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Tall and athletic, and possessed of "movie star" good looks, John Hart acted on the stage of the renowned Pasadena Playhouse as a young man, before making his screen debut in a supporting role in director Cecil B. DeMille's big-budget The Buccaneer (1938). With these physical assets and early acting credentials, the native Los Angeleno seemed bound for bigger and better things but military service slowed his momentum: Returning to Hollywood after World War II, he found himself back at the proverbial starting line. Hart soon fell into the low-budget Western and serial rut, but he served with distinction in many youth-oriented productions: He was the perfect embodiment of radio-comic strip hero Jack Armstrong in a 1947 serial, rode the Western plains in 52 episodes of TV's The Lone Ranger (1949) (playing the Masked Man) and brought life to James Fenimore Cooper's courageous frontiersman Hawkeye in TV's Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans (1957). In more recent years, he worked behind-the-scenes (as a cameraman, post-production supervisor, dubbing supervisor, etc.).

Pat Paulsen was a comedian specializing in satire who thrived on television in the late 1960s. The highlight of his career came in the watershed year 1968 when - emulating Gracie Allen''s quixotic 1940 Presidential bid as the Surprise Party candidate - he launched his own campaign for the U.S. presidency on the STAG (Straight Talking American Government) ticket. His campaign started out as a filmed gag run weekly on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," lampooning the pretensions of American politicians. One sequence had Pat making a campaign stop, unfolding the small ladder-stool he used to stand on while speaking to the voters, and addressing an empty rail-yard. Since there was a camera there, it didn't really matter, as Newt Gingrich found out in his own rise in politics in the 1980s, when he made a name for himself addressing speeches to members of the House in an empty chamber. Since it was filmed by Congressional video cameras, it appeared Gingrich was taking on powerful people who were, in reality, not even there. As a politician, Pat Paulsen was ahead of his time.

Patrick Layton Paulsen was born on July 6, 1927 in South Bend, Washington, a small fishing town, to.Beulah Inez (Fadden) and Norman Inge Paulsen, who worked for the Coast Guard. His father was a Norwegian immigrant and his maternal grandmother was English. The family moved to California when he was 10, and after graduating from high school, Pat joined the U.S. Marine Corps during the waning days of World War II. Demobilized after the war, Paulsen worked a variety of jobs, including postal clerk, truck driver, hod carrier, and miner. Two jobs that prepared him for the campaign trail that lay in his future were Fuller brush salesman, toiling door to door selling his product with a smile on his face, and photostat operator, making numerous copies of documents. He attended San Francisco City College on the G.I. bill. After his college studies, Paulsen joined an acting company before forming a comedy trio that included his brother Lorin (who continues to entertain with a one man show as Abraham Lincoln). Paulsen went solo after the trio broke up, and established himself during the late 1950s and early 1960s, performing in clubs featuring folk music and satiric comedy inspired by the likes of 'Jean Shepherd (I)' and 'Mort Sahl'. A guitarist, he delivered comedic monologues at some of the hottest clubs on the circuit, including Los Angeles' Troubadour and San Francisco's Purple Onion.

His shtick was similar to that of Tom Smothers and his brother Dick Smothers, "The Smothers Brothers," whom he met while performing at The Purple Onion. Paulsen sold them two songs for $40, and the two acts would become forever linked in the public consciousness. Eventually, when "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" premiered on CBS-TV in 1967, Paulsen was one of the cast members. Long before there was a news desk at Saturday Night Live, the Smothers Brothers' show featured Paulsen as an editorialist, providing double-talk commentary on the issues of the day.

At the urging of the Smothers Brothers, Paulsen launched his 1968 Presidential campaign. The emphasis of the campaign was comedy, but lurking below the surface was serious commentary. Satire was what closed on Saturday night, but Paulsen brilliantly managed to slip satire into his comedy, without the abrasiveness of Sahl or Lenny Bruce. He was sending up the professional politicians, peppering his campaign talks with obvious lies, double-talk, and tongue-in-cheek attacks on the "real" candidates. His work as the "reel" candidate of the tumultuous, frequently absurd political year that was 1968 was the highlight of his career and gave him a place in the national consciousness and history. For his work on "The Smothers Brothers' Comedy Hour," he was awarded a special Emmy Award in 1968.

After The Smothers Brothers were canceled due to their outspokenly liberal politics in 1969, Paulsen rebounded with his own show, "Pat Paulsen's Half-a-Comedy Hour." The show was innovative and very funny, but times had changed and the mass audience was no longer receptive to Pat's brand of satire, which laid bare the foibles of the American people and their culture. It was canceled after half a season.

Pat ran another bid for the presidency by entering the New Hampshire primary in 1972, but his time had passed. He did continue to work regularly, appearing in nightclubs, theaters, and conventions throughout the country. He also appeared each summer at the Cherry County Playhouse Muskegon, Michigan, which he co-owned. At the theater, he produced and starred in 25 plays, including "The Fantastics", "The Odd Couple", "Harvey" and "The Sunshine Boys."

