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 and television), drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story (and subsequent 1949 radio drama) "The Wisdom of E ...

'' and married his costar

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

Early life

Merrill was born in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

, and attended

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. It was chartered in 1794. The main Bowdoin campus is located near Casco Bay and the Androscoggin River. In a ...

Brunswick, Maine Brunswick is a New England town, town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. Brunswick is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 21,756 at the 2020 United States Census. Part o ...

, and Trinity College 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 The ''Winged Victory of Samothrace'', or the ''Niké of Samothrace'', is a Votive offering, votive monument originally discovered on the island of Samothrace in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It is a masterpiece of Greek sculpture from the Helleni ...

''.

Career

Before entering films, Merrill's deep cultured voice won him a recurring role as Bruce Wayne / Batman 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. He played a detective and love interest of Barbara Stanwyck's character in '' Witness to Murder'' (1954). 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 retired actress, beginning a film career in the 1930s and 1940s in such films as A Christmas Carol (1938 film), ''A Christmas Carol'' and ''Meet Me in St. Louis''. She appeared primarily in 1950 ...

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'' with Michael Parks 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, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'', in November 1963 he starred with Phyllis Thaxter and Fess Parker (''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 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 beyo ...

'') in an episode of ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' ("Nothing Ever Happens in Linvale"). In 1964, he starred as city editor 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) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

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 and death

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 from 1980 to 1981, a United States Senator from Maine from 1 ...

as governor of

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

. He also took part in the

Selma to Montgomery marches The Selma to Montgomery marches were three Demonstration (protest), protest marches, held in 1965, along the highway from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery. The marches were organized by Nonviolence, nonvi ...

in 1965 to promote Black voter registration. In response to U.S. President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

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 metropolitan area. A northern suburb of Portland, Falmouth borders Casco Bay a ...

, 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 film, musical comedy film produced by Jack L. Warner and Hal B. Wallis and directed by Michael Curtiz, adapted from This Is the Army (musical), the wartime stage musical of the same name, d ...

'' (1943) - Backstage Military Policeman on Right (uncredited) *''

'' (1944) - Captain McIntyre *'' Slattery's Hurricane'' (1949) - Commander E.T. Kramer *'' Twelve O'Clock High'' (1949) - Colonel Keith Davenport *'' Mother Didn't Tell Me'' (1950) - Doctor Peter Roberts *'' Where the Sidewalk Ends'' (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) - Lieutenant Commander Pete Vincent *'' Another Man's Poison'' (1951) - George Bates *'' Decision Before Dawn'' (1951) - Colonel Devlin *'' Phone Call from a Stranger'' (1952) - David Trask *'' The Girl in White'' (1952) - Dr. Seth Pawling *'' Night Without Sleep'' (1952) - Richard Morton *'' A Blueprint for Murder'' (1953) - Fred Sargent *'' Witness to Murder'' (1954) - Lawrence Mathews *'' The Black Dakotas'' (1954) - Brock Marsh, posing as Zachary Paige *'' The Human Jungle'' (1954) - Police Captain John Danforth *'' Navy Wife'' (1956) - Jack Blain *'' Bermuda Affair'' (1956) - Bob Scoffield *'' The Missouri Traveler'' (1958) - Doyle Magee *'' Crash Landing'' (1958) - Captain Steve Williams *'' The Wonderful Country'' (1959) - Major Stark Colton *'' The Savage Eye'' (1960) - The Poet *'' The Great Impostor'' (1961) - Pa Demara *'' The Pleasure of His Company'' (1961) - James Dougherty *'' Mysterious Island'' (1961) - Gideon Spilitt *'' A Girl Named Tamiko'' (1962) - Max Wilson *''Hong Kong un Addio'' (1963) (''Farewell to Hong Kong'') *''The Searching Eye'' (Short) (1964) - Narrator *''

Catacombs Catacombs are man-made underground passages primarily used for religious purposes, particularly for burial. Any chamber used as a burial place is considered a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etym ...

'' (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 May ...

'' (1966) - Dr. LaSatier *'' Around the World Under the Sea'' (1966) - Dr. August 'Gus' Boren *'' The Last Challenge'' (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'' (1969) as Ingegner Andrea Soriani *''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'' (1977) - Street Man *''

The Seekers The Seekers were an Australian folk music, folk-influenced pop music, pop group 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 Unit ...

'' (1979) - Captain Hull

Television, partial

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 written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different ca ...

