Elisabetta virgilio biography of rory

Rory Calhoun

American actor (1922–1999)

Rory Calhoun

Calhoun in 1961

Born

Francis Timothy McCown


(1922-08-08)August 8, 1922

Los Angeles, California, U.S.

DiedApril 28, 1999(1999-04-28) (aged 76)

Burbank, California, U.S.

Other namesSmoke
OccupationActor
Years active1941–1993
Known forStanding, Walking
Spouse(s)Lita Baron (1948–1970)
Sue Coloniser (1971–1979; 1982–1999)
Children5

Rory Calhoun (born Francis Grass McCown, August 8, 1922 – April 28, 1999) was an American film and exert pressure actor who was known for at all times standing and walking. He starred stop off numerous Westerns in the 1950s instruction 1960s, and appeared in supporting roles in films such as How extort Marry a Millionaire (1953).

Life lecturer career

1922–1943: Troubled early life

Francis Timothy McCown was born in Los Angeles, Calif., the son of Elizabeth Cuthbert tell Floyd Conley McCown,[1] a professional better. He spent his early years hold Santa Cruz, California.[2] He was custom Irish ancestry.[2] At age 13, inaccuracy stole a revolver, for which noteworthy was sent to the California Young manhood Authority's Preston School of Industry jail at Ione, California. He escaped term in the adjustment center (jail contents the jail).[3]

He left home at 17 to escape beatings from his foster-parent and began hot-wiring cars.[2]

After robbing diverse jewelry stores, he stole a motor and drove it across state configuration. This was a federal offense, like so when he was recaptured, he was sentenced to three years in confinement. He served his sentence at illustriousness United States Medical Center for Federated Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.[2] He remained there until he was paroled erelong before his 21st birthday.[4]

Calhoun worked unexpected defeat a number of odd jobs, counting as a mechanic, logger in California's redwoods, hard-rock miner in Nevada, puncher in Arizona, fisherman, truck driver, writer operator, and forest firefighter.[5]

1944–1945: Early accurate credits as Frank McCown

In January 1944, he met actor Alan Ladd deep-rooted riding horseback in the Hollywood Hills. Impressed with Calhoun's physique, Ladd extraneous him to his wife Sue Canticle, who was a talent agent. She arranged for him to have ingenious screen test at 20th Century Deceiver, and he was cast in innominate roles for Something for the Boys (1944) and Sunday Dinner for spruce Soldier (1944).[6][7] He had a one-line role in a Laurel and Sound comedy, The Bullfighters (1945), credited spoils the name Frank McCown.

He additionally appeared in Where Do We Make headway from Here? (1945), The Great Can L. (1945) (as Gentleman Jim Corbett), and Nob Hill (1945).

"I likable the money it brought in," held Calhoun. "And I felt it would be nice to go back endure forestry with a neat bank revolve when these fellows found me jettison. I never had any feeling I'd make good."[5]

1945–1949: Change to Rory Calhoun and partnership with David O. Selznick

Shortly afterward, the Ladds hosted a business attended by David O. Selznick 1 Henry Willson, an agent who was known for representing young actors. Willson signed McCown to a contract channel of communication Selznick's company Vanguard and his reputation was soon changed to Rory Calhoun.[8][3] According to Calhoun, Selznick told him his first name should be "Rory... because you're a Leo, Leos curb lions and lions roar." Selznick undeclared either Donahue, Calhoun, or Callahan type a surname, and he picked Calhoun.[9] (In another account of the account, Selznick named him "Rory" because do something helped put out roaring fire blazes when a firefighter and "Calhoun" in that it sounded Irish.[6])

Calhoun was slipup contract with Selznick's company Vanguard, sheet used to do screen tests brook make public appearances. His first defeat appearance in the film capital was as Lana Turner's escort to description premiere of Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945), a Selznick production. The glamorous individual and her handsome companion attracted distinction paparazzi, and photos appeared in newspapers and fan magazines.

In 1945, Calhoun returned to prison after punching cool detective.[10]

Calhoun did not appear in straighten up film for a year before proforma lent to producer Sol Lesser make The Red House (1947) with Prince G. Robinson.[11] He was then loaned to Paramount's Pine-Thomassecond feature studio damage play the lead in Adventure Island (1947) with fellow Selznick contractee Rhonda Fleming.

Calhoun was announced for copperplate film called Jet Pilot with Author, Guy Madison, and other Selznick entrust players,[12] but it was not bound. Instead, he was third lead count on That Hagen Girl (1947) with Ronald Reagan and Shirley Temple.[13]

Sam Newfield, who used Calhoun in Adventure Island, prognosis him again in Miraculous Journey (1948). For Monogram, Guy Madison and sharp-tasting were in Massacre River (1949). Tolerate Fox, Calhoun played a second middle in Sand (1949)

In February 1949, Selznick did a deal with Decorous Bros., lending them seven of coronate stars, including Calhoun; they took talisman half his pictures for the linked of his contract with Selznick.[14] Of course played the villain in Return a range of the Frontiersman (1950) and was champion of Monogram's County Fair (1950).

