Tom Gilson

Tom Gilson (1934–1962) was an American actor in TV and occasional films from the 1950s, who was shot dead by his wife, model and actress Sandra Edwards, on 6 October 1962.

Biography

Born in New York, the tall, powerfully-built Gilson played roles in TV western series such as "Maverick", "Lawman", and "Cheyenne", but perhaps his best-remembered part was in an episode of the classic sitcom "The Phil Silvers Show", in which he played a variation on Elvis Presley, named "Elvin Pelvin".

Gilson married Sandra Edwards in 1961 and had a son, Tom Jr, but the marriage was stormy and ill-fated, and Edwards left Gilson and moved to her sister's house in Van Nuys, California. After apparent drunken behaviour and death threats, Gilson broke into the house, and Edwards shot him dead, fearing for the safety of herself and her baby son. Although a coroner's jury later judged the killing as justifiable homicide, Edwards' own career never recovered,and she never appeared in another film or TV programme.

External links

*imdb name|id=0319712|name=Tom Gilson