[Music]
albert sami
was born on march 11 1928
in brooklyn new york his parents were
from finland
after high school albert served in the
united states army during world war
ii after returning from the war he
studied
at the actor's studio with lee strasberg
in those days actors viewed movies and
television roles
as not as important as performing on the
stage
in 1955 somi appeared on broadway
in bus stop playing the part of beau
decker
later he was offered the chance to play
the same role
in the movie version of bus stop
co-starring with marilyn monroe
but turned it down eventually somi
changed his mind about tv
and movies and did the tv drama
bang the drum slowly with paul newman on
the united states
steel hour show in 1956.
his films from that era were the
brothers karamazov
with joe brenner in 1958 followed by the
movie the bravados
with gregory peck with over 150 film tv
and stage credits
it would be difficult to list them all
here however i will mention a few of
note
albert did episodes of many popular
series
including the virginian bonanza
the big valley that girl land of the
giants
lost in space the a-team including
knight rider
kung fu route 66
daniel boone and several episodes of the
twilight zone
film work included escape from the
planet of the apes
the 1960 version of unforgiven
caddyshack brubacher and love and
bullets
albert solmi was one of the busiest
character actors in hollywood for over
three decades
albert was married twice first to peggy
and corner in 1956 they had a daughter
together but divorced in 1963.
in 1964 he married roberta pollock
taper and they had two daughters
together
in 1983 somi went into semi-retirement
and the couple moved from los angeles to
spokane washington
there were problems in their marriage
and roberta filed for divorce in 1990.
got a restraining order against somi
claiming he drank and physically abused
her
and that she feared for her life sadly
on april 22 1990 while suffering from
clinical depression
albert sawmi shot and killed his wife in
the kitchen
of their home later that day salmi shot
and killed
himself he was cremated and placed in a
niche
at greenwood memorial terrace cemetery
spokane washington
he was only 62 years old
[Music]
gig young was born byron ellsworth barr
on november 4th 1913 in saint cloud
minnesota from parents
john and emma barr they moved to
waynesville
north carolina then to washington dc
where he got introduced
and fell in love with the theater he
received a scholarship to southern
california's
pasadena community playhouse he met
and married sheila stapler in 1940
their marriage lasted seven years we
were too young
it couldn't have lasted he later said a
warner brothers talent scout
spotted him while he was acting in the
play pancho he was still acting under
his given name when he signed with
warner brothers
he played bit parts and as an extra and
experimented with different screen names
because another actor was already using
this given name
some of his early works include sergeant
your you're in the army now
the man who came to dinner and captains
of the clouds he discovered his
permanent name while doing a picture of
the gay sister
he played the role of gig young and
continued with the name
young enlisted in the united states
coast guard and served until the end of
world war ii
returning from the war he was cast in
escape me never
as errol flynn's rival for eleanor
parker
and the woman in white in 1948 he left
warner brothers
unhappy with his salary in 1950 he
married sophie rosenstein
a drama coach at paramount she was
diagnosed with cancer and died two years
after they're married
young began freelancing at studios he
was quickly known
as a reliable second male lead to stars
who were established box office draws
he played supporting roles in wake of
the red witch
and the three musketeers in 1948
lust for gold and tell it to the judge
in 1949
the girl who had everything in holiday
for sinners
young played a star role in city that
never sleeps and
arena in 1953. gigg
co-starred in four films with doris day
young at heart teacher's pet the tunnel
of love in 1958
and that touch of mink he was nominated
for best supporting actor oscar for the
part in
come fill the cup in 1951. and nominated
a second time seven years later in
teacher's pet
he returned to broadway in 1953 for
oh men oh women young said it was a big
smash hit
but never helped change my type in
hollywood for quite some time
i still played dole serious parts like
errol flynn's brother
yet on broadway they offered me nothing
but comedies
in 1955 he hosted the tv series warner
brothers
presents he continued appearing on tv
shows
such as the united states steel hour
goodyear theater
and studio one in hollywood co-starring
with elizabeth montgomery
of bewitched fame whom he married in
1956.
in 1959 gig young was in the
well-remembered twilight zone
episode walking distance in 1963
elizabeth divorced young because of his
alcoholism
nine months later young married elaine
williams
who was pregnant with young's only child
jennifer
born april 1964. they divorced after
three years of marriage due to his
physical abuse
and alcoholism then in 1969
he won the supporting actor oscar and
they shoot horses don't they
young's alcoholism began to affect his
career
he was fired by director mel brooks
after he passed out on the first day of
filming the comedy blazing saddles
he had been cast as the waco kid and the
part was later given to gene wilder
on september 27 1978 young who was 64
years old
married 31 year old german magazine
editor
kim schmidt sadly three weeks after
their marriage
the couple was found dead in their
manhattan apartment
police surmised that young shot his wife
and then himself
young was interred in green hill
cemetery
in waynesville north carolina he was
only
64 years old
you