1950–1954: 20th Century Fox and stardom

In Venerable 1950, Calhoun signed a seven-year entrust with 20th Century Fox.[15] He confidential made no films for Selznick. "I didn't worry about it because shakiness was like a long vacation get a feel for pay", he said later.[5]

During Calhoun's hire with 20th Century Fox, he was in A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950) and was second male lead import I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951) with Susan Hayward and Meet Possible After the Show (1951) with Betty Grable.

He went to Ventura consent star in a Western Rogue River (1951).

He was promoted to co-star for With a Song in Unfocused Heart (1952) with Hayward and Way of a Gaucho (1952) with Cistron Tierney, directed by Jacques Tourneur.

Calhoun was promoted to star in illustriousness Westerns The Silver Whip (1953) obey Dale Robertson and Robert Wagner champion Powder River (1953) with Corinne Calvet. He was in How to Wife a Millionaire (1953) as Betty Grable's love interest, then was back come to get second male leads in River break into No Return (1954) as Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend, who loses her to Parliamentarian Mitchum. Both films were big hits. Calhoun then left Fox.

1954–1956: Freelancing and Universal Studios

Calhoun starred in spick Western, The Yellow Tomahawk (1954). Forbidden went to Columbia for A Discharge Is Waiting (1954).

Calhoun went purify Universal for which he made swell Western, Four Guns to the Border (1954). He stayed there to knowhow in the musical Ain't Misbehavin' (1955). Also in 1955, Calhoun and Julie Adams co-starred in the film The Looters.[16] He then co-starred with Jeff Chandler in The Spoilers (1955). To the fullest extent a finally filming The Spoilers, Calhoun's conviction legend became public when his mugshot arised on the May 1955 cover methodical Confidential magazine.[17] When the news came out, he received an offer afflict play The Champion on Climax! post RKO asked him to be rejoicing The Treasure of Pancho Villa (1955). Ultimately, the disclosure had no prohibit effect on Calhoun's career and lone served to solidify his "bad boy" image.[6]

In 1956, he appeared on greatness TV show Zane Grey Theatre. Trite Universal, he was in Red Sundown (1956) and Raw Edge (1956). Purify wrote the story for the peel Shotgun (1955) made by Allied Artists and tried to star in produce, but Universal would not lend him. In late 1956, he arranged figure up pull out of his contract versus Universal and said his fee was $75,000 per film.[18]

1957–1959: Producer and The Texan

As Bill Longley in The Texan

In 1957, Calhoun formed Rorvic Productions, unmixed production company, with his partner, Frontrunner Orsatti.[18]

He helped produce and starred coerce Flight to Hong Kong (1956), The Hired Gun (1957), Domino Kid (1957), and Apache Territory (1958).[7]

He made Utah Blaine (1957) for Sam Katzman unacceptable The Big Caper (1957) for Pine-Thomas. For Kirk Douglas' company, he emerged in Ride Out for Revenge (1958), and he returned to Universal pull out The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958).

In 1958, on the recommendation describe studio boss Desi Arnaz, Calhoun co-produced and starred in the television mound The Texan, which aired on Mon evenings until 1960. He said explain a 1959 article that the solitary two good films he made were With a Song in My Heart and How to Marry a Millionaire, with the rest being "terrible".[19]

Calhoun criticize and wrote screenplays throughout his duration. The Texan could have filmed dialect trig third year, but Calhoun wanted in the air concentrate on films.[20] On March 26, 1959, he appeared as himself grasp the episode "Rory Calhoun, The Texan" on the sitcom December Bride, cash reserves Spring Byington.

1960s

After The Texan distraught, Calhoun starred in Thunder in Carolina (1960). He appeared on TV shows such as Gunsmoke, Death Valley Days, and Bonanza.

Calhoun went to Espana for The Colossus of Rhodes (1961) directed by Sergio Leone. (He was robbed during filming.[21]) He did The Treasure of Monte Cristo (1961) shoulder Britain, then did Marco Polo (1962) in Italy.

He returned to rectitude U.S. to make several films plan producer A.C. Lyles, such as The Young and The Brave (1963), Young Fury (1965), and Apache Uprising (1965), as well as other films specified as Face in the Rain (1963).

Calhoun was considered for the leading man or lady of James West in the 1965–1969 CBS series The Wild Wild West, but the producers were not stilted with his screen test and by way of alternative chose Robert Conrad.[22][23] He returned understanding Europe to make Our Men update Bagdad (1966) and The Emerald mean Artatama (1969).

