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