Leo Vincent Gordon (December 2, 1922 - December 26, 2000) was an American movie and television character actor as well as a screenplay writer. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic A character actor is an Actor who predominantly plays a particular type of role rather than leading ones See also Pre-production Screenwriting A screenplay or script is a written plan authored by a Screenwriter, for a Film or Television A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms He specialized in playing brutish bad guys during more than forty years in film and television.
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Early Life and Career
Gordon was born in Brooklyn New York on December 2, 1922. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Events in December Union Day of Romania (1 December World AIDS Day ( December 1) National Day of Year 2 ( II) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. His early life was difficult. He was raised by his father in dire poverty and grew up during the Great Depression. At the outset of World War II he joined the army but soon found he was not suited to life under military discipline. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including An army (from Latin Armata "act of arming" via Old French armée) in the broadest sense is the land-based Armed forces He left the army in 1943 after two years of service. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Following his honorable discharge, finding himself homeless and without profession or family, he eventually drifted to Southern California and into a life of crime. Following a conviction for armed robbery he was sentenced to four years at the infamous San Quentin State Prison near San Francisco where he earned a reputation among both the guards and his fellow prisoners as a troublemaker and someone not to fool with. Robbery is the Crime of seizing Property through Violence or Intimidation. San Quentin State Prison is located on 432 acres (17 km² on Point San Quentin in Marin County, California, United States, north of San Francisco The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city
Following his release, Gordon returned home to New York and found work in construction. Realizing this was not the career for him, he took advantage of the military benefits accorded him as part of the G.I. Bill and began taking acting lessons at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The GI Bill (officially titled Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 PL346 58 Statutes at Large 284 provided for college or vocational education for returning The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with campuses located at 120 Madison Avenue in New York City (in a landmark During his time at the academy, Gordon was enrolled with several future screen legends including Grace Kelly and Anne Bancroft. Grace Patricia Kelly (later Grace Princess of Monaco; November 12 1929 &ndash September 14 1982 was an Academy Award -winning American film and Anne Bancroft ( September 17 1931 – June 6 2005) was an American method Actress. For a time, Jason Robards, later a two-time Academy Award winner, was Gordon's instructor. Jason Nelson Robards Jr, ( July 26, 1922 &ndash December 26, 2000) was an American Actor. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. It was here that he also met his future wife, Lynn Cartwright, who would have a sporadic but lengthly career as a character actor, mainly in television. Lynn Cartwright ( February 27 1927 – January 2 2004) was an American character actress probably best known for her performance A character actor is an Actor who predominantly plays a particular type of role rather than leading ones They were married in 1950 and by most accounts enjoyed a long and happy marriage until his death a half century later. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He and Lynn had one child, a daughter they named Tara.
Career in Film and Television
Gordon started his career on the stage and worked with such luminaries as Edward G. Robinson and Tyrone Power. Edward Goldenberg Robinson Sr (born Emanuel Goldenberg; Yiddish: עמנואל גאלדנבערג December 12 1893 &ndash January Tyrone Edmund Power Jr (May 5 1914 – November 15 1958 usually credited simply as Tyrone Power and known sometimes as " Ty Power " was an He was soon discovered by a Hollywood agent in a Los Angeles production of "Darkness at Noon. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West " Over the course of his career, he would appear in more than 170 film and television productions from the early 1950's to the mid 1990's. The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999
Gordon was often cast to make the most of his large size, intense features, menacing voice, and icy stare. One of his earliest films was Riot in Cell Block 11, which was filmed at San Quentin where Gordon had served time. Riot in Cell Block 11 is a 1954 drama film starring Neville Brand and Leo Gordon. He was well known to the guards there, who were wary of him since they remembered him vividly as one of their toughest inmates. Throughout the course of the entire shooting schedule at the prison, Gordon was not permitted to enter or leave with the other cast members; he was only allowed to enter and exit by himself and was thoroughly searched each time. The film's director, Don Siegel, was widely quoted as saying Gordon was the "scariest man I ever met. Donald Siegel ( October 26, 1912 - April 20, 1991) was an influential American Film director and producer "
Other notable roles included playing a highly charged Dillinger in Siegel's Baby Face Nelson, opposite Mickey Rooney as the crazed protagonist. Baby Face Nelson is a 1957 film directed by Don Siegel, starring Mickey Rooney as Baby Face Nelson, and featuring Leo Gordon as Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr; September 23, 1920) is an American Film Actor and Entertainer whose Gordon may be most noted for his recurring character "Big Mike McComb" on the Maverick television series from 1957 to 1960, working alongside James Garner and Jack Kelly, including an appearance in the famous "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres" episode. This site serves as an adjunct due to article space constraints to Maverick, a page about the 1957 Western television series created by Roy Huggins Maverick is a Comedy - western television series created by Roy Huggins that ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8 James Garner (born April 7 1928 is an American Film and Emmy -award winning Television Actor. Jack Kelly (born in Astoria Queens, New York, September 16, 1927 &mdash died November 7, 1992, in Huntington Shady Deal at Sunny Acres, starring James Garner and Jack Kelly, remains the most famous and widely discussed episode of the Western Comedy Garner later recalled in his videotaped interview for the Archive of American Television that Gordon purposely punched him for real in one of their first scenes together and that Garner hit him back when filming the next scene. The Archive of American Television is a division of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation that films interviews with notable people from all aspects of the
