Nocturna Bios
All bios taken from the film's press kit, except for Sy Richardson's, which was lifted from his Official Site.
NAI BONET
(Star and Executive Producer of "Nocturna ")
Nai Bonet has worked in the world of entertainment as an actress, dancer and singer since she was thirteen, when she headlined in a show at the famed Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Since then she has performed in opera, films, television, legitimate theatre, night clubs and on records.
Miss Bonet's opera appearances include a stint with The Lyric Opera Company of Philadelphia, where she was featured as a solo dancer in "Aida," and the San Antonio Opera Company, where she appeared in "Salome," performing the "Dance of the Seven Veils."
Cinema buffs will recall seeing Miss Bonet in lead roles in "The Soul Hustlers" and "The Seventh Veil," as well as featured in such films as "Fairy Tales," "The Soul of Nigger Charlie," "The Spy With the Cold Nose" and "John Goldfarb, Please Come Horne. "
Nai's television appearances are numerous. They include singing and/ or dancing spots on the Johnny Carson Show, the Merv Griffin Show and "The Beverly Hillbillies," as well as in many commercials.
Although she had been greeted with rave reviews at such top night clubs as The Latin Quarter in New York, the Concord Hotel at Kiamesha Lake, New York, The Eden Rock Hotel in Miami Beach and the Mocambo in Montreal, Miss Bonet gave up her successful career as a night club performer in order to concentrate on acting and filmmaking.
Unhappy at being typecast as an "exotic-looking" actress and finding little work because of her unusual looks, Nai Bonet decided that the only way to get the right film role was to build her own project around her unique talents. Starting with her original story about the beautiful granddaughter of Dracula, Miss Bonet succeeded in raising the funds necessary to produce her New York based film, "NOCTURNA," of which she is the executive producer as well as the star.
JOHN CARRADINE
John Carradine made his Broadway singing debut in "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" at the Alvin Theatre. Previously, he appeared on Broadway in "The Madwoman Of Chaillot," the City Center production of "Time Of Your Life" as Kit Carson, "Volpone," "The Cup Of Trembling," "The Leading Lady" and "The Duchess Of Malfi."
He has frequently appeared in various Shakespearean roles, both with the Pasadena Playhouse and with his own touring repertory company . He also toured in his own one-man show.
On the screen, he has acted in more than four hundred films, since his debut in 1936, among them "Stage Coach," "The Grapes Of Wrath," "Around The World In 80 Days" and "The Ten Commandments."
Mr. Carradine was born in New York, and studied to become a sculptor. He first went to Hollywood as a scene designer for Cecil B. DeMille. He will shortly appear in a new motion picture together with his actor sons, David and Keith Carradine.
YVONNE DE CARLO
Miss De Carlo's first major film success was universal's "Salome, Where She Danced,· in which she played the new discovery, referred to as "The most beautiful girl in the world."
Miss De Carlo has appeared in 72 films having played opposite such leading men as Burt Lancaster, Rock Hudson, Clark Gable, Charlton Heston and John Wayne.
Well trained in dance, voice and drama, Miss De Carlo's stage credits include David Merrick's "Destry Rides Again," "Enter Laughing" with Alan Arkin on Broadway and in Los Angeles, "Pal Joey" and "Little Me" in Las Vegas, "No, No Nanette" in Australia, the touring company of "Hello, Dolly!" in which she played the title role, the Broadway and West Coast productions of "Follies," and the starring role in "Applause" for the San Francisco Civic Light Opera.
Additionally, Miss De Carlo starred in the popular television series "The Munsters." She has appeared in top night clubs all over the world.
In the past few months she has appeared in variety and situation comedy specials and most recently starred in the CBS Gala unveiling the new Hollywood sign.
"Nocturna" is Miss De Carlo's 73rd film.
ANTONY HAMILTON
Tony Hamilton, who portrays "Jimmy," is a British-trained Shakespearean actor who received his early training and experience with the famed Birmingham Repertory Company in Britain performing in such productions as "Romeo and Juliet," "The Tempest" and "The Picture of Dorian Gray." A blonde, blue-eyed leading man, Hamilton was also active in British and Australian television where he performed as a dancer and was also a weekly performer on a major program called, "Southern Stars."
Hamilton makes his motion picture debut in "Nocturna" as the disco musician whose tenderness and love transforms the vampire Nocturna into a woman with human emotions.
BROTHER THEODORE
If the term "black humorist" had never been invented, Brother Theodore would have had to coin the phrase. The blackest of black humorists, Brother Theodore was born in Germany of well-to-do parents, close friends of Albert Einstein who resided in their home for a three month period in the early 1930' s. And it was Professor Einstein who sponsored young Theodore's entry into the United States in 1941.
Taking any jobs he could get to support himself, Theodore was, in turn, an elevator operator in New York and a janitor at Stanford University in California where he played chess in the evenings with 30 professors simultaneously! His wife, whom he married when she was 15 years of age came to the United States shortly thereafter and joined Theodore as a shipyard worker during the early years of World War II.
