Michael Callan, Actor in ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Cat Ballou,’ Dies at 86
The Philadelphia native also starred in 'Gidget Goes Hawaiian' and 'The Interns' and on the sitcom 'Occasional Wife.'
He was not on the list.
Michael Callan, the actor and dancer who portrayed Riff in the original Broadway production of West Side Story before starring in such films as Gidget Goes Hawaiian, The Interns and Cat Ballou, has died. He was 86.
Callan died Monday night of pneumonia at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, his daughter Rebecca Goodman told The Hollywood Reporter.
A contract player at Columbia Pictures, Callan made about a dozen movies at the studio, starting with They Came to Cordura (1959), a Western starring Gary Cooper, Rita Hayworth, Van Heflin and Tab Hunter.
On the 1966-67 NBC comedy Occasional Wife, Callan starred as a confirmed bachelor who sets up a woman (Patricia Harty) in an upstairs apartment so she can pose as his wife in order to help him advance at the baby food company where he works. (His boss believes all his execs should be married.)
Perhaps because the premise was a bit risqué for its day, the Screen Gems series was canceled after one season. In real life, Callan and Harty both got divorced and wed in June 1968, but their marriage wouldn’t last much longer than their series. (Fun fact: Vin Scully was the narrator on Occasional Wife.)
After appearing on Broadway in the musicals The Boy Friend and Catch a Star!, the Philadelphia native auditioned for Riff but was told he was “too good-looking” for the part, he recalled in a 2006 interview. Nevertheless, West Side Story director-choreographer Jerome Robbins phoned a year later, asking him to audition again.
“I went to the theater and did my song and dance, and I heard from the back Robbins’ voice saying, ‘Can you do a backflip?’ I just threw a backflip, got lucky, and it worked out,” he said.
He sparkled on stage as the leader of the Jets and led his fellow gang members in the menacing Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim number “Cool.”
Callan portrayed the dancer Eddie opposite Deborah Walley in Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961), then starred as a selfish, strung-out medical resident in the melodrama The Interns (1962). He returned to play Dr. Alec Considine again in The New Interns (1964), this time putting the moves on Barbara Eden and Dawn Wells.
And in the Western farce Cat Ballou (1965), he was memorable as the dashing bandit Clay Boone opposite Jane Fonda and, in an Oscar-winning turn, Lee Marvin.
Martin Calinoff was born in Philadelphia on Nov. 22, 1935. He studied ballet and tap, and dancers who frequented his dad’s luncheonette taught him acrobatics in exchange for free milkshakes.
He was a regular on Horn & Hardart’s Children’s Hour, a local radio program, and by the time he was 15, he was performing in local nightclubs, billed as Mickey Calin.
Shortly after graduating from high school, he came to New York and got a small part in 1954 in The Boy Friend, which marked the American debut of Julie Andrews.
He spent about a year on West Side Story before Joyce Selznick — a talent agent (and niece of Gone With the Wind producer David O. Selznick) who had discovered Tony Curtis and James Darren — saw him on Broadway. He departed for Hollywood, signing a seven-year contract at a starting salary of $650 a week, and Columbia execs changed his name to Michael Callan without telling him.
After roles in They Came to Cordura, The Flying Fontaines (1959) and Because They’re Young (1960), he dusted off his dancing skills in the Cantinflas-starring musical Pepe (1960), directed by George Sidney.
For United Artists’ 1961 adaptation of West Side Story, Riff was portrayed by Russ Tamblyn. Callan had auditioned for his old part as well as that of Tony (Larry Kert on Broadway, Richard Beymer in the movie) but wasn’t hired, perhaps because his Columbia contract contained restrictions. Instead, he was sent to Spain to star in the Jules Verne adventure Mysterious Island (1961).
He then appeared in such films as 13 West Street (1962), Bon Voyage! (1962), the war epic The Victors (1963) and You Must Be Joking! (1965) before trying his hand at series television with Occasional Wife.
Callan played a generous guy with a mysterious job who dates Rhoda (Valerie Harper) on the first season of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the criminal cyborg Metallo on six episodes of the 1989-92 syndicated series Superboy.
