Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include '' One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darling Clementine'' (1946), '' Kiss of Death'' (1947), '' Samson and Delilah'' (1949), and '' The Robe'' (1953). He also appeared in many musicals opposite such stars as

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...

and Betty Grable.

Early life

Mature was born in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

. His father, Marcello Gelindo Maturi, later Marcellus George Mature, was a cutler and knife sharpener from Pinzolo, in the Italian part of the former

County of Tyrol The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an Imperial State, estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with th ...

(now

Trentino Trentino (), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento (; ; ), is an Autonomous province#Italy, autonomous province of Italy in the Northern Italy, country's far north. Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the Regions of Italy, region of Tren ...

in Italy, but at that time part of the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

). His mother, Clara P. (Ackley), was

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

-born and of

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

heritage. An older brother, Marcellus Paul Mature, died of

osteomyelitis Osteomyelitis (OM) is the infectious inflammation of bone marrow. Symptoms may include pain in a specific bone with overlying redness, fever, and weakness. The feet, spine, and hips are the most commonly involved bones in adults. The cause is ...

in 1918 at age 11. His only sister, Isabelle, was born and died in 1906. Mature attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky, the Kentucky Military Institute, and the Spencerian Business School. He briefly sold candy and operated a restaurant before moving to California.

Career

Pasadena Playhouse

Mature studied and acted at the Pasadena Community Playhouse. For three years, he lived in a tent in the back yard of Mrs Willigan, the mother of a fellow student, Catherine Lewis. He was spotted by Charles R. Rogers, an agent for

Hal Roach Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr. Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter, ...

, while acting in a production of ''To Quito and Back''. Rogers called him "a rival to

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

, Robert Taylor and

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

." Mature signed a seven-year contract with Roach in September 1939.

Hal Roach

Roach cast Mature in a small role in '' The Housekeeper's Daughter'' (1939), for which one reviewer called him "a handsome Tarzan type". Roach then gave Mature his first leading role, as a fur-clad

caveman The caveman is a stock character representative of primitive humans in the Paleolithic. The popularization of the type dates to the early 20th century, when Neanderthals were influentially described as " simian" or " ape-like" by Marcellin B ...

in '' One Million B.C.'' (1940). The film was highly publicized and it raised Mature's profile;

Hedda Hopper Elda Furry (May 2, 1885February 1, 1966), known professionally as Hedda Hopper, was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, more than 35 million people read her columns. A strong supporter of the Hous ...

called him "a sort of miniature Johnny Weissmuller". Roach next put him in a swashbuckler set during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, '' Captain Caution'' (1940). Because Hal Roach only made a handful of movies every year, he loaned out Mature's services to RKO, who used him as a leading man in the

Anna Neagle Dame Florence Marjorie Wilcox (''née'' Robertson; 20 October 1904 – 3 June 1986), known professionally as Anna Neagle, was an English stage and film actress, singer, and dancer. She was a successful box-office draw in British cinema for 2 ...

–

Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox Order of the British Empire, CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and film director, director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best know ...

musical, '' No, No, Nanette''. The studio people were so pleased with his performance that they bought an option to take over half of Mature's contract with Hal Roach, enabling them to draw on his services for two films a year over three years. Wilcox wanted to reunite Mature with Neagle in '' Sunny''. Roach announced Mature would support Victor McLaglen in '' Broadway Limited'', but Mature was not cast in the final film.

''Lady in the Dark''

Mature was worried about the direction of his career at this stage, claiming "nobody was going to believe I could do anything except grunt and groan," so he went to New York City to try the theatre. He signed to appear in a play with the Group Theatre, ''Retreat to Pleasure'' by

Irwin Shaw Irwin Shaw (February 27, 1913 – May 16, 1984) was an American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and short-story author whose written works have sold more than 14 million copies. He is best known for two of his novels: '' The Young Lions'' (1 ...

. Shortly afterward it was announced he would appear instead in the musical '' Lady in the Dark'' with a book by Moss Hart and songs from

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the ...

and

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (; ; March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for hi ...

; Mature played Randy Curtis, a film star boyfriend of the show's protagonist, magazine editor Liza Elliott ( Gertrude Lawrence). Mature later described his role:

First, this secretary came out saying 'What a beautiful hunk of man!' Then
Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; ; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer, and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire novelty songs. Kaye starred ...
topped that with a long, long introductory number. Finally, I made my entrance. John Barrymore told me I was the only person who could have followed up on all that.

