Russ Tamblyn
Russ Tamblyn | |
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![]() Tamblyn in 1955 | |
Born | Russel Irving Tamblyn December 30, 1934 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1948–present |
Spouse(s) |
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Children | 2, including Amber Tamblyn |
Parent(s) |
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Website | www |
Russell Irving Tamblyn, also known as Russ Tamblyn and Rusty Tamblyn (born December 30, 1934) is an American film and television actor and dancer.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Tamblyn was trained as a gymnast in his youth. He began his career as a child actor for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Tamblyn appeared in the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). He subsequently portrayed Norman Page in the drama Peyton Place (1957), for which he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In West Side Story (1961), in which he portrayed Riff, the leader of the Jets gang.
Throughout the 1970s, Tamblyn appeared in several exploitation films and worked as a choreographer in the 1980s. In 1990, he starred as Dr. Lawrence Jacoby in David Lynch's television drama Twin Peaks, reprising the role during its 2017 revival.
Early life[]
Tamblyn was born December 30, 1934 in Los Angeles, California,[1] to actors Sally Aileen (Triplett) and Edward Francis "Eddie" Tamblyn.[2] He has one younger brother, Larry Tamblyn, who was the organist for the 1960s band, the Standells.[3] Tamblyn was a hyperactive child and had a penchant for gymnastics and performing. As a child, he would take the stage during intermissions at the local movie theater and do tumbling performances.[4]
When he was thirteen he lived in North Hollywood, studied dramatics under Grace Bowman and dancing at the North Hollywood Academy, owned and operated by his parents.[5]
Career[]
1948–1952: Child acting[]
Tamblyn wanted to be a circus performer and was skilled in acrobatics and dancing as a child. He developed a musical act that involved singing, dancing, juggling and comedy.[6]
Discovered at the age of 10 by actor Lloyd Bridges after acting in a play, Tamblyn first appeared on film in a small non-speaking role in The Boy With Green Hair (1948), after which he appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.[citation needed] At the age of 13 he appeared in the stage play The Stone Jungle.[5]
Tamblyn was given a role in The Kid from Cleveland (1949), billed third (as "Rusty Tamblyn") under stars George Brent and Lynn Bari.[4] The movie was not a success but it established Tamblyn as a film actor. He appeared in Reign of Terror (1949), Cecil B. DeMille's 1949 version of Samson and Delilah where he played young Saul, and What Happened to Jo Jo? (1950).[4]
Tamblyn played the younger Bart Tare (played as an adult by John Dall) in the film noir Gun Crazy (1950) and Elizabeth Taylor's younger brother in Father of the Bride (also 1950) and its sequel, Father's Little Dividend (1951). Tamblyn appeared in Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950), The Gangster We Made (1950), As Young as You Feel (1951), Cave of Outlaws (1951), Retreat, Hell! (1952), and The Winning Team (1952).[citation needed]
1953–1962: MGM and leading roles[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Russ_Tamblyn_and_Gia_Scala_1957.jpg/170px-Russ_Tamblyn_and_Gia_Scala_1957.jpg)
MGM had been impressed by Tamblyn's performance in Retreat, Hell! and signed him to a long term contract.[7] His first role under the new contract was as a young soldier in boot camp in Take the High Ground! (1953), directed by Richard Brooks.[8] His training as a gymnast in high school, and abilities as an acrobat, prepared him for his breakout role as Gideon, the youngest brother, in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954).[9]
He was not a trained dancer and always considered himself an actor who danced rather than the other way around[9] but the film was a big success and established him at MGM. Tamblyn was one of many studio contract players in the musical Deep in My Heart (1954). He played Eleanor Parker's brother in the Western Many Rivers to Cross (1955), and was one of several young MGM actors (others included Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds) in the musical Hit the Deck (1955).[citation needed]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Russ_Tamblyn_on_Peyton_Place_set.jpg/170px-Russ_Tamblyn_on_Peyton_Place_set.jpg)
