Victor Morrow (born Victor Morozoff; February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor. He came to prominence as one of the leads of the
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 ...
drama series ''
Combat!
''Combat!'' is an American television drama series that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American sol ...
'' (1962–1967), which earned him an
Emmy
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nomination for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Series. Active on screen for over three decades, his film roles include ''
Blackboard Jungle
''Blackboard Jungle'' is a 1955 American social drama film about an English teacher in an interracial inner-city school, based on the 1954 novel ''The Blackboard Jungle'' by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. I ...
'' (1955), ''
King Creole
''King Creole'' is a 1958 American musical drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and based on the 1952 novel '' A Stone for Danny Fisher'' by Harold Robbins. Produced by Hal B. Wallis, the film stars Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, Walter Matthau, ...
'' (1958), ''
God's Little Acre
''God's Little Acre'' is a 1933 novel by Erskine Caldwell about a dysfunctional farming family in Georgia obsessed with sex and wealth. The novel's sexual themes were so controversial that the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice asked a ...
'' (1958), ''
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry'' (1974), and ''
The Bad News Bears
''The Bad News Bears'' is a 1976 American sports comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie and written by Bill Lancaster. It stars Walter Matthau as an alcoholic ex-baseball pitcher who becomes a coach for a youth baseball team known as the Bears. ...
'' (1976). Morrow continued acting up to his death during filming of ''
Twilight Zone: The Movie'' (1983) when he and two child actors were killed by a
helicopter crash during filming.
Early years
Morrow was born in
the Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, New York City, to a middle-class
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family.
He was a son of Harry Morozoff, an electrical engineer, and his wife Jean (Kress) Morozoff.
Morrow dropped out of high school when he was 17 and enlisted in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. Morrow and his family lived in
Asbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area.
As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188 for many years.
Career
Morrow attracted attention playing
Stanley Kowalski
Stanley Kowalski is a fictional character in Tennessee Williams' play ''A Streetcar Named Desire''.
In the play
Stanley lives in the working-class Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans with his wife, Stella ( DuBois), and is employed a ...
in a touring production of ''
A Streetcar Named Desire
''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of person ...
''. His first movie role was in ''
Blackboard Jungle
''Blackboard Jungle'' is a 1955 American social drama film about an English teacher in an interracial inner-city school, based on the 1954 novel ''The Blackboard Jungle'' by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. I ...
'' (1955), playing a thug student who torments teacher
Glenn Ford
Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as ...
.
It was made by
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
, who then put Morrow in ''
Tribute to a Bad Man
''Tribute to a Bad Man'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Robert Wise and starring James Cagney about a rancher whose harsh enforcement of frontier justice alienates the woman he loves. It was based on the short story "Hanging's for ...
'' (1956). Morrow appeared on television, guest starring on shows like ''
The Millionaire'', ''
Matinee Theatre
''Matinee Theater'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as ''Matinee Theatre''.
The series, which ran daily from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. E ...
'', ''
Climax!
''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs ...
'', ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...
'', ''
The Restless Gun
''The Restless Gun'' is an American Western television series that appeared on NBC between 1957 and 1959, with John Payne in the role of Vint Bonner, a wandering cowboy in the era after the American Civil War. A skilled gunfighter, Bonner is an ...
'', ''
Trackdown'', ''
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960.
Radio
Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detec ...
'', and ''
Telephone Time
''Telephone Time'' is an American anthology drama series that aired on CBS in 1956, and on ABC from 1957 to 1958. The series features plays by John Nesbitt who hosted the first season. Frank C. Baxter hosted the 1957 and 1958 seasons. The progr ...
''.
Morrow had support roles in ''
Men in War
''Men in War'' is a 1957 black and white American war film about the Korean War directed by Anthony Mann and starring Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray as the leaders of a small detachment of American soldiers cut off and desperately trying to rejoin th ...
'' (1957), directed by
Anthony Mann
Anthony Mann (born Emil Anton Bundsmann; June 30, 1906 – April 29, 1967) was an American film director and stage actor.
Mann initially started as a theatre actor appearing in numerous stage productions. In 1937, he moved to Hollywood where ...
, and was third billed in ''
Hell's Five Hours'' (1958). He starred alongside
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
and an all-star supporting cast including
Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director.
