Wikipedia

Hugh O'Brian

For the mayor of Boston with a similar name, seeHugh O'Brien.

Hugh O'Brian(bornHugh Charles Krampe;April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in theABCWesterntelevision seriesThe Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp(1955–1961) and theNBCaction television seriesSearch(1972–1973). His notable films included the adaptation ofAgatha Christie'sTen Little Indians(1965); he also had a notable supporting role inJohn Wayne's last film,The Shootist(1976).

Hugh O'Brian
O'Brian in 1965
Born
Hugh Charles Krampe

(1925-04-19)April 19, 1925
Rochester, New York,U.S.
DiedSeptember 5, 2016(2016-09-05)(aged 91)
Beverly Hills, California,U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California
OccupationActor
Years active1948–2000
Spouse
Virginia Barber
​
(m.2006)​
Military career
AllegianceUnited States
Service/ branchUnited States Marine Corps
Years of service1943–1949
RankSergeant
Websitehughobrian.me

He created theHugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Foundation,a nonprofit youth leadership-development program for high-school scholars. It has sponsored more than 500,000 students since O'Brian founded the program in 1958, following an extended visit with physician and theologianAlbert Schweitzer.

Life and career

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Early life and military service

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O'Brian was born Hugh Charles Krampe inRochester, New York,the son of Hugh John Krampe, who served as an officer in theUnited States Marine Corps,and Edith Lillian (née Marks) Krampe. O’Brian once described his father as “one of the toughest men I ever knew”; this inspired his interest in the military.[1]

O'Brian moved with his parents toLancaster, Pennsylvania,around 1930, when he was about five years old.[2]His father had become an executive with theArmstrong Cork Company,which was headquartered in Lancaster.[2]The Krampe family lived at the Stevens House Hotel temporarily before moving to the newly developed School Lane Hills houses in the city's West End.[2]O'Brian attended Lancaster city elementary schools.[2]The Krampes resided in Lancaster for about four years before they moved toChicago,where his father had another position with the Armstrong Cork Company.[2]Years later, in 1963, Hugh O'Brian was awarded thekey to the cityby LancasterMayorGeorge Coe.[2]

After the move to the Chicago area, Krampe and his family lived inWinnetka, Illinois,where he attendedNew Trier High School.He transferred to theKemper Military School(closed in 2002) inBoonville, Missouri,where he lettered in football, basketball, wrestling, and track.

After one semester at theUniversity of Cincinnati,Krampe dropped out to enlist in the Marine Corps duringWorld War II.At 17, he became the youngest Marinedrill instructoron record.[3][4][5]

O'Brian as Harry Chamberlain inRocketship X-M(1950)
O'Brian aliasWyatt Earpin theABCwesternanthologyThe Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
WithLouise Fletcher(1959)

Career start and name change

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After World War II ended, Krampe planned to become a lawyer and had been accepted atYale Universityfor the fall of 1947. Before that, he lived in Hollywood, where he was dating an actress. He attended her rehearsals of theSomerset MaughamplayHome and Beauty.When the lead actor failed to show up, directorIda Lupinoasked him to read the lines. He got the role and the play received a tremendous review, then received a contract offer from an agent.[6][7][8]

Krampe changed his name after the program incorrectly listed him as "Hugh Krape." He later said, "I decided right then I didn't want to go through life being known as Huge Krape, so I decided to take my mother's family name, O'Brien, but they misspelled it as 'O'Brian' and I just decided to stay with that."[2][7]

Lupino signed him toNever Fear,a film she was directing. O'Brian gained a contract withUniversal Pictures.[9]

Wyatt Earpand television career

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He was chosen to portray legendary lawmanWyatt Earpon the ABC Western seriesThe Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp,which debuted in 1955. To help develop his character, O'Brian boughtStuart N. Lake's bookWyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal.He also developed a relationship with Lake, who was a consultant on the show for the first two years.[10]The series, alongsideGunsmokeandCheyenne,which debuted the same year, spearheaded the "adult Western" television genre, with the emphasis on character development rather than moral sermonizing. It soon became one of the top-rated shows on television. During its six-year run,Wyatt Earpconsistently placed in the top 10 in the United States. Decades later, he reprised the role in two episodes of the television seriesGuns of Paradise(1990), the television movieThe Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw(1991), and the independent filmWyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone(1994), the latter mixing new footage and colorized archival sequences from the original series.

