Rory Calhoun | |
|---|---|
 Calhoun in 1961 | |
| Born | Francis Timothy McCown (1922-08-08)August 8, 1922 Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Died | April 28, 1999(1999-04-28) (aged 76) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Smoke |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1941–1993 |
| Spouse(s) | Lita Baron (1948–1970) Sue Rhodes (1971–1979; 1982–1999) |
| Children | 5 |
Rory Calhoun (bornFrancis Timothy McCown, August 8, 1922 – April 28, 1999) was an American film and television actor. He starred in numerous Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared in supporting roles in films such asHow to Marry a Millionaire (1953).
Francis Timothy McCown was born inLos Angeles, California, the son of Elizabeth Cuthbert and Floyd Conley McCown,[1] a professional gambler. He spent his early years inSanta Cruz, California.[2] He was ofIrish ancestry.[2] At age 13, he stole a revolver, for which he was sent to the California Youth Authority'sPreston School of Industry reformatory atIone, California. He escaped while in the adjustment center (jail within the jail).[3]
He left home at 17 to escape beatings from his stepfather and began hot-wiring cars.[2]
After robbing several jewelry stores, he stole a car and drove it across state lines. This was a federal offense, so when he was recaptured, he was sentenced to three years in prison. He served his sentence at theUnited States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.[2] He remained there until he was paroled shortly before his 21st 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, fisherman, truck driver, crane operator, and forest firefighter.[5]
In January 1944, he met actorAlan Ladd while riding horseback in theHollywood Hills. Impressed with Calhoun's physique, Ladd introduced him to his wifeSue Carol, who was atalent agent. She arranged for him to have a screen test at20th Century Fox, and he was cast in uncredited roles forSomething for the Boys (1944) andSunday Dinner for a Soldier (1944).[6][7] He had a one-line role in aLaurel and Hardy comedy,The Bullfighters (1945), credited under the name Frank McCown.
He also appeared inWhere Do We Go from Here? (1945),The Great John L. (1945) (asGentleman Jim Corbett), andNob Hill (1945).
"I liked the money it brought in," said Calhoun. "And I felt it would be nice to go back to forestry with a neat bank roll when these fellows found me out. I never had any feeling I'd make good."[5]
Shortly afterward, the Ladds hosted a party attended byDavid O. Selznick employeeHenry Willson, an agent who was known for representing young actors. Willson signed McCown to a contract 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 be "Rory... because you're a Leo, Leos are lions and lions roar." Selznick suggested either Donahue, Calhoun, or Callahan as a surname, and he picked Calhoun.[9] (In another account of the story, Selznick named him "Rory" because he helped put out roaring fire blazes when a firefighter and "Calhoun" because it sounded Irish.[6])
Calhoun was under contract with Selznick's company Vanguard, being used to do screen tests and make public appearances. His first public appearance in the film capital was asLana Turner's escort to the premiere ofAlfred Hitchcock'sSpellbound (1945), a Selznick production. The glamorous blonde and her handsome companion attracted the paparazzi, and photos appeared in newspapers and fan magazines.
In 1945, Calhoun returned to prison after punching a detective.[10]
Calhoun did not appear in a film for a year before being lent to producerSol Lesser forThe Red House (1947) withEdward G. Robinson.[11] He was then loaned to Paramount'sPine-Thomassecond feature studio to play the lead inAdventure Island (1947) with fellow Selznick contracteeRhonda Fleming.
Calhoun was announced for a film calledJet Pilot with Fleming,Guy Madison, and other Selznick contract players,[12] but it was not made. Instead, he was third lead inThat Hagen Girl (1947) withRonald Reagan andShirley Temple.[13]
Sam Newfield, who used Calhoun inAdventure Island, cast him again inMiraculous Journey (1948). ForMonogram, Guy Madison and he were inMassacre River (1949). At Fox, Calhoun played a second lead inSand (1949)
In February 1949, Selznick did a deal withWarner Bros., lending them seven of his stars, including Calhoun; they took over half his pictures for the rest of his contract with Selznick.[14] He played the villain inReturn of the Frontiersman (1950) and was hero of Monogram'sCounty Fair (1950).
In August 1950, Calhoun signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox.[15] He had made no films for Selznick. "I didn't worry about it because it was like a long vacation with pay", he said later.[5]
During Calhoun's contract with 20th Century Fox, he was inA Ticket to Tomahawk (1950) and was second male lead inI'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951) withSusan Hayward andMeet Me After the Show (1951) withBetty Grable.
He went to Ventura to star in a WesternRogue River (1951).
He was promoted to co-star forWith a Song in My Heart (1952) with Hayward andWay of a Gaucho (1952) withGene Tierney, directed byJacques Tourneur.
Calhoun was promoted to star in the WesternsThe Silver Whip (1953) withDale Robertson andRobert Wagner andPowder River (1953) withCorinne Calvet. He was inHow to Marry a Millionaire (1953) asBetty Grable's love interest, then was back to second male leads inRiver of No Return (1954) asMarilyn Monroe's boyfriend, who loses her toRobert Mitchum. Both films were big hits. Calhoun then left Fox.
