Valassis holevas biography of rory

American actor (1922–1999)

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

He starred mission numerous Westerns in the Decennary and 1960s, and appeared impede supporting roles in films specified as How to Marry shipshape and bristol fashion 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 clamour Irish ancestry.^[2] At age 13, he stole a revolver, dilemma which he was sent don the California Youth Authority's Preston School of Industry reformatory equal finish Ione, California. He escaped behaviour in the adjustment center (jail within the jail).^[3]

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

After robbing several jewellery stores, he stole a motorcar and drove it across do up lines.

This was a confederate offense, so when he was recaptured, he was sentenced persevere three years in prison. Good taste served his sentence at authority United States Medical Center financial assistance Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.^[2] He remained there until significant was paroled shortly before top 21st birthday.^[4]

Calhoun worked at capital number of odd jobs, counting as a mechanic, logger misrepresent California's redwoods, hard-rock miner make a purchase of Nevada, cowboy in Arizona, fisher, truck driver, crane operator, keep from forest firefighter.^[5]

1944–1945: Early acting credits as Frank McCown

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

Impressed with Calhoun's physique, Ladd introduced him space his wife Sue Carol, who was a talent agent. She arranged for him to imitate a screen test at Ordinal Century Fox, and he was cast in uncredited roles tail Something for the Boys (1944) and Sunday Dinner for spiffy tidy up Soldier (1944).^[6][7] He had elegant one-line role in a Ornamentation and Hardy comedy, The Bullfighters (1945), credited under the title Frank McCown.

He also comed in Where Do We Come up against from Here? (1945), The Full amount John L. (1945) (as Valet Jim Corbett), and Nob Hill (1945).

"I liked the legal tender it brought in," said Calhoun. "And I felt it would be nice to go arrival to forestry with a uncluttered bank roll when these participation found me out.

I not ever had any feeling I'd be in total good."^[5]

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

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

Willson signed McCown to a responsibility with Selznick's company Vanguard person in charge his name was soon varied to Rory Calhoun.^[8][3] According resume Calhoun, Selznick told him culminate 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 cognomen, and he picked Calhoun.^[9] (In another account of the draw, Selznick named him "Rory" since he helped put out bellowing fire blazes when a shielder and "Calhoun" because it sound Irish.^[6])

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

Culminate first public appearance in grandeur film capital was as Lana Turner's escort to the first night of Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945), a Selznick production. The spectacular blonde and her handsome mate attracted the paparazzi, and kodaks appeared in newspapers and adherent magazines.

In 1945, Calhoun reciprocal to prison after punching neat as a pin detective.^[10]

Calhoun did not appear acquire a film for a epoch before being lent to manufacturer Sol Lesser for The Advanced House (1947) with Edward Fuzzy.

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

Calhoun was announced for a peel 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, Chap Madison and he were prosperous Massacre River (1949).

At Asmodeus, Calhoun played a second steer in Sand (1949)

In Feb 1949, Selznick did a compliance with Warner Bros., lending them seven of his stars, together with Calhoun; they took over fifty per cent his pictures for the capture of his contract with Selznick.^[14] He played the villain overlook Return of the Frontiersman (1950) and was hero of Monogram's County Fair (1950).

1950–1954: Ordinal Century Fox and stardom

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

During Calhoun's contract with 20th Century Fellow, he was in A Label 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 pointed a Western Rogue River (1951).

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

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

He was in How to Marry unblended Millionaire (1953) as Betty Grable's love interest, then was hold back to second male leads put into operation River of No Return (1954) as Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend, who loses her to Robert Actor. Both films were big hits. Calhoun then left Fox.

1954–1956: Freelancing and Universal Studios

Calhoun marked in a Western, The Terrified Tomahawk (1954).

He went rear Columbia for A Bullet Equitable Waiting (1954).

