John Phillip Law

American actor

John Phillip Law (September 7, 1937 – May 13, 2008) was an American film actor. Following a breakthrough role as a Russian sailor in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), Law became best known for his roles as gunfighter Bill Meceita in the spaghetti western Death Rides a Horse (1967) with Lee Van Cleef, the blind angel Pygar in the science fiction film Barbarella (1968) with Jane Fonda, directed by John Sturges. He attended an engineering college in California, then switched to the University of Hawaii where he studied psychology and appeared in several university stage productions. It caused him to decide to become an actor professionally.

After graduation, Law moved to New York, where he studied acting and he signed a seven year contract with Fox. He realised it was a mistake and got out of it, then returned to New York. He had a small role in Garson Kanin's unsuccessful Broadway comedy, Come On Strong (1962). He was in their productions of Marco's Millions, The Changeling directed by Elia Kazan with Faye Dunaway, and Tartuffe (1965). He left the Lincoln Center company and travelled to Europe where he acted in High Infidelity (1964) and 3 notti d'amore (1964). The film was a big success and Law was launched in Hollywood. He followed this with a co starring role in Otto Preminger's Hurry Sundown (1967), a drama about race relations in the south, which starred Jane Fonda and Michael Caine. Faye Dunaway played his wife in her first film role.

Fonda was going to star in Barbarella and recommended Law for the film. Production was delayed so Law played the lead in a Spaghetti Western, Death Rides a Horse (1967) with Lee Van Cleef, then the title role of Danger: Diabolik (1968), directed by Mario Bava and produced by Dino De Laurentiis. Law eventually played the angel in Barbarella (1968), co starring with Jane Fonda; it was produced by De Laurentiis. He followed it with a small role in Preminger's Skidoo (1968), then had the lead in The Sergeant (1968), starring Rod Steiger as a soldier who lusts after Law. He turned down roles in Midnight Cowboy and Easy Rider and was replaced when filming The Gypsy Moths. Law went back to Europe to support Claudia Cardinale in a comedy, Diary of a Telephone Operator (1969). He had a key role in Hollywood's The Hawaiians (1970) with Charlton Heston and played the title role in the Italian Strogoff (1970), based on the novel by Jules Verne, Michael Strogoff. Law co starred in Roger Corman's film Von Richthofen and Brown (1971), playing Manfred von Richthofen opposite Don Stroud's Roy Brown. Corman used Lynn Garrison's Irish aviation facility, complete with replica World War I aircraft. Garrison taught Law the basics of flying so that he could take off and land, making some of the footage more realistic. replacing Brian Kelly at the last moment. He was one of many actors to have a cameo in The Last Movie (1970). He supported Monica Vitti and Alberto Sordi in Polvere di stelle (1973) then had the title role in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973). He co starred with Peter Fonda in Open Season (1974) and was in the remake of The Spiral Staircase (1975).

Law could still command star roles in Europe: he was in Doctor Justice (1975), A Whisper in the Dark (1976) and Tu dios y mi infierno (1976). He had a supporting role in The Cassandra Crossing (1977) and co starred with Anthony Quinn in Target of an Assassin (1977), filmed in South Africa. He was top billed in Eyes Behind the Wall (1977), The Rider on the White Horse (1978), and The Devil's Bed (1978). He returned to Hollywood to play a supporting role in The Best Place to Be and Ring of Darkness (both 1979).

Law went to Taiwan to make two films, Yuan (1980) and Attack Force Z (1981), an Australian Taiwanese co production. He appeared in Tarzan the Ape Man (1981), and made guest appearances on the TV shows The Love Boat, and Murder, She Wrote. Law remained in demand, albeit mostly now in low budget films, including Tin Man (1983), Night Train to Terror (1985), American Commandos (1985), Moon in Scorpio (1987), Thunder III (1987), Striker (1987), Una grande storia d'amore (1988), Space Mutiny (1988), Blood Delirium (1988), A Case of Honor (1989), and Cold Heat (1989). Law appeared in Alienator (1990), Shining Blood (1992), Il giorno del porco (1993), The Mountain of the Lord (1993), Hindsight (1996), My Ghost Dog (1997), Wanted (1999), and Bad Guys (2000). In 2001, he appeared in Roman Coppola's directorial debut CQ, an homage to the Italian spy/sci fi B movies in which Law often starred during the 1960s.

On December 13, 2007, his doctors diagnosed Law with pancreatic cancer. He died five months later on May 13, 2008, aged 70, at his home in Los Angeles.