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Mystery Photos: Who Am I? (Part 2)

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Last week, we posted on this blog 30 photos that the Library of Congress is attempting to ID.  We were overjoyed by the response we got!  Thank you to all!  Now in our second (and last) post, we have here 30 additional photos also in need of a “solution.”  As always, “clicking” on the thumbnail below will increase the photo in size.  Please add your comments below and we will update this blog as the photos are positively ID’ed or quality suggestions come in. Many thanks!

  1. We’ve had several guesses for this guy–Lawrence Gray, Grant Withers….?  But, so far, nothing has stuck.  Who do you think it is?  SOLVED:  Don Terry!

2.  We have several shots of this young lady but, sadly, no name to put with her face.

SOLVED:  Dancer and dance teacher Marianne Politte.

3.  We know this photo was taken by Katherine Russell Bleecker, the first female cinematographer in film history.  Does anyone recognize the men in the picture or, if it is from a film what film?

4.  Well, these two are ice skaters and she’s dressed like a car.  Hopefully that will assist everyone in finding out who–and what–they are.

SOLVED!:  From an “Ice Capades” show, “Motorama,” c. 1955.  Thanks, Fred M.

5.  The code in the lower corner of his still says “SS: KOD,” perhaps the initials of the film it is from.  Note also the large cake (?) aflame in the center of the photo.

SOLVED!:  “The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart” (1970)–Thank you, Paul!

6.  The name of gentleman at his desk may never be learned but you never know, so we have posted it here.

UPDATE:  There is a certificate on the wall behind this gentleman from the Sesostris organization but we haven’t had any luck zooming in on it.  And, when we reached out to the Sesostris group, they were not able to ID the man.

7.  Quite possibly a silent film actor or early stage star.

SOLVED!:  This is silent film director Charles Brabin.

8.  Due to the glasses on this guy we may never learn a name.  But we will ask.

SOLVED:  Also Don Terry!

9.  This is a photo of a painting signed “Kepler.”  Who is Kepler?  And was this painting perhaps used in a film?

SOLVED:  This is a painting titled “Fixin’ Fences” by the PA Amish artist Luther F. Kepler, Jr.

10.  This man might be a character actor, a film exec or a business man.  We don’t know…

11.  This is a pretty lady in a unique hat–but what is her name?

SOLVED!:  The lady with the feather in her hat is Cynthia Lynn.  The late Ms. Lynn was best known for her role in “Hogan’s Heroes.”

12.  This lady took a tumble on her skis.  Might it be Andrea Leeds (as has been suggested)?

13.  Yes, another somewhat odd photo that is–probably–not from a film.  Still, does anyone recognize this women or, perhaps, the mural that is behind her?

SOLVED!:  This is artist Toni Truesdale, c. 1975, working on a mural she painted in Harrisburg, PA.

14.  We assume this woman is from New York based, obviously, on what she’s holding, but who she is is yet to be learned.

15.  This has been a “fun” one.  On the back of the photo it appears someone has scribbled “Virginia” and it has a date on it, stamped, April 9, 1946.  But we haven’t been able to figure out any more.

SOLVED!:  Former Powers Model Virginia H. Hopkins.

16. Maybe this lady is an actress, a singer….?

17.  Could this be Edwina Booth? Jeannette Loff? Or neither?

18.  This might be a make-up how-to shot (note the 3D effect on her forehead).  On the back is a stamp that reads “Ashley & Assoc.” plus a non-working NYC phone number.

19.  We don’t know the name of this gent either–is he behind the scenes talent or perhaps an author?

SOLVED:  This is the late film producer Larry Brezner.

20.  We wonder if this is the handsome actor Bill Cable, who played, among other roles, the handsome murder victim at the start of “Basic Instinct”?

SOLVED!:  Yes, this is indeed, the late Bill Cable.

 

21.  We aren’t sure that this is a “celebrity” at all but we thought we’d ask.  It might just be a “stock shot” that made it into this collection.  We are open to your thoughts.

22.  The background is Austria, but who is the woman in the foreground?

SOLVED!:  This Joan Vadeboncoeur, longtime entertainment reporter and film reviewer for the “Syracuse Post-Standard.”

23.  At first, we thought this was a proposed film set, but now we think it might have been a proposal for a new Cineplex.  Does anybody recognize this from their home town?

SOLVED!:  This is a rendering of Pulsations nightclub in Glen Mills, PA.

24.  Left to right are Karyn Parsons, the artist formerly known as Terrence Trent D’Arby and then actress Lori Petty.  But who is the woman on the end?

SOLVED:  The lady on the end is fashion designer Pamela Barish.

25.  We think this might be vaudeville star Stella Mayhew.  What say you?

SOLVED!:  This is silent film actress Nina Romano.

26.  We don’t know either of these men standing in front of the plane.

SOLVED (PARTIALLY):  The man on the left is conductor Frederick Prausnitz.  We don’t know the man next to him…yet.

27.  We believe the actor on the right is Bob Custer, silent Western star.  Who is the actress next to him?

SOLVED:  This is from the 1924 film “Flashing Spurs.”

28.  We don’t know who this studious looking man is either.

SOLVED!:  Fred Foy, long-time narrator for “The Lone Ranger” and other radio series.

29.  The man on the far left is actor Howard De Silva.  We don’t know the names of the other two men with him.  (There is a date on the back of this photo:  Jan. 19, 1973 and a stamps that reads “SHERLOCK,” perhaps the photographer.)

