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John Ireland | |
|---|---|
 Ireland in 1960 | |
| Born | John Benjamin Ireland (1914-01-30)January 30, 1914 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Died | March 21, 1992(1992-03-21) (aged 78) |
| Resting place | Santa Barbara Cemetery, Santa Barbara, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1932–1992 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Tommy Noonan (half-brother) |
John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was aCanadian-American actor andfilm director.[1] Born inVancouver, British Columbia and raised inNew York City, he came to prominence with film audiences for his supporting roles in several high-profileWestern films, includingMy Darling Clementine (1946),Red River (1948),Vengeance Valley (1951), andGunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). He was nominated for anAcademy Award for his role as Jack Burden inAll the King's Men (1949), making him the first British Columbia-born actor to receive anOscar nomination.[2]
Ireland's other film roles includeA Walk in the Sun (1945),Joan Of Arc (1948),Spartacus (1960),55 Days at Peking (1963),The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964),The Adventurers (1970), andFarewell, My Lovely (1975). He also appeared in many television series, notablyThe Cheaters (1960–62). In the late 1960s and 1970s, he worked in Italian cinema, including theSpaghetti WesternsRun, Man, Run (1968), thegialloOne on Top of the Other (1969), and the controversial war dramaSalon Kitty (1976).
In 1960, Ireland was presented with a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the television industry.
Ireland was born inVancouver,British Columbia on January 30, 1914.[3] He lived in New York City from a very early age. Ireland's formal education ended at the 7th grade, and he worked to help his family make ends meet.
He never knew his natural father; his mother, a Scottish piano teacher Gracie Ferguson, remarried to Michael Noone, an Irish vaudevillian, and had three other children, a daughter Kathryn, a son named Thomas (the future actor-comedianTommy Noonan), and another son, Michael. Their last name was Noone; Ireland never knew for sure where his last name came from.
He was a swimmer, once competing withJohnny Weissmuller. He performed underwater stunts at a carnival and worked as abarker. One of his jobs was in a water carnival where he wrestled a dead octopus.
One day he was passing the Davenport Free Theater inManhattan. He entered, thinking it offered a free show and instead received free training. He slept in a dressing room and was paid a dollar a day to work backstage while rehearsing lines.[citation needed]
In 1941 he made his Broadway debut in a production ofMacbeth with Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson. Other Broadway plays followed.[4]
Ireland signed with20th Century Fox and made his screen-debut as Private Windy, the thoughtful letter-writing GI, in the 1945 war filmA Walk in the Sun, directed byLewis Milestone.
This was followed byWake Up and Dream (1946);Behind Green Lights (1946) withCarole Landis; andIt Shouldn't Happen to a Dog (1946), again with Landis. He playedBilly Clanton inJohn Ford'sMy Darling Clementine (1946).
Ireland had his first lead role inRailroaded! (1947), directed byAnthony Mann forEagle-Lion. He went back to support parts forThe Gangster (1947) forthe King Brothers andI Love Trouble (1948) for Columbia.
Ireland played the lead inOpen Secret (1948) forEagle-Lion, then had a support role inAnthony Mann's classic noir,Raw Deal (1948).
Ireland had a vital support part inHoward Hawks' 1948 filmRed River as the gunslinger Cherry Valance. However, Ireland's part was reduced when Hawks became annoyed with the actor. Ireland was an army captain in theIngrid Bergman spectacular,Joan of Arc (1948).
In April 1948 Ireland signed a contract with Columbia Pictures at $500 a week going up to $1500 a week. Ireland was nominated for anOscar asBest Supporting Actor for his powerful performance as Jack Burden, the hard-boiled newspaper reporter who evolves from devotee to cynical denouncer ofdemagogue Willie Stark (Broderick Crawford) inAll the King's Men (1949), making him the first Vancouver-born actor to receive an Academy Award nomination.
Ireland was featured asBob Ford in the low budgetI Shot Jesse James (1949) the first movie directed bySam Fuller. He was a villain in the WesternRoughshod (1949) and a love rival forPaulette Goddard inAnna Lucasta (1949).
In December 1949 Columbia suspended him after walking out after filming one scene onOne Way Out (released asConvicted).[5] He sued the studio.[6]
Lippert Pictures gave him the lead inThe Return of Jesse James (1950) and he appeared opposite his then-wifeJoanne Dru in support parts inVengeance Valley (1951)
DuringMcCarthyism in the early 50s, he successfully sued two television producers forbreach of contract andslander, claiming that they reneged on roles promised to him due to his perceived political undesirability, including the lead in a TV seriesThe Adventures of Ellery McQueen. He received an undisclosed but "substantial" cash settlement.[4][7][8]
Ireland had the leads in some low-budget films:The Basketball Fix (1951);The Scarf (1951);Little Big Horn (1951);The Bushwackers (1952); andHannah Lee (1953) with his wife. He co-directed the latter. That film resulted in a lawsuit against the producers.[9][10]
He went to England to makeThe Good Die Young (1954) and supported his wife inSouthwest Passage (1954) andJoan Crawford inQueen Bee (1955).