His résumé also included TV appearances on Hazel, That Girl, Love, American Style, Police Story, Charlie’s Angels, T.J. Hooker, One Life to Live and Murder, She Wrote and such movies as Lepke (1975), Double Exposure (1982) and the Farrelly brothers’ Stuck on You (2003).
Callan's later films included The Magnificent Seven Ride, Lepke and The Cat and the Canary. His additional television credits include Breaking Point, Hazel, Ellery Queen, That Girl, The Name of the Game, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Ironside, Marcus Welby, M.D., Griff, McMillan & Wife, Barnaby Jones, 12 O'Clock High, Quincy, M.E., Charlie's Angels, Simon & Simon, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, The Bionic Woman, four episodes of Murder, She Wrote, and eight episodes of Love, American Style. He also played Hal B. Wallis in My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn, and Metallo in Superboy.
Callan both produced and starred in his own film, Double Exposure (1982). He also returned, occasionally, to the stage in both straight plays and musicals including Absurd Person Singular, Killjoy, Love Letters, Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah, The Music Man, and George M!. Callan appeared in the Off-Broadway musical Bar Mitzvah Boy in 1987. His later credits included Stuck on You (2003) and The Still Life (2006). His TV credits also include Viper and ER.
Survivors include his daughters, Rebecca and Dawn, whom he had with his first wife, onetime Miss Dallas and Las Vegas showgirl Carlyn Chapman; sisters Sheri and Sandy; grandchildren Michael, Ella and Asher; and a close companion at the MPTF home, Susan.
After he and Harty called it quits in 1970, he was married to Karen Malouf from 1975 until their 1984 divorce.
Partial filmography
Actor
Jason Barry in The Still Life (2006)
The Still Life
Resident
2006
Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear in Stuck on You (2003)
Stuck on You
Fox Prexy
2003
The Last Road (1997)
The Last Road
1997
Jeff Kaake, Heather Medway, Joe Nipote, and Dawn Stern in
Viper (1994)
Viper
Albert Corrente
TV Series
1997
1 episode
Drake Bell, Billy Drago, and Ron Melendez in Drifting School
(1995)
Drifting School
Andrew Morgan
1995
Warwick Davis in Leprechaun 3 (1995)
Leprechaun 3
Mitch
Video
1995
Angela Lansbury in Murder, She Wrote (1984)
Murder, She Wrote
Phillip SparlingBart MahoneySgt. Nash ...
TV Series
1987–1994
4 episodes
Dark Dreams (1993)
Dark Dreams
RAWMcCarthy
TV Movie
1993
Gerard Christopher in Superboy (1988)
Superboy
John CorbenMetallo
TV Series
1989–1992
6 episodes
Swamp Thing (1990)
Swamp Thing
Larry Kefler
TV Series
1992
1 episode
Dragnet (1989)
Dragnet
TV Series
1990
1 episode
Richard Belzer and Darlanne Fluegel in Freeway (1988)
Freeway
Lt. Boyle
1988
Michael Paré and Michael Beck in Houston Knights (1987)
Houston Knights
Jerome Lavalle
TV Series
1987
1 episode
David Hasselhoff in Knight Rider (1982)
Knight Rider
Victor Gavin
TV Series
1986
1 episode
Brian Keith and Daniel Hugh Kelly in Hardcastle and
McCormick (1983)
Hardcastle and McCormick
Doyle MadisonFrank Kelly
TV Series
1983–1986
2 episodes
John Rubinstein and Jack Warden in Crazy Like a Fox (1984)
Crazy Like a Fox
TV Station Manager
TV Series
1986
1 episode
Kristen Alderson, Kassie Wesley DePaiva, Erika Slezak,
Trevor St. John, and John-Paul Lavoisier in One Life to Live (1968)
One Life to Live
Jack Simmons
TV Series
1985
2 episodes
T.J. Hooker (1982)
T.J. Hooker
Father Tommy Connors
TV Series
1985
1 episode
Gretchen Corbett, Tony O'Dell, Sam Groom, Chris Hebert, and
Jonna Lee in Otherworld (1985)
Otherworld
Billy Sunshine
TV Series
1985
1 episode
My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn (1985)
My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn
Hal Wallis
TV Movie
1985
Elliott Gould, Mary McDonnell, Corinne Bohrer, Conchata
Ferrell, Shuko Akune, Lynne Moody, and Bruce A. Young in E/R (1984)
E/R
Dr. Bernie Mailer
TV Series
1984
1 episode
The Fall Guy (1981)
The Fall Guy
MontanaTowler
TV Series
1983–1984
2 episodes
Young Hearts
Carl Fettis
TV Movie
1984
Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize in Fantasy Island
(1977)
Fantasy Island
Amy's StalkerSterling the PlayboyDickie Devereaux ...
