- published: 14 Sep 2014
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Coordinates: 42°52′34″N 2°10′57″E / 42.8761°N 2.1825°E / 42.8761; 2.1825
Quillan is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.
Quillan is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees, on the road between Carcassonne and Perpignan.
Quillan, at the top of the Haute Valley of the Aude, close to the mountains, is a medium sized town 6 km from Espéraza and is popular for white water rafting, canoeing and kayaking on the Aude River (Alet-les-Bains is another good place to go for white water sports).
Quillan was a significant town on an ancient winding road linking Carcassonne with Perpignan. The river Aude traditionally carried timber and other local products to Carcassonne and the Canal du Midi. The town was particularly noted for hat making. However, new and easier routes joining Carcassonne to Perpignan via Narbonne for example have contributed to the town's unemployment during more recent years. Quillan looks increasingly to develop its tourism and with some measure of success. The immediate area is rich in geographical and historical interest.
Edward "Eddie" Quillan (March 31, 1907 – July 19, 1990) was an American film actor whose career began as a child on the vaudeville stages and silent film and continued through the age of television in the 1980s.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania into a family of vaudeville performers, Quillan made his stage debut at the age of seven alongside his parents, Scottish-born Joseph Quillan and his wife Sarah, as well as his siblings in their act entitled 'The Rising Generation'. By the early 1920s he was called upon by film director Mack Sennett to perform a screen test for Mack Sennett Studios. Sennett signed Quillan to a contract in 1922.
Quillan's very first film appearance was in the 1922 comedy short Up and at 'Em. His next performance was in the 1926 comedy short The Love Sundae opposite actress Alice Day. His next ten film appearances (all released in 1926) were all comedy shorts that were vehicles for Day. He would spend most of the remaining years of the 1920s in comedy shorts featuring actresses Ruth Taylor and Madeline Hurlock. In 1928, Quillan starred in the comedy A Little Bit of Everything, notable because it featured his siblings Marie, Joseph and John in starring roles. Marie Quillan would eventually embark on a film career of her own and appear opposite her brother once more, in the 1929 comedy Nosy Neighbors.