O'Brian appeared regularly on other programs in the 1950s and 1960s, includingThe Nat King Cole Show,The Jackie Gleason Show,The Ed Sullivan Show,andThe Dinah Shore Chevy Show,all in 1957. He was seen inJack Palance's ABC circus dramaThe Greatest Show on Earth.He also appeared as a 'guest attorney' in the 1963Perry Masonepisode "The Case of the Two-Faced Turn-a-bout" when its star,Raymond Burr,was sidelined for a spell after minor emergency surgery. He served as guest host on episodes ofThe Hollywood Palacein 1964 and the rock music seriesShindig!in 1965. He was a guest celebrity panelist on theCBSprimetime programsPasswordandWhat's My Line?and served as a mystery guest on three occasions on the latter series.

In 1971, he filmed a television pilot titledProbe,playing a high-tech (for the times) agent for a company that specialized in recovering valuable items. The pilot spawned a series for O'Brian namedSearch,which ran one season (1972–1973). In 1999 and 2000, he co-starred withDick Van Patten,Deborah Winters,Richard Roundtree,andRichard Andersonin the miniseriesY2K - World in Crisis.[11]

Film career

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The actor appeared in a number of films, among themRocketship X-M(1950),The Lawless Breed(1953),There's No Business Like Show Business(1954),White Feather(1955), The Brass Legend (1956),Come Fly with Me(1963),Love Has Many Faces(1965),In Harm's Way(1965),Ten Little Indians(1965), andAmbush Bay(1966).[12]

While onstage,Elvis Presleyintroduced O'Brian from the audience at a performance at the Las Vegas Hilton, as captured in the imported live CD release "April Fool's Dinner". O'Brian was a featured actor in the 1977 two-hour premiere of the television seriesFantasy Island.He played the last character whomJohn Wayneever killed on the screen in Wayne's final movie,The Shootist(1976). O'Brian appeared in fight scenes with aBruce Leelookalike in Lee's last – partially completed – film, the controversialGame of Death.O'Brian recreated his Wyatt Earp role for three 1990s projects:Guns of Paradise(1990) andThe Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw(1991), with fellow actorGene Barrydoing likewise as lawmanBat Mastersonfor each, as well as the independent filmWyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone(1994). He also had a cameo as the father ofDanny DeVitoandArnold Schwarzeneggerin the comedyTwins(1988).[13]

Also appearing in one episode ofMurder, She Wrote(1990), one episode ofL.A. Law(1993) and two episodes ofCall of the Wild (TV series)(2000).[14]

Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Foundation

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O'Brian dedicated much of his life to theHugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Foundation(HOBY), a non-profit youth leadership-development program for high-school scholars. HOBY sponsors 10,000 high school sophomores annually through its over 70 leadership programs in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its inception in 1958, over 500,000 young people have participated in HOBY-related programs.[15]

One high-school sophomore from every high school in the United States, referred to as an "ambassador", is welcome to attend a state or regional HOBY seminar. From each of those seminars, students (number based on population) are offered the opportunity to attend the World Leadership Congress. In 2008, over 500 ambassadors attended from all 50 states and 20 countries. The concept for HOBY was inspired in 1958 by a nine-day visit O'Brian had with famed humanitarianDr. Albert Schweitzerin Africa. Dr. Schweitzer believed "the most important thing in education is to teach young people to think for themselves."[16]

O'Brian's message was explained in an essay on the topic:

I do NOT believe we are all born equal. Created equal in the eyes of God, yes, but physical and emotional differences, parental guidelines, varying environments, being in the right place at the right time, all play a role in enhancing or limiting an individual's development. But I DO believe every man and woman, if given the opportunity and encouragement to recognize their potential, regardless of background, has the freedom to choose in our world. Will an individual be a taker or a giver in life? Will that person be satisfied merely to exist or seek a meaningful purpose? Will he or she dare to dream the impossible dream? I believe every person is created as the steward of his or her own destiny with great power for a specific purpose, to share with others, through service, a reverence for life in a spirit of love.

