Born: November 4, 1913
Died: October 19, 1978
Aged: 64 years-suicide
Real Name: Byron Elsworth Barr
Married: 5 Times-Elizabeth Montgomery
Affairs: Bette Davis, stripper Sherry Britton, Elaine Stritch and many others
Played the affable, unassuming guy but in real life, he carried dark insecurities that eventually took their toll. He was the youngest of 3 children who always wanted his father's approval but his father favoured his older brother. He also seemed to often have affairs with older women and needed their care due to his underlying insecurities. He showed a passion for acting in high school and won a scholarship to the Pasadena Playhouse. He started getting small roles under his original name but when he made a film with Barbara Stanwyck called "The Gay Sisters" he changed his name to the character he played in that film. He steadily rose in the ranks but was bothered that he was never given the lead and was destroyed when he received no offers to star in his own picture after his Oscar win. When his second wife died from cancer in 1952, he went into a deep depression and began to drink heavily. Against her father's wishes, Elizabeth Montgomery married the much older Young but he was abusive and drank so the marriage failed. He continued to have affairs and drink more and more and finally started taking LSD and other drugs. He was hired to play the Character, The Wacko Kid" that Gene Wilder ended up playing in "Blazing Saddles" but, because he was suffering delirium tremors from alcohol abuse, he was fired. He married for the 5th time but it was an unhappy marriage as they often fought. On the eve of October 18th, 1978 he called a friend in California asking that she come to New York and bring him back with her to California. Either not taking him too seriously or thinking the tough love approach would be best, she declined. The next day, he took his gun, shot his wife in the head( married only 3 weeks) and then he turned the gun on himself. His Oscar was found between them. Despite friends trying to help him in the past get help for his drinking and other problems, he always refused.
Oscar Nominations: "Come Fill The Cup", "Teacher's Pet"
Oscar Win: "They Shoot Horses Don't They"
Films: "Only the Valiant", "Desk Set", "The Tunnel of Love", :That Touch of Mink", "Strange bedfellows", "Lovers and Other Strangers", "The Hindenburg", "Game of Death"
The films in bold are the ones to try to see first:)
I remember him and have seen most of those pictures. Always enjoyed his comedic timing. Knew about the drinking, but I don't remember the suicide. Then again I have forgotten a lot of things that my mind didn't need to store.
ReplyDelete@msdeniseh553
Life After Retirement - My Russian Adventure
He was great in his niche but he always wanted more. I remember when they found him and I was socked even though I was only 14
DeleteWhat a bunch of missed big parts he who he could have played... sad that he didn't have the resources to fix his life...
ReplyDeleteJeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2015]
There's no earthly way of knowing.
Which direction we are going!
HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
Come Visit: You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?
he could have played so much and even won the Oscar but could never see what he had
DeleteI had no idea how tragic his life was until after I saw his Oscar winning turn and was informed about how similar the character was to his real life. It's a shame that people have to suffer like this. Life shouldn't be this hard...but unfortunately it is sometimes.
ReplyDeleteYou got that right! He really could dive into that role from They Shoot Horses don't they...sad title when referencing him
DeleteI don't pretend to understand the demons that would compel someone to take his life. It surely is a tragedy, especially since he took someone along for the ride with him.
ReplyDeleteYup that is the sad fact that many suicidal people can become homicidal
DeleteI don't recall him. Suicide deaths make me so sad. His life sure was a tragic one. :(
ReplyDeleteIt was and yet he played such great comedic relief
DeleteOh my word. Rather than feeling badly for him I feel terrible empathy for his wives, particularly #5. Ugh. Domestic violence to its highest degree.
ReplyDeleteYes you are so right. Elizabeth Montgomery was so young when she married him and found out that he was not a happy man and took it out on the wives. I think he was always looking for some mommy
DeleteHe sure had his demons, but taking another's life too, anyone who wants to take their own, power to them, but leave others out of it.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree. They were only married 3 weeks too so she didn't deserve this
DeleteI remember Gig Young but not sure if I saw his movies. Must have done somewhere along the way. What a tragic life he led.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking you may have seen a Doris Day film he was in. He always played such a happy go lucky guy in many films
DeleteHe was a sad, sad man. It didn't help that he kept playing the character that lost the girl. I remember him in Desk Set in which he lost Katherine Hepburn to Spencer Tracey. I thought his character seemed a combination of an eager cad. I wonder now how much of that was him.
ReplyDeleteI think he had a part of that in him. I think the ladies went to him because he was fun but also someone that needed comforting. The sad part is the women had no idea what they were getting into-there are many like that and men also
DeleteLOTS of affairs for this guy. Not hard to see why the ladies liked him.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the A to Z Challenge!
A to Z Co-Host S. L. Hennessy
http://pensuasion.blogspot.com/
Yup and I think he was always needing attention. I think he had an oedipus complex which I have read in other books also
DeleteHe needed some serious help. Shame he had to take his wife with him.
