Victor Mature facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Victor Mature
Mature c. 1940s
Born	Victor John Mature (1913-01-29)January 29, 1913 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	August 4, 1999(1999-08-04) (aged 86) Rancho Santa Fe, California, U.S.
Resting place	St. Michael's Cemetery, Louisville, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1939–1984
Spouse(s)	Frances Charles ​ ​ (m. 1938; annul. 1940)​ Martha Stephenson Kemp ​ ​ (m. 1941; div. 1943)​ Dorothy Standford Berry ​ ​ (m. 1948; div. 1955)​ Adrienne Joy Urwick ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1969)​ Loretta Gaye Sebena ​ (m. 1974)​
Children	1

Victor John Mature (born January 29, 1913 – died August 4, 1999) was a famous American actor. He starred in many movies, plays, and TV shows during the 1940s and 1950s. Some of his most well-known films include One Million B.C. (1940), My Darling Clementine (1946), Samson and Delilah (1949), and The Robe (1953). He also appeared in many musicals with stars like Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable.

Early Life and Beginnings

Victor Mature was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His father, Marcello Mature, was from Italy and sharpened knives. His mother, Clara, was from Kentucky and had Swiss family.

Victor went to St. Xavier High School and other schools in Louisville. Before becoming an actor, he briefly sold candy and ran a restaurant. Later, he moved to California to pursue acting.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting at Pasadena Playhouse

Victor Mature studied acting at the Pasadena Community Playhouse. He lived in a tent for three years while he was learning! An agent named Charles R. Rogers saw him act and thought he was a big talent. Victor then signed a contract with Hal Roach Studios in 1939.

First Big Roles

Hal Roach gave Victor a small part in The Housekeeper's Daughter (1939). Then, he got his first main role as a caveman in One Million B.C. (1940). This movie made him famous. People even called him a "handsome Tarzan type." He also starred in Captain Caution (1940), a movie about the War of 1812.

Since Hal Roach didn't make many movies each year, Victor was loaned out to other studios. He starred in the musical No, No, Nanette for RKO.

Broadway Success

Victor wanted to try theater and show he could do more than just "grunt and groan." He got a role in a musical called Lady in the Dark on Broadway in New York City. He played Randy Curtis, a movie star.

The musical was a huge hit in 1941. Victor's performance was praised, and people often called him a "Beautiful Hunk of Man," a description from the show.

Joining 20th Century Fox

After his Broadway success, 20th Century Fox bought part of Victor's contract. He starred in the thriller I Wake Up Screaming with Betty Grable. He also appeared in The Shanghai Gesture.

Fox then put him in musicals like Song of the Islands and My Gal Sal with Rita Hayworth. In 1941, Fox bought his full contract, paying him $1,500 a week.

Serving in World War II

Rita Hayworth and Victor Mature in 1942

In July 1942, Victor tried to join the U.S. Navy but couldn't because he was colorblind. The same day, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard after passing a different eye test. He served on a ship called the USCGC Storis and was part of the Greenland Patrol.

Later, he helped with war bond tours and performed in shows to boost morale for the troops. He was honorably discharged from the Coast Guard in November 1945 and went back to acting.

Return to Hollywood

Victor Mature in the trailer for Cry of the City

After the war, Victor signed a new contract with Fox. He starred in My Darling Clementine (1946), a Western directed by John Ford. He played Doc Holliday alongside Henry Fonda.

He also made the thriller Kiss of Death (1947), which earned him great reviews. He then starred in another Western, Fury at Furnace Creek, and a crime drama, Cry of the City (1948), where his performance as a tired cop was highly praised.

Samson and Delilah

Victor Mature with Hedy Lamarr in Samson and Delilah (1949)

Victor's career got a huge boost when he was chosen by director Cecil B. DeMille to play the lead role in the biblical movie Samson and Delilah (1949). This movie cost $3.5 million to make, which was a lot of money back then! DeMille called the character of Samson "a combination Tarzan, Robin Hood, and Superman."

Victor was a bit scared of the animals and special effects used in the movie, like the lions and the wind machine. But the film was a massive success, earning over $12 million. It became the most popular movie of the 1940s and started a trend of big historical films.

More Big Movies

After Samson and Delilah, Victor continued to make many films. He starred in Wabash Avenue (1950) with Betty Grable. He also made The Las Vegas Story (1952) with Jane Russell and Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) with Esther Williams.

The Robe

Victor Mature in the trailer for The Robe

In 1952, Victor signed on to play Demetrius in two movies: The Robe and its sequel, Demetrius and the Gladiators. These movies were filmed one after the other.

The Robe (1953) was very important because it was the first movie ever released in CinemaScope. This new technology made the screen much wider. The movie was a huge success and one of the most popular films of all time. Its sequel, Demetrius and the Gladiators, was also a big hit.

Victor continued to star in historical films like The Egyptian (1954) and Chief Crazy Horse (1955).

Later Career and Retirement

In the mid-1950s, Victor started making movies for other companies, including his own production company, Romina Productions. He starred in adventure films like Safari (1956), filmed in Kenya, and Zarak (1956). He also made China Doll (1958) and the Western Escort West (1958).

His last major film before retiring was Hannibal (1959), where he played the famous general. Victor decided to retire from acting at age 46. He said, "It wasn't fun anymore. I was OK financially so I thought what the hell – I'll become a professional loafer."

Life After Acting

After five years, Victor returned to acting to make fun of his own image in the movie After the Fox (1966). He played an aging actor living off his past fame. In 1968, he played a giant in Head, a movie starring The Monkees.

Victor was known for making jokes about his acting skills. He once said, "I'm not an actor — and I've got 64 films to prove it!" He also said, "Actually, I am a golfer. That is my real occupation. I never was an actor. Ask anybody, particularly the critics."

He came out of retirement a few more times for movies like Every Little Crook and Nanny (1971) and Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976). His very last acting role was in the TV movie Samson and Delilah in 1984, where he played Samson's father.

Personal Life

Victor Mature was married five times. His last marriage was to Loretta Gaye Sebena, an opera singer, in 1974. They had one child, a daughter named Victoria, who was born in 1975 and also became an opera singer.

Death

The Mature family's grave in Louisville, Kentucky

Victor Mature passed away from leukemia in 1999 at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, California. He was 86 years old. He is buried in his family's grave in Louisville, Kentucky.

For his amazing work in movies, Victor Mature has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Filmography

Theatre Credits

• Back to Methuselah by George Bernard Shaw – Pasadena Playhouse, August 1938
• Autumn Crocus – Pasadena Playhouse September–October 1938
• Paradise Plantation – Pasadena Playhouse November 1938
• To Quito and Back by Ben Hecht – Pasadena Playhouse April 1939
• Lady in the Dark – Alvin Theatre, Jan–June 1941

Radio Appearances

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See also

In Spanish: Victor Mature para niños

• List of people from the Louisville metropolitan area