Tamblyn supported older actors in two Westerns: Robert Taylor and Stewart Granger in The Last Hunt (1956), a flop; and Glenn Ford and Broderick Crawford in The Fastest Gun Alive (1956), a big hit, where he performed an extraordinary "shovel" dance at a hoe-down early in the film.[10][11] He served (uncredited) as a choreographer for Elvis Presley in 1957's Jailhouse Rock. MGM loaned Tamblyn to Allied Artists for his first star role, The Young Guns (1957). Back at MGM he supported Glenn Ford and Gia Scala in Don't Go Near the Water (1957), a comedy set among members of the U.S. Navy.[3]
Tamblyn portrayed Norman Page in the film of Peyton Place (1957) at 20th Century Fox, opposite Lana Turner and Diane Varsi. For his performance in the film he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.[3] He was then given a star role at MGM, playing Tony Baker in High School Confidential (1958). The film was a solid hit. Also successful was the musical Tom Thumb (1958) made for George Pal, in which Tamblyn was cast in the title role. His career momentum was interrupted when he was drafted into the US army in 1958.[12]
Upon his return MGM gave him a prominent support part in Cimarron (1960), supporting Glenn Ford. Tamblyn's best known musical role came as Riff, the leader of the Jets street gang in West Side Story (1961).[3] He then appeared in two MGM Cinerama movies, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm and How the West Was Won (both 1962). He was seen as Luke Sanderson in The Haunting, and as Lt. "Smitty" Smith in MGM's Follow the Boys (both 1963).[citation needed]
1963–1976: Television and independent films[]
Tamblyn was unable to consolidate his position as a leading man, and he later recounted that he "dropped out" after his West Side Story success, that he devoted himself to art and turned down movie roles as well as a role in the TV series Gilligan's Island.[13]
In the 1960s he appeared in the TV series The Greatest Show on Earth ("Silent Love, Secret Love"; 1963), and Channing ("The Last Testament of Buddy Crown"; 1963).
Tamblyn played a Viking alongside Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier in The Long Ships (1965). Also in 1965 he appeared in Burke's Law ("Who Killed Rosie Sunset?"); and in Days of Our Lives.
Additionally, in 1965 he played Billy Yates, a torn man who must kill his friend to defend his principles in Gunsmoke ("He Who Steals"). In this episode, he was incorrectly named in the credits as George Lindsey (star of the Andy Griffith Show). That episode’s credits actually incorrectly name four actors who never appeared in the episode.
Tamblyn was given the starring role in a low budget Western for MGM Son of a Gunfighter (1965) and starred in the 1966 Japanese kaiju film War of the Gargantuas. He guest starred on Tarzan ("Leopard on the Loose"; 1966), and Iron Horse ("Decision at Sundown"; 1967). Tamblyn later admitted he became "bored" with acting around this time and more interested in art.[9]
Tamblyn starred in a notorious biker movie Satan's Sadists (1969) for Al Adamson. He followed it with Scream Free! (1969), The Last Movie (1971), The Female Bunch (1971) and Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) for Adamson.[citation needed]
He appeared on TV in Cade's County ("Ragged Edge"; 1972), Win, Place or Steal (1973), The World Through the Eyes of Children (1975), The Quest ("The Captive"; 1976), The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams ("The Skyrider"; 1978), and Nero Wolfe ("Before I Die"; 1981). He was also in Black Heat (1976).[citation needed]
At the same time he worked in exploitation, Tamblyn also worked in the construction industry and computer software.[9]
1978–1989: Choreography and film[]
Tamblyn played the supporting role in Neil Young's 1982 Human Highway while also credited for screenplay and choreography. Tamblyn is credited as director, choreographer and actor for Neil Young's Greendale concert tour.[14] He choreographed a play Man with Bags in 1983.[15]
He could be seen in Fame, Commando Squad (1987) for Fred Olen Ray, The Phantom Empire (1988), Necromancer (1988), B.O.R.N. (1988), The Bloody Monks (1988), and an episode of Quantum Leap. He was in Aftershock (1990), and Wizards of the Demon Sword (1991) for Fred Olen Ray.
1990–2004: Twin Peaks and other work[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Russ_Tamblyn_at_the_1990_Annual_Emmy_Awards_cropped.jpg/170px-Russ_Tamblyn_at_the_1990_Annual_Emmy_Awards_cropped.jpg)
In 1990–91, Tamblyn starred as Dr. Lawrence Jacoby on the David Lynch-created series Twin Peaks (alongside his West Side Story co-star Richard Beymer, who played Ben Horne);[16] his scenes in the 1992 prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me were cut.
