Gig Young

Actor

About

Also Known As

Byron Barr, Byron Elsworth Barr, Bryant Fleming

Birth Place

St Cloud, Minnesota, USA

Born

November 04, 1913

Died

October 19, 1978

Cause of Death

Suspected Suicide After Allegedly Shooting Wife To Death

Biography

Filmography

The Game of Death (1978)

Spectre (1977)

Dr Hamilton

Sherlock Holmes in New York (1976)

Mortimer Mcgraw

The Turning Point of Jim Malloy (1975)

Ray Whitehead

The Hindenburg (1975)

The Killer Elite (1975)

Lawrence Weyburn

Photos & Videos

View All

Too Young To Kiss (1951) -- (Movie Clip) There's No Room At The Top

Tunnel Of Love, The (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Class of '79

Family & Companions

Shelia Stapler

Wife

Married c. 1939; divorced.

Sophia Rosenstein

Wife

Married c. 1950 until her death in 1952.

Elizabeth Montgomery

Wife

Actor. Married in 1956; divorced in 1963; third wife.

Elaine Whitman

Wife

Real estate broker. Married in 1953; divorced in 1966 divorced; gave birth to a daughter Jennifer, but Young was later suspicious that child wasn't his and rejected her (and left her $10 in his will).

Bibliography

"The Final Gig: The Man Behind the Murder"

George Eells, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (1991)

Notes

Gig Young only used the names "Byron Barr" and "Bryant Fleming" in a handful of bit roles during his earliest period at Warner Brothers. From 1942 on he was known as "Gig Young". He did this partly to avoid being confused with another actor starting out in Hollywood named Byron Barr, who kept the name and racked up around 20 credits in Hollywood features between 1942 and the early 1950s. This Byron Barr played supporting roles and is perhaps best remembered as the hot-headed Nino Zachette, the boyfriend nearly framed for murder, in Billy Wilder's film noir classic, "Double Indemnity" (1944).

Biography

Amiable supporting player and occasional lead who broke into film in the early 1940s. Young appeared in several bit parts under his given name, Byron Barr, and the pseudonym, Bryant Fleming, before adopting the name of his character in the 1942 feature, "The Gay Sisters." While he proved capable in several dramatic parts (notably as the sleazy emcee in the haunting "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" which brought him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar), Young seemed destined to play debonair cads and slightly inebriated playboys who never win the female lead in the end in sophisticated light comedies such as "Desk Set" (1957), "Teacher's Pet" (1958) and "That Touch of Mink" (1962). Young's third and fifth wives were actresses Elizabeth Montgomery and Kim Schmidt; he allegedly shot the latter three weeks into the marriage before turning the gun on himself.

Filmography

Life Events

1941

Signed by Warner Bros.

1942

First featured film role in "The Gay Sisters"; played character named "Gig Young" and subsequently adopted the name for himself

1951

Received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his work in drama about alcoholism, "Come Fill the Cup", starring James Cagney

1958

Received a second Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the comedy, "Teacher's Pet", starring Clark Gable and Doris Day

1975

Last films included "The Hindenburg" and "The Killer Elite"; appeared in the Bruce Lee film "Game of Death" which was shot mostly in 1973 but held up until 1979 because star Bruce Lee died during its making

Photo Collections

The Hindenburg - Movie Poster

Air Force - Scene Stills

Here are a few scene stills from Warner Bros' Air Force (1943), starring John Garfield and Gig Young.

Tunnel of Love - Scene Stills

Here are several scene stills from Tunnel of Love (1958), directed by Gene Kelly and starring Doris Day, Richard Widmark, and Gig Young.

Old Acquaintance - Scene Stills

Here are a number of scene stills from Warner Bros' Old Acquaintance (1943), starring Bette Davis, Miriam Hopkins, and Gig Young.

Young at Heart - Movie Poster

Here is the Window Card from Warner Bros' Young at Heart (1955), starring Frank Sinatra and Doris Day. Window Cards were 14x22 mini posters designed to be placed in store windows around town during a film's engagement. A blank space at the top of the poster featured theater and playdate infromation.

Videos

Too Young To Kiss (1951) -- (Movie Clip) There's No Room At The Top Having just realized she could fake being a teenager in order to get an audition, ambitious classical pianist Cynthia (June Allyson) is intercepted at home by her boyfriend John (Gig Young), early in MGM’s Too Young To Kiss, , 1951, also starring Van Johnson.

Tunnel Of Love, The (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Class of '79 From credits establishing Westport, Connecticut and title song by the leading lady, Doris Day and Richard Widmark arrive home, greeted by neighbors Gig Young and Elisabeth Fraser, opening The Tunnel Of Love, 1958.

City That Never Sleeps (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Take The Service Elevator Continuing the omniscient narration, by the “voice of the city,” (Chicago), we meet William Talman as thief Stewart, Ron Hagerthy his sidekick, Edward Arnold as lawyer Biddell, Marie Windsor his wife, Gig Young again as Johnny, whom we didn’t know was a cop, and Paula Raymond as the wife we know he’s thinking of leaving, early in City That Never Sleeps, 1953.

City That Never Sleeps (1953) -- (Movie Clip) I Am The City Opening projecting the extraordinary tone which will permeate the piece, narration by Chill Wills who will appear as a character, introducing the automated Wally Cassell, cynical and bitter Gig Young and Mala Powers, and sparky Bunny Kacher as Agnes, John H. Auer directing from Steve Fisher’s original screenplay, in City That Never Sleeps, 1953.

