Cornell Wilde
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Cornel Wilde (born Kornél Lajos Weisz; October 13, 1912 – October 16, 1989) was a Hungarian-American actor and filmmaker. Wilde's acting career began in 1935, when he made his debut on Broadway. In 1936 he began making small, uncredited appearances in films. By the 1940s he had signed a contract with
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
, and by the mid-1940s he was a major leading man. He was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...
for his performance in 1945's ''
A Song to Remember ''A Song to Remember'' is a 1945 American biographical film which tells a fictionalised life story of Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin. Directed by Charles Vidor and starring Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, and Cornel Wilde. Plot Fr ...
''. In the 1950s he moved to writing, producing and directing films, and still continued his career as an actor. He also went into songwriting during his career.


Early life

Wilde was born in 1912 in Privigye,
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
(now Prievidza, Slovakia),''List or Manifest of Alien Passengers for the United States, S.S. Noordam, Passengers Sailing from Rotterdam, May 4, 1920'', New York Passenger Lists, 1820–1957. iProvo, Utah, 2010. although his year and place of birth are usually and inaccurately given as 1915 in New York City. His Hungarian Jewish parents were Vojtech Béla Weisz (anglicized to Louis Bela Wilde) and Renée Mary Vid (Rayna Miryam). He was named for his paternal grandfather, and upon arrival in the United States at the age of seven in 1920, his name was Anglicized to Cornelius Louis Wilde. A talented linguist and an astute mimic, he had an ear for languages which became apparent later in his acting career. Wilde attended 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, Cit ...
as a pre-med student, completing the four-year course in three years and winning a scholarship to the Physicians and Surgeons College at
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
. Wilde entered
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, class of 1933, as one of the youngest undergraduates. He fenced for the Columbia Lions fencing team. He won the National Novice Foils Championship held at the
New York Athletic Club The New York Athletic Club is a private social club and athletic club in New York state. Founded in 1868, the club has approximately 8,600 members and two facilities: the City House, located at 180 Central Park South in Manhattan, and Travers ...
in 1929. He qualified for the United States
fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, s ...
team for the
1936 Summer Olympic Games The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...
, but quit the team before the games in order to take a role in the theater. In preparation for an acting career, he and his new wife Marjory Heinzen (later to be known as
Patricia Knight Patricia Knight (born Marjorie Heinzen; April 28, 1915 – October 26, 2004) was an American actress who appeared in a few movies in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Career In 1949, Knight and her husband, Cornel Wilde, acted at Cape Playhouse i ...
) shaved years off their ages, three for him and five for her. As a result, most publicity records and subsequent sources wrongly indicate a 1915 birth for Wilde.


Career


Theatre

After studying at Theodora Irvine's Studio of the Theatre, Wilde began appearing in plays in stock and in New York. He made his Broadway debut in 1935 in ''Moon Over Mulberry Street''. He also appeared in ''Love Is Not So Simple'', ''Daughters of Etreus'', and '' Having Wonderful Time''. He did the illustrations for ''Fencing'', a 1936 textbook on fencing and wrote a fencing play, ''Touché'', under the pseudonym of Clark Wales in 1937.Ingram, Frances ''Cornel Wilde: Gentle Swashbuckler'', Classic Images, February 5, 2009 He toured with Tallulah Bankhead in a production of ''Antony and Cleopatra''; during the run he married his co-star Patricia Knight. Acting jobs were sporadic over the next few years. Wilde supplemented his income with exhibition fencing matches; his wife also did modelling work. Wilde wrote plays, some of which were performed by the New York Drama Guild. Wilde was hired as a fencing teacher by
Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...
for his 1940 Broadway production of ''
Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
'' and was given the role of Tybalt in the production. Although the show only had a small run, his performance in this role netted him a Hollywood film contract with
Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...
.


Early films


Warner Bros.

Wilde had an uncredited bit part in '' Lady with Red Hair'' (1940), then got a small part in '' High Sierra'' (1941), which included a scene with
Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
. He also had small roles in ''
Knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
'' (1941) and '' Kisses for Breakfast'' (1941).