— Hugh O'Brian, The Freedom to Choose.[17]

Personal life and death

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O'Brian in 1964

On June 25, 2006, at age 81, O'Brian married his girlfriend of 18 years, Virginia Barber (borncirca1952); it was his first and only marriage. The ceremony was held atForest Lawn Memorial Parkwith the Rev.Robert Schullerofficiating.[18]Barber, who had been married once previously, is a teacher by profession and the couple spent their honeymoon studying philosophy atOxford University.O'Brian stated that he believed "an active mind is as important as an active body."[19]O'Brian died at his home inBeverly Hills, California,on September 5, 2016, at the age of 91.[20][16]

Photographer Adina Etkis successfully sued O'Brian for child support in Los Angeles court in 1969, regarding her son Hugh Donald Krampe. Etkis had met O'Brian in 1951.[21]However, O'Brian stated in his trust: "I do not have any children, living or dead", specifically naming two claimants, including Hugh.[22]Four people have claimed O'Brian as their father.[23]

Filmography

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Main article:Hugh O'Brian filmography

Awards

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For his contribution to the television industry, Hugh O'Brian has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fameat 6613½ Hollywood Blvd. In 1992, he was inducted into theWestern Performers Hall of Fameat theNational Cowboy & Western Heritage MuseuminOklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Year Nominated work Award Result
1953 The Man from the Alamo Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer — Male Won
1956 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Primetime Emmy for Best Continuing Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Series Nominated
1960 Himself Hollywood Walk of FameStar — Television Honored
1973 Golden Plate Award– Television[24] Honored
1991 Golden Boot Award Honored
1992 Hall of Great Western Performers Inducted

References

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  1. ^Endrst, James (September 5, 2016)."Hugh O'Brian Dies; Dashing TV Star of 'Wyatt Earp' Was 91".The New York Times.RetrievedJune 12,2020.
  2. ^abcdefgBrubaker, Jack (September 9, 2016)."The Scribbler: 'Wyatt Earp' star spent his early years in Lancaster".LNP.RetrievedApril 14,2020.
  3. ^"Marshaling His Forces for the Future".Los Angeles Times.June 16, 1996.
  4. ^"Hugo J. Krampe".Family Search.Archived fromthe originalon April 3, 2015.RetrievedApril 3,2015.
  5. ^"Hugh C. Krampe: United States Census 1930".Family Search.Archived fromthe originalon April 3, 2015.RetrievedApril 3,2015.
  6. ^McKirdy, Ewan (September 5, 2016)."'Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp' Star Hugh O'Brian Dies at Age 91 ".CNN.RetrievedApril 14,2020.
  7. ^abMcLellan, Dennis (September 5, 2016)."Hugh O'Brian, actor who played Wyatt Earp, dies at 91".Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^Pool, Bob (July 8, 2013)."Hugh O'Brian reflects on journey from Hollywood window washer to star".Los Angeles Times.
  9. ^Wise, James E.; Rehill, Anne Collier (1999).Stars in the Corps: Movie Actors in the United States Marines.Naval Institute Press. p. 152.ISBN978-1557509499.
  10. ^Parke, Henry C. (December 2016)."The Life and Legend of Hugh O'Brian".TrueWest.63(12): 22–24.
  11. ^"Movies".Screened.com.Archived fromthe originalon November 12, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 18,2016.
  12. ^"Hugh O'Brian | Actor, Additional Crew, Soundtrack".IMDb.RetrievedJuly 10,2024.
  13. ^"Hugh O'Brian | Actor, Additional Crew, Soundtrack".IMDb.RetrievedJuly 10,2024.
  14. ^"Hugh O'Brian | Actor, Additional Crew, Soundtrack".IMDb.RetrievedJuly 10,2024.
  15. ^"History of HOBY".HOBY Leadership.RetrievedApril 14,2020.
  16. ^abDagan, Carmel (September 5, 2016)."Hugh O'Brian, Star of TV's 'The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp', Dies at 91".Variety.RetrievedSeptember 5,2016.
  17. ^"Who Are We?".Hoby Arizona.RetrievedApril 14,2020.
  18. ^"Hugh O'Brian weds for the first time".USA Today.Associated Press.June 26, 2006.RetrievedMarch 1,2016.
  19. ^"'Wyatt Earp' Star Hugh O'Brian, Wife Spend Honeymoon in School ".Fox News Channel.Associated Press. August 21, 2006.RetrievedSeptember 6,2016.
  20. ^"Hugh O'Brian, square-jawed actor who played Wyatt Earp on TV, dies at 91".The Washington Post.September 6, 2016.RetrievedApril 14,2020.
  21. ^"Hugh O'Brian Declared Father".Honolulu Star-Bulletin.March 31, 1971. p. 7 – viaNewspapers.com.
  22. ^"TV's Wyatt Earp Fought off a Mob of Unclaimed Heirs".January 26, 2021.
  23. ^Kelley, Christina (September 6, 2017)."Oh baby! Four allege 'childless' Wyatt Earp star Hugh O'Brian was daddy".MyNewsLA.
  24. ^"1961-1976 Golden Plate Recipients".Academy of Achievement.Archived fromthe originalon January 10, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 18,2016.
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