He could be seen in Running Mates (1992), Little Devils: The Birth (1993), Cabin Boy (1994), Desert Steel (1995), and Babylon 5. He appeared on stage in Los Angeles in Zastrozzi.[17] His work drifted back to straight to video: Starstruck (1995), Rebellious (1995), Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold (1995) and Invisible Mom (1996) for Fred Olen Ray, Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard (1997), My Ghost Dog (1997), and Little Miss Magic (1998) for Ray.
He appeared on another soap opera, General Hospital, alongside his daughter Amber in 1997 and 2000. In 2004, he appeared with Amber again, playing God in the form of a man walking dogs, in three episodes of Joan of Arcadia.[18] The two also have worked together in the films Rebellious, Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard, and The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. And in Quentin Tarantino's film Django Unchained, they were billed respectively as "Son of a Gunfighter" and "Daughter of a Son of a Gunfighter", alluding to his leading role in the 1965 western Son of a Gunfighter.
In 2004, the Academy Film Archive preserved the mid-1960s works First Film and Rio Reel by Tamblyn.[19]
2005–present: Later roles[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Russ_Tamblyn_2019.jpg/220px-Russ_Tamblyn_2019.jpg)
Tamblyn has had supporting roles in Drive (2011), Django Unchained (2012), and Hits (2014). He appeared several times in The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret,[20] and in the revival of Twin Peaks (2017).[21]
Personal life[]
Tamblyn married actress Venetia Stevenson in 1956, but the couple divorced the following year.[22] He married Elizabeth Kempton, a showgirl, in Las Vegas in 1960.[23][24] He and Kempton had one child, daughter China, before divorcing in 1979. His second child, actress Amber Tamblyn, was born in 1983 to his third wife Bonnie Murray.[15]
In 2012, it was announced that he was working on writing an autobiography, titled Dancing On The Edge.[25]
Tamblyn underwent open heart surgery in October 2014. There were complications following the surgery and during the rehabilitation, although his health had reportedly improved as of February 2015.[26]
In June 2021, Amber Tamblyn wrote an essay in The New York Times expressing solidarity with Britney Spears' effort to end the conservatorship controlling her life. Tamblyn wrote that she became financially successful when she turned 21 and starred in Joan of Arcadia. Her father became her co-manager and her mother her business manager. She wrote that having her parents on the payroll damaged their relationship, that she was "everybody's A.T.M." and that her money "paid for our vacations, dinners out, and sometimes even the bills. When it finally came time to disentangle our personal and professional relationships, it was deeply painful for all three of us."[27]
Filmography[]
Film[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1948 | The Boy with Green Hair | Classmate | Uncredited |
1949 | Reign of Terror | Pierre's Oldest Son | Uncredited |
1949 | The Kid from Cleveland | Johnny Barrows | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
1949 | Samson and Delilah | Saul | |
1950 | Gun Crazy | Bart Tare at 14 | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
1950 | Captain Carey, U.S.A. | Pietro | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
1950 | The Vicious Years | Tino | |
1950 | Father of the Bride | Tommy Banks | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
1951 | Father's Little Dividend | Tommy Banks | |
1951 | As Young as You Feel | Willie McKinley | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
1951 | Cave of Outlaws | Young Peter | Uncredited |
1952 | Retreat, Hell! | Private | |
1952 | The Winning Team | Willie Alexander | Credited as Rusty Tamblyn |
1953 | Take the High Ground! | Paul Jamison | |
1954 | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | Gideon Pontipee | |
1954 | Deep in My Heart | Lazar Berrison, Jr. | Uncredited |
1955 | Many Rivers to Cross | Shields | |
1955 | Hit the Deck | Danny Xavier Smith | |
1956 | The Last Hunt | Jimmy | |
1956 | The Fastest Gun Alive | Eric Doolittle | |
1956 | The Young Guns | Tully Rice | |
1957 | Don't Go Near the Water | Ensign Tyson | |
1957 | Peyton Place | Norman Page | |
