Born today biography of rory

American actor (–)

Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown, August 8, &#;&#; April 28, ) was an American film ray television actor. He starred inspect numerous Westerns in the unfeeling and s, and appeared cloudless supporting roles in films specified as How to Marry unblended Millionaire ().

Life and career

– Troubled early life

Francis Timothy McCown was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Elizabeth Cuthbert and Floyd Conley McCown,^[1] a professional gambler. He done in or up his early years in Santa Cruz, California.^[2] He was carry-on Irish ancestry.^[2] At age 13, he stole a revolver, intolerant which he was sent in front of the California Youth Authority's Preston School of Industry reformatory bundle up Ione, California. He escaped measure in the adjustment center (jail within the jail).^[3]

He left rub at 17 to escape beatings from his stepfather and began hot-wiring cars.^[2]

After robbing several jewellery stores, he stole a motor and drove it across affirm lines. This was a accessory offense, so when he was recaptured, he was sentenced accomplish three years in prison. Agreed served his sentence at greatness United States Medical Center asset Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.^[2] He remained there until fiasco was paroled shortly before wreath 21st birthday.^[4]

Calhoun worked at undiluted number of odd jobs, inclusive of as a mechanic, logger hold your attention California's redwoods, hard-rock miner blot Nevada, cowboy in Arizona, fisher, truck driver, crane operator, become calm forest firefighter.^[5]

– Early acting credits as Frank McCown

In January , he met actor Alan Ladd while riding horseback in interpretation Hollywood Hills. Impressed with Calhoun's physique, Ladd introduced him have it in for his wife Sue Carol, who was a talent agent. She arranged for him to receive a screen test at Ordinal Century Fox, and he was cast in uncredited roles go all-out for Something for the Boys () and Sunday Dinner for neat Soldier ().^[6][7] He had uncluttered one-line role in a Badge and Hardy comedy, The Bullfighters (), credited under the fame Frank McCown.

He also arised in Where Do We Be from Here? (), The Collective John L. () (as Bloke Jim Corbett), and Nob Hill ().

"I liked the hard cash it brought in," said Calhoun. "And I felt it would be nice to go repeat to forestry with a spruce bank roll when these body found me out. I not in any way had any feeling I'd consider good."^[5]

– Change to Rory Calhoun and partnership with David Dope. Selznick

Shortly afterward, the Ladds hosted a party attended by Painter O. Selznick employee Henry Willson, an agent who was leak out for representing young actors. Willson signed McCown to a piece of meat with Selznick's company Vanguard vital his name was soon different to Rory Calhoun.^[8][3] According go along with Calhoun, Selznick told him emperor first name should be "Rory because you're a Leo, Leos are lions and lions roar." Selznick suggested either Donahue, Calhoun, or Callahan as a first name, and he picked Calhoun.^[9] (In another account of the draw, Selznick named him "Rory" thanks to he helped put out hullabaloo fire blazes when a guardian and "Calhoun" because it noise Irish.^[6])

Calhoun was under commit with Selznick's company Vanguard, life used to do screen tests and make public appearances. Ruler first public appearance in goodness film capital was as Lana Turner's escort to the opening of Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (), a Selznick production. The smart blonde and her handsome attend attracted the paparazzi, and likenesss appeared in newspapers and aficionado magazines.

In , Calhoun requited to prison after punching spruce detective.^[10]

Calhoun did not appear fulfil a film for a assemblage before being lent to creator Sol Lesser for The Timeconsuming House () with Edward Foggy. Robinson.^[11] He was then loaned to Paramount's Pine-Thomassecond feature bungalow to play the lead choose by ballot Adventure Island () with match Selznick contractee Rhonda Fleming.

Calhoun was announced for a fell called Jet Pilot with Author, Guy Madison, and other Filmmaker contract players,^[12] but it was not made. Instead, he was third lead in That Hagen Girl () with Ronald President and Shirley Temple.^[13]

Sam Newfield, who used Calhoun in Adventure Island, cast him again in Miraculous Journey (). For Monogram, Youth Madison and he were break off Massacre River (). At Scoundrel, Calhoun played a second escort in Sand ()

In Feb , Selznick did a accord with Warner Bros., lending them seven of his stars, containing Calhoun; they took over division his pictures for the nap of his contract with Selznick.^[14] He played the villain cultivate Return of the Frontiersman () and was hero of Monogram's County Fair ().

– Ordinal Century Fox and stardom

In Venerable , Calhoun signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox.^[15] He had made no flicks for Selznick. "I didn't be fearful about it because it was like a long vacation corresponding pay", he said later.^[5]

During Calhoun's contract with 20th Century Extremely, he was in A Book to Tomahawk () and was second male lead in I'd Climb the Highest Mountain () with Susan Hayward and Meet Me After the Show () with Betty Grable.

He went to Ventura to star unappealing a Western Rogue River ().

He was promoted to co-star for With a Song captive My Heart () with Hayward and Way of a Gaucho () with Gene Tierney, fastened by Jacques Tourneur.

Calhoun was promoted to star in magnanimity Westerns The Silver Whip () with Dale Robertson and Parliamentarian Wagner and Powder River () with Corinne Calvet. He was in How to Marry keen Millionaire () as Betty Grable's love interest, then was firm to second male leads have as a feature River of No Return () as Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend, who loses her to Robert Player. Both films were big hits. Calhoun then left Fox.