20th Century Fox

Wilde was then signed by 20th Century Fox who gave him a good role in a B picture ''
The Perfect Snob ''The Perfect Snob'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Ray McCarey and written by Lee Loeb and Harold Buchman. The film stars Charlie Ruggles, Charlotte Greenwood, Lynn Bari, Cornel Wilde, Anthony Quinn and Alan Mowbray. The film was re ...
'' (1941). It was followed by a war movie ''
Manila Calling ''Manila Calling'' is a 1942 American black-and-white World War II propaganda war film drama from 20th Century Fox, produced by Sol M. Wurtzel, directed by Herbert I. Leeds, that stars Lloyd Nolan, Carole Landis, Cornel Wilde, James Gleason, ...
'' (1942). He was the romantic male lead in '' Life Begins at Eight-Thirty'' (1942), supporting
Monty Woolley Edgar Montilion "Monty" Woolley (August 17, 1888May 6, 1963) was an American film and theater actor.Obituary ''Variety'', May 8, 1963, page 223. At the age of 50, he achieved a measure of stardom for his role in the 1939 stage play ''The Man Wh ...
, and supported
Sonja Henie Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norway, Norwegian figure skating, figure skater and film star. She was a three-time List of Olympic medalists in figure skating, Olympic champion (Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics, ...
in '' Wintertime'' (1943).


''A Song to Remember'' and stardom

In 1945, Columbia Pictures began a search for someone to play the role of
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
in ''
A Song to Remember ''A Song to Remember'' is a 1945 American biographical film which tells a fictionalised life story of Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin. Directed by Charles Vidor and starring Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, and Cornel Wilde. Plot Fr ...
''. They eventually tested Wilde, and agreed to cast him in the role after some negotiation with Fox, who agreed to lend him to Columbia and one film a year for several years. Part of the deal involved Fox borrowing
Alexander Knox Alexander Knox (16 January 1907 – 25 April 1995) was a Canadian actor on stage, screen, and occasionally television. He was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his performance as Woodrow Wilson in the film '' Wilson'' (1944). ...
from Columbia to appear in ''Wilson'' (1944). ''A Song to Remember'' was a big hit, made Wilde a star and earned him a nomination for an
Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...
. Columbia promptly used him in two more films, both swashbucklers: as
Aladdin Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...
in '' A Thousand and One Nights'' with Evelyn Keyes and as the son of Robin Hood in '' The Bandit of Sherwood Forest'' (made 1945, released 1946). Back at Fox, he played the male lead in '' Leave Her to Heaven'' (1945), with
Gene Tierney Gene Eliza Tierney (November 19, 1920 – November 6, 1991) was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed for her great beauty, she became established as a leading lady. Tierney was best known for her portrayal of the title character in the ...
and Jeanne Crain, an enormous hit at the box office. So too when it was released was ''Bandit''. In 1946, Wilde was voted the 18th-most popular star in the United States, and in 1947 the 25th-. Fox announced him for ''Enchanted Voyage''. It ended up not being made; instead he was reunited with Crain in Fox's musical ''
Centennial Summer ''Centennial Summer'' is a 1946 musical film directed by Otto Preminger. Starring Jeanne Crain and Cornel Wilde, the film is based on a novel by Albert E. Idell. It was produced in response to the hugely successful 1944 MGM musical film ''Meet M ...
'' (1946).


Suspension

In January 1946, Wilde was suspended by Fox for refusing the male lead in '' Margie'' (1946). This suspension was soon lifted so Wilde could play the male lead in the studio's big budget version of '' Forever Amber'' (1947). Filming started, then was halted when the studio decided to replace
Peggy Cummins Peggy Cummins (born Augusta Margaret Diane Fuller; 18 December 1925 – 29 December 2017) was an Irish actress, born in Wales, who is best known for her performance in Joseph H. Lewis's ''Gun Crazy'' (1950), playing a trigger-happy ''femme fa ...
, the female star. In October 1946, Wilde refused to return to work unless he was paid more; his salary was $3,000 a week, with six years to run – he wanted $150,000 per film for two films per year. The parties came to an agreement and filming resumed. Wilde also appeared with
Maureen O'Hara Maureen O'Hara (; 17 August 1920 – 24 October 2015) was a native Irish and naturalized American actress and singer, who became successful in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s. She was a natural ...
in '' The Homestretch'' (1947). He was in a comedy at Columbia with Ginger Rogers, '' It Had to Be You'' (1947). At Fox he turned down a role in ''
That Lady in Ermine ''That Lady in Ermine'' is a 1948 American Technicolor musical film directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The screenplay by Samson Raphaelson is based on the 1919 operetta ''Die Frau im Hermelin'' by Rudolph Schanzer and Ernst Welisch. Although Lubitsc ...
'' (1948). Not wanting to go on suspension again he agreed to make '' The Walls of Jericho'' (1948), from the same director as ''Leave Her to Heaven'' but less popular. '' Road House'' (1948), for Fox, was a highly regarded noir and a decent-sized hit. He then left Fox, which he later regarded as a mistake.