Woman in White, The (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Indescribable Torture Drawing teacher Hartright (Gig Young) meets the fussy, widowed master of the house Frederick Fairlie (John Abbott), in an early scene from director Peter Godfrey's The Woman in White, 1948.

Woman In White, The (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Waiting For That Supreme Moment Sensible cousin Marian (Alexis Smith), returned to Fairlie House, is concerned at the behavior of her cousin Laura (Eleanor Parker) after her marriage to Percival (John Emery), who tangles with Count Fosco (Sydney Greenstreet), whose wife (Agnes Moorehead) seems even more weird, in The Woman In White, 1948.

Woman In White, The (1948) -- (Movie Clip) This Romantic Adventure Arising after a mercifully calm first evening at the Fairlie Estate, tutor Hartright (Gig Young) meets Eleanor Parker, whom he assumes is the same woman he met in the woods on his arrival, but learns she is his pupil Laura, who is happy to tell cousin Marian (Alexis Smith) and Count Fosco (Sydney Greenstreet) of the mistake, in The Woman In White, 1948.

Old Acquaintance (1943) -- (Movie Clip) Every Woman Has A Ghost After another 10-year leap, during WWII, author Kit (Bette Davis) has agreed to meet Preston (John Loder), who left his wife in a failed attempt to win her, and she’s arranged for her young lover (Gig Young) to bring along Preston’s now-grown daughter (Dolores Moran), in Old Acquaintance, 1943.

Torch Song (1953) -- (Movie Clip) In Love With The Audience Neither the screenplay nor the underlying short story was written for Joan Crawford as such but one wonders whether these views were hers, as Broadway star Jenny, skipping rehearsals in protest, Gig Young her defeated and detached boyfriend Cliff, in the MGM musical Torch Song, 1953.

Air Force (1943) -- (Movie Clip) Hickam Radio The crew on the "Mary Ann" (John Garfield, Harry Carey, George Tobias, Ward Wood, John Ridgely et al) is headed for Hickam Field at Pearl Harbor when the radio signal is interrupted, in Howard Hawks' Air Force, 1943.

Air Force (1943) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Prologue Martial opening credits and prologue in which director Howard Hawks summons the intentions of Abraham Lincoln, in the wartime hit Air Force, 1943, starring John Garfield, Harry Carey and Gig Young.

Air Force (1943) -- (Movie Clip) Take A Good Look At Pearl Harbor Captain Quincannon (John Ridgely) advises the crew (Harry Carey, Gig Young, John Garfield, Arthur Kennedy et al) to take a good look at Pearl Harbor, following the raid, in Howard Hawks' Air Force, 1943.

Torch Song - (Original Trailer) Joan Crawford suffers while she sings after she falls for a blind pianist in Torch Song (1953).

Girl Who Had Everything, The - (Original Trailer) Elizabeth Taylor is The Girl Who Had Everything (1953) in this remake of A Free Soul (1931).

Five Miles to Midnight - (U.S. Trailer) Sophia Loren tries to free herself from her husband by helping him fake his own death in the thriller Five Miles to Midnight (1963).

Captains of the Clouds - (Original Trailer) A mail flyer joins the Canadian air force for fun but has to prove his worth when he goes to war in Captains of the Clouds (1942).

Air Force - (Original Trailer) A bomber crew sees World War in action over the Pacific in Air Force (1943), directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Garfield and Gig Young.

Tunnel Of Love, The - (Original Trailer) A married couple endures endless red tape when they try to adopt a child in The Tunnel of Love (1958) starring Doris Day and Richard Widmark.

Young At Heart - (Original Trailer) Frank Sinatra and Doris Day are among the very Young At Heart (1955) in this musical version of Four Daughters.

Wake of the Red Witch - (Re-issue Trailer) A captain (John Wayne) fights a Dutch shipping magnate for a treasure and the heart of a beautiful woman in Wake of the Red Witch (1948).

Three Musketeers, The (1948) -- (Re-issue Trailer) Gene Kelly, Lana Turner, and Janet Leigh star in The Three Musketeers (1948), a lavish adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic swashbuckler.

Desk Set - (Original Trailer) Computer expert Spencer Tracy tries to prove his electronic brain can replace Katharine Hepburn's research staff in Desk Set (1957).

That Touch of Mink - (Original Trailer) For Doris Day it's "I Do" or nothing even if Cary Grant wields That Touch of Mink (1962).

Gay Sisters, The - (Original Trailer) Barbara Stanwyck marries a real estate man to save her family's mansion only to discover he's after it as well in The Gay Sisters (1942).

Family

Jennifer Young

Daughter

Gig Young filed a non-paternity suit claiming he wasn't her father; left her $10 in his will.

Companions

Shelia Stapler

Wife

Married c. 1939; divorced.

Sophia Rosenstein

Wife

Married c. 1950 until her death in 1952.

Elizabeth Montgomery

Wife

Actor. Married in 1956; divorced in 1963; third wife.

Elaine Whitman

Wife

Kim Schmidt

Wife

Actor. Fifth wife; born c. 1947; German-born; married in September 1978; wed for only three weeks; allegedly shot to death by Young on October 19, 1978.

Bibliography

"The Final Gig: The Man Behind the Murder"

George Eells, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (1991)

About

Biography

Filmography

Photos & Videos

Family & Companions

Bibliography

Notes

Biography

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Cast (Special)

Cast (Short)

Life Events

1941

1942

1951

1958

1975

Photo Collections

Videos

Movie Clip

Trailer

Family

Companions

Bibliography

Notes

TCM Emails