Gordon Alan Gebert (born October 17, 1941) is an American former

child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in film, movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associ ...

, architect, and professor predominantly known for playing Janet Leigh's son in ''

Holiday Affair ''Holiday Affair'' is a 1949 romantic comedy film directed and produced by Don Hartman and starring Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh. It was based on the story ''Christmas Gift'' by John D. Weaver, which was also the film's working title. The film ...

'' and for smaller roles. In adulthood, he trained as an architect and has taught at

The City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, City ...

Biography

Gebert was born in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

in 1941 to Gordon and Violette Gebert. His father was a salesman for a trailer company and sold truck and bus fleets for

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

in Iowa. In 1948, Gebert, aged seven, moved with his family to

Van Nuys, California Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, ...

. In 1949 Gebert was cast as WWII widow

Janet Leigh Jeanette Helen Morrison (July 6, 1927 – October 3, 2004), known professionally as Janet Leigh, was an American actress, singer, dancer, and author. Her career spanned over five decades. Raised in Stockton, California, by working-class parents, ...

's son in the movie ''

''. Thereafter, he appeared in nine full-length feature films, including the highly regarded

films noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...

The Narrow Margin ''The Narrow Margin'' is a 1952 American film noir starring Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor. Directed by Richard Fleischer, the RKO picture was written by Earl Felton, based on an unpublished story written by Martin Goldsmith and Jack Le ...

'' and ''

The House on Telegraph Hill ''House on Telegraph Hill'' is a 1951 American film noir starring Richard Basehart, Valentina Cortese, and William Lundigan, and directed by Robert Wise. The film received an Academy Award nomination for its art direction. Telegraph Hill is a d ...

'', and two shorts released between 1950 and 1970, always playing the role of a son. Gebert also performed in minor roles in 15 episodes of various television series, including ''

The Donna Reed Show ''The Donna Reed Show'' is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children, Mary an ...

'' (one episode, 1959), and '' Bachelor Father'' (one episode, 1960). Gebert's final performance was in a Christian youth scare film. After graduating from

Van Nuys High School Van Nuys High School (VNHS) is a public high school in the Van Nuys district of Los Angeles, belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District: District 2. The school is home to a Residential Program and three Magnet Programs—Math/Science, ...

, Gebert enrolled at

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

before transferring to the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

and eventually earning a bachelor's degree in architecture at the age of 25 from

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the mo ...

's Department of Architecture in 1966 and a master's degree from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

in 1968. Since 1971 he has been a professor at New York's City College Spitzer School of Architecture, where he was Acting Dean of Architecture, 2015–2019. Gebert has been licensed to practice architecture in

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

since 1973.

Personal life

Gebert married Phyllis A. DeReamer of

Greenfield, Massachusetts Greenfield is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Greenfield was first settled in 1686. The population was 17,768 at the 2020 census. Greenfield is home to Greenfield Community College, the Pioneer Val ...

in 1973. The couple had two daughters, Carrie Gebert-Kaplan and D'Arcy Gebert. Divorced from DeReamer, Gebert married

Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert (born 1953) is a Puerto Rican academic who specializes in research of the Caribbean. She holds the Sarah Tod Fitz Randolph Distinguished Professor Chair at Vassar College. Early life and education Lizabeth Paravisini w ...

, a professor of

Hispanic Studies Hispanism (sometimes referred to as Hispanic studies or Spanish studies) is the study of the literature and culture of the Spanish-speaking world, principally that of Spain and Hispanic America. It can also entail studying Spanish language and ...

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...

, in 1986. They live in

Manhattan, New York Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. Their son, Gordon Jr. (b. 1992), is a graduate of

Oakwood Friends School Oakwood Friends School is a college preparatory school located at 22 Spackenkill Road in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. With roots going back to Nine Partners Boarding School, founded in 1796, it is the oldest co-educational boarding and d ...

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...

, and an employee at

Delta Airlines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along wit ...

Atlanta.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1949) ... Timmy * ''

The Flame and the Arrow ''The Flame and the Arrow'' is a 1950 American Technicolor swashbuckler film made by Warner Bros. and starring Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo and Nick Cravat. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Harold Hecht and Frank Ross from a ...

'' (1950) ... Rudi Bartoli * '' Saddle Tramp'' (1950) ... Johnnie * ''

Chicago Calling ''Chicago Calling'' is a 1951 drama film directed by John Reinhardt and starring Dan Duryea and Mary Anderson. The film centers on the unsuccessful drinking photographer Bill Cannon (Dan Duryea), whose wife abandons him, leaving with their dau ...

'' (1951) ... Bobby * ''

'' (1951) ... Christopher * ''

Night Into Morning ''Night Into Morning'' is a 1951 American drama film starring Ray Milland, John Hodiak and Nancy Davis. Plot Everything is going very well for college professor Phillip Ainley (Ray Milland), who has a loving wife and son and an offer to teach at ...

'' (1951) ... Russ Kirby * ''

Flying Leathernecks ''Flying Leathernecks'' is a 1951 American Technicolor action war film directed by Nicholas Ray, produced by Edmund Grainger, (who had produced ''Sands of Iwo Jima'') and starring John Wayne and Robert Ryan. The movie details the exploits an ...

'' (1951) ... Tommy Kirby * ''

'' (1952) ... Tommy Sinclair * '' To Hell and Back'' (1955) ... Audie as a boy * ''Summer Love'' (1971) ... Tad Powers

Publications

*Gebert, G. A. (1966). Thesis: ''A continuing education conference center for Massachusetts Institute of Technology.'' *Gebert, G. A. (1985), ''Urban and Regional Information Systems Association.'' Academy of Local Government Information Sciences., & Local Government Computer Services Board of Ireland. Local government and information technology: Papers and reports from the International workshop held at Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland, April 24–27, 1984. Oxford: Pergamon Press. *Gebert, G. A. (1985). "Application development approaches in a MUMPS environment". ''Journal of Medical Systems'', 9, 3, 155–162. *Gebert, G. A. (1986), '' Editorial: Software survey section.'' Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 11, 3.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gebert, Gordon 1941 births Living people American male child actors Architecture educators MIT School of Architecture and Planning alumni City University of New York faculty Princeton University School of Architecture alumni University of California, Los Angeles alumni USC School of Architecture alumni