Stuart Whitman obit

Stuart Whitman, Star of 'Cimarron Strip' and 'The Mark,' Dies at 92

He was not on the list.

The leading man also stood out in 'The Comancheros' and 'Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines.'

Stuart Whitman, the rugged actor who starred on TV's Cimarron Strip and received an Oscar nomination for playing a convicted child molester trying to rid himself of psychological demons in The Mark, has died. He was 92.

Whitman died Monday of natural causes at his home in Montecito, California, his son Justin told The Hollywood Reporter.

In his big-screen heyday, Whitman also wooed Joanne Woodward in The Sound and the Fury (1959), starred opposite Simone Signoret as an American pilot downed in Nazi-occupied France in The Day and the Hour (1963) and portrayed the heroic American Orvil Newton in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965).

He starred twice opposite John Wayne, first as the New Orleans gambler Paul Regret in The Comancheros (1961), Michael Curtiz's final feature, and then as an army lieutenant in the all-star World War II epic The Longest Day (1962).

Though CBS' Cimarron Strip lasted just one season (1967-68) and 23 original episodes, Whitman remains known for his turn as Marshal Jim Crown on the ambitious series, one of the first on television to run for 90 minutes. He produced and had a financial interest in the period Western, as well.

Whitman also played a patrolman on the Broderick Crawford series Highway Patrol in the 1950s and appeared as "Pa" Kent on the 1988-92 syndicated series Superboy. In Guyana: Crime of the Century (1979), he starred as a despicable leader of a cult.

In recent years, Whitman showed up as an old friend of Chuck Norris' on Walker, Texas Ranger.

In the British film The Mark (1961), directed by Guy Green, Whitman stepped in for Richard Burton, who was busy doing Camelot on Broadway, to star as a child molester who gets out of prison, enlists the help of a psychiatrist (Rod Steiger) to try to lead a normal life and then is outed — wrongly — by a reporter after another kid is reported as a possible abuse victim.

In its review, The Hollywood Reporter noted that "Whitman turns in a superbly shaded performance as one who subtly, slowly emerges from a deeply felt insecurity to some semblance of virile dignity."

"Near the end of the film I got a call from the writer [Sidney Buchman] on it, and he said, 'You might get an Oscar out of this role,'" Whitman recalled in a 2013 interview with Alan K. Rode. "I said, 'Yeah, sure, right.'"

Whitman did get nominated for best actor but lost out to Judgment at Nuremberg's Maximilian Schell — whose sister, Maria, played Whitman's love interest in The Mark. "Maria told me she didn't know who to vote for that year!” he said.

The field in 1962 also included heavyweights Spencer Tracy, Paul Newman and Charles Boyer.

Stuart Maxwell Whitman was born on Feb. 1, 1928, in San Francisco. When he was 3, he and his family moved to Brooklyn, and he eventually graduated from Hollywood High in 1945.

During a three-year stint with the U.S. Army Engineer Corps, the brawny Whitman won all but one of his 24 boxing matches as a light heavyweight, then played football and studied acting at Los Angeles City College. To help make ends meet, he bought, operated and hired out his own bulldozer.

At the Ben Bard Drama acting school, Whitman appeared as a prize fighter in a production of Here Comes Mr. Jordan and attracted the attention of Hollywood talent scouts.

Whitman had his movie debut in When Worlds Collide (1951), appeared on TV shows like Boston Blackie and Lux Video Theatre and made an impression opposite Ethel Barrymore and Carolyn Jones as the wild title character in Johnny Trouble (1957).

When Charlton Heston bowed out of the high-profile Warner Bros. war movie Darby’s Rangers (1958), James Garner replaced him and Whitman took on Garner's role, playing the soldier Hank Bishop.

He portrayed a trumpet player who impregnated a young girl (Diane Varsi) in Ten North Frederick (1958), and signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. He shared an interracial kiss with Dorothy Dandridge in The Decks Ran Red (1958) and went on to star in Hound-Dog Man (1959), The Story of Ruth (1960), Murder, Inc. (1960), Convicts 4 (1962), Shock Treatment (1964), Rio Conchos (1964) and Sands of the Kalahari (1965).

In the 1970s, Whitman was a stout presence on such shows as The F.B.I., Night Gallery, S.W.A.T. and Quincy M.E. and starred on the big screen in Run, Cougar, Run (1972), Shatter (1974), Jonathan Demme's Crazy Mama (1975) and Eaten Alive (1976), directed by Tobe Hooper.