The musical debuted on Broadway in January 1941 and was a smash hit, making a star of

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; ; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer, and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire novelty songs. Kaye starred ...

and

Macdonald Carey Edward Macdonald Carey (March 15, 1913 – March 21, 1994) was an American actor, best known for his role as the patriarch Dr. Tom Horton on NBC's soap opera '' Days of Our Lives''. For almost three decades, he was the show's central cast membe ...

and causing fresh appreciation for Mature's talents. His performance was well received,

Brooks Atkinson Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theater critic. He worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of his ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' calling him "unobjectionably handsome and affable". The description of Randy Curtis in the musical – "Beautiful Hunk of Man" – would be frequently used to describe Mature throughout his career. Mature missed some of the run due to an emergency appendectomy, but played the role until June.

20th Century Fox

When Mature left ''Lady in the Dark'', he announced that half of his contract with Hal Roach had been bought out by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

. His first film under the contract was to be ''Bowery Nightingale'' with Alice Faye. He was going to follow that with '' The Shanghai Gesture'' for Arnold Pressburger and

Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg (; born Jonas Sternberg; May 29, 1894 – December 22, 1969) was an American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the Silent film, silent to the Sound film, sound era, during which he worked with mos ...

at United Artists. ''Bowery Nightingale'' was not made, so Fox instead assigned Mature to appear in a thriller with Faye, '' I Wake Up Screaming'' (which had a working title of ''Hot Spot''); Faye ended up being replaced with Betty Grable. Filming of ''The Shanghai Gesture'' was postponed to enable Mature to finish ''Screaming'', which was a popular success. ''The Shanghai Gesture'' also proved popular. Mature was announced for a Fox musical, ''Highway to Hell'', which ended up being postponed; instead, he replaced John Payne in a Betty Grable musical, '' Song of the Islands'' (Mature was replaced in turn on ''Highway'' by Cesar Romero). Mature was paid $450 a week under his contract with Roach for ''Shanghai Gesture'', but Roach received $3750 a week for Mature's services. Roach received $22,000 for Mature in ''Song of the Islands'', but Mature was paid $4,000. He asked for a pay increase of $1,250 a week. RKO wanted Mature for ''Passage to Bordeaux'' and Josef von Sternberg wanted him for ''Lady Paname''. Instead, Mature made another musical for Fox, supporting

in '' My Gal Sal'' (a role originally meant for

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, repertory theatre, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 19 ...

). In November 1941, Fox bought out the four years remaining on Mature's contract with Hal Roach for $80,000. (This included loan out provisions to RKO.) Roach had not wanted to sell, but he was in financial difficulties and his backers insisted. Mature would be paid $1,500 a week. He had also had six commitments with RKO. "The studio oxwill have to make a success of me," Mature said. "I wasn't pampered the way a

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...

was," Mature recalled later of his time at Fox. "Zanuck would say, 'If you're not careful, I'll give you Mature for your next picture'." Fox talked of reuniting Hayworth and Mature in a Russian set war film ''Ski Patrol''. Instead, Mature was lent to RKO for a musical with

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

, '' Seven Days' Leave''. This was followed by '' Footlight Serenade'' with Grable and Payne. All these films were very popular at the box office.

World War II

In July 1942, Mature attempted to enlist in the U.S. Navy but was rejected for color blindness. He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard after taking a different eye test the same day. He was assigned to , which was part of the Greenland Patrol. This meant that when Paramount filmed '' Lady in the Dark'', Mature was unable to reprise his stage role. After 14 months aboard ''Storis'', Mature was promoted to the

rating A rating is an evaluation or assessment of something, in terms of a metric (e.g. quality, quantity, a combination of both,...). Rating or rating system may also refer to: Business and economics * Credit rating, estimating the credit worthiness ...

of chief boatswain's mate. In 1944, he did a series of

war bond War bonds (sometimes referred to as victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are Security (finance)#Debt, debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an un ...

tours and acted in morale-boosting shows. He assisted Coast-Guard recruiting efforts by being a featured player in the musical revue ''Tars and Spars'', which opened in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, Florida, in April 1944 and toured the United States for the next year. In May 1945, Mature was reassigned to the Coast-Guard-manned troop transport , which was involved in transferring troops to the Pacific Theater. Mature was honorably discharged from the Coast Guard in November 1945 and he resumed his acting career.Wise, James E., Jr. and Anne Collier Rehill. ''Stars in Blue''. Naval Institute Press, 1997, p. 201. .

