Michael Callan
About
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Also Known As
Martin Calinieff
Birth Place
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Born
November 22, 1935
Biography
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Michael Callan's mother, apparently unenthused about his singing ability, offered to pay for dance lessons for her son. It was money well spent. At 15, he was dancing in nightclubs and at 19 was on stage on Broadway at the Royal Theater alongside Julie Andrews (her debut) in "The Boy Friend." He landed the part of gang leader Riff in the original Broadway production of "West Side Story" ...
Biography
Michael Callan's mother, apparently unenthused about his singing ability, offered to pay for dance lessons for her son. It was money well spent. At 15, he was dancing in nightclubs and at 19 was on stage on Broadway at the Royal Theater alongside Julie Andrews (her debut) in "The Boy Friend." He landed the part of gang leader Riff in the original Broadway production of "West Side Story" for director/choreographer Jerome Robbins in 1957. Talent agent Joyce Selznick found him there and a seven-year contract at Columbia Pictures followed. Callan lost the role of Riff to Russ Tamblyn for Robert Wise's film adaptation of "West Side Story" in 1961 due to contractual obligations at Columbia. With the musical slowly dying in popularity, Callan's talent as a song-and-dance man was shelved, and the studio was pushing him toward teen idol status through a variety of half-baked youth-oriented pictures in the 1960s. He did have success opposite Jane Fonda in "Cat Ballou" in 1965 and with Tony Curtis in the mob film "Lepke" in 1975, but it was television where Callan found his most consistent work. He had the lead role in the two seasons "Occasional Wife" aired in the late '60s and was a guest star on hugely popular shows like "Mary Tyler Moore," "Love, American Style," "Police Story," and "Fantasy Island" throughout the 1970s and '80s. His work slowed in the '90s but he is still active, appearing in the film "The Still Life" in 2007.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
The Racers Edge
(2007)
Stuck on You
(2003)
Leprechaun 3
(1995)
Philadelphia
(1993)
The Flirtations
Zero Patience
(1993)
Miss Hiv
Over Our Dead Bodies
(1991)
Himself
Positive
(1990)
Freeway
(1988)
Lieutenant Boyle
Bright Eyes
(1986)
My Wicked, Wicked Ways... The Legend of Errol Flynn
(1985)
Last of the Great Survivors
(1984)
Chained Heat
(1983)
Martin
The Cat and the Canary
(1979)
Paul Jones
Donner Pass: The Road To Survival
(1978)
Record City
(1977)
Lepke
(1975)
Robert Kane
Frasier, The Sensuous Lion
(1973)
The Magnificent Seven Ride!
(1972)
Noah Forbes
In Name Only
(1969)
You Must Be Joking!
(1965)
Lieut. Tim Morton
Cat Ballou
(1965)
Clay Boone
The NEW Interns
(1964)
Dr. Alec Considine
The Victors
(1963)
Eldridge
The Interns
(1962)
Dr. Considine
Bon Voyage!
(1962)
Nick O'Mara
13 West Street
(1962)
Chuck Landry
Gidget Goes Hawaiian
(1961)
Eddie Horner
Mysterious Island
(1961)
Herbert Brown
Pepe
(1961)
Because They're Young
(1960)
Griff [Rimer]
The Flying Fontaines
(1959)
Rick Rias
They Came to Cordura
(1959)
Pvt. Andrew Hetherington
Escape
(1948)
Constable
Music (Feature Film)
Positive
(1990)
Music
Cast (Special)
Lee Marvin: Hollywood's Straight Shooter
(2001)
In a New Light '93
(1993)
Reno's Cabaret Reunion
(1989)
Young Hearts
(1984)
Music (Special)
Reno's Cabaret Reunion
(1989)
Song
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Scruples
(1980)
Blind Ambition
(1979)
Life Events
Photo Collections
8 Photos
Mysterious Island (1961) - Lobby Card Set
Here is a set of Lobby Cards from Columbia's Mysterious Island (1961), featuring special effects by Ray Harryhausen. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.
12 Photos
Cat Ballou- Pressbook
Here is the campaign book (pressbook) for Cat Ballou (1965), starring Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin. Pressbooks were sent to exhibitors and theater owners to aid them in publicizing the film's run in their theater.
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