ReplyDeletehe did and wouldn't take it when offered. Feel bad for the family of his wife's
DeleteHandkerchiefs out again today! Are you going to send us off on a happy note tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteAnabel's Travel Blog
Adventures of a retired librarian
Yup this one is a doozy. I knew you would probably just think "Not again!" :) I think tomorrow will be good even if she is dead
DeleteHe's a very good looking man. I've heard of a few of his films, but once again, I've not seen any of them.
ReplyDeleteYour posts are making me want to look into watching some old films!
Cait @ Click's Clan
Oh I hope you do check out some old but great films:)
DeleteI've never heard of him before. It's a sad story but I admit it's difficult to feel much sympathy for him considering he murdered his wife and apparently was violent towards the others. It's interesting that some who find so much success are actually such pitiful people.
ReplyDeleteYes -so true and he had so much going in his life but he let the dark side take over
DeleteI recognize his face, but not his name. What a sad story, one too often heard... I can't believe he took his last wife with him! EM sure was lucky to get out when she did! Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com
ReplyDeleteYes she was. The sad thing is people who are suicidal can become homicidal which is interesting but true
DeleteYou never can tell can you? At worst drinking ruining his career and marriages but murdering the wife took it to the extreme.
ReplyDeleteYup it did and I remember when that happened and was shocked because I always thought he was a happy go lucky type
DeleteThat's terrible that he killed his wife as well as himself! Wow!
ReplyDeleteYup it is and one wishes he would have just left and gone to California on his own
DeleteI never knew his backstory. I never knew he was married to Elizabeth Montgomery. I guess I was too young to hear of his death. I only knew him from the movies. It's like your theme this month wasn't just stars, but stars with tragic stories.
ReplyDeleteHe was married to her when she was quite young. I never even thought of the tragic fates of the ones I picked. I think there are many who have sad lives actually. Even the wonderful guys like James Stewart lost a son in Vietnam
DeleteSuch a sad story. I've only seen one of his films but it's a family favorite: 1948's Three Musketeers.
ReplyDeleteOh yes! I forgot about that film-that is a fun one. I loved his in Teacher's Pet
DeleteI think a lot of talented people are troubled people. The Brad Pitts and Angeline Jolie's of the entertainment industry are few and far between.
ReplyDeleteYou are right and I think Angelina Jolie struggles behind closed doors
DeleteI always thought he had the strangest name. I was researching Andy Gibb for my post tomorrow (and because I'm writing about payment processing and I'll do anything to procrastinate) and my first thought was, "How could someone who had so much going for him be so troubled?" But depression is a chemical thing and back then, they just didn't know what they know now. One would hope if they'd had access to the medication we have now, maybe their stories would have ended differently.
ReplyDeleteI would hope he would get the help now but one never knows since I think of Phil Hartman's wife. It is also strange that he took his name from one of his acting roles
DeleteOh My God.
ReplyDeleteSad isn't it
DeleteYikes! It is sad that he ended his wife's life and then his own. Sounds like he had a lot of inner demons.
ReplyDelete~Jess
Oh One wishes his wife would have left. His demons were many and ran deep
DeleteThis was so sad with his life and his death (and wife's death too).
ReplyDeleteSo enjoyed A/Z (almost there) with your actors and actresses, now I wonder if I can remember any that I learned if ever in a trivia game about actors and actresses :)
betty
hahahahaaa-if not you know where to look them up:)
DeleteSo very tragic. His poor wives, all of them and expecially the last. Maybe actors are more prone to depression than the rest of us or maybe it's that they have to deal with so much rejection. Even the successful ones get rejected for roles.
ReplyDeleteHe had a mother complex and issues stemming from long ago. Alcohol should have been the last thing for him to use. he obviously had an addictive nature that led to his tragic death and the death of his last wife-poor girl
DeleteSo very tragic. His poor wives, all of them and expecially the last. Maybe actors are more prone to depression than the rest of us or maybe it's that they have to deal with so much rejection. Even the successful ones get rejected for roles.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of some of those movies.
ReplyDeleteYup some are quite excellent
DeleteI had no idea. This comes as a shock. He seemed like such a nice guy in films.
ReplyDeleteI know-very laid back and fun...but he really wasn't in private
DeleteThat is so sad. Insecurities really got him bad!
ReplyDeleteBig time!
DeleteI'm glad you mentioned the Blazing Saddles story, as most of us could never picture Gig Young in the Gene Wilder role. Though he only had a small role, Lovers and Other Strangers is a hilarious movie, and you must see it if you haven't already. He deserved the Oscar for They Shoot Horses Don't They? Thank you for another well told tragic bio, Birgit.
ReplyDeleteJulie
I know! It is Gene Wilder's role all the way. I have not seen Lovers and other Strangers so i will have to check that out but I have seen They Shoot Horses Don't They which is such a depressing film
DeleteHe always seemed so laconic in his roles. Yet he had such charm. So sad to learn he committed suicide.
ReplyDeleteHe always seemed so laconic in his roles. Yet he had such charm. So sad to learn he committed suicide.
ReplyDeleteI knew he was nominated for They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, but I didn't remember the win. Sounds as if his life sucked.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie