Stuart Whitman

Stuart Whitman
Stuart Whitman in The Longest Day (1962)
Born	Stuart Maxwell Whitman February 1, 1928 (1928-02-01) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1951–2009
Spouse	Caroline Boubis (1966-74) (divorced) Patricia LaLonde (1952-66) (divorced)

Stuart Maxwell Whitman (born February 1, 1928) is an American actor.

Stuart Whitman is arguably best-known for playing Marshal Jim Crown in the western television series Cimarron Strip in 1967. Whitman also starred with John Wayne in the Western movie, The Comancheros, in 1961, and received top billing as the romantic lead in the extravagant aerial epic Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines in 1965.

Early life

Whitman was born in San Francisco, California, the elder of two sons. His parents, Cecilia (née Gold) and Joseph Whitman, traveled frequently during his childhood, and as a result, he attended over twenty schools. He graduated from high school and spent three years in the Army Corps of Engineers. After leaving the army, he enrolled in Los Angeles City College and the Los Angeles Academy of Dramatic Art.

Film career

Whitman was a supporting actor in When Worlds Collide (1951), All American (1953), Brigadoon (1954), Silver Lode (1954), Ten North Frederick (1958), The Decks Ran Red (1958) starring Dorothy Dandridge, on whose face Whitman planted Hollywood's first interrracial kiss, These Thousand Hills (1959), and The Sound and the Fury (1959).

When Charlton Heston, who had originally been signed to play the lead in 1958's Darby's Rangers left the movie, James Garner was given the lead and Whitman wound up with Garner's original role in the film.

His first leading man role is in Murder, Inc. in 1960. He was signed on as a contract star with 20th Century Fox.

In 1961, Whitman was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a child molester in The Mark, a role many other better known actors turned down. 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 with John 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 Invincible Six, Night of the Lepus, Shatter, Captain Apache, Strange Shadows in an Empty Room, Guyana: Crime of the Century, Treasure Seekers and The White Buffalo.

Television

In 1957, Whitman, who frequently appeared as a police officer Sgt. Walters on the television series Highway Patrol, was seriously considered for the role of "Bart Maverick" in the smash hit television series Maverick. The studio needed another Maverick to rotate as the series lead with James Garner. Garner, who had filmed seven episodes, resembled Whitman at the time, but Jack Kelly was chosen for the part.

A decade later, however, Whitman had a memorable foray into television for a single season in 1967, playing the heroic Marshal Jim Crown in the lavish western TV 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. His principal costar was Randy Boone, who played the photographer Francis Wilder.

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. One of his early roles came in 1957 in the syndicated military dramas, Harbor Command, a drama about the United States Coast Guard, and The Silent Service, based on true stories of the submarine service of the United States Navy. Whitman's last credited role was in The President's Man, released in 2000 and starring Chuck Norris. He had previously appeared with Norris in a two-part episode of Walker, Texas Ranger.

He was also a guest on Murder, She Wrote appearing in four different episodes, "Hit, Run and Homicide" (1984), "Powder Keg" (1986), "Trouble in Eden" (1987), and "Incident in Lot 7" (1992).

Whitman appeared in an episode of the TV series Ghost Story ("The Concrete Captain," c. 1973), an example of his fine acting skill.

In "Blood Sweat and Cheers", Series 4, Episode 8 of the "A Team", Stuart Whitman played Jack Harman, a friend of Hannibal Smith.

Personal life

Stuart was married to the French-born Caroline Boubis (1966–1974). They had one son together, Justin. They divorced in 1974. His first marriage, to Patricia LaLonde (October 13, 1952–1966), ended in divorce. They had four children: Tony (b. 1953), Michael (b. 1954), Linda (b. 1956) and Scott (b. 1958).

Selected filmography

• The Story of Ruth (1960)
• The Comancheros (1961)
• The Mark (1961)
• The Longest Day (1962)
• Shock Treatment (1964)
• Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965)
• Eaten Alive (1977)
• The Treasure Seekers (1979)

External links

• Stuart Whitman at the Internet Movie Database
• "Wife of Stuart Whitman Tells of Freedom Offer". Long Beach Press-Telegram. November 20, 1964. p. C9. 
• "Star Lambastes Film Magazines". Oakland Tribune. June 22, 1960. p. D29.