Lloyd Bridges | |
|---|---|
 Bridges in 1966 | |
| Born | Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. (1913-01-15)January 15, 1913 San Leandro, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 10, 1998(1998-03-10) (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1936–1998 |
| Spouse | Dorothy Bridges (m. 1938) |
| Children | 4, includingBeau andJeff |
| Relatives | Jordan Bridges (grandson) |
| Awards | Hollywood Walk of Fame |
Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. (January 15, 1913 – March 10, 1998) was an American film, stage and television actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150feature films. He was the father of four children, including the actorsBeau Bridges andJeff Bridges. He started his career as a contract performer forColumbia Pictures, appearing in films such asSahara (1943),A Walk in the Sun (1945),Little Big Horn (1951) andHigh Noon (1952). On television, he starred inSea Hunt (1958–1961). By the end of his career, he had re-invented himself and demonstrated a comedic talent in suchparody films asAirplane! (1980),Hot Shots! (1991), andJane Austen's Mafia! (1998). Among other honors, Bridges was a two-timeEmmy Award nominee. He received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame on February 1, 1994.
Bridges was born inSan Leandro, California, to Harriet Evelyn (née Brown) Bridges (1893–1950) and Lloyd Vernet Bridges Sr. (1887–1962), who was involved in the California hotel business and once owned a movie theater.[1] His parents were both fromKansas; both were of almost entirelyEnglish ancestry. Bridges was a direct descendant of William Bridges, who arrived in New England in 1623 aboard the ship "Little James."[2] Bridges graduated fromPetaluma High School in 1930.[3] He then studied political science atUCLA, where he was a member ofSigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Bridges had small uncredited roles in the filmsFreshman Love (1936) andDancing Feet (1936).
Bridges made his Broadway debut in 1937 in a short-lived production ofShakespeare'sOthello, starringWalter Huston andBrian Aherne; Bridges was in the Ensemble.
He appeared on stage inSuzanna and the Elders (1940). In Hollywood he had an uncredited role inNorthwest Passage (1940).
In 1940, Bridges joined the stock company atColumbia Pictures at $75 a week, where he played small roles in features and short subjects.[4][5]
He could be seen inThe Lone Wolf Takes a Chance (1941),They Dare Not Love (1941),Doctor's Alibi (1941),Blue Clay (1941),Our Wife (1941), andI Was a Prisoner on Devil's Island (1941). InHere Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) Bridges is the pilot of the plane in the "heaven" scene.
Bridges later reflected,
I didn't have enough maturity for a leading man. I looked too broad in the shoulders ... too much like a kid. I never could get into (Columbia studio boss)Harry Cohn's office. All the best roles went toGlenn Ford andWilliam Holden. They just put me in these awful B-pictures, likeTwo Latins from Manhattan. I even did aThree Stooges short. Sometimes I'd be in two or three movies a week. It was tough sledding.[6]
He left Columbia Pictures during World War II to enlist in theUnited States Coast Guard. Following his discharge, he returned to acting. In later years, he was a member of theU.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, did several public service announcements for the organization, and was made an honorary commodore. Bridges'Sea Hunt character Mike Nelson was also portrayed as a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and sometimes appeared in uniform. Bridges' sons, actors Beau and Jeff, also served in the Coast Guard andCoast Guard Reserve.[7]
Bridges' first lead role was in the serialSecret Agent X-9 (1945) made for Universal. That studio kept him on forStrange Confession (1945), anInner Sanctum mystery.
Bridges had some support roles in independent films,A Walk in the Sun (1945), andAbilene Town (1946). He was in Paramount'sMiss Susie Slagle's (1946) andWalter Wanger'sCanyon Passage (1947).In 1947 he appeared in a small role inCecil B. DeMille's filmUnconquered.
He returned to lead roles withSecret Service Investigator (1948) atRepublic Pictures, and16 Fathoms Deep (1948) forMonogram Pictures. Bridges had a support role inFrank Borzage'sMoonrise (1948) then was the lead inHideout (1949) for Republic.
