Oscar Nominated Actor Stuart Whitman Dies

[Left: Stuart Whitman in “The Longest Day” (Photo: unknown, 20th Century Fox-eBay, Public Domain), Right:  Whitman and Victoria Shaw in “Cimarron Strip” (Photo: CBS Television -eBay, Public Domain)]

By edhat staff

Oscar-nominated actor Stuart Whitman died on Monday in Montecito. He was 92.

Whitman had more than 200 film and television credits to his name but most notably was his role as a convicted child molester in the 1961 film, “The Mark.” The film follows Whitman’s portrayal of a character who was recently released from prison and seeks psychological help to lead a normal life. He was nominated for Best Actor due but ultimately lost to Maximilian Schell for his role in “Judgment at Nuremberg.”

He’s also known for his role as Marshal Jim Crown the 1967 western television series “Cimarron Strip” and starring alongside John Wayne in the 1961 film, “The Comancheros.”  His last credited role was in the 2000 film “The President’s Man.”

Whitman was born on February 1, 1928, in San Francisco and moved to Los Angeles in the 1940s. He graduated from Hollywood High School in 1945 and enlisted for three years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before being honorably discharged in 1948.

While attending acting classes at Los Angeles City College, Whitman landed small roles that lead to his breakout role in the 1957 film “Johnny Trouble.” From there he became a staple in Western films.

“I’ve had to battle and say what is an actor? It’s a fellow who plays someone else. But now I realize it’s the image that makes a star. John Wayne is a great example of a super actor. Gary Cooper is another one. My image? I think it’s being free and easy and all man. I say to myself I want to become an actor, I want to lose myself in each role. But that’s not the way to become an actor,” said Whitman in 1961 to the Los Angeles Times.

“He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Yulia Whitman; four children from his first marriage to the late Patricia LaLonde — Tony Whitman, Michael Whitman, Linda LaLonde Whitman and Scott Whitman — and one son, Justin Whitman, from his second marriage to Caroline Boubis Whitman. He’s also survived by seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. The family asks that donations be made to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America”, reports Variety.