Gary Fred Merrill (August 2, 1915 – March 5, 1990) was an American film and television actor whose credits included more than 50 feature films, a half-dozen mostly short-lived TV series, and dozens of television guest appearances. He starred in ''

All About Eve ''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, although Orr does not receive a screen credit ...

'' and married his costar

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...

Early life

Merrill was born in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

, and attended

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. When Bowdoin was chartered in 1794, Maine was still a part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college offers 34 majors and 36 minors, as well as several joint eng ...

Brunswick, Maine Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 21,756 at the 2020 United States Census. Part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area, Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin Intern ...

, and

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

in Hartford. He began acting in 1944, while still in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

, in the play '' Winged Victory''.

Career

Before entering films, Merrill's deep cultured voice won him a recurring role as

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

in the ''Superman'' radio series. His film career began promisingly, with roles in films such as '' Twelve O'Clock High'' (1949) and ''

'' (1950), but he rarely moved beyond supporting roles in his many Westerns, war movies, and medical dramas. His television career was extensive. He appeared from 1954 to 1956 as Jason Tyler on the crime drama ''Justice''. In 1958, Merrill guest starred with

June Lockhart June Lockhart (born June 25, 1925) is an American actress, beginning a film career in 1930s & 1940s in such films at ''A Christmas Carol'' and '' Meet Me in St. Louis''. She primarily acted in 1950s and 1960s television, and with performances on ...

in the roles of Joshua and Emily Newton in the episode "Medicine Man" of the series '' Cimarron City''. Merrill had recurring roles in ''

Then Came Bronson ''Then Came Bronson'' is an American adventure/drama television series starring Michael Parks that aired on NBC. It was created by Denne Bart Petitclerc, and produced by MGM Television. ''Then Came Bronson'' began with a television film pilot ...

'' with

Michael Parks Michael Parks (born Harry Samuel Parks; April 24, 1940 – May 9, 2017) was an American singer and actor. He appeared in many films and made frequent television appearances, notably starring in the 1969–1970 series '' Then Came Bronson'', but ...

and '' Young Doctor Kildare'', both of which lasted less than a season. In addition to Merrill's starring roles in several episodes of ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'', in November 1963 he starred with

Phyllis Thaxter Phyllis St. Felix Thaxter (November 20, 1919 – August 14, 2012) was an American actress. She is best known for portraying Ellen Lawson in ''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' (1944) and Martha Kent in ''Superman'' (1978). She also appeared in ''Bewi ...

and

Fess Parker Fess Elisha Parker Jr. (born F. E. Parker Jr.;Weaver, Tom.Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers p. 148 (McFarland 2012). August 16, 1924 – March 18, 2010),(March 18, 2010Daniel Boone Actor Fess Parker Dies at 85" ''CBS ...

(''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'') in an episode of '' The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' ("Nothing Ever Happens in Linvale"). In 1964, he starred as

city editor A city editor is a title used by a particular section editor of a newspaper. They are responsible for the daily changes of a particular issue of a newspaper that will be released in the coming day. Mostly they stay at the publication at night and t ...

Lou Sheldon in the short-lived drama '' The Reporter''. In 1967, he starred in the

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

film '' Clambake'', with costar James Gregory. Aside from an occasional role as narrator, Merrill essentially retired from the entertainment business after 1980. Shortly before his death, he authored the autobiography ''Bette, Rita and the Rest of My Life'' (1989).

Personal life

Bette Davis and Gary Merrill in All About Eve

Merrill's first marriage, to Barbara Leeds in 1941, ended in divorce in Mexico on July 28, 1950. That same day, he married

, his costar from ''All About Eve'', and adopted her daughter, Barbara, from a previous marriage. They adopted two more children, Margot and Michael, but they had a bitter divorce in 1960. Often politically active, he campaigned in 1958 to elect the Democrat

Edmund Muskie Edmund Sixtus Muskie (March 28, 1914March 26, 1996) was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 58th United States Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter, a United States Senator from Maine from 1959 to 1980, the 6 ...

as governor of

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...

. He also took part in the

Selma to Montgomery marches The Selma to Montgomery marches were three protest marches, held in 1965, along the 54-mile (87 km) highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. The marches were organized by nonviolent activists to demonstrate the ...

in 1965 to promote Black voter registration. In response to U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson's

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

policy, he unsuccessfully sought nomination to the Maine legislature as an anti-war, pro-environmentalist primary candidate. Merrill survived his second ex-wife, Bette Davis, by only five months, dying of lung cancer in

Falmouth, Maine Falmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 12,444 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland– South Portland– Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. This northern suburb of Port ...

, on March 5, 1990. He is buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery. He was survived by a son, Michael; a daughter, Margot; a brother, Jerry; and two grandchildren.

