Michael Landon
Born	Eugene Maurice Orowitz October 31, 1936 (1936-10-31) Forest Hills, New York U.S.
Died	July 1, 1991 (aged 54) Malibu, California
Other name(s)	Michael Landon
Years active	1956-1991
Spouse(s)	Cindy Landon (1983-1991) (widowed) (2 children) Lynn Noe (1963-1982) (divorced) (4 children) Dodie Frasier (1956-1962) (divorced) (3 children)

Michael Landon (October 31, 1936 - July 1, 1991) was an American actor, writer, director, and producer, who starred in three popular NBC TV series that spanned three decades. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the central part of the New York City borough of Queens. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Malibu is an incorporated city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A television director directs the activities involved in making a Television Episode. The primary role of a television producer is to control all aspects of production ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U He is widely known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in Bonanza (1959-1973), Charles Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983), and Jonathan Smith in Highway To Heaven (1984-1989). Little Joe Cartwright was the youngest Cartwright on the 1960s television series Bonanza. Bonanza is an American television series that ran on NBC from September 12 1959 to January 16 1973 The year 1959 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1959. The year 1973 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1973. Charles Phillip Ingalls ( January 10, 1836, Cuba New York - June 8, 1902, De Smet South Dakota) was the father of Little House on the Prairie is an American one-hour dramatic Television program that aired on the NBC network from September 11 1974 to The year 1974 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1974. The year 1983 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1983. Highway to Heaven is an American television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989. The year 1984 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1984. The year 1989 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1989. Although his Bonanza co-star David Canary and youngest daughter Jennifer Landon have both won Emmys, Landon was never given the honor. David Hoyt Canary (born August 25, 1938 in Elwood Indiana) is an Emmy Award -winning American actor who starred in both Soap Jennifer Rachel Landon (born on August 29 1983 in Malibu California) is a three-time Emmy -winning American Actress Nonetheless, few prime time actors have been so prolific. With twenty eight years of full-hour episodic acting, he surpasses the TV mileage of both James Arness and Lucille Ball. James Arness (born as James Aurness on May 26 1923, Minneapolis Minnesota) is an Emmy -nominated American Actor Lucille Ball (August 6 1911 – April 26 1989 was an American comedienne, film television stage and radio Actress, model, film Landon produced, wrote, and directed many of his series' episodes, including his only short-lived production, Father Murphy, which starred his friend and "Little House" co-star Merlin Olsen. This article is about the television drama For the traditional Irish song see Come All You Warriors. Merlin Jay Olsen (born September 15, 1940) is a former American football player in the National Football League and an Actor. He also hosted the annual long-running coverage of the "Tournament of Roses Parade" with Kelly Lange, also on NBC. The Tournament of Roses Parade was established and first held on January 1 1890 in Pasadena California, eight miles (13 km northeast of Downtown Los Angeles Kelly Lange (born 1937 is an American journalist reporter talk show host former Tournament of Roses parade co-host longtime southern California local news anchor and currently a The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Early career 1.3 Bonanza 1.4 Little House On The Prairie 1.5 Highway to Heaven 1.6 Personal life 1.7 Hobbies 1.8 Remembrances 2 References 3 External links

Biography

Early life

Landon was born Eugene Maurice Orowitz in Forest Hills, a neighborhood of Queens, New York. Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the central part of the New York City borough of Queens. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Landon's father, Eli Maurice Orowitz, was a Jewish American actor and movie theater manager, and his mother, Kathleen Ignatius O’Neill, was an Irish American Roman Catholic dancer and comedienne. American Jews, or Jewish Americans Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. Eugene was the Orowitz' second child; his sister, Evelyn, was born three years earlier. In 1941, when Orowitz was 4 years old, he and his family moved to Collingswood, New Jersey, where he later attended Collingswood High School. Collingswood is a Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. Collingswood High School is a four-year comprehensive Public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Collingswood in Camden County ^[1]

Life at home was anything but pleasant for young Landon. His parents would often speak to each other through him, saying such things as "Tell your father that dinner is ready. " and "Tell your mother that I'll be there in a minute. "

In addition to his parents’ refusal to speak to one another, Landon bore a terrible secret; he was a bed wetter. His mother would hang his soiled bedsheets in an effort to humiliate her son. Landon would later draw on this experience for the made-for-television movie The Loneliest Runner.