Whitman made his last onscreen appearance on the 2000 CBS movie The President's Man, starring Norris. He reportedly made a fortune in real estate and retired in 2000 to his 35-acre ranch in Santa Barbara.

Survivors include his third wife, Yulia, whom he married in 2006; children Justin, Anthony, Michael, Linda and Scott; brother Kipp and sister-in-law Beth; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

"He loved Jack Daniel's, Padron cigars, getting his hands dirty with work on his ranch, watching the birds and gazing out upon the Pacific Ocean," his family said in a statement. "He adored people and embraced everyone equally, whether it was his longtime colleague Frank Sinatra, his ever-growing collection of friends or a repairman in his home. He took daily tennis lessons in preparation for heated matches and was gracious in both victory and defeat. An avid storyteller, he was forever the center of attention, living by his mother's creed, which he took joy in repeating, 'Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes.'"

Filmography

A Date with Judy (1948) as Young Man in the ballroom (uncredited) with Jane Powell   

 The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) as Sentry (uncredited)

    When Worlds Collide (1951) as Man by Bank During Instigation (uncredited)

    The Roy Rogers Show: "The Feud" (1952) as Groom

    Barbed Wire (1952) as Cattle-Buyer (uncredited)

    One Minute to Zero (1952) as Officer (uncredited)

    All I Desire (1953) as Dick in Play (uncredited)

    The Man from the Alamo (1953) as Orderly (uncredited)

    All American (1953) as Zip Parker

    The Veils of Bagdad (1953) as Sergeant (uncredited)

    Appointment in Honduras (1953) as Telegrapher (uncredited)

    Walking My Baby Back Home (1953) as Patient (uncredited)

    Rhapsody (1954) as Dove

    Prisoner of War (1954) as Captain (uncredited)

    Silver Lode (1954) as Wicker

    Return from the Sea (1954) as New j.g. (uncredited)

    Brigadoon (1954) as New York Club Patron (uncredited)

    Passion (1954) as Vaquero Bernal (uncredited)

    Interrupted Melody (1955) as Man on Beach (uncredited)

    The Magnificent Matador (1955) as Man at the Arena (uncredited)

    King of the Carnival (1955, Serial) as Mac, the Acrobat [Ch.1]

    Diane (1956) as Henri's Squire (uncredited)

    Seven Men from Now (1956) as Cavalry Lt. Collins

    Hold Back the Night (1956) as Radio Operator (uncredited)

    Crime of Passion (1957) as Laboratory Technician

    War Drums (1957) as Johnny Smith (uncredited)

    The Girl in Black Stockings (1957) as Prentiss

    Johnny Trouble (1957) as Johnny Chandler

    Hell Bound (1957) as Eddie Mason

    Bombers B-52 (1957) as Maj. Sam Weisberg (uncredited)

    Have Gun – Will Travel (1/25/1958) Season 1, Episode 20, "The Last Laugh" as Gil Borden

    Darby's Rangers (1958) as Sgt. / SSgt. / Sfc. Hank Bishop

    Ten North Frederick (1958) as Charley Bongiorno

    China Doll (1958) as Lt. Dan O'Neill

    The Decks Ran Red (1958) as Leroy Martin

    The Sound and the Fury (1959) as Charlie Busch

    These Thousand Hills (1959) as Tom Ping

    Hound-Dog Man (1959) as Blackie Scantling

    The Story of Ruth (1960) as Boaz

    Murder, Inc. (1960) as Joey Collins

    The Fiercest Heart (1961) as Steve Bates

    The Mark (1961) as Jim Fuller

    Francis of Assisi (1961) as Count Paolo of Vandria

    The Comancheros (1961) as Paul Regret

    Convicts 4 (1962) as Principal Keeper

    The Longest Day (1962) as Lt. Sheen

    The Day and the Hour (1963) as Capt. Allan Morley

    Shock Treatment (1964) as Dale Nelson / Arthur

    Rio Conchos (1964) as Captain Haven

    Signpost to Murder (1964) as Alex Forrester

    Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (1965) as Orvil Newton

    Sands of the Kalahari (1965) as Brian O'Brien

    An American Dream (1966) as Stephen Richard Rojack

    Fool's Gold (TV movie) (1967) as Marshal Crown

    Cimarron Strip (TV series) (1967–1968) as Marshal Jim Crown

    The Last Escape (1970) as Lee Mitchell

    The Invincible Six (1970) as Tex

    Ternos Caçadores (1970) as The Prisoner

    The F.B.I. (TV series) (1970–1973) as Rex Benning / Damian Howards / Wesley Ziegler