Filmography

*''

This Is the Army ''This Is the Army'' is a 1943 American wartime musical comedy film produced by Hal B. Wallis and Jack L. Warner, and directed by Michael Curtiz, adapted from a wartime stage musical with the same name, designed to boost morale in the U.S. duri ...

'' (1943) - Backstage MP on Right (uncredited) *'' Winged Victory'' (1944) - Capt. McIntyre *'' Slattery's Hurricane'' (1949) - Cmdr. E.T. Kramer *'' Twelve O'Clock High'' (1949) - Col. Keith Davenport *'' Mother Didn't Tell Me'' (1950) - Doctor Peter Roberts *''

Where the Sidewalk Ends ''Where the Sidewalk Ends'' is a 1974 children's poetry collection written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. It was published by Harper and Row Publishers. The book's poems address many common childhood concerns and also present purely fanc ...

'' (1950) - Tommy Scalise *''

'' (1950) - Bill Sampson (A typographical error in the film's credits lists the character's name as "Simpson.) *'' Rawhide'' (1951) - Narrator (voice, uncredited) *'' The Frogmen'' (1951) - Lt. Cmdr. Pete Vincent *''

Another Man's Poison ''Another Man's Poison'' is a 1951 British drama film directed by Irving Rapper and starring Bette Davis, Gary Merrill and Emlyn Williams. The screenplay by Val Guest is based on the play ''Deadlock'' by Leslie Sands. Plot Successful mystery no ...

'' (1951) - George Bates *'' Decision Before Dawn'' (1951) - Col. Devlin *''

Phone Call from a Stranger ''Phone Call from a Stranger'' is a 1952 American film noir drama film directed by Jean Negulesco from a screenplay by Nunnally Johnson, based on the 1950 novelette of the same name by I. A. R. Wylie. The film centers on the survivor of an airc ...

'' (1952) - David Trask *''

The Girl in White ''The Girl in White'' is a 1952 American drama film directed by John Sturges and starring June Allyson, Arthur Kennedy and Mildred Dunnock. It is based on the memoirs of the pioneering female surgeon Emily Dunning Barringer. Plot Her pregnant m ...

'' (1952) - Dr. Seth Pawling *'' Night Without Sleep'' (1952) - Richard Morton *''

A Blueprint for Murder ''A Blueprint for Murder'' is a 1953 American film noir thriller film directed and written by Andrew L. Stone and starring Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters and Gary Merrill. Plot Whitney "Cam" Cameron (Joseph Cotten) arrives at a hospital to be with ...

'' (1953) - Fred Sargent *''

Witness to Murder ''Witness to Murder'' is a 1954 American film noir crime drama directed by Roy Rowland and starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders, and Gary Merrill. While the film received moderately positive reviews, it ended up as an also-ran to Alfred H ...

'' (1954) - Lawrence Mathews *''

The Black Dakotas ''The Black Dakotas'' is a 1954 American Technicolor Western spy film directed by Ray Nazarro and produced by Columbia Pictures. Set during the American Civil War and filmed at the Iverson Movie Ranch, the film stars Gary Merrill as a cold-blood ...

'' (1954) - Brock Marsh posing as Zachary Paige *'' The Human Jungle'' (1954) - Police Capt. John Danforth *'' Navy Wife'' (1956) - Jack Blain *'' Bermuda Affair'' (1956) - Bob Scoffield *'' The Missouri Traveler'' (1958) - Doyle Magee *'' Crash Landing'' (1958) - Capt. Steve Williams *''

The Wonderful Country ''The Wonderful Country'' (aka ''The Wonderful Country, A Novel'') is a 1952 Western novel written by Tom Lea. The book is set in Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico, and Texas and New Mexico in the United States. It was filmed in 1959. After the fi ...

'' (1959) - Maj. Stark Colton *''

The Savage Eye ''The Savage Eye'' is a 1959 "dramatized documentary" film that superposes a dramatic narration of the life of a divorced woman with documentary camera footage of Los Angeles. The film was written, produced, directed, and edited by Ben Maddow, Sid ...

'' (1960) - The poet *''

The Great Impostor ''The Great Impostor'' is a 1961 American comedy-drama film movie based on the true story of an impostor named Ferdinand Waldo Demara. The film is loosely based on Robert Crichton's 1959 biography of the same name, it stars Tony Curtis in the ...

'' (1961) - Pa Demara *'' The Pleasure of His Company'' (1961) - James Dougherty *'' Mysterious Island'' (1961) - Gideon Spilitt *''

A Girl Named Tamiko ''A Girl Named Tamiko'' is a 1962 romantic drama film directed by John Sturges and starring Laurence Harvey and France Nuyen, with Martha Hyer, Gary Merrill, Michael Wilding, and Miyoshi Umeki. It is based on the novel of the same name by Ronald ...