Pat Paulsen was too good to ever be forgotten, and he received the International Platform Association's prestigious "Mark Twain Award" for his outstanding work in the field of comedy. Prior winners included Art Buchwald, Mark Russell and Steve Allen. On April 24, 1997, Pat died in 1997 from pneumonia after an 18-month battle with colon cancer. He was 69 years old.

Eleazar Garcia Jr. was born on 13 December 1957 in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. He was an actor and director, known for Le firmé un contrato al diablo (2010), Jugandose la vida (1984) and Dos michoacanos vs. dos colombianos (2000). He died on 12 December 2011 in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Gil Robbins was born on 3 April 1931 in Spokane, Washington, USA. He was an actor, known for Cradle Will Rock (1999), Dead Man Walking (1995) and Savior (1998). He was married to Mary Robbins. He died on 5 April 2011 in Esteban Cantú, Tecate, Baja California, Mexico.

René Cardona III was born on 1 April 1962 in Mexico City, Mexico. He was a director and actor, known for Shriek of Terror (1991), Fray Justicia (2009) and Un brillante propósito (2009). He died on 16 May 2021 in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Mary Robbins was born on 11 December 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She was an actress, known for Dead Man Walking (1995) and Cradle Will Rock (1999). She was married to Gil Robbins. She died on 17 April 2011 in Esteban Cantú, Tecate, Baja California, Mexico.

Coretta Scott King was born on 27 April 1927 in Marion, Alabama, USA. She was married to Martin Luther King. She died on 30 January 2006 in Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico.

John Langley was born on 1 June 1943 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Cops (1989), Brooklyn's Finest (2009) and Cocaine Blues (1983). He was married to Maggie Langley. He died on 26 June 2021 in Baja California, Mexico.

Carmen Scarpitta was born on 26 May 1933 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. She was an actress, known for La Cage aux Folles (1978), Casanova (1976) and Vestire gli ignudi (1979). She died on 26 April 2008 in Cabo San Lucas, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

In the mid 1950s Monna Bell was barely in her teens when she took part in a singing contest held at Radio Minerias, then Chile's most popular radio station. Her voice and style won over the listeners and she became a regular at the station's live music shows. She was praised by her ability to sing both romantic ballads and swinging jazz tunes and blues, rare qualities in a Latin artist. Sometime in 1956 she was asked by prestigious band leader Roberto Inglez to join his group as a vocalist for a 3-week stint at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. Miss Bell and the band had such a success that they stayed for a whole year in the Big Apple. From there they toured Europe but in Madrid the young vocalist decided to go solo after receiving an attractive offer from that city's best night club the Pasapoga. Monna Bell at the Pasapoga was a huge success and she became a favorite of Spanish audiences.

By 1959 she was recording for Hispavox a repertoire of romantic songs which included a cover of The Platter's "My Prayer" (Rogar), the theme song from the Hollywood film "Anastasia" and a Spanish version of "Woman in Love" (Una Mujer Enamorada) from "Guys and Dolls." That same year she was invited to appear at the First Spanish Song Festival held at Benidorm, a beach resort in Alicante, Spain, and her rendition of a jazzy novelty tune titled "Un Telegrama" made quite sensation winning the top award. Her recording of "Un Telegrama" became an international hit both in Europe and Latin American making Monna Bell a top recording star. From then on, it was hit after hit for the vocalist including "La Montaña," "Silencio Corazón," "Aun Te Sigo Amando," "Envidia," "Tómbola" and many others which spread her fame all over the world. She recorded with orchestras led by top musicians such as Augusto Algueró Jr., Gregorio García Segura and Bebo Valdés.

Monna Bell combined her recording activities with live performances and television work. Between 1962 and 1964 Mexican film producers featured her in three films just to take advantage of her popularity as a singer. Around this time, she settled in Mexico and married cinematographer Alex Phillips Jr. The marriage did not last long but it produced a daughter and a son. Monna's reputation as a hit maker followed her for many years and in 1968 she left the Hispavox label and signed with Mexico's Musart. However, the Musart sessions relayed heavily on Spanish covers of American and British hits and although these assured her air play on Spanish language radio stations everywhere, the excitement of the first years was gone. In the 1970s she left Musart and signed with Orfeon where mediocre material, bad arrangements and worst production values sabotaged her career. Not even the dismal 1977 disco-version of her "Un Telegrama" mega-hit could revive the popularity of one of the most gifted vocalists in Latin music history. There were also rumors of blacklisting by Televisa, a monopoly which, at that time, extended its influence on Mexican television, radio, recording, night clubs, printed press, etc. In the 1980s it seemed her career had run out of steam and Miss Bell was reported as "living happily in retirement". She was quickly forgotten by both the public and the music industry, ignoring the facts that she had one of the greatest voices of the century and had served as inspiration to a whole new generation of singers and songwriters.

