Movie Star Mystery Photo

Posted on October 2, 2009 by lmharnisch

Sept. 28, 2009,
Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Richard Quine and first his wife, Susan Paley, 1942.

Richard Quine, 68, Film Director, Dies of

Gunshot Wound

June 13, 1989
By EDWARD J. BOYER, Times Staff Writer

1945_0102_susan_peters Film director Richard Quine, whose string of comedy hits included "My Sister Eileen," "Solid Gold Cadillac" and "Bell, Book and Candle," has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Los Angeles police said Monday.

Quine, 68, died Saturday at UCLA Medical Center, hospital officials said.

Police said the one-time child actor-turned director had been despondent over poor health.
An actor's son, Quine was born Nov. 12, 1920, in Detroit and made his movie debut at age 12. His acting credits include "Jane Eyre" in 1934 and "Command Decision" in 1948 with Clark Gable.
Quine made the switch to directing shortly after World War II, while he was still a contract player for MGM. He and a friend, William Asher, who also became a successful director, decided to adapt a Saturday Evening Post short story for the screen.

Columbia Pictures head Harry Cohn heard about the adaptation, called Quine in and asked how much the two men wanted for the script. When Quine said they did not want to sell it, but wanted to direct it themselves, Cohn responded: "How the hell do you think you can make a picture?"
Later, another Columbia executive told Quine, "Mr. Cohn tells me you're going to direct a picture."
There was no indication that the adapted story, "Leather Gloves" actually made it to the screen, but Quine did go on to direct more than two dozen movies.

His films included the 1954 remake of "So This Is Paris" starring Tony Curtis and Gloria DeHaven; "The World of Suzie Wong," starring William Holden, in 1960; the 1964 comedy "Sex and the Single Girl," starring Natalie Wood, Lauren Bacall and Henry Fonda; "The Solid Gold Cadillac," starring Judy Holliday and narrated by George Burns, in 1965, and "Hotel" in 1967.

He also directed James Stewart, Kim Novak and Jack Lemmon in "Bell, Book and Candle" in 1958, an adaptation of the successful Broadway play about a New Yorker who falls in love with a neighbor who is a witch.

"Making a movie is a bit like having a baby," he once said. "All you can hope for is that it won't have two heads and that it will be an entity in itself: who cares if it's a girl or a boy?"

There was no immediate indication of funeral arrangements or survivors for Quine, who was married at least three times.

1947_0706_susan_peters01

July 6, 1947: Susan Peters, Quine's second wife, returns to acting after being partially paralyzed in a gun accident.

1947_0706_susan_peters02

Just a reminder on how this works: I post the mystery photo on Monday and reveal the answer on Friday … or on Saturday if I have a hard time picking only five pictures; sometimes it's difficult to choose. To keep the mystery photo from getting lost in the other entries, I move it from Monday to Tuesday to Wednesday, etc., adding a photo every day.

I have to approve all comments, so if your guess is posted immediately, that means you're wrong. (And if a wrong guess has already been submitted by someone else, there's no point in submitting it again).

If you're right, you will have to wait until Friday. There's no need to submit your guess five times. Once is enough. The only prize is bragging rights. 

The answer to last week's mystery star: Hall Bartlett!

Setp. 29, 2009, Mystery Photo Los Angeles Times file photo Sept. 28, 1960: Richard Quine and Kim Novak at the premiere of “A Song Without End.”

Here's our mystery fellow with (not much of a) mystery companion. Please congratulate Carmen, Paul Cardinal, Jenny McCrank, "Laura" fan Waldo Lydecker and Jeff Hanna for identifying him.

Sept. 30, 2009, Mystery Photo Los Angeles Times file photo
April 13, 1965: Richard Quine and his wife, Fran Jeffries, at the Cocoanut Grove.

Here's another picture of our mystery guest — with a mystery companion. Please congratulate Dewey Webb, Sue, Nancy Price, Sandy Reed, Kris, Michael Ryerson, Cinnamon Carter, JM Green, Rosalyn, Zabadu, Pat in Michigan, Christa, Cold in Phx, William, Zapgun, Pocho, Jane Ellen Wayne, Roget-L.A. and Alexa Foreman for identifying him. 

Oct. 1, 2009, Mystery Photo Los Angeles Tim
es file photo

July 18, 1966: Richard Quine on the set of “Hotel.”