Freelance

At Columbia, Wilde was in ''
Shockproof ''Shockproof'' is a 1949 American crime film noir directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Patricia Knight and Cornel Wilde. Wilde and Knight were husband and wife during filming. They divorced in 1951. Plot Griff Marat (Cornel Wilde), is a parole ...
'' (1949), another noir, with his then-wife Patricia Knight. They appeared together in ''Western Wind'', a play at the Cape Playhouse. Wilde made ''
Swiss Tour ''Swiss Tour'' (or ''Four Days Leave'') is a 1949 American-Swiss drama film directed by Leopold Lindtberg and starring Cornel Wilde, Josette Day and Simone Signoret. It marked the film debut of Liselotte Pulver who went on to be a major star of Ge ...
'', aka ''Four Days Leave'' (1949), an independent film in Switzerland. He returned to Fox for ''
Two Flags West ''Two Flags West'' is a 1950 Western drama set during the American Civil War, directed by Robert Wise and starring Joseph Cotten, Jeff Chandler, Linda Darnell, and Cornel Wilde. The opening credits contain the following statement: On December ...
'' (1950), then went to RKO for '' At Sword's Point'' (filmed in 1949, but not released until 1952), a swashbuckler with Maureen O'Hara. He played a trapeze artist in '' The Greatest Show on Earth'' (1952) for
Cecil B. de Mille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...
, an enormous hit, though Wilde was one of several stars in the movie. At Columbia, he was in '' California Conquest'' (1952), a Western for producer Sam Katzman. He went over to Warner Bros. for '' Operation Secret'' (1952), then was back at Fox for ''
Treasure of the Golden Condor ''Treasure of the Golden Condor'' is a 1953 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Delmer Daves, starring Cornel Wilde and Constance Smith, and released by Twentieth Century Fox. The film is a remake of the 1942 film '' Son of Fury: Th ...
'' (1952). He focused on adventure stories: ''
Saadia Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon ( ar, سعيد بن يوسف الفيومي ''Saʻīd bin Yūsuf al-Fayyūmi''; he, סַעֲדְיָה בֶּן יוֹסֵף אַלְפַיּוּמִי גָּאוֹן ''Saʿăḏyāh ben Yōsēf al-Fayyūmī Gāʾōn''; ...
'' (1953) for MGM, '' Star of India'' (1954) for United Artists. He had a part in the all-star executive drama ''
Woman's World ''Woman's World'' is an American supermarket weekly magazine with a circulation of 1.6 million readers. Printed on paper generally associated with tabloid publications and priced accordingly, it concentrates on short articles about subjects such ...
'' (1954) for Fox, then went back to action and adventure with '' Passion'' (1954) for RKO.


Producer and director

In the 1950s Wilde and his second wife, Jean Wallace, formed their own film production company, Theodora, named after Theodora Irvine. Their first movie was the film noir ''
The Big Combo ''The Big Combo'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Joseph H. Lewis, written by Philip Yordan and photographed by cinematographer John Alton, with music by David Raksin. The film stars Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte and Brian Donlev ...
'' (1955), a co production with Security Pictures that was released through Allied Artists. Wilde and Wallace played the leads. That year he also directed an episode of ''
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 ...
''. That same year, he appeared in an episode of ''
I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...
'' as himself and starred in '' The Scarlet Coat'' (1956) for MGM.