He is best known for his film roles in '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957), ''King Creole'' (1958) and as a coach of a ...
and
Carolyn Jones
Carolyn Sue Jones (April 28, 1930 – August 3, 1983) was an American actress of television and film. Jones began her film career in the early 1950s, and by the end of the decade had achieved recognition with a nomination for an Academy ...
in the movie ''
King Creole
''King Creole'' is a 1958 American musical drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and based on the 1952 novel '' A Stone for Danny Fisher'' by Harold Robbins. Produced by Hal B. Wallis, the film stars Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, Walter Matthau, ...
'' (1958), directed by
Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...
. Mann asked him back for ''
God's Little Acre
''God's Little Acre'' is a 1933 novel by Erskine Caldwell about a dysfunctional farming family in Georgia obsessed with sex and wealth. The novel's sexual themes were so controversial that the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice asked a ...
'' (1958).
However Morrow remained mostly a television actor, appearing in ''
Naked City'', ''
Wichita Town
''Wichita Town'' is a half-hour western television series starring Joel McCrea, Jody McCrea, Carlos Romero, and George Neise that aired on NBC from September 30, 1959, until April 6, 1960.
Joel McCrea played Marshal Mike Dunbar, in charge of ...
'', ''
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 ...
'', ''
The Lineup'', ''
Johnny Ringo
John Peters Ringo (May 3, 1850 – July 13, 1882), known as Johnny Ringo, was an American Old West outlaw loosely associated with the Cochise County Cowboys in frontier boomtown Tombstone, Arizona Territory. He took part in the Mason County ...
'', ''
The Brothers Brannagan
''The Brothers Brannagan'' is an American crime drama television series that aired in syndication from September 24, 1960, to July 15, 1961.
Synopsis
''The Brothers Brannagan'' features fictitious detectives Mike and Bob Brannagan, portrayed, re ...
'', ''
The Law and Mr. Jones
''The Law and Mr. Jones'' is an American legal drama series starring James Whitmore. The series aired on ABC in two nonconsecutive seasons from October 7, 1960 to June 2, 1961, and again from April 19 to July 12, 1962. The program was created and ...
'', ''
The Lawless Years
''The Lawless Years'' is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from April 16, 1959, to September 22, 1961. The series is the first of its kind, set during the Roaring 20s, having antedated American Broadcasting Company, ABC's far more ...
'', ''
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
''The Barbara Stanwyck Show'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran on NBC from September 1960 to September 1961. Barbara Stanwyck served as hostess, and starred in all but four of the half-hour productions. The four in which ...
'', ''
General Electric Theatre
''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.
Radio
After an audition show ...
'', ''
Target: The Corruptors'', ''
The Tall Man'', ''
Outlaws'', ''
Bonanza
''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...
'', and ''
The Untouchables
Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to:
American history
* Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness
* ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley
* ''The U ...
''.
He was cast in the early ''Bonanza'' episode "The Avenger" as a mysterious figure known only as "Lassiter" – named after his town of origin – who arrives in Virginia City, and helps save Ben and Adam Cartwright from an unjust hanging, while eventually gunning down one sought-after man, revealing himself as the hunter of a lynch mob who killed his father; having so far killed about half the mob, he rides off into the night, in an episode that resembles the later
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
film ''
High Plains Drifter
''High Plains Drifter'' is a 1973 American Western film directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Ernest Tidyman, and produced by Robert Daley for The Malpaso Company and Universal Pictures. The film stars Eastwood as a mysterious stranger who ...
''. Morrow later appeared in the third season ''Bonanza'' episode "The Tin Badge".
Mann used Morrow a third time in ''
Cimarron'' (1960), again tormenting Glenn Ford. He took on
Audie Murphy
Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor and songwriter. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from t ...
in ''
Posse from Hell
''Posse from Hell'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by Herbert Coleman and starring Audie Murphy and John Saxon.
Plot
In 1880 four escapees from death row, Crip, Leo, Chunk, and Hash ride into the town of Paradise and enter the Rosebu ...
'' (1961).
Morrow was cast as soldier/engineer Lt. Robert Benson in the 1962 episode, "A Matter of Honor", on the
syndicated 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
Stanley Andrews
Stanley Andrews (born Stanley Martin Andrzejewski; August 28, 1891 – June 23, 1969) was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program ''Little Orphan Annie'' and later as "The Old Ranger", the first ...
