Tom Gilson (

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 ...

; January 6, 1934 –

Van Nuys Van Nuys ( ) is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1 ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

; October 6, 1962) was an American actor in TV and occasional films from the 1950s.

Biography

Born in

, the tall, powerfully built Gilson played roles in TV western series such as ''

Maverick Maverick or Maveric may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bureau T-32 M ...

'', '' Lawman'', ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series starring Dale Robertson in 201 episodes that aired from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until i ...

'', ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was bo ...

'' and ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

'', but perhaps his best-remembered part was in an episode of the classic

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

The Phil Silvers Show ''The Phil Silvers Show'', originally titled ''You'll Never Get Rich'', is a sitcom which ran on the CBS Television Network from 1955 to 1959. A pilot titled "Audition Show" was made in 1955, but it was never broadcast. 143 other episodes wer ...

'', in which he played a variation on

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 ...

named "Elvin Pelvin." In 1960 Gilson appeared as Deputy Sheriff Babe Riker on ''

'' in the episode titled "Alibi for the Scalped Man." Gilson married

Saundra Edwards Saundra Edwards (March 12, 1938 – June 2, 2017) was an American actress and model. Career Edwards was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for the March 1957 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Peter Gowland. In addition to her ...

(both appear in the film The Crowded Sky, he a passenger and she a flight attendant) in 1961 and they had a son, Tom Jr, but the marriage was stormy and ill-fated, and Edwards left Gilson and moved to her sister's house in

Van Nuys, California Van Nuys ( ) is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Van Nuys City Hall, Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley ...

. After apparent drunken behavior and death threats, Gilson broke into the house, and Edwards shot him dead, fearing for the safety of herself, her son from a previous marriage, and her baby son. Although a coroner's jury later judged the killing as

justifiable homicide The concept of justifiable homicide in criminal law is a defense to culpable homicide (criminal or negligent homicide). Generally, there is a burden to produce exculpatory evidence in the legal defense of justification. In most countries, ...

, Edwards' own career never recovered, and she never appeared in another film or TV program.

Television

References

Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen
Sandra Edwards biography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilson, Tom 1934 births 1962 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Deaths by firearm in California Male actors from New York City