Kristin joan savage biography of rory

American actor (1922–1999)

Rory Calhoun (born Francis Grass McCown, August 8, 1922 – April 28, 1999) was an American album and television actor who was known for always standing near walking.

He starred in profuse Westerns in the 1950s stall 1960s, and appeared in aspect roles in films such because How to Marry a Millionaire (1953).

Life and career

1922–1943: Caring early life

Francis Timothy McCown was born in Los Angeles, Calif., the son of Elizabeth Cuthbert and Floyd Conley McCown,^[1] skilful professional gambler.

He spent jurisdiction early years in Santa Cruz, California.^[2] He was of Land ancestry.^[2] At age 13, fiasco stole a revolver, for which he was sent to authority California Youth Authority's Preston Faculty of Industry reformatory at Ione, California. He escaped while uphold the adjustment center (jail confidential the jail).^[3]

He left home at the same height 17 to escape beatings non-native his stepfather and began hot-wiring cars.^[2]

After robbing several jewelry prearrangement, he stole a car subject drove it across state shape.

This was a federal behaviour, so when he was recaptured, he was sentenced to join years in prison. He served his sentence at the Coalesced States Medical Center for Associated Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.^[2] No problem remained there until he was paroled shortly before his Xxi birthday.^[4]

Calhoun worked at a expect of odd jobs, including style a mechanic, logger in California's redwoods, hard-rock miner in Nevada, cowboy in Arizona, fisherman, commodities driver, crane operator, and land firefighter.^[5]

1944–1945: Early acting credits reorganization Frank McCown

In January 1944, flair met actor Alan Ladd span riding horseback in the Indecent Hills.

Impressed with Calhoun's body, Ladd introduced him to emperor wife Sue Carol, who was a talent agent. She ready for him to have graceful screen test at 20th c Fox, and he was ticket in uncredited roles for Something for the Boys (1944) favour Sunday Dinner for a Soldier (1944).^[6][7] He had a one-line role in a Laurel obscure Hardy comedy, The Bullfighters (1945), credited under the name Free McCown.

He also appeared form Where Do We Go deprive Here? (1945), The Great Toilet L. (1945) (as Gentleman Jim Corbett), and Nob Hill (1945).

"I liked the money outdo brought in," said Calhoun. "And I felt it would hair nice to go back lock forestry with a neat drainage ditch roll when these fellows foundation me out.

I never confidential any feeling I'd make good."^[5]

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

Shortly afterward, the Ladds hosted unadulterated party attended by David Ormation. Selznick employee Henry Willson, cease agent who was known espousal representing young actors.

Willson undiluted McCown to a contract criticize Selznick's company Vanguard and wreath name was soon changed simulation Rory Calhoun.^[8][3] According to Calhoun, Selznick told him his labour name should be "Rory... since you're a Leo, Leos classify lions and lions roar." Filmmaker suggested either Donahue, Calhoun, sort out Callahan as a surname, post he picked Calhoun.^[9] (In choice account of the story, Filmmaker named him "Rory" because explicit helped put out roaring aflame blazes when a firefighter build up "Calhoun" because it sounded Irish.^[6])

Calhoun was under contract expound Selznick's company Vanguard, being reach-me-down to do screen tests delighted make public appearances.

His premier public appearance in the hide capital was as Lana Turner's escort to the premiere scholarship Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945), put in order Selznick production. The glamorous immediately and her handsome companion intent the paparazzi, and photos comed in newspapers and fan magazines.

In 1945, Calhoun returned limit prison after punching a detective.^[10]

Calhoun did not appear in pure film for a year formerly being lent to producer Phoebus Lesser for The Red House (1947) with Edward G.

Robinson.^[11] He was then loaned toady to Paramount's Pine-Thomassecond feature studio tutorial play the lead in Adventure Island (1947) with fellow Filmmaker contractee Rhonda Fleming.

Calhoun was announced for a film hollered Jet Pilot with Fleming, Reproach Madison, and other Selznick roast players,^[12] but it was classify made.

Instead, he was tertiary lead in That Hagen Girl (1947) with Ronald Reagan subject Shirley Temple.^[13]

Sam Newfield, who encouraged Calhoun in Adventure Island, prediction him again in Miraculous Journey (1948). For Monogram, Guy President and he were in Massacre River (1949).

At Fox, Calhoun played a second lead bed Sand (1949)

In February 1949, Selznick did a deal look after Warner Bros., lending them sevener of his stars, including Calhoun; they took over half circlet pictures for the rest call upon his contract with Selznick.^[14] Without fear played the villain in Return of the Frontiersman (1950) courier was hero of Monogram's County Fair (1950).

1950–1954: 20th Hundred Fox and stardom

In August 1950, Calhoun signed a seven-year accept with 20th Century Fox.^[15] Unquestionable had made no films encouragement Selznick. "I didn't worry return to it because it was regard a long vacation with pay", he said later.^[5]

During Calhoun's occupational with 20th Century Fox, powder was in A Ticket discussion group Tomahawk (1950) and was subsequent male lead in I'd Levitate the Highest Mountain (1951) barter Susan Hayward and Meet Self-directed After the Show (1951) block Betty Grable.

He went have it in mind Ventura to star in first-class Western Rogue River (1951).

He was promoted to co-star pull out With a Song in Overturn Heart (1952) with Hayward abide Way of a Gaucho (1952) with Gene Tierney, directed through Jacques Tourneur.

Calhoun was promoted to star in the Westerns The Silver Whip (1953) deal with Dale Robertson and Robert Composer and Powder River (1953) assemble Corinne Calvet.

He was observe How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) as Betty Grable's affection interest, then was back emphasize second male leads in River of No Return (1954) tempt Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend, who loses her to Robert Mitchum. Both films were big hits. Calhoun then left Fox.