    City Beneath the Sea (1971) as Admiral Matthews

    Captain Apache (1971) as Griffin

    Revenge! (1971) as Mark Hembric

    Night of the Lepus (1972) as Roy Bennett

    The Woman Hunter (TV movie) (1972) as Paul Carter

    Night Gallery (TV series appearance) (1972) as Tom Ogilvy / Capt. Hendrick Lindemann (segment "Lindemann's Catch")

    Run, Cougar, Run (1972) as Hugh McRae

    The Streets of San Francisco (episode: "The Set-Up") (1973) as Nick Carl

    The Cat Creature (TV movie) (1973) as Lt. Marco

    Shatter (1974) as Shatter

    Welcome to Arrow Beach (1974) as Deputy Rakes

    Crazy Mama (1975) as Jim Bob

    Las Vegas Lady (1975) as Vic

    Mean Johnny Barrows (1976) as Mario Racconi

    Strange Shadows in an Empty Room (1976) as Capt. Tony Saitta

    Eaten Alive (1976) as Sheriff Martin

    Oil! (1977) as John Carter

    Assault in Paradise (1977) as William Whitaker

    The White Buffalo (1977) as Winifred Coxy

    Run for the Roses (1977) as Charlie

    Ruby (1977) as Vince Kemper

    La mujer de la tierra caliente (1978) as The Man

    The Pirate (TV miniseries) (1978) as Terry Sullivan

    The Seekers (TV miniseries) (1979) as Rev. Blackthorn

    The Treasure Seekers (1979) as Stack Baker

    Guyana: Crime of the Century (1979) as Reverend James Johnson

    Delta Fox (1979) as The Counselor

    Cuba Crossing (1980) as Tony

    Condominium (TV movie) (1980) as Marty Liss

    Under Siege (1980) as The Inspector

    Demonoid (1981) as Father Cunningham

    The Monster Club (1981) as Sam – Movie Director

    Tales of the Unexpected (1981) as Sam Jenner

    When I Am King (1981) as Smithy

    Magnum Thrust (1981)

    Butterfly (1982) as Rev. Rivers

    Invaders of the Lost Gold (1982) as Mark Forrest

    Horror Safari (1982) as Mark Forrest

    Simon & Simon (1982) (TV series appearance)

    Knight Rider (1984) (TV series appearance) as Frank Sanderson

    The Master (1984) (TV series appearance) as Hellman

    Fantasy Island (1978-1984) (TV series appearance) as Rex Reinhardt / Jesse Moreau / Joel Campbell / ...

    Matt Houston (1982-1984) (TV series appearance) as Mr. McCormick / Carl 'The Champ' Ross

    Cover Up (1984) (TV series appearance) as Sheriff Skinner

    Treasure of the Amazon (1985) as Gringo

    Hunter (1985) as Raymond Bellamy

    Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues (1985) as Josh Rider

    The A-Team (1983-1985) as Jack Harmon / Chuck Easterland

    First Strike (1985) as Capt. Welch

    Murder, She Wrote (1984–1986) as Charles Woodley / Mr. Bonner

    Vultures (1987) as Carlos 'Carl' Garcia

    Once Upon a Texas Train (1988) as George Asque

    Deadly Intruder (1988) as Capt. Pritchett

    Moving Target (1988) as Joe Frank

    Deadly Reactor (1989) as Duke

    The Color of Evening (1990) as George Larson

    Omega Cop (1990) as Dr. Latimer

    Mob Boss (1990) as Don Francisco

    Heaven and Earth (1990) as Narrator (English version) (voice)

    Smoothtalker (1990, Produced by Eduardo Montes-Bradley, directed by Tom Milo) as Lt. Gallagher

    Sandman (1993) as Isaac Tensor

    Lightning in a Bottle (1993) as Jonah Otterman

    Trial by Jury (1994) as Emmett, Valerie's Father

    Improper Conduct (1994) as Frost

    Walker Texas Ranger: Deadly Reunion (1994) as Laredo Jake Boyd

    Land of Milk & Honey (1996) as Robert Riselli

    Second Chances (1998) as Buddy

    The President's Man (2000, TV Movie) as George Williams (final film role)