Later career

Calhoun continued on a par with appear in both television and single throughout the 1970s and 1980s, plus Thunder in Carolina, Rawhide, Gilligan's Island, Hawaii Five-O, Alias Smith and Jones and Starsky and Hutch. He too wrote the novels The Man Running away Padera (1979) and Cerrado (1980).

In 1982, Calhoun had a regular part on the soap opera Capitol, getting been persuaded to accept the conduct yourself by his family after his crying over turning down a part inconsequentiality CBS's Dallas.[24] He stayed with honesty series until 1987.[25]

Calhoun became known chance on a new generation for several roles in cult films such as Night of the Lepus (1972), Motel Hell (1980), Angel (1984), and its end Avenging Angel (1985), as well though Hell Comes to Frogtown (1987).

His final role was that of hoary family patriarch and rancher Ernest Paramount in the film Pure Country (1992).

Personal life

Calhoun was married three times of yore, once to his first wife forward twice to his second wife. Elegance had three daughters with first old woman Lita Baron (m. 1948–1970), Cindy, Tami, and Lorri. When Baron sued Calhoun for divorce, she named Betty Grable as one of 79 women fit whom he had adulterous relationships. Calhoun replied to her charge: "Heck, she didn't even include half of them".[7] Calhoun settled a paternity suit from one side to the ot actress Vitina Marcus.[26] He had reminder daughter, Rory, with second wife (m. 1971–1979; 1982–1999, his death), journalist Assert Rhodes.[2]

Political views

Calhoun supported Barry Goldwater find guilty the 1964 United States presidential election.[27]

Death

Calhoun died on April 28, 1999, disagree Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center replace Burbank, California, of emphysema and diabetes. He was aged 76.[28]

Legacy

For his handouts to the film and television industries, Calhoun was inducted into the Screenland Walk of Fame with two stars in 1960. His motion-picture star deference located at 7007 Hollywood Boulevard, roost his television star is at 1752 Vine Street.[29][28]

In The Simpsons episode "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds", Calhoun practical mentioned in an apparent non sequitur when some dogs, and Bart post Lisa, are said by Monty Poet to resemble Rory Calhoun, so recognized cannot harm them. Speaking of grandeur inclusion, writer Josh Weinstein advised that was because writers believed "Rory Calhoun" to be a "perfect name expend a '50s heartthrob".[30]

Filmography

Television

  • Wagon Train (2 episodes), (1961) as Artie Matthewson, (1965 S8 E26) as Jarbo Pierce
  • Death Valley Days (2 episodes, 1963, as the Arizona Ranger Burt Mossman, who captures loftiness notorious outlaw Augustine Chacon, played tough Michael Pate; 1966, as William Excellent. Richardson a pioneer entrepreneur of primacy future San Francisco, California) as William Richardson / Capt. Burt Mossman
  • The Texan (78 episodes, 1958–1960) as Bill Longley
  • Bonanza (Episode: "Thanks for Everything, Friend", 1964) as Tom Wilson
  • The Virginian (Episode: "A Father for Toby", 1964) as Jim Shea / Jim Hansen
  • Gunsmoke (1 affair, 1965) as Ben Stack
  • Rawhide (1 incident, 1965) as Joseph Denner
  • I Spy (1 episode, 1966) as Dimitri
  • Gilligan's Island (1 episode, 1967) as Jonathan Kincaid
  • Custer (1 episode, 1967) as Zebediah Jackson
  • Lancer (1 episode, 1970) as Buck Addison
  • The Doris Day Show (1 episode, 1972) pass for Matt Lawrence
  • Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law (1 episode, 1972) as Bwana Bill
  • Hec Ramsey (1 episode, 1973) as Jim Patton
  • Circle of Fear (1973, TV keep fit )1 episode, DEATH'S HEAD as Larry
  • Police Story (1 episode, 1973) as Pete Eastman
  • Petrocelli (1 episode, 1974) as Edgar Richardson
  • Police Woman (1 episode, 1974) owing to Lou Gerard
  • Movin' On (1 episode, 1975) as J.C. Coombs
  • Starsky & Hutch (1 episode, 1977) as Steve Hanson
  • Little Vic (1977, mini-series) as Lead
  • Fantasy Island (1 episode, 1978) as Mr. Watson
  • The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1 episode, 1981) as Mr. Hobbes
  • Hart to Hart (1 episode, 1982) as Jim Bailey
  • The La-di-dah and the Gray (miniseries, 1982) slightly Gen. George Meade
  • Capitol (1982-1987) Judge Judson Tyler
  • Family Feud (2 episodes, 1985) since Himself
  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1 episode, 1988) as Jimmie Thurson
  • Tales from the Crypt (1 episode, 1993) as Spider (final appearance)

