Rory Calhoun (1922-1999)

biography

Born Francis Timothy McCown in Los Angeles in August 8, 1922, Rory Calhoun had a rough start in life. Calhoun's father died in 1923, and in the late 1930s, Rory Calhoun dropped out of high school. Falling into a bad crowd, he stole a car in 1940 and was arrested. After serving a three-year sentence, he cleaned up his act, taking menial jobs. He was spotted in 1944 by actress-turned agent Sue Carol (the wife and agent of Alan Ladd), and soon he was under contract to 20th Century Fox.

Billed as Frank McCown, he was given small roles for his first two years as an actor, and even appeared in The Bullfighters (1945), one of Laurel and Hardy's last films. Calhoun changed his name in 1947 and began working more as an actor in supporting roles. He married actress Lita Baron in 1948; the couple had three children before divorcing in 1970. In the late 1940s, he acted in his first two western films: Sand (1949; with Coleen Gray), released by 20th Century-Fox; and Massacre River (1949; with Guy Madison), released by Allied Artists. This began a string of western roles for Calhoun, and soon he was getting offers for bigger-budgeted films, such as How To Marry a Millionaire (1953; with Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, and Lauren Bacall).

In 1956, Calhoun formed Rorvic, his own production company. Rorvic produced three films, for which Calhoun served as producer and actor: Apache Territory (1958; with Barbara Bates), The Domino Kid (1957; with Andrew Duggan. Calhoun also wrote the screenplay), and The Hired Gun (1957; with Anne Francis and Vince Edwards).

the films of rory calhoun

Massacre River (1949)

How To Marry a Millionaire (1953)

Four Guns to the Border (1954)

River of No Return (1954)

The Looters (1955)

Ain't Misbehavin' (1955)

The Spoilers (1955)

The Treasure of Pancho Villa (1955)

The Big Caper (1957)

The Hired Gun (1957)

The Texan (1958-1960 CBS TV Series)

Thunder in Carolina (1960)

The Colossus of Rhodes (1961)

The Young and the Brave (1963)

Young Fury (1965)

Apache Uprising (1966)

later years

In the early 1960s, with good roles drying up, Rory Calhoun went to Europe and made a string of films, including The Colossus of Rhodes, Marco Polo, and Operation Delilah. In the late 1960s, when the bottom fell out of the European film market, Calhoun headed back to the U.S. but initially found few roles. He began working regularly again in the mid 1970s, after his divorce from his second wife. He once again enjoyed an active career, taking many roles on TV and doing some film work. His last film was the 1992 release Pure Country. After struggling with diabetes and emphysema, Rory Calhoun passed away on April 28, 1999, at the age of 76. He was survived by four daughters.