. The story focuses on Benson's fiancé, Indiana (
Shirley Ballard
Marian Shirley Ballard (September 21, 1925 – October 27, 2012) was an American actress, director and screenwriter who starred in an array of shows and programs.
Biography
She won the Miss California beauty pageant in 1944. She was married to ...
), who tries to persuade him to boost their income by selling inside Army information to criminal
real estate
Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...
moguls like Joseph Hooker (
Howard Petrie
Howard Alexander Petrie (November 22, 1906 – March 24, 1968) was an American radio, television, and film actor.
Early life
Howard Petrie was born in Beverly, Massachusetts on November 22, 1906. When Howard was three years old his family ...
).
Trevor Bardette
Trevor Bardette (born Terva Gaston Hubbard; November 19, 1902 – November 28, 1977) was an American film and television actor. Among many other roles in his long and prolific career, Bardette appeared in several episodes of '' Adventures of S ...
and
Meg Wyllie
Margaret Gillespie Wyllie (February 15, 1917 – January 1, 2002) was an American actress who appeared primarily on television. Best known as Mrs. Kissel in '' The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (1963-1964).
Early years
Born in Honolulu, H ...
were cast in the roles of Captain and Mrs. Warner.
Morrow had his first leading role in ''
Portrait of a Mobster
''Portrait of a Mobster'' is a 1961 American crime film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Vic Morrow, Leslie Parrish and Ray Danton repeating his role as Jack Diamond (gangster), 'Legs' Diamond.PORTRAIT OF A MOBSTER, Monthly Film Bulletin; ...
'' (1961) playing
Dutch Schultz
Dutch Schultz (born Arthur Simon Flegenheimer; August 6, 1901October 24, 1935) was an American mobster. Based in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s, he made his fortune in organized crime-related activities, including bootlegging and the nu ...
.
He continued as mostly a television actor, appearing in ''
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 ...
'', ''
Alcoa Premiere
'' Alcoa Premiere'' (also known as ''Premiere, Presented by Fred Astaire'') is an American anthology drama series that aired from October 1961 to July 1963 on ABC. The series was hosted by Fred Astaire, who also starred in several of the episode ...
'', and ''
Suspense
Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being undecided, or being doubtful. In a dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the outcome of a plot or of the solution to an uncertainty, puzzle, or mystery, particularly as it aff ...
''.
''Combat!''
![Vic Morrow Combat 1965](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Vic_Morrow_Combat_1965.jpg)
Morrow was cast in the lead role of Sergeant "Chip" Saunders in
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 ''
Combat!
''Combat!'' is an American television drama series that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American sol ...
'', a World War II drama, which aired from 1962 to 1967. Pop culture scholar Gene Santoro has written:
His friend and fellow actor on ''Combat!'', Rick Jason, described Morrow as "a master director" who directed "one of the greatest anti-war films I've ever seen". He was referring to the two-part episode of ''Combat!'' entitled ''Hills Are for Heroes'', which was written by
Gene L. Coon.
''Deathwatch'' and ''A Man Called Sledge''
Morrow also worked as a television director. Together with
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, then ...
, he produced the 1965 film ''
Deathwatch'', an English-language film version of
Jean Genet
Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...
's play ''
Haute Surveillance'', adapted by Morrow and
Barbara Turner, directed by Morrow, and starring Nimoy.
After ''Combat!'' ended, Morrow played the lead in ''
Target: Harry'' (1969), the pilot for a proposed series that was not picked up;
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...
directed.
In 1969 he set up his own company, Carleigh.
Morrow wrote and directed a
Spaghetti Western
The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
, produced by
Dino DeLaurentiis
Agostino "Dino" De Laurentiis (; 8 August 1919 – 10 November 2010) was an Italian-American film producer. Along with Carlo Ponti, he was one of the producers who brought Italian cinema to the international scene at the end of World War II. H ...
, titled ''
A Man Called Sledge
''A Man Called Sledge'' is a 1970 Italian Spaghetti Western film starring James Garner in an extremely offbeat role as a grimly evil thief, and featuring Dennis Weaver, Claude Akins and Wayde Preston. The film was written by Vic Morrow and Fran ...