One of his best remembered television appearances was a spoof of High Noon, with Gordon playing an ex-convict who seemingly wants revenge against Andy Taylor in the episode "High Noon in Mayberry" on The Andy Griffith Show. High Noon is a 1952 Western film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly. Andrew Taylor or Andy Taylor is the name of In sport: Andrew Taylor (footballer born 1986 (1986- English football player currently with The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3 1960 and April 1 Perhaps Gordon's single most memorable film scene occurred in McLintock! (1963), during which John Wayne knocks him down a long mudslide after uttering the famous line "Somebody oughta belt you but I won't! I won't! The hell I won't. McLintock! is a 1963 Comedy Western starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, and loosely based on Shakespeare 's John Wayne ( May 26, 1907 &ndash June 11, 1979) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning American "
Capable of playing more than villain roles, Gordon effectively portrayed sympathetic parts when called upon to do so. Most memorable among these were his performances in the western Black Patch (1957), a film which he wrote, and in Roger Corman's civil rights drama The Intruder (1962), opposite a young William Shatner. Black Patch is a 1957 Western movie directed by Allen H Miner and written by Leo Gordon, who also plays a supporting role The Intruder is a 1962 American Film directed by Roger Corman, after a novel by Charles Beaumont, starring William William Alan Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian double Emmy - Golden Globe - and Saturn Award -winning In each of these roles, particularly the latter, he turned in first-rate performances.
Career as a Screenwriter
Gordon also wrote scripts for television episodes and movies, sometimes writing himself a good role. Frequently billed as "Leo V. Gordon," he wrote dozens of scripts that would later became movies or television episodes. His first successful film script "The Cry Baby Killer" featured a young and unknown Jack Nicholson. John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson (born April 22 1937) is an American Actor, internationally renowned for his often dark-themed portrayals Among the most notable feature films he penned were You Can't Win 'Em All (1970) starring Tony Curtis and Charles Bronson and Tobruk (1967) starring Rock Hudson and George Peppard and directed by Arthur Hiller. You Can't Win 'Em All is a 1970 war film set in 1922 Turkey starring Tony Curtis and Charles Bronson. Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz June 3, 1925) is an American film actor Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky, Lithuanian name Karolis Bučinskis, November 3, 1921 – August 30, Tobruk is a 1967 war film set in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the North African Campaign of Rock Hudson (November 17 1925 &ndash October 2 1985 was an American Film and Television Actor, recognised as a romantic leading man during George Peppard Jr (October 1 1928 – May 8 1994) was an American Film and Television Actor. Arthur Hiller, OC (born November 22, 1923 in Edmonton Alberta) is an Oscar -nominated Canadian film director In addition to film and television scripts, Gordon also penned several novels, including the historical Western "Powerkeg. "
During the 1950's and 1960's Gordon was one of those character actors who seemed to make an appearance on virtually every Western television show from Bonanza to Cheyenne to Rin Tin Tin. Bonanza is an American television series that ran on NBC from September 12 1959 to January 16 1973 Cheyenne are a Native American nation of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taa'e (more commonly Rin Tin Tin (often billed as Rin-Tin-Tin in the 1920s and 1930s was the name given to several related German Shepherd dogs seen in films and television dramas As a screen writer, he wrote nearly fifty scripts apiece for Bonanza and Cheyenne. In the 1970's he would frequently appear on the popular police drama Adam-12, another show he often scripted. Adam-12 is a Television program which ran from September 21, 1968 until August 30, 1975 on NBC for 175 Gordon's final role was as Wyatt Earp in a 1994 episode of the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp ( March 19, 1848 &ndash January 13, 1929) was an American farmer Teamster, sometime buffalo The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, also known as The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, is an Emmy Award -winning American He also appeared in Maverick that same year with Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, and James Garner. Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson, AO (born January 3 1956 Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19 1962 is a two-time Academy Award, BAFTA, and Golden Globe -award winning American James Garner (born April 7 1928 is an American Film and Emmy -award winning Television Actor.
Later Life and Persona
In contrast to his screen persona, Gordon was well-known as a quite, thoughtful and intelligent man who generally avoided the Hollywood spotlight. He was widely regarded by his fellow actors and his directors as a well-prepared professional. In 1997, he received the "Golden Boot Award" for his many years of work in Westerns. In accepting the award, the actor simply flashed a smile for his fans and remarked "Thank God for type casting!"
After struggling with a brief illness, Gordon died in his sleep at age 78 at his Los Angeles home from cardiac failure. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West He and his wife's ashes are interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. Hollywood Forever Cemetery is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.
External links
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