Kerwin Mathews

Kerwin Mathews (January 8, 1926 – July 5, 2007) was an American actor best known for playing the titular heroes in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, The Three Worlds of Gulliver (1960), and Jack the Giant Killer (1962).

Early life Verne Kerwin Mathews was born on January 8, 1926, in Seattle, Washington, and was two years old when he moved with his divorced mother to Janesville, Wisconsin, where he attended Janesville High School, graduating in 1943. Mathews said that "a kind high school teacher put me in a play, and that changed my life."

Columbia Pictures After moving to Los Angeles in 1954, Mathews acted at the Pasadena Playhouse, including a production of William Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors. While there he met the head of casting for Columbia Pictures, leading to a seven-year studio contract. His pay was $200 per week. Mathews then was cast in the title role of a treatment of Joseph and His Brothers with Rita Hayworth. However, the film was cancelled shortly before filming started.

Mathews appeared in several episodes of The Ford Television Theatre as well as episodes of Playhouse 90 and Matinee Theatre.

Mathews' first sizable role was as Lee J. Cobb's son in The Garment Jungle (1957). He was promoted to star for Tarawa Beachhead (1958), a war film produced by Charles Schneer. Schneer liked the actor's work and cast him in the role of Sinbad in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), directed by Nathan Juran with effects by Ray Harryhausen. The movie was a big success and remains Mathews' most famous film. Juran called Mathews "the epitome of professionalism." He was announced for Stop 424 to be shot in Australia by Columbia but the film was not made.

Mathews co-starred with Van Johnson in The Last Blitzkrieg (1959), a war film for Sam Katzman, and Man on a String (1960) with Ernest Borgnine (Mathews replaced Cliff Robertson for the latter). In The Last Blitzkrieg Mathews was cast against type as a fanatical Nazi. He did an episode of Goodyear Theatre and went to Italy to make The Warrior Empress (1960) with Tina Louise. He was on standby to replace Dirk Bogarde on Song Without End (1960) when Bogarde was clashing with the director.

Schneer cast Mathews in an unofficial follow-up to The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960), playing the title role, with effects by Harryhausen. Columbia then put him in a prestigious film, The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961), billed underneath Frank Sinatra and Spencer Tracy.

Mathews went to England to star in a swashbuckler film for Hammer Films released through Columbia, The Pirates of Blood River (1962). Edward Small cast him as Jack the Giant Killer (1962), directed by Juran, an attempt to repeat the success of Sinbad only without Harryhausen or Schneer.

Hammer called him back for Maniac (1963), a psycho thriller released by Columbia. He then left Columbia.

Freelance actor Mathews went to France to play Jean Bruce's OSS 117 in OSS 117 se déchaîne (1964). In Hollywood, he played Johann Strauss Jr. in the Disney two-part telefilm The Waltz King (1963), which was his favorite role. Mathews died in his sleep in San Francisco on July 5, 2007, at age 81.

He was survived by his partner of 46 years, Tom Nicoll (1929-2024), a British display manager at Harvey Nichols, the British luxury department store. Nicholl, under the pseudonym 'Scott of London', was also a physique photographer and body builder . The two met in 1961.

Filmography

Film Cell 2455 Death Row (1955) – Reporter (uncredited) 5 Against the House (1955) – Ronnie The Garment Jungle (1957) – Alan Mitchell Tarawa Beachhead (1958) – Sgt. Thomas A. 'Tom' Sloan The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) – Sinbad The Last Blitzkrieg (1959) – Wilitz Man on a String (1960) – Bob Avery The Warrior Empress (1960) – Phaon The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960) – Dr. Lemuel Gulliver The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961) – Father Joseph Perreau Pirates of Blood River (1962) – Jonathon Standing Jack the Giant Killer (1962) – Jack Maniac (1963) – Jeff Farrell OSS 117 Is Unleashed (1963, ‡) – Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, alias OSS 117 Shadow of Evil (1964, ‡) – Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath / OSS 117 / Tony Burt The Viscount (1967) – Clint de la Roche, le Vicomte Battle Beneath the Earth (1967) – Cmdr. Jonathan Shaw The Killer Likes Candy (1968) – Mark A Boy... a Girl (1969) – Mr. Christian Barquero (1970) – Marquette Octaman (1971) – Dr. Rick Torres The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (1973) – Robert Bridgestone Nightmare in Blood (1978) – Prince Zaroff (final film role)

‡ OSS 117 film

Television Space Patrol The Escape of Mr Proteus (1954) – Major Caldwell Ford Theatre Charlie C company (1954) – Lt. Norton The Lady in the Wind (1955) – Ivor Catch at Straws (1956) – Fred Karns Playhouse 90 The Country Husband (1956) – Clay Farrell Matinee Theatre Show of Strength (1957) The Suicide Club (1958) Goodyear Television Playhouse The Obenauf Story (1959, †) – Lieutenant James Obenauf Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color The Waltz King (1963) (two parts) – Johann Strauss Jr. Ghostbreakers (1967, TV Movie, †) – Dr. Barnaby Cross Insight "The Least of My Brothers" (1968) – American Priest Dead of Night: A Darkness at Blaisedon (1969, TV movie, †) – Jonathan Fletcher Death Takes a Holiday (1971, TV Movie) – Senator Earl Chapman, Jr. General Hospital one episode (1972) – Dr. Duncan Stewart Ironside "Hey, Buddy, Can You Spare a Life?" (1972) – Eric Oates "Achilles' Heel" (1972) – Paul Arnstein

† Pilots for unsold series