Michael Landon | |
|---|---|
 Landon in 1990 | |
| Born | Eugene Maurice Orowitz (1936-10-31)October 31, 1936 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 1, 1991(1991-07-01) (aged 54) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Education | Collingswood High School |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1955–1991 |
| Known for | |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 9, includingMark,Leslie,Michael Jr.,Christopher andJennifer |
| Relatives | Rachel Matthews (granddaughter) |
Michael Landon Sr. (bornEugene Maurice Orowitz; October 31, 1936 – July 1, 1991) was an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles asLittle Joe Cartwright inBonanza (1959–1973),Charles Ingalls inLittle House on the Prairie (1974–1983), and Jonathan Smith inHighway to Heaven (1984–1989). Landon appeared on the cover ofTV Guide 22 times, second only toLucille Ball.[1]
Landon was born Eugene Maurice Orowitz on October 31, 1936, inForest Hills, a neighborhood ofQueens, New York.[2][3] His parents were Kathleen "Peggy" (née O'Neill; a dancer and comedian) and Eli Maurice Orowitz. His father wasJewish,[4] and his mother wasRoman Catholic. Landon was the Orowitz family's second child; their daughter, Evelyn, had been born three years earlier in 1933.
In 1941, when Landon was four, he and his family moved to theborough ofCollingswood, New Jersey. He celebrated hisbar mitzvah atTemple Beth Sholom inCherry Hill. His family recalls that Landon "went through a lot of hassle studying for the big event, which included bicycling to a nearby town every day in order to learn how to readHebrew and recite prayers."[5] He said: "We were one of two Jewish families in a working-class town that had its share of anti-Semites."[6] Years later he told an interviewer that he never went on a date when he was in high school "because no Christian father in the town would allow his daughter to go out with a Jew."[4]
During his childhood, Landon worried constantly about his motherattempting suicide. He later reported that on a family beach vacation, his mother tried to drown herself, but Landon rescued her. Shortly after the attempt, his mother acted as if nothing happened, and a few minutes later, he vomited. He said that it was the worst experience of his life.[4] Stress overload from his mother's suicide attempts caused Landon to battle the childhood problem ofbedwetting, which was reported in theunauthorized biographyMichael Landon: His Triumph and Tragedy. His mother put his wet sheets on display outside his window for all to see. He ran home every day and tried to remove them before his classmates could see.[7] Some of these experiences were incorporated into his semi-autobiographical television movie,The Loneliest Runner, which he wrote, produced, and directed.
Landon attendedCollingswood High School[2][4] and was an excellentjavelin thrower, with his 193 ft 4 in (58.93 m) toss in 1954 being the longest throw by a high schooler in the United States that year.[8] This earned him an athletic scholarship to theUniversity of Southern California, but he subsequently tore his shoulder ligaments, putting an end to his days as a college athlete and as a student.
Now in Los Angeles, Landon considered going intoshow business and worked as an attendant at aservice station across from theWarner Bros. studios inBurbank, California. He was eventually noticed by Bob Raison, a localtalent agent.[9] Following his advice, Landon changed his Jewish-sounding name, selecting his new name from atelephone book.[2]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Michael Landon" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(May 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Landon's first starring appearance was on the television seriesTelephone Time, in the episode "The Mystery of Casper Hauser" (1956) asthe title character. In the prior year, he had appeared in the short live TV seriesLuke and the Tenderfoot. He was in the premier episode. The series lasted only one more episode before cancellation. Other parts came, including movie roles inI Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957),Maracaibo (1958),High School Confidential (1958),God's Little Acre (1958), andThe Legend of Tom Dooley (1959), as well as many roles on television, such asCrossroads (three episodes),The Restless Gun (pilot episode aired onSchlitz Playhouse of Stars),Sheriff of Cochise (in "Human Bomb"),U.S. Marshal (as Don Sayers in "The Champ"),Crusader,Frontier Doctor,The Rifleman (in "End of a Young Gun", 1958),The Adventures of Jim Bowie,Johnny Staccato,Wire Service,General Electric Theater,The Court of Last Resort,State Trooper (two episodes),Tales of Wells