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Gene Evans

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This article is about the actor (1922–1998). For the pyrotechnician (1937–2008), see Gene Evans (pyrotechnician).
Gene Evans
Evans in Fixed Bayonets! (1951)
Born
Eugene Barton Evans

(1922-07-11)July 11, 1922
Holbrook, Arizona, U.S.
DiedApril 1, 1998(1998-04-01) (aged 75)
Jackson, Tennessee, US
Resting placeHighland Memorial Gardens in Jackson, Tennessee
Years active1947–1989

Eugene Barton Evans (July 11, 1922 – April 1, 1998) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television series, made-for-television movies, and feature films between 1947 and 1989.[citation needed]

Background

Evans was born in Holbrook, Arizona, but reared in Colton, California. Right after finishing high school he began performing in summer stock at the Penthouse Theatre in Altadena, California.[1] Evans served in the United States Army during World War II and achieved the rank of sergeant.[2] He performed with a theatrical troupe of GIs in Europe.

He made his film debut in the 1947 film Under Colorado Skies as Henchman Red, and appeared in dozens of films and television programs. He specialized in playing tough guys such as soldiers and lawmen.[3]

Acting career

Evans appeared in numerous films produced, directed, and written by Samuel Fuller. In his memoirs A Third Face, Fuller described meeting Evans when casting his Korean War film The Steel Helmet (1950). Fuller threw an M1 Garand rifle at Evans, who caught it and inspected it as a soldier would have done. Evans had been a United States Army engineer in World War II. Fuller kept Evans and refused John Wayne for the role and fought to keep him despite Robert L. Lippert and his partner wanting Larry Parks for the role.[4] Fuller walked off the film and would not return until Evans was reinstated.[5] Evans also appeared in Fuller's Fixed Bayonets!,[6] Hell and High Water,[7] Shock Corridor[citation needed] and lost 30 pounds to play the lead in Park Row.[8]

Evans portrayed the authoritarian but wise father, Rob McLaughlin, on the 1956-1957 television series My Friend Flicka. He next co-starred in 1958 as Major Al Arthur in Damn Citizen, a film based on the life of crusading State Police superintendent Francis Grevemberg of Louisiana. In 1960, Evans was cast as Otis Stockert in "The Frontiersman" on the Western series Wichita Town. That same year, he was cast as Boone Hackett in the episode "Die Twice" of the Western series Johnny Ringo. He was also cast in 1960 as army sergeant Dan Phillips in the episode "The Quota" of Riverboat, another Western series. In the storyline, Phillips shanghais Grey Holden (Darren McGavin) and a crew member of the river vessel Enterprise to meet the army's "quota" for new recruits.[citation needed]

In 1961, Evans guest-starred as Sheriff Tom Wilson in "Incident on the Road Back" in Rawhide. He then was cast as Walter Kopek, an undercover agent of the United States Treasury Department in the 1963 episode "The Moonshiners" of GE True, hosted by Jack Webb. In this episode's plot, Kopek moves against a bootlegging operation in Florida run by the mobster Bill Munger (Robert Emhardt).[citation needed]

Evans was cast as the historical Winfield Scott Stratton, a miner in Colorado, in the 1964 episode, "Sixty-seven Miles of Gold" on the syndicated anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews. James Best and Jack Albertson played Jimmy Burns and Pearlman, respectively. In the story line, Stratton strikes it rich as he signs over his mining claim to a syndicate.[citation needed]

In 1966, Evans appeared on the drama series Perry Mason as Sheriff "Moose" Dalton in "The Case of the Scarlet Scandal". He starred as well in Peopletoys in 1974 with Leif Garrett, and in the fall of 1976, Evans starred on the adventure series Spencer's Pilots.

In January 1979, Evans appeared as Garrison Southworth in one episode of Dallas. He guest-starred in 10 episodes of Gunsmoke. In 1965, Evans guest-starred as Jake Burnett in the episode "Vendetta" of The Legend of Jesse James. Two years later, he appeared as Deedricks in the episode "Breakout" of Custer.

In January 1982, Evans performed in the role of war reporter Clayton Kibbee in an episode of CBS's M*A*S*H titled "Blood and Guts". He also appeared on stage in the late 1980s as the gruesome Papa in the stage production Papa Is All, directed by playwright Tommy F. Scott in Jackson, Tennessee. Evans retired to a farm in Tennessee following his role in the original film version of Walking Tall.