Bridges was in a Western at Universal directed byGeorge Sherman,Red Canyon (1949), and a short at MGM,Mr. Whitney Had a Notion (1949). He had a good role inHome of the Brave (1949). At Universal he wasHoward Duff's friend inCalamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949), again for Sherman.
Bridges had the star role inTrapped (1949) directed byRichard Fleischer forEagle Lion andRocketship X-M (1950) forLippert Pictures. He had supporting roles inColt .45 (1951),The White Tower (1951), andThe Sound of Fury (1950) (directed byCy Endfield).
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Bridges wasblacklisted briefly in the 1950s[8] after he admitted to theHouse Un-American Activities Committee that he had once been a member of theActors' Laboratory Theatre, a group found to have had links to theCommunist Party USA. He returned to acting after recanting his membership and serving as a cooperative witness, achieving his greatest success in television.[9]
Bridges made his TV debut in 1951 with "Man's First Debt" inThe Bigelow Theatre. He had starring roles in the filmsThe Fighting Seventh (1951),Three Steps North (1951), andRicher Than the Earth (1951).
On TV he did "Rise Up and Walk" forRobert Montgomery Presents (1952) and "International Incident" forStudio One in Hollywood (1952) (the latter directed byFranklin J. Schaffner). Bridges had a supporting role inHigh Noon (1952).
Bridges guest starred onSuspense ("Her Last Adventure") andSchlitz Playhouse ("This Plane for Hire"), and had support roles inPlymouth Adventure (1952) andThe Sabre and the Arrow (1953). Bridges returned to leads inThe Tall Texan (1953) forLippert Pictures.
Bridges was in "The Long Way Home" forGoodyear Playhouse (1953), and appeared inThe Kid from Left Field (1953) andCity of Bad Men (1953) for Fox. He travelled to the UK to star inThe Limping Man (1953) forCy Endfield. He returned to Broadway inDead Pigeon (1953–54), which had a short run.
He had the lead in a horse movie,Prince of the Blue Grass (1954) and returned to England to makeThird Party Risk (1954) forHammer Films.
In Hollywood Bridges supportedJoel McCrea inWichita (1955) and had the lead inRoger Corman's low-budgetApache Woman (1955).
On TV Bridges performed in "Broadway Trust" forCrossroads (1955), "The Dark Fleece" and "Edge of Terror" forClimax! (1955) (the latter directed byJohn Frankenheimer), "The Ainsley Case" forFront Row Center (1956), "Across the Dust" and "Prairie Dog Court" forChevron Hall of Stars (1956), and "The Silent Gun" and "American Primitive" forStudio One in Hollywood (1956). He had the lead in the low budgetWetbacks (1956) and a support role inThe Rainmaker (1956).
Bridges gained attention in 1956 for his emotional performance on the live anthology programThe Alcoa Hour, in an episode titled "Tragedy in a Temporary Town" written byReginald Rose and directed bySidney Lumet.[10] During the performance, Bridges inadvertently used profanity whilead-libbing.[11] Although the slip of the tongue generated hundreds of complaints, the episode won aRobert E. Sherwood Television Award, with Bridges' slip being defended even by some members of the clergy.[11][12][13] Bridges received anEmmy Award nomination for the role.[14]
Bridges did "The Regulators" forStudio 57 (1956), "They Never Forget" forThe United States Steel Hour (1957), "Ride the Wild Mare" forThe Alcoa Hour (1957), "Man on the Outside" forStudio 57 (1957), "The Sound of Silence", "Figures in Clay" and "The Disappearance of Amanda Hale" forClimax!, "Heritage of Anger" (1956) and "Clash by Night" (1957) forPlayhouse 90, the latter withKim Stanley. Bridges also made several episodes ofZane Grey Theatre including "Time of Decision" (1957) and "Wire" (1958).
He supportedRory Calhoun inRide Out for Revenge (1957) and did "A Time to Cry" onThe Frank Sinatra Show (1958) and had one of his best ever cinema roles inThe Goddess (1958) based on a script byPaddy Chayefsky based on the life ofMarilyn Monroe; Bridges played a sportsman based onJoe di Maggio oppositeKim Stanley. He directed "Piano to Thunder Springs" forTarget (1958).