Fargo (three episodes),The Texan (in the 1958 episode "The Hemp Tree"),The Tall Man,Tombstone Territory (in the episodes "The Man From Brewster", withJohn Carradine[10] and "Rose of the Rio Bravo", withKathleen Nolan),Trackdown (two 1958 episodes), andWanted Dead or Alive, starringSteve McQueen (in episodes "The Martin Poster", 1958, and "The Legend", 1959). Landon also appeared in at least two episodes ofDick Powell's Zane Grey Theater including "Gift from a Gunman" in 1957 and "Living is a Lonely Thing" in 1959. Landon can be seen in two uncredited speaking roles as a cavalry trooper in a 1956 episode of theABC/Warner Bros. television seriesCheyenne, an episode titled "Decision". Two years later, Landon returned to that same series as White Hawk in "The White Warrior".[citation needed]
.jpg)
In 1959, at the age of 22, Landon began his first starring TV role as Little Joe Cartwright onBonanza, one of the first TV series to be broadcast in color. Also starring on the show wereLorne Greene,Pernell Roberts, andDan Blocker. DuringBonanza's sixth season (1964–1965), the show topped theNielsen ratings and remained number one for three years.[citation needed]
Receiving more fan mail than any other cast member,[11] Landon negotiated with executive producerDavid Dortort and NBC to write and direct some episodes. In 1962, Landon wrote his first script. In 1968, Landon directed his first episode. In 1993,TV Guide listed Little Joe's September 1972 two-hour wedding episode ("Forever") as one of TV's most memorable specials. Landon's script recalled Little Joe's brother, Hoss, who was initially the story's groom, beforeDan Blocker's death. During the final season, the ratings declined, and NBC canceledBonanza in November 1972. The last episode aired on January 16, 1973. Along withLorne Greene andVictor Sen Yung, Landon appeared in all 14 seasons of the series. Landon was loyal to many of hisBonanza associates, including producerKent McCray, directorWilliam F. Claxton, and composerDavid Rose, who remained with him throughoutBonanza, as well asLittle House on the Prairie andHighway to Heaven.[citation needed]
The year afterBonanza was canceled, Landon went on to star as Charles Ingalls in the pilot of what became another successful television series,Little House on the Prairie, again for NBC. The show was taken froma 1935 book written byLaura Ingalls Wilder, whose character in the show was played by 9-year-old actressMelissa Gilbert. In addition to Gilbert, two other unknown actresses also starred on the show:Melissa Sue Anderson, who appeared as Mary Ingalls, the oldest daughter in the Ingalls family, andKaren Grassle as Charles' wife, Caroline. Landon served as executive producer, writer, and director ofLittle House. The show was nominated for several Emmy and Golden Globe awards. After eight seasons,Little House was retooled by NBC in 1982 asLittle House: A New Beginning, which focused on the Wilder family and the Walnut Grove community. Though Landon remained the show's executive producer, director, and writer,A New Beginning did not feature Charles and Caroline Ingalls.A New Beginning was actually the final chapter ofLittle House, as the series ended in 1983. The following year, three made-for-television movies aired.[12]
In a 2015 interview, Gilbert said of Landon, "He gave me so much advice...the overall idea that he pounded into me, from a little girl, into my brain was that nothing's more important than 'Home & Family'; no success, no career, no achievements, no accomplishments, nothing's more important than loving the people you love and contributing to a community. Though we were working, really, really hard, we were 'Not Saving the World', one episode of television at a time, we're just entertaining people and there are more important things to do... and have fun; no matter what."[13]
After producing both "Little House" and later theFather Murphy TV series, Landon starred in another successful program. InHighway to Heaven, he played a probationaryangel (who named himself Jonathan Smith) whose job was to help people in order to earn his wings. His co-star on the show wasVictor French (who had previously co-starred on Landon'sLittle House on the Prairie) as ex-cop Mark Gordon. OnHighway, Landon served as executive producer, writer, and director.Highway to Heaven was the only show throughout his long career in television that he owned outright.[citation needed]
By 1985, prior to hiring his son,Michael Landon Jr., as a member of his camera crew, he also brought real-life cancer patients and disabled people to the set. His decision to work withdisabled people led him to hire a couple of adults with disabilities to write episodes forHighway to Heaven.