30.  Is the man behind the camera Ben Maddow….?

To see the “mystery photos” we posted last month–many still waiting “solutions”–see the link below:

Who Am I?

 

 

 

Comments (37)

  1. Photo #1 is definitely Don Terry, most likely from one of the Columbia adventure films in 37-38.

  2. #1 is actor Fred Macmurray.

  3. #27: could she be Mary Beth Milford? There’s a resemblance, and she made several pictures with Custer…

  4. #11 reminds me quite a lot of a young Marina Vlady, who knows…

    #18 i swear that i have seen that picture (and that lady) in some book about the punk/new wave scene of NY between the 70s and 80s….

  5. Being an Egyptologist I was struck by the framed photograph on the wall which says “Sesostris Temple” (and the half visible one next to it also has an Egyptian theme). I just wonder if this has anything to do with the Shriners or Shrine Masons whose fraternity is now known as “Sesostris Shrine”. Perhaps one of them may be able to help identifying the man in your picture. See https://www.sesostrisshrine.org/vnews/display.v/SEC/About%20Us%7CHistory

  6. I believe that number five is Stan Laurel’s wife Virginia Ruth Rogers.

  7. I’m sure it’s been noted that the framed testimonial in photo #6 is from a Shriners temple in Roca, Nebraska. The gentleman probably is, or was, a member of that shrine.

  8. For #6, ask these guys and they may be able to track it down. The certificate on his wall appears to be a Shriner thing from this Temple: https://www.sesostrisshrine.org/

  9. #12 make me think of a young Ava Gardner, without make-up. Same teeth, same hair, same cheekbones, same dimple in the chin…

  10. Number 5 is THE MAGIC GARDEN IF STANLEY SWEETHEART (1970) (the SS in question). It is a party towards the end of the film. Believe the music played during this scene is called Blood by David Lucas. Don Johnson plays Stanley. There are a lot of candles in the middle, yes, but not I believe a cake.

  11. Looks like one of the young women that was a helper of DiegoRivero . She is From Mexico and I think her picture is in Detroit files .

  12. Regarding #18, there was a Ted Ashley and Associates agency from 1945-1950. This photo may be a model they represented.

  13. #2 looks like model Paulina Porizkova when young. Eyes, eyebrows, lips, general face shape similar.

  14. Is #1 John Dall (the one from Rope)? He looks similar

  15. #26 looks a lot like Peter Boyle playing Carl Lazlo/Oscar Acosta in Where the Buffalo Roam

  16. A couple of us on the Reddit thread think number two looks like a young Alexa Davalos.

  17. I want to say #21 is the late 80’s R&B star Perri “Pebbles” Reid.

  18. #1 is absolutely Andy Griffith! If you do a Google image search Andy Griffith young you’ll agree!

  19. I agree with a person above, I think #12 could very well be Ava Gardner.

  20. #13 Judging from the lack of paint on her clothes or person and the somewhat stagy look of the paint on her apron, I believe she is a model, stand-in, or whatever – not actually painting. Looking at the mural, the way her dark hair is parted, etc. I think this was for a movie, maybe unrealized, that included Frida Kahlo.

  21. #28 – In 1946, Howard Da Silva was in the Basil Rathbone/Sherlock Holmes film TERROR BY NIGHT. Perhaps this is a gathering associated with Sherlock Holmes films?

  22. #12 is not Leeds nor Gardner, I believe it’s just someone playing in the snow.

  23. #11 Dorothy Appleby
    #15 Could be an adult Virginia Weidler.

  24. 26. Nell Shipman? left hollywood stardom to make independent silent films in the Idaho wilderness.

    Regards, Jack Durham

  25. My comment should have been about #27 – not #26

  26. #20 is definately not David Essex

  27. #27 looks a lot like Florence Lee. She was in Man Rustlin’ from 1926 with Bob Custer.

  28. No 29-photo. The man in the middle could it be Ron Silver?

  29. Regarding #29:

    In March of 1973, Howard DaSilva did a one-man show in Syracuse (my hometown), portraying Sholem Aleichem. I think he might also have been a visiting instructor at the university’s drama department, though I’m not real confident about that.

    Anyway, there was indeed a photographer named John Sherlock who for many years worked at The Post-Standard in Syracuse.

    I can’t identify the other two guys, but I suspect the photo might have been taken at Syracuse China, which was a big company in town for many years. Perhaps DaSilva was touring the place (my class toured it once) for publicity purposes, and maybe the other two guys were with Syracuse China. That would at least explain why DaSilva is paying so much attention to the cup. That company did really fine work.

  30. #27 – How about Marguerite Clayton? She was in Flashing Spurs (1924) with Bob Custer and has the same dimpled chin as the woman in the picture.

  31. Is the woman in #24 Lynnie Green? She wrote a couple of episodes of Lush Life, and resembles the woman in the picture.

  32. To add to #30 Mark Murphy’s comment re PHOTO 29 (Howard Da Silva).

    I see HDS was at Syracuse in early 1973 doing the Brecht “Galileo” with the Repertory group (and campus drama), opening March 2nd, and also the one-man Aleichem show—newspaper says one performance only, March 7th.

    [Syracuse Post-Standard, 1/20/73: “DaSilva Welcomes New Role” by

    I wouldn’t know a think about Syracuse China, but MM’s supposition sure sounds promising!

  33. 21 looks a lot like the singer, Brenda K. Starr.

  34. Number 14 looks like Diana Rigg.

  35. Could #21 be Val Young?

  36. #14 Looks like a young Abbey Dalton.

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