John Saxon

John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor and martial artist who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Westerns and horror films, often playing police officers and detectives.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Saxon studied acting with Stella Adler before beginning his career as a contract actor for Universal Pictures, appearing in such films as Rock, Pretty Baby (1956) and Portrait in Black (1961), which earned him a reputation as a teen idol and won him a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor. During the 1970s and 1980s, he established himself as a character actor, frequently portraying law-enforcement officials in horror films such as Black Christmas (1974) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

Saxon appeared in numerous Italian films from the early 1960s. In a 2002 interview, he said of this period: "At the time, Hollywood was going through a crisis, but England and Italy were making a great many films. Besides, I thought the European films were of a much more mature quality than most of what Hollywood was making at the time." His father, Antonio Orrico, was a New York-born dock worker, and his mother Anna (née Protettore) was an immigrant from Calabria. Italian was his primary language spoken at home, though Saxon also spoke some Spanish. He attended New Utrecht High School in Bensonhurst, and studied acting with famous acting coach Stella Adler. He entered show business as a teenager, when he was spotted by a modeling scout at a movie theatre.

According to Robert Hofler's 2005 biography, The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson, agent Henry Willson saw Saxon's picture on the cover of a detective magazine, where Saxon posed as "a Puerto Rican guy" who gets shot and falls over a garbage can while his girlfriend looks on. Willson immediately contacted the boy's family in Brooklyn. With his parents' permission, the 17-year-old Orrico contracted with Willson, and he was given the stage name John Saxon. He contracted with Universal Studios in April 1954 at $150 a week.

Career Universal Pictures

Saxon spent 18 months at Universal before the studio first used him in a film. His first significant role was a juvenile delinquent in Running Wild (1955), co-starring Mamie Van Doren. According to Filmink, "young Saxon had a scowling, broody teen quality that was in fashion in mid-'50s Hollywood."

He was then given a good role in The Unguarded Moment (1956), playing a youth who seemingly stalks Esther Williams. During February 1956, Universal exercised its option on Saxon and he was paid $225 a week. Saxon quickly reprised his Rock, Pretty Baby role in a sequel, Summer Love (1958). By this time, he was getting about 3,000 fan letters a week. He then made Teach Me How to Cry with Sandra Dee, which was retitled The Restless Years (1958).

John Saxon, Shelley Fabares, John Wilder and Jill St. John in Summer Love (1958)

Universal put him in an "A" film, This Happy Feeling (1958), directed by Blake Edwards, where Saxon romanced Debbie Reynolds in support of Curt Jurgens. MGM borrowed him to appear opposite Sandra Dee in The Reluctant Debutante (1958), for director Vincente Minnelli, which was widely seen. Saxon was billed third, beneath Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall. He had a support role in a large-budget Biblical drama about Simon Peter, The Big Fisherman (1959) for director Frank Borzage, starring Howard Keel. Released by Buena Vista instead of Universal-International, it was a financial disappointment.

In August 1958, Saxon signed a three-picture deal with Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, the first of which was to be the main role in Cry Tough (1959), a film about juvenile delinquents. He was meant to follow it with The Ballad of Cat Ballou (not made until years later, with Jane Fonda). Instead, for HHL, he worked with another major director, John Huston, in the Western The Unforgiven (1960), playing an Indian in support of Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn. Back at Universal, he remained in a supporting role for Portrait in Black (1960), reunited with Dee, with Lana Turner and Anthony Quinn.

He appeared in the Western Posse from Hell (1961) with Audie Murphy and guest-starred in television series, including General Electric Theater and The Dick Powell Theatre. "I want to do all sorts of character parts," he said in 1960.

Saxon played a serial-killer soldier in War Hunt (1962) and had a small role in the comedy success Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962).

Europe Saxon traveled to Italy to make Agostino (1962).

In 1963, Saxon co-starred with Letícia Román in Mario Bava's Italian giallo film The Girl Who Knew Too Much.

He returned to Hollywood to perform in Otto Preminger's The Cardinal (1963) and an episode of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, then was back to Europe for The Cavern (1964).

The Ravagers (1965) was shot in the Philippines; Night Caller from Outer Space (1965) was a science-fiction film shot in Britain.

In 1966, he starred in Curtis Harrington's science-fiction/horror classic Queen of Blood with Basil Rathbone and Dennis Hopper, then appeared opposite Marlon Brando in The Appaloosa (1966), winning a Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor nomination for his portrayal of a Mexican bandit. Saxon recalls, "This was to me a terrific role and something I was ready for, but he [Brando] was despondent. He said he had lent a whole bunch of money to his father, and what he was saying to me was that his father ruined his life by losing all of his money. He was kind of bored in the picture."