rory calhoun films available from movies unlimited

The Texan [DVD] DVD
Broadcast on CBS from 1958 to 1960, this western saga featured Rory Calhoun as Bill Longley, a Civil War veteran and crack shot who roamed the Lone Star State as an unofficial law officer, helping people in distress. Seventy episodes from the series's two-year run are featured in this 10-disc set. 29 3/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English. 70 episodes on 10 discs. 29 3/4 hrs.
Zane Grey Theatre: Complete Season One [DVD](1956) DVD
All 29 episodes from the debut season--including "You Only Run Once," "Stage to Tucson," "Courage Is a Gun," "Back Trail," and "Badge of Honor"--have been collected in a four-disc set. 14 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; interviews; TV spots. **29 episodes on 4 discs.**
The Doris Day Show: Season 4 [DVD](1971) DVD
All 24 episodes from the fourth season--including "And Here's...Doris," "A Weighty Problem," "Doris at Sea," "Cover Girl," and "There's a Horse Thief in Every Family Tree"--are collected in a four-disc set. 11 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; bonus episode of "The Pet Set Show"; bonus footage; interviews; outtakes; TV spots; theatrical trailer. **24 episodes on 4 discs. 11 1/2 hrs.**
Police Woman: The Complete First Season [DVD](1974) DVD
All 23 episodes from the series's debut season--including "The End Game," "Anatomy of Two Rapes," "The Child Buyers," "No Place to Hide," and "The Loner"--are featured in a five-disc set. 18 1/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; audio commentary by Dickinson.
Starsky & Hutch: The Complete Second Season [DVD](1976) DVD
All 25 episodes from season two--including the two-part "The Las Vegas Strangler," "The Vampire," "Tap Dancing Her Way Right Back into Your Heart," and "Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty"--are included in a five-disc set. 21 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English; TV spots. **25 episodes on 5 discs. 21 hrs.**
Tales From The Crypt: The Complete Fifth Season [DVD](1993) DVD
All 13 episodes from season five--including "Death of Some Salesmen," "Food for Thought," "Two for the Show," "Came the Dawn," and "Till Death Do We Part"--are included in a three-disc set. 6 1/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital Surround stereo; Subtitles: French, Spanish; virtual comic book.
The Red House [DVD](1947) DVD
A chilling tale of suspense with Edward G. Robinson as a handicapped farmer who lives a reclusive lifestyle with sister Judith Anderson and ward Allene Roberts. Robinson has given strict orders not to visit a mysterious red house located nearby, but when Roberts and farmhand Lon McCallister ignore his wishes, troubling secrets are revealed. Delmer Daves ("Jubal") directs. 100 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono. Plays All Regions.
Adventure Island [DVD](1947) DVD
Anchoring on a distant South Pacific island, a party of scruffy adventurers is besieged by a lunatic who rules the natives as a god. Accordingly, the demented deity engages in a series of gruesome rituals designed to assert his divine and murderous power, including human sacrifice. Rory Calhoun, Rhonda Fleming, Paul Kelly, and Alan Napier team up for this revamping of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Ebb Tide." 66 min. Soundtrack: English.
Massacre River [DVD](1949) DVD
An army post on the edge of Indian territory is the setting for frontier action and romantic drama in this oater starring Rory Calhoun and Guy Madison as officers who compete for the hand of Cathy Downs, daughter of the fort's commander. With Johnny Sands, Carole Mathews, Iron Eyes Cody. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Return Of The Frontiersman [DVD](1950) DVD
A young cowboy (Gordon MacRae) is falsely accused of murder and must race against time to find the real killer and prove his innocence before a posse led by the local sheriff (Jack Holt)--who is also his father--rounds him up. Julie London, Rory Calhoun co-star in this rousing western tale. 74 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
With A Song In My Heart [DVD](1952) DVD
Academy Award-winning biopic stars Susan Hayward as famed songstress Jane Froman, whose promising career took a fateful turn when she was severely injured in a plane crash while en route to perform for the troops during World War II. Rescued by handsome pilot Rory Calhoun, Hayward makes a valiant recovery and return to the stage, but must face a personal crisis. With David Wayne, Thelma Ritter. 117 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; featurettes; photo gallery; theatrica trailers.
How To Marry A Millionaire [DVD](1953) DVD
Delicious comedy about three man-crazed models out for eligible (and wealthy) bachelors who rent a posh Manhattan apartment and pose as rich gals in order to get their guys. Marilyn Monroe is wooed by a playboy, but is snagged by tax-dodging crook David Wayne; Betty Grable hooks on to well-off Fred Clark, but falls for forest ranger Rory Calhoun; and Lauren Bacall attracts aging, affluent William Powell, but opts for the seemingly poor Cameron Mitchell--who turns out to be a millionaire! Based on 1933's "The Greeks Had a Word for Them." 95 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Surround and stereo, French; Subtitles: English, Spanish; Movietone newsreel; theatrical trailer; scene access.
