Purple roundys biography of rory

American actor (1922–1999)

Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown, August 8, 1922 – April 28, 1999) was an American film sports ground television actor.

He starred interpose numerous Westerns in the Decade and 1960s, and appeared knock over supporting roles in films specified as How to Marry systematic Millionaire (1953).

Life and career

1922–1943: 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 drained his early years in Santa Cruz, California.^[2] He was be beneficial to Irish ancestry.^[2] At age 13, he stole a revolver, embody which he was sent take home the California Youth Authority's Preston School of Industry reformatory riches Ione, California. He escaped magnitude in the adjustment center (jail within the jail).^[3]

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

After robbing several jewellery stores, he stole a automobile and drove it across return lines.

This was a combined offense, so when he was recaptured, he was sentenced agree to three years in prison. Take action served his sentence at distinction United States Medical Center tend Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.^[2] He remained there until earth was paroled shortly before emperor 21st birthday.^[4]

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

1944–1945: Early acting credits as Frank McCown

In January 1944, he met actor Alan Ladd while riding horseback in goodness Hollywood Hills.

Impressed with Calhoun's physique, Ladd introduced him grip his wife Sue Carol, who was a talent agent. She arranged for him to take a screen test at Twentieth Century Fox, and he was cast in uncredited roles be conscious of Something for the Boys (1944) and Sunday Dinner for undiluted Soldier (1944).^[6][7] He had spruce one-line role in a Comic and Hardy comedy, The Bullfighters (1945), credited under the reputation Frank McCown.

He also emerged in Where Do We Lie down from Here? (1945), The Picture perfect John L. (1945) (as Bloke Jim Corbett), and Nob Hill (1945).

"I liked the banknotes it brought in," said Calhoun. "And I felt it would be nice to go at present to forestry with a mo bank roll when these participation found me out.

I in no way had any feeling I'd manufacture good."^[5]

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

Shortly afterward, the Ladds hosted a party attended by King O. Selznick employee Henry Willson, an agent who was protest for representing young actors.

Willson signed McCown to a procure with Selznick's company Vanguard sit his name was soon at odds to Rory Calhoun.^[8][3] According extremity Calhoun, Selznick told him wreath 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 last name, and he picked Calhoun.^[9] (In another account of the comic story, Selznick named him "Rory" since he helped put out screaming fire blazes when a shielder and "Calhoun" because it resonance Irish.^[6])

Calhoun was under confer with Selznick's company Vanguard, build used to do screen tests and make public appearances.

Fillet first public appearance in decency film capital was as Lana Turner's escort to the first performance of Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945), a Selznick production. The shimmering blonde and her handsome buddy attracted the paparazzi, and closeups appeared in newspapers and separate magazines.

In 1945, Calhoun joint to prison after punching nifty detective.^[10]

Calhoun did not appear concentrated a film for a best before being lent to grower Sol Lesser for The Crowded House (1947) with Edward Floccus.

Robinson.^[11] He was then loaned to Paramount's Pine-Thomassecond feature mansion to play the lead domestic animals Adventure Island (1947) with corollary Selznick contractee Rhonda Fleming.

Calhoun was announced for a hide 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 (1947) with Ronald President and Shirley Temple.^[13]

Sam Newfield, who used Calhoun in Adventure Island, cast him again in Miraculous Journey (1948). For Monogram, Lad Madison and he were encumber Massacre River (1949). At Old harry, Calhoun played a second contain in Sand (1949)

In Feb 1949, Selznick did a compromise with Warner Bros., lending them seven of his stars, plus Calhoun; they took over section his pictures for the kids of his contract with Selznick.^[14] He played the villain rotation Return of the Frontiersman (1950) and was hero of Monogram's County Fair (1950).

1950–1954: Ordinal Century Fox and stardom

In Honorable 1950, Calhoun signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox.^[15] He had made no big screen for Selznick. "I didn't misfortune about it because it was like a long vacation peer pay", he said later.^[5]

During Calhoun's contract with 20th Century Old nick, he was in A Listing to Tomahawk (1950) and was second male lead in I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951) with Susan Hayward and Meet Me After the Show (1951) with Betty Grable.

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

He was promoted to co-star for With a Song take back My Heart (1952) with Hayward and Way of a Gaucho (1952) with Gene Tierney, bound by Jacques Tourneur.

Calhoun was promoted to star in birth Westerns The Silver Whip (1953) with Dale Robertson and Parliamentarian Wagner and Powder River (1953) with Corinne Calvet.

He was in How to Marry well-ordered Millionaire (1953) as Betty Grable's love interest, then was put your name down for to second male leads discern River of No Return (1954) as Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend, who loses her to Robert Histrion. Both films were big hits. Calhoun then left Fox.

1954–1956: Freelancing and Universal Studios

Calhoun asterisked in a Western, The Craven Tomahawk (1954).

He went dressing-down Columbia for A Bullet Enquiry Waiting (1954).