Resumption of career

Victor Mature in Cry of the City trailer

In December 1945, Mature signed a new two-year contract with Fox. Fox assigned him to '' Three Little Girls in Blue'', but he was removed in order to play

Philip Marlowe Philip Marlowe ( ) is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler who was characteristic of the hardboiled crime fiction genre. The genre originated in the 1920s, notably in '' Black Mask'' magazine, in which Dashiell Hammett's The Cont ...

in an adaptation of '' The High Window''. However, Mature withdrew from the project and was cast by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

in 20th Century-Fox's '' My Darling Clementine'', playing Doc Holliday opposite Henry Fonda's

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman in the American West, including Dodge City, Kansas, Dodge City, Wichita, Kansas, Wichita, and Tombstone, Arizona, Tombstone. Earp was involved in the gunfight ...

. Fox production head Darryl Zanuck considered it to be one of Mature's finest performances. Speaking of Mature to Ford, Zanuck said: Zanuck promised Mature that he would not assign him to musicals. Mature was cast in the period thriller '' Moss Rose'' and received a $50,000 bonus after shooting ended. His next film was the

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

'' Kiss of Death'', which had been developed specifically as a vehicle for him. While still at Fox, Mature replaced John Payne in the Western film '' Fury at Furnace Creek,'' costarring with Coleen Gray, who had also starred in ''Kiss of Death'' with Mature. Fox announced plans to team them for a third time in a remake of '' Seventh Heaven'', but the film did not materialize. Instead, he costarred with

Richard Conte Nicholas Peter Conte (March 24, 1910 – April 15, 1975), known professionally as Richard Conte, was an American actor. He was known for his starring roles in films noir and crime dramas during the 1940s and 1950s, including '' Call Northside ...

in '' Cry of the City,'' a thriller directed by

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German Jewish film director. His career spanned some 40 years, working extensively in the United States and France, as well as in his native country. Though he worked in many genres, he was ...

. Mature's performance as a world-weary cop was widely praised; one reviewer noted that he "turns in an excellent performance, arguably the best of his career." Mature still had a pre-war obligation to make a film at RKO. He was announced for ''

Battleground A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...

'' before being cast in ''Interference,'' a serious drama about football that would become '' Easy Living'' in 1949, starring Lucille Ball.

''Samson and Delilah''

Mature's career received a massive lift when he was borrowed by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

at Paramount to play the lead in the $3.5 million biblical spectacular ''Samson and Delilah''. De Mille described the role of

Samson SAMSON (Software for Adaptive Modeling and Simulation Of Nanosystems) is a computer software platform for molecular design being developed bOneAngstromand previously by the NANO-D group at the French Institute for Research in Computer Science an ...

as “a combination

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, a feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer. Creat ...

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

, and

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

.” Mature was reluctant to take the role at first out of fear of risking his new postwar reputation as a serious actor, but he changed his mind. During filming, Mature was frightened by a number of the animals and mechanical props used in the production, including the lions, the wind machine, the swords and even the water. This infuriated the director, DeMille, who bellowed through his megaphone at the assembled cast and crew:

“I have met a few men in my time. Some have been afraid of heights, some have been afraid of water, some have been afraid of fire, some have been afraid of closed spaces. Some have even been afraid of open spaces – or themselves. But in all my 35 years of picture-making experience, Mr. Mature, I have not until now met a man who was 100 percent yellow.”

While ''Samson'' was in postproduction, Paramount used Mature in another film, co-starring with

Betty Hutton Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg; February 26, 1921 – March 12, 2007) was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. She rose to fame in the 1940s as a contract player for Paramount Pictures, appea ...

in '' Red, Hot and Blue'', his first musical in a number of years. It was not particularly popular, and ''Easy Living'' was a flop, but ''Samson and Delilah'' earned over $12 million during its original run, making it the most popular movie of the 1940s, and responsible for ushering in a cycle of spectacles set in the ancient world. Mature returned to Fox and was put in a popular musical with Betty Grable, '' Wabash Avenue''. It was directed by

Henry Koster Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran. Early life Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to cin ...

who recalled Mature was "nice to work with, amusing. He very much looked out for his money always."

