Jeff Morrow
Irving "Jeff" Morrow (January 13, 1907 – December 26, 1993) was an American actor. Educated at the Pratt Institute, Jeff Morrow was a commercial artist before turning to acting.
[edit] Acting career
A native of New York City, he acted onstage as Irving Morrow in Pennsylvania as early as 1927. He would later appear in such plays as Penal Law, and Once in a Lifetime, as well as repertory in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth.
After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Morrow spent the late 1940s on the stage and in radio, where he won the title role in the Dick Tracy radio series. He appeared in many Broadway productions, notably Three Wishes for Jamie, Billy Budd, the Maurice Evans production of Macbeth, and the Katharine Cornell production of Romeo and Juliet.
Morrow turned to film acting relatively late in his career, commencing with the Biblical epic The Robe in 1953. Often parodied as the 'Cro-Magnon Man' for his prominent brow, Morrow spent much of the 1950s appearing in a mix of A-budget epics in supporting parts, or 'B' Westerns and science fiction films as a leader and screen hero, usually paired with a busty and beautiful actress.[citation needed]
Morrow carried over much of his acting persona from his radio days to his film acting roles, where his ability to rapidly alter both the tone and volume of his voice for dramatic effect frequently gave sound editors fits. He entered the science fiction/monster movie genre with the 1955 film This Island Earth, followed by The Creature Walks Among Us, The Giant Claw, and Kronos (1957).
Morrow returned to television for most of his later roles, later making guest appearances on series such as Crossroads, Bonanza, My Friend Flicka, The Deputy, Perry Mason (The Case of the Dodging Domino), and Police Story.
In 1958-59, he starred as Bart McClelland, supervisor of construction of the Union Pacific Railroad in the syndicated half-hour western series Union Pacific, based loosely on a Joel McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck film of the same name.
In 1960 he played Tob, the older brother of Boaz (Stuart Whitman), in the biblical drama, The Story of Ruth.
During the early 1960s, Morrow appeared in such low-budget films as Harbor Lights (1963), Blood Legacy (1971), and in a bow to his earlier career, a cameo in the 1971 monster film Octaman for veteran 1950's monster movie writer/director Harry Essex.[citation needed]
After the 1974 cancellation of the sitcom The New Temperatures Rising, and completion of filming the low-budget film The Runaways, Morrow largely retired from acting, though he returned for a 1975 appearance in the series Police Story. His last television role was in 1986, with a guest appearance on the second The Twilight Zone series.[citation needed]
[edit] Later years and death
In later life, Morrow went back to commercial illustration, while taking occasional acting assignments. He died on December 26, 1993 in California, aged 86. He was survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, actress Anna K. Morrow (died July 1, 2009), and their daughter, Mrs. Lissa Morrow Christian (born 1948). His ashes were scattered off the coast of Palos Verdes, California.
