John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was a Canadian actor. He was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for his performance in ''

All the King's Men ''All the King's Men'' is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South. It was inspired by the real-life story of U ...

'' (1949), making him the first

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

-born actor to receive an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

nomination. Ireland was a supporting actor in several

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

films such as '' My Darling Clementine'' (1946), '' Red River'' (1948), ''

Vengeance Valley ''Vengeance Valley'' is a 1951 American Technicolor Western film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Burt Lancaster, with a supporting cast featuring Robert Walker, Joanne Dru, Sally Forrest, John Ireland and Ray Collins. It is based on ...

'' (1951), and ''

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral The gunfight at the O.K. Corral was a thirty-second shootout between law enforcement officer, lawmen led by Virgil Earp and members of a loosely organized group of outlaws called the Cochise County Cowboys, Cowboys that occurred at about 3: ...

'' (1957). His other film roles include ''

Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprisin ...

'' (1960), '' 55 Days at Peking'' (1963), '' The Adventurers'' (1970), and ''

Farewell, My Lovely ''Farewell, My Lovely'' is a novel by Raymond Chandler, published in 1940, the second novel he wrote featuring the Los Angeles private eye Philip Marlowe. It was adapted for the screen three times and was also adapted for the stage and rad ...

'' (1975). Ireland also appeared in many television series, notably '' The Cheaters'' (1960–62). He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the television industry.

Early life

Ireland was born in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

on January 30, 1914. He lived in New York City from a very early age. Ireland's formal education ended at the 7th grade, and he worked to help his family make ends meet. He never knew his natural father; his mother, a Scottish piano teacher Gracie Ferguson, remarried to Michael Noone, an Irish vaudevillian, and had three other children, a daughter Kathryn, a son named Tommy (the future actor-comedian

Tommy Noonan Tommy Noonan (born Thomas Noone; April 29, 1921 – April 24, 1968) was a comedy genre film performer, screenwriter and producer. He acted in a number of high-profile films as well as B movies from the 1940s through the 1960s, and he is best ...

), and another son, Michael. Their last name was Noone; Ireland never knew for sure where his last name came from. One of his jobs was in a water carnival where he wrestled a dead octopus. He was a swimmer, once competing with

Johnny Weissmuller Johnny Weissmuller (born Johann Peter Weißmüller; June 2, 1904 – January 20, 1984) was an American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He was known for having one of the best competitive swimming records of the 20th century. H ...

. He performed underwater stunts at a carnival and worked as a barker.

Career

Theatre

One day he was passing the Davenport Free Theater in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. He entered, thinking it offered a free show and instead received free training. He slept in a dressing room and was paid a dollar a day to work backstage while rehearsing lines. In 1941 he made his Broadway debut in a production of '' Macbeth'' with Maurice Evans and Judith Anderson. Other Broadway plays followed."John Ireland, 78, Longtime Actor With Role in 'All the King's Men'"
Bruce Lambert, ''THE NEW YORK TIMES'', March 22, 1992

20th Century Fox

Ireland signed with

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

and made his screen-debut as Private Windy, the thoughtful letter-writing GI, in the 1945 war film '' A Walk in the Sun'', directed by

Lewis Milestone Lewis Milestone (born Leib Milstein (Russian: Лейб Мильштейн); September 30, 1895 – September 25, 1980) was a Moldovan-American film director. He is known for directing '' Two Arabian Knights'' (1927) and ''All Quiet on the Weste ...

. This was followed by '' Wake Up and Dream'' (1946); ''

Behind Green Lights ''Behind Green Lights'' is a 1946 American crime film directed by Otto Brower. Plot Police Lieutenant Sam Carson spots Walter Bard's bullet-ridden corpse in a car brazenly left in front of the police station. Carson questions Janet Bradley a ...

'' (1946) with

Carole Landis Carole Landis (born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste; January 1, 1919 – July 5, 1948) was an American actress and singer. She worked as a contract player for Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1940s. Her breakout role was as the female lead in the 1940 ...