Among these was the top Mexican composer-singer Juan Gabriel who tried to remedy the situation by luring Miss Bell out of retirement to appear as a guest star in some of his shows, both in Latin America and in the United States. He even built a guest villa for Monna in his enormous living compound in New Mexico so that she could vacation there whenever she felt like it. The relationship became an enduring friendship and offered the promise of a grand return for Monna Bell but it never happened. In 1993 Miss Bell recorded for Sony "Monna Bell Ahora," an album composed and produced by Juan Gabriel which went into oblivion as soon as released. Juan Gabriel blamed Sony for failing to promote the album properly, but critics pointed out that the selection of songs was the main culprit in the debacle. One critic wrote: "Miss Bell's voice is as great as ever and her interpretation retains the genius that made her a legendary vocalist, but there's not much she, or anyone else, can do with this boring material."

The hopes for a true artistic return vanished on April 21, 2008. While recovering from a successful colon cancer surgery, Monna Bell died of cerebral hemorrhage at a hospital in Tijuana, Baja California, where she was residing to be close to her daughter and grandchildren.

Eric Gale was born on 20 September 1938 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for One False Move (1991), Scorned (1993) and Uncaged (1991). He was married to Masako Murakami-Gale. He died on 25 May 1994 in Baja California, Mexico.

Guillermo Larrea was an actor and writer, known for Rito terminal (2000), The Last Death (2011) and Crímenes de pasión (1995). He died on 7 August 2014 in Cabo San Lucas, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Mavourneen O'Brien was born on 17 May 1934 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was married to Max David Garten. She died on 12 December 2020 in Baja California, Mexico.

Agustin Villegas was born on 11 April 1941 in Mexico City, Mexico. He was an actor, known for El contrabando del paso (1980), La carpa del amor (1979) and Las musiqueras (1983). He died on 6 May 2020 in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Luis Donaldo Colosio was born on 10 January 1950 in Magdalena de Kino, Sonora, Mexico. He was married to Diana Laura Riojas. He died on 23 March 1994 in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Hercules was rescued 2004 in Las Vegas when he was just six weeks old. Hercules was a destructive puppy during his first nine months of life and was almost adopted to a family when Shorty moved from Las Vegas to San Francisco. Shorty decided not to give Hercules away, and the rest is history!

After some intense training, Hercules became Shorty's closest companion. When Shorty injured his back, Hercules was trained as his second service animal; Geisha is his first. Hercules' training as a service animal and entertainment dog was a complete success for Shorty.

On his first day as a service animal, Hercules traveled by train. From the start, he acted as if he'd doing this for years. Switching trains, Hercules encountered his first challenge. The train system had delays due to technical problems; this led to overcrowding. Hercules completely was surrounded; as he could do nothing, he sat still and slept the entire ride.

Upon arrival at the train station, Hercules and Shorty caught a San Francisco cable car. Once again, Hercules acted as if he'd been doing this for years. Following his cable-car trip, Hercules and Shorty said their prayers at a local church, and then they had play time in Washington Square Park. Then, they went to lounge and drink wine with old "paisons." Once the break was over, they took a mini bus back to the train station to return home. Not bad for a day's work!

Hercules does all sorts of service-dog work and also attends charity events. He's also a performer having been in film, commercials and television. With chaos and excitement frequently surrounding him, Hercules always is pleased to be around people.

Hercules has become the number one service animal in Shorty's group. He has traveled all over the country and promoted himself in a positive light...even thought pit bulls usually have such a bad rap. Hercules certainly has established himself in the LA scene.

Pedro Pietri was born on 21 March 1944 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He was an actor, known for It Could Happen to You (1994), Fresh Kill (1994) and Piñero (2001). He died on 3 March 2004 in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Rosita Vásquez was born on 2 December 1933 in Isla de Margarita, Venezuela. She was an actress, known for Hacia la luz (1961), Sacrificio (1967) and Sol de tentacion (1996). She died on 4 November 2021 in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.

Gilberto Valenzuela was born on 27 February 1935 in Sahuaripa, Sonora, Mexico. He was an actor, known for No soy monedita de oro (1959) and El moro de Cumpas (1977). He died on 27 February 2021 in Mexicali, Baja California Norte, Mexico.

Dianna Cyrus Bixby was born on 30 September 1922 in Ventura, California, USA. She is known for The Betty White Show (1952). She was married to Robert Elliot Bixby and John Volney Cyrus. She died on 2 January 1955 in Loreto, Baja California, Mexico.

Paco Mufote was born on 6 August 1975 in Navojoa, Sonora, MX. He was an actor, known for El Porvenir (2011), People From Another Planet (2018) and The Chosen One (2023). He died on 16 June 2022 in Mulege, Baja California, Mexico.

Johnny Dinamo was an actor, known for Los endemoniados del ring (1966). He died on 9 March 2009 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.

Mike Doyle was born on 7 March 1941 in Lawndale, California, USA. He was a writer, known for Morning Glass, The Living Curl (1965) and Free and Easy (1967). He was married to Annie Marie. He died on 30 April 2019 in San Jose Del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Leslie Sole was a producer and executive, known for Glenn Martin DDS (2009). Leslie died on 5 November 2018 in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico.

Barry Chapman was born on 20 June 1948 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was an actor, known for Antitrust (2001), Agent Cody Banks (2003) and An Unfinished Life (2005). He died on 2 November 2017 in San Jose Del Cabo, Baja California, Mexico.