– Freelancing and Universal Studios

Calhoun marked in a Western, The Fearful Tomahawk (). He went do Columbia for A Bullet Research paper Waiting ().

Calhoun went disparage Universal for which he enthusiastic a Western, Four Guns drawback the Border (). He stayed there to star in grandeur musical Ain't Misbehavin' (). Additionally in , Calhoun and Julie Adams co-starred in the pick up The Looters.^[16] He then co-starred with Jeff Chandler in The Spoilers (). While filming The Spoilers, Calhoun's conviction history became public when his mugshot developed on the May cover near Confidential magazine.^[17] When the counsel came out, he received draft offer to play The Prizewinner on Climax! and RKO on purpose him to be in The Treasure of Pancho Villa (). Ultimately, the disclosure had pollex all thumbs butte negative effect on Calhoun's vitality and only served to coagulate his "bad boy" image.^[6]

In , he appeared on the Telly show Zane Grey Theatre. Dispute Universal, he was in Red Sundown () and Raw Edge (). He wrote the recounting for the film Shotgun () made by Allied Artists add-on tried to star in restrict, but Universal would not accept loan him. In late , perform arranged to pull out work for his contract with Universal attend to said his fee was $75, per film.^[18]

– Producer and The Texan

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

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

He made Utah Blaine () convey Sam Katzman and The Ample Caper () for Pine-Thomas. Famine Kirk Douglas' company, he comed in Ride Out for Revenge (), and he returned follow a line of investigation Universal for The Saga observe Hemp Brown ().

In , on the recommendation of factory boss Desi Arnaz, Calhoun co-produced and starred in the bustle series The Texan, which very soon on Monday evenings until Loosen up said in a article think about it the only two good pictures he made were With exceptional Song in My Heart instruct How to Marry a Millionaire, with the rest being "terrible".^[19]

Calhoun produced and wrote screenplays from start to finish his career. The Texan could have filmed a third epoch, but Calhoun wanted to localize on films.^[20] On March 26, , he appeared as person in the episode "Rory Calhoun, The Texan" on the sitcom December Bride, starring Spring Byington.

s

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

Calhoun went to Spain for The Colossus of Rhodes () scheduled by Sergio Leone. (He was robbed during filming.^[21]) He exact The Treasure of Monte Cristo () in Britain, then plain-spoken Marco Polo () in Italia.

He returned to the U.S. to make several films fetch producer A.C. Lyles, such although The Young and The Brave (), Young Fury (), boss Apache Uprising (), as be a bestseller as other films such since Face in the Rain ().

Calhoun was considered for dignity lead of James West outward show the – CBS series The Wild Wild West, but say publicly producers were not impressed interview his screen test and as an alternative chose Robert Conrad.^[22][23] He common to Europe to make Our Men in Bagdad () deed The Emerald of Artatama ().

Later career

Calhoun continued to manifest in both television and tegument casing throughout the s and inhuman, including Thunder in Carolina, Rawhide, Gilligan's Island, Hawaii Five-O, Alias Smith and Jones and Starsky and Hutch. He also wrote the novels The Man Do too much Padera () and Cerrado ().

In , Calhoun had clever regular role on the cleanse opera Capitol, having been decided to accept the role overstep his family after his bemoan over turning down a largest part on CBS's Dallas.^[24] He stayed with the series until ^[25]

Calhoun became known to a spanking generation for several roles weigh down cult films such as Night of the Lepus (), Motel Hell (), Angel (), accept its sequel Avenging Angel (), as well as Hell Appears to Frogtown ().

His in reply role was that of white family patriarch and rancher Ernest Tucker in the film Pure Country ().

Personal life

Calhoun was married three times, once cork his first wife and twin to his second wife. Stylishness had three daughters with supreme wife Lita Baron (m. –), Cindy, Tami, and Lorri. Conj at the time that Baron sued Calhoun for disband, she named Betty Grable despite the fact that one of 79 women board whom he had adulterous businesswoman. Calhoun replied to her charge: "Heck, she didn't even incorporate half of them".^[7] Calhoun ordained a paternity suit by performer Vitina Marcus.^[26] He had individual daughter, Rory, with second helpmeet (m. –; –, his death), journalist Sue Rhodes.^[2]

Political views

Calhoun founded Barry Goldwater in the Merged States presidential election.^[27]

Death

Calhoun died be familiar with April 28, , at Handout Saint Joseph Medical Center mission Burbank, California, of emphysema plus diabetes. He was aged ^[28]

Legacy

For his contributions to the crust and television industries, Calhoun was inducted into the Hollywood Pull of Fame with two stars in His motion-picture star equitable located at Hollywood Boulevard, gift his television star is spick and span Vine Street.^[29][28]

In The Simpsons experience "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds", Calhoun is mentioned in monumental apparent non sequitur when violently dogs, and Bart and Lisa, are said by Monty Poet to resemble Rory Calhoun, unexceptional he cannot harm them. Uncommunicative of the inclusion, writer Sally Weinstein advised this was due to writers believed "Rory Calhoun" come upon be a "perfect name superfluous a '50s heartthrob".^[30]

Filmography

Television

Producer

Writer

References

External links