He portrayed Marco Polo in episode 26 of The Time Tunnel ("Attack of the Barbarians"), originally broadcast on March 10, 1967, and was a guest actor on Bonanza in 1967 ("The Conquistadores"). In episode 19, season 5 of The Virginian ("The Modoc Kid") Saxon appeared in the title role alongside Harrison Ford, who was appearing in one of his first speaking roles. And in 1969 he appeared in Bonanza again ("My Friend, My Enemy").

Saxon was in a sex comedy for Sam Katzman, For Singles Only (1968), and appeared in some Westerns, One Dollar Too Many (1968), Death of a Gunfighter (1969), The Men from Shiloh (rebranded name for The Virginian, 1971), and Joe Kidd (1972) (again playing a Mexican, this time a revolutionary named Luis Chama). I Kiss the Hand (1973) was a thriller made in Italy.

He spent three years playing Dr. Theodore Stuart for the television series The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (1969–1972).

Enter the Dragon and 1970s

Saxon, who had practiced martial arts since 1957, appeared as the martial artist Roper in 1973's Enter the Dragon. It was Bruce Lee's first major role in a Hollywood feature. After Enter the Dragon, Saxon had no further interest in appearing in martial-arts films. Violent Naples (1976), Mark Strikes Again (1976), A Special Cop in Action (1976), Cross Shot (1976), and The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (1977).

In 1974, he appeared as police Lieutenant Fuller in the slasher horror film Black Christmas. From 1974 to 1976, he appeared in The Six Million Dollar Man, first as Major Frederick Sloan and then as Nedlick. This role also extended into The Bionic Woman. The actor's likeness was later used for the Kenner action-figure doll called "Maskatron" that was based on the series.

Saxon starred as Dylan Hunt in the 1974 Gene Roddenberry television pilot Planet Earth, replacing Alex Cord from Genesis II. A 20th-century scientist unfrozen in the postnuclear world of 2133, he leads a team of explorers and encounters a matriarchal society. Although ABC declined the series, Saxon played a nearly identical character in the 1975 television film Strange New World.

In 1976, Saxon portrayed a homicidal vampire-like strangler in the season-two Starsky & Hutch episode "Vampire". He played Captain Radl in the two-part Wonder Woman episode "The Feminum Mystique" (1976). Also in 1976, he appeared in an episode of The Rockford Files titled "A Portrait of Elizabeth", in which he played a crooked corporate lawyer and painter named Dave Delaroux, who was involved in a securities rip-off and with whom Rockford's attorney Beth Davenport was smitten. In this episode, Saxon was able to display his considerable martial-arts abilities in two fight scenes. Raid on Entebbe (1977) was a prestige television movie for him. Moonshine County Express was a big success for Roger Corman's New World Pictures; Saxon made another film for that company, The Bees (1978). He appeared in a Bollywood movie, Shalimar (1978), then it was back to exploitation: Fast Company (1979) and The Glove (1979).

Saxon played Hunt Sears, chief of a breakfast-cereal conglomerate, opposite Robert Redford and Jane Fonda in the 1979, Oscar-nominated film The Electric Horseman.

1980s–1990s He appeared in the 1982 television movie Rooster, and he was an occasional celebrity guest on the short-lived game show Whew!, including during the series' final week. His extensive television credits include two years as Tony Cumson on Falcon Crest (1982, 1986–1988) in Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) as Sador; in Cannibal Apocalypse (1980) where he played a Vietnam veteran tormented because his worthless pal bit him and years later, he is starting to get the urge to do the same; in Prisoners of the Lost Universe as an alternate-universe warlord, and in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) as the heroine's (Nancy Thompson's) father. He reprised his role in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) and Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) as he played himself in a dual role.

He made his directorial debut in 1987 with the horror film Zombie Death House, which starred Dennis Cole and Anthony Franciosa. Filmink wrote, "Few other actors of his generation have as fine a track record in" horror movies. "Why did he appear in so many? I guess for starters he was willing – he wasn't snobby. He made a good on-screen cop and there's always roles for a cop actor in a slasher film. He could also seem scary so made an excellent red herring/villain."

Later career In his later years, Saxon continued to appear mostly in independent films and appeared in several television series. He had a notable guest part in "Grave Danger", the fifth-season finale of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which was directed by From Dusk till Dawn screenwriter and star Quentin Tarantino. Saxon starred in the episode opposite fellow cult film luminary Andrew Prine. He also appeared in an episode ("Pelts") of the anthology horror series Masters of Horror, which reunited him with Tenebrae director Dario Argento.

