Herschell Gordon Lewis
Only one film-maker can claim the title "Godfather of Gore." That peculiar but apt identification seems to be the exclusive property of Herschell Gordon Lewis. With an unusual background that included teaching English Literature to college students, producing and directing television commercials, and voicing radio and television commercials, Herschell literally - and single-handedly - established the "Splatter Film" category of motion pictures. He accomplished this by writing and directing (including the musical score) a mini-budget movie titled "Blood Feast," shot in Miami in 1963 and released theatrically the following year. As critics lambasted the primitive effects and inattention to script and sub-par acting, audiences flocked to theaters to see why friends who had reacted to the movie's fiery marketing campaign had said, "You gotta see this." Armed with boxoffice grosses, Herschell and his producer-partner David Friedman quickly decided to build onto their newly-discovered base. Herschell wrote and directed "Two Thousand Maniacs." The lead singer of the musical group hired to perform background music had a tenor voice. Herschell had written the title song, "The South Gonna Rise Ag'in." He wanted a baritone, and without hesitation he made the switch: the voice on the sound track is his. After their third splatter film, "Color Me Blood Red," David Friedman moved to California, engaging in a different type of motio0n picture. Herschell continued to grind out one success after another, with titles such as "The Gruesome Twosome," "The Wizard of Gore," and "The Gore-Gore Girls." When major film companies began to invade his splatter-turf, Herschell took a hiatus, shifting full time to his "other career," writing advertising and mailings for marketers worldwide. He became one of a handful of experts to be inducted into the Direct Marketing Association's Hall of Fame. (Author of 32 books on marketing including the classic "On the Art of Writing Copy," Herschell is often called on to lecture on copywriting, just as he is invited to sing the theme from "Two Thousand Maniacs" at horror film festivals.) Over the years, an unusual reality came into place: Herschell's old films continued to play not just on TV screens but in theatres, years after conventional movies would have disappeared altogether. The result has been renewal of his life as a film director. Thus it is that a new Herschell Gordon Lewis movie is hoving into view: "Herschell Gordon Lewis's BloodMania," produced by James Saito in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and planned for 2015 release. Both the producer and the director encapsulate their opinion of "Herschell Gordon Lewis's BloodMania" in a single word: Enthusiastic.
Hersh Powers
Hersh Powers is an actor, known for Potato Dreams of America (2021) and Sadie (2018).
Hersha Verity
Hersha Verity was born in March 1987 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), The Power (2023) and Any Dream Will Do (2007). She has been married to Johno Verity since 4 October 2014.
Hershel Blatt
Hershel Blatt is an actor and producer, known for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) and What Would Sal Do? (2017).
Hershel Peppers
Hershel Peppers was born on February 4, 1971 in New York City, New York, USA. He is known for Equals (2015), Death Stranding (2019) and The Next Generation Patoreibâ: Shuto kessen (2015).
Hershie De Leon
Hershie De Leon is known for #DoYouThinkIAmSexy (2022), Virgin Forest (2022) and Putahe (2022).
Hershy Fishman
Hershy Fishman is an actor, known for Menashe (2017) and Tzadeikis (2020).
Herson Capri
Herson Capri was born on November 8, 1952 in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. He is an actor and director, known for Marighella (2019), Rock Story (2016) and Desejos de Mulher (2002). He has been married to Susana Garcia since 1996. They have three children.
