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Rory Calhoun

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Rory Calhoun
Calhoun in 1961
Born
Francis Timothy McCown

(1922-08-08)August 8, 1922
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedApril 28, 1999(1999-04-28) (aged 76)
Burbank, California, U.S.
Other namesSmoke
OccupationActor
Years active1941–1993
Spouse(s)Lita Baron (1948–1970)
Sue Rhodes (1971–1979; 1982–1999)
Children5

Rory Calhoun (born Francis 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 as How to Marry a Millionaire (1953).

Life and career

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1922–1943: Troubled early life

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Francis Timothy McCown was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Elizabeth Cuthbert and Floyd Conley McCown,[1] a professional gambler. He spent his early years in Santa Cruz, California.[2] He was of Irish ancestry.[2] At age 13, he stole a revolver, for which he was sent to the California Youth Authority's Preston School of Industry reformatory at Ione, 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 the United 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]

1944–1945: Early acting credits as Frank McCown

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In January 1944, he met actor Alan Ladd while riding horseback in the Hollywood Hills. Impressed with Calhoun's physique, Ladd introduced him to his wife Sue Carol, who was a talent agent. She arranged for him to have a screen test at 20th Century Fox, and he was cast in uncredited roles for Something for the Boys (1944) and Sunday Dinner for a Soldier (1944).[6][7] He had a one-line role in a Laurel and Hardy comedy, The Bullfighters (1945), credited under the name Frank McCown.

He also appeared in Where Do We Go from Here? (1945), The Great John L. (1945) (as Gentleman Jim Corbett), and Nob 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]

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

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Shortly afterward, the Ladds hosted a party attended by David O. Selznick employee Henry 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 as Lana Turner's escort to the premiere of Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound (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 producer Sol Lesser for The Red House (1947) with Edward G. Robinson.[11] He was then loaned to Paramount's Pine-Thomas second feature studio to play the lead in Adventure Island (1947) with fellow Selznick contractee Rhonda Fleming.

Calhoun was announced for a film called Jet Pilot with Fleming, Guy Madison, and other Selznick contract players,[12] but it was not made. Instead, he was third lead in That Hagen Girl (1947) with Ronald Reagan and Shirley Temple.[13]

Sam Newfield, who used Calhoun in Adventure Island, cast him again in Miraculous Journey (1948). For Monogram, Guy Madison and he were in Massacre River (1949). At Fox, Calhoun played a second lead in Sand (1949)

In February 1949, Selznick did a deal with Warner 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 in Return of the Frontiersman (1950) and was hero of Monogram's County Fair (1950).

1950–1954: 20th Century Fox and stardom

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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 in A Ticket 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 in a Western Rogue River (1951).

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

Calhoun was promoted to star in the Westerns The Silver Whip (1953) with Dale Robertson and Robert Wagner and Powder River (1953) with Corinne Calvet. He was in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) as Betty Grable's love interest, then was back to second male leads in River of No Return (1954) as Marilyn Monroe's boyfriend, who loses her to Robert Mitchum. Both films were big hits. Calhoun then left Fox.

1954–1956: Freelancing and Universal Studios

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Calhoun starred in a Western, The Yellow Tomahawk (1954). He went to Columbia for A 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 musical Ain't Misbehavin' (1955). Also in 1955, Calhoun and Julie Adams co-starred in the film 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 appeared on the May 1955 cover of Confidential magazine.[17] When the news came out, he received an offer to play The Champion on Climax! and RKO asked him to be in The 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 show Zane Grey Theatre. At Universal, he was in Red Sundown (1956) and Raw Edge (1956). He wrote the story for the film Shotgun (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]

1957–1959: Producer and The Texan

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As Bill Longley in The Texan

In 1957, Calhoun formed Rorvic Productions, a production company, with his partner, Victor Orsatti.[18]

He helped produce and starred in 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, he appeared in Ride Out for Revenge (1958), and he returned to Universal for The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958).

In 1958, on the recommendation of studio boss Desi Arnaz, Calhoun co-produced and starred in the television series The Texan, which aired on Monday evenings until 1960. He said in a 1959 article that the only two good films he made were With a Song in My Heart and How 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 sitcom December Bride, starring Spring Byington.

1960s

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

Calhoun went to Spain for The Colossus of Rhodes (1961) directed by Sergio Leone. (He was robbed during filming.[21]) He did The Treasure of Monte Cristo (1961) in Britain, then did Marco Polo (1962) in Italy.

He returned to the U.S. to make several films for producer A.C. Lyles, such as The Young and The Brave (1963), Young Fury (1965), and Apache Uprising (1965), as well as other films such as Face in the Rain (1963).

Calhoun was considered for the lead of James West in the 1965–1969 CBS series The Wild Wild West, but the producers were not impressed with his screen test and instead chose Robert Conrad.[22][23] He returned to Europe to make Our Men in Bagdad (1966) and The Emerald of Artatama (1969).

Later career

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Calhoun continued to appear in both television and film throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including Thunder in Carolina, Rawhide, Gilligan's Island, Hawaii Five-O, Alias Smith and Jones and Starsky and Hutch. He also wrote the novels The Man From Padera (1979) and Cerrado (1980).

In 1982, Calhoun had a regular role on the soap opera Capitol, having been persuaded to accept the role by his family after his regret over turning down a part on CBS's Dallas.[24] He stayed with the series until 1987.[25]

Calhoun became known to a new generation for several roles in cult films such as Night of the Lepus (1972), Motel Hell (1980), Angel (1984), and its sequel Avenging Angel (1985), as well as Hell Comes to Frogtown (1987).