TV Series
1978–1984
5 episodes
Last of the Great Survivors (1984)
Last of the Great Survivors
Jerry
TV Movie
1984
Desi Arnaz Jr. and Chuck Wagner in Automan (1983)
Automan
Kevin Mayhew
TV Series
1983
1 episode
Simon & Simon (1981)
Simon & Simon
Bucky
TV Series
1983
1 episode
Chained Heat (1983)
Chained Heat
Martin
1983
Double Exposure (1982)
Double Exposure
Adrian Wilde
1982
Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith in Charlie's
Angels (1976)
Charlie's Angels
Darian MasonCass Harper
TV Series
1977–1981
2 episodes
Scruples (1980)
Scruples
Alan Wilton
TV Mini Series
1980
3 episodes
Blind Ambition (1979)
Blind Ambition
Charles Colson
TV Mini Series
1979
4 episodes
Tom Edison: The Boy Who Lit Up the World
Mr. Cramer
TV Movie
1979
Honor Blackman, Olivia Hussey, Edward Fox, Michael Callan,
Wendy Hiller, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Beatrix Lehmann, Carol Lynley, Daniel Massey,
and Peter McEnery in The Cat and the Canary (1978)
The Cat and the Canary
Paul Jones
1978
Tony Curtis, Robert Urich, Phyllis Davis, and Judy Landers
in Vega$ (1978)
Vega$
Ben Summers
TV Series
1978
1 episode
Donner Pass: The Road to Survival (1978)
Donner Pass: The Road to Survival
William Eddy
TV Movie
1978
Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Gavin MacLeod, and Lauren
Tewes in The Love Boat (1977)
The Love Boat
Nate Jordan (as Michael Callen)
TV Series
1978
1 episode
Record City (1977)
Record City
Eddie
1977
The Bionic Woman (1976)
The Bionic Woman
John Bernard
TV Series
1977
1 episode
Hunter (1976)
Hunter
Winston
TV Series
1977
1 episode
Johnny Staccato (1959)
Delvecchio
Tommy 'Tea Bag' Richards
TV Series
1977
1 episode
Jack Klugman in Quincy M.E. (1976)
Quincy M.E.
William Farrell
TV Series
1977
1 episode
Switch (1975)
Switch
Arnie (as Mickey Callan)
TV Series
1976
1 episode
Ellery Queen (1975)
Ellery Queen
Gary Swift
TV Series
1976
1 episode
S.W.A.T. (1975)
S.W.A.T.
Frank Molloy
TV Series
1975
1 episode
Medical Story (1975)
Medical Story
Tim Kramer
TV Series
1975
1 episode
James Daly in Medical Center (1969)
Medical Center
Dr. Steve Carson
TV Series
1972–1975
2 episodes
Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones (1973)
Barnaby Jones
Tim Darnell
TV Series
1975
1 episode
Sam Groom in Police Surgeon (1971)
Police Surgeon
Danny ArthurPaul Shaver
TV Series
1973–1975
3 episodes
Robert Forster, David Birney, and Richard E. Kalk in Police
Story (1973)
Police Story
Tommy GalvinWillieEddie Parent
TV Series
1974–1975
4 episodes
David Hartman in Lucas Tanner (1974)
Lucas Tanner
Joe Atkins
TV Series
1975
1 episode
Lepke (1975)
Lepke
Robert Kane
1975
Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in McMillan & Wife
(1971)
McMillan & Wife
Tommy Brown
TV Series
1975
1 episode
The Photographer (1974)
The Photographer
Adrian Wilde
1974
Lorne Greene and Ben Murphy in Griff (1973)
Griff
Charles Wellman
TV Series
1973
1 episode
Love, American Style (1969)
Love, American Style
(segment "Love and the Single Husband")Mark
(segment "Love and the Secret Habit")(segment "Love and the Lady
Athlete") ...