Herta Ware
The meek, gamin, child-like aura and unassuming tiny frame of this veteran character lady belied a surprising survivor instinct and strong, liberal fortitude. Herta Ware Schwartz was born on June 9, 1917 in Wilmington, Delaware, to Helen (Ware), a musician and violin teacher, and Laszlo Schwartz, an actor. Her father was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant from Budapest, and her mother, a violinist was a many-generations American of colonial stock. Her maternal grandfather was a union activist who joined the Socialist Party in America during the early 1900s, her maternal grandmother was labor organizer and socialist Ella Reeve Bloor, and her uncle was activist Harold Ware. . A guitarist and folk singer in the Washington D.C. area, she moved to New York City and began acting in the early 1930s. She made her Broadway debut in the 1935 leftist play "Let Freedom Ring" co-starring future husband Will Geer, whom she married in 1938. The couple appeared together in other New York plays as well, including "Bury the Dead" (1936), "Prelude" (1936), "200 Were Chosen" (1936) and "Journeyman (1938). The politically-minded couple relocated to Los Angeles in the early 1940s and settled in Santa Monica where Geer pursued a movie career. The couple had three children -- all future actors Kate Geer, Ellen Geer and Thad Geer. In 1951, the passionately liberal Geer was blacklisted by Hollywood during the McCarthy era for taking the Fifth Amendment and refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Financially strapped and with his film career destroyed, they eventually lost their Los Angeles home. Herta fortunately had bought five acres of land in Topanga Canyon in preparation for the fallout of their political activism. Thanks to Geer's degree in botany, the couple was adept in cultivating their land and subsisted by selling vegetables, fruit, and herbs. Years later, Geer and Ware co-founded the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum on their Topanga Canyon property. The theater became an outdoor performance space for politically-targeted writers, singers and actors to continue to hone and indulge their creative skills. Outspoken friends and performers such as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger frequently came to their aid and often promoted/performed in their outside productions. The burgeoning theater officially opened as a summer theater in 1973. Although Will and Herta divorced back in 1954, the two remained steadfast friends personally and professionally. She was, in fact, at Geer's bedside when he passed away of a respiratory ailment in 1978. After his death, Ware, her family, and a small troupe of dedicated actors tirelessly dedicated their energies to transforming the Theatricum into a professional repertory theatre, with educational programs and musical events incorporated into its programs. The theatre's artistic directorship was turned over to actress/daughter Ellen Geer. Herta remarried near the end of 1954. She and actor/singer David Marshall had one child, actress Melora Marshall, before divorcing in 1978. In the 1970's, the veteran actress had a surprising career resurgence and made her on-camera debut in the film The Memory of Us (1974) that starred ex-husband Will and daughter Ellen. A sprinkling of silver-haired, sweet old lady characters followed, including those in The Black Marble (1980), Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype (1980), 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), Slam Dance (1987), Promised Land (1987), Dirty Laundry (1987), Critters 2 (1988), Dakota (1988), Soapdish (1991), Lonely Hearts (1991), Top Dog (1995), Species (1995), St. Patrick's Day (1997), Practical Magic (1998), The Politics of Desire (1998), Cruel Intentions (1999), Held Up (1999), Beautiful (2000), and Desperate But Not Serious (2000). Her best remembered role was as the altruistic wife of grouchy oldster Jack Gilford in the popular senior citizen film Cocoon (1985), directed by Ron Howard, and its sequel, Cocoon: The Return (1988), directed by Daniel Petrie. Herta also moved into TV roles. Among those credits, she played Capt. Jean Luc Picard's mother in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), as well as appearing on such established programs as "Knot's Landing," "Highway to Heaven," "Scarecrow and Mrs. King," "Amazing Stories," "Beauty and the Beast," "Cagney & Lacey," "The Golden Girls," " The Munsters Today" and "Tracy Takes On... ." The veteran actress published her own memoir "Fantastic Journey, My Life with Will Geer" in 2000 and continued performing for a time at the Botanicum as the "Matriarch of the Topanga Community." Many of her children and grandchildren have gone on to becoming steady performers at the Botanicum. Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, she died of complications in Topanga on August 15, 2005. Her ashes, as those of ex-husband Geer, were spread at the outdoor theatre.
Hertrech Eugene
Hertrech Eugene is known for Gymkhana 2020: Ultimate Hometown Shred (2020), Climbkhana: Pikes Peak (2017) and Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge (2023).