''Storm Fear''

Wilde produced and starred in another for Theodora with Wallace, ''
Storm Fear ''Storm Fear'' is a 1955 American film noir directed by Cornel Wilde, starring himself, Jean Wallace and Dan Duryea. It was Wilde's feature directorial debut. Plot After being badly wounded during a heist, bank robber Charlie Blake (Wilde) take ...
'' (1956) from a script by Horton Foote. This time Wilde also directed "to save money". Theodora announced Wilde would play
Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...
, but the film was never made. Other announced projects included ''Curly'' and ''Second Act Curtin''. Wilde was meant to appear as Joshua in de Mille's ''The Ten Commandments'' but was not in the final film – he turned down the role, saying it was too small and the pay was too little (
John Derek John Derek (born Derek Delevan Harris; August 12, 1926 – May 22, 1998) was an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer and photographer.Hot Blood'' (1956) with Jane Russell for director
Nicholas Ray Nicholas Ray (born Raymond Nicholas Kienzle Jr., August 7, 1911 – June 16, 1979) was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor best known for the 1955 film ''Rebel Without a Cause.'' He is appreciated for many narrative features pr ...
, and ''
Beyond Mombasa ''Beyond Mombasa'' is a 1956 British/American Technicolor adventure film starring Cornel Wilde and Donna Reed. It was directed by George Marshall, set in Kenya and filmed there and at a London studio. Plot Matt Campbell (Cornel Wilde) arrives i ...
'' (1956), shot in Kenya; both were released by Columbia. In 1957, he guest-starred in an episode of '' Father Knows Best'' as himself. Also in 1957, he played the role of the 13th century Persian poet
Omar Khayyám Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as Omar Khayyam ( fa, عمر خیّام), was a polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, an ...
in the film '' Omar Khayyam''.


''The Devil's Hairpin'' and ''Maracaibo''

He produced, directed and starred in two films for Theodora that were released through Paramount: ''
The Devil's Hairpin ''The Devil's Hairpin'' is a 1957 feature film about car racing, filmed in Technicolor and VistaVision, written and directed by Cornel Wilde, who also stars. Plot Nick Jargin retired from auto racing undefeated. He is continually goaded by Mike ...
'' (1957), a car-racing drama, and ''
Maracaibo ) , motto = "''Muy noble y leal''"(English: "Very noble and loyal") , anthem = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_alt = ...
'' (1958). Wilde called them "an acceptable A-B, meaning a picture with B budget but A pretensions". He had the lead in '' Edge of Eternity'' (1959) for director Don Siegel.


''Lancelot and Guinevere''

Wilde went to Italy to star in ''
Constantine and the Cross ''Constantine and the Cross'' (Italian: ''Costantino il grande'') is a 1961 historical drama film about the early career of the emperor Constantine, who first legalized and then adopted Christianity in the early 4th century. The fictionalised f ...
'' (1962). In Britain, he wrote, produced, directed and starred in ''
Lancelot and Guinevere ''Lancelot and Guinevere'' (known as ''Sword of Lancelot'' in the U.S.) is a British 1963 film starring Cornel Wilde, his real-life wife at the time, Jean Wallace, and Brian Aherne. This lesser-known version of the Camelot legend is a work shap ...
'' (1963).


''The Naked Prey''

Wilde produced, directed, and starred in '' The Naked Prey'' (1965), in which he played a man stripped naked and chased by hunters from an African tribe affronted by the behavior of other members of his safari party. The original script was largely based on a true historical incident about a trapper named John Colter being pursued by Blackfeet Indians in
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
. Lower shooting costs, tax breaks, and material and logistical assistance offered by
Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...
persuaded Wilde and the other producers to shoot the film on location in Rhodesia (now
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
). It is probably his most highly regarded film as director.


''Beach Red''

Wilde followed this with a war movie, ''
Beach Red ''Beach Red'' is a 1967 World War II film starring Cornel Wilde (who also directed) and Rip Torn. The film depicts a landing by the United States Marine Corps on an unnamed Japanese-held Pacific island. The film is based on Peter Bowman's 1945 no ...
'' (1967). He announced ''Namugongo'', another movie in Africa, about the White Fathers missionaries in the Kingdom of Buganda, but it was never made. He had a supporting role in '' The Comic'' (1969), directed by Carl Reiner.