By season four,Highway dropped out of the Nielsen top 30, and in June 1988, NBC announced that the series would return for an abbreviated fifth season, which would be its last. Its final episodes were filmed in the fall of 1988. One aired in October, two in December, one in March 1989, and the remainder aired on Fridays from June to August. French did not live to seeHighway's series finale broadcast; he died of advanced lung cancer on June 15, 1989, two months after it was diagnosed. Landon invited his youngest daughter,Jennifer Landon, to take part in the final episode.
In 1972, he was among the guests inDavid Winters' musical television specialThe Special London Bridge Special, starringTom Jones andJennifer O'Neill.[14]
In 1973, Landon was an episode director and writer for the short-livedNBC romantic anthology seriesLove Story. In 1982, he co-produced an NBC "true story" television movie,Love Is Forever,[15] starringLaura Gemser (who was credited as Moira Chen) and himself, about Australian photojournalistJohn Everingham's successful attempt toscuba dive under theMekong to rescue his lover from communist-ruledLaos in 1977. The real Everingham was cast as an extra in the film, which also marked the acting debut ofPriscilla Presley.
Sam's Son was a 1984 coming-of-age feature film written and directed by Landon and loosely based on his early life. The film starsTimothy Patrick Murphy,Eli Wallach,Anne Jackson,Hallie Todd, andJames Karen. Karen previously worked for Landon in the made-for-television filmLittle House: The Last Farewell.
He was a guest of the PBS television seriesThe Electric Company.
After the cancellation ofHighway to Heaven and before his move to CBS, Landon wrote and directed the teleplayWhere Pigeons Go to Die. Based on a novel of the same name, the film starredArt Carney and was nominated for two Emmy awards.
Through the run ofHighway to Heaven, all of Landon's television programs were broadcast on NBC, a relationship which lasted 30 consecutive years with the network. After the cancellation ofHighway and due to a fallout with those within NBC's upper management,[16] he moved toCBS and in 1991 starred in a two-hour pilot calledUs.Us was meant to be another series for Landon, but with his diagnosis on April 5 ofpancreatic cancer, the show never aired beyond the pilot. Also during the 1990–91 season, Landon appeared as host of the CBS specialAmerica's Missing Children, which explored actual cases of missing children that were under investigation. This special was also being considered as the pilot for a new series.[17] He appeared as a celebrity panelist on the premiere week ofMatch Gameon CBS.
Landon also had a singing career, of theteen idol type.[18]
In 1957, Candlelight Records released a Michael Landon single "Gimme a Little Kiss (Will "Ya" Huh)"/ "Be Patient with Me" during the height of his notoriety for his role in the filmI Was a Teenage Werewolf. Some copies show the artist credited as the "Teenage Werewolf" rather than as Michael Landon.[citation needed] In 1962, both the A- and B-sides of the record were re-released on the Fono-Graf label that included a picture sleeve of Landon's then-current role onBonanza as Little Joe Cartwright.
In March 1964,RCA Victor Records released another Landon single, "Linda Is Lonesome"/"Without You". All of Landon's singles have since been issued on compact disc byBear Family Records as part of aBonanza various-artists compilation.[19]
Landon sang on television, on theDean Martin Show,[20]Hullabaloo,[21] and other venues,[22] and also sang live on stage at theatrical venues (sometimes with a holster and gun strapped to his hip).[23][24]
Landon was married three times and was a father to nine children (three of whom were adopted):
In February 1959, Landon's father died from a heart attack.
In 1973, his eldest daughter, Cheryl, and three others were involved in a serious car collision just outsideTucson, Arizona, while Cheryl was a student at theUniversity of Arizona. She was the sole survivor. She was hospitalized with serious injuries and remained in a coma for days.