Michael also had to bear the burden of living with his mother's constant suicidal tendencies. He would often find his mother sticking her head in the oven. He once tried to prevent his mother from drowning herself in the ocean during one of the family's rare vacations. He pulled at her and hit her as hard as he could to convince her to come back. He finally knocked her down and dragged her back to the beach. Forty-five minutes after this suicide attempt, Landon's mother and sister were playing on the beach as if nothing had happened. Landon later threw up.

Early career

After changing his name to Landon (selected from a phone book) he soon became one of the more popular and enduring young actors of the late 1950s, making his first appearance in The Mystery of Casper Hauser. This part led to other roles such as: I Was A Teenage Werewolf, Crossroads, The Rifleman, Fight For The Title, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Wire Service, Telephone Time, General Electric Theater, The Court of Last Resort, The Tales of Wells Fargo, Johnny Risk, and The Legend of Tom Dooley, among many others. I Was a Teenage Werewolf is a 1957 Horror film starring Michael Landon as a troubled teenager and Whit Bissell as the primary adult The Rifleman was a Western Television program that ran from 1958–1963 on ABC, a production of Four Star The Adventures of Jim Bowie is a western television series that aired on ABC from 1956 to 1958. Wire Service was a Dramatic program aired by ABC as part of its 1956-57 season lineup General Electric Theater is an American Anthology series that was broadcast on CBS radio and television.

Bonanza

In 1959, at age 22, Landon had his first starring TV role as Little Joe Cartwright on Bonanza, one of the first TV series to be broadcast in color. Also starring on the show were Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, and Dan Blocker. Lyon Chaim Green OC, LLD ( February 12, 1915 &ndash September 11, 1987) was a Canadian Actor Pernell Elvin Roberts (born May 18, 1928 in Waycross Georgia) is an American Television Actor and Singer. Dan Blocker ( December 10 1928 &ndash May 13 1972) was an American Actor best remembered for his role as Eric 'Hoss' Landon's character was the green, cocky youngest Cartwright brother. The character evolved into a "ladies' man". During Bonanza's sixth season (1964-1965), the show topped the Nielsen Ratings and remained number one for three years. Nielsen Ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the Audience size and composition of television Landon, a southpaw, often performed his own stunts. Receiving more fan mail than any other cast member, the young actor successfully coaxed the powers-that-be to allow him to write and direct some episodes. It was a smart move, as he spent the next twenty plus years as one of television's most successful talents. In 1962, he wrote his first script. In 1968, he directed his first episode. In 1993, TV Guide listed Little Joe's September 1972 wedding episode, as one of TV's most memorable specials. TV Guide is the name of a North American weekly magazine about television programming Landon's script fondly recalled brother Hoss, who was initially the story's groom, before Dan Blocker's untimely death. During its final season, Bonanza declined in the ratings and NBC cancelled it in October 1972. Its last episode aired on January 16, 1973. Along with Lorne Greene, Landon appeared in all 14 seasons of the western. Michael Landon was loyal to many of his Bonanza associates including producer Kent McCray, director William F. Claxton, and composer David Rose, who remained with him throughout Bonanza as well as Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven.

In 1962 Landon released a Bonanza related single, Gimme A Little Kiss/Be Patient With Me, on Columbia Records. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company

Little House On The Prairie

The year after Bonanza was canceled, Landon went on to star in the pilot of what would become another successful television series, Little House on the Prairie, again for NBC. The show was taken from a 1935 book that was published by Laura Ingalls Wilder, whose character in the show was played by then-unknown actress, Melissa Gilbert. The year 1935 in literature involved some significant events and new books Laura Ingalls Wilder ( February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American Author, who wrote the Little House series Melissa Ellen Gilbert (born May 8, 1964) is an American actress, Writer and producer, primarily in Movies and In addition to Gilbert, two other unknown actresses also starred on the show: Melissa Sue Anderson who appeared as Mary Ingalls, the oldest daughter in the Ingalls family, and Karen Grassle, as Charles's wife, Caroline Ingalls. Melissa Sue Anderson (born September 26, 1962) is an American Daytime Emmy - winning actress best known for playing Mary Ingalls on Karen Grassle (born February 25 1942 in Berkeley California) is an American Actress, her best known role was as Caroline Ingalls, the mother Landon served as executive producer, writer, and director of Little House, making him a driving force in Hollywood. The show, a success in its first season, emphasized family values and relationships. Little House became Landon's second-longest running series. Above all, the entire cast shared a close bond with Landon, especially Gilbert.

