Jerome Courtland (December 27, 1926 – March 1, 2012) was an American actor, director and producer. He acted in films in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and in television in the 1950s and 1960s. Courtland also appeared on Broadway in the musical ''

Flahooley ''Flahooley'' is a musical with a book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Sammy Fain. Synopsis and background The allegorical tale is set in fictional Capsulanti, USA, site of the headquarters for B.G. Bigelow, Inco ...

'' in the early 1950s. He directed and produced television series in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He served in the Pacific Theater of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Biography

Actor

Jerome "Jerry" Courtland was born Courtland Jourolmon Jr. on December 27, 1926 in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...

. At 17, he attended a Hollywood party with his mother, a professional singer. A chance meeting with director Charles Vidor led to a screen test at Columbia Pictures and a seven-year contract. Courtland's feature debut was in Vidor's 1944 screwball comedy ''Together Again'', before he joined the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, serving in the Pacific Theatre of

. After the War, Courtland starred opposite Shirley Temple in ''Kiss and Tell'', followed by appearances in more than a dozen films including ''The Man From Colorado'' (1948), ''Battleground'' (1949), ''The Palomino'' (1950), ''The Barefoot Mailman'' (1951), and ''Take the High Ground'' (1953). He was a licensed pilot and trained in stunt flying. In 1951 Courtland starred on Broadway as the romantic lead in the very short-lived musical ''

'' with

Barbara Cook Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an American actress and singer who first came to prominence in the 1950s as the lead in the original Broadway musicals ''Plain and Fancy'' (1955), ''Candide'' (1956) and ''The Music Man'' (19 ...

. Returning to California, he was frequently seen in guest roles on Westerns including ''The Rifleman'', ''Death Valley Days'' and ''The Virginian''. In 1957, he starred in six episodes of

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's ''

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...

'' in the

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

''The Saga of Andy Burnett'', the story of a

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, man who comes west to the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

. This was an attempt by

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

to follow up on the success of the first television miniseries, ''

Davy Crockett David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Re ...

''. In 1958, Courtland guest starred in an episode of the television Western series ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show wa ...

''. His voice was heard singing the title song during the credits in the movie ''

Old Yeller ''Old Yeller'' is a 1956 children's novel written by Fred Gipson and illustrated by Carl Burger. It received a Newbery Honor in 1957. The title is taken from the name of the yellow dog who is the center of the book's story. In 1957, Walt Disney ...

''. In 1959 he played the role of Army Lt. Henry Nowlan in the Disney film ''

Tonka Tonka is an American producer of toy trucks. The company is known for making steel toy models of construction type trucks and machinery. Maisto International, which makes diecast vehicles, acquired the rights to use the Tonka name in a line of ...

''. Also that year he narrated the Disney short ''Noah's Ark'', nominated for an Oscar the following year for Best Short Subject (Cartoon). Courtland starred in the 1959-1960 television series ''

Tales of the Vikings ''Tales of the Vikings'' is an American first-run syndicated television series, first telecast on 8 September 1959 and ran through June 2, 1960. The series was produced by Kirk Douglas' production company, Brynaprod. Plot Set in tenth century Sca ...

'', as the lead character, Leif. He dyed his hair and beard blonde for the role. The series was produced by

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...

' film production company

Brynaprod Bryna Productions (later renamed The Bryna Company) is an American independent film and television production company established by actor Kirk Douglas in 1949. The company also produced a handful of films through its subsidiaries, Michael Produc ...

, was filmed in Germany, and ran for 39 episodes. Courtland was cast as newspaperman

William Byers William Newton Byers (February 22, 1831 in Madison County, OhioByers, William Ne ...

in the 1965 episode, "The Race at Cherry Creek", on the

syndicated television Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States where ...

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...

, ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'', hosted by

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

. In the story line, Byers races against time to put out the first newspaper in the

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the w ...

during the

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...

year of 1859. His ''

Rocky Mountain News The ''Rocky Mountain News'' (nicknamed the ''Rocky'') was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States, from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As ...

'' became the first publication in the territory. Though strongly encouraged in the pursuit by his wife Elizabeth ( ancy Rennick), Byers' pressman, Andy Kate (Alvy Moore), is pessimistic about their chances of publishing first.

Producer

In the 60s, Courtland gave up acting to produce for Disney, Screen Gems, and others. In 1975, he produced the Walt Disney film, ''

Ride a Wild Pony ''Ride a Wild Pony'' (also known as ''Born to Run'') is a 1975 American-Australian family adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions, directed by Don Chaffey and based on the novel ''A Sporting Proposition'' by James Aldridge. Plot Set ...

''. He was one of two producers of the Live-action animated film, partly animated 1977 Disney movie ''Pete's Dragon (1977 film), Pete's Dragon''. He was the producer of ''

Escape to Witch Mountain ''Escape to Witch Mountain'' is a science fiction novel written by Alexander Key in 1968. It was adapted for film by Disney as '' Escape to Witch Mountain'' in 1975 which spawned the ''Witch Mountain'' franchise. The novel was illustrated by ...

'' in 1975, and ''The Devil and Max Devlin''.

Director

In 1968 Courtland made his directorial debut with several episodes of ''The Flying Nun''. In the 1980s he directed episodes of Aaron Spelling's ''Dynasty'', ''Fantasy Island'', ''The Love Boat'' and ''The Colbys''."SCV’s Jerome Courtland, Actor-Director-Producer, Dies at 85", SCVTV News, March 5, 2012
/ref> In the early 1990s he made guest appearances on ''L.A. Law'' and ''Knots Landing''. In 1997 he moved to the Chicago area, where for five years he taught acting and directing for the camera at Columbia College. Courtland died on March 1, 2012 of heart disease in the Santa Clarita, California.