1958 | High School Confidential! | Tony Baker/Mike Wilson | |
1958 | Tom Thumb | Tom Thumb | |
1960 | Cimarron | The Cherokee Kid | |
1961 | West Side Story | Riff | |
1962 | The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm | The Woodsman ('The Dancing Princess') / Tom Thumb | |
1962 | How the West Was Won | Confederate deserter | |
1963 | Follow the Boys | Lt (JG) "Smitty" Smith | |
1963 | The Haunting | Luke Sanderson | |
1964 | The Long Ships | Orm | |
1965 | Son of a Gunfighter | Johnny Ketchum | |
1966 | War of the Gargantuas | Dr. Paul Stewart | |
1967 | The Cool Ones | Whiz-Bam Dancer | Uncredited |
1969 | Satan's Sadists | Anchor | |
1969 | Scream Free! | Link | |
1971 | Dracula vs. Frankenstein | Rico | |
1971 | The Female Bunch | Bill | |
1971 | The Last Movie | Member of Billy's Gang | |
1974 | Win, Place or Steal | Raymond | |
1975 | The World Through the Eyes of Children | Devil | |
1976 | Black Heat | Ziggy | |
1982 | Neil Young: Human Highway | Fred Kelly | Also writer and choreographer |
1985 | The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal | Himself | Documentary |
1987 | Commando Squad | Anchor | |
1988 | Necromancer | Charles DeLonge | |
1988 | B.O.R.N. | Hugh | |
1988 | The Phantom Empire | Bill | Direct-to-DVD |
1989 | The Bloody Monk | Frank | |
1990 | Aftershock | Hank Franklin | |
1991 | Wizards of the Demon Sword | Ulric | |
1992 | Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me | Dr. Lawrence Jacoby | Scenes deleted |
1993 | Little Devils: The Birth | Doc Clapton | |
1994 | Cabin Boy | Chocki | |
1994 | Desert Steel | Tate | |
1995 | Starstruck | Wheeler | |
1995 | Rebellious | Old Guy | |
1995 | Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold | Gas Attendant | |
1996 | Invisible Mom | Dr. Woorter | Direct-to-DVD |
1997 | Johnny Mysto: Boy Wizard | Blackmoor | Direct-to-DVD |
1998 | Little Miss Magic | Brenden Moran | |
2000 | Special Envoys | ||
2002 | Cinerama Adventure | Himself | Documentary |
2011 | Drive | Doc | |
2012 | Django Unchained | Son of a Gunfighter | |
2014 | Hits | Russ | |
2015 | Chatty Cattie | Bruce |
Television[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1963 | The Greatest Show on Earth | Tom Tuttle | Episode: "Silent Love, Secret Love" |
1963 | Channing | Hal Langley | Episode: "The Last Testament of Buddy Crown" |
1965 | Burke's Law | Maximillian | Episode: "Who Killed Rosie Sunset?" |
1965 | Gunsmoke | Billy Waters | Episode: "He Who Steals" |
1966 | Tarzan | Bell | Episode: "Leopard on the Loose" |
1967 | Iron Horse | Kehoe | Episode: "Decision at Sundown" |
1969 | The Name of the Game | John Earl | Episode: "A Hard Case of the Blues" |
1972 | Cade's County | Brewster | Episode: "Ragged Edge" |
1976 | The Quest | Kelly | Episode: "The Captive" |
1978 | The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams | Milton Wright | Episode: "The Skyrider" |
1981 | Nero Wolfe | Episode: "Before I Die" | |
1986–1987 | Fame | Russ / Michael Taftner | 3 episodes |
1987 | Rags to Riches | Roger | Episode: "Vegas Rock" |
1989 | Quantum Leap | Bert Glasserman | Episode: "Thou Shalt Not..." |
1990–1991 | Twin Peaks | Dr. Lawrence Jacoby | 15 episodes |
1992 | Running Mates | Frank Usher | Television film |
1994 | Babylon 5 | Capt. Jack Maynard | Episode: "A Distant Star" |
1997 | Nash Bridges | Jim the Penman | Episode: "The Counterfeiters" |
1998 | My Ghost Dog | Vito | Television film |
1999 | Inherit the Wind | Ed Morse | Television film |
2000 | General Hospital | Dr. Lawrence Jacoby | 2 episodes |
2004 | Joan of Arcadia | Dog Walker God | 3 episodes |
2010–2012 2016 |
The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret | Chuck Margaret / Billy the Cheesegrater | 9 episodes |
2017 | Twin Peaks | Dr. Lawrence Jacoby | 6 episodes |
2018 | The Haunting of Hill House | Dr. Montague | Episode: "The Bent-Neck Lady" |
Awards and nominations[]
Award | Category | Year | Title of work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
Academy Award | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | 1957 | Peyton Place | Nominated |
Golden Globe Award | Most Promising Newcomer - Male | 1956 | Hit the Deck | Won (shared with Ray Danton) |
Golden Laurel Award | Top Male Musical Performance | 1959 | Tom Thumb | Nominated |
References[]
- ^ Willis & Monush 2010, p. 405.