'' (1970) and starring
James Garner
James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including '' The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Chayefsky's ''The Ameri ...
,
Dennis Weaver
William Dennis Weaver (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, best known for his work in television and films from the early 1950s until just before his death in 2006. Weave ...
and
Claude Akins
Claude Aubrey Akins (May 25, 1926 – January 27, 1994) was an American character actor with a long career on stage, screen, and television. He was best known as Sheriff Lobo on the 1979–1981 television series ''B.J. and the Bear'', and l ...
. After ''Deathwatch'', it was Morrow's first and only big screen outing behind the camera. ''Sledge'' was filmed in Italy with desert-like settings that were highly evocative of the
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...
.
Morrow guest starred in ''
The Immortal'', ''
Dan August
''Dan August'' is an American drama series that aired on ABC from September 23, 1970, to April 8, 1971. Burt Reynolds played the title character. Reruns of the series aired in prime time on CBS from May to October 1973 and from April to June 197 ...
'', ''Hawaii Five-O'', ''Mannix'', ''
Sarge'', ''
McCloud'', and ''
Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law''.
TV movies
In the 1970s Morrow starred in some television movies including ''A Step Out of Line'' (1971), ''Travis Logan, D.A.'' (1971) (playing the title role), ''
River of Mystery'' (1971), ''
The Glass House'' (1972), ''
The Weekend Nun
''The Weekend Nun'' is a 1972 American television film (an ABC Movie of the Week) directed by Jeannot Szwarc. It was based on the true story of Joyce Duco, a nun who became a probation officer.
Cast
*Joanna Pettet
*Vic Morrow
*Ann Sothern
*Kay Le ...
'', ''
Tom Sawyer
Thomas Sawyer () is the titular character of the Mark Twain novel ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876). He appears in three other novels by Twain: ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884), ''Tom Sawyer Abroad'' (1894), and ''Tom Sawyer, Dete ...
'' (1973), ''Nightmare'' (1974).
He guest starred in ''
Ironside'', ''
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors'', ''
Mission: Impossible'', ''The FBI'', ''
Love Story'', ''
The Streets of San Francisco
''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the ...
'', and ''
Police Story''.
Morrow appeared in two episodes of Australian-produced anthology series ''
The Evil Touch
''The Evil Touch'' is an Australian television series, originally broadcast in Australia in 1973 and produced by Amalgamated Pictures Australasia in association with Olola Productions Australia. An anthology series, each episode had a self-cont ...
'' (1973), one of which he also directed.
He played the wily local sheriff in director
John Hough's road classic ''
Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
''Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry'' is a 1974 American road crime drama film based on the 1963 Richard Unekis novel titled ''The Chase'' (later retitled ''Pursuit''). Directed by John Hough, the film stars Peter Fonda, Susan George, Adam Roarke, and ...
'', as well as the homicidal sheriff, alongside
Martin Sheen
Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. He first became known for his roles in the films ''The Subject Was Roses'' (1968) and ''Badlands'' (1973), and later achieved wid ...
, in the television film ''
The California Kid
''The California Kid'' is a 1974 American made-for-television action thriller film directed by Richard T. Heffron and starring Martin Sheen.
Plot
The story takes place in 1958, and involves a town, Clarksberg, with a famous speed trap. Di ...
'' (1974), and ''
The Take'' (1974).
Morrow had the lead in ''
Funeral for an Assassin'' (1975). He had key roles in ''Death Stalk'' (1975), ''
Scar Tissue
Scar tissue may refer to:
Medicine
* Scar, an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after injury
* Granulation tissue, a product of healing in major wounds
Film and television
* ''Scar Tissue'' (1975 film), or ''Wanted: Babysitter'' ...
'' (1975), ''
The Night That Panicked America
'' The Night That Panicked America'' is an American television film, made-for-television drama (film and television), drama film that was originally broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network on October 31, 1975. The telefilm dram ...
'' (1975), ''
Treasure of Matecumbe
''Treasure of Matecumbe'' is a 1976 American adventure western film directed by Vincent McEveety and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was based on the novel ''A Journey to Matecumbe'' by Robert Lewis Taylor. The filming locations were in ...