He had the lead in the British thrillerThe Glass Cage (1955) and the war filmHell's Horizon (1955). He made another for Corman, this time only as an actor –Gunslinger (1956).
In July 1955 he signed a contract with Revue to act and direct films for television.[11]
In January 1956 he signed to play the lead in the TV seriesPort of Call.[12]
Ireland landed a supporting role asJohnny Ringo inGunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), and played a mobster in MGM'sParty Girl (1958). He had the lead inNo Place to Land (1958), andStormy Crossing (1958).
In 1959, Ireland appeared as Chris Slade, withKarl Swenson as Ansel Torgin, in the episode "The Fight Back" of theNBCWestern series,Riverboat. In the storyline, Tom Fowler (Tom Laughlin), the boss of the corrupt river town of Hampton nearVicksburg, Mississippi, blocks farmers from shipping their crops to market. In a dispute over a wedding held on theEnterprise, a lynch-mob led by Fowler comes after series lead-character Grey Holden (Darren McGavin).Karl Swenson also was cast in this episode.[13]
John Ireland turned director with the WesternHannah Lee, co-directing with Lee Garmes while also appearing in it. He then co-directed (with Edward Sampson)The Fast and the Furious (1954), an early production fromRoger Corman. Starring Ireland, the film's title would later be licensed for the2001 film of the same name but with a completely unrelated story and characters.
In 1959, John made a guest appearance on Judy Garland's albumThe Letter for Capitol Records.
Ireland had a key role as thegladiatorCrixus in theStanley Kubrick 1960 spectacleSpartacus, co-starring withKirk Douglas. That year he starred as Winch in the Western seriesRawhide episode "Incident of the Garden of Eden" and madeFaces in the Dark (1960) in England. He also appeared in theThriller TV series (1960) episode "Papa Benjamin."
From 1960 to 1962, he starred in the British television seriesThe Cheaters, playing John Hunter, a claims investigator for an insurance company who tracked down cases of fraud. He supportedElvis Presley inWild in the Country (1961) and had the lead in the BritishReturn of a Stranger (1961).
In 1962, he portrayed the character Frank Trask in the episode "Incident of the Portrait" onRawhide. Rawhide, S7, EP28 Air date: May 7, 1965, THE SPANISH CAMP" A group of men led by Dr. John Merritt (John Ireland) searching for old Spanish treasure stubbornly refuses to let the cattle drive come through the area of their diggings, even though the herd desperately needs the water in the area.
He had a supporting part in55 Days at Peking (1963) withCharlton Heston and wasBallomar inThe Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), both films shot in Spain by producerSamuel Bronston.
By the mid-1960s, he was seen as the star ofB-movies, such asI Saw What You Did with Crawford. In 1965, he played the role of Jed Colby, a trail scout, in the final season ofRawhide. In 1966 he starred in the episode "Stage Stop" (S12E10) as abusive husband and stage coach robbery collaborator "Jeb Coombs" onGunsmoke.
In 1967, he appeared as Marshal Will Rimbau onBonanza withMichael Landon in the episode "Judgment at Red Creek".[14] A few years later, he again appeared with Landon on two episodes ofLittle House on the Prairie as a drunk who saves Carrie Ingalls, who had fallen down an abandoned mine shaft in the season 3 episode "Little Girl Lost"[15] and the season 5 episode "The Winoka Warriors".[16]
He had some leads in theA. C. Lyles WesternFort Utah (1967), then traveled to Europe to appear inHate for Hate (1967), andPistol for a Hundred Coffins (1967) and supported inVilla Rides (1968),Trusting Is Good... Shooting Is Better (1969),One on Top of the Other (1969), andCarnal Circuit (1969).
In 1970, Ireland appeared as Kinroy in the TV WesternThe Men From Shiloh (rebranded name forThe Virginian) in the episode titled "Jenny". Ireland was seen in productions likeThe House of Seven Corpses (1974),Salon Kitty (1976) andSatan's Cheerleaders (1977). He did, however, also appear in big-budget fare such asThe Adventurers (1970), also as a police lieutenant in theRobert Mitchum private-eye storyFarewell, My Lovely (1975).
