Джон Агар: Американдық актер және оның өмірі

American actor (1921–2002)

John George Agar Jr. (January 31, 1921 – April 7, 2002) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for starring alongside John Wayne in the films Sands of Iwo Jima, Fort Apache, and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. In his later career he was the star of B movies, such as Tarantula!, The Mole People, The Brain from Planet Arous, Revenge of the Creature, Flesh and the Spur and Hand of Death. He was the first husband of Shirley Temple. Agar's career suffered in the wake of his divorce, but he developed a niche playing leading men in low budget science fiction, Western, and horror movies in the 1950s and 1960s. John Wayne gave him several supporting roles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In later years he worked extensively in television.

Agar was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Lillian (née Rogers) and John George Agar, a meat packer. His great aunt was Edna Gladney. He was educated at the Harvard School for Boys in Chicago and Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois. He graduated from Trinity Pawling Preparatory School in Pawling, New York, but did not attend college. He and his family moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1942, after his father's death. In 1941, Agar joined the U. S. Navy Air Corps, had basic training in Texas, and instructed in physical training at March Field in Riverside, California. He was medically discharged from the Navy in 1943 due to an ear infection that affected his balance. He then enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Corps. at the time he left the USAAF in 1946.

Agar met Shirley Temple in 1943 when he was asked to escort her to a Hollywood party. After his marriage with Temple in 1945, her boss at the time, David O. Selznick, signed Agar to a five year acting contract starting at $150 a week, including acting lessons. Agar made his film debut as Temple's love interest in Fort Apache (1948),

Agar was reunited with Temple for his second film, a suffragette drama Adventure in Baltimore (1949), also for RKO, which was a huge flop. Warner Bros used him in Along the Great Divide (1951), supporting Kirk Douglas. He made a low budget Arabian Knights film for Sam Katzman with Lucille Ball, The Magic Carpet (1951). In 1952 Agar was fired by Selznick for driving under the influence of alcohol, which affected his career with the large studios in Hollywood. Agar was third billed in Woman of the North Country (1952), a Western for Republic, and also starred in Man of Conflict (1953), an independent drama with Edward Arnold. Agar had support roles in Bait (1954), a Hugo Haas drama with Cleo Moore; The Rocket Man (1954), a Charles Coburn comedy co written by Lenny Bruce; and Shield for Murder (1954), a film noir starring and co directed by Edmond O'Brien. Agar returned to leading roles in The Golden Mistress (1954), an adventure film directed by Abner Biberman. In 1954 Agar signed a seven year contract with Universal. He began the association with Revenge of the Creature (1955), the popular first sequel to Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954); it was produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold. He was borrowed by Lippert Pictures for The Lonesome Trail (1955), then, at Universal, made a second film for Haas with Cleo Moore, Hold Back Tomorrow (1955). Agar made another science fiction film, Tarantula! (1955), made by Alland and Arnold, which was popular and became a cult favorite. Universal starred him in a Western, Star in the Dust (1956) with Mamie Van Doren and Richard Boone and produced by Albert Zugsmith. A new company, American International Pictures, borrowed Agar for a Western, Flesh and the Spur (1956) with Marla English and Mike Connors (billed as "Touch Connors"). Then he went back to Universal for The Mole People (1956), produced by Alland. His contract with Universal ended when he complained that he was tired of only doing science fiction roles. His final film with the studio was supporting Universal's Western star Audie Murphy in a comedy Joe Butterfly (1957). He remained in demand for low budget science fiction, horror and Western films. He starred in The Daughter of Dr. Jekyll (1957) for Edgar G. Ulmer at Allied Artists, then made The Brain from Planet Arous (1957) for Howco International. Agar starred in some low budget Westerns for Lippert's low budget Regal Films at Fox, Ride a Violent Mile (1958) and Frontier Gun (1958). He went to the Philippines to make Cavalry Command (1958) and did two for AIP, Jet Attack (1958) and Attack of the Puppet People (1958). He shot a television pilot in 1958 that was released as a feature film Destination Space (1959). He did Invisible Invaders (1958) for director Edward L. Cahn who had made Jet Attack. Agar could be seen in Journey to the Seventh Planet (1962) and Of Love and Desire (1963). He joined he ensemble casts in several low budget films for producer A. C. Lyles that were released by Paramount Pictures; The Young and The Brave (1963) with Rory Calhoun, Law of the Lawless (1963) starring Dale Robertson and William Bendix, Stage to Thunder Rock (1965) with Barry Sullivan and Marilyn Maxwell, Young Fury (1965) with Rory Calhoun and Lon Chaney Jr., Johnny Reno (1966) with Dana Andrews and Jane Russell, and Waco (1966) with Howard Keel, Jane Russell and Brian Donlevy. He made some films for Larry Buchanan at AIP that were originally meant as made for television movies, Curse of the Swamp Creature (1966), Zontar, the Thing from Venus (1966) and Hell Raiders (1968). He had the lead in Women of the Prehistoric Planet (1966) and Night Fright (1967). He had small parts in some studio films like The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967) with Jason Robards Jr. and Ralph Meeker, and three more pictures in a row with John Wayne: The Undefeated (1969), Chisum (1970), and Big Jake (1971). His last prominent roles were small parts in King Kong (1976), Miracle Mile (1988) and Nightbreed (1990).

