Vic Morrow

Vic Morrow was cast to play the second sergeant in the pilot. In an entertainment career that spanned 27 years, Morrow is perhaps most fondly remembered for the role of Sgt. Saunders in Combat!
Vic Morrow was born in the Bronx, New York, on February 14, 1929. Along with a bother and sister, he was raised in a typical, middle class family. At 17, Vic quit high school and joined the Navy. After completing his service, he earned his high school diploma at night school, then enrolled under the G.I. Bill as a pre-law student at Florida Southern College. But the acting bug struck and he forsook law for the stage. Vic studied acting at Mexico City College in 1950, performing in bilingual productions. When he finished college, Vic worked with various theater groups, ultimately joining the New York Actors� Workshop under Paul Mann. Vic studied diligently for two years, driving cabs in his off-hours to pay for classes.

Morrow�s big break came in 1955 in MGM�s The Blackboard Jungle. Critics praised his portrayal of the tough street-kid Artie West, who menaces Glenn Ford, but the role typecast him. Following this success, he had featured roles in the films King Creole, Tribute to a Bad Man, Men in War, God�s Little Acre, Cimarron, and Portrait of a Mobster, in which he portrayed the notorious Dutch Schultz. His desire for realism led him to spend days absorbing criminal lore from Barney Ruditsky, the former New York policeman who helped capture Schultz.

In 1962, Vic�s new manager, Harry Bloom, pushed Vic�s sex appeal and leading man qualities to gain him a screen test for Combat!

Vic escaped his villain image during his five seasons on Combat! Vic used his clout on Combat! to assume the director�s chair, eventually directing six episodes for the series, including the acclaimed two-part, anti-war saga �Hills Are for Heroes.� His other directorial credits include the New York off-Broadway stagings of �Deathwatch� and �The Maids� and the Desilu Professional Theatre Workshop presentation in Hollywood of �The Firstborn,� starring Lorne Green. He later directed the film version of �Deathwatch,� working with long-time friend Leonard Nimoy.

An ABC press biography of Morrow said his professional goals were to attain the same recognition as a writer and director that he enjoyed as an actor. That ambition that eluded him. In 1965, Vic was divorced from his wife of six years, actress Barbara Turner, and became estranged from his children Carrie Ann and Jennifer (actress Jennifer Jason Leigh). This, plus the cancellation of Combat! in 1967, sent him into a personal and professional decline.

Morrow�s image as the �heavy� overtook him in his post-Combat! career. At first, he was in demand as a guest on hit TV series. A starring role in another series was proposed, but he wanted quality films, wanted to develop his own projects, and, most of all, he wanted to continue to direct.

He appeared in supporting roles in mini-series and made-for-TV films, most notably The Glass House and the �Police Story� pilot. Despite critical acclaim for his role in The Bad New Bears, his roles got smaller. He was plagued with misfortunes: a broken second marriage, the death of his beloved mother, a reputation as a heavy drinker, the failure of a his film A Man Called Sledge, and the death of long-time companion Joanne Lee. When offered the chance to appear in a Spielberg film, Vic eagerly accepted. He saw it as a way to revive his film career.

Vic Morrow died in the early morning of July 23, 1982 while filming Twilight Zone: The Movie. As he waded across a river carrying two children, a helicopter crashed beside them, killing all three.

In remembering Morrow, Tom Lowell says, �Vic was very kind to me. Here I was, this young kid, and I was really awe-struck by him. His reputation, not only as an actor, preceded him, but also a person who knows acting. I learned a great deal by watching him. I always tried to listen very carefully when he was working in a scene. I would always ask these stupid questions, which I�m sure is why Peabody would always razz me, and I asked Vic, �What does it feel like to be a movie star?� And he said �I�m not a star, I�m a comet. Because it will burn brighter, but go out faster.