- ^ Cullen, Hackman & McNeilly 2006, p. 1085.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Russ Tamblyn Biography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Lamparski 1985, p. 172.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "N.H. Boy Takes 'Stone Jungle' Coronet Role". Valley Times. North Hollywood, California. 26 April 1948. Retrieved 10 July 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Life Story of RUSS TAMBLYN". Picture Show (64): 12. June 18, 1955. ProQuest 1879618880.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (October 23, 1955). "Russ tamblyn rose fast the slow way". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 166841115.
- ^ Schallert, E. (June 26, 1953). "Norman corwin to script 'Holy Grail'; Tamblyn captures star chance". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 166501763.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Wheelock, J. (February 20, 1983). "DANCEWATCHING". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 153380686.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (April 9, 1955). "Sinatra and Debbie Reynolds to Co-Star in 'Tender Trap'". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 12.
- ^ By, R. N. (February 29, 1956). "Dancer? tumbler? actor?". The Christian Science Monitor. ProQuest 509367110.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (September 21, 1958). "HE'S IN THE ARMY NOW!". Chicago Daily Tribune. ProQuest 182140007.
- ^ Hughes, Mike (2 August 1990). "Russ Tamblyn Has 'Peak' Performance". Lansing State Journal. p. 74. Retrieved 29 September 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Russ Tamblyn's Official Site: Welcome Retrieved September 16, 2007
- ^ Jump up to: a b Brown, Joe (August 3, 1983). "Tumblin' Tamblyn". The Washington Post.
- ^ Wheelock, Julie (6 April 1990). "'Twin Peaks' Stars Tamblyn, Beymer Share Twin Experience : Television: Actors at work on ABC series share a common bond . . . their roles in 'West Side Story' almost 30 years ago". LA Times. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
- ^ Stayton, Richard (September 17, 1993). "Savvy cast can't shed light on 'Zastrozzi'". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 1851816795.
- ^ Tribune, M. S. (September 9, 2000). "Russ Tamblyn Joins Daughter on 'GH'". Chicago Tribune. ProQuest 419235985.
- ^ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.
- ^ Ferguson, LaToya (14 January 2016). "Todd Margaret is forever doomed if he does, doomed if he doesn't". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
- ^ "Who's who in Twin Peaks Season 3: The Return? A character guide for the confused". Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
- ^ Lamparski 1985, p. 165.
- ^ "People: Marriages". The Cincinnati Enquirer. May 10, 1960. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Milestones". Time. May 23, 1960. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ Beck, Kim (October 28, 2012). "'West Side Story' Star Russ Tamblyn". American Profile. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- ^ "David Lynch And Mark Frost Want Russ Tamblyn Back As Dr. Jacoby In The New Twin Peaks!". February 24, 2015.
- ^ Tamblyn, Amber (2021-06-26). "Opinion | Amber Tamblyn: Britney Spears's Raw Anger, and Mine". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-10.
Works cited[]
- Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; McNeilly, Donald (2006). Vaudeville Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performances in America. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-93853-2.
- Lamparski, Richard (1985). Whatever Became Of ... ? (9th ed.). Crown. ISBN 978-0-517-55540-8.
- Willis, John; Monush, Barry, eds. (2010). Screen World 2007. 58. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-1-557-83729-5.
- Williams, Sharon Lind (June–July 1991). "Russ Tamblyn". Filmfax. No. 27. p. 68.
External links[]
- 1934 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American male dancers
- American male film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- Male Western (genre) film actors
- Male actors from Greater Los Angeles
- New Star of the Year (Actor) Golden Globe winners
- MGM Records artists
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players
- People from Topanga, California