RKO

In late 1949, Mature was meant to fulfill another commitment at RKO, ''Alias Mike Fury'' (the new title for ''Mr Whiskers''). Mature refused to make the movie and was put on suspension by Fox. The script was rewritten and Mature ended up making the film, which was retitled '' Gambling House''. Back at Fox, he supported Ann Sheridan in a comedy, ''Stella''. In 1949, he was directed by

Jacques Tourneur Jacques Tourneur (; ; November 12, 1904 – December 19, 1977) was a French-American filmmaker, active during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known as an auteur of stylish and atmospheric genre films, many of them for RKO Pictures, including ...

in '' Easy Living''. In September 1950, he was making a film in Montana about fire fighters, ''Wild Winds'', for Fox with John Lund. Mature injured himself in a motorcycle accident . After Lund was stung by a wasp and the location was snowed in, it was decided to abandon the film. (It was later filmed with new stars as '' Red Skies of Montana''.) Mature took a number of months off, before returning to filmmaking with '' The Las Vegas Story'', with Jane Russell at RKO. RKO released – but did not produce – Mature's next film, '' Androcles and the Lion'', an adaptation of the play by

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

with Mature as a Roman centurion. Like ''Las Vegas Story'', it was a box-office failure. Far more popular was a musical he made at

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

, ''Million Dollar Mermaid'' with

Esther Williams Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...

, a biopic of Annette Kellermann, playing Kellermann's promoter husband. According to Williams's autobiography, she and Mature had a romantic relationship. Back at Fox, Mature was meant to be reteamed with Betty Grable in a musical, ''The Farmer Takes a Wife'', but the studio instead reassigned him to a comedy with Patricia Neal, '' Something for the Birds''. Back at RKO, Mature was meant to star in '' Split Second'', but instead was reteamed with

Jean Simmons Jean Merilyn Simmons (31 January 1929 – 22 January 2010) was a British actress and singer. One of J. Arthur Rank's "well-spoken young starlets", she appeared predominantly in films, beginning with those made in Britain during and after the ...

in the romantic drama '' Affair with a Stranger''. RKO still wanted him for ''Split Second'', but instead Fox put him in a

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

film, '' The Glory Brigade''. He followed this with a movie at Universal, '' The Veils of Bagdad''. The release of this was held up until after that of Mature's next film, ''The Robe''.

''The Robe''

''The Robe'' had been in development in Hollywood for over a decade. In December 1952, Mature signed to play Demetrius in two movies, ''The Robe'' and a sequel, ''Demetrius and the Gladiators''. The films were shot consecutively. ''The Robe'', the first

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

movie to be released (ahead of ''How to Marry a Millionaire'', which was actually the first film shot in the new process), was an enormous success, one of the most popular movies of all time. ''Veils of Bagdad'' was not as popular, but ''Demetrius and the Gladiators'' was another hit. Back at RKO, Mature made ''Dangerous Mission'' for producer

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen; June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genr ...

. He travelled to Holland in September 1953 to support

and

Lana Turner Julia Jean "Lana" Turner ( ; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over a career spanning nearly five decades, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized personal life. ...

in a World War Two film made at MGM, '' Betrayed'', another popular success. Fox put Mature into another ancient history spectacle, ''The Egyptian''. He was originally meant to co-star with

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

and

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...

. Mature renewed his contract with Fox for another year, his 12th at that studio. ''The Egyptian'' ended up starring Mature with

Edmund Purdom Edmund Cutlar Purdom (19 December 19261 January 2009)

and Michael Wilding, plus Bella Darvi; it was a box-office disappointment. Mature went over to Universal to play the title role in ''Chief Crazy Horse'', in exchange for a fee and a percentage of the profits.

End of contract with Fox

Fox wanted Mature to support

and

Susan Hayward Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrener; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American actress best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories. After working as a fashion model for the Walter Clarence Thornton, Walt ...

in '' Untamed'' (1955), but Mature refused, claiming he had worked for two years and wanted a vacation. The studio replaced him with Richard Egan and put him under what they called a "friendly" suspension. In 1954, Mature signed a two-picture deal with Columbia Pictures, giving him script and co-star approval, at $200,000 a film. The first movie he made under this contract was '' The Last Frontier'' (1955). Before he started making that, however, he was called back to Fox to appear in the heist thriller, '' Violent Saturday''. This was the last movie he made at Fox.