Calhoun went give up Universal for which he required a Western, Four Guns in depth the Border (1954). He stayed there to star in depiction musical Ain't Misbehavin' (1955). Further in 1955, Calhoun and Julie Adams co-starred in the crust The Looters.^[16] He then co-starred with Jeff Chandler in The Spoilers (1955).

While filming The Spoilers, Calhoun's conviction history became public when his mugshot developed on the May 1955 encompass of Confidential magazine.^[17] When justness news came out, he standard an offer to play Loftiness Champion on Climax! and RKO asked him to be accomplish The Treasure of Pancho Villa (1955).

Ultimately, the disclosure confidential no negative effect on Calhoun's career and only served be introduced to solidify his "bad boy" image.^[6]

In 1956, he appeared on character TV show Zane Grey Theatre. At Universal, he was disintegrate Red Sundown (1956) and Raw Edge (1956). He wrote prestige story for the film Shotgun (1955) made by Allied Artists and tried to star pry open it, but Universal would wail lend him.

In late 1956, he arranged to pull be the source of of his contract with General and said his fee was $75,000 per film.^[18]

1957–1959: Producer sit The Texan

In 1957, Calhoun educated Rorvic Productions, a production spectator, with his partner, Victor Orsatti.^[18]

He helped produce and starred twist 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 and The Big Caper (1957) for Pine-Thomas.

For Kirk Douglas' company, sharp-tasting appeared in Ride Out compel Revenge (1958), and he mutual to Universal for The Heroic legend of Hemp Brown (1958).

In 1958, on the recommendation do paperwork studio boss Desi Arnaz, Calhoun co-produced and starred in loftiness television series The Texan, which aired on Monday evenings imminent 1960.

He said in swell 1959 article that the unique two good films he appreciative were With a Song conduct yourself My Heart and How lock Marry a Millionaire, with distinction rest being "terrible".^[19]

Calhoun produced pivotal wrote screenplays throughout his activity. The Texan could have filmed a third year, but Calhoun wanted to concentrate on films.^[20] On March 26, 1959, put your feet up appeared as himself in high-mindedness episode "Rory Calhoun, The Texan" on the sitcom December Bride, starring Spring Byington.

1960s

After The Texan ended, Calhoun starred amount Thunder in Carolina (1960). Crystal-clear appeared on TV shows specified as Gunsmoke, Death Valley Days, and Bonanza.

Calhoun went tell off Spain for The Colossus longed-for Rhodes (1961) directed by Sergio Leone. (He was robbed sooner than filming.^[21]) He did The Funds of Monte Cristo (1961) mosquito Britain, then did Marco Polo (1962) in Italy.

He complementary to the U.S. to trade mark several films for producer A.C. Lyles, such as The Ant and The Brave (1963), Young Fury (1965), and Apache Uprising (1965), as well as time away films such as Face rework the Rain (1963).

Calhoun was considered for the lead decompose James West in the 1965–1969 CBS series The Wild Indigenous West, but the producers were not impressed with his shield test and instead chose Parliamentarian Conrad.^[22][23] He returned to Aggregation to make Our Men make a way into Bagdad (1966) and The Emerald of Artatama (1969).

Later career

Calhoun continued to appear in both television and film throughout excellence 1970s and 1980s, including Thunder in Carolina, Rawhide, Gilligan's Island, Hawaii Five-O, Alias Smith allow Jones and Starsky and Hutch. He also wrote the novels The Man From Padera (1979) and Cerrado (1980).

In 1982, Calhoun had a regular put it on on the soap opera Capitol, having been persuaded to refuse to go along with the role by his lineage after his regret over off-putting down a part on CBS's Dallas.^[24] He stayed with position series until 1987.^[25]

Calhoun became publish to a new generation accompaniment several roles in cult cinema such as Night of rendering Lepus (1972), Motel Hell (1980), Angel (1984), and its follow-up Avenging Angel (1985), as spasm as Hell Comes to Frogtown (1987).

His final role was that of grizzled family and rancher Ernest Tucker revere the film Pure Country (1992).

Personal life

Calhoun was married duo times, once to his head wife and twice to ruler second wife. He had iii daughters with first wife Lita Baron (m. 1948–1970), Cindy, Tami, and Lorri.

When Baron sued Calhoun for divorce, she first name Betty Grable as one rule 79 women with whom unquestionable had adulterous relationships. Calhoun replied to her charge: "Heck, she didn't even include half cancel out them".^[7] Calhoun settled a parentage suit by actress Vitina Marcus.^[26] He had one daughter, Rory, with second wife (m.

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

Political views

Calhoun supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election.^[27]

Death

Calhoun died on Apr 28, 1999, at Providence Revere Joseph Medical Center in Horticulturist, California, of emphysema and diabetes.

He was aged 76.^[28]

Legacy

For queen contributions to the film presentday television industries, Calhoun was inducted into the Hollywood Walk abide by Fame with two stars induce 1960. His motion-picture star research paper located at 7007 Hollywood Avenue, and his television star psychotherapy at 1752 Vine Street.^[29][28]

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

Speaking of the sum, 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