''No Blade of Grass''

He wrote, produced, and directed the science fiction film ''
No Blade of Grass ''The Death of Grass'' (US title ''No Blade of Grass'') is a 1956 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel written by the English author Sam Youd under the pen name John Christopher. The plot concerns a virus that kills off grass species, inclu ...
'' (1970).


''Shark's Treasure''

He returned to film shortly thereafter and wrote, directed, and starred in the exploitation film '' Sharks' Treasure'', a 1975 film intended to capitalize on the "Shark Fever" popular in the mid-1970s in the wake of the success of Peter Benchley's ''
Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...
''. He acted in ''
The Norseman ''The Norseman'' is a 1978 American adventure film starring Lee Majors, directed, produced and written by Charles B. Pierce. Plot An 11th-century Viking prince sails to North America to find his father, who on a previous voyage had been captured ...
'' (1978) and ''
The Fifth Musketeer ''The Fifth Musketeer'' is a 1979 German-Austrian film adaptation of the last section of the 1847–1850 novel '' The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later'' by Alexandre Dumas, père, which is itself based on the French legend of the Man in t ...
'' (1979).


Television

Cornel Wilde played himself in the 1955 ''I Love Lucy'' episode "The Star Upstairs." He also appeared in the 1957 episode of Father Knows Best "An Evening to Remember". He appeared as an unethical surgeon in the 1971 '' Night Gallery'' episode "Deliveries in the Rear" and portrayed an anthropologist in the 1972 TV movie '' Gargoyles''.


Personal life

In 1937, he married the actress
Patricia Knight Patricia Knight (born Marjorie Heinzen; April 28, 1915 – October 26, 2004) was an American actress who appeared in a few movies in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Career In 1949, Knight and her husband, Cornel Wilde, acted at Cape Playhouse i ...
. She starred alongside him in ''
Shockproof ''Shockproof'' is a 1949 American crime film noir directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Patricia Knight and Cornel Wilde. Wilde and Knight were husband and wife during filming. They divorced in 1951. Plot Griff Marat (Cornel Wilde), is a parole ...
'' (1949). Their daughter, Wendy, was born on February 22, 1943. The family lived at Country House on Deep Canyon Road, Los Angeles. They divorced in 1951. Five days after his divorce, he married the actress
Jean Wallace Jean Wallace (born Jean Walasek or Wallasek; October 12, 1923 – February 14, 1990) was an American television and film actress. Early life Wallace was born in Chicago, Illinois to John T. Walaszek and Mary A. Walaszek (''née'' Sharkey). ...
. Wilde became stepfather to Wallace's two sons, Pascal and Thomas, from her marriage to Franchot Tone. Their son, Cornel Wallace Wilde, was born on December 19, 1967. Wilde senior and Wallace starred together in several films including ''
The Big Combo ''The Big Combo'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Joseph H. Lewis, written by Philip Yordan and photographed by cinematographer John Alton, with music by David Raksin. The film stars Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte and Brian Donlev ...
'' (1955), ''
Lancelot and Guinevere ''Lancelot and Guinevere'' (known as ''Sword of Lancelot'' in the U.S.) is a British 1963 film starring Cornel Wilde, his real-life wife at the time, Jean Wallace, and Brian Aherne. This lesser-known version of the Camelot legend is a work shap ...
'' (1963), and ''
Beach Red ''Beach Red'' is a 1967 World War II film starring Cornel Wilde (who also directed) and Rip Torn. The film depicts a landing by the United States Marine Corps on an unnamed Japanese-held Pacific island. The film is based on Peter Bowman's 1945 no ...
'' (1967). They divorced in 1981. A
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
, Wilde supported the campaign of Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election.''Motion Picture and Television Magazine'', November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers


Death

Wilde died of leukemia on October 16, 1989, three days after his 77th birthday. He is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, Los Angeles. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Cornel Wilde has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
at 1635 Vine Street.


Filmography


Film


Television


Radio appearances


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilde, Cornel 1912 births 1989 deaths 20th Century Studios contract players 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery California Democrats Columbia Lions fencers Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from leukemia Hungarian Jews Hungarian emigrants to the United States Jewish American male actors Male Western (genre) film actors Townsend Harris High School alumni