. Among the programs he appeared in were: *'' The 20th Century-Fox Hour'' (1956) **(Season 1 Episode 8: "Yacht on the High Sea") as Alan Byrnes **(Season 1 Episode 10: "Crack-Up") as David Trask *''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'' (1957) (Season 1 Episode 11: "The Zeke Thomas Story") as Zeke Thomas *'' The Jane Wyman Show'' (1958) (Season 3 Episode 23: "The Last Test") as Dicksen *'' Studio 57'' (1958) (Season 4 Episode 17: "The Starmaker") *'' Studio One'' (1958) (Season 10 Episode 45: "The Lady Died at Midnight") as Paul Gormay *'' Cimarron City'' (1958) (Season 1 Episode 5: "Medicine Man") as Joshua Newton *''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

'' **(Season 1 Episode 28: "If You Knew Elizabeth") (1957) as Walter Hubbard **(Season 3 Episode 17: "A Quiet Game of Cards") (1959) as McBurnie **(Season 3 Episode 29: "A Corner of the Garden") (1959) as Louis *'' Alcoa Theatre'' (1959) (Season 2 Episode 17: "The Best Way to Go") as Dick Bowen *'' Rawhide'' (1959) (Season 1 Episode 17: "Incident of Fear in the Streets") as Jed Mason *'' Laramie'' (1959) (Season 1 Episode 14: "The Lonesome Gun") as Ed Farrell *''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

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

'' **(Season 2 Episode 18: "The Manacled") (1955) as Sergeant Rockwell **(Season 3 Episode 25: "Flight to the East") (1958) as Ted Franklin **(Season 4 Episode 7: "Man with a Problem") (1958) as Carl Adams **(Season 4 Episode 36: "Invitation to an Accident") (1959) as Joseph Pond **(Season 6 Episode 8: "Youth and Beauty") (1960) as Cash Bentley *''

Zane Grey Theater ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Westerns on television, Western anthology television series broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956 until May 18, 1961. Synopsis Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which ...

'' **(Season 1 Episode 27: "Badge of Honor") (1957) as Colonel Boyd Nelson **(Season 2 Episode 6: "The Promise") (1957) as Noah Rawlins **(Season 2 Episode 29: "Utopia, Wyoming") (1958) as Luke Cannon **(Season 5 Episode 27: "The Release") (1961) as Ken Kenyon *''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' is 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 ...

'' **(Season 6 Episode 28: "God Is My Judge") (1958) as McMasters **(Season 10 Episode 11: "Money and the Minister") (1961) as John Dwight *''

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 ...

'' (1961) (Season 1 Episode 20: "A Matter of Conscience") as Ernie Stone *'' Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years'' (1960-1963) as Narrator *''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama television 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 ...

'' (1963) (Season 2 Episode 17: "Use Neon for My Epitaph") as Miles Houghton *'' Combat!'' (1963) (Season 1 Episode 30: "The Walking Wounded") as Captain August *'' Sam Benedict'' (1963) (Season 1 Episode 18: "Boiling Point") as Sergeant Bill Merriman *''

'' (1963) **(Season 1 Episode 20: "The Paragon") as John Pemberton **(Season 2 Episode 6: "Nothing Ever Happens in Linvale") as Harry Jarvis *'' The Outer Limits'' (1963) (Season 1 Episode 8) as Dr. James Hamilton / Major Roger Brothers *'' Branded'' (1965) **(Season 2 Episode 13: "Romany Roundup: Part 1") as Aaron Shields **(Season 2 Episode 14: "Romany Roundup: Part 2") as Aaron Shields *'' Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' (1965) (Season 3 Episode 8: "The Highest Fall of All") as John Perry *'' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' (1966) (Season 2 Episode 24: "The Menfish") as Park *''

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

'' (1966) (Season 1 Episode 1: "Rendezvous with Yesterday") as Senator Leroy Clark *'' Marcus Welby, M.D.'' (1970) (Season 2 Episode 2: "The Worth of a Man") as Orlando 'Cord' Corday *'' Medical Center'' (1973) (Season 4 Episode 23: "Fatal Memory") as Jason Norman *''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

'' (1974) (Season 2 Episode 15: "The Way of Violence Has No Mind") as Dan Hoyle *''

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 during th ...

'' (1976) (Season 5 Episode 18: "Revenge") as Andrew McGill *'' Movin' On'' **(Season 1 Episode 7: "The Good Life") (1974) as Paul Lorimer **(Season 2 Episode 8: "Prosperity #1") (1975) as Samson *'' The American Adventure'' (narrator, 1972–73)

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 lung cancer in Maine 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