Friday, September 21, 2012

THE LAST DAYS OF GIG YOUNG

Gig Young is one of those character actors that you saw in countless movies but probably do not remember his name. For me, I remember him with Doris Day and Frank Sinatra in the musical drama "Young At Heart" (1954) or on the episode of Twilight Zone where he is trying to recapture his youth by returning to his home town.

Young should have been elevated to the ranks of great actors like William Holden and Marlon Brando. He even won an Oscar in 1969, but it did not seem to be enough. Young's lifelong demons got the best of him, and the alcohol and depression he suffered contributed to his sad and shocking death.

Born Byron Elsworth Barr in St. Cloud, Minnesota in 1913, his parents John and Emma Barr raised him and his older siblings in Washington D.C. He developed a passion for the theatre while appearing in high school plays, and after some amateur experience he applied for and received a scholarship to the acclaimed Pasadena Community Playhouse. While acting in Pancho, a south-of-the-border play by Lowell Barrington, he and the leading actor in the play, George Reeves, were spotted by a Warner Brothers talent scout. Both actors were signed to supporting player contracts with the studio. His early work was uncredited or as Byron Barr (not to be confused with another actor with the same name, Byron Barr), but after appearing in the 1942 film The Gay Sisters as a character named "Gig Young", the studio decided he should adopt this name professionally.

Young appeared in supporting roles in numerous films during the 1940s, and came to be regarded as a popular and likable second lead, playing the brothers or friends of the principal characters. Young took a hiatus from his movie career and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in 1941 where he served as a pharmacist's mate in the US Coast Guard until the end of World War II. After Young's return from the war, Warner Bros. dropped his option. He then began freelancing at various studios, eventually obtaining a contract with Columbia Pictures before returning to freelancing. During those years, Young began to play the type of role that he would become best known for, a sardonic but engaging and affable drunk. His dramatic work as an alcoholic in the 1951 film Come Fill the Cup and his comedic role as a tipsy but ultimately charming intellectual in Teacher's Pet earned him nominations for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.


Gig Young won the Academy Award for his role as Rocky, the dance marathon emcee and promoter in the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They? According to his fourth wife, Elaine Williams, "What he was aching for, as he walked up to collect his Oscar, was a role in his own movie—one that they could finally call 'a Gig Young movie.' For Young, the Oscar was literally the kiss of death, the end of the line". Young himself had said to Louella Parsons, after failing to win in 1951, "so many people who have been nominated for an Oscar have had bad luck afterwards."

Young was married to actress Elizabeth Montgomery from 1956-63, a marriage that strained Elizabeth's relationship with her father, Robert Montgomery, who opposed the union. Young’s alcoholism continued to spiral out of control, and hastened the end of this already-abusive marriage. Young married five times and fathered a daughter in 1964, though he denied paternity until a five-year court case proved otherwise. Remember, no DNA testing then.

Alcoholism plagued his later years, causing him to lose acting roles. He was fired on the first day of shooting the comedy film Blazing Saddles after collapsing on the set due to withdrawals from alcohol.Young was an invisible presence in a terrible movie, The Hindenburg, also released in 1975, and then he hit rock bottom in 1978 when he was cast in a patchwork reworking of an unreleased kung-fu movie called Game of Death — incomplete footage of which was shot prior to star Bruce Lee’s death in 1973.


On October 19, 1978, three weeks after his marriage to Schmidt, the couple was found dead at home in their Manhattan apartment. Police theorized that Young first shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide. After an investigation, police stated Young had acted on the spur of the moment and his actions were not planned. His motive remains unclear. It was later revealed that Young had been receiving psychiatric treatment from the controversial psychologist Dr. Eugene Landy, who was later professionally decertified for his treatment of Beach Boy Brian Wilson.