Landon's mother, Peggy, died in March 1981.[26]
Landon admitted to being achain smoker and heavy drinker.[26]
A 1985 profile inPeople described him as a conservative who was close toRonald Reagan.[27] In 1990, he supported a pro-environmentalist proposition in California.[28] In a March 1991 interview, he criticized political polarization and political correctness in America.[29]
Landon said in a May 1991 interview with the Associated Press, "I believe in God, I believe in family, I believe in truth between people, I believe in the power of love, I believe that we really are created in God's image, that there is God in all of us."[6]
In April 1991,[30] Landon began to suffer from a severe headache while he was on a skiing vacation inUtah.[31] Three days later, he was diagnosed withpancreatic cancer, which had begun to affect the tissues and blood vessels around his pancreas.[31] The cancer was inoperable andterminal.[31] Landon said that he believed his smoking and drinking had caused his pancreatic cancer, and that he had tried to quit smoking after co-starVictor French died of lung cancer.[citation needed]
He appeared onThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to speak about the cancer and condemn the tabloid press for its sensational headlines and inaccurate stories, including the claim that he and his wife were trying to conceive another child. During his appearance, Landon pledged to fight the disease and asked his fans to pray for him. Twelve days after his appearance on the show, he underwent successful surgery for a life-threateningblood clot in his left leg.[32] In June, he appeared on the cover ofLIFE after granting the periodical an exclusive private interview about his life, his family, and his struggle to live.
Landon died at the age of 54 inMalibu, California, at 1:20 pm on Monday, on July 1, 1991, with his wife at his bedside.[2][3] Landon was interred in a private family mausoleum atHillside Memorial Park Cemetery, inCulver City, California.[33][34] Landon's headstone reads, "He seized life with joy. He gave to life generously. He leaves a legacy of love and laughter." His adopted sonMark, who died in May 2009, is also interred there.[35]
A community building atMalibu's Bluffs Park was named the Michael Landon Center following the actor's death. Landon's son,Michael, Jr., produced a memorial special calledMichael Landon: Memories with Laughter and Love, featuring the actor's family, friends, and co-stars;Bonanza co-starDavid Canary said that one word that described Landon was "fearless" in his dealings with network brass. Melissa Gilbert, who played his daughter onLittle House, said that the actor made her feel "incredibly safe" and that he was "paternal". Often cited on the special was Landon's bizarre sense of humor, which included having toads leap from his mouth and dressing as a superhero to visit a pizza parlor.
In 1991, during Landon's finalTonight Show appearance, Johnny Carson related how the actor took him back to a restaurant the two had dined at previously. Carson had been led to believe he accidentally ran over the owner's cat in the parking lot during their first visit. When sitting down to eat the second time, Carson discovered that Landon had helped create a fake menu of dinner items featuring cat metaphors.
A made-for-TV movie,Michael Landon, the Father I Knew, co-written and directed by his son Michael Jr., aired on CBS in May 1999.John Schneider starred in the title role as Michael Landon, withCheryl Ladd as Lynn Noe andJoel Berti as Michael Landon Jr. The biopic detailed, from Michael Jr.'s point of view, the personal emotional trauma he endured during his parents' divorce and his father's premature death. The movie spanned a timeline from the 1960s through the early 1990s.
