Vic Morrow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vic Morrow
Morrow in 1971
Born	Victor Morozoff (1929-02-14)February 14, 1929 New York City, U.S.
Died	July 23, 1982(1982-07-23) (aged 53) Indian Dunes, California, U.S.
Resting place	Hillside Memorial Park Culver City, California
Other names	Victor Morrow
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1955–1982
Spouse(s)	Barbara Turner ​ ​ (m. 1958; div. 1964)​ Gale A. Lester ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 1979)​
Children	2, including Jennifer Jason Leigh

Victor Morrow (born Victor Morozoff; February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor. He became well-known for his role as Sergeant "Chip" Saunders in the TV show Combat! (1962–1967). This role earned him an Emmy nomination.

Vic Morrow acted in movies for over 30 years. Some of his film roles include Blackboard Jungle (1955), King Creole (1958), and The Bad News Bears (1976). He continued acting until his death in 1982. He and two child actors died in a helicopter crash while filming Twilight Zone: The Movie.

Early life and beginnings

Vic Morrow was born in the Bronx, New York City. His parents were Harry and Jean Morozoff. Harry was an electrical engineer. When he was 17, Morrow left high school and joined the United States Navy. His family lived in Asbury Park, New Jersey for many years.

Morrow first gained attention for playing Stanley Kowalski in a traveling play called A Streetcar Named Desire. His first movie role was in Blackboard Jungle (1955). In this film, he played a tough student.

Acting career highlights

After his first movie, Morrow appeared in many TV shows. These included The Millionaire, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Rifleman. He also had supporting roles in movies like Men in War (1957). He acted alongside Elvis Presley in King Creole (1958).

Morrow often worked on television. He appeared in shows such as Naked City, Bonanza, and The Untouchables. In 1961, he had his first main role in the movie Portrait of a Mobster. He played the famous gangster Dutch Schultz.

Starring in Combat!

As Sgt. Saunders in Combat!

In 1962, Vic Morrow was chosen for the main role of Sergeant "Chip" Saunders in ABC's Combat!. This was a popular TV show about World War II. It aired from 1962 to 1967.

His friend and co-star, Rick Jason, said Morrow was a "master director." Jason praised an episode of Combat! called Hills Are for Heroes, which Morrow directed.

Directing and later roles

Morrow also directed films and TV shows. In 1965, he produced and directed Deathwatch. He also wrote and directed a Western movie called A Man Called Sledge (1970). This film starred James Garner.

In the 1970s, Morrow acted in several TV movies. These included The Glass House (1972) and The California Kid (1974). He also guest-starred in popular shows like Hawaii Five-O, Mission: Impossible, and The Streets of San Francisco.

He played a clever sheriff in the movie Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974). He also had a key role as a baseball coach in the comedy The Bad News Bears (1976). Later in the 1970s, he appeared in TV miniseries like Roots. He also directed episodes of shows like Quincy, M.E..

Final acting work

Morrow's last roles included the Japanese film Message from Space (1978) and The Evictors (1979). He also appeared in the movies Humanoids from the Deep (1980) and The Last Shark (1981). His very last roles were guest appearances in Charlie's Angels and Magnum, P.I..

Personal life and family

In 1958, Vic Morrow married actress and writer Barbara Turner. They had two daughters: Carrie Ann Morrow (1958–2016) and actress Jennifer Jason Leigh (born 1962). Morrow and Turner divorced after seven years. He later married Gale Lester in 1975, but they separated before his death.

Morrow's co-star from Combat!, Rick Jason, wrote that Morrow did not like firearms. Even though he used a Thompson submachine gun in the TV series, he avoided them in real life.

Tragic death

In 1982, Vic Morrow was filming a movie called Twilight Zone: The Movie. He was playing a character named Bill Connor. In one scene, his character was taken back in time to different dangerous situations.

In the early morning of July 23, 1982, Morrow was filming a scene in California. He was with two child actors, Myca Dinh Le (seven years old) and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (six years old). They were acting in a scene where their characters tried to escape from a helicopter. The helicopter was flying low, about 24 feet (7.3 meters) above them.

During the scene, special effects explosions caused the helicopter's rotor blades to break. The helicopter then crashed onto Morrow and the two children. All three died instantly.

After a long trial, the director, John Landis, and four other people were found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter. The families of the children and Morrow's daughters later settled lawsuits out of court.

Vic Morrow is buried in Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Filmography

Award nominations

See also

In Spanish: Vic Morrow para niños