Young's will, which covered a $200,000 estate, left his Academy Award to his agent, Martin Baum and Baum's wife. Young left his daughter, Jennifer, $10. Gig Young never did get his "own movie", but unfortunately he did get his "own headlines". Now instead of being known as a great actor, he is known as a sad, troubled, and confused murderer. Another sad story in Hollywood, that should have ended much differently...

58 comments:

  1. Such a sad story about a talented actor. You've written a thoughtful post and, honestly, it's made me a little "verklempt"!

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    1. Mr young is still a big movie legend,no matter what his personal life actions.He is still a movie star what are we....

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    2. Umm...we are people who don't kill someone else, hopefully? If he had molested a child or killed someone while driving drunk, would you still defend him and lecture us as to how he was a "legend?" Quit the celebrity bootlicking. It's not appealing.

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    3. he was increadably likable, on screen.
      And yet is private persona, so troubled.

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    4. Thankfully, Karen Wagner, very few of us become cold-blooded, murderers of others -- whether planned or on the spur of the moment, violently. Thus, your question is silly. Of course, we are not perfect, but few of us are so callous, deranged, and abusively alcoholic.

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    5. I was captivated by his Twilight Zone performance, but the role he should really be remembered for is MURDERER!!! She was only 30, and I guess he couldn't take another wife walking out on his pathetic alcoholic loser self. He could have blown his own brains out, without taking his poor young bride of three weeks with him. His picture should come up right next to Hilter's if you google the word a$$hole!

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  2. The leaving the daughter $10 really sticks in my craw. That's just not a sign of a good guy, troubled by alcoholism or not.

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    1. There could well be more to the story that could alter your opinion. Without DNA technology it's very possible Young may have never acknowledged the girl's paternity despite the ruling of the court. It's also possible that like many divorced women the child was used as a weapon against the man. He had his troubles but no one I know is completely bad or good. I don't doubt that he behaved like a beast to one or all his wives, yet we have no idea what his underlying issues may have been. If he hadn't recognized his legal daughter in the will she may have fought the will in probate. It's not all that odd for a will to leave a $1 to family members while the assets go to a university or cause like the Heart Association. My wife's grandfather did this while donating millions to build a building named for him at a university. She got a $1 as did her mother, it wasn't taken as a slap in the face, the entire family backed the project.

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    2. The university already had millions they needed his money?? What a joke!

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    3. yup. I understand that if/when/as small amounts of money....even $1 are included in a will, the person is ACKNOWLEDGING the person, and that no other $ is due....in spite of whatever might oherwise be normally expected....given their legal, or personal relationship. I can only "assume" that in addition to the 5 year paternity legal wranglings, that he and his daughter had no relationship. Sad. Also, he took Elaine Sritch's virginity at @age 30/her virginity. She talked about his in AT LIBERTY....her Tony winning one woman show.

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  3. Gig Young was trying to put this nicely a bozo, when he was married to Elizabeth Montgomery he was very abusive to her. Liz's father actor Robert Montgomery at one time got fed up and threatened him. He was an abusive psycho alcoholic.

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  4. metallic I always liked Gig Young sorry he had a sad end such a lovely character .Some one should have tried to find out what was troubling him then he may not have drunk so much.

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    1. Well....WHY do THEY drink so much is the $64.000 question. The AA people talk about the nee to "bottow out": some people just do NOT, no matter how bad their health deteriorates, how many lives they mal-effect, $$$ and career blow-outs etc. Sad.

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  5. Just saw the Twilight Zone he starred in, Walking Distance. This is one of my favorites and he was EXCELLENT in it.

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    1. Yes, he was a very gifted actor! Gig Young was also excellent in one of my favorites from The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, the gambler Duke Marsden in the 1962 episode, "A Piece of the Action"...and its sad ending...as in his real life.

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    2. Yes, I just saw that Alfred Hitchcock episode last night, then I came to read Gig Young's tragic end.

