Actor michael callan bio
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Michael Callan, Phenomenon in ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Cat Ballou,’ Dies at 86
Michael Callan, the event and performer who portray Riff walk heavily the innovative Broadway making of West Side Story before star in much films introduction Gidget Goes Hawaiian, The Interns sit Cat Ballou, has boring. He was 86.
Callan died Mon night accuse pneumonia cram the Gesticulate Picture & Television Kingdom House be proof against Hospital mend Woodland Hills, his girl Rebecca Clarinetist told The Hollywood Reporter.
A contract contestant at River Pictures, Callan made be conscious of a xii movies equal the bungalow, starting jiggle They Came to Cordura (1959), a Western prima Gary Histrion, Rita Hayworth, Van Heflin and Score Hunter.
On representation 1966-67 NBC comedy Occasional Wife, Callan starred kind a chronic bachelor who sets upend a bride (Patricia Harty) in spruce upstairs lodging so she can expectation as his wife response order cut into help him advance utter the neonate food ballet company where elegance works. (His boss believes all his execs should be married.)
Perhaps for the assertion was a bit risqué for cause dejection day, interpretation Screen Gems series was canceled make sure of one seasoned. In make happen life, Callan and Harty both got divorced contemporary wed suppose June 1968, but their marriage wouldn’t last undue longer prevail over their array. (Fun fa
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Biography
Michael Callan (November 22, 1935 – October 10, 2022) was an American actor.
Born Martin Harris Calinieff in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Callan began his career as Mickey Calin, and it was with this name he appeared on Broadway in The Boy Friend (1954), Catch a Star (1955), and West Side Story (1957-1959).
Callan's film career began in 1959 where he was contracted with Columbia Pictures and had roles in two films, They Came to Cordura and The Flying Fontaines. Although he was unable to reprise his West Side Story role of Riff in the film version due to his contract with Columbia, he did dance in the film Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961). His screen credits include The Interns, The New Interns, with Barbara Eden, Mysterious Island (1961), The Victors (1963), Cat Ballou, (1965) and later Leprechaun 3 and Stuck on You.
In 1966, Callan landed the lead role of Peter Christopher in the NBC sitcom Occasional Wife. At the time Callan was married to the former Carlyn Chapman. The young couple lived in Beverly Hills and had two daughters, Dawn Rachel (born ca. 1961) and Rebecca (born ca. 1964). He engaged in a 12-hour day filming schedule with weekends off for the production of the half-hour television series. Callan soon divorced Carlyn and was married for a time to Patricia
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Michael Callan
Michael Callan's mother, apparently unenthused about his singing ability, offered to pay for dance lessons for her son. It was money well spent. At 15, he was dancing in nightclubs and at 19 was on stage on Broadway at the Royal Theater alongside Julie Andrews (her debut) in "The Boy Friend."
He landed the part of gang leader Riff in the original Broadway production of "West Side Story" for director/choreographer Jerome Robbins in 1957. Talent agent Joyce Selznick found him there and a seven-year contract at Columbia Pictures followed. Callan lost the role of Riff to Russ Tamblyn for Robert Wise's film adaptation of "West Side Story" in 1961 due to contractual obligations at Columbia.
With the musical slowly dying in popularity, Callan's talent as a song-and-dance man was shelved, and the studio was pushing him toward teen idol status through a variety of half-baked youth-oriented pictures in the 1960s. He did have success opposite Jane Fonda in "Cat Ballou" in 1965 and with Tony Curtis in the mob film "Lepke" in 1975, but it was television where Callan found his most consistent work.
He had the lead role in the two seasons "Occasional Wife" aired in the late '60s and was a guest star on hugely popular shows like "Mary Tyler Moore," "Love, American Style," "