Dan Duryea was a rare actor who had the knack of creating an impressive array of characters from a limited range of emotions. He used this array in different combinations and frequencies to create heroes and villains from the same patterns. It was a matter of degree pertaining righteous behavior versus malicious cowardice. Sometimes, the touches were subtle; other times they were stark contrasts. That meant there were times when tags like hero and villain meant nothing. Duryea's unique style was highlighted in classic dramas, crime noirs, pulp westerns, soap opera romances and low budget independents from the 40's to the late 60's. "The Little Foxes" started a film career in 1941 that continued until 1967 with "The Bamboo Saucer," a Cold War science-fiction adventure. He also had a television resume that covered all of the dramatic, comedy and western genres of the 50's and 60's, including his own exotic adventure show in the 50's and a recurring role in a 60's prime time soap opera. Not a bad set of credits for someone who once described himself as "a bread and butter actor." The irony of Dan Duryea's career is the man who created a roster of scoundrels, connivers, murderers and thieves was actually a mild man who enjoyed a fulfilling home life and a marriage that lasted thirty six years and produced two sons. He shied away from the Hollywood social scene, choosing to enjoy his hobbies, which were building boats and racing yachts on Lake Arrowhead.

No one exemplifies the angst of the Depression era street kid more than The Dead End Kids. They were the stars of Sidney Kingsley's 1935 play, Dead End and reprised their roles in Samuel Goldwyn's 1937 Hollywood film version. The movie defined the theme of slum dramas for the juvenile rebellion films of subsequent decades. The Dead End Kids were Billy Halop, Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan, Leo Gorcey, Gabriel Dell and Bernard Punsly. The best of their films were the gangster movies where the boys collided with the likes of Humphrey Bogart in Dead End and Crime School, James Cagney in Angels with Dirty Faces and John Garfield in They Made Me a Criminal. They bandied about light weights like Ronald Reagan in lackluster efforts like Hell's Kitchen and Angels Wash Their Faces before being reformed by a military academy in On Dress Parade. Their original reign was short lived, not because they ran out of steam but because they had to be toned down because of public criticism. It didn't matter because The Dead End Kids mutated into several splinter groups that starred in various configurations of the original members for the next quarter century, carving out a unique niche in motion picture history. One of the uncharted tributaries of this history is the solo careers of the actors who played the Dead End Kids. There were careers of mixed blessings after the initial stardom and each member faced and dealt with the typecasting dilemma in different ways and various degrees of success. There was plenty of heartbreak and disappointment along a way that started with Dead End in 1935 and ended with Dr. Bernard Punsly's death in 2004. Beyond Dead End: The Solo Careers of The Dead End Kids chronicles a saga of mixed blessings where each member faced and dealt with the typecasting dilemma in different ways and various degrees of success

Mamie Van Doren's steamy image and silky elegance was magnified in popular pin-ups and pocket magazines. She was a Vargas Girl in Esquire magazine in 1951. Her photos and glossies have appeared in '50s pocket magazines like Vue, Tempo and Modern Man and fanzines such as Picturegoer and Photoplay. In 1964, she appeared in Playboy to publicize 3 Nuts in Search of a Bolt. Her portfolio includes studio publicity stills, popular magazine spreads, bathing suit teases and nude studies. She was also a prolific film actress. Welcome to The Films of Mamie Van Doren!