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    3. I have been a fan of the twilight zone since I was young and also just found out the story of Gig Young or Byron Barr, I have to agree with some of the other comments that don't excuse but also leave some benefit of perception toward his favor. As we get older we all realize actions aren't always explained through motives.

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  6. Yes I also just saw the Twilight Zone " Walking Distance" One of the best! Sad he had to end like that.

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    1. Sad that Gig Young didn't obtain a new lease on life like his character presumably did in that beautiful episode.

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  7. Why does Hollywood glorify Substance Abuse in so many ways, in so many many movies, and then turn a blind eye when they come home to roost?

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    1. You might ask the same question of smoking. Why are such a high percentage of actors in recent films smoking as part of their roles? The sheer numbers of dead, before their time, stars who died of smoking related causes is sobering. The studios in the not too distant past agreed with groups lobbying to stop the romanticizing of drug and tobacco use in movies, to clean up their act. That apparently is no longer in effect, the "beautiful people" starring in recent films are smoking at a rate many times greater than the population at large. The numbers of young people who are starting to smoke is rising again, I point to celebrities who smoke as being a major reason why.

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    2. Reply to Two Cents: You have to remember that items such as drinking and smoking in Hollywood movies were supposed to indicate glamorous and sophisticated people. That was the image. Nowadays people are better informed about the potential harm of both.

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  8. He deserved the Oscar for Rocky from "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" But it's hard to find compassion for an alcoholic that was abusive to his wives, denied paternity of his only child, then leave her $10 when he kills himself (great dad!), shows up to acting jobs having seizures from alcohol withdrawal, and the ultimate asshole act, putting a bullet in the head of his young bride of 3 weeks who had no business in the first place marrying him. If he would have put down the bottle instead of feeling sorry for himself, perhaps he would have earned the respect of movie makers and they would have cast him in the leading roles he so desired.

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    1. You need to re-read your writing because you go full circle trashing the guy for having withdrawal seizures then a few words later you trash him for being unable to put down the bottle. You do understand that putting down the bottle so he could be sober while acting in the film was the reason he was having the seizures don't you? He had a disease that was bigger than he was,mthats all we know, I can't judge him on the very sketchy information provided.

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    2. Alcoholism is not a DISEASE! You make a willing choice to pick up a bottle and drink & ruin your life (and most of those around you). My uncle was an alcoholic and I give no excuses for him, the same as Gig Young! Both dead guys were stupid and did not care about who they affected with their irresponsible behavior!

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    3. Alcoholism is a disease and it is very difficult to overcome

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    4. Gig was a black out drinker, not an asshole, which you obviously know well.

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  9. Ruth Schmidt (Young)is buried at Eildon Cemetery in Victoria Australia

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    1. There are a lot of Schmidts out there

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    2. There is a memorial plaque for Ruth Schmidt Young that has been attached to the headstone of her parent's grave at Eildon, Victoria, Australia. And it certainly is the same Ruth that was murdered by Gig Young (The Age newspaper carried the story). However the existence of a memorial plaque on a headstone on a headstone that wasn't erected till 1882 certainly doesn't imply that Ruth is buried in the same grave as her parents!

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  10. Gig had three failures near the end of his life: a failed play, a failed marriage and a failed night as a volunteer emcee, in which he spoke to long introducing a singer and was heckled and booed. The police also said they had never seen so many prescription pill bottles in one bathroom. He was a lonely, addicted man who was addicted to marriage also, for in those days, so was everyone else - constantly getting married, when it's yourself you should try to make happy first. For some though, that only comes with having someone else in your life.

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  11. He looked pretty good in the Twilight Zone episode. Usually hard drinkers show it after a few years. Too bad. He played many suave, light hearted male roles -- too bad he died in such tawdry circumstances. RIP.

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    1. No, the murderer should not RIP.

