John Garfield of the last film, based on the life of Al Schmid, a war hero blinded in combat. In preparing for the role, Garfield lived for several weeks with Schmid and his wife in Philadelphia and would blindfold himself for hours at a time. After the war, Garfield starred in a series of successful films such as "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) with Lana Turner, "Humoresque" (1946) with Joan Crawford, and the Oscar-winning Best Picture "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947). In "Gentleman's Agreement", Garfield took a featured, but supporting, part because he believed deeply in the film's exposé of antisemitism in America.
Liz Smith (actress) Liz Smith (actress) Elizabeth Gleadle (11 December 1921 – 24 December 2016), known by the stage name Liz Smith, was an English character actress, known for her roles in BBC sitcoms, including as Annie Brandon in "I Didn't Know You Cared" (1975–79), Bette and Aunt Belle in "2point4 Children" (1991–99), Letitia Cropley in "The Vicar of Dibley" (1994–96), and Norma Speakman ("Nana") in "The Royle Family" (1998–2006). She also played Zillah in "Lark Rise to Candleford" (2008), and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the 1984 film "A Private Function". Liz Smith was born