Lo Kolel Sherut (1990) and Turn Left at the End of the World (2004). He was married to Ofra Fuchs. He died on 12 April 2005 in Tel Aviv, Israel.- Producer
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Maurice Kanbar was born on 1 March 1929 in Palestine [now Israel]. He was a producer and actor, known for Hoodwinked! (2005), All About Dad (2009) and The Surrogate (2020). He died on 20 August 2022 in San Francisco, California, USA.- Moshe Weinberg was born on 19 September 1939 in Haifa, Mandatory Palestine [now Israel]. He was married to Mimi Weinberg . He died on 5 September 1972 in Munich, West Germany [now Germany].
- Moshe Safdie was born on 14 July 1938 in Haifa, Palestine [now Israel].