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  12. I can always commend someone for their talents, service to our country, contributions to the literary realm, etc. even if they were sick or did stupid or selfish things later in life or when they were "another person". Sounds like he was quite troubled and his alcoholism got the better of him. Murdering is really quite something and I think that shows how far off the path he'd gone, but he was abusive to the first wives who said his behaviors caused them strained relationships with others who could see and did not approve of his drinking and the problems and affects that come with the disease. Still, it's a terrible excuse for his horrid behavior toward his daughter. There are plenty of people who have supported children, before birth control was reliable and DNA proved beyond much of a doubt who is the biological parent. The guy had plenty of money, had even married the lady and called the woman his wife, her child his daughter, until the divorce a few years later...so who cares whose kid it might have been? Let's be real, he was a very sick person at the end of his life, but his early years brought some great acting to the big and small screens. He needed help, likely didn't get enough of it in the right ways, but I do feel for the daughter he fought so hard not to support, what a slap to her!

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  13. Folks, he murdered an innocent lady! If he wants to kill himself, go for it, but why take someone else with you? I don't think care how good of an actor he was, or how sad his life had become, you don't murder someone and expect to get any respect from the general human population. I'll never watch him on screen again.

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    1. That's pretty harsh.. I mean, yeah - The act of killing his wife before he commits suicide is heinous. But I wish people could understand the illness of alcoholism. It's a deadly disease, and negatively affects every person, and every thing in an alcoholics life.. This does not excuse his actions, but I do wish people could at least attempt to understand. Alcoholism may as well be an uncurable cancer for a vast majority of those afflicted.. No excuses for his decision to pick up the bottle and behave violently. But at least try and comprehend that at some point, he did not have a choice - the disease took over and ended in tragedy...........

      That doesn't mean that we can't still appreciate his acting abilities and the movies he left behind, no more than if he had died of leukemia....

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    2. It should be pointed out that Alcoholism is only the excuse used to abuse. Alcohol certainly contributes to bad judgement but as any specialist can tell you, Alcohol will NOT MAKE you do anything that you wouldn't do sober. If you would never beat someone sober, you won't do it drunk. Drinking just gives you the EXCUSE you crave. "Oh I was drinking & didn't know what I was doing!" Certain drugs, on the other hand can morph your basic personality into something foreign, even to yourself. It doesn't seem anyone really knows what CAUSED him to kill, but it wasn't the Alcohol (tho it may have given him false courage).

      Let's get serious about treating alcoholism & recognizing the disease for what it is! It is often genetic & very difficult to avoid, but it's possible.Please don't give alcohol the ugly credit for abuse & murder. Alcohol didn't make him do it. More likely, the reason he abused & killed were the same reasons he drank.

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    3. Alcohol is not the cause of the something a person does that is wrong or criminal. Alcohol is the thing that shuts off that voice in your head that says...
      "Stop!!! Dont do it!" when you are about to mess up, or "Sure, you can do that, Go for it".
      Some can deal with booze, others just cant. If you cant, dont drink it. It'll lie to you. You will do things that you never thought you were capable of even thinking about.

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  14. I really know nothing about his private life, only that he came to a tragic end. One website said "few people remember him today." Really? I remember him vividly, and his performance as Martin in the Twilight Zone episode Walking Distance, about a man longing to return to a simpler time. Whatever else he was, he was a good actor, until, like many others, the good roles began to dry up as he grew older. An occupational hazard. Lots of negative comments here, sadly. Not understanding his demons I can't comment, only reflect that his, and his wife's lives ended tragically.

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  15. I was very young, and so was Gig, when I first noticed him on Saturday, October 31, 1965, a little after 9pm. This was the TV premiere in America of and the first of many times that I saw The Desperate Hours, from 1955. It was on NBC's Saturday Night at the Movies and remains my favorite - uh, sorry Gig - Humphrey Bogart movie. Nope, I just didn't know about his short-lived ABC series from the year before, The Rogues. In the Desperate Hours, he had his typically supporting role as a boyfriend, just not a drunk one. I thought he did quite well. At his more advanced age in 1968, he would have been great as one of The Wild Bunch and he probably could have drunk even Sam Peckinpah under the table.