; and ''

It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog ''It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog'' is a 1946 American comedy crime film starring Carole Landis, Allyn Joslyn and Margo Woode, and directed by Herbert I. Leeds.Fleming p.270 Synopsis After returning from World War II, a journalist is assigned by h ...

'' (1946), again with Landis. He played

Billy Clanton William Harrison Clanton (1862 – October 26, 1881) was an outlaw Cowboy in Cochise County, Arizona Territory. He, along with his father Newman Clanton and brother Ike Clanton, worked a ranch near the boomtown of Tombstone, Arizona Territor ...

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

's '' My Darling Clementine'' (1946).

Freelance actor and ''Red River''

Ireland had his first lead role in '' Railroaded!'' (1947), directed by Anthony Mann for

Eagle-Lion Eagle-Lion Films was a British-American film production company owned by J. Arthur Rank intended to distribute British productions in the United States. In 1947, it acquired Robert R. Young's PRC Pictures, a small American production company, ...

. He went back to support parts for '' The Gangster'' (1947) for

the King Brothers The King Brothers were a British pop vocal trio popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. They are best remembered for their cover versions of " Standing on the Corner" and " A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)". Career The group was c ...

and '' I Love Trouble'' (1948) for Columbia. Ireland played the lead in ''

Open Secret An open secret is a concept or idea that is "officially" (''de jure'') secret or restricted in knowledge, but in practice (''de facto'') is widely known; or it refers to something that is widely known to be true but which none of the people most i ...

'' (1948) for

, then had a support role in Anthony Mann's classic noir, '' Raw Deal'' (1948). Ireland had a vital support part in Howard Hawks' 1948 film '' Red River'' as the gunslinger Cherry Valance. However, Ireland's part was reduced when Hawks became annoyed with the actor. Ireland was an army captain in the Ingrid Bergman spectacular, ''

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

'' (1948).

''All the King's Men''

In April 1948 Ireland signed a contract with Columbia Pictures at $500 a week going up to $1500 a week. Ireland was nominated for an

as Best Supporting Actor for his forceful performance as Jack Burden, the hard-boiled newspaper reporter who evolves from devotee to cynical denouncer of

demagogue A demagogue (from Greek , a popular leader, a leader of a mob, from , people, populace, the commons + leading, leader) or rabble-rouser is a political leader in a democracy who gains popularity by arousing the common people against elites, ...

Willie Stark ( Broderick Crawford) in ''

'' (1949), making him the first Vancouver-born actor to receive an Academy Award nomination. Ireland was featured as Bob Ford in the low budget ''

I Shot Jesse James ''I Shot Jesse James'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Samuel Fuller about the murder of Jesse James by Robert Ford and Robert Ford's life afterwards. The story is built around a fictional rivalry between Ford and his eventual kill ...

'' (1949) the first movie directed by

Sam Fuller Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and World War II veteran known for directing low-budget genre movies with controversial themes, often made ou ...

. He was a villain in the Western '' Roughshod'' (1949) and a love rival for

Paulette Goddard Paulette Goddard (born Marion Levy; June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an American actress notable for her film career in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Born in Manhattan and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Goddard initially began her career ...

in '' Anna Lucasta'' (1949). In December 1949 Columbia suspended him after walking out after filming one scene on ''One Way Out'' (released as ''

Convicted In law, a conviction is the verdict reached by a court of law finding a defendant guilty of a crime. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that is, "not guilty"). In Scotland, there can also be a verdict of " not proven", which is co ...

''). He sued the studio.

Lippert Pictures Lippert Pictures was an American film production and distribution company controlled by Robert L. Lippert. History Robert L. Lippert (1909-1976) was a successful exhibitor, owning a chain of movie theaters in California and Oregon. He was frustrate ...

gave him the lead in ''

The Return of Jesse James ''The Return of Jesse James'' is a 1950 American western film directed by Arthur Hilton and starring John Ireland, Ann Dvorak and Henry Hull. It was produced and distributed by the independent Lippert Pictures. The film's art direction was by ...

