biography
Born into a wealthy family on February 21, 1914, in Austin, Texas, actor Zachary Scott first became interested in acting in high school and,
later, at the University of Texas. After marrying his first wife, actress Elaine Anderson, he left college and set sail for England where he found work as an
actor on the London stage. After a couple of years, Scott returned to the U.S., making New York his home while honing his craft in
off-Broadway productions and summer stock. By the early 1940s, Scott was cast in several Broadway plays. It was here where he was spotted
for films by Jack Warner, who signed Scott to a Warner Bros. contract in 1943. His first film was the film noir thriller
The Mask of Dimitrios (1944; with Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, and Faye Emerson).
Making a big splash in the drama The Southerner (1945; with J. Carrol Naish), which he did on loan-out from Warner Bros., Scott was poised for great success. But in most of his Warner Bros. films, Scott was a supporting player in such film noir thrillers as Danger Signal (1945; with Faye Emerson and Bruce Bennett), Mildred Pierce (1945; with Joan Crawford and Bruce Bennett), The Unfaithful (1947; with Ann Sheridan and Lew Ayres), and Flamingo Road (1949; with Joan Crawford and Sydney Greenstreet). While he earned good notices from critics, the studio gave Scott no star buildup and soon relegated him to smaller parts. 
Just as Scott's career was at a standstill, his wife left him for author John Steinbeck in 1950, sending Scott into a deep depression that was exacerbated by a serious rafting accident during which he was knocked unconscious. After his recovery, he left Hollywood and Warner Bros. and moved back to New York, working on stage, in early television, and freelancing in movies. His first film after leaving Warner Bros. was the shot-in-Mexico adventure Stronghold (1951; with Veronica Lake), which he followed up with the British thriller Dead on Course (1952; with Kay Kendall and Diane Cilento). Scott returned to Hollywood for the RKO adventure Appointment in Honduras (1953; with Glenn Ford and Ann Sheridan), but his film career was stuck in neutral. Early television provided him with far more opportunities. |
the films of zachary scottThe Southerner (1945)
From the drama The Southerner, which was Scott's second filmDanger Signal (1945)
Scott as Ronnie Mason in the Warner Bros. film noir thriller Danger SignalMildred Pierce (1945)
From the Warner Bros. noir Mildred Pierce with Ann Blyth and Joan CrawfordHer Kind of Man (1946) 
LEFT: With Janis Paige in the Warner Bros. film noir thriller Her Kind of Man. RIGHT: With Janis Paige and Dane ClarkStallion Road (1947)
From the Warner Bros. drama Stallion Road with Alexis SmithThe Unfaithful (1947)
From the Warner Bros. film noir thriller The Unfaithful with Eve ArdenFlamingo Road (1949)  
LEFT: With Joan Crawford in the Warner Bros. film noir favorite Flamingo Road. CENTER: With Sydney Greenstreet and David Brian. RIGHT: With Sydney GreenstreetFlaxy Martin (1949) 
LEFT: With Dorothy Malone in the Warner Bros. crime drama Flaxy Martin. RIGHT: With Virginia Mayo as the title characterSouth of St. Louis (1949)
With Joel McCrea in the Warner Bros. western South of St. LouisColt .45 (1950)
With Lloyd Bridges and Ruth Roman in the Warner Bros. western Colt .45Guilty Bystander (1950)
From the low-budget film noir thriller Guilty Bystander, which was shot in New YorkPretty Baby (1950)
From the Warner Bros. comedy Pretty Baby with Betsy Drake and Dennis MorganLet's Make It Legal (1951)
With Marilyn Monroe in the 20th Century Fox romantic comedy Let's Make It LegalWings of Danger (1952)
Scott stars in the Hammer Studios film noir production Wings of DangerAppointment in Honduras (1953)
With Ann Sheridan and Glenn Ford in the RKO adventure Appointment in HondurasTreasure of Ruby Hills (1955)
With Carole Mathews in the Allied Artists western Treasure of Ruby HillsThe Counterfeit Plan (1957)
With Peggie Castle in the Warner Bros. crime drama The Counterfeit Planlater yearsBeing far removed from Hollywood did Zachary Scott's film career no favors, and he made relatively few films from the mid 1950s onward. With his film career on the back burner, Scott returned to Broadway in a handful of plays and acted in numerous television programs. He married his second wife, actress Ruth Ford, in 1952, and the pair remained in New York until 1965. As his acting career was winding down in the early 1960s, Scott starred in the Broadway play A Rainy Day in Newark. Sadly, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in the spring of 1965. After an unsuccessful surgical procedure in July 1965, he left New York for Texas. He passed away at his mother's estate in Austin, Texas, on October 3, 1965, at the age of 51. He was survived by his mother, his wife Ruth, and two daughters. |
filmographyFILM
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This page premiered October 25, 2010.
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