Myron McCormick (February 8, 1908 – July 30, 1962) was an American

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

of stage, radio, and

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

Early life and education

Born Walter Myron McCormick in Albany, Indiana, in 1908, he was the middle child of Walter P. and Bessie M. McCormick's three children.Digital copy of original enumeration page fro
"The Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920
Albany Town, Delaware County, Indiana, January 2, 1920. United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Washington, D.C. FamilySearch, a genealogical on-line database and public service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved May 30, 2017. His father, according to the federal census of 1920, was a native of Illinois and a manufacturer of tinware. He attended

New Mexico Military Institute New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) is a public military junior college and high school in Roswell, New Mexico. Founded in 1891, NMMI operates under the auspices of the State of New Mexico, under a dedicated Board of Regents that reports t ...

and

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

. At the latter, he was a member of

Phi Beta Kappa Society The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

, gained experience in musical theater and finished as a ''

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

'' graduate.

Stage

McCormick was one of three cast members of the Broadway smash '' South Pacific'' to remain with the show during its nearly five-year run of 1,925 performances. McCormick's performance of sailor Luther Billis won him a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

in 1950 for best supporting or featured actor in a musical. He also won the Donaldson Award for best supporting performance (actor) of 1948–1949. McCormick was prominent as the put-upon Sergeant King in '' No Time for Sergeants'', a military comedy that ran on Broadway from 1955 to 1957. He repeated his role for the 1958 film version starring Andy Griffith. McCormick's other Broadway credits include '' 27 Wagons Full of Cotton'' (1954), ''Joy to the World'' (1947), ''Soldier's Wife'' (1944), ''Storm Operation'' (1943), '' The Damask Cheek'' (1942), ''Lily of the Valley'' (1941), '' Thunder Rock'' (1939), ''In Clover'' (1937), '' The Wingless Victory'' (1936), ''Hell Freezes Over'' (1935), ''How Beautiful with Shoes'' (1935), ''Substitute for Murder'' (1935), ''Paths of Glory'' (1935), and '' Carry Nation'' (1932).

Film

His screen debut came in the 1936 film ''Winterset''. He made only occasional films through the 1940s, his most prominent credit being the huge hit '' Jolson Sings Again'' (1949), featuring Myron McCormick as the man who revives

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, ; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. Self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," Jolson was one of the United States' most famous and ...

's show business career. McCormick also appeared in ''Jigsaw'' (1949) and ''The Man Who Understood Women'' (1959). He portrayed Charlie, the partner of pool shark "Fast Eddie" Felson (

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

) in '' The Hustler'' (1961).

Radio and television

McCormick became a featured performer in the soap opera ''Buck Private and His Girl'' and in many popular radio dramas of the 1940s. He also made guest appearances on numerous television programs of the 1950s/early 1960s, including '' The Untouchables'', '' Naked City'', ''

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 ...

'', '' The Donna Reed Show'', '' Way Out'' and '' The Iceman Cometh (1960 TV production)''. In 1959, he played Joe Saul in Steinbeck's '' Burning Bright'' on '' The Play of the Week'' television series.

Personal life

McCormick was married to actress Martha Hodge and to Barbara MacKenzie.

Death

McCormick died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

on July 30, 1962, from cancer, aged 54. He was survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter.

Filmography

References

External links

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Myron McCormick
in the 1942 play ''Lily of the Valley'' with Katharine Bard {{DEFAULTSORT:McCormick, Myron 1908 births 1962 deaths Male actors from Indiana American male stage actors American male television actors American male radio actors American male film actors Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Donaldson Award winners Tony Award winners 20th-century American male actors People from Albany, Indiana Princeton University alumni Male actors from New York City