As Little House on the Prairie executive producer, Landon hired three sets of real-life siblings to appear on the show: Melissa and Jonathan Gilbert; Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush; and Matthew and Patrick Laborteaux. Patrick appeared on Little House from 1977 to 1981 as Jonathan Garvey's son, Andy. Years later, he appeared as Bud Roberts in the hit series JAG, which ran for 10 years. JAG (the American Military Acronym for Judge Advocate General) is an American adventure / Legal drama Television

Landon's real-life son, Michael, appeared as Jim in the episode The Election and his real-life daughter, Leslie, also appeared in that episode as well as playing a plague victim in The Plague, an episode from the show's premiere season. Leslie would later appear as a dishwasher who befriends Laura in the season eight episode A Wiser Heart, and was cast as school teacher Etta Plum during the show's final season.

Tremendously popular with viewers, the show was nominated for several Emmy and Golden Globe awards. After eight seasons, Little House was retooled by NBC in 1982 as Little House: A New Beginning, which focused on the Wilder family and the Walnut Grove community. The year 1982 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1982. Little House on the Prairie is an American one-hour dramatic Television program that aired on the NBC network from September 11 1974 to Though Landon remained the shows executive producer, director and writer, A New Beginning did not feature Charles and Caroline Ingalls. The New Beginning was actually the final chapter of Little House, as the series ended the show's run in 1983. The following year, three made-for-television movies followed, which served as the unofficial tenth season of Little House.

Gilbert said that her mentor Landon became a second father to her when she lost her own dad at age 11. When not working on the Little House set, Gilbert spent many weekends at Landon's home. In 1981, when Gilbert was 17, she briefly dated Michael Landon Jr. , who took her to her prom. After the series ended, Gilbert stayed connected with Michael Sr. for the next 8 years, until his death. After Landon's passing, she named her son, Michael Garrett Boxleitner (1995), after him.

Landon teamed up with Oscar-winner Paul Newman, and First Lady Nancy Reagan, for a drug abuse foundation called, Just Say No. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Paul Leonard Newman (January 26 1925 &ndash September 26 2008 was an Academy Award First Lady is a term used in the United States to describe the wife of an elected male Head of state. Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins on July 6 1921 is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and served as an influential Drug abuse has a wide range of definitions related to taking a Psychoactive drug or Performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect " Just Say No " was a Television Advertising campaign part of the US " War on Drugs " and prevalent during the 1980s and

Highway to Heaven

After producing both the Father Murphy TV series and a movie, Sam's Son, Landon went on to star in another successful television series. Sam's Son is a 1984 coming of age film written and directed by Michael Landon. On Highway to Heaven, he played Jonathan Smith, a probationary angel whose job was to help people in order to earn his angel wings. His co-star on the show was Victor French (who previously co-starred on Landon's Little House on the Prairie) as ex-cop, Mark Gordon. Victor French ( December 4, 1934 - June 15, 1989) was an American actor and director NBC didn't feel the show would last very long, but it too proved to be another hit for Landon. This was also the first religious fantasy drama series, starting a specialized sub genre which included later shows such as Touched By An Angel. Touched by an Angel is an American Drama Television series that chronicles the missions of a group of Angels sent by God On Highway, Landon served as executive producer, writer and director of the show. Though Landon liked directing and writing more than acting, he continued to act because actors were paid more, and his top-billing enticed network executives to buy his series. . Highway to Heaven was the only show throughout his long career in television that he owned outright.

By 1985, prior to hiring his son Michael Landon Jr. as a member of his camera crew, he also brought real-life cancer patients and disabled people to the set. The year 1985 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1985. Michael Landon Jr (born on June 20 1964 in Encino California) is an American Actor, director, Writer and Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled His decision to work with disabled people led him to hire a couple of adults with disabilities to write episodes for Highway to Heaven.

By its fifth season, Highway took a nose dive in the ratings, and in June 1989, co-star Victor French died of lung cancer. Victor French ( December 4, 1934 - June 15, 1989) was an American actor and director French's death contributed to the shows subsequent cancellation. Landon invited his youngest daughter Jennifer Landon to take part in the final episode.