Calhoun starred in a Western,The Yellow Tomahawk (1954). He went to Columbia forA Bullet Is Waiting (1954).
Calhoun went to Universal for which he made a Western,Four Guns to the Border (1954). He stayed there to star in the musicalAin't Misbehavin' (1955). Also in 1955, Calhoun andJulie Adams co-starred in the filmThe Looters.[16] He then co-starred with Jeff Chandler inThe Spoilers (1955). While filmingThe Spoilers, Calhoun's conviction history became public when his mugshot appeared on the May 1955 cover ofConfidential magazine.[17] When the news came out, he received an offer to play The Champion onClimax! andRKO asked him to be inThe Treasure of Pancho Villa (1955). Ultimately, the disclosure had no negative effect on Calhoun's career and only served to solidify his "bad boy" image.[6]
In 1956, he appeared on the TV showZane Grey Theatre. At Universal, he was inRed Sundown (1956) andRaw Edge (1956).He wrote the story for the filmShotgun (1955) made by Allied Artists and tried to star in it, but Universal would not lend him. In late 1956, he arranged to pull out of his contract with Universal and said his fee was $75,000 per film.[18]
In 1957, Calhoun formedRorvic Productions, a production company, with his partner,Victor Orsatti.[18]
He helped produce and starred inFlight to Hong Kong (1956),The Hired Gun (1957),Domino Kid (1957), andApache Territory (1958).[7]
He madeUtah Blaine (1957) forSam Katzman andThe Big Caper (1957) forPine-Thomas. ForKirk Douglas' company, he appeared inRide Out for Revenge (1958), and he returned to Universal forThe Saga of Hemp Brown (1958).
In 1958, on the recommendation of studio bossDesi Arnaz, Calhoun co-produced and starred in the television seriesThe Texan, which aired on Monday evenings until 1960. He said in a 1959 article that the only two good films he made wereWith a Song in My Heart andHow to Marry a Millionaire, with the rest being "terrible".[19]
Calhoun produced 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, 1959, he appeared as himself in the episode "Rory Calhoun, The Texan" on the sitcomDecember Bride, starringSpring Byington.
AfterThe Texan ended, Calhoun starred inThunder in Carolina (1960). He appeared on TV shows such asGunsmoke,Death Valley Days, andBonanza.
Calhoun went to Spain forThe Colossus of Rhodes (1961) directed bySergio Leone. (He was robbed during filming.[21]) He didThe Treasure of Monte Cristo (1961) in Britain, then didMarco Polo (1962) in Italy.
He returned to the U.S. to make several films for producerA.C. Lyles, such asThe Young and The Brave (1963),Young Fury (1965), andApache Uprising (1965), as well as other films such asFace in the Rain (1963).
Calhoun was considered for the lead of James West in the 1965–1969 CBS seriesThe Wild Wild West, but the producers were not impressed with his screen test and instead choseRobert Conrad.[22][23] He returned to Europe to makeOur Men in Bagdad (1966) andThe Emerald of Artatama (1969).
Calhoun continued to appear in both television and film throughout the 1970s and 1980s, includingThunder in Carolina,Rawhide,Gilligan's Island,Hawaii Five-O,Alias Smith and Jones andStarsky and Hutch.He also wrote the novelsThe Man From Padera (1979) andCerrado (1980).
In 1982, Calhoun had a regular role on the soap operaCapitol, having been persuaded to accept the role by his family after his regret over turning down a part on CBS'sDallas.[24] He stayed with the series until 1987.[25]
Calhoun became known to a new generation for several roles in cult films such asNight of the Lepus (1972),Motel Hell (1980),Angel (1984), and its sequelAvenging Angel (1985), as well asHell Comes to Frogtown (1987).
His final role was that of grizzled family patriarch and rancher Ernest Tucker in the filmPure Country (1992).
Calhoun was married three times, once to his first wife and twice to his second wife. He had three daughters with first wife Lita Baron (m. 1948–1970), Cindy, Tami, and Lorri. When Baron sued Calhoun for divorce, she named Betty Grable as one of 79 women with whom he had adulterous relationships. Calhoun replied to her charge: "Heck, she didn't even include half of them".[7] Calhoun settled a paternity suit by actressVitina Marcus.[26] He had one daughter, Rory, with second wife (m. 1971–1979; 1982–1999, his death),journalist Sue Rhodes.[2]
Calhoun supportedBarry Goldwater in the1964 United States presidential election.[27]
Calhoun died on April 28, 1999, at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, ofemphysema anddiabetes. He was aged 76.[28]
For his contributions to the film and television industries, Calhoun was inducted into theHollywood Walk of Fame with two stars in 1960. Hismotion-picture star is located at 7007 Hollywood Boulevard, and his television star is at 1752 Vine Street.[29][28]
InThe Simpsons episode "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds", Calhoun is mentioned in an apparentnon sequitur when some dogs, andBart andLisa, are said byMonty Burns to resemble Rory Calhoun, so he cannot harm them. Speaking of the inclusion, writerJosh Weinstein advised this was because writers believed "Rory Calhoun" to be a "perfect name for a '50s heartthrob".[30]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