'' (1962) - Max Wilson *''Hong Kong un Addio'' (''Farewell to Hong Kong'', 1963) *''The Searching Eye'' (1964) - Narrator *''

Catacombs Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etymology and history The first place to be referred ...

'' (1965) - Raymond Garth *'' Ride Beyond Vengeance'' (1966) - Dub Stokes *'' Cast a Giant Shadow'' (1966) - Pentagon Chief of Staff (scenes deleted) *''

Destination Inner Space ''Destination Inner Space'' is a 1966 science fiction film produced by Earl Lyon, directed by Francis D. Lyon, written by Arthur C. Pierce, and stars Scott Brady, Gary Merrill, and Sheree North. The film was released to theaters in the US in M ...

'' (1966) - Dr. LaSatier *''

Around the World Under the Sea ''Around the World Under the Sea'' is a 1966 science fiction film directed by Andrew Marton and starring Lloyd Bridges, with Marshall Thompson, Shirley Eaton, Gary Merrill, and David McCallum. It follows the adventures of a crew of the deep-divin ...

'' (1966) - Dr. August 'Gus' Boren *''

The Last Challenge ''The Last Challenge '' is a 1967 American Western in Panavision, produced and directed by Richard Thorpe (marking his final film). The film starred Glenn Ford and Angie Dickinson and centered around a town sheriff contending with his reputati ...

'' (1967) - Squint Calloway *'' Clambake'' (1967) - Sam *'' The Incident'' (1967) - Douglas McCann *'' The Power'' (1968) - Mark Corlane *'' Più tardi, Claire, più tardi'' (1968) - George Dennison *''

Amarsi male ''A Wrong Way to Love'' ( it, Amarsi male) is a 1969 Italian drama film. It was directed by Fernando Di Leo. It stars Nieves Navarro, Gianni Macchia, Micaela Pignatelli, Lucio Dalla, and Lea Lander. Production The female lead actress initially ...

'' (1969) *''The Secret of the Sacred Forest'' (1970) - Mike Parks *'' Earth II'' (1971) - Walter Dietrich *''

Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry "Huck" Finn is a fictional character created by Mark Twain who first appeared in the book ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876) and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884). He is 12 ...

'' (1974) - Pap *''

Thieves Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...

'' (1977) - Street Man *''

The Seekers The Seekers were an Australian folk music, folk-influenced pop music, pop quartet, originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the Un ...

'' (1979) - Capt. Hull *''September Song'' (1984)

Television

Merrill's television work spanned from 1953 to 1980. Most of his appearances were in guest-star roles in episodic and

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...

. Among the programs he appeared in were: *'' The 20th Century-Fox Hour'' *''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'' *'' Studio 57'' *'' Studio One'' *''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of th ...

'', ''

Alcoa Theatre ''Alcoa Theatre'' is a half-hour American anthology series telecast on NBC at 9:30 pm on Monday nights from September 30, 1957 to May 23, 1960. The program also aired under the title ''Turn of Fate''. ''Alcoa Theatre'' was syndicated together ...

'' *'' Rawhide'' *'' Laramie'' *'' Cimarron City'' *'' Sam Benedict'' *''

'' (numerous episodes, including "Man With A Problem" 1957 and "O Youth and Beauty" 1960) *''

Zane Grey Theater ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Western anthology television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956, until September 20, 1962. Format Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which Four Star F ...

'' *''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' (episode " Still Valley" as Confederate soldier Joseph Paradine) *''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' *''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'' *''

Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...

'' *'' Combat!'' *'' The Outer Limits'' *''

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre ''Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' is an American anthology series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967. The show was hosted by Bob Hope, but it had a variety of formats, including musical, dramatic ...

'' *'' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' *''

The Time Tunnel ''The Time Tunnel'' is an American color science fiction TV series written around a theme of time travel adventure starring James Darren and Robert Colbert. The show was creator-producer Irwin Allen's third science-fiction television series an ...

'' *''

Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...

'' *'' Medical Center'' *''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to commo ...

'' *''

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

'' *'' Movin' On''. *'' The American Adventure'' (narrator, 1972–73) *'' The Valiant Years'' Branded 1965 Romany Round up Part 1 & 2

Radio appearances

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Merrill, Gary 1915 births 1990 deaths Male actors from Maine American male film actors American male radio actors American male television actors Bowdoin College alumni Deaths from cancer in Maine Deaths from lung cancer Maine Democrats People from Falmouth, Maine Male actors from Hartford, Connecticut 20th Century Studios contract players 20th-century American male actors United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Activists for African-American civil rights