Born in Missouri. Wonderfully talented actress of stage and screen, often specializing in eccentric or neurotic character types. Most of her work was on stage, but she appeared in some great films. Considered by many to be one of the greatest American actresses of all time. Won eight Academy Award nominations.

Given name: Donna Mae Tjaden; born in Tacoma, Washington. Actress / singer / comediene on stage, screen and television. I will always remember her singing and dancing "Stereophonic Sound" with Fred Astaire in Silk Stockings.

Born in Winfield, Kansas. Loveable, jovial, rotund, gravelly-voiced actor / comedian of the 1930s and 1940s. Generally played second leads, and was very popular with audiences. Began on stage and worked in silent films, but wasn't really noticed until the sound era.

Born in Newark, New Jersey. Stammering, nervous, hand-wringing character actor of the 1930s and 1940s. Often seen as clerks, hotel managers and assistants of various sorts.

Born in Yorkshire, England. Refined, prissy, often sardonic character actor. Generally played butlers and clerks.

Born in Canada. Character actress, generally playing sweet and slightly naive young ladies. She is best remembered today as Andy Hardy's sister Marion, though she did play many other roles.

Given name: Eleanor Jean Parker; born in Ohio. Attended the Rice Summer Theatre on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts and Pasadena Playhouse in California. Superb actress, with a wide range of abilities. Though she appeared in dozens of films, she's best remembered today as Baroness Schraeder in The Sound of Music.

Given name: Samuel Lawrence Parks; born in Olathe, Kansas. Actor; best remembered for his exceptional portrayal of Al Jolson in The Jolson Story and Jolson Sings Again. Married to actress Betty Garrett. Admitted to being associated with the Communist Party during the McCarthy hearings, which effectively ended his (and Garrett's) career in 1951.

Given name: Helen Parrish; born in Georgia. Began as a child actress on screen, and made the transition to adulthood fairly smoothly. Probably best remembered today as Deanna Durbin's nemesis in several films. Died of cancer at a young age.

Born in Roanoke, Virgina. Actor / singer / director / producer in many 20th Century-Fox musicals of the 1940s. Payne was a professional singer before entering the acting profession in the mid-1930s. Later he worked mostly in Westerns.

NOTE: There is more than one John Payne.

Given name: Alicia Pearce; born in New York, NY. Actress / comediene on stage, screen and television.

Given name: Eldred Gregory Peck; born in La Jolla, California. One of the giants of film! Dropped out of medical school to try his hand at acting. Worked on stage in New York, then signed by RKO. An outstanding actor - one of the all-time best. His best-known film is probably To Kill a Mokingbird (1963).

Given name: Jacob Pincus Perelmuth ; born in New York. Opera star at the New York Met.

Given name: J. Pinter; born in Hungary. Popular radio comedian. After RKO featured him in New Faces of 1937, the studio began starring him in musical comedies. His career was really blossoming when he died in his sleep of a heart attack on January 10, 1941.

see also Composers P: Penner, Joe

Given name: Marion Pepper; born in New York, New York. Actress; began her career as a Goldwyn Girl.