A plaque and small playground referred to as the Little Treehouse on the Prairie was erected in Knight Park, a central park in Landon's hometown of Collingswood. In 2011, the plaque was removed from the park by the borough and was later given to a local newspaper by an unnamed person. According to the Collingswood, NJ, website, the plaque was removed during a fall cleanup with plans to return it to a safer location. The plaque was reinstated next to a bench in a safer location the following summer.[36][37]
In 2021, Karen Grassle, Landon's co-star onLittle House, published her memoir,Bright Lights, Prairie Dust: Reflections on Life, Loss, and Love by House's Ma.[38] In the book, Grassle detailed the troubled relationship she had with Landon, citing derogatory remarks he made about her while on the set ofLittle House, often with other members of the cast and crew present.[39] Grassle subsequently "mended fences" with Landon prior to his death.[39][40]
Landon allegedly damaged a motel room wall during a 1962 stay while headlining the local county fair inNeligh, Nebraska. The room, now called the Michael Landon Suite, remains largely unchanged, and the plaque beside the hole commemorates the incident.[41]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | These Wilder Years | Boy in Poolhall | Uncredited |
| 1957 | I Was a Teenage Werewolf | Tony Rivers | |
| 1958 | Maracaibo | Lago Orlando | |
| High School Confidential! | Steve Bentley | ||
| God's Little Acre | Dave Dawson | ||
| 1959 | The Legend of Tom Dooley | Tom Dooley | |
| 1961 | The Errand Boy | Joseph 'Little Joe' Cartwright | Uncredited |
| 1976 | The Loneliest Runner | John Curtis (adult) | |
| 1982 | Love Is Forever | John Everingham | Also co-producer |
| 1984 | Sam's Son | Gene Orman |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Cheyenne | U.S. Cavalry trooper (Uncredited) | Season 1, Episode 7: "Decision" |
| The Adventures of Jim Bowie | Jerome Juventin | Season 1, Episode 4: "Deputy Sheriff" | |
| 1957 | General Electric Theater | Claude Duncan | Season 5, Episode 27: "Too Good with a Gun" |
| General Electric Theater | Dixon | Season 5, Episode 30: "The Bitter Choice" | |
| The Restless Gun | Sandy | Pilot episode | |
| Tales of Wells Fargo | Tad Cameron | Season 1, Episode 6: "Shotgun Messenger" | |
| Tales of Wells Fargo | Jackson | Season 1, Episode 10: "Sam Bass" | |
| Tales of Wells Fargo | Tad Cameron | Season 2, Episode 11: "The Kid" | |
| 1958 | The Texan | Nick Ahearn | Season 1, Episode 8: "The Hemp Tree" |
| Tombstone Territory | Barton Clark Jr. | Season 1, Episode 39: "Rose of the Rio Bravo" | |
| Cheyenne | Alan Horn / 'White Hawk' | Season 3, Episode 13: "White Warrior" | |
| Wanted Dead or Alive | Carl Martin | Season 1, Episode 1: "The Martin Poster" | |
| The Rifleman | Will Fulton | Season 1, Episode 3: "End of a Young Gun" | |
| 1959 | The Rifleman | Billy Mathis | Season 1, Episode 40: "The Mind Reader" |
| Wanted Dead or Alive | Clay McGarrett | Season 1, Episode 27: "The Legend" | |
| Tombstone Territory | Chris Anderson | Season 2, Episode 7: "The Man from Brewster" | |
| 1959–1973 | Bonanza | Joseph 'Little Joe' Cartwright | 430 episodes |
| 1974–1983 | Little House on the Prairie | Charles Ingalls / Narrator | 187 episodes |
| 1984–1989 | Highway to Heaven | Jonathan Smith | 111 episodes |
| 1990 | Where Pigeons Go to Die | Hugh at 50 | Television film; also director |
| 1991 | Us | Jeff Hayes | Television film; also director and writer |
| Year | Award / Organization | Category / Honor | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Bambi Award | TV series International | Bonanza (shared withLorne Greene,Dan Blocker,Pernell Roberts) | Won | |
| 1970 | Bronze Wrangler Award | Fictional Television Drama | Bonanza episode: "The Wish" (shared with director, producer and cast) | Won | |
| 1979 | Golden Globe Award | Best TV Actor – Drama | Little House on the Prairie | Nominated | |
| 1980 | Spur Award | Best TV Script | Little House on the Prairie episode: "May We Make Them Proud" | Won | [42] |
| 1984 | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Television Star at 1500 N. Vine Street | Inducted | ||
| Golden Boot Award | Significant Contribution to the Western Genre | Honored | |||
| 1991 | Youth in Film Award | Michael Landon Award | Outstanding Contribution to Youth Through Entertainment | Honored | [43] |
| 1995 | Television Hall of Fame | Significant Contribution to the Field of Television | Honored | [44] | |
| 1998 | National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum | Western Performers Hall of Fame | Inducted | ||
| 2004 | TV Land Award | Most Memorable Mane | Little House on the Prairie | Nominated | |
| 2005 | TV Guide | 50 Sexiest Stars of All Time | Ranked #33 | [45] | |
In a 1985 interview, Landon claimed he ate lunch alone at Collingswood High School, that he never had a date as a teenager because no Christian father in the town would allow his daughter to go out with a Jew.