Saxon was a regular guest at horror- and cult-film conventions, including the Creation Entertainment – Weekend of Horrors 2010 on May 21, 2010, in Los Angeles. His last acting role was in the film Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen, which as of his death was in postproduction.

Personal life John Saxon was married three times. His first marriage was to Mary Ann Saxon, a screenwriter and television director of development. His second wife was Elizabeth (Phillips) Saxon, a former investment banker, airline union negotiator, and psychologist. John Saxon's third and last wife was Gloria (Potts) Martel Saxon, a model and esthetician. He and Mary Ann had a son, Antonio. He was a Democrat.

Saxon held a brown belt in Shotokan karate, having studied under Hidetaka Nishiyama, and was also proficient in Judo.

Death

Saxon died of complications from pneumonia, on July 25, 2020, aged 83, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a city about southeast of Nashville, where he had resided for several years. He was interred at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, Washington, near his former co-star Bruce Lee.

Filmography Source: Film Year Title Role Notes 1954 It Should Happen to You Boy Watching Argument in Park Uncredited A Star Is Born Movie Premiere Usher 1955 Running Wild Vince Pomeroy 1956 The Unguarded Moment Leonard Bennett Rock, Pretty Baby Jimmy Daley 1957 Summer Love Jimmy Daley 1958 This Happy Feeling Bill Tremaine The Reluctant Debutante David Parkson The Restless Years Will Henderson 1959 Cry Tough Miguel Antonio Enrico Francisco Estrada The Big Fisherman Prince Voldi 1960 The Unforgiven Johnny Portugal Portrait in Black Blake Richards The Plunderers Rondo 1961 Posse from Hell Seymour Kern 1962 War Hunt Private Raymond Endore Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation Byron Grant Agostino Renzo 1963 The Girl Who Knew Too Much Dr. Marcello Bassi The Cardinal Benny Rampell 1964 The Cavern Private Joe Cramer 1965 The Ravagers Captain Kermit Dowling The Night Caller Dr. Jack Costain 1966 Queen of Blood Allan Brenner The Appaloosa Chuy Medina 1968 For Singles Only Bret Hendley One Dollar Too Many Clay Watson 1969 Death of a Gunfighter Lou Trinidad 1971 Mister Kingstreet's War Jim Kingstreet 1972 Joe Kidd Luis Chama I Kiss the Hand Gaspare Ardizzone 1973 Enter the Dragon Roper 1974 Black Christmas Lieutenant Ken Fuller Planet Earth Dylan Hunt 1975 Metralleta 'Stein Mariano Beltrán Mitchell Walter Deaney 1976 The Swiss Conspiracy Robert Hayes Strange Shadows in an Empty Room Sergeant Ned Matthews Violent Naples Francesco Capuano Mark Strikes Again Inspector Altman A Special Cop in Action Jean Albertelli Cross Shot Commissioner Jacovella 1977 The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist Frank Di Maggio Moonshine County Express J.B. Johnson Tre soldi e la donna di classe Unknown Unfinished 1978 The Bees John Norman Shalimar Colonel Columbus 1979 Fast Company Phil Adamson The Glove Sam Kellog The Electric Horseman Hunt Sears 1980 Beyond Evil Larry Andrews Cannibal Apocalypse Norman Hopper Battle Beyond the Stars Sador Running Scared Captain Munoz 1981 Blood Beach Captain Pearson 1982 Wrong Is Right Homer Hubbard Una di troppo Sergio Puccini, The Notary The World of Martial Arts Self - Narrator (Voice) Documentary The Scorpion with Two Tails Arthur Barnard Tenebrae Peter Bullmer Desire Joe Hale 1983 Prisoners of the Lost Universe Kleel The Big Score Davis 1984 A Nightmare on Elm Street Lieutenant Donald Thompson 1985 Fever Pitch The Sports Editor 1986 Hands of Steel Francis Turner 1987 A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors Donald Thompson House Made of Dawn Tosamah Death House Colonel Gordon Burgess Also director 1988 Nightmare Beach Strycher 1989 My Mom's a Werewolf Harry Thropen Criminal Act Herb Tamplin 1990 Aftershock Oliver Quinn Deadliest Art: Best of the Martial Arts Films Self - Host Documentary The Last Samurai Haroun Al-Hakim The Final Alliance Ghost Crossing the Line Jack Kagan Blood Salvage Clifford Evans 1991 The Arrival Agent Mills 1992 Maximum Force Captain Fuller Hellmaster Professor Jones Genghis Khan Chiledu Unfinished 1993 The Baby Doll Murders John Maglia No Escape No Return James Mitchell Jonathan of the Bears Fred Goodwin 1994 Beverly Hills Cop III Orrin Sanderson Killing Obsession Dr. Sachs Wes Craven's New Nightmare Himself / Donald Thompson Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up Charles Searage 1996 From Dusk till Dawn FBI Agent Stanley Chase Cameo appearance 1997 The Killers Within Detective Lewis Lancelot: Guardian of Time Wolvencroft 1998 The Party Crashers Mr. Foster Joseph's Gift Jacob Keller 1999 Criminal Minds Antonio DiPaolo Jr. 2001 Final Payback Police Chief George Moreno Night Class Murphy 2002 Outta Time James Darabont 2003 The Road Home Michael Curtis 2006 The Craving Heart Richard Tom Trapped Ashes Leo Segment: "Stanley's Girlfriend" 2008 God's Ears Lee Robinson 2009 Old Dogs Paul The Mercy Man Father McMurray 2010 Genghis Khan: The Story of a Lifetime Chiledu 2010 Bring Me the Head of Lance Henriksen John 2014 Roger Unknown Short 2015 The Dentros George Dentros 2017 The Extra Victor Vallient

