Remembering Hugh O'Brian
Sorry to read about the passing of Hugh O'Brian, though at the ripe old age of 91. He was, as most people likely know, easily best-known for starring in the classic TV Western, Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. The show had quite a respectable run -- not to the length of Bonanza or Gunsmoke (few of any series did...) -- but still, it was on for seven seasons.
Most obituaries for O'Brian write that he was born in New York, and later moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA. I mention this because it leaves out the far-more important point (well, to me anyway) that his family moved to the Chicago area -- and furthermore he attended the same high school I later did, New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.
(The public school has an illustrious honor role of graduates, which I wrote about here. It includes Ann-Margaret, Charlton Heston, Bruce Dern, Rock Hudson, novelist Scott Turow, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Archibald MacLeish, Sen. Charles Percy, Sen. Mark Kirk, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, Tony-winner Christine Ebersole (who I recently wrote about seeing in the new musical War Paint), singer-songwriter Liz Phair, and a great many others I note in the earlier article -- including one of the Board of Directors of Elisberg Industries, Rabbi Jack Moline, who among his other credentials is president of the Interface Alliance. But I digress. Though am happy to note that Hugh O'Brian is in good company...)
He had a very long career in movies and TV, and wasn't just a one-trick star. In fact, one of his last films was a small, comic role in the comedy, Twins. He also was in one of the movie adaptations of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians. And he had a memorable screen role in the wonderful Western The Shootist, playing the very last character ever shot and killed on film by John Wayne.
I always enjoyed the Wyatt Earp show when a kidling. I don't have very detailed memories of it, but found it stylish and thoughtful. One thing I do clearly remember about it -- and can even still sing the chorus -- is its enjoyable theme song. So, I figured that that's a good way to go out. This is the rarely-heard full version.
Comments