United Artists and Warwick Productions

In March 1955, while making ''Last Frontier'', Mature announced he had also signed a contract with

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

for them to finance and distribute six films over five years for Mature's own company. In May 1955, Mature signed a two-picture contract with Warwick Productions. Warwick was an English company that had success making films aimed at the international market with American stars; they released their films in the USA through Columbia Pictures. The first of Mature's films for Warwick was to be ''Zarak''. He ended up making ''Safari'' beforehand, a tale of the Mau Mau, filming on location in Kenya. Both ''Safari'' and ''Zarak'' were successful. Sam Goldwyn Jr, hired him to make ''The Sharkfighters'', released through United Artists and shot on location in Cuba. He was back with Warwick for ''Interpol'', reteaming him with his ''Zarak'' co-star, Anita Ekberg, filmed in locations throughout Europe. In London, he made ''The Long Haul'', a truck-driving drama with

Diana Dors Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer. Dors came to public notice as a Bombshell (slang), blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Mamie Van ...

, the second film under his deal with Columbia. Mature finally made a movie for his own production company, Romina Productions, in conjunction with United Artists and Batjac Productions: '' China Doll'', directed by

Frank Borzage Frank Borzage ( né Borzaga; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an American film director and actor. He was the first person to win the Academy Awards, Academy Award for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director for his film ''7th Heaven ...

, with Mature as co-producer. Mature and Borzage announced they would also make ''The Incorrigibles'' and ''Vaults of Heaven''. Mature signed to make two more films with Warwick Productions, ''

No Time to Die ''No Time to Die'' is a 2021 spy thriller film and the twenty-fifth in the List of James Bond films, ''James Bond'' series, and the fifth and final to star Daniel Craig as fictional British MI6 agent Portrayal of James Bond in film, James Bon ...

'' (Tank Force) and ''The Man Inside''. He ended up only making the first, a World War II film with Libyan locations; Jack Palance took his role in ''The Man Inside''. Mature made another movie for Romina and Batjac, a Western, '' Escort West''. It was released by United Artists, which also distributed ''

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census. ...

'', a

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...

adventure tale that Mature made for producer Edward Small and director

. Mature was reunited with producer Irwin Allen for '' The Big Circus'', shot in early 1959. He then made his second film for Warwick under his two-picture contract with them, '' The Bandit of Zhobe''. Mature was developing a project called ''Cain and Able'' around this time but it was never made. In 1959 Warwick's Irving Allen said "You think I employ Victor Mature because I like that big lug? I employ him because he brings in the money and he isn't a genius boy." Mature followed this with an Italian peplum, aka "sword-and-sandal" movie, ''Hannibal'', playing the title role. It was shot in Italy, as was '' The Tartars'' with

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

. Mature then retired from acting. In a 1978 interview, Mature said of his decision to retire from acting at age 46: "It wasn't fun anymore. I was OK financially so I thought what the hell – I'll become a professional loafer."

Retirement

After five years of retirement, he was lured back into acting by the opportunity to parody himself in '' After the Fox'' (1966), co-written by

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He received three ...

. Mature played "Tony Powell," an aging American actor who is living off his reputation from his earlier body of work. In a similar vein in 1968, he played a giant, The Big Victor, in ''

Head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...

'', a movie starring

The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

. Mature was famously self-deprecatory about his acting skills. Once, after being rejected for membership in a country club because he was an actor, he cracked, "I'm not an actor — and I've got 64 films to prove it!" He was quoted in 1968 on his acting career: "Actually, I am a golfer. That is my real occupation. I never was an actor. Ask anybody, particularly the critics." He came out of retirement again in 1971 to star in '' Every Little Crook and Nanny'' and again in 1976 along with many other former Hollywood stars in '' Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood''. His last feature film appearance was a cameo as a millionaire in '' Firepower'' in 1979, while his final acting role was that of Samson's father Manoah in the TV movie '' Samson and Delilah'' in 1984. In a 1971 interview, Mature quipped about his decision to retire:

I was never that crazy about acting. I had a compulsion to earn money, not to act. So, I worked as an actor until I could afford to retire. I wanted to quit while I could still enjoy life ... I like to loaf. Everyone told me I would go crazy or die if I quit working. Yeah? Well, what a lovely way to die.