His final role was that of grizzled family patriarch and rancher Ernest Tucker in the film Pure Country (1992).

Personal life

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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 actress Vitina Marcus.[26] He had one daughter, Rory, with second wife (m. 1971–1979; 1982–1999, his death), journalist Sue Rhodes.[2]

Political views

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Calhoun supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election.[27]

Death

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Calhoun died on April 28, 1999, at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, of emphysema and diabetes. He was aged 76.[28]

Legacy

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For his contributions to the film and television industries, Calhoun was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with two stars in 1960. His motion-picture star is located at 7007 Hollywood Boulevard, and his television star is at 1752 Vine Street.[29][28]

In The Simpsons episode "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds", Calhoun is mentioned in an apparent non sequitur when some dogs, and Bart and Lisa, are said by Monty Burns to resemble Rory Calhoun, so he cannot harm them. Speaking of the inclusion, writer Josh Weinstein advised this was because writers believed "Rory Calhoun" to be a "perfect name for a '50s heartthrob".[30]

Filmography

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Television

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Producer

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Writer

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References

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  1. ^ "FamilyTreeDNA Discover Notable".
  2. ^ a b c d e Oliver, Myrna (April 29, 1999). "Rory Calhoun; Handsome Actor Starred in 1950s Westerns, TV Series". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Bawden, James; Miller, Ron (April 1, 2016). Conversations with Classic Film Stars: Interviews from Hollywood's Golden Era. University Press of Kentucky. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-8131-6711-4.
  4. ^ The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson by Robert Hofler, Carroll & Graf, 2005, p. 137 ISBN 0-7867-1607-X
  5. ^ a b c Hopper, Hedda (November 30, 1952). "Rory Roars On!". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. C10.
  6. ^ a b c Calhoun, Rory (August 28, 1955). "My Dark Years". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. ProQuest 148706189.
  7. ^ a b c Vallance, Tom (May 3, 1999). "Obituary: Rory Calhoun". The Independent. London, UK.
  8. ^ Willis, John; Monush, Barry (2001). Screen World 2000. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 355. ISBN 978-1-55783-431-7.
  9. ^ Oliver, Myrna (April 29, 1999). "Rory Calhoun; Handsome Actor Starred in 1950s Westerns, TV Series". LA Times. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  10. ^ Dorsey, Helen (April 25, 1982). "Tempo: Black-sheep Rory Calhoun comes clean in soap role". Chicago Tribune. p. n1.
  11. ^ "Grand and Temple to Co-Star for RKO – Will Share Leads in 'Bachelor and Bobby-Sox' – Danny Kaye Film Due Today at Astor". The New York Times. April 18, 1946. p. 22. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  12. ^ "Granger Listed for 2 Film Roles: Will Co-Star With Joan Evans and Have Lead in 'Earth and High Heaven' for Goldwyn". The New York Times. September 13, 1948. p. 17. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  13. ^ Hofler, Robert. (2009). The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson. Starkville Press. pp. 141–142.
  14. ^ "Selznick Stars To Do Movies for Warners". The New York Times. February 21, 1949. p. 18. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  15. ^ Brady, Thomas F. (August 17, 1950). "Boyer Gets Role in Drama at Fox – Will Play 65-Year-Old Doctor in Studio's 'Scarlet Pen' – Preminger Is Directing". The New York Times. p. 24. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  16. ^ Laura King Van Dusen, "Movie Making", Historic Tales from Park County: Parked in the Past (Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2013); ISBN 978-1-62619-161-7, pp. 182–183.
  17. ^ Barbas, Samantha (September 4, 2018). Confidential Confidential: The Inside Story of Hollywood's Notorious Scandal Magazine. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-0-912777-56-6.
  18. ^ a b Hopper, Hedda (January 27, 1957). "Rory Calhoun: 'It's TV For Me!'". Chicago Daily Tribune. ProQuest 180053179.
  19. ^ Vernon, Scott (May 24, 1959). "Rory Calhoun Final Finds His Audience". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. sw25.
  20. ^ Billy Hathorn, "Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr. and the Texas Rangers: Depictions of West Texans in Series Television, 1955 to 1967", West Texas Historical Review, Vol. 89 (2013), pp. 110–112
  21. ^ "Rory Calhoun Robbed". The Washington Post and Times-Herald. September 29, 1960. p. A21.
  22. ^ Roman, James W. (2005). From Daytime to Primetime: The History of American Television Programs. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 37.
  23. ^ "Shadoe Steele's Interview with Actor Robert Conrad". nctc.net. April 25, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  24. ^ "Rory Calhoun Interview at Hollywood Cult Movies".
  25. ^ "Rory Calhoun: Obituary". April 29, 1999. Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved November 30, 2007.
  26. ^ "Wife Lists 79 Calhoun 'Affairs,' Seeks Divorce". The Fresno Bee. June 16, 1969.
  27. ^ Critchlow, Donald T. (October 21, 2013). When Hollywood Was Right: How Movie Stars, Studio Moguls, and Big Business Remade American Politics. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107650282.
  28. ^ a b Oliver, Myrna (April 29, 1999). "Los Angeles Times – Hollywood Star Walk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  29. ^ "Hollywood Walk of Fame – Rory Calhoun". walkoffame.com. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  30. ^ Barstow, Anthony (December 23, 2020). "22 Simpsons Jokes Fans Never Understood, Explained By A Writer For The Show". Ranker. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
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