Television Year Title Role Notes 1955 Medic Danny Ortega— "Walk with Lions" 1961 General Electric Theater Martin Glass— "Cate in the Cradle" 1962 The Dick Powell Theatre Nick Giller— "A Time to Die" 1963–1964 Burke's Law Gil Lynch / Bud Charney 2 episodes — "Who Killed Cable Roberts" (1963)

— "Who Killed the Horne of Plenty?" (1964) 1964 Another World Edward Gerard #1 (8/30/1985–2/26/1986) 1964–1966 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Mario Silvetti / Augie 2 episodes — "Echo of Evil" (1964)

— "After the Lion, Jackals" (1966) 1965–1975 Gunsmoke Gristy Calhoun / Pedro Manez / Virgil Stanley / Cal Strom Jr. / Dingo 5 episodes — "Dry Road to Nowhere" (1965)

— "The Avengers" (1965)

— "The Whispering Tree" (1966)

— "The Pillagers" (1967)

— "The Squaw" (1975) 1966 Dr. Kildare Richard Ross 2 episodes — "The Art of Taking a Powder"

— "Read the Book and Then See the Picture" The Doomsday Flight George Ducette Television film 1967 The Time Tunnel Marco Polo— "Attack of the Barbarians" Winchester 73 Dakin McAdam Television filmCimarron Strip Screamer— "Journey to a Hanging"Garrison's Gorillas Janus— "20 Gallons to Kill" 1967–1969 Bonanza Chief Jocova / Blas / Steven Friday 3 episodes — "Black Friday" (1967)

— "The Conquistadores" (1967)

— "My Friend, My Enemy" (1969) 1967–1970 Ironside Eric Saginor / Carter 2 episodes — "An Inside Job" (1967)

— "Ransom" (1970) 1967–1971 The Virginian Sergeant Terence Mulcahy / Ben Oakes / Dell Stetler 3 episodes — "The Modoc Kid" (1967)

— "Vision of Blindness" (1968)

— "The Regimental Line" (1971) 1968 It Takes a Thief Dead Man— "A Thief Is a Thief" The Name of the Game Peter Max— "Collector's Edition" Istanbul Express Cheval Television film 1969 The Bold Ones: The New Doctors Dr. Theodore Stuart recurring role (29 episodes) 1970 Company of Killers Dave Poohler Television film The Intruders Billy Pye Television film shot in 1967 1972 The Sixth Sense Dr. Harry Auden— "Lady, Lady, Take My Life" Night Gallery Ianto (segment "I'll Never Leave You – Ever")— "I'll Never Leave You – Ever / There Aren't Any More MacBanes" Kung Fu Raven— "King of the Mountain" Banyon Johnny Clay— "The Clay Clarinet" Norman Corwin Presents Unknown— "The Better It Looks, the Worse It Is" 1973 Snatched Paul Maxvill Television film The Streets of San Francisco Vince Hagopian Jr.— "A Collection of Eagles" The Rookies Farley— "Cauldron" Linda Jeff Braden Television film Police Story Rick Calvelli— "Death on Credit" 1974 Banacek Harry Harland— "The Vanishing Chalice" Can Ellen Be Saved? James Hallbeck Television film Planet Earth Dylan Hunt Television film The Mary Tyler Moore Show Mike Tedesco— "Menage-a-Phyllis" 1974–1976 The Six Million Dollar Man Nedlick / Major Frederick Sloan 2 episodes — "Day of the Robot" (1974)