1954–1956: Freelancing and Universal Studios

Calhoun starred remit a Western, The Yellow Tomahawk (1954).

He went to Town for A Bullet Is Waiting (1954).

Calhoun went to Accepted for which he made unornamented Western, Four Guns to birth Border (1954). He stayed near to star in the harmonious Ain't Misbehavin' (1955). Also notes 1955, Calhoun and Julie President co-starred in the film The Looters.^[16] He then co-starred extinct Jeff Chandler in The Spoilers (1955).

While filming The Spoilers, Calhoun's conviction history became typical when his mugshot appeared jamboree the May 1955 cover be fooled by Confidential magazine.^[17] When the advice came out, he received hoaxer offer to play The Backing on Climax! and RKO of one\'s own free will him to be in The Treasure of Pancho Villa (1955).

Ultimately, the disclosure had pollex all thumbs butte negative effect on Calhoun's pursuit and only served to established his "bad boy" image.^[6]

In 1956, he appeared on the Video receiver show Zane Grey Theatre. Timepiece Universal, he was in Red Sundown (1956) and Raw Edge (1956).

He wrote the action for the film Shotgun (1955) made by Allied Artists pivotal tried to star in state publicly, but Universal would not advance him. In late 1956, smartness arranged to pull out exhaust his contract with Universal cope with said his fee was $75,000 per film.^[18]

1957–1959: Producer and The Texan

In 1957, Calhoun formed Rorvic Productions, a production company, upset his partner, Victor Orsatti.^[18]

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

He made Utah Blaine (1957) purchase Sam Katzman and The Copious Caper (1957) for Pine-Thomas.

Aspire Kirk Douglas' company, he attended in Ride Out for Revenge (1958), and he returned motivate Universal for The Saga delightful Hemp Brown (1958).

In 1958, on the recommendation of apartment boss Desi Arnaz, Calhoun co-produced and starred in the idiot box series The Texan, which a minute ago on Monday evenings until 1960.

He said in a 1959 article that the only mirror image good films he made were With a Song in Discount Heart and How to Espouse a Millionaire, with the series being "terrible".^[19]

Calhoun produced and wrote screenplays throughout his career. The Texan could have filmed natty third year, but Calhoun desired to concentrate on films.^[20] Bear witness to March 26, 1959, he arrived as himself in the event "Rory Calhoun, The Texan" wedlock the sitcom December Bride, hero Spring Byington.

1960s

After The Texan ended, Calhoun starred in Thunder in Carolina (1960). He attended on TV shows such by the same token Gunsmoke, Death Valley Days, move 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 pointer Monte Cristo (1961) in Kingdom, then did Marco Polo (1962) in Italy.

He returned practice the U.S. to make diverse films for producer A.C. Lyles, such as The Young gift The Brave (1963), Young Fury (1965), and Apache Uprising (1965), as well as other cinema such as Face in honourableness Rain (1963).

Calhoun was reputed for the lead of Saint West in the 1965–1969 CBS series The Wild Wild West, but the producers were crowd impressed with his screen evaluation and instead chose Robert Conrad.^[22][23] He returned to Europe censure make Our Men in Bagdad (1966) and The Emerald provide Artatama (1969).

Later career

Calhoun prolonged to appear in both compel and film throughout the Decennary and 1980s, including Thunder contact Carolina, Rawhide, Gilligan's Island, Hawaii Five-O, Alias Smith and Jones and Starsky and Hutch. Unquestionable also wrote the novels The Man From Padera (1979) presentday Cerrado (1980).

In 1982, Calhoun had a regular role setup the soap opera Capitol, obtaining been persuaded to accept representation role by his family rearguard his regret over turning objects a part on CBS's Dallas.^[24] He stayed with the followers until 1987.^[25]

Calhoun became known collect a new generation for not too roles in cult films specified as Night of the Lepus (1972), Motel Hell (1980), Angel (1984), and its sequel Avenging Angel (1985), as well gorilla Hell Comes to Frogtown (1987).

His final role was avoid of grizzled family patriarch skull rancher Ernest Tucker in leadership film Pure Country (1992).

Personal life

Calhoun was married three period, once to his first spouse and twice to his in a tick wife. He had three scions with first wife Lita Magnate (m. 1948–1970), Cindy, Tami, sports ground Lorri.

When Baron sued Calhoun for divorce, she named Betty Grable as one of 79 women with whom he challenging adulterous relationships. Calhoun replied consent her charge: "Heck, she didn't even include half of them".^[7] Calhoun settled a paternity add by actress Vitina Marcus.^[26] Grace had one daughter, Rory, unwanted items second wife (m.

1971–1979; 1982–1999, his death), journalist Sue Rhodes.^[2]

Political views

Calhoun supported Barry Goldwater pavement the 1964 United States statesmanlike election.^[27]

Death

Calhoun died on April 28, 1999, at Providence Saint Patriarch Medical Center in Burbank, Calif., of emphysema and diabetes.

Purify was aged 76.^[28]

Legacy

For his generosity to the film and beg industries, Calhoun was inducted perform the Hollywood Walk of Renown with two stars in 1960.

His motion-picture star court case located at 7007 Hollywood Avenue, and his television star comment at 1752 Vine Street.^[29][28]

In The Simpsons episode "Two Dozen presentday One Greyhounds", Calhoun is personage in an apparent non sequitur when some dogs, and Bart and Lisa, are said toddler Monty Burns to resemble Rory Calhoun, so he cannot con them.

Speaking of the grouping, writer Josh Weinstein advised that was because writers believed "Rory Calhoun" to be a "perfect name for a '50s heartthrob".^[30]

Filmography

Television

Producer

Writer

References

External links