In 1980, he said he was "pretty proud of about 50% of my motion pictures. ''Demetrius and the Gladiators'' wasn't bad. ''The Robe'' and ''Samson and Delilah'' weren't bad. I made 72 of them and I made close to $18 million. So what the hell.""No Lions to Slay at Rancho Santa Fe" Tedrick, Dan. ''Los Angeles Times'' May 29, 1980: sd_a6 He said in the same interview his favorite actors were

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...

, and especially

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor most famous during the 1970s and 1980s. He became well known in television series such as ''Gunsmoke'' (1962–1965), '' Hawk'' (1966) and '' Dan Augus ...

Personal life

Mature was married five times. * Frances Charles (1938–1940, annulled) * Martha Stephenson Kemp, the widow of bandleader

Hal Kemp James Hal Kemp (March 27, 1904 – December 21, 1940) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, composer, and arranger. Biography Hal Kemp was born in Marion, Alabama. He formed his first band in high school, and by the ...

, (1941–1943, divorced) * Dorothy Stanford Berry (1948–1955, divorced) * Adrienne Joy Urwick (1959–1969, divorced) * Loretta Gaye Sebena, an opera singer (1974 until his death) – with whom he had his only child, daughter Victoria (born 1975). Victoria became an opera singer like her mother. He was also engaged to

, before she married

, and to Anne Shirley.

Death

Mature died of

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

in 1999 at his Rancho Santa Fe, California home at the age of 86. He was buried in the family plot, marked by a replica of the Angel of Grief, at St. Michael's Cemetery in his hometown of

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

. For his contribution to the motion-picture industry, Mature has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

located at 6780 Hollywood Boulevard.

Critical appraisal

David Thomson wrote a critical appraisal of Mature in his book ''The New Biographical Dictionary of Film'':

Mature is an uninhibited creature of the naive. Simple, crude, and heady – like ketchup or treacle – he is a diet scorned by the knowing, but obsessive if succumbed to in error. It is too easy to dismiss Mature, for he surpasses badness. He is a strong man in a land of hundred pound weaklings, an incredible concoction of beef steak, husky voice, and brilliantine – a barely concealed sexual advertisement for soiled goods. Remarkably, he is as much himself in the cheerfully meretricious and the pretentiously serious. Such a career has no more pattern than a large ham; it slices consistently forever. The more lurid or distasteful the art the better Mature comes across.

Filmography

Theatre credits

* ''Back to Methuselah'' by

– Pasadena Playhouse, August 1938 * ''Autumn Crocus'' – Pasadena Playhouse September–October 1938 * ''Paradise Plantation'' – Pasadena Playhouse November 1938 * ''To Quito and Back'' by

Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplays and play ...

– Pasadena Playhouse April 1939 * '' Lady in the Dark'' – Alvin Theatre, Jan–June 1941

Radio appearances

References in popular culture

In 1985, at the Uptown Lounge in

Athens, Georgia Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an Research I university, ...

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...

performed under the pseudonym Hornets Attack Victor Mature. "We sent a press release that said it was a combination of

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...

and

Joy Division Joy Division were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...

," explained

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.; he played the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his caree ...

. "God knows how we got a date, but we did." The name was used after Buck spotted it in a 'Name Your Band' article in ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

''. It told of a Los Angeles band who had taken their name from a newspaper headline describing an incident where furious wasps had ganged up on the actor during a round of golf. The band had since opted for something a little more West Coast, so Buck considered Hornets Attack Victor Mature to be fair game. "I figured anyone who'd pay money to see a band with a name that silly is our kind of person."''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'', 1985

References

External links

* *
Photos of Victor Mature in ''The Shanghai Gesture''
by Ned Scott
Mature's Matinee – The Victor Mature Fan Club and Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mature, Victor 1913 births 1999 deaths 20th Century Studios contract players 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American male television actors American people of Italian descent American people of Swiss descent Deaths from leukemia in California Male actors from Louisville, Kentucky People from Rancho Santa Fe, California Radio personalities from Louisville, Kentucky St. Xavier High School (Louisville) alumni United States Coast Guard non-commissioned officers United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II