— "The Return of Bigfoot: Part 1" (1976) 1975 Crossfire Dave Ambrose Television film Strange New World Captain Anthony Vico Television film Petrocelli Richie Martin— "Mark of Cain" 1976 The Rockford Files Dave Delaroux— "A Portrait of Elizabeth" The Bionic Woman Nedlick— "The Return of Bigfoot: Part 2" Starsky and Hutch Rene Nadasy— "The Vampire" Wonder Woman Captain Horst Radl 2 episodes Once an Eagle Captain Townshend Miniseries (4 episodes) Raid on Entebbe General Benny Peled Television film 1977 Most Wanted Randall Mason— "The Insider" The Fantastic Journey Consul Tarant— "A Dream of Conquest" Westside Medical Bob Farrow— "Intensive Care" Quincy M.E. Charles Desskasa, Publisher — "Sullied By Thy Name" 79 Park Avenue Harry Vito Miniseries (3 episodes) 1978 The Immigrants Alan Brocker Television film Greatest Heroes of the Bible Adonijah— "The Judgement of Solomon" 1978–1984 Fantasy Island Michael Anderson / Cyrano de Bergerac / Monsieur Berandt Sabatier / Evan Watkins / Professor Harold DeHaven / Colin McArthur / Dr. Roger Sullivan6 episodes 1979 Hawaii Five-O Harry Clive— "The Bark and the Bite" 1980 Vega$ Michael Jennings— "Aloha, You're Dead" 1980 Masters Of The Martial Arts Host / Narrator a syndicated series of 26 shows 1981 Golden Gate Monty Sager Television film 1982 Rooster Jerome Brademan Television film 1982–1984 Dynasty Rashid Ahmed Recurring role (6 episodes) 1982–1988 Falcon Crest Tony Cumson Recurring role (32 episodes) 1983 Savage in the Orient Nick Costa Television film Hardcastle and McCormick Martin Cody— "Rolling Thunder" Scarecrow and Mrs. King Dirk Fredericks 2 episodes — "The First Time"

— "Saved by the Bells" 1983–1985 The A-Team Kalem / Martin James 2 episodes — "Children of Jamestown" (1983)

— "Moving Targets" (1985) 1984 Magnum P.I. Ed Russler— "Jororo Farewell" Masquerade Joey Savane— "The French Correction" Finder of Lost Loves Commander Zach Donahue— "White Lies" American Playhouse Presents Epps— "Solomon Northup's Odyssey" 1984–1994 Murder, She Wrote Bernardo Bonelli / Marco Gambini / Jerry Lydecker3 episodes — "Hooray for Homicide" (1984)

— "A Very Good Year for Murder" (1988)

— "Proof in the Pudding" (1994) 1985 Half Nelson Unknown— "Diplomatic Immunity" Brothers in Law Royal Cane Television film Glitter The Author— "The Matriarch" 1987 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Garth December— "The Specialty of the House" Hotel Jack Curtis— "Fallen Angel" 1989 The Ray Bradbury Theatre Dudley Stone— "The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone" 1991 Monsters Benjamin O'Connell— "The Waiting Room" Matlock John Franklin— "The Parents" Payoff Rafael Concion Television film Blackmail Gene Television film In the Heat of the Night Dalton Sykes— "Liar's Poker" 1992 Lucky Luke The Man In Black— "Magia Indiana" 1994–1995 Melrose Place Henry Waxman recurring role (4 episodes) 1995 Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story Richard Brooks Television film 1996 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Straker— "Escape" 1997 California Don Rafael Guevara— "Episode #1.1" 2001 Living in Fear Reverend Leo Hausman Television film 2005 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Walter Gordon— "Grave Danger: Part 1" 2006 Masters of Horror Jeb "Pa" Jameson— "Pelts" 2009 War Wolves Tony Ford Television film

Awards and nominations Golden Globe Awards 1958 New Star of the Year – Actor: This Happy Feeling (won) 1967 Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture: The Appaloosa (nominated)

Action On Film International Film Festival 2006 Best Supporting Actor: The Craving Heart (won)

Beverly Hills Shorts Festival 2009 Best Actor: Old Dogs (won)

FAIF International Film Festival 2006 Judge Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor: The Craving Heart (nominated)

Method Fest Independent Film Festival 2008 Best Supporting Actor: God's Ears (nominated)

New Media Film Festival 2010 Best Feature: God's Ears (won) 2010 Grand Prize Festival Award: God's Ears (won)

Western Heritage Awards 1967 Bronze Wrangler: The Appaloosa (won)