Gary Cooper was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, as well as an Academy Honorary Award in 1961 for his career achievements. He was one of the top-10 film personalities for 23 consecutive years and one of the top money-making stars for 18 years. The American Film Institute (AFI) ranked Cooper at number 11 on its list of the 25 greatest male stars of classic Hollywood cinema.
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is 75 kilometres long and 1,125 square kilometres in area, making it the second largest of the Samoan Islands by area. With approximately 145,000 inhabitants, it is by far the most populous of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the southeast of Savai'i, the "big island". Apia, the capital, is in the middle of the north coast, and Faleolo International Airport at the western end of the island. The island has not had any historically recorded eruptions, although there is evidence of three lava flows, dating back only to between a few hundred and a few thousand years ago.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a 1998 British black comedy crime film written and directed by Guy Ritchie, produced by Matthew Vaughn and starring an ensemble cast featuring Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Steven Mackintosh and Sting, with Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham in their feature film debuts.
Gene Barry was an American stage, screen, and television actor and singer. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films The Atomic City (1952) and The War of The Worlds (1953) and for his portrayal of the title characters in the TV series Bat Masterson and Burke's Law, among many roles.
Fireside Theatre is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Early episodes (1949-55) were low-budget and often based on public domain stories. While the series was dismissed by critics, it remained among the top ten most popular shows for most of this period. For the 8th season (1955–56) Jane Wyman became the host and producer making it only the second filmed prime time network drama anthology to be hosted by a woman. Later episodes (1955–58) were written by important freelance television writers such as Rod Serling, Aaron Spelling and Gene Roddenberry. It predates the other major pioneer of filmed television production in America, I Love Lucy, by two years.
Le Mamea Matatumua Ata was one of the framers of the Constitution of Samoa. He held senior positions under the German colonial government of Samoa, New Zealand Trusteeship of Samoa and in the Independent State of Samoa.
Suspense is a 1946 American ice-skating-themed film noir starring Barry Sullivan and former Olympic skater Belita, with Albert Dekker, Bonita Granville, and Eugene Pallette in support. At a cost of 1.1 million dollars, it was considered the most expensive film put out by Monogram Pictures.
Barry Cuthbert Jones was an actor seen in British and American films, on American television and on the stage.
Matautu is the name of different villages in Samoa. Places named Matautu are found on the two largest islands, Upolu and Savaiʻi.
South Sea Woman is a 1953 American black-and-white action-comedy-drama film starring Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo and Chuck Connors, and directed by Arthur Lubin. It was based on the play General Court Martial by William M. Rankin with the working title being Sulu Sea. The picture was written by Edwin Blum.
Lefaga is a village district on the south west coast of the island of Upolu in Samoa. The American movie Return to Paradise (1953), starring Gary Cooper was filmed at Matautu village in Lefaga. The 50th anniversary celebrations of the making of the movie took place in Lefaga in November 2003.
Victor John Rodger is a New Zealand journalist, actor and award-winning playwright of Samoan and Pākehā heritage. Rodger's play Sons won acclaim at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards (1998) and received the Best New Writer and Most Outstanding New New Zealand Play awards. In 2001, he won the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award. Other plays include Ranterstantrum (2002) and My Name is Gary Cooper (2007), produced and staged by Auckland Theatre Company and starred a Samoan cast including Robbie Magasiva, Anapela Polataivao, Goretti Chadwick and Kiwi actress Jennifer Ward-Lealand.
Matautu is a village in the large traditional settlement of Lefaga in Samoa. The village is situated on the south west coast of Upolu island and is part of the Lefaga ma Faleaseela Electoral Constituency which forms part of the larger A'ana political district.
Return to Paradise (1951) is a collection of short stories written by American author James A. Michener. The collection is a sequel to the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Tales of the South Pacific, the collection that launched his career in 1947. In Return to Paradise, Michener revisits the islands and cultures of the South Pacific in the late 1940s, combining factual descriptions and tales set in such exotic places as Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia.
Aggie Grey was born in Western Samoa in 1897 and died in 1988. She was a well-known hotelier and founder of Grey Investment Group and Aggie Grey's Hotel.
Roberta Haynes was an American actress who was active from 1947 until 1989.
The Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey's Hotel & Bungalows is a historic hotel in Apia, Samoa.
Tualaulelei Mauri was a Western Samoan chief and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly between 1943 and 1961, and as Minister of Lands and Minister of Agriculture between 1956 and 1961.
Hans Edward KruseOS was a Samoan civil servant, actor, and rugby player.
