George Dolenz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Dolenz
Dolenz in Vendetta (1950)
Born	Jure Dolenc (1908-01-05)January 5, 1908 Trieste, Austria-Hungary
Died	February 8, 1963(1963-02-08) (aged 55) Hollywood, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, U.S.
Other names	Giorgio Dolenz George Dolentz
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1941–1963
Spouse(s)	Janelle Johnson ​ ​ (m. 1943)​
Children	4, including Micky Dolenz
Relatives	Ami Dolenz (granddaughter)

George Dolenz (born Jure Dolenc; January 5, 1908 – February 8, 1963) was an American actor who appeared in many films and TV shows. He was born in Trieste, a city that was part of Austria-Hungary back then, but is now in Italy. His family was part of the Slovene community there.

Life and Career of George Dolenz

Early Life and Moving to America

George Dolenz, whose birth name was Jure Dolenc, moved to the United States in October 1934. He traveled by steamship through Cuba and arrived in Key West, Florida. By 1937, he was living in Hollywood, California, and working as a waiter.

Becoming an Actor

George Dolenz started his acting career by playing small parts in "B movies." These were films made with lower budgets. Over time, he began to get bigger "supporting roles," meaning he played important characters who helped the main story along.

After World War II, Dolenz became a "leading man" for RKO Pictures, a big movie studio. This meant he played the main character in films. However, one of his movies, Vendetta, did not do well in 1950. After this, he went back to playing supporting and "character parts" for other studios, like MGM. For example, he appeared in The Last Time I Saw Paris as the husband of Donna Reed's character.

Television Roles

In 1956, George Dolenz starred in a TV series called The Count of Monte Cristo. He played the main character, Edmond Dantes, in all 39 episodes.

He also appeared in several Western TV shows. In 1958, he played Count Peter Von Gilsa in an episode of The Restless Gun. The next year, in 1959, he was Colonel Gutterez in an episode of Cimarron City.

In 1961, Dolenz played Juan Amontillo in The Rebel and Ramon Ortega in The Deputy. His very last acting role was in an episode of the popular TV show Bonanza in 1963, where he played Eduard D'Arcy.

Family Life

George Dolenz married an actress named Janelle Johnson. They had four children together. One of their children is Micky Dolenz, who became a famous actor and singer in the 1960s band the Monkees. George and Janelle's other children were Gemma "Coco" Dolenz, Gina Dolenz, and Debbie Dolenz.

Later Life and Passing

George Dolenz passed away in 1963 from a heart attack. He was 55 years old. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Partial filmography