'' (1950) and he appeared opposite his then-wife

Joanne Dru Joanne Dru (born Joan Letitia LaCock;Known as Joan Lacock in th1930 United States census/ref> January 31, 1922 – September 10, 1996) was an American film and television actress, known for such films as '' Red River'', ''She Wore a Yellow Ribbo ...

in support parts in ''

'' (1951) During McCarthyism in the early 50s, he successfully sued two television producers for breach of contract and

slander Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...

, claiming that they reneged on roles promised to him due to his perceived political undesirability, including the lead in a TV series ''The Adventures of Ellery McQueen''. He received an undisclosed but "substantial" cash settlement. Ireland had the leads in some low-budget films: '' The Basketball Fix'' (1951); '' The Scarf'' (1951); '' Little Big Horn'' (1951); ''

The Bushwackers The Bushwhackers are a professional wrestling tag team who competed first as the New Zealand Kiwis and then as The Sheepherders during their 36-year career as a tag team. They wrestled in the WWE, World Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promoti ...

'' (1952); and ''

Hannah Lee ''Hannah Lee'' (also known as ''Outlaw Territory'' and ''Hannah Lee: An American Primitive'') is a 1953 American Western film directed by Lee Garmes and John Ireland. It was originally filmed in stereoscopic 3-D Pathécolor using the twin-Ca ...

'' (1953) with his wife. He directed the latter. That film resulted in a lawsuit against the producers. He went to England to make '' The Good Die Young'' (1954) and supported his wife in '' Southwest Passage'' (1954) and

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was si ...

in ''

Queen Bee A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female ( gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are developed ...

'' (1955).

Director

John Ireland turned director with ''

The Fast and the Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, ...

'' (1955), an early production from

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

; Ireland also starred. He had the lead in the British thriller '' The Glass Cage'' (1955) and the war film ''

Hell's Horizon ''Hell's Horizon'' is a 1955 American war film directed by Tom Gries. The film stars John Ireland and Marla English. ''Hell's Horizon'' recounts the story of a bomber crew in the Korean War. Plot During the Korean War, United States Air Force C ...

'' (1955). He made another for Corman, this time only as an actor – ''

Gunslinger Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the t ...

'' (1956). In July 1955 he signed a contract with Revue to act and direct films for television. In January 1956 he signed to play the lead in the TV series ''Port of Call''. Ireland landed a supporting role as

Johnny Ringo John Peters Ringo (May 3, 1850 – July 13, 1882), known as Johnny Ringo, was an American Old West outlaw loosely associated with the Cochise County Cowboys in frontier boomtown Tombstone, Arizona Territory. He took part in the Mason County ...

in ''

'' (1957), and played a mobster in MGM's ''

Party Girl A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

'' (1958). He had the lead in '' No Place to Land'' (1958), and '' Stormy Crossing'' (1958). In 1959, Ireland appeared as Chris Slade, with

Karl Swenson Karl Swenson (July 23, 1908 – October 8, 1978) was an American theatre, radio, film, and television actor. Early in his career, he was credited as Peter Wayne.

as Ansel Torgin, in the episode "The Fight Back" of the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

western series, ''

Riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...

''. In the storyline, Tom Fowler (

Tom Laughlin Thomas Robert Laughlin Jr. (August 10, 1931 – December 12, 2013) was an American actor, director, screenwriter, author, educator, and activist. Laughlin was best known for his series of ''Billy Jack'' films. He was married to actress D ...

), the boss of the corrupt river town of Hampton near

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vi ...

, blocks farmers from shipping their crops to market. In a dispute over a wedding held on the ''Enterprise'', a lynch-mob led by Fowler comes after series lead-character Grey Holden ( Darren McGavin).

Karl Swenson Karl Swenson (July 23, 1908 – October 8, 1978) was an American theatre, radio, film, and television actor. Early in his career, he was credited as Peter Wayne.

also was cast in this episode.

1960s

In 1959, John guest-appeared on Judy Garland's album, ''The Letter'' for Capitol Records. Ireland had a key role as the gladiator Crixus in the Stanley Kubrick 1960 spectacle ''

'', co-starring with Kirk Douglas. That year he starred as Winch in the western series '' Rawhide'' episode "Incident of the Garden of Eden" and made ''

Faces in the Dark ''Faces in the Dark'' is a 1960 black and white British thriller film directed by David Eady and starring John Gregson, Mai Zetterling and John Ireland. The film is based on the 1952 novel ''Les Visages de l'ombre'' by Boileau-Narcejac. Plot Ri ...