TV Series
1969–1973
8 episodes
Malachi Throne in Frasier, the Sensuous Lion (1973)
Frasier, the Sensuous Lion
Marvin Feldman
1973
The ABC Afternoon Playbreak (1972)
The ABC Afternoon Playbreak
Steve
TV Series
1973
1 episode
The F.B.I. (1965)
The F.B.I.
John Prentiss Harry Springer William Dean ...
TV Series
1966–1972
4 episodes
The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972)
The Magnificent Seven Ride!
Noah Forbes
1972
James Brolin, Robert Young, Barbara Sigel, and Elena Verdugo
in Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969)
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Greg Robbins
TV Series
1972
1 episode
Honeymoon Suite
TV Series
1972
Funny Face (1971)
Funny Face
Ken
TV Series
1971
1 episode
Raymond Burr and Barbara Sigel in Ironside (1967)
Ironside
Cpl. William Eller
TV Series
1971
1 episode
Edward Asner, Valerie Harper, and Mary Tyler Moore in The
Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Chuck Pelligrini
TV Series
1971
1 episode
The Name of the Game (1968)
The Name of the Game
Tommy CrailRonnie
TV Series
1970
2 episodes
Michael Callan and Christopher Connelly in In Name Only
(1969)
In Name Only
Steve Braden
TV Movie
1969
Marlo Thomas in That Girl (1966)
That Girl
Bobby Miller
TV Series
1969
1 episode
Journey to the Unknown (1968)
Journey to the Unknown
Greg Richards
TV Series
1968
1 episode
Kiss Me Kate (1968)
Kiss Me Kate
Bill Calhoun'Lucentio'
TV Movie
1968
The Felony Squad (1966)
The Felony Squad
Ticer Edwards
TV Series
1968
1 episode
Occasional Wife (1966)
Occasional Wife
Peter Christopher
TV Series
1966–1967
30 episodes
12 O'Clock High (1964)
12 O'Clock High
Capt. Tony PowellSgt. Jim Driscoll
TV Series
1964–1966
2 episodes
You Must Be Joking! (1965)
You Must Be Joking!
Lieutenant Tim Morton
1965
Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan, Nat 'King' Cole,
Dwayne Hickman, Stubby Kaye, and Tom Nardini in Cat Ballou (1965)
Cat Ballou
Clay Boone
1965
Whitney Blake, Shirley Booth, Bobby Buntrock, and Don DeFore
in Hazel (1961)
Hazel
Kevin
TV Series
1964
1 episode
The New Interns (1964)
The New Interns
Dr. Alec Considine
1964
Breaking Point (1963)
Breaking Point
Gregory Costain
TV Series
1964
1 episode
Dr. Kildare (1961)
Dr. Kildare
Charles Devereaux
TV Series
1964
1 episode
Senta Berger, Romy Schneider, Melina Mercouri, Jeanne
Moreau, Rosanna Schiaffino, and Elke Sommer in The Victors (1963)
The Victors
Eldridge
1963
Ben Gazzara and Chuck Connors in Arrest and Trial (1963)
Arrest and Trial
Pfc. George Valdez
TV Series
1963
1 episode
Nick Adams, Michael Callan, Haya Harareet, Anne Helm, James
MacArthur, Suzy Parker, and Cliff Robertson in The Interns (1962)
The Interns
Dr. Alec Considine
1962
Bon Voyage! (1962)
Bon Voyage!
Nick O'Mara
1962
13 West Street (1962)
13 West Street
Chuck Landry
1962
Mysterious Island (1961)
Mysterious Island
Herbert Brown
1961
Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961)
Gidget Goes Hawaiian
Eddie Horner
1961
Pepe (1960)
Pepe
Dancer
1960
Because They're Young (1960)
Because They're Young
Griff Rimer
1960
The Flying Fontaines (1959)
The Flying Fontaines
Rick Rias
1959
Gary Cooper, Rita Hayworth, Van Heflin, Richard Conte, Tab
Hunter, Michael Callan, and Dick York in They Came to Cordura (1959)
They Came to Cordura
Pvt. Andrew Hetherington
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