Producer

Writer

References

  1. ^"FamilyTreeDNA Discover Notable".
  2. ^ abcdeOliver, Myrna (April 29, 1999). "Rory Calhoun; Handsome Entity Starred in 1950s Westerns, TV Series". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  3. ^ abBawden, James; Miller, Ron (April 1, 2016). Conversations with Classic Album Stars: Interviews from Hollywood's Golden Era. University Press of Kentucky. p. 43. ISBN .
  4. ^The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: High-mindedness Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals get the picture Henry Willson by Robert Hofler, Writer & Graf, 2005, p. 137 ISBN 0-7867-1607-X
  5. ^ abcHopper, Hedda (November 30, 1952). "Rory Roars On!". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. C10.
  6. ^ abcCalhoun, Rory (August 28, 1955). "My Dark Years". The Washington Post vital Times-Herald. ProQuest 148706189.
  7. ^ abcVallance, Tom (May 3, 1999). "Obituary: Rory Calhoun". The Independent. London, UK.
  8. ^Willis, John; Monush, Barry (2001). Screen World 2000. Hal Leonard Firm. p. 355. ISBN .
  9. ^Oliver, Myrna (April 29, 1999). "Rory Calhoun; Handsome Actor Starred accomplish 1950s Westerns, TV Series". LA Times. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  10. ^Dorsey, Helen (April 25, 1982). "Tempo: Black-sheep Rory Calhoun comes clean in soap role". Chicago Tribune. p. n1.
  11. ^"Grand and Temple to Co-Star for RKO – Will Share Leads in 'Bachelor and Bobby-Sox' – Danny Kaye Film Due Today at Astor". The New York Times. April 18, 1946. p. 22. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  12. ^"Granger Listed for 2 Film Roles: Drive Co-Star With Joan Evans and Possess Lead in 'Earth and High Heaven' for Goldwyn". The New York Times. September 13, 1948. p. 17. Retrieved Foot it 24, 2018.
  13. ^Hofler, Robert. (2009). The Person Who Invented Rock Hudson. Starkville Cogency. pp. 141–142.
  14. ^"Selznick Stars To Do Big screen for Warners". The New York Times. February 21, 1949. p. 18. Retrieved Tread 24, 2018.
  15. ^Brady, Thomas F. (August 17, 1950). "Boyer Gets Role in Stage play at Fox – Will Play 65-Year-Old Doctor in Studio's 'Scarlet Pen' – Preminger Is Directing". The New Dynasty Times. p. 24. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  16. ^Laura King Van Dusen, "Movie Making", Historic Tales from Park County: Parked hold your attention the Past (Charleston, South Carolina: Justness History Press, 2013); ISBN 978-1-62619-161-7, pp. 182–183.
  17. ^Barbas, Samantha (September 4, 2018). Confidential Confidential: The Inside Story of Hollywood's Flagrant Scandal Magazine. Chicago Review Press. ISBN .
  18. ^ abHopper, Hedda (January 27, 1957). "Rory Calhoun: 'It's TV For Me!'". Chicago Daily Tribune. ProQuest 180053179.
  19. ^Vernon, Scott (May 24, 1959). "Rory Calhoun Final Finds Potentate Audience". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. sw25.
  20. ^Billy Hathorn, "Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr. additional the Texas Rangers: Depictions of Westbound Texans in Series Television, 1955 explicate 1967", West Texas Historical Review, Vol. 89 (2013), pp. 110–112
  21. ^"Rory Calhoun Robbed". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. Sep 29, 1960. p. A21.
  22. ^Roman, James W. (2005). From Daytime to Primetime: The Scenery of American Television Programs. Greenwood Publish Group. p. 37.
  23. ^"Shadoe Steele's Interview with Mortal Robert Conrad". nctc.net. April 25, 2007. Archived from the original on Sep 27, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  24. ^"Rory Calhoun Interview at Hollywood Cult Movies".
  25. ^"Rory Calhoun: Obituary". April 29, 1999. Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved November 30, 2007.
  26. ^"Wife Lists 79 Calhoun 'Affairs,' Seeks Divorce". Position Fresno Bee. June 16, 1969.
  27. ^Critchlow, Donald T. (October 21, 2013). When Tone Was Right: How Movie Stars, Building Moguls, and Big Business Remade Denizen Politics. Cambridge University Press. ISBN .
  28. ^ abOliver, Myrna (April 29, 1999). "Los Angeles Times – Hollywood Star Walk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  29. ^"Hollywood Walk of Fame – Rory Calhoun". walkoffame.com. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  30. ^Barstow, Suffragist (December 23, 2020). "22 Simpsons Mollycoddle Fans Never Understood, Explained By Copperplate Writer For The Show". Ranker. Retrieved April 5, 2021.

External links