'' (1976) and had a key role as aggressive, competitive baseball coach Roy Turner, in the comedy ''
The Bad News Bears
''The Bad News Bears'' is a 1976 American sports film, sports comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie (film director), Michael Ritchie and written by Bill Lancaster. It stars Walter Matthau as an alcoholic ex-baseball pitcher who becomes a coach f ...
'' (1976).
In the late 1970s Morrow worked increasingly in miniseries such as ''
Captains and the Kings
''Captains and the Kings'' is a 1972 historical novel by Taylor Caldwell chronicling the rise to wealth and power of an Irish immigrant, Joseph Francis Xavier Armagh, who emigrates as a penniless teenager to the United States, along with his you ...
'' (1977), ''
Roots
A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients.
Root or roots may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...
'' and ''The Last Convertible'' (1979), as well as guest starring on shows like ''Bronc'', ''
Hunter
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
'', ''
The Littlest Hobo
''The Littlest Hobo'' is a Canadian television series (French title: ''Le Vagabond'') based upon a 1958 well-known film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, and was revived for ...
'' and ''
Charlie's Angels
''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...
''.
He returned to directing, helming episodes of ''
Quincy, M.E.
''Quincy, M.E.'' (also called ''Quincy'') is an American mystery medical drama television series from Universal Studios that aired on NBC from October 3, 1976, to May 11, 1983. Jack Klugman starred in the title role as a Los Angeles County med ...
'' as well as ''
Lucan
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (3 November 39 AD – 30 April 65 AD), better known in English as Lucan (), was a Roman poet, born in Corduba (modern-day Córdoba), in Hispania Baetica. He is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imperial ...
'' and ''
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
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 ...
''.
Final roles
Morrow had the lead in ''The Ghost of Cypress Swamp'' (1977), the Japanese film ''
Message from Space
is a 1978 Japanese space opera film directed by Kinji Fukasaku. It stars Sonny Chiba, Etsuko Shihomi, and Vic Morrow. Produced by Toei with a cost between the equivalent of US$5 and 6 million, it was the most expensive film made in Japan at t ...
'' (1978) and ''
The Evictors
''The Evictors'' is a 1979 American crime-horror film written and directed by Charles B. Pierce, and starring Vic Morrow, Michael Parks, and Jessica Harper. A period piece set in 1942, it follows a couple who are terrorized by a mysterious man on ...
'' (1979). He was in TV movies ''
The Man with the Power
"The Man with the Power" is an episode of the original '' The Outer Limits'' television show. It first aired on 7 October 1963, during the first season.
Introduction
An experiment endows a college professor with powerful telekinetic
Psychok ...
'' (1977), ''
The Hostage Heart'' (1977), ''
Curse of the Black Widow
''Curse of the Black Widow'' is a 1977 American made-for-television horror film directed by Dan Curtis and starring Tony Franciosa, Donna Mills, Patty Duke, Vic Morrow and June Allyson. It originally aired on ABC on September 16, 1977 and wa ...
'' (1977), ''
Wild and Wooly
''Wild and Wooly'' is a 1978 comedy/Western (genre), Western television film directed by Philip Leacock and starring Charles Siebert, David Doyle (actor), David Doyle, Elyssa Davalos, Vic Morrow, and Doug McClure. The screenplay concerns four ...
'' (1978), ''Stone'' (1979), ''Paris'' (1980)
Morrow made ''
Humanoids from the Deep
''Humanoids from the Deep'' (released as ''Monster'' in Europe and Japan) is a 1980 American science fiction horror film starring Doug McClure, Ann Turkel, and Vic Morrow. Roger Corman served as the film's uncredited executive producer, an ...
'' (1980) for
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...
and ''
The Last Shark
''Great White'' (a.k.a. ''The Last Shark''; it, L'ultimo squalo) is a 1981 Italian horror film directed by Enzo G. Castellari, having originally been assigned to Ruggero Deodato.
In the film James Franciscus and Vic Morrow attempt to save hun ...
'' (1981) and had a regular role in the series, ''
B.A.D. Cats
''B.A.D. Cats'' is an American action/police drama that aired on ABC from January until February 1980 on Friday nights at 8 PM Eastern time. The series stars Asher Brauner, Steve Hanks, and Michelle Pfeiffer in one of her first major acting rol ...