Agar's sister was a schoolmate of Shirley Temple. In 1944 Agar escorted Temple to a party held by her boss at the time, David O. Selznick. The two were married in 1945. The two were divorced on December 7, 1950. After the divorce, Agar had little contact with his daughter or with Temple. Agar married model Loretta Barnett Combs (1922–2000) in 1951. They tried to elope but officials refused to marry them for an hour because Agar had been drinking. They remained married for 49 years until her death in 2000. They had two sons, Martin Agar and John G. Agar III.

In 1950 Agar was fined for reckless driving. In 1951 he was sentenced to five months in jail for drunk driving, and released on probation after 60 days. In 1953 Agar was again arrested for drunk driving, and sentenced to 120 days in prison. In 1960 he was again arrested for drunk driving.

Agar supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election, and Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Agar died on April 7, 2002, in Burbank, California from severe complications from emphysema, after being confined for months to an iron lung. He was 81. He was buried beside his wife at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.

As for being associated with science fiction B movies, Agar said, "I don't resent being identified with B science fiction movies at all." Agar later said, "Why should I? Even though they were not considered top of the line, for those people that like sci fi, I guess they were fun. My whole feeling about working as an actor is, if I give anybody any enjoyment, I'm doing my job, and that's what counts." The television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 has featured several of Agar's films, including The Mole People, Women of the Prehistoric Planet and Revenge of the Creature.

YearTitleRoleNotes1948Fort Apache2nd Lt. Michael Shannon O'Rourke1949Adventure in BaltimoreTom WadeShe Wore a Yellow RibbonLt. Flint CohillThe Woman on Pier 13Don LowrySands of Iwo JimaProfessor Peter Conway1950BreakthroughLt. Joe Mallory1951Along the Great DivideBilly ShearThe Magic CarpetAbdullah al Husan / Dr. Ramoth / The Scarlet Falcon1952Woman of the North CountryDavid Powell1953Man of ConflictRay Compton1954BaitRay BrightonThe Rocket ManTom BaxterShield for MurderMark BrewsterThe Golden MistressBill Buchanan1955Revenge of the CreatureProfessor Clete FergusonThe Lonesome TrailJohnny RushTarantula!Dr. Matt HastingsHold Back TomorrowJoe Cardos1956Star in the DustSheriff Bill JordenFlesh and the SpurLuke Random / Matt RandomThe Mole PeopleDr. Roger Bentley1957Joe ButterflySergeant Dick MasonThe Daughter of Dr. JekyllGeorge HastingsThe Brain from Planet ArousSteve MarchRide a Violent MileJeff Donner1958The Day of the TrumpetSgt. Judd NorcuttJet AttackCapt. Tom ArnettAttack of the Puppet PeopleBob WestleyFrontier GunSheriff Jim Crayle1959Invisible InvadersMaj. Bruce Jay1960RaymieIke1961Fall GirlJoe McElroy1962Journey to the Seventh PlanetCapt. Don GrahamHand of DeathAlex Marsh1963The Young and the BraveIntelligence CaptainOf Love and DesireGus Cole1964Law of the LawlessPete StoneStage to Thunder RockDan CarrouthersYoung FuryDawson1966Johnny RenoEd TomkinsWomen of the Prehistoric PlanetDr. FarrellWacoGeorge Gates1967The St. Valentine's Day MassacreDion O'BannionNight FrightSheriff Clint Crawford1969The UndefeatedChristian1970ChisumAmos Patton1971Big JakeBert RyanHow's Your Love Life?Police Lt. Rafferty1976King KongCity Official1978Mr. No LegsPolice Capt. Hathaway1982Divided We FallYankee Officershort Film1988Perfect VictimsNeighbor Walking His DogMiracle MileIvan Peters1990NightbreedDecker's VictimFearLeonard Scott Levy1992Invasion of PrivacyOld Convictdirect to video2001The Vampire Hunters ClubReggiedirect to video short film2005The Naked MonsterDr. Clete Ferguson

