Leif Erickson
| Leif Erickson | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | William Wycliffe Anderson October 27, 1911 Alameda, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 29, 1986 (aged 74) Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouse |
Frances Farmer (m. 1936–1942) |
Leif Erickson (October 27, 1911 – January 29, 1986) was an American film and television actor.
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[edit] Background
Leif Erickson was born ation needed|date=May 2011}} He worked as a soloist in a band as vocalist and trombone player and played in Max Reinhardt's productions, then gained a small amount of stage experience in a comedy Vaudeville act. Initially billed by Paramount Pictures as Glenn Erickson, he began his screen career as a leading man in Westerns. Erickson made his film debut in two 1933 band films with Betty Grable before starting a string of Buster Crabbe Westerns based on Zane Grey novels. Erickson took four years off to serve in the Navy during World War II as a combat photographer. Erickson served as an instructor, was shot down twice in the Pacific, and was twice wounded.[1]
[edit] Career
Erickson appeared in films such as College Holiday (1937), Conquest (1937), Ride a Crooked Mile (1938), Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), The Snake Pit (1948), Fourteen Hours (1951), Invaders from Mars (1953), On the Waterfront (1954), The Fastest Gun Alive (1956), Twilight for the Gods (1958), A Gathering of Eagles (1963), Roustabout (1964) and The Carpetbaggers (1964).[2]
Perhaps his most notable role was as Deborah Kerr's macho husband in the stage and film versions of Tea and Sympathy. He also played the role of Pete, the vindictive boat engineer, in the 1951 screen remake of the famed musical Show Boat. Erickson appeared frequently on television, having been cast with Bette Davis and Sandy Descher in the 1959 episode "Dark Morning" of CBS's anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson. He had a lead role as patriarch Big John Cannon in the television series The High Chaparral from 1967 until 1971. His wife, Victoria, was played by Linda Cristal, and his screen son from a previous marriage, Billy Blue Cannon, by Mark Slade. He made few films after 1965 and retired from the screen after 1977.[3]
[edit] Personal life
Erickson was married to actress Frances Farmer from 1936 until 1942. The same day his divorce from Farmer was finalized, June 12, 1942, he married actress Margaret Hayes – however, they divorced a month later. He married Ann Diamond in 1945. They had two children, William (Bill) Leif (1946) and Susan Irene (1950). His son Bill died in a car accident in 1971. Leif Erickson died from cancer in Pensacola, Florida on January 29, 1986, aged 74.[4]
[edit] Selected filmography
- Istanbul (1957)
