biography
The son of actor Joel McCrea and actress Frances Dee, actor Jody McCrea was born Joel McCrea Jr. on
September 6, 1934, in Los Angeles. He grew up on his parents' ranch, located north of Hollywood. The athletic McCrea graduated
from the New Mexico Military Institute in 1952 and from UCLA in 1956, where he excelled at track and boxing. Deciding to follow
in his father's footsteps, McCrea turned to acting, landing his first film role in the 1956 western Naked Gun. Through
the end of the 1950s, McCrea acted in a string of westerns before finding a knack for comedy in the 1960s. During the 1959-1960
television season, he appeared with father Joel McCrea in the NBC series Wichita Town, which
was canceled after 26 episodes. The elder McCrea retired soon after this series wrapped, making few films afterward.  
LEFT: With father Joel McCrea in the early 1950s. RIGHT: American International Pictures photo of Jody McCrea from 1964In the 1960s the younger McCrea branched out into other roles, such as the low-budget drama Force of Impulse (1961; with Robert Alda, Jeff Donnell, and J. Carrol Naish) and the comedy All Hands on Deck (1961; with Pat Boone and Barbara Eden) before being cast as 'Deadhead' in American International's comedy Beach Party (1963; with Robert Cummings, Dorothy Malone, Frankie Avalon, and Annette Funicello). McCrea appeared in nearly all American International beach party films, with the exception of The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini. The 6'3" McCrea provided romantic and comedic relief in his six beach party films, leaving the series in 1965. He went on to make a few other films, including the biker flicks The Girls from Thunder Strip (1966; with Lindsay Crosby and Gary Graver) and The Glory Stompers (1968; with Dennis Hopper, Jock Mahoney, and Chris Noel) before halting his acting career in 1970. |
the films of jody mccreaThe Restless Years (1958)
From the Universal-International teen drama The Restless YearsLafayette Escadrille (1958)
From Lafayette Escadrille with William Wellman Jr., Tab Hunter, and David JanssenThe Broken Land (1962)
From the 20th Century Fox western The Broken Land with Diana DarrinBeach Party (1963) 
From AIP's first beach movie Beach Party. LEFT: McCrea as Deadhead. CENTER: With Bob Cummings, Annette Funicello, and John Ashley. RIGHT: With Dorothy Malone, Bob Cummings, Frankie Avalon, and Annette FunicelloMuscle Beach Party (1964) 
From AIP's Muscle Beach Party. LEFT: As Deadhead, Jody McCrea proves that Peter Lupus isn't the only muscle on the beach. RIGHT: With Dick Dale, John Ashley, Frankie Avalon, and Annette FunicelloBikini Beach (1964)
From AIP's Bikini Beach with Frankie Avalon and Annette FunicelloLaw of the Lawless (1964)
As Pete Stone in Paramount's western Law of the LawlessPajama Party (1964)  
From AIP's Pajama Party. LEFT: Big Lunk (McCrea) and the gang play volleyball. CENTER: Big Lunk gets knocked out. RIGHT: With Annette FunicelloBeach Blanket Bingo (1965)The Glory Stompers (1968)
From AIP's biker film The Glory Stompers with Chris Noel, Astrid Warner, and Gary Woodlater yearsAfter Jody McCrea's starring role in the western Cry Blood, Apache (1970; with Joel McCrea), which he also produced, he retired from the screen to become a cattle rancher. He married actress Dusty McCrea in 1976, and she left him a widower in 1996. After a series of heart problems, Jody McCrea died on April 4, 2009, in Roswell, New Mexico, at the age of 74. He is survived by two brothers and two step-children. |
filmographyFILM
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This page premiered August 11, 1999.
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