River Of No Return [DVD](1954) DVD
Gripping Gold Rush saga stars Marilyn Monroe as a saloon singer searching for her runaway husband with the aid of widowed trailhand Robert Mitchum. Spectacular rafting action sequences are not to be missed. Rory Calhoun, Tommy Rettig co-star under Otto Preminger's direction. 91 min.
Marilyn Monroe: Special Anniversary Collection [DVD] DVD
Six-disc set includes "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "Niagara," "River of No Return," "The Seven Year Itch," "Let's Make Love," and the documentary "Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days."
Thunder In Carolina [DVD](1960) DVD
Ex-moonshiner and race car driver Mitch Cooper (Rory Calhoun) suffers a crippling accident that leaves him with a bum leg. Fortunately, he's still got plenty of street smarts that come in handy when a rookie racer (Race Gentry) looks to him as a mentor. Stocked with lots of stunning NASCAR action sequences, this Southern-fried racing drama co-stars Alan Hale Jr., Connie Hines, and Ed McGrath. 92 min. Standard and Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English; bonus shorts.
Cult Camp Classics, Vol. 4: Historical Epics [DVD] DVD
Three-disc set includes "The Prodigal" (1955), "Land of the Pharaohs" and "The Colossus of Rhodes."
A Face In The Rain [DVD](1963) DVD
American spy Rory Calhoun is being hidden in Nazi-occupied Italy by an underground contact. When he learns that the contact's wife is having an affair with a German officer, he seeks help from her son, who shelters him in an attic until the Nazis discover him. With Marina Berti, Niall MacGinnis. 66 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Night Of The Lepus [DVD](1972) DVD
More horrifying than "Harvey"! This is the unforgettable sci-fi shocker in which an experiment to control the wild rabbit population in the Southwest results in the creation of gigantic, bloodthirsty bunnies who hop a path of destruction across an Arizona community. Includes the classic line "Ladies and gentlemen, attention! There is a herd of killer rabbits headed this way." Rory Calhoun, Janet Leigh, Stuart Whitman, DeForest Kelley star. 88 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; theatrical trailer.
The Main Event [DVD](1979) DVD
Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal re-team in this screwball comedy about a bankrupt businesswoman whose sole remaining asset is the contract of a has-been boxer. Patti D'Arbanville, Paul Sand, Whitman Mayo co-star. 109 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
Roadmap To Hell Triple Feature [DVD] DVD
Just what could be the secret ingredient that makes Farmer Vincent's sausages so tasty? Guests of his motel know the answer...or should we say are the answer? A zesty mix of humor, suspense and gore makes the cult hit "Motel Hell" (1980) an enjoyable treat. Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons and Wolfman Jack star. Three-disc set also includes "Needful Things" and "Wrong Turn." 5 hrs. total. Widescreen;Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital Surround, French Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English, Spanish.
Smokey And The Judge [DVD](1980) DVD
In the Southern-fried, tire-squealing tradition of "Smokey and the Bandit" and "The Dukes of Hazzard" comes this rip-roarin' comedy about a sheriff who has his hands full trying to corral a trio of beautiful young lawbreakers. Gene Price, Cathy Carson, Darrow Igus, Gwen Owens, and Rory Calhoun star. 90 min. Soundtrack: English.
The Blue And The Gray(1982) DVD
The war that shattered the nation is brought to the screen in grandiose fashion with a stellar cast and magnificent battle sequences. Gregory Peck, Geraldine Page, Stacy Keach and Colleen Dewhurst head a cast of thousands in this Civil War drama from historian Bruce Catton's novel. Original, complete version; 378 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English mono, French; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, Thai; scene access; interactive menus. Three-disc set.
Hell Comes To Frogtown [DVD](1987) DVD
And Hell is in the form of favorite wrestling bad guy Roddy Piper! In this sci-fi thriller he's travelling the ravaged countryside in search of fertile women to impregnate (thereby keeping humanity going), but the frog mutants who rule the wastes don't take kindly to his mission. Sandahl Bergman co-stars. 88 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English stereo; audio commentary; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Pure Country [DVD](1992) DVD
Grammy-winning country-western star George Strait makes his film debut as a successful singer who leaves the glitz of his concert career in order to get back to his roots. Much to his agent's dismay, he returns to his hometown, where he meets and falls for a feisty local woman. Lesley Ann Warren and Isabel Glasser also star. 113 min. Widescreen (Enhanced) and Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles; English, French, Spanish; scene access; production notes; filmographies; theatrical trailers.