He starred inThunder Run (1986), an Americanaction-thriller film directed by Gary Hudson and co-starringForrest Tucker.[17]
In 1987, he put an ad in the newspapers stating "I'm an actor... let me act."[18] It led to a role as Jonathan Aaron Cartwright, the younger brother of Ben Cartwright, in the television movieBonanza: The Next Generation.[19]
He was seen in theWar of the Worlds episode "Eye for an Eye" in 1988.
Ireland regularly returned to the stage throughout his career.
Occasionally Ireland's name was mentioned in tabloids of the times, in connection with much younger starlets, includingNatalie Wood,Barbara Payton, andSue Lyon. He attracted controversy by dating 16-year-old actressTuesday Weld when he was 45. Ireland also had an affair with co-star Joan Crawford while on the set ofQueen Bee (1955). A decade later, Ireland and Crawford co-starred again in William Castle's movieI Saw What You Did.
He was married three times. His first wife, from 1940 to 1949, was Elaine Sheldon, with whom he had two sons, John and Peter.
From 1949 to 1957, he was married to actressJoanne Dru (whose younger brother, entertainerPeter Marshall, was originally best known for his comedy act with Ireland's half-brotherTommy Noonan). In July 1956, Dru was admitted to hospital with a black eye which she said was accidental but which was commonly believed to have been caused by Ireland.[20] Ireland later was admitted to hospital for taking an overdose of barbiturates.[21]
When the couple divorced in 1957 they had over $50,000 in debts.[22]
From 1962 until his death, Ireland was married to Daphne Myrick Cameron, with whom he had a daughter named Daphne and a son named Cameron. He has four grandchildren: Pete, Melissa, Jack and Helios.[4]
In his later years, he owned the restaurant Ireland's in Santa Barbara, California. An accomplished chef, he regularly worked in the kitchen and concocted Ireland Stew, combining whatever ingredients were available on a given night. He was also a regular at the restaurant's bar, greeting patrons and buying drinks for friends.[citation needed]
The restaurant failed. In May 1977, Ireland declared bankruptcy.[23]
On March 21, 1992, Ireland died in Santa Barbara, California ofleukemia at the age of 78.[4] He is buried at the Santa Barbara Cemetery.
For his contribution to the television industry, he was commemorated with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1610 Vine Street.[24]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | A Walk in the Sun | Private First Class Windy Craven | |
| 1946 | Behind Green Lights | Detective Oppenheimer | |
| Somewhere in the Night | Minor Role | Voice, Uncredited | |
| It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog | Benny Smith | ||
| My Darling Clementine | Billy Clanton | ||
| Wake Up and Dream | Howard Williams | ||
| 1947 | Repeat Performance | Narrator | Voice, Uncredited |
| Railroaded! | Duke Martin | ||
| The Gangster | Frank Karty | ||
| 1948 | I Love Trouble | Reno | |
| Open Secret | Paul Lester | ||
| Raw Deal | Fantail | ||
| A Southern Yankee | Captain Jed Calbern | ||
| Red River | Cherry Valance | ||
| Joan of Arc | Jean de la Boussac, St. Severe | ||
| 1949 | I Shot Jesse James | Bob Ford | |
| The Walking Hills | Frazee | ||
| The Undercover Man | Narrator | Voice, Uncredited | |
| Roughshod | Lednov | ||
| The Doolins of Oklahoma | Bitter Creek | ||
| Anna Lucasta | Danny Johnson | ||
| Mr. Soft Touch | Henry "Early" Byrd | ||
| All the King's Men | Jack Burden | Academy Award nomination for Ireland, the film won theOscar for Best Picture | |
| 1950 | Cargo to Capetown | Steve Conway | |
| The Return of Jesse James | Johnny Callum | ||
| 1951 | Vengeance Valley | Hub Fasken | |
| The Scarf | John Howard Barrington | ||
| Little Big Horn | Lieutenant John Haywood | ||
| The Basketball Fix | Pete Ferreday | ||
| Red Mountain | GeneralWilliam Quantrill | ||
| The Bushwackers | Jefferson Waring | ||
| 1952 | Hurricane Smith | Hurricane Smith | |
| 1953 | The 49th Man | Investigator John Williams | |