'' (1960) in England. He also appeared in the '' Thriller'' TV series (1960) episode "Papa Benjamin." From 1960 to 1962, he starred in the British television series '' The Cheaters'', playing John Hunter, a claims investigator for an insurance company who tracked down cases of fraud. He supported

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

in ''

Wild in the Country ''Wild in the Country'' is a 1961 American musical–drama film directed by Philip Dunne and starring Elvis Presley, Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld, and Millie Perkins. Based on the 1958 novel ''The Lost Country'' by J. R. Salamanca, the screenplay ...

'' (1961) and had the lead in the British '' Return of a Stranger'' (1961). In 1962, he portrayed the character Frank Trask in the episode "Incident of the Portrait" on '' Rawhide''. Rawhide, S7, EP28 Air date: May 7, 1965, THE SPANISH CAMP" A group of men led by Dr. John Merritt (John Ireland) searching for old Spanish treasure stubbornly refuses to let the cattle drive come through the area of their diggings, even though the herd desperately needs the water in the area. He had a supporting part in '' 55 Days at Peking'' (1963) with Charlton Heston and was

Ballomar Ballomar or Ballomarios (AD 140 – AD 170-180) was a leader of the Marcomanni during the Marcomannic Wars. The name "Ballomar" can be broken down into two Celtic elements, ''ballo-'' meaning "limb, member" (cf. Gaulish ''ball''os Irish ''ball ...

in '' The Fall of the Roman Empire'' (1964), both films shot in Spain by producer

Samuel Bronston Samuel Bronston (March 26, 1908 – January 12, 1994) was a Bessarabian-born American film producer, film director, and a nephew of socialist revolutionary figure, Leon Trotsky. He was also the petitioner in a U.S. Supreme Court case that set a ...

. By the mid-1960s, he was seen as the star of

B-movies A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

, such as ''

I Saw What You Did ''I Saw What You Did'' is a 1965 American thriller film released by Universal Pictures and starring Joan Crawford and John Ireland. The plot follows two teenage girls who find themselves in serious danger after making a prank phone call to a man ...

'' with Crawford. In 1965, he played role of Jed Colby, a trail scout in the final season of '' Rawhide''. In 1966 he starred in the episode "Stage Stop" (S12E10) as abusive husband and stage coach robbery collaborator "Jeb Coombs" on '' Gunsmoke''. In 1967, he appeared as Marshal Will Rimbau on '' Bonanza'' with Michael Landon in the episode "Judgment at Red Creek". A few years later, he again appeared with Landon on two episodes of ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest (Wisconsin, Kansas, ...

'' as a drunk who saves Carrie Ingalls, who had fallen down an abandoned mine shaft in season 3 episode "Little Girl Lost" and season 5 episode "The Winoka Warriors". He had some leads in the

A. C. Lyles Andrew Craddock Lyles Jr. (May 17, 1918 – September 27, 2013) was an American film producer for Paramount Pictures, who is best known for producing a variety of Westerns in the 1950s and '60s. Career Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Lyles began ...

Western ''

Fort Utah Fort Utah (also known as Fort Provo) was the original white settlement at Provo, Utah, United States, and was established March 12, 1849. The original settlers were President John S. Higbee and about 30 families or 150 persons that were sent fr ...

'' (1967), then traveled to Europe to appear in '' Hate for Hate'' (1967), and '' Pistol for a Hundred Coffins'' (1967) and supported in ''

Villa Rides ''Villa Rides'' is a 1968 American Technicolor Western war film in Panavision directed by Buzz Kulik and starring Yul Brynner as Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa and Robert Mitchum as an American adventurer and pilot of fortune. The supporting ...

'' (1968), '' Trusting Is Good... Shooting Is Better'' (1969), ''

One on Top of the Other ''One on Top of the Other'' (Italian: ''Una sull'altra''), also known as ''Perversion Story'', is a 1969 Italian giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci. Written by Fulci and Roberto Gianviti, the film stars Jean Sorel, Marisa Mell, Elsa Martinelli ...