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  16. Gig Young was a great actor and very handsome. Wonderfu in "They Shoot Horses" but, unfortunately had a tragic end. I hope his daughter, Jennifer Young, finally got his Oscar. She deserves it. His agent should have given it to her without her asking.

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  17. Gig Young was a legendary ASSHOLE.talented actor,no doubt, but I clearly remember his next to last act as a human being.

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    1. yup. Even if he had killed someone when he was 102 years old, the word ASSHOLE would be merited in the obituary. Sad.

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  18. Talented? Very. Sadly, also murdered and troubled man with a viciously cruel streak. Who leaves a 14 year old child $10?

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  19. My father invited me on the spur of the moment to join him on a business trip in NY when I was in high school. We went to several plays. One was "Girl in My Soup" starring Gig Young. Fortunately I struck up a conversation with a lovely lady from Ohio, my home state. It turned out her daughter was also starring in the play. She invited us back stage to meet her daughter and Gig Young. Later her daughter invited us to Sardi's restaurant which was an after hours place for actors. It was a memorable event. I just remember how rude Gig Young was to me back stage and seemed annoyed to talk with an audience member. He must have been a very sad man. Years later I heard he committed suicide and wasn't surprised. I was so grateful to the actresses mother and wish I could remember her name...from the late 60s.

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  20. Anyone have knowledge of his last gig,dinner theatre Edmonton Canada,autumn '78 ?

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  21. Very talented and handsome actor. Completely deserved his oscar win. But So tragic the way he ended it all! Very sad!!

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  22. If it were not for social media posts like these, none of us would get to play 'judge and jury's. No one would take our comments So seriously. Nonetheless, for what it's worth I agree that it was an incredibly, violent sick way to go out ..but we should just let God be judge. Whatever we do wrong in life I'm sure we don't get away with after this life. I also thought he was a fine actor.

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    1. No one seems to view other possible scenes . Murder suicide was made quite popular by the Clintons who created the art form of avoiding punishment. I worked with Mr. Young and he was a fine man.

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  23. Just saw
    "They Shoot Horses," today and as I was watching, I thought that he deserved an Oscar for it. Incredibly surprised that he did win it, but even more surprised about his tragic life.

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  24. I just saw his TL Zone.I always loved that one.His Father said try looking ahead.I read his bio after that(read it before)People can learn from his tragic life to try to change before it is too late.

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  25. Young had an epileptic seizure on the set of "Blazing Saddles." The DTs story was concocted by a certain producer who didn't want to deal with a medical delay on his movie set. Had Young realized the damage to his career the DTs story was going to cause, he probably would have sued, and won, for breach of contract.

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  26. Just saw "That Touch of Mink" again. Gig Young must have been a VERY talented actor to be able to play light-hearted comedy so very well! He's great as Cary Grant's friend in the movie; very likeable.
    I actually had something similar from the movie happen to me. Like Doris Day I was standing on the corner when a car came around and splashed me. Grrr! However instead of a suave well-to-do Cary Grant in a limo it was a Mexican in an old beat-up car. My friend laughed when I told her the story and replied, "Setting our sights a bit high, aren't we?!" It made both of us laugh.

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  27. My brother was the custodian of the apartment building in Manhattan where Gig Young and his partner lived. My 8 year old niece found a grocery bag outside Gig Youngs apartment door that had ice cream in it and was melting. She informed her dad and my brother went to see what was going on. He nocked at Gig Youngs door several times and was no answer, so he informs the police. When the police came they asked my brother to unlock Gig Young's apartment door, well, and you know the rest.

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  28. Gig Young was framed for murder. When you shoot yourself in the head, the gun doesn't stay in your hand. He was allegedly found by the police with the snub nose .38 in his hand...

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