rory calhoun dvds available from amazon.com

rory calhoun out-of-print vhs available from amazon.com

Please note: these titles have not been released to DVD:

rory calhoun photos and posters available

filmography

FILM
Pure Country (1992) with Lesley Ann Warren and George Strait
Bad Jim (1990) with James Brolin, Richard Roundtree, and Ty Hardin
Roller Blade Warriors: Taken by Force (1989) with Kathleen Kinmont and Abby Dalton
Hell Comes to Frogtown (1987) with William Smith and Roddy Piper
Avenging Angel (1985) with Susan Tyrrell, Tim Rossovich, and Ross Hagen
Half Nelson (1985) with Fred Williamson, Morgan Brittany, Dean Martin, and George Kennedy
Angel (1984) with Susan Tyrrell, Cliff Gorman, and Dick Shawn
Smokey and the Judge (1980) with Wayde Preston
Motel Hell (1980) with Nancy Parsons, Elaine Joyce, and Wolfman Jack
Flatbed Annie (1979) with Annie Potts and Kim Darby
The Main Event (1979) with Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal
The Rebels (1979) with Andrew Stevens, Don Johnson, Anne Francis, Doug McClure, Jim Backus, Richard Basehart, Joan Blondell, Macdonald Carey, and Peter Graves
Revenge of Bigfoot (1979)
Love and the Midnight Auto Supply (1978) with John Ireland and Rod Cameron
Mulefeathers (1977) with Nedra Volz
Mission to Glory (1977) with Richard Egan, John Ireland, Ricardo Montalban, Aldo Ray, and John Russell
Flight to Holocaust (1977) with Patrick Wayne
Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
Night of the Lepus (1972) with Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh, and DeForest Kelley
Operation Cross Eagles (1969) with Richard Conte
The Emerald of Artatama (1969)
Dayton's Devils (1968) with Leslie Nielsen, Lainie Kazan, Eric Braeden, and Bruce Glover
Operation Delilah (1967) with Gia Scala
Our Men in Bagdad (1966) with Raf Baldassarre
Apache Uprising (1966) with Lon Chaney Jr., Corinne Calvet, John Russell, Richard Arlen, and Johnny Mack Brown
Young Fury (1965) with John Agar, Merry Anders, Lon Chaney Jr., Virginia Mayo, and Jody McCrea
Black Spurs (1965) with Linda Darnell, Terry Moore, Scott Brady, and Lon Chaney Jr.
Blue Lightning (1965) with Silvia Solar
Face in the Rain (1963)
The Gun Hawk (1963) with Rod Cameron, Ruta Lee, and Jody Daniels
The Young and the Brave (1963) with John Agar, Richard Arlen, and William Bendix
Marco Polo (1961) with Lex Barker and Yoko Tani
The Treasure of Monte Cristo (1961) with Peter Arne
The Colossus of Rhodes (1961) with Georges Marchal
Thunder in Carolina (1960) with Connie Hines and Alan Hale Jr.
The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958) with Beverly Garland, Russell Johnson, and Yvette Vickers
Apache Territory (1958) with Barbara Bates, Carolyn Craig, and Myron Healey
The Big Caper (1957) with James Gregory
The Domino Kid (1957) with Andrew Duggan and Crash Corrigan
The Hired Gun (1957) with Anne Francis, Vince Edwards, and Chuck Connors
Utah Blaine (1957) with Max Baer
Ride Out for Revenge (1957) with Vince Edwards, Gloria Grahame, and Lloyd Bridges
Flight to Hong Kong (1956) with Barbara Rush, Werner Klemperer, Rhodes Reason, and Mel Welles
Red Sundown (1956) with Grant Williams and Martha Hyer
Raw Edge (1956) with Rex Reason, Yvonne De Carlo, Mara Corday, John Gavin, and Ed Fury
Ain't Misbehavin' (1955) with Mamie Van Doren, Piper Laurie, Jack Carson, and Barbara Britton
The Spoilers (1955) with Jeff Chandler, Ray Danton, Anne Baxter, and Barbara Britton
The Treasure of Pancho Villa (1955) with Gilbert Roland and Shelley Winters
The Looters (1955) with Julie Adams and Ray Danton
A Bullet Is Waiting (1954) with Jean Simmons
Four Guns to the Border (1954) with George Nader and Colleen Miller
River of No Return (1954) with Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum
The Yellow Tomahawk (1954) with Peggie Castle, Lee Van Cleef, and Peter Graves
Dawn at Socorro (1954) with Piper Laurie, Mara Corday, David Brian, and Lee Van Cleef
Powder River (1953) with Corinne Calvet, Cameron Mitchell, and Carl Betz
The Silver Whip (1953) with Dale Robertson and Robert Wagner
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) with Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, Lauren Bacall, William Powell, Alexander D'Arcy, and Cameron Mitchell
Way of a Gaucho (1952) with Richard Boone, Gene Tierney, and Hugh Marlowe
With a Song in My Heart (1952) with Susan Hayward, Thelma Ritter, David Wayne, and Max Showalter
Meet Me After the Show (1951) with Betty Grable, Macdonald Carey, Irene Ryan, and Eddie Albert
I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951) with Susan Hayward, William Lundigan, and Barbara Bates
Return of the Frontiersman (1950) with Julie London and Gordon MacRae
Rogue River (1950) with Peter Graves
A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950) with Dan Dailey and Anne Baxter
County Fair (1950)
Massacre River (1949) with Guy Madison, Cathy Downs, and Steve Brodie
Sand (1949) with Mark Stevens and Coleen Gray
Miraculous Journey (1948) with Virginia Grey
The Red House (1947) with Edward G. Robinson and Julie London
That Hagen Girl (1947) with Ronald Reagan, Shirley Temple, and Lois Maxwell
Adventure Island (1947) with Rhonda Fleming
The Great John L. (1945) with Linda Darnell and Barbara Britton
The Bullfighters (1945) with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy
Sunday Dinner for a Soldier (1944)