'' (1969), and '' Carnal Circuit'' (1969).

1970s

In 1970, Ireland appeared as Kinroy in the TV western ''The Men From Shiloh'' (rebranded name for '' The Virginian'') in the episode titled "Jenny". Ireland was seen in productions like '' The House of Seven Corpses'' (1974), ''

Salon Kitty Salon Kitty was a high-class Berlin brothel used by the Nazi intelligence service, the ''Sicherheitsdienst'' (SD), for espionage purposes during . Created in the early 1930s, the salon was taken over by SS general Reinhard Heydrich and his sub ...

'' (1976) and ''

Satan's Cheerleaders ''Satan's Cheerleaders'' is a 1977 American comedy horror film directed by Greydon Clark and starring John Ireland, Yvonne De Carlo, and John Carradine.The Adventurers'' (1970), also as a police lieutenant in the

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...

private-eye story ''

'' (1975).

Later career

In 1987, he put an ad in the newspapers stating "I'm an actor... let me act." It led to a role as Jonathan Aaron Cartwright, the younger brother of Ben Cartwright, in the television movie '' Bonanza: The Next Generation''. He was seen in the ''

War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appearance in hardcover was i ...

'' episode "Eye for an Eye" in 1988. Ireland regularly returned to the stage throughout his career and co-directed two features in the 1950s: the acclaimed Western drama ''Hannah Lee'' (1953) and the carjacking B-movie ''

'' (1955).

Personal life

Confidential Magazine cover September 1960 - Tuesday Weld

Occasionally Ireland's name was mentioned in tabloids of the times, in connection with much younger starlets, including

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

, Barbara Payton, and Sue Lyon. He attracted controversy by dating 16-year-old actress

Tuesday Weld Tuesday Weld (born Susan Ker Weld; August 27, 1943) is an American actress and model. She began acting as a child and progressed to mature roles in the late 1950s. She won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1960. Over t ...

when he was 45. Ireland also had an affair with co-star Joan Crawford while on the set of ''

'' (1955). A decade later, Ireland and Crawford co-starred again in William Castle's movie ''

''. He was married three times. His first wife, from 1940 to 1949, was Elaine Sheldon, by whom he had two sons, John and Peter. From 1949 to 1957, he was married to actress

(whose younger brother, entertainer

Peter Marshall Peter Marshall may refer to: Entertainment * Peter Marshall (entertainer) (born 1926), American game show host of ''The Hollywood Squares'', 1966–1981 * Peter Marshall (author, born 1939) (1939–1972), British novelist whose works include ''Th ...

, was originally best known for his comedy act with Ireland's half-brother

). In July 1956, Dru was admitted to hospital with a black eye which she said was accidental but which commonly was believed to have been caused by Ireland. Ireland later was admitted to hospital for taking an overdose of barbiturates. When the couple divorced in 1957 they had over $50,000 in debts. From 1962 until his death, Ireland was married to Daphne Myrick Cameron, with whom he had a daughter named Daphne and a son named Cameron. He has four grandchildren: Pete, Melissa, Jack and Helios. In his later years, he owned the restaurant Ireland's in Santa Barbara, California. An accomplished chef, he regularly worked in the kitchen and concocted Ireland Stew, combining whatever ingredients were available on a given night. He was also a regular at the restaurant's bar, greeting patrons and buying drinks for friends. The restaurant failed. In May 1977, Ireland declared bankruptcy. On March 21, 1992, Ireland died in Santa Barbara, California of

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...

at the age of 78. He is buried at the Santa Barbara Cemetery. For his contribution to the television industry, he was commemorated with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1610 Vine Street.

Filmography

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ireland, John 1914 births 1992 deaths Film directors from Vancouver Male actors from Vancouver Canadian male film actors Canadian male television actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian male stage actors American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American male stage actors Deaths from leukemia Male Western (genre) film actors Canadian emigrants to the United States Deaths from cancer in California Male Spaghetti Western actors 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Canadian male actors Burials at Santa Barbara Cemetery