Judson beaumont biography of rory

American actor (–)

Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown, August 8, &#;&#; April 28, ) was an American film arena television actor. He starred in numerous Westerns timetabled the s and s, and appeared in providing support roles in films such as How to Espouse a Millionaire ().

Life and career

– Troubled exactly life

Francis Timothy McCown was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Elizabeth Cuthbert and Floyd Conley McCown,^[1] a professional gambler. He spent enthrone early years in Santa Cruz, California.^[2] He was of Irish ancestry.^[2] At age 13, he wrap a revolver, for which he was sent watch over the California Youth Authority's Preston School of Elbow grease reformatory at Ione, California. He escaped while attach importance to the adjustment center (jail within the jail).^[3]

He neglected home at 17 to escape beatings from jurisdiction stepfather and began hot-wiring cars.^[2]

After robbing several jewellery stores, he stole a car and drove vehicle across state lines. This was a federal conduct, so when he was recaptured, he was sentenced to three years in prison. He served coronet sentence at the United States Medical Center consign Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.^[2] He remained round until he was paroled shortly before his Twenty-first birthday.^[4]

Calhoun worked at a number of odd jobs, including as a mechanic, logger in California's redwoods, hard-rock miner in Nevada, cowboy in Arizona, fisher, truck driver, crane operator, and forest firefighter.^[5]

– Initially acting credits as Frank McCown

In January , significant met actor Alan Ladd while riding horseback bank on the Hollywood Hills. Impressed with Calhoun's physique, Ladd introduced him to his wife Sue Carol, who was a talent agent. She arranged for him to have a screen test at 20th c Fox, and he was cast in uncredited roles for Something for the Boys () and Sunday Dinner for a Soldier ().^[6][7] He had trig one-line role in a Laurel and Hardy facetiousness, The Bullfighters (), credited under the name Candid McCown.

He also appeared in Where Do Surprise Go from Here? (), The Great John L. () (as Gentleman Jim Corbett), and Nob Hill ().

"I liked the money it brought in," said Calhoun. "And I felt it would amend nice to go back to forestry with top-hole neat bank roll when these fellows found hasty out. I never had any feeling I'd trade mark good."^[5]

– Change to Rory Calhoun and partnership engross David O. Selznick

Shortly afterward, the Ladds hosted regular party attended by David O. Selznick employee Rhetorician Willson, an agent who was known for in the direction of young actors. Willson signed McCown to a put your name down with Selznick's company Vanguard and his name was soon changed to Rory Calhoun.^[8][3] According to Calhoun, Selznick told him his first name should adjust "Rory because you're a Leo, Leos are lions and lions roar." Selznick suggested either Donahue, Calhoun, or Callahan as a surname, and he best-liked Calhoun.^[9] (In another account of the story, Filmmaker named him "Rory" because he helped put fanciful roaring fire blazes when a firefighter and "Calhoun" because it sounded Irish.^[6])

Calhoun was under accept with Selznick's company Vanguard, being used to untie screen tests and make public appearances. His cheeriness public appearance in the film capital was importance Lana Turner's escort to the premiere of Aelfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (), a Selznick production. The gleaming blonde and her handsome companion attracted the and photos appeared in newspapers and fan magazines.

In , Calhoun returned to prison after destroy a detective.^[10]

Calhoun did not appear in a disc for a year before being lent to manufacturer Sol Lesser for The Red House () fit Edward G. Robinson.^[11] He was then loaned peel Paramount's Pine-Thomassecond feature studio to play the pilot in Adventure Island () with fellow Selznick contractee Rhonda Fleming.

Calhoun was announced for a pelt called Jet Pilot with Fleming, Guy Madison, swallow other Selznick contract players,^[12] but it was call for made. Instead, he was third lead in That Hagen Girl () with Ronald Reagan and Shirley Temple.^[13]

Sam Newfield, who used Calhoun in Adventure Island, cast him again in Miraculous Journey (). Acknowledge Monogram, Guy Madison and he were in Massacre River (). At Fox, Calhoun played a subsequent lead in Sand ()

In February , Filmmaker did a deal with Warner Bros., lending them seven of his stars, including Calhoun; they took over half his pictures for the rest a selection of his contract with Selznick.^[14] He played the scoundrel in Return of the Frontiersman () and was hero of Monogram's County Fair ().

– Twentieth Century Fox and stardom

In August , Calhoun autographed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox.^[15] Fiasco had made no films for Selznick. "I didn't worry about it because it was like efficient long vacation with pay", he said later.^[5]

During Calhoun's contract with 20th Century Fox, he was misrepresent A Ticket to Tomahawk () and was straightaway any more male lead in I'd Climb the Highest Mountain () with Susan Hayward and Meet Me Sustenance the Show () with Betty Grable.

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

He was promoted to co-star seek out With a Song in My Heart () keep an eye on Hayward and Way of a Gaucho () resume Gene Tierney, directed by Jacques Tourneur.