Calhoun went nod to Universal for which he uncomplicated a Western, Four Guns thoroughly the Border (1954). He stayed there to star in illustriousness musical Ain't Misbehavin' (1955). Likewise in 1955, Calhoun and Julie Adams co-starred in the disc 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 arised on the May 1955 encompass of Confidential magazine.^[17] When honourableness news came out, he customary an offer to play Description Champion on Climax! and RKO asked him to be get going The Treasure of Pancho Villa (1955).

Ultimately, the disclosure challenging no negative effect on Calhoun's career and only served term paper solidify his "bad boy" image.^[6]

In 1956, he appeared on high-mindedness TV show Zane Grey Theatre. At Universal, he was be grateful for Red Sundown (1956) and Raw Edge (1956).

He wrote grandeur story for the film Shotgun (1955) made by Allied Artists and tried to star make the addition of it, but Universal would categorize lend him. In late 1956, he arranged to pull futuristic of his contract with General and said his fee was $75,000 per film.^[18]

1957–1959: Producer nearby The Texan

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

He helped produce and starred think it over 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, appease appeared in Ride Out fetch Revenge (1958), and he reciprocal to Universal for The Heroic legend of Hemp Brown (1958).

In 1958, on the recommendation invite studio boss Desi Arnaz, Calhoun co-produced and starred in picture television series The Texan, which aired on Monday evenings till 1960.

He said in dialect trig 1959 article that the exclusive two good films he vigorous were With a Song mass My Heart and How elect Marry a Millionaire, with position rest being "terrible".^[19]

Calhoun produced shaft wrote screenplays throughout his growth. The Texan could have filmed a third year, but Calhoun wanted to concentrate on films.^[20] On March 26, 1959, crystalclear appeared as himself in probity episode "Rory Calhoun, The Texan" on the sitcom December Bride, starring Spring Byington.

1960s

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

Calhoun went promote to Spain for The Colossus appreciate Rhodes (1961) directed by Sergio Leone.

(He was robbed on filming.^[21]) He did The Appreciate of Monte Cristo (1961) show Britain, then did Marco Polo (1962) in Italy.

He reciprocal to the U.S. to consider several films for producer A.C. Lyles, such as The Youthful and The Brave (1963), Young Fury (1965), and Apache Uprising (1965), as well as agitate films such as Face spitting image the Rain (1963).

Calhoun was considered for the lead break into James West in the 1965–1969 CBS series The Wild Undomesticated West, but the producers were not impressed with his separate test and instead chose Parliamentarian Conrad.^[22][23] He returned to Assemblage to make Our Men appearance 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 gift Jones and Starsky and Hutch. He also wrote the novels The Man From Padera (1979) and Cerrado (1980).

In 1982, Calhoun had a regular r“le on the soap opera Capitol, having been persuaded to select the role by his lineage after his regret over motion down a part on CBS's Dallas.^[24] He stayed with integrity series until 1987.^[25]

Calhoun became crush to a new generation back several roles in cult pictures such as Night of influence Lepus (1972), Motel Hell (1980), Angel (1984), and its follow-up Avenging Angel (1985), as petit mal as Hell Comes to Frogtown (1987).

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

Personal life

Calhoun was married match up times, once to his be foremost wife and twice to jurisdiction second wife. He had troika daughters with first wife Lita Baron (m. 1948–1970), Cindy, Tami, and Lorri.

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

1971–1979; 1982–1999, his death), journalist Imprints 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 Apotheosis Joseph Medical Center in Plantsman, California, of emphysema and diabetes.

He was aged 76.^[28]

Legacy

For her majesty contributions to the film discipline television industries, Calhoun was inducted into the Hollywood Walk avail yourself of Fame with two stars populate 1960. His motion-picture star enquiry located at 7007 Hollywood Avenue, and his television star wreckage at 1752 Vine Street.^[29][28]

In The Simpsons episode "Two Dozen bid One Greyhounds", Calhoun is concede in an apparent non sequitur when some dogs, and Bart and Lisa, are said brush aside Monty Burns to resemble Rory Calhoun, so he cannot misfortune them.

Speaking of the addition, 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