Personal life

Landon was married three times.

• Dodie Levy-Fraser (married in March 1956. Landon filed for divorce in March 1962 and the divorce became final in December 1962)

• Mark Fraser Landon, born October 1, 1948 (adopted)
• Josh Fraser Landon, born February 11, 1960 (adopted)

• Marjorie Lynn Noe (married on January 12, 1963/divorced 1982)

• Leslie Ann Landon, born October 11, 1962 (Has a Ph. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 475 - Basiliscus becomes Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. D. in psychology, and is now a therapist, specializing in children dealing with loss. She is married, and has four children, Rachel Lynn (b. 25 October 1993), Justin Michael (b. 31 May 1995), Catherine (b. 2000), and Joseph (b. 2 February 2002).
• Michael Landon Jr., born June 20, 1964
• Shawna Leigh Landon, born December 4, 1971
• Christopher Beau Landon, born February 27, 1975

    (Landon at one point attempted to adopt Lynn's daughter, Cheryl Ann Pontrelli, from her first marriage, but the child's birth father wouldn't allow it. Michael Landon Jr (born on June 20 1964 in Encino California) is an American Actor, director, Writer and Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Christopher Beau Landon (born 27 February, 1975 in Los Angeles, California) is an American Screenwriter best known Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. )

• Cindy Clerico (married on February 14, 1983)

• Jennifer Rachel Landon, born August 29, 1983. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Jennifer Rachel Landon (born on August 29 1983 in Malibu California) is a three-time Emmy -winning American Actress Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) (Jennifer is now an Emmy-winning actress starring as Gwen Norbeck Munson on the soap opera, As the World Turns. The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York -based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles -based Academy Character history Gwen first appeared on screen as a waitress at Al's a popular restaurant in town A soap opera is an ongoing episodic work of Fiction, usually broadcast on Television or Radio. As the World Turns ( ATWT) is an American television Soap opera that airs each weekday on CBS. )
• Sean Matthew Landon, born August 5, 1986

His second marriage, to Marjorie Lynn Noe, ended in a bitter and public divorce in 1982. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Landon had left Noe in 1980 when he met and became involved with Cindy Clerico. The final divorce decree did not address the division of assets, and so there was a separate battle over the division of the couple's community property that took two years to settle and ended up costing Landon more than US$26 million in 1982. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been She helped form a vocal Hollywood ex-wives association that included the former wives of Andy Griffith, Ken Berry, Don Knotts and Robert Goulet, entitled LADIES (Life After Divorce Is Eventually Sane). Andy Samuel Griffith (born June 1, 1926) is an American Actor, producer, Writer, director Kenneth Ronald "Ken" Berry (born November 3, 1933 in Moline Illinois) is an American Dancer, and comedic Actor Jesse Donald Knotts ( July 21, 1924 &ndash February 24, 2006) was an American comedic Actor best known Robert Gerard Goulet ( November 26 1933 – October 30 2007) was a Canadian Grammy - and Tony Award - winning Defending himself in interviews, Landon replied, "Nobody's perfect. Not Charles Ingalls. Not Michael Landon. ". Many fans felt betrayed by Landon, who had always played morally upstanding characters on television. Kodak Film suddenly dropped him as their official spokesperson without fanfare.

In February 1959, Landon's father died of a heart attack. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply In 1973, his stepdaughter, Cheryl was involved in a serious car accident. She was hospitalized in a coma. Three years later in 1976, Cheryl suffered bouts of depression and became addicted to painkillers. Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression In March 1981, Landon's mother, Peggy O'Neill, died.

In the 1983, Landon co-produced an NBC "true story" television movie, Love Is Forever^[2], starring himself and Laura Gemser, which tells of Australian photojournalist John Everingham's successful attempt to scuba dive under the Mekong to rescue his lover from communist ruled Laos in 1977. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Laura Gemser (born October 5 1950, Java, Indonesia) is an Actress of Indo descent John Everingham is an Australian journalist residing in Thailand Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. The Mekong is one of the world’s major Rivers It is the 11th-longest river in the world and 7th longest in Asia Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma

After the cancellation of Highway to Heaven and before his eventual move to CBS Landon wrote the teleplay and directed Where Pigeons Go to Die. Where Pigeons Go to Die is a 1990 made for television film written and directed by Michael Landon. Based on a novel of the same name, the film starred Art Carney and was nominated for two Emmy awards.

