Lon McCallister, 82, Hollywood Actor of the 40’s, Is Dead
NY Times
Lon McCallister, whose brief but prolific acting career started with small roles, including the part of a schoolboy in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” and developed into supporting roles in popular movies, like “Winged Victory,” died on June 11 at his home in the Lake Tahoe area. He was 82.
The cause was heart failure, said his brother, Lynn.
After appearing in more than 40 films, Mr. McCallister left acting at the age of 30 to invest in real estate. He owned homes and apartment buildings in the Los Angeles area, and recently bought property in Lake Tahoe.
“Being a movie star was great, but I never considered doing it for a lifetime,” he said in an interview for the 1992 edition of “Who’s Who in Hollywood.” He added, “I wanted to be myself, to go where I pleased without causing a traffic jam. I’ve succeeded in this, and I’m happy.”
Mr. McCallister - born Herbert Alonzo McCallister Jr. in Los Angeles in 1923 - was just a dimpled teenager starting out in show business when he appeared in films alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
At 13 he had an uncredited role in “Romeo and Juliet” (1936) with Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard. The film’s director, George Cukor, became a close friend and later gave Mr. McCallister a supporting role as a pilot in “Winged Victory” (1944).
Mr. McCallister’s boyish looks earned him many roles playing wholesome characters, including one of the schoolboys in the Tom Sawyer film in 1938, when he was just 15. That same year, he had a small role in “Judge Hardy’s Children,” with Mickey Rooney. In “Stage Door Canteen” (1943) he played a shy soldier opposite Katharine Hepburn and many other stars.
Lon McCallister memorabilia at eBay.com