Bridges gained wide recognition as Mike Nelson, the main character in the television seriesSea Hunt, created byIvan Tors, which ran insyndication from 1958 to 1961. He also wrote a book with a co-author about skin-diving entitledMask and Flippers.
Bridges did "Lepke" (1959) forWestinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1960), "Ransom" (1960) (directed byBudd Boetticher) and "Image of a Drawn Sword" (1961) forZane Grey Theatre. He did a TV movieThe Valley of Decision (1960), "Death of the Temple Bay" forThe DuPont Show with June Allyson (1961), "Who Killed Julie Greer?" (1961) forThe Dick Powell Theatre, "The Fortress" (1961) forAlcoa Premiere (withFred Astaire),[15] and "The Two of Us" (1962) forCheckmate. He also did a specialMarineland Carnival (1962).[16]
Bridges starred in the eponymousCBSanthology seriesThe Lloyd Bridges Show (1962–1963) (produced byAaron Spelling) which included appearances by his sonsBeau andJeff.[17]
Bridges followed it with "A Hero for Our Times" forKraft Suspense Theatre (1963), "Wild Bill Hickok – the Legend and the Man" forThe Great Adventure (1964), "Cannibal Plants, They Eat You Alive" forThe Eleventh Hour (1964) and "Exit from a Plane in Flight" forTheater of Stars (1965).
ProducerGene Roddenberry offered Bridges a starring role on what becameStar Trek.[18] Bridges declined, saying he got along well with Roddenberry on a personal level but had no desire to work inscience fiction. The part went toJeffrey Hunter for the pilot episodeThe Cage and ultimately toWilliam Shatner for the first incarnation of the television series.
Bridges starred in thewestern seriesThe Loner, which lasted one season from 1965 to 1966 and was created and often written byRod Serling.The Loner earned solid reviews but was cancelled due to low ratings and a perception the show was too realistic or mature for audiences who expected escapist action from westerns.
Bridges returned to features withAround the World Under the Sea (1966). He guest starred in "Fakeout" forMission Impossible (1966), and did a TV movieA Case of Libel (1968).
Bridges starred in some action films,Daring Game (1968) andAttack on the Iron Coast (1968), the latter forIvan Tors. He did "The People Next Door" forCBS Playhouse (1968).
Bridges starred in some TV movies,The Silent Gun (1969), andSilent Night, Lonely Night (1969). He had a support role inThe Happy Ending (1969) directed byRichard Brooks.
Bridges returned to Broadway as a replacement for the lead inCactus Flower (1967).
Bridges was in heavy demand for TV movies such asThe Love War (1970),Lost Flight (1970),Do You Take This Stranger? (1971),A Tattered Web (1971), andThe Deadly Dream (1971). He starred in a short lived seriesSan Francisco International Airport (1970/71) and had a support role in a feature,To Find a Man (1972).[19]
Bridges had a (then) rare comedy role onHere's Lucy with "Lucy's Big Break" (1972). He continued in TV movies:Haunts of the Very Rich (1972),Trouble Comes to Town (1973),Crime Club (1973),Running Wild (1973),Death Race (1973),The Whirlwind (1974, with son Beau), andStowaway to the Moon (1975).
Bridges starred in a short-livedPolice Story spin-offJoe Forrester (1975–76).