Landon's shows were all on NBC, but after ending Highway, he moved to CBS and in 1991 starred in a two hour pilot called Us. The year 1991 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1991. Us is a 1991 Television movie broadcast on CBS, produced written and directed by Michael Landon. This was meant to be another series for Landon, but on April 5, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor of the Pancreas. Each year about 37680 individuals in the United States are diagnosed with this condition and 34290 Landon's heavy cigarette smoking—four packs a day—contributed to this cancer. On April 8, 1991, he appeared at a press conference to speak of his illness promising to do the best that he could to fight the cancer.

On May 9, 1991, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to speak of his illness and to publicly condemn the tabloid press for their sensational headlines and inaccurate stories, including the claim that he and his wife were trying to have another child. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was a late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the ''Tonight Show'' franchise from 1962 In June 1991, Landon made the cover of Life Magazine, after giving the magazine an exclusive rare private interview in May about his life, his family, and his struggle to live. Less than 2 months later, on July 1, 1991, Landon died in Malibu, California, at the age of 54. Malibu is an incorporated city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.

A community building at Malibu's Bluffs Park was named The Michael Landon Center following the actor's death.

He was interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California. The Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 6001 W Centinela Avenue in Culver City California, USA. Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County California. Cindy and Michael's family were joined by 500 other mourners including former President Ronald Reagan (with whom Michael had once chopped wood) and his wife Nancy. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Merlin Olsen, Ernest Borgnine, Brian Keith and many of Michael's co-stars, such as Melissa Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson, were present. Ermes Effron Borgnino (born January 24 1917 better known by his stage name Ernest Borgnine, is an American Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Brian Keith (November 14 1921 – June 24 1997 was an American stage film and television actor Although Michael's first wife, Dodie, accompanied her two sons to the funeral, his second wife, Lynn, was absent. When asked why she didn't attend the funeral of the man she'd once shared nearly twenty years together, she would reply that she grieved Michael's death years before, when they were divorced.

After his death, Landon was again on the covers of weekly tabloids when his stepdaughter, Cheryl, alleged that he had made some last-minute changes to his will that gave a larger portion of his estate to his wife, Cindy, and their two children. Michael Landon has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 N. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that Vine Street. In 1998, he was inducted posthumously into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The Hall of Great Western Performers is a Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City Oklahoma, U The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the US state of Oklahoma.

Hobbies

Landon had a lot of hobbies over the years: fishing, karate, spending family time, painting, creating, building mosaic coffee tables, playing bridge, golfing, swimming, weightlifting, cooking, playing tennis, water skiing and hang gliding. According to the A&E Biography, he also spent a lot of time with disabled children and adults. Biography is a Documentary television series. Originally produced by CBS in 1962 and hosted by Mike Wallace, the A&E Network On an episode of Highway, Landon's character took them to the Special Olympics, including a special needs man, who felt he couldn't do anything, when he can fix things to make them right. Special Olympics is an international organization created to help people with Intellectual disabilities develop self-confidence social skills and a sense of personal accomplishment

Remembrances

Following Landon's death, his son, Michael Jr. , produced a memorial special, Michael Landon: Memories with Laughter and Love, featuring the actor's friends and co-stars. Bonanza co-star David Canary said that one word that described Landon was "fearless" in his dealings with network brass. TV daughter Melissa Gilbert said that the actor made her feel "incredibly safe" and that he was "paternal. " One of Landon's trademarks was his signature "cascading chuckle," as the actor loved practical jokes. Often cited was his bizarre sense of humor, which included having toads leap from his mouth and dressing as a superhero to visit a pizza parlor. Replaying a 1988 "Tonight Show" episode, Johnny Carson related how the actor took him to a restaurant after Carson accidentally ran over a cat. Landon had a fake menu made that had variations of the word cat woven into many of the courses.

References

External links

• Michael Landon at the Internet Movie Database
• Michael Landon at Find A Grave
• Michael Landon Remembrance Project Site
• Michael Landon at TV.com

Find A Grave is a Website allowing its users to access maintain and expand an online Database of Burial records TVcom is a website owned by CNET Networks. The service was launched on June 1 2005 and replaced the popular TV Tome website

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