Rory Calhoun: From Prison to Hollywood ( Jerry Skinner Documentary)

[Music] this is the actor producer and author Rory Calhoun sometimes call smokey by his friends perhaps because of his smokey gray eyes during his movie career he appeared in over 80 movies and well over a thousand TV shows mostly westerns Rory Calhoun was born Francis Timothy Michael McGowan in Los Angeles California on the eighth of August 1922 if solder James McCallum was believed to have been a professional gambler however he passed away in 1923 before his son reached his first birthday after James's death Roy's mother Elizabeth Cuthbert McGowan married Nathaniel dirty it will move the family to Santa Cruz where young Roy was spend his youth the family was extremely poor and Roy's stepdad was a stern disciplinarian he felt that his stepson was a troubled youth and sometimes used harsh punishment trying to keep his youngster in life by the time he had reached his teens he was out of control from stealing and in serious trouble with the law in 1937 fifteen-year-old Francis Timothy Michael McGowan the future movie actor Rory Calhoun was incarcerated at the Preston school of Industry a State Reformatory for troubled youth known as the castle not long after his incarceration he managed to escape and he was soon recaptured and a year and a half later on September the 12th 1939 he was finally paroled unfortunately he started back to robbing stores and hardwiring cars stealing an automobile in driving across the state land made it a federal offense this time he was caught and spent three years three months and four days in the federal youth prison in El Reno Oklahoma while serving time at El Reno Roy had a change of heart and decided that he would change his attitude and try working for a living instead of getting into trouble when he was paroled in 1943 he went to work holding several different jobs for a short time he had been working as a lumberjack and in January 1944 when he was supposed to have been discovered by actor Alan Ladd he stated on several occasions now that he was horseback riding in the Hollywood Hills when by change he met an inland they began talking and land asked him if he was an actor and Roy said no not knowing that lads wife Sue Carol was a Hollywood agent now this was the story that Hollywood cooked up for the public what really happened was Roy was like many other hopefuls standing outside the studio gates hoping to make a day's wages as an extra finally becoming acquainted with an agent that put him in contact with sue Carol ads agency from there he was assigned an agent who was able to manage to get him a screen test and a short contract with 20th Century Fox under the name of Frank McGowan Frank McCowan's first attempt at acting was an unaccredited role as the soldier in something for the boys that starred Carmen Miranda and Michael O'Shea he next appeared and another on a credit roll in Sunday dinner for a soldier with Anne Baxter and John Hodag in 1945 Franklin Cowan will appear in his first accredited Road a Laurel and Hardy comedy in the bullfighters you'll have won land in the movie his first speaking part around this time and in land and his wife Sue Carol throw a party to introduce Frank to their Hollywood friends Henry Wilson a representative of the David O Selznick company met McGowan and signed him to a long-term contract the first thing they did was change his name from Frank McGowan to Rory Calhoun they first named him Troy Donahue but later decided that the name didn't see it they later give the name Troy Donahue to another up-and-coming actor named Merle Johnson jr. soon after signing with Selznick Rory Calhoun will get his first real break and a being Crosby production of the great John ale starring Greg McClure and Linda Darnell this is the first time the name Roy Calhoun will be given credit he'll play a supporting role as gentleman Jim Corbett who defeats the champion bare-knuckle boxer John L Sullivan he also appeared in an unaccredited role in where do we go from here starred in Fred MacMurray also in 1945 he appeared in another under credit role in Nob Hill Roy is the boxer sparring with star George Raft it was a natural part for Calhoun as he had done some boxing in his past he said he liked the money that he was making as an actor but he always thought that acting was just a temporary thing and thought it would be nice though to be able to go back to logging with money in his pockets in 1947 he'll star with Julie London and Edward G Robinson and a psychological thriller the red house Roy will say that the Red House helped boost his career the next year on August the 28th 1948 he'll marry actress Lita Baron it'll be his first marriage in her own image they met when Lita was performing a nightclub act at the legendary Hollywood nightclub Ciro's located on Sunset Strip Lita was born in Spain and her family moved to the United States when she was only five years old she grew up as Isabel Castro she was beautiful and became a talented singer and dancer performing with Caesar Cougars Orchestra before landing a movie contract and appearing in 12 Ovie's and several TV shows through her career the Calhoun's will honeymoon in Northern California in a cabinet Arrowhead lodge that belonged to David old Selznick Roy was 26 and Lita was 19 she had starred in that's my baby in 1944 four years before she married Roy under her birth name Isabella and 1946 she starred with Fred Kobe in done Ricardo returns in 1948 when she married Rory Calhoun she was appearing in Jungle Jim as Xena she was built in for the first time as leader Baron one year after Lita and Royce made he will star with his closest friend Gaia medicine in Massacre River Roy and later lived at 901 North Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills close to gaia medicine and guys second wife she'll economy when Gaia Medicine passed away in 1996 Roy said we shared a lot of camp fire together there's another empty saddle now and we were lifelong hunting and fishing companion and close neighbors Roy was even godfather to gay and Sheila's daughter Bridget in 2003 Bridget's son Army Specialist Spencer G Carroll was killed in action in Iraq in August of 1950 coughs and a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox in 1951 he was signed three films one of these was I'd climb the highest mountain he was secondly been to Susan Hayward on that field and in 1952 Roy was star in two major pictures with a song in my heart again with one of his favorite actresses Susan Hayward he said that Susan should have won the Academy Award for that picture they said he learned so much from this lady and that she was a lady she made act and he said look so easy he said with a song in my heart was the best picture that he had ever made also that same year he'll Starion way of the Gaucho filmed in Argentina and it will assure Rory Calhoun's position as a leading man in 1953 he'll appear in the romantic comedy along with Betty Grable Laura McCall and Marilyn Monroe entitled how to marry a millionaire two years later 1955 Hill co-star in a major film with Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe the river of no return he said that while femen he had caught pneumonia and that Marilyn was the only one that would come around to see about him his career was climbing upward and things were looking good however something happened that same year that could have completely have destroyed his career his agent Henry Wilson learned that confidential magazine was preparing to release a devastating story on one of his major stars homosexual activities Rock Hudson Wilson made a deal with a magazine to give them information on Rory Calhoun's criminal background if they would not publish the story on Hudson when Calhoun discovered what Wilson was planning to do he released his background himself to his surprise instead of destroying his career it increased his bad-boy image and that same year he starred in the treasure of Pancho Villa with Shelley Winters his wife Lita Barron also at an unaccredited role in that movie the next year in 1956 Roy will star with Martha Hauer in red sundown his wife Lita Barron will play his past love interest Lita will retire from movies for several years after finishing red sundown she'll continue to make TV appearances but will slow her career in order to raise her family their first child Cindy was born in February of the 22nd 1957 also in 57 Roy will write and produce Domino kid with Kristine Miller in 1958 he will star and produce a TV Western series called the Texan on CBS for Desilu productions his wife Lita Barron will appear in three episodes of his series the series will last for two years until 1960 during this time he'll meet actress Bettina Marcus they'll have a seven-month secret affair in December of 1958 Rory and his wife will have their second child Tami the next year on June 2 26 1959 he will have a child with his love interest Bettina Marcus a daughter named Marcus Calhoun Gordon Athena our mother Bettina Marcus was very independent and first refused help from her father she filed a paternity suit in California Superior Court was stipulations that she could ask for child support at any time in the future and it was not until 1966 when Athena was seven years old Bettina filed for child support she was awarded an undetermined amount of money when Athena was 17 her father acknowledged his daughter and formed a relationship with her in 1960 Rory Calhoun will be honored with two stars on a Hollywood Walk of Fame first four motion pictures located at 700 700 Boulevard and second for televisions located at 1752 Vine Street also he will star in colossus of rhodes where Callan leaves a group of slaves in a revolt a huge difference from his westerns the next year on the 23rd of January 1961 Lita and Roy will have their third child Lori she was born at the st. John's Hospital in Santa Monica two years after Laura's birth Roy was star and a face in the rain with mattina Murray in 1964 filming will start on young fury starting with Calhoun was Virginia male and William bindis on the 25th of August that year he files for divorce from Lita Barons and the couple separated the next year he'll play a cynical bounty hunter out to control a town in black spurs after being separated from his wife for two years in 1966 Roy and Lita will reconcile but two years later in 1968 the couple was separate again and Rory will file for divorce of January the 24th 1969 he will claim that later had an affair and he asked for custody of their children Cindy Frances 12 Tammy Elizabeth 9 and Laurie Murray 8 Lido counters filed accusing him of having encounters with 79 women named in Betty Grable and vitinho Marcus along with eight other Nemco respondents along with 7 years so other jane doe's Roy's response was heck she didn't even name half of divorce was granted 17 July 1970 after 21 years of marriage needless to say she won custody of the children Roy once stated you can't have an eagle in this business you have to stay humble and he also said the more I make the more alimony I get to pay after leaders divorce she and her daughters moved to Palm Springs where she will remain until her death she will develop a successful real estate business and she will date the likes of George Byrne and William Holden but she will not remain on December the 16th 2015 lead a baron movie star and mother will pass away from complications of a broken hip at the age of 92 this statement was taken from a local newspaper article she chose her time to leave this earth doing it as always her way she was cremated and her remains were given to her the next year after his divorce from leader Rory will mayor sue Rhodes a journalist in April of 1971 within a year they'll have a daughter they'll name Rory Patricia cowhand Roy's good friend Richard Egan will become Patricia's Godfather Roy and Sue will remain married until 1979 that's the same year that Roy will star as a mafia couple who tries to destroy a local crime task force chief not knowing that it's his only son and bitter heritage Roy will help form a wife Lita Barrett and his daughter Laurie get parts in this movie the next year in 1980 smoke as his family call him will have the lead role in a horror comedy called Motel hell where he'll play a farmer a butcher and a motel manager who kills his motel customers and make sausage out of it two years later Rory and Sue Rhodes Calhoun will remain in 1982 and they'll remain married until his death in 1999 to my knowledge she's not remained that same year in 1982 smoke began started in a CBS television series about the inner workings of Washington DC it was called capital the series will continue until March 27 1987 while working on capital in 1984 Roy was asked to play Kit Carson in Hollywood's fantasy film angel in 1992 he'll be in his last professional movie pure country the movie was designed to feature the music of country music star George Strait although Smoak had a small part some say that he stole the show although before the movie started according to his daughter he was adept for me or with George straights music but he did bring home one of his tapes that he loved and thought was funny all my ex's live in Texas Roy was already losing his health by the time filming started he had diabetes and chronic emphysema smoke love she said the sons of the pioneers Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson he even attended one of Willie's parties 1993 was his final TV appearance in an episode of tales of the crib in 1999 Roy and Sood were living in Moreno Valley California when he had a severe attack of emphysema he was taken to the st. John's Medical Center in Burbank ten days later on the 28th of April 1999 Francis Timothy Michael McGowan the little boy that had such a rough start in life and ended up major motion picture star passed away from complications of emphysema and diabetes Rory Calhoun was 76 years old his remains were cremated and given to his family [Music]

Channel: Jerry Skinner

Views: 415,150

Rating: 4.8500152 out of 5

Keywords: Rory Calhoun, Lita Baron, Vitina Marcus

Id: Xbfl_BezbqY

Length: 21min 41sec (1301 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 22 2019