- Stuart Whitman
Stuart Maxwell Whitman (born
February 1 ,1928 ) [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] is an Americanactor .Stuart Whitman is arguably best-known for playing Marshal Jim Crown in the western television series "
Cimarron Strip " in 1967. Whitman also starred withJohn Wayne in the Western movie, "The Comancheros ", in1961 , and received top billing as the romantic lead in the extravagant aerial epic "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines " in1965 .Early life
Born in
San Francisco , he graduated from high school and spent three years in theArmy Corps of Engineers . He became a boxer and was at one time a toplight heavyweight contender. After leaving the army, he enrolled inLos Angeles City College and the Los Angeles Academy of Dramatic Art.Film career
Whitman played supporting roles in "When Worlds Collide" (1951), "All American" (1953), "
Brigadoon " (1954), "Ten North Frederick" (1958), and "The Sound and the Fury " (1959). His firstleading man role is in "Murder, Inc." in 1960.In 1961, Whitman was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a child molester in "The Mark ". He has since appeared in starring and supporting roles in many films, including "Francis of Assisi ", "The Fiercest Heart", "The Longest Day", "The Comancheros " (sharing leading man status withJohn 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 Decks Ran Red ", "The Invincible Six", "Night of the Lepus", "Shatter ", "Tony Saitta", "Guyana: Crime of the Century" and "The White Buffalo " .Television
In 1957 Whitman was seriously considered for the role of "Bart Maverick" in the smash hit television series "Maverick". The studio realized that they needed another Maverick to rotate as the series lead with
James Garner , who had filmed seven episodes and closely resembled Whitman at the time, but Jack Kelly was chosen for the part.When
Charlton Heston , who had originally been signed to play the lead in "Darby's Rangers (film) " left the movie,James Garner was given the lead and Whitman wound up with Garner's original role in the film. ["Screen World" 17 Mar 1961]Whitman had a memorable foray into television for a single season in
1967 , playing the heroic Marshal Jim Crown in the lavish western series "Cimarron Strip ". The show, which ran 90 minutes per episode, was highly regarded for its thrilling theme music, top-notch production values, and Whitman's performance.Later Whitman performed the role of
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.
References
*cite news|publisher=Long Beach Press-Telegram |title=Wife of Stuart Whitman Tells of Freedom Offer |date=November 20, 1964 |page=C9
*cite news|publisher=Oakland Tribune |title=Star Lambastes Film Magazines |date=June 22, 1960 |page=D29External links
*imdb name|id=0926183|name=Stuart Whitman
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