YearTitleRoleNotes1952Hollywood Opening NightEpisode: "Delaying Action"The UnexpectedAlan LiverightEpisode: "Desert Honeymoon"1952–1954Fireside TheatreJohn Cushing2 episodes1953The Ford Television TheatreEpisode: "The Old Man's Bride"The Loretta Young ShowLloydEpisode: "Earthquake"1954Schlitz Playhouse of StarsOtis TackEpisode: "Little War at San Dede"1954–1957General Electric TheaterMarvin Potter2 episodes1955Climax!Larry DorrantEpisode: "The First and the Last"1958The Gale Storm Show: Oh! SusannaLt. Arnold Van DykeEpisode: "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"FlightEpisode: "Vertijet"1959Perry MasonKenneth BaxterEpisode: "The Case of the Caretaker's Cat"; credited as John G. AgarDestination SpaceCol. MatthewsTV movie1959 Rawhide Lon Grant S2:E7, "Incident at the Buffalo Smokehouse"1960 Rawhide Mike Anderson S3:E5, "Incident of the Slavemaster"1960WhirlybirdsDanny FlynnEpisode: "Four Little Indians"1961The Best of the PostLt. Larry BronsfordEpisode: "Band of Brothers"Bat MastersonSam PhelpsEpisode: "Farmer with a Badge"RipcordWarrant Officer Frank PiersonEpisode: "Chuting Stars"1962LawmanJim MartinEpisode: "The Witness"1963Death Valley DaysDr. Charles EdwardsEpisode: "Pioneer Doctor"1964–1968The VirginianJoe Williams / Tom Anders2 episodes1965BrandedThe SheriffEpisode: "$10,000 for Durango"1966Combat!Capt. ThorpeEpisode: "The Mockingbird"1967Family AffairGabeEpisode: "What Did You Do in the West, Uncle? "HondoFrank JamesEpisode: "Hondo and the Judas"Zontar: The Thing from VenusDr. Curt TaylorTV movie1968Curse of the Swamp CreatureBarry RogersTV movieThe Name of the GameBert WalkerEpisode: "Nightmare"1969Hell RaidersMaj. Ronald PaxtonTV movie1971The Smith FamilyJim ThorneEpisode: "Taste of Fear"1972The Delphi BureauEpisode: "The Man Upstairs The Man Downstairs Project"1974ChaseEpisode: "Remote Control"1976Police StoryHammackEpisode: "The Long Ball"Charlie's AngelsCol. BlaylockEpisode: "Target: Angels"1984Highway to HeavenMorton ClayEpisode: "The Return of the Masked Rider"1986The Twilight ZonePopEpisode: "A Day in Beaumont"1991The Perfect BrideGrampsTV movie1993Body BagsDr. LangTV movie; in the section "Eye"