Grant Withers

Infobox actor
bgcolour = silver
name = Grant Withers


imagesize = 200px
caption = Grant Withers, circa 1930
birthdate = birth date|1905|1|17|mf=y
location = Pueblo, Colorado, U.S.
height = 6' 3" (1.91 m)
deathdate = death date and age|1959|3|27|1905|1|17|mf=y
birthname = Granville G. Withers
othername =
occupation = Film, television actor
homepage =
notable role ="Jungle Jim" Bradley in
"Jungle Jim" - Serial
Captain "Bill" Street in
"Mr. Wong" Series
spouse = Loretta Young
Gladys Joyce Walsh
Estelita Rodriguez

Grant Withers (January 17, 1905, Pueblo, Colorado – March 27, 1959, North Hollywood, California), born Granville G. Withers, was a prolific American film actor with a sizeable body of work.

With early beginnings in the silent era, Withers moved into talkies establishing himself with an impressive list of headlined features as a young and handsome male lead.

As his career progressed, his importance diminished, but he did manage a 10-year contract at Republic Pictures. His friendships with both John Ford and John Wayne secured him a spot in nine of Wayne's films, but later roles dwindled to supporting parts, mainly as villains in B-movies, serials and finally TV.

His life in film, five unsuccessful marriages, and a tragic end had all the makings of its own Hollywood drama.

Biography

Early life and career

He had worked as an oil company salesman and newspaper reporter before breaking into movies near the end of the silent era. His more than 30-year acting career took off in the late 1920s, while in his 20s, when his hairy-chested rugged good looks made him the leading man over such rising talent as James Cagney, who made his film debut in the Withers feature "Sinners' Holiday" (1930) also starring Joan Blondell and released by Warner Bros.. Taller than John Wayne and just as tough, yet capable of sensitivity, it was his early roles for Warner Bros. that brought him his highest accolades. Withers' early work had him opposite such major talent as W. C. Fields, Buster Keaton, Boris Karloff, Mae West, and Shirley Temple.

Career

Starring roles in major pictures later dwindled to supporting parts, mainly as villains in B-movies and serials. Notable exceptions included a 12-part Jungle Jim movie serial (1937), starring Withers and released by Universal Pictures, and the recurring role of the brash police Captain Bill Street in the Monogram Pictures series "Mr. Wong" beginning in 1938.

He was under a Republic Pictures contract from February 1944 through April 1954. Withers' film credits at Republic total about 60 films from 1937 to 1957. From 1940, he was pretty much a character actor as a popular Western tough guy taking numerous supporting roles in television as his demand in film work waned.

All told he appeared in over 200 films.

Personal life

In 1930, at 26, his elopement to Yuma, Arizona, with a 17-year-old Loretta Young was widely reported and ended in annulment in 1931, just as their second movie together, ironically titled "Too Young to Marry", was released. He was also married to Gladys Joyce Walsh.

Some of Withers' later screen appearances were arranged through the auspices of his friends John Ford and John Wayne. He appeared in nine movies with John Wayne, including " Fort Apache" (1948) and " Rio Grande" (1950).

Wayne was best man at Withers' fifth marriage, to 24-year-old Cuban-born actress Estelita Rodriguez ("Rio Bravo") in January 1953 in Reno, Nevada. They too resided in the San Fernando Valley on Woodcliff Avenue in Sherman Oaks, California. Estelita began a nightclub singing career at the end of her Republic contract. The marriage was not a happy one. They divorced in 1955.cite web|url=http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/233/Estelita+Rodriguez/index.html/|title=Estelita Rodriguez|last=Anonymous|first=|publisher=Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen |accessdate=2006-08-13]

A noticeable weight gain is apparent in his films as his career progresses. In later years, back problems were one of his health issues.

Death

With failing health, Withers worked up until his suicide in 1959, at the age of 54, when he died from an overdose of barbiturates, leaving behind a note in which he apologized to all the people he'd let down during his days in Hollywood:

elect filmography on DVD

:See complete Grant Withers filmography at [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0936728/ "IMDB"]

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0936728|name=Grant Withers
*amg name|2:117136
*findagrave|2084
* [http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=117136 Interview] at the New York Times
*" [http://www.b-westerns.com/terms4.htm Republic Bad Guys and Action Heavies / Grant Withers] " at b-westerns.com
*" [http://www.hawkwalk.com/macrobio1.html A Macro Bio] "
* " [http://www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/233/Estelita+Rodriguez/index.html/ Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen / Estelita Rodriguez] "

Persondata
NAME= Withers, Grant
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Withers, Granville G.
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Actor
DATE OF BIRTH= 1905-1-17
PLACE OF BIRTH= Pueblo, Colorado, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH= 1959-3-27
PLACE OF DEATH=