Partial filmography

*'' Together Again'' (1944) - Gilbert Parker *'' Kiss and Tell'' (1945) - Dexter Franklin *''

The Man from Colorado ''The Man from Colorado'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Henry Levin, produced by Jules Schermer for Columbia Pictures, and starring Glenn Ford as a Union officer who becomes addicted to killing during the American Civil War, Willia ...

'' (1948) - Johnny Howard *''

Make Believe Ballroom ''Make Believe Ballroom'' is a 1949 American musical romantic comedy directed by Joseph Santley and produced by Ted Richmond. It was loosely based on a radio program of the same name by Martin Block and Al Jarvis. The film starred Jerome Courtla ...

'' (1949) - Gene Thomas *'' Tokyo Joe'' (1949) - Danny *'' Battleground'' (1949) - Abner Spudler *''

A Woman of Distinction ''A Woman of Distinction'' is a 1950 American romantic comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Rosalind Russell and Ray Milland. Plot Susan Manning Middlecott is dean of a New England school called Benton College and it is her whole ...

'' (1950) - Jerome *''

The Palomino ''The Palomino'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by Tom Kilpatrick. The film stars Jerome Courtland, Beverly Tyler, Joseph Calleia, Roy Roberts, Gordon Jones and Robert Osterloh. The film was released on Ma ...

'' (1950) - Steve Norris *''

When You're Smiling "When You're Smiling" is a popular song written by Larry Shay, Mark Fisher and Joe Goodwin in 1928. It bears resemblance to the Spanish Canción " Amapola" by José María Lacalle García. Early popular recordings were by Seger Ellis (1928), Lo ...

'' (1950) - Gerald Durham *'' Santa Fe'' (1951) - Terry Canfield *'' The Texas Rangers'' (1951) - Danny Carver - alias Bonner *'' Sunny Side of the Street'' (1951) - Ted Mason *''

The Barefoot Mailman ''The Barefoot Mailman'' is a comedy-adventure film starring Robert Cummings and distributed by Columbia Pictures in 1951. The film was based on the 1943 novel ''The Barefoot Mailman'' by Theodore Pratt. Filmed in Super Cinecolor on location i ...

'' (1951) - Steven Pierton *'' Cripple Creek'' (1952) - Larry Galland *''

Take the High Ground! ''Take the High Ground!'' is a 1953 American war film directed by Richard Brooks and starring Richard Widmark and Karl Malden as drill sergeants who must transform a batch of everyday civilians into soldiers during the Korean War. Plot In May 195 ...

'' (1953) - Elvin C. Carey *''

The Bamboo Prison ''The Bamboo Prison'' is a 1954 American Korean War film–drama film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Robert Francis, Brian Keith, Dianne Foster, and Jerome Courtland. The working title was ''I Was a Prisoner in Korea''. The US Army denied ...

'' (1954) - Arkansas *''

'' (1958, TV Series) - Johnny Gibbs *''

'' (1958) - Lt. Henry Nowlan *' (1960) - Teddy Hill *''

Queen of the Seas ''Queen of the Seas'' ( it, Le avventure di Mary Read) is a 1961 adventure film directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring Lisa Gastoni and Jerome Courtland. Plot Cast * Lisa Gastoni as Mary Read * Jerome Courtland as Peter Goodwin * Walter ...

'' (1961) - Peter Goodwin *''

Café Oriental ''Café Oriental'' is a 1962 German musical comedy film directed by Rudolf Schündler and starring Elke Sommer, Jerome Courtland, Trude Herr, and Bill Ramsey. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Paul Markwitz and Wilhelm Vorwerg. ...

'' (1962) - Michael *''

Tharus Son of Attila ''Tharus Son of Attila'' ( it, Tharus figlio di Attila), also known as ''Colossus and the Huns'', is a 1962 Italian peplum film co-written and directed by Roberto Bianchi Montero and starring Jerome Courtland in the title role.Michele Giordano. ...

'' (1962) - Tharus *''

Black Spurs ''Black Spurs'' is a 1965 American Western film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Steve Fisher. The film stars Rory Calhoun, Linda Darnell (in her final film role), Terry Moore, Scott Brady, Lon Chaney Jr., Richard Arlen and Bruc ...

'' (1965) - Sam Grubbs *''The Restless Ones'' (1965) *''

'' (1975, Produced) *''

The Wonderful World of Disney The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The pr ...

'' - episode " The Young Runaways" (1978, TV Series, Produced) *''Disney's Wonderful World'' - episode "

Sultan and the Rock Star ''Sultan and the Rock Star'' (also known as ''The Hunter and the Rock Star'') is a 1980 American television film, made-for-television adventure film, adventure drama (film and television), drama film starring Timothy Hutton and based on the novel ...

" (1980, TV Series, Produced) *''Disney's Wonderful World'' - episode "

The Ghosts of Buxley Hall ''The Ghosts of Buxley Hall'' is a 1980 American made-for-television fantasy-comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions, directed by Bruce Bilson and starring Dick O'Neill, Victor French, Louise Latham and Monte Markham. It was originally br ...

: Parts 1 & 2" (1980, TV Series, Produced)

References

External links

* * * * * Staff (March 5, 2012).
"Jerome Courtland dies at 85 Directed Episodes of Aaron Spelling Dramas"
''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

''. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
Jerry Courtland Movie Memorial

Theme song from "'Old Yeller"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Courtland, Jerome 1926 births 2012 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American singers Male actors from California Male actors from Tennessee American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male stage actors American male television actors American television directors American military personnel of World War II Film directors from California Film directors from Tennessee Film producers from California Singers from Tennessee People from Knoxville, Tennessee Singers from California Television producers from California 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers Television producers from Tennessee