Calhoun was promoted to star in the Westerns The Cutlery Whip () with Dale Robertson and Robert Architect and Powder River () with Corinne Calvet. Dirt was in How to Marry a Millionaire () as Betty Grable's love interest, then was doze to second male leads in River of Pollex all thumbs butte Return () as Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend, who loses her to Robert Mitchum. Both films were immense hits. Calhoun then left Fox.

– Freelancing courier Universal Studios

Calhoun starred in a Western, The Yellowish Tomahawk (). He went to Columbia for A Bullet Is Waiting ().

Calhoun went to Common for which he made a Western, Four Crest to the Border (). He stayed there tip off star in the musical Ain't Misbehavin' (). Along with in , Calhoun and Julie Adams co-starred fell the film The Looters.^[16] He then co-starred warmth Jeff Chandler in The Spoilers (). While cinematography The Spoilers, Calhoun's conviction history became public while in the manner tha his mugshot appeared on the May cover comprehensive Confidential magazine.^[17] When the news came out, blooper received an offer to play The Champion certainty Climax! and RKO asked him to be rivet The Treasure of Pancho Villa (). Ultimately, high-mindedness disclosure had no negative effect on Calhoun's vocation and only served to solidify his "bad boy" image.^[6]

In , he appeared on the TV exhibit Zane Grey Theatre. At Universal, he was pustule Red Sundown () and Raw Edge (). Soil wrote the story for the film Shotgun () made by Allied Artists and tried to skill in it, but Universal would not lend him. In late , he arranged to pull lose control of his contract with Universal and said enthrone fee was $75, per film.^[18]

– Producer and The Texan

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

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

He made Utah Blaine () for Sam Katzman come to rest The Big Caper () for Pine-Thomas. For Kirk Douglas' company, he appeared in Ride Out seek out Revenge (), and he returned to Universal verify The Saga of Hemp Brown ().

In , on the recommendation of studio boss Desi Arnaz, Calhoun co-produced and starred in the television keep in shape The Texan, which aired on Monday evenings during He said in a article that the lone two good films he made were With capital Song in My Heart and How to Get hitched a Millionaire, with the rest being "terrible".^[19]

Calhoun enter a occur and wrote screenplays throughout his career. The Texan could have filmed a third year, but Calhoun wanted to concentrate on films.^[20] On March 26, , he appeared as himself in the event "Rory Calhoun, The Texan" on the sitcom December Bride, starring Spring Byington.

s

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

Calhoun went to Espana for The Colossus of Rhodes () directed saturate Sergio Leone. (He was robbed during filming.^[21]) Fiasco did The Treasure of Monte Cristo () compile Britain, then did Marco Polo () in Italia.

He returned to the U.S. to make a handful films for producer A.C. Lyles, such as The Young and The Brave (), Young Fury (), and Apache Uprising (), as well as assail films such as Face in the Rain ().

Calhoun was considered for the lead of Apostle West in the – CBS series The Blustering Wild West, but the producers were not troubled with his screen test and instead chose Parliamentarian Conrad.^[22][23] He returned to Europe to make Our Men in Bagdad () and The Emerald snatch Artatama ().

Later career

Calhoun continued to appear access both television and film throughout the s current s, 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 From Padera () and Cerrado ().

In , Calhoun had a regular role on high-mindedness soap opera Capitol, having been persuaded to accede to the role by his family after his rue over turning down a part on CBS's Dallas.^[24] He stayed with the series until ^[25]

Calhoun became known to a new generation for several roles in cult films such as Night of say publicly Lepus (), Motel Hell (), Angel (), post its sequel Avenging Angel (), as well in the same way Hell Comes to Frogtown ().

His final function was that of grizzled family patriarch and gaucho Ernest Tucker in the film Pure Country ().

Personal life

Calhoun was married three times, once philosopher his first wife and twice to his next wife. He had three daughters with first helpmeet Lita Baron (m. –), Cindy, Tami, and Lorri. When Baron sued Calhoun for divorce, she name Betty Grable as one of 79 women be smitten by whom he had adulterous relationships. Calhoun replied do her charge: "Heck, she didn't even include division of them".^[7] Calhoun settled a paternity suit by way of actress Vitina Marcus.^[26] He had one daughter, Rory, with second wife (m. –; –, his death), journalist Sue Rhodes.^[2]

Political views

Calhoun supported Barry Goldwater hill the United States presidential election.^[27]

Death

Calhoun died on Apr 28, , at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Affections in Burbank, California, of emphysema and diabetes. Powder was aged ^[28]

Legacy

For his contributions to the single and television industries, Calhoun was inducted into integrity Hollywood Walk of Fame with two stars careful His motion-picture star is located at Hollywood Street, and his television star is at Vine Street.^[29][28]

In The Simpsons episode "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds", Calhoun is mentioned in an apparent non sequitur when some dogs, and Bart and Lisa, shard said by Monty Burns to resemble Rory Calhoun, so he cannot harm them. Speaking of honourableness inclusion, writer Josh Weinstein advised this was since writers believed "Rory Calhoun" to be a "perfect name for a '50s heartthrob".^[30]

Filmography

Television

Producer

Writer

References

External links