'' (1980).
Morrow's last roles included guest roles in ''
Charlie's Angels
''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...
'', ''
Magnum, P.I.
''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...
'' and the films ''
1990: The Bronx Warriors'' (1981) and ''Abenko Green Berets'' (1982).
Personal life
In 1958,
Morrow married actress and screenwriter
Barbara Turner. They had two daughters, Carrie Ann Morrow (1958–2016) and actress
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough as Stacy Hamilton in ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). She ...
(born 1962). Morrow's marriage to Turner ended in divorce after seven years. He married Gale Lester in 1975, but they separated just prior to Morrow's death in July 1982.
Morrow fell out with his daughter Jennifer after his divorce from her mother. She changed her last name to Leigh and they were still estranged at the time of his death.
Rick Jason
Rick Jason (born Richard Jacobson; May 21, 1923 – October 16, 2000) was an American actor, born in New York City, and most remembered for starring in the ABC television drama ''Combat!'' (1962–1967).
Childhood
An only child of Jewish parents ...
, co-star of ''Combat!'', wrote in his memoirs that Morrow "had an absolute dislike of firearms. He used a
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy Gun", "Chicago Typewriter", "Chicago Piano", “Trench Sweeper” or "Trench Broom") is a blowback-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun, invented by United Stat ...
in our series, but that was work. In any other respect he'd have nothing to do with them."
Death
In 1982, Morrow was cast in a feature role in ''
Twilight Zone: The Movie'', in a segment directed by
John Landis
John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American comedy and fantasy filmmaker and actor. He is best known for the comedy films that he has directed – such as ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977), ''Animal House, National Lampoon's Animal ...
. Morrow was playing the role of Bill Connor, a
racist
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
who is taken back in time and placed in various situations where he would be a persecuted victim: as a Jewish man in
Vichy France
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...
, a black man about to be
lynched
Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...
by the
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
, and a Vietnamese man about to be killed by U.S. soldiers.
In the early morning hours of July 23, 1982, Morrow and two child actors, seven-year-old Myca Dinh Le and six-year-old Renee Shin-Yi Chen, were filming on location in California, in an area that was known as
Indian Dunes
Indian Dunes was a film ranch owned by Newhall Land & Farming Company. Located near the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park in Valencia, California, United States, it was a favorite of filmmakers for its versatility and location within the ...
, near
Santa Clarita
Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17t ...
. They were performing in a scene for the
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
sequence, in which their characters attempt to escape out of a deserted Vietnamese village from a pursuing
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 ...
helicopter.
[ The helicopter was hovering at approximately above them when the heat from special effect ]pyrotechnic
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
explosions reportedly delaminated the rotor blade
A helicopter main rotor or rotor system is the combination of several rotary wings (rotor blades) with a control system, that generates the aerodynamic lift force that supports the weight of the helicopter, and the thrust that counteracts aerody ...
s and caused the helicopter to plummet and crash on top of them, killing all three instantly. Morrow and Le were decapitated and mutilated by the helicopter rotor blades, while Chen was crushed by a helicopter skid.
Landis and four other defendants, including the helicopter pilot Dorsey Wingo, were ultimately acquitted of involuntary manslaughter after a nearly nine-month trial. The parents of Le and Chen sued and settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Both of Morrow's daughters also sued and settled for an undisclosed amount.
Morrow is interred in Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
The Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary is a Jewish cemetery located at 6001 West Centinela Avenue, in Culver City, California. Many Jews from the entertainment industry are buried here. The cemetery is known for Al Jolson's elaborate tomb (design ...
in Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...
.
Filmography
Award nominations
References
External links
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Filmography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrow, Vic
1929 births
1982 deaths
20th-century American Jews
20th-century American male actors
Accidental deaths in California
American male film actors
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American male television actors
American television directors
Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
Deaths by decapitation
Film directors from New York City
Filmed deaths of entertainers
Florida State University alumni
American Ashkenazi Jews
Jewish American male actors
Male actors from Los Angeles
Male actors from New York City
Military personnel from New York City
People from the Bronx
United States Navy sailors
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1982
Victims of helicopter accidents or incidents in the United States
Western (genre) television actors