| Hannah Lee | Marshal Sam Rochelle | Also co-director. Released in color and 3-D, re-released "flat" in B&W; a.k.a.Outlaw Territory | |
| Combat Squad | Sergeant Ken 'Fletch' Fletcher | ||
| 1954 | The Good Die Young | Eddie Blaine | |
| Southwest Passage | Clint McDonald | ||
| Security Risk | Ralph Payne | ||
| The Steel Cage | Al, a Ringleader | (segment "The Hostages") | |
| 1955 | The Glass Cage | Pel Pelham | |
| The Fast and the Furious | Frank Webster | Also co-director. | |
| Queen Bee | Judd Prentiss | ||
| Hell's Horizon | Captain John Merrill | ||
| 1956 | Gunslinger | Cane Miro | |
| 1957 | Gunfight at the O.K. Corral | Johnny Ringo | |
| 1958 | Stormy Crossing | Griff Parker | |
| No Place to Land | Jonas Bailey | ||
| Party Girl | Louis Canetto | ||
| 1959 | Med mord i bagaget | Johnny Greco | |
| 1960 | Spartacus | Crixus | |
| Faces in the Dark | Max Hammond | ||
| 1961 | Wild in the Country | Phil Macy | |
| Return of a Stranger | Ray Reed | ||
| 1962 | Brushfire | Jeff Saygure | |
| 1963 | 55 Days at Peking | Sergeant Harry | |
| The Ceremony | Prison Warden | ||
| 1964 | The Fall of the Roman Empire | Ballomar | |
| 1965 | I Saw What You Did | Steve Marek | |
| Day of the Nightmare | Detective Sergeant Dave Harmon | ||
| 1967 | Hate for Hate | James Arthur Cooper | |
| Fort Utah | Tom Horn | ||
| Dirty Heroes | Captain O'Connor | ||
| Caxambu | Vince Neff | ||
| 1968 | Go for Broke | The Owl | |
| Arizona Bushwhackers | Deputy Dan Shelby | ||
| Villa Rides | Client in barber shop | Uncredited | |
| Trusting Is Good... Shooting Is Better | The Colonel | ||
| Pistol for a Hundred Coffins | Douglas | ||
| Run, Man, Run | Santillana | ||
| A Taste of Death | Dan El | ||
| Revenge for Revenge | Major Bower | ||
| Gatling Gun | Tarpas | ||
| 1969 | El 'Che' Guevara | Stuart | |
| Carnal Circuit | Richard Salinger | ||
| One on Top of the Other | Inspector Wald | ||
| Zenabel | Don Alonso Imolne | ||
| I diavoli della guerra | American General | Uncredited | |
| 1970 | Men From Shiloh (rebranded name ofThe Virginian) | Kinroy | |
| La sfida dei MacKenna | Jones | ||
| The Adventurers | Mr. James Hadley | ||
| 1972 | Escape to the Sun | Jacob Kagan | |
| Northeast of Seoul | Flanagan | ||
| 1973 | Huyendo del halcón | Shot in 1966 | |
| 1974 | The House of Seven Corpses | Eric Hartman | |
| Welcome to Arrow Beach | Sheriff Duke Bingham | ||
| Dieci bianchi uccisi da un piccolo indiano | Abel Webster | ||
| 1975 | Farewell, My Lovely | Detective Lieutenant Nulty | |
| We Are No Angels | Mr. Shark | ||
| 1976 | Salon Kitty | Cliff | |
| Sex Diary | Milton | ||
| The Swiss Conspiracy | Dwight McGowan | ||
| 1977 | Assault in Paradise | Chief Haliburton | a.k.a.The Ransom andManiac! |
| Mission to Glory: A True Story | Benny | ||
| Satan's Cheerleaders | The Sheriff | ||
| Love and the Midnight Auto Supply | Tony Santore | ||
| Quel pomeriggio maledetto | Benny | ||
| The Moon and a Mumur | |||
| 1978 | Tomorrow Never Comes | Captain | |
| 1979 | H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come | Senator Smedley | |
| Guyana: Cult of the Damned | Dave Cole | ||
| Delta Fox | Lucas Johnson | ||
| On the Air Live with Captain Midnight | Agent Pierson | ||
| 1981 | Bordello | Judge | |
| 1982 | The Incubus | Hank Walden | |
| 1985 | Martin's Day | Brewer | |
| Treasure of the Amazon | Priest | ||
| Miami Golem | Anderson | ||
| 1986 | Thunder Run | George Adams | |
| 1987 | Terror Night | Lance Hayward | |
| 1988 | Messenger of Death | Zenas Beecham | |
| 1989 | Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat | Ethan Jefferson | |
| 1990 | The Graveyard Story | Dr. McGregor | |
| 1992 | Waxwork II: Lost in Time | King Arthur | |
| 1992 | Hammer Down | Lieutenant Bates | (final film role) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Captain Randolph McCabe | Episode: "The Matched Pearl" |
| 1974 | The Phantom of Hollywood | Lieutenant Gifford | TV movie |
| 1979 | Crossbar | Miles Kornylo | |
| 1988 | Bonanza: The Next Generation | Captain Aaron Cartwright |