Brother Theodore turned to entertainment in the early 1950's appearing on college lecture series and as a television talk show guest. He has appeared a record-breaking 30 times on the Merv Griffin Show, and has been a regular guest on the Jack Paar and Dick Cavett shows.
"NOCTURNA" is Brother Theodore's first motion picture, a medium he hopes to continue exploring. In the meantime, he is most active on the college circuit and in local night spots in the New York area where he currently resides.
SY RICHARDSON
Sy Richardson recently was recurring in the twelve Emmy nominated series "PUSHING DAISIES", and his Fed Ex, Super Bowl Commercial “PIDGEON was a 2008 Emmy nominated commercial. Sy Richardson won the 2007 Best Actors Award at the 168 Hour Christian Film Festival.
Richardson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Chicago Illinois. He attended fourteen elementary schools, five high schools, three colleges and spent seven year driving for the Chicago Transits Authority. After two years on active duty with the United States Navy. He had an epiphany. “An artist is a free spirit and boredom is a breath away from the grave.”
He started singing at twelve and wrote and recorded his first record with Lil June and the Januarys at sixteen. In his mid-twenties, Sy & Lil June and the Januarys formed their own recording company called Trans World Sound. Life slapped him in the face and he knew it was time to further his education.
Sy graduated from UC Boulder with a BS in Journalism specializing in advertising. After a short stint with several Colorado newspapers, he opted to act and joined the Heritage Square Opera House in Golden Colorado. He performed in vaudeville shows and Olios from Salt Lake City Utah to St. Louis Mo for two years. Boredom set in and Sy trek to Hollywood.
He has appeared in over seventy movies, fifty television shows and sixty plays. Richardson career reach another level after meeting and working with Alex Cox on Repoman and Straight to Hell, which was his first lead role. He is on the Repoman Soundtrack CD performing Bad Man and Performing A Town Called Big Nothing with Elvis Costello on the Out Of Our Idiot CD. His career has taken him to film locations from the US, to Europe, South America and Australia. Searcher 2.0. is the seventh film with friend and director/writer Alex Cox.
Sy wrote the original screenplay " Posse" He self-published five books African American Actors (how to live and work in Hollywood), 60 Questions (a busy actors guide for building characters), Cold Reading Made Simple, The Popcorn Cook Book and PEP (prayer education & persistence) for Christian Entertainers. Sy has traveled around the United States doing lectures on How to Live in Work in Hollywood and PEP for Christian Entertainers
Sy wrote, directed and produced three shorts films Last Chance, Us Against Them and Familiar Strangers. He co-produced and directed the Symposium 98, a documentary, for the SAG/AFTRA EEOC department. He directed "TREE" for the Los Angeles Opera Foundation. His direction of "South Of Where We Live" won one out of three nominations for the NAACP Image Awards in 1988. Summers In Suffolk was nominated for three NAACP Image Awards in 1996. Passing won two out ten NAACP nominations in 1997. Sy's (someone stole your fries) McDonald's spot, received the 3 star positions for Advertising Age Magazine in 1998.
Richardson is on the Board of Directors for the Towne Street Theater, He chaired the SAG Casting Committee for three years and taught a cold reading class for the SAG Conservatory and a former member on the Board of Directors for the Screen Actors Guild.
Sy taught a Bible Study class for adult entertainers at West Angeles Church of God and Christ for 6 years. Richardson is married to a former Blue Satin model and have one step-daughter and two granddaughters. When ask how did he manage to survive a career as an actor for thirty years. He produces a big smile and a twinkle in his eyes. He states, "I keep some PEP in my step!"
REID WHITELAW & NORMAN BERGEN
The writing, producing and arranging team of Reid Whitelaw and Norman Bergen are responsible for all the music in the film "Nocturna." The two have garnered an impressive list of credits in the field of Disco and Pop/R&B music in their three years together. Among their most successful records internationally are "When You're Young and in Love" and "Extra, Extra (Read All About It)," both sung by TV's Ralph Carter, and "Helplessly" by Moment of Truth. Whitelaw and Bergen received two nominations in the best song category of Billboard Magazine's 1978 Disco Forum IV Disco Awards. The pair has also been associated with such artists as Gloria Gaynor, Meat Loaf, Trini Lopez, and Vicki Sue Robinson, whose current single, "Nighttime Fantasy" from the "Nocturna" soundtrack, is receiving strong initial response in discos across the country.
Prior to his association with Norman Bergen, Reid Whitelaw achieved success as the Producer-Composer of "Goody Goody Gumdrops," one of the hits by the 1910 Fruitgum Company. Whitelaw has also had songs recorded by Rick Nelson and Jay and the Americans.
Norman Bergen is known for his work with Tony Orlando and Dawn including the hits "Candida" and "Knock Three Times." His songs have been recorded by Torn Jones, Gene Pitney and Jose Feliciano. Last year, Bergen's original composition, "Only a Fool Breaks His Own Heart," recorded by Mighty Sparrow, sold 250,000 copies in the Benelux countries making it Holland's second biggest chart record of all time. Norman Bergen has also been active in Broadway theatre as Musical Director of the long running Broadway show, "Oh! Calcutta!"
