biography
Born in Chicago on January 31, 1921, B-movie legend John Agar did not harbor a desire to be an actor early on. During World War II, the
6'3" Agar had served as a physical training instructor with the U.S. Army Air Corp. By chance, he was invited to be an escort for child
star Shirley Temple, then 16 years old. After a whirlwind courtship, Agar and Temple (second left photo) married in 1945. Upon his
discharge from the service, producer David O. Selznick signed Agar to a contract. Acting lessons followed, during which Agar proved
to be a quick study and showed much promise. His first film role came in the western Fort Apache (1948; with
John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and George O'Brien), which also featured
Temple in a lead role. Agar proved to be a sturdy actor, and this film began his long association and friendship with
John Wayne. The same year of Agar's film debut, he and Temple welcomed the birth of their daughter Susan,
but the marriage dissolved by the end of 1949. In the summer of 1951, Agar married his second wife, Loretta.
Agar had meaty roles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949; with John Wayne and Joanne Dru), The Woman on Pier 13 (1949; with Laraine Day), and Along the Great Divide (1951; with Kirk Douglas and Virginia Mayo). While Agar's early career showed great promise---and greatly outlasted Temple's acting career---stories of his hard drinking spilled over into the press. Several drunk-driving arrests in the 1950s landed Agar in jail and nearly derailed his film career. But he bounced back, and by the mid 1950s John Agar was starring in some of the best 1950s low-budget horror films, for which he's best known today. Some favorite films include Revenge of the Creature (1955; with Lori Nelson and John Bromfield), The Brain from Planet Arous (1957; with Robert Fuller and Joyce Meadows), and Invisible Invaders (1959; with Jean Byron and Robert Hutton). |
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the films of john agarThe Magic Carpet (1951)
With Patricia Medina in The Magic CarpetShield for Murder (1954)
From the film noir thriller Shield for Murder with Marla EnglishRevenge of the Creature (1955) 
LEFT: John Agar and Lori Nelson have just spotted the Creature in Revenge of the Creature, the second film in Universal's Creature From the Black Lagoon trilogy. RIGHT: With Lori NelsonTarantula (1955) 
LEFT: With Leo G. Carroll and Mara Corday in Tarantula, one of Universal's best 1950s science fiction movies. RIGHT: John Agar and Mara Corday are running from the TarantulaHold Back Tomorrow (1955)    
As condemned murderer Joe Cardos, Agar is comforted by Dora (Cleo Moore) in Universal's Hold Back TomorrowStar in the Dust (1956)The Mole People (1956) 
From the campy Universal-International sci-fi release The Mole People. LEFT: With Hugh Beaumont and Cynthia Patrick. RIGHT: With Hugh BeaumontThe Brain from Planet Arous (1957)
With Robert Fuller in the effective science fiction flick The Brain from Planet ArousFlesh and the Spur (1957)
From the American International western Flesh and the Spur with Marla English and Mike ConnorsThe Name of the Game (1968-1971 NBC TV Series)
With Troy Donahue in a 1968 epsiode of NBC's adventure seres The Name of the Game titled Nightmarelater yearsAlthough John Agar is best remembered for his fun horror and science fiction films, many fans will recall his numerous western roles at which he excelled. Indeed, his best films are the westerns he made with John Wayne, including She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and Chisum (1970). Agar also made a number of war pictures as well, such as Sands of Iwo Jima, also with John Wayne.Despite Agar's strong performances in The Undefeated (1969; with John Wayne and Rock Hudson), Chisum (1970; with John Wayne and Christopher George), and Big Jake (1971; with John Wayne and Richard Boone), his film career cratered. He then decided to put his acting career on hold, concentrating instead on selling real estate and insurance. In the 1980s, Agar enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, and he made a few more films. Sadly, he passed away on April 7, 2002, at age 81. He was survived by two sons, a daughter, two granddaughters, a grandson, and a great grandson. |
filmographyFILMS
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This page premiered April 10, 2002.
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