Here's another photo of our mystery guest. Please congratulate Pat van Hartesveldt, Elsie, Benito, Mike Hawks and Mary Mallory  for identifying him.

Unknown's avatar

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
This entry was posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Obituaries. Bookmark the permalink.

58 Responses to Movie Star Mystery Photo

  1. Carmen's avatar Carmen says:
    September 28, 2009 at 9:08 am

    Virginia Gilmore and Richard Quine

    Like

  2. Paul Cardinal's avatar Paul Cardinal says:
    September 28, 2009 at 9:17 am

    Richard Quinne

    Like

  3. Jenny McCrank's avatar Jenny McCrank says:
    September 28, 2009 at 9:47 am

    Actor/Director Richard Quine?

    Like

  4. Greg Clancey's avatar Greg Clancey says:
    September 28, 2009 at 9:48 am

    The man or the woman?

    Like

  5. Cold in PHX's avatar Cold in PHX says:
    September 28, 2009 at 10:00 am

    Is he Robert Hutton?

    Like

  6. Cynthia K.'s avatar Cynthia K. says:
    September 28, 2009 at 10:19 am

    Carole Cook & Jimmy Stewart

    Like

  7. Flo Myers's avatar Flo Myers says:
    September 28, 2009 at 10:39 am

    Wendall Corey

    Like

  8. waldo lydecker's avatar waldo lydecker says:
    September 28, 2009 at 11:48 am

    It’s actor turned director Richard Quine and I believe the female to be Anne Gwynne.

    Like

  9. Jeff Hanna's avatar Jeff Hanna says:
    September 28, 2009 at 4:47 pm

    The man is Richard Quine.

    Like

  10. gary martin's avatar gary martin says:
    September 28, 2009 at 8:36 pm

    I think she is Gale Robbins, but I am so fascinated by her penciled V-Neck I can’t really get a good look at her. He is Instantly Forgetable a young Rko player.

    Like

  11. william's avatar william says:
    September 28, 2009 at 10:45 pm

    susanna foster

    Like

  12. Lee Rivas's avatar Lee Rivas says:
    September 28, 2009 at 11:43 pm

    Dennis Day??

    Like

  13. Lana's avatar Lana says:
    September 29, 2009 at 5:12 am

    Jim Hutton

    Like

  14. gerald mccann's avatar gerald mccann says:
    September 29, 2009 at 8:43 am

    Audie Murphy?

    Like

  15. Rogét-L.A.'s avatar Rogét-L.A. says:
    September 29, 2009 at 9:33 am

    Richard Quine

    Like

  16. Jane Ellen Wayne's avatar Jane Ellen Wayne says:
    September 29, 2009 at 9:41 am

    Richard Quine

    Like

  17. Pocho's avatar Pocho says:
    September 29, 2009 at 9:56 am

    Richard Quine

    Like

  18. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    September 29, 2009 at 9:57 am

    IS Richard Johnson, Novak’s husband from 1965-1966?

    Like

  19. zapgun's avatar zapgun says:
    September 29, 2009 at 9:58 am

    Looks like Richard Quine.
    By the way, long time no see. I have a lot of trouble finding the Mystery Photo page. There seems to be no obvious link, and bookmarking the page doesn’t really work.

    Like

  20. william's avatar william says:
    September 29, 2009 at 10:10 am

    kim novak

    Like

  22. Cold in PHX's avatar Cold in PHX says:
    September 29, 2009 at 10:14 am

    Richard Quine with Kim Novak

    Like

  23. Christa's avatar Christa says:
    September 29, 2009 at 10:33 am

    Richard Quine?

    Like

  24. Elsie's avatar Elsie says:
    September 29, 2009 at 11:28 am

    Clifton Young

    Like

  25. Pat in Michigan's avatar Pat in Michigan says:
    September 29, 2009 at 11:31 am

    Richard Quine

    Like

  26. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:
    September 29, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    Well the lady in the second pic is obviously Kim Novak looking proud (and with good reason) and I believe the gentleman is Richard Quine.

    Like

  27. Unknown's avatar zabadu says:
    September 29, 2009 at 12:21 pm

    Richard Quine?

    Like

  28. Earl Boebert's avatar Earl Boebert says:
    September 29, 2009 at 12:52 pm

    Richard Johnson?

    Like

  29. Rosalyn's avatar Rosalyn says:
    September 29, 2009 at 1:28 pm

    Richard Quine

    Like

  30. jm green's avatar jm green says:
    September 29, 2009 at 2:26 pm

    richard quine

    Like

  31. Cinnamon Carter's avatar Cinnamon Carter says:
    September 29, 2009 at 2:59 pm

    I think this is director Richard Quine.

    Like

  32. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:
    September 29, 2009 at 3:15 pm

    Oh, and I completely forgot to add the lady in the first photograph would be Quine’s first wife Susan Peters in happy times. A tragic story if ever there was one.

    Like

  33. Kris's avatar Kris says:
    September 29, 2009 at 3:40 pm

    Richard Quine

    Like

  34. SandyReed's avatar SandyReed says:
    September 29, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    Richard Quine

    Like

  35. Alekszandr's avatar Alekszandr says:
    September 29, 2009 at 5:28 pm

    Ross Hunter?

    Like

  36. william's avatar william says:
    September 29, 2009 at 7:06 pm

    Ed Sullivan

    Like

  37. Nancy Price's avatar Nancy Price says:
    September 29, 2009 at 7:13 pm

    Richard Quine

    Like

  38. Sue's avatar Sue says:
    September 29, 2009 at 7:33 pm

    Richard Quine

    Like

  39. Allison Berntsen's avatar Allison Berntsen says:
    September 29, 2009 at 7:45 pm

    Richard Johnson?

    Like

  40. gerald mccann's avatar gerald mccann says:
    September 30, 2009 at 8:38 am

    Richard Todd?

    Like

  42. Arye Michael Bender's avatar Arye Michael Bender says:
    September 30, 2009 at 9:56 am

    Tossing in this guess from another planet: Paul Mantee (‘Robinson Crusoe on Mars’)?

    Like

  43. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:
    September 30, 2009 at 10:01 am

    And the third photograph is Quine with his second wife the noted chanteuse Fran Jeffries.

    Like

  44. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    September 30, 2009 at 10:25 am

    It is Richard Quine. The first photo is he with his wife Susan Peters. the second with Kim Novak, the star of the movie he directed, “Bell, Book, and Candle.” the current photo was his second wife Fran Jeffries. Are you trying to give everyone a chance by running LA Times photos the last two weeks that anyone could find by using your archive or Proquest?

    Like

  45. Michael Christian's avatar Michael Christian says:
    September 30, 2009 at 10:44 am

    Richard Quine

    Like

  46. Mike Hawks's avatar Mike Hawks says:
    September 30, 2009 at 11:00 am

    The man is Richard Quine w/Fran Jeffries.

    Like

  47. benito's avatar benito says:
    September 30, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    Richard Quine. I recognized Fran Jeffries as his mystery companion and looked up her spouses. They worked together on Sex and the Single Girl, which contains this gem of advice from Tony Curtis to Natalie Wood: If you swallow the martini fast, it will bypass your metabolism and you won’t get drunk.

    Like

  48. Elsie's avatar Elsie says:
    September 30, 2009 at 4:18 pm

    Richard Quine

    Like

  49. Pat van Hartesveldt's avatar Pat van Hartesveldt says:
    September 30, 2009 at 6:10 pm

    Richard Quine?

    Like

  50. Dru Duniway's avatar Dru Duniway says:
    October 1, 2009 at 9:40 am

    Richard Quine

    Like

  51. rick's avatar rick says:
    October 1, 2009 at 10:50 am

    Richard Quine

    Like

  52. Angus's avatar Angus says:
    October 1, 2009 at 11:01 am

    Richard Quine, seen as actor and more famously, as a fine director.

    Like

  53. Claire Lockhart's avatar Claire Lockhart says:
    October 1, 2009 at 11:24 am

    Richard Quine

    Like

  54. Karen's avatar Karen says:
    October 1, 2009 at 2:52 pm

    Richard Quine

    Like

  55. Edward Cradduck's avatar Edward Cradduck says:
    October 1, 2009 at 5:21 pm

    I’ll guess it’s Ken Hughes???

    Like

  56. Megan's avatar Megan says:
    October 1, 2009 at 7:17 pm

    Richard Quine.

    Like

  57. zapgun's avatar zapgun says:
    October 1, 2009 at 8:51 pm

    The dark-haired mystery gal in the third photo looks like Fran Jeffries.

    Like

  58. Edward Cradduck's avatar Edward Cradduck says:
    October 2, 2009 at 8:59 am

    Yea, I see it’s Richard Quine.

    Like

Comments are closed.