Evans died at age 75 of heart failure at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee on April 1, 1998. He was interred at Highland Memorial Gardens, also located in Jackson.[9]

Partial filmography

Television

  • The Lone Ranger – episode - Devil's Pass - Beef Corson (1950)
  • The Lone Ranger – episode - The Star Witness - Henchman Nat (1950)
  • The Lone Ranger – episode - Behind the Law - Henchman Link (1951)
  • Wagon Train - episode - The Sarah Drummond Story - Jeb Drummond (1958)
  • Death Valley Days – 4 episodes (1959-1964)
  • Rawhide – 4 episodes (1959-1965)
  • Bonanza – episode - The Fear Merchants - Andy Fulmer (1960)
  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents - episode - The Kerry Blue - Ned O'Malley (1962)
  • The Virginian - episode - The Accomplice - Sheriff Luke Donaldson (1962)
  • Bonanza – episode - Journey Remembered - Lucas Rockwell (1963)
  • Gunsmoke - episode - Extradition: Parts 1 & 2 - Charlie Hacker (1963)
  • Wagon Train - episode - The Duncan McIvor Story - Sgt. Jake Orly (1964)
  • Daniel Boone – episode - The First Stone - Joshua Craig (1965)
  • Branded – episode - The Bounty - Matthew Paxton (1965)
  • The Legend of Jesse James – episode – Vendetta - Jake Burnett (1965)
  • The Iron Horse – episode – Sgt. Stoddard – The Pride of the Bottom of the Barrel (1966)
  • The Virginian - episode - Trail to Ashley Mountain - Blanchard (1966)
  • Ironside – episode - Message from Beyond - Al Hayes (1967)
  • Gunsmoke - episode - A Hat - Clint Sorils (1967)
  • Gunsmoke - episode - The First People - Thomas Evans (1968)
  • Daniel Boone – episode - The Man - Stark (1969)
  • Dragnet 1966 – TV movie - Captain Hugh Brown (1969)
  • Bonanza – episode - The Trouble with Trouble - Montana Perkins (1970)
  • The Men From Shiloh, the rebranded name of The Virginian - episode - With Love, Bullets and Valentines - Harv Plimpton (1970)
  • Gunsmoke - episode - Snow Train: Parts 1 & 2 - Billy (1970)
  • Mannix – episode - Murder Times Three - Dan Brockway (1971)
  • Longstreet – episode - Wednesday's Child - Fred Decker (1971)
  • Nichols – episode - Deer Crossing - Durand (1971)
  • Gunsmoke - episode - Phoenix - Jess Hume (1971)
  • Alias Smith and Jones - episode - The Men That Corrupted Hadleyburg - Phillips (1972)
  • Gunsmoke - episode - Tatum - Bodie Tatum (1972)
  • Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid – Mr. Horrell (1973)
  • Ironside – episode - Downhill All the Way Parker (1973)
  • Gunsmoke - episode - The Iron Blood of Courage - Shaw Anderson (1974)
  • Gunsmoke – episode -Thirty a Month and Found - Will Parmalee (1974)
  • Spencer's Pilots – 6 episodes - Spencer Parish (1976)
  • The Rhinemann Exchange - TV Mini-Series Colonel Barton (1977)
  • The Incredible Hulk - episode - Rainbow's End - Jimmy Kelly (1978)
  • Lassie: A New Beginning – TV movie - Sheriff Marsh (1978)
  • The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries – episode – Oh Say Can You Sing (1978)
  • The Eddie Capra Mysteries - episode - How Do I Kill Thee? (1978)
  • Lassie: A New Beginning – episode - Oh Say Can You Sing – Sheriff Marsh (1978)
  • Charlie's Angels - episode - Cruising Angels - Webner (1979)
  • Fantasy Island – episode - Tattoo: the Love God/Magnolia Blossoms - Confederate Asking for money (1979)
  • Casino - TV movie - Captain K.L. Fitzgerald (1980)
  • Vega$ - episode - Murder by Mirrors - Marcus Hinton (1981)
  • Hart to Hart - episode - Murder in the Saddle - Ray Dudley (1981)
  • M*A*S*H - episode - Blood and Guts - Clayton Kibbee (1982)
  • Simon & Simon - episode - Betty Grable Flies Again - Arch McBride (1983)
  • Murder, She Wrote - episode - We're Off to Kill the Wizard - Nils Highlander (1984)
  • The A-Team - episode - Bounty - Darrow (1985)
  • Murder, She Wrote - episode - Trial by Error - Otto Fry (1986)
  • Simon & Simon - episode - The Last Harangue - Freight Yard Supervisor (1986)
  • Simon & Simon - episode - Deep Water Death - Captain Kyle Bates (1987)
  • Scarecrow and Mrs. King – episode - Mission of Gold - Gus Weinstein (1987)

References

  1. ^ Tom Vallance, Obituary: Gene Evans, The Independent, 5 April, 1998
  2. ^ Oliver, Myrna. "Gene Evans; Actor Known for 'Tough Guy' Roles", The Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1998, page A30.
  3. ^ Myrna Oliver, Gene Evans; Actor Known for ‘Tough Guy’ Roles, Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1998
  4. ^ Fuller, Samuel (2002). A Third Face: My Tale of Writing, Fighting, and Filmmaking. New York: Alfred A Knopf, 2002.
  5. ^ Fuller, Samuel (2002). A Third Face: My Tale...; 258-259.
  6. ^ Fixed Bayonets, film synopsis and cast and crew credits, Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  7. ^ Hell and High Water, film synopsis and cast and crew credits, TCM. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  8. ^ Eder, Bruce. Synopsis of the 1952 film Park Row. AllMovie.
  9. ^ The Associated Press (1998). "Gene Evans, Actor, 75", obituary. The New York Times, April 4, 1998. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
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