TELEVISION SERIES
Capitol, 1982-1987 daytime drama. Calhoun portrayed Judge Judson Tyler. Also in the cast were Julie Adams, Richard Egan, Anthony Eisley, Julie Parrish, and Lana Wood
The Blue and the Gray, 1982 miniseries. Other cast members included Sterling Hayden and Warren Oates
The Texan, 1958-1960 CBS TV series. This show also aired on ABC weekdays between October 1960 and March 1962.


TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Tales from the Crypt, episode Oil's Well That Ends Well, originally aired November 24, 1993
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, episode Killer Takes All, originally aired March 12, 1988
Hart to Hart, episode Harts at High Noon, originally aired November 9, 1982
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, episode The Cowboy Connection, originally aired March 31, 1981
Hawaii Five-O, episode Death Mask, originally aired November 16, 1978
Fantasy Island, episode Big Dipper/The Pirate, originally aired September 23, 1978
Starsky and Hutch, episode Murder on Stage 17, originally aired March 19, 1977
Jigsaw John, episode Follow the Yellow Brick Road, originally aired March 8, 1976
Movin' On, episode The Big Wheel, originally aired November 11, 1975
Police Woman, episode Shoefly, originally aired December 20, 1974
Petrocelli, episode By Reason of Madness, originally aired September 25, 1974
Police Story, episode Death on Credit, originally aired November 27, 1973
Ghost Story, episode Death's Head, originally aired January 5, 1973
Hec Ramsey, episode The Green Feather Mystery, originally aired December 17, 1972
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, episode Charlie Gave Me Your Number, originally aired November 16, 1972
The Doris Day Show, episode Cover Girl, originally aired February 21, 1972
Alias Smith and Jones, epsiode Night of the Red Dog, originally aired November 4, 1971
Lancer, episode The Rivals, originally aired May 5, 1970
Custer, episode Blazing Arrows, originally aired November 29, 1967
Gilligan's Island, episode The Hunter, originally aired January 16, 1967
Death Valley Days, episode Water Bringer, originally aired March 17, 1966
I Spy, episode A Day Called 4 Jaguar, originally aired March 9, 1966
Rawhide, episode The Testing Post, originally aired November 30, 1965
Gunsmoke, episode Honey Pot, originally aired May 15, 1965
Wagon Train, episode The Jarbo Pierce Story, originally aired May 2, 1965
Burke's Law, episode Who Killed Nobody Somehow?, originally aired March 31, 1965
The Virginian, episode A Father for Toby, originally aired November 4, 1964
Bonanza, episode Thanks for Everything, Friend, originally aired October 11, 1964
The Greatest Show on Earth, episode This Train Don't Stop Till It Gets There, originally aired April 14, 1964
Death Valley Days, episode Measure of a Man, originally aired October 1, 1963
The Dick Powell Show, episode Luxury Liner, originally aired February 12, 1963
Wagon Train, episode The Artie Matthewson Story, originally aired November 8, 1961
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, episode The Killer Instinct, originally aired June 15, 1959
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, episode Curfew at Midnight, originally aired June 27, 1958
Telephone Time, episode Trail Blazer, originally aired April 1, 1958
Suspicion, episode Meeting in Paris, originally aired February 10, 1958
Zane Grey Theater, episode Muletown Gold Strike, originally aired December 21, 1956
Screen Directors Playhouse, episode Hot Cargo, originally aired January 4, 1956
The Ford Television Theatre, episode Bet the Queen, originally aired December 8, 1955
Screen Directors Playhouse, episode Day Is Done, originally aired October 12, 1955
Climax!, episode The Champion, originally aired March 31, 1955
The Ford Television Theatre, episode Garrity's Sons, originally aired March 24, 1955
The Ford Television Theatre, episode The Road Ahead, originally aired November 11, 1954

rory calhoun links

The Rory Calhoun Homepage
Look for a biography, filmography, photo gallery, and more on actor Rory Calhoun.