Stuart Whitman

Stuart Whitman

Stuart Whitman in The Longest Day (1962)
Born Stuart Maxwell Whitman
February 1, 1928
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1951–2011
Spouse(s) Caroline Boubis (1966-74) (divorced)
Patricia LaLonde (1952-66) (divorced)

Stuart Maxwell Whitman (born February 1, 1928)[1] is an American actor. He is arguably best known for playing Marshal Jim Crown in the Western television series Cimarron Strip in 1967. Whitman also starred with John Wayne in the Western film, The Comancheros, in 1961, and received top billing as the romantic lead in the extravagant aerial epic Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines in 1965.

Early life

Whitman was born in San Francisco, California, the elder of two sons. His parents, Cecilia (née Gold) and Joseph Whitman, traveled frequently during his childhood, and as a result, he attended over twenty schools.[2][3] His family was Jewish.[4] He graduated from high school and spent three years in the Army Corps of Engineers. After leaving the army, he enrolled in Los Angeles City College and the Los Angeles Academy of Dramatic Art.

Film career

Whitman and Victoria Shaw in Cimarron Strip (1967)

Whitman was a supporting actor in When Worlds Collide, All American, Brigadoon, Silver Lode, Ten North Frederick, The Decks Ran Red starring Dorothy Dandridge (on whose face Whitman planted Hollywood's first interrracial kiss), These Thousand Hills, and The Sound and the Fury.

When Charlton Heston, who had originally been signed to play the lead in 1958's Darby's Rangers left the film, James Garner was given the lead and Whitman wound up with Garner's original role in the film.[5]

His first leading man role was in Murder, Inc. in 1960 with May Britt and Peter Falk. He was signed on as a contract star with 20th Century Fox.

In 1961, Whitman was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a child molester in The Mark, a role many other better known actors turned down. He has since appeared in starring and supporting roles in many films, including Francis of Assisi, The Fiercest Heart, The Longest Day (with all his scenes opposite John Wayne), The Comancheros (sharing leading man status with Wayne), Convicts 4, The Day and the Hour, Signpost to Murder, Shock Treatment, Rio Conchos, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, Sands of the Kalahari, The City Beneath the Sea, An American Dream, The Last Escape, The Invincible Six, Night of the Lepus, Shatter, Captain Apache, Strange Shadows in an Empty Room, Guyana: Crime of the Century, Treasure Seekers, The White Buffalo and The Story of Ruth.

Television

Whitman in The Longest Day (1962)

In 1957, Whitman, who frequently appeared as police officer Sgt. Walters on the television series Highway Patrol, was seriously considered for the role of "Bart Maverick" in the smash hit television series Maverick. The studio needed another Maverick to rotate as the series lead with James Garner. Garner, who had filmed seven episodes, closely resembled Whitman at the time, but Jack Kelly was chosen for the part.

A decade later, Whitman played heroic Marshal Jim Crown in the lavish western TV series Cimarron Strip for a single season. The show, which ran 90 minutes per episode, was highly regarded for its theme music, production values, and Whitman's performance. His principal costars were Jill Townsend as Dulcey Coopersmith, proprietor of the local inn, and Randy Boone, who played the photographer Francis Wilder.

Later Whitman portrayed Clark Kent's father Jonathan Kent on the popular TV series Superboy.

Whitman made over two hundred appearances in various movies and television shows over a half-century span between 1951 and 2000. One of his early roles came in 1957 in the syndicated military dramas, Harbor Command, a drama about the United States Coast Guard, and The Silent Service, based on true stories of the submarine service of the United States Navy. Whitman's last credited role was in The President's Man, released in 2000 and starring Chuck Norris. He had previously appeared with Norris in a two-part episode of Walker, Texas Ranger.

He was also a guest on Murder, She Wrote appearing in four different episodes, "Hit, Run and Homicide" (1984), "Powder Keg" (1986), "Trouble in Eden" (1987), and "Incident in Lot 7" (1992). Whitman also appeared in an episode of the TV series Ghost Story ("The Concrete Captain," c. 1973). In "Blood Sweat and Cheers", Series 4, Episode 8 of The A Team, Whitman played Jack Harman, a friend of Hannibal Smith.

Awards

Personal life

Stuart was married to the French-born Caroline Boubis (1966–1974). They had one son together, Justin. They divorced in 1974. His first marriage, to Patricia LaLonde (October 13, 1952 – 1966), ended in divorce. They had four children: Tony (b. 1953), Michael (b. 1954), Linda (b. 1956) and Scott (b. 1958).

Selected TV and filmography

References

  1. ↑ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com
  2. ↑ Meyer, Jim. "Stuart Whitman: Dedicated Professional". Classic Images.
  3. ↑ Films and filming. Hansom Books. 1958.
  4. ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=883&dat=19590828&id=ZTshAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kGEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5934,780067
  5. ↑ Screen World 17 March 1961

External links