Bridges played significant roles in several mini-series, includingRoots, andHow the West Was Won. He returned to TV movies:The Force of Evil (1978),Telethon (1978),TheGreat Wallendas (1978) andThe Critical List (1978).[20][21]
Bridges had a guest part in "The Living Legend" forBattlestar Galactica (1978) and went to Australia to makeShimmering Light (1978) with Beau. He had a support part inThe Fifth Musketeer (1979) starring Beau and was inDisaster on the Coastliner (1979),Bear Island (1979) andThis Year's Blonde (1980) (asJohnny Hyde)
Bridges took on a memorable comedy role as air traffic controller Steve McCroskey inAirplane! (1980), a critically and commercially successful spoof of disaster films. Having been specifically recruited by the directors based on his straight-arrow screen image, Bridges took the role on the advice and encouragement of his children,[22] and later reprised the role in the less well-received follow-upAirplane II: The Sequel (1982). He was also featured in a pair of comedies,Weekend Warriors (1986), andThe Wild Pair, (1987) the latter of which he co-starred with and was directed by his son Beau. The following year, Bridges appeared with son Jeff in an uncredited role asU.S. SenatorHomer S. Ferguson inTucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), directed byFrancis Ford Coppola. Bridges had other notable supporting roles in the romantic dramaWinter People (1989) and the romantic comedyCousins (1989).
On television, Bridges appeared in a number of popularminiseries such asEast of Eden (1981),The Blue and the Gray (1982),George Washington (1984),Alice in Wonderland (1985),Dress Gray (1986), andNorth and South, Book II (1986). He also continued to make TV movies likeLife of the Party: The Story of Beatrice (1982),Grace Kelly (1983),Grandpa, Will You Run with Me? (1983)The Thanksgiving Promise (1986),She Was Marked for Murder (1988), andCross of Fire (1989).[23]
Bridges also starred in a short-livedABC TV seriesPaper Dolls (1984), and guest starred on other ABC network shows such asThe Love Boat (1981), thesoap operaLoving (1983), andMatt Houston (1983).
Bridges starred in a short-lived series,Capital News (1990), forABC.[24] In 1990, he had a supporting role inJoe Versus the Volcano, and portrayedHarry Helmsley in the made-for-television movie,Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean.
Bridges was inShining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift (1990) then reprised his comedy career with a supporting role inHot Shots! (1991). He starred in a TV movieIn the Nick of Time (1992) and was inHoney, I Blew Up the Kid (1992),Devlin (1992), andMr. Bluesman (1993) before reprising his old role inHot Shots! Part Deux (1993).
Bridges didSecret Sins of the Father (1994) with son Beau (who directed), andCinderella ... Frozen in Time (1994). His last regular TV series wasHarts of the West (1993–1994).
Bridges supported son Jeff in a big budget action filmBlown Away (1994). He did "Sandkings" (1995) forThe Outer Limits (1995) with Beau,The Other Woman (1995),Nothing Lasts Forever (1995), andThe Deliverance of Elaine (1996) and did voice work onPeter and the Wolf (1995). He had a semi-regular part onSecond Noah (1996).
He received a second Emmy Award nomination four decades after the first when he was nominated in 1998 for his role asIzzy Mandelbaum onSeinfeld.
Bridges served on the advisory board of theLos Angeles Student Film Institute.[25][26]
Bridges also guest starred onNed and Stacey.
Bridges' last roles were inMafia! (1998) andMeeting Daddy (2000).
Bridges met his wife,Dorothy Bridges (1915-2009), (née Simpson), in his fraternity; they married in 1938 in New York City.[27] They had four children: actorsBeau Bridges (born in 1941) andJeff Bridges (born in 1949); a daughter, Lucinda Louise Bridges (born in October 1953);[28] and another son, Garrett Myles Bridges, who died ofSudden Infant Death Syndrome on August 3, 1948. ActorJordan Bridges is Beau's son and Lloyd's grandson. Dorothy and Lloyd exchanged vows again for their 50th wedding anniversary.
On March 10, 1998, Bridges died of natural causes at the age of 85.[29]
An episode ("The Burning") in the finalSeinfeld season (1998) was dedicated to the memory of Lloyd Bridges. He had played the character of Izzy Mandelbaum in the episodes "The English Patient" in 1997 and "The Blood" later the same year.
Bridges' last film,Jane Austen's Mafia!, which came out the year of his death, bears a dedication to him.
In 2011, Bridges was posthumously named as one of six recipients that year of theLone Sailor Award, which honors former Coast Guard servicemen who forged successful careers as civilians. His sons Jeff and Beau also received the same award that year.[30][31]
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