Don Sullivan
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| Born | Donald E. Sullivan |
| January 1, 1929 | |
| Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. | |
| Died | January 7, 2018 (aged 89) |
| Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| Alma Mater | University of Idaho |
| Occupation | Actor, singer, songwriter, chemist |
| Years Active | 1956-2012 |
| Spouse | Mia May (March 10, 1975) |
| Children | 7 |
Donald E. Sullivan (January 1, 1929 — January 7, 2018) was an American actor, singer and songwriter known primarily for his work in B-movies in the late 1950s. Beginning in the 1980s, he became a familiar face to new audiences due to many of his films being in the Public Domain, and their repeated showing by TV horror hosts. Sullivan is best recognized for his lead role as Chase Winstead in the 1959 cult film The Giant Gila Monster; for which he also composed and performed three songs: "I Ain't Made That Way," "The Mushroom Song," and "My Baby She Rocks".[1]
[2]
After a lull in acting roles following a 1960 actors' strike, Sullivan decided to use his chemistry degree from the University of Idaho and had a successful career in the cosmetics and hair product industries.[3]
Early life[edit]
Sullivan was born on January 1, 1929 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. His grandparents were Mormon. His father had a career as a painting contractor. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Idaho; where he was raised and spent the rest of his childhood. In 1948 he joined the Marine Corps, serving for 4 years, including in Korea during the Korean War. After leaving the Marine Corps, he attended the University of Idaho as a chemistry major for 3-1/2 years until his GI Bill ran out.[4]
Career[edit]
After leaving college, Sullivan moved to Los Angeles, CA. He wasn't planning to become an actor; but feeling there was nothing else for him in Idaho (other than join his father's paint contract business), he struck out to make his fortune.[5]
In Hollywood, he began dating actress Judi Meredith. She encouraged him to join her acting class, and during a play for friends and family, he was discovered by director/producer Hugo Haas. His first acting roles were in a 1956 episode of the TV series Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock and an episode of the 1957 TV series Men of Annapolis, (episode 21 "Jinx" along with actor Doug McClure); before landing the lead romantic role in Hugo Haas' film, Paradise Alley (filmed 1957/8 but not released to TV until 1962). Sullivan continued to act in at least 15 TV shows (many of them uncredited) before "his good looks and sensitive acting" lead to the lead role in the cult classics The Giant Gila Monster (1959). Besides being the lead character, Sullivan wrote the original songs that he performed in the film. The Giant Gila Monster was followed by lesser roles in equally well-loved cult B-movies Curse of the Undead, The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959) and Teenage Zombies (1960).[6]
Sullivan performed his own stunts until he hurt himself in a scene in The Giant Gila Monster, where he had to roll out of a moving hot rod, supposedly loaded with explosive nitroglycerin, before impacting and killing the monster. Sullivan said he was in so much pain that he was almost unable to complete the rest of the scene.[7]
After an actor's strike in 1960, Sullivan briefly went to the Beverly Hills Playhouse to study under Sandy Meisner and work on his technique; but outside of a few promos and commercials, his Hollywood acting career was pretty much over.[8]
Although he hoped to return to acting, Sullivan began looking for more steady work. He met Redken Laboratories co-founder Paula Kent Meehan. He originally wanted to get her husband's financial backing starting a new record company; but instead was hired by Meehan to work at Redken; due in part because of his background in chemistry. Sullivan had a successful career at Redken, and after leaving, briefly ran his own company until he met Vidal Sassoon. Sullivan says he helped Sassoon form the Sassoon Products Company, had a successful career in the cosmetics industry before retiring in 1983.[9]
In 2012, Sullivan had a small role in Gila!, Jim Wynorski's made-for-TV remake of The Giant Gila Monster.
Four of Sullivan's five B-movies (The Giant Gila Monster, Curse of the Undead, The Monster of Piedras Blancs and Teenage Zombies) reached the status of cult films due in part to repeated showings by Television Horror Hosts. Two of his movies (The Giant Gila Monster and The Rebel Set) were featured in episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Sullivan appeared in a special interview for the Rhino DVD release of The Giant Gila Monster in which he recounted his experiences on the film and as a young actor in Hollywood at the time. He also provided interviews as part of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection DVDs Volume 10.2 and Volume 12.
Personal life[edit]
Sullivan married Mia May on March 10, 1975 and they remained together until Sullivan's death. Together they had 7 children.[10]
Sullivan died on January 7, 2018 (aged 89) in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Seven Guns to Mesa | Louis Middleton | |
| 1959 | Teenage Zombies | Regg | |
| 1959 | The Rebel Set | George Leland | |
| 1959 | The Giant Gila Monster | Chase Winstead | Composed and performed songs |
| 1959 | Curse of the Undead | Ranch Hand | Uncredited |
| 1959 | The Monster of Piedras Blancas | Fred | |
| 1962 | Paradise Alley | Steve Nicholson | |
| 2012 | Gila! | Dawes | TV movie |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok | Blake | Episode: "The Gatling Gun" |
| 1957 | Men of Annapolis | Eddie | Episode: "Color Competition" |
| 1957 | Men of Annapolis | Walker | Episode: "Jinx" |
| 1958 | Death Valley Days | Tony Rondo | Episode: "Birth of a Boom" |
| 1959 | Not for Hire | MacLeod | Episode: "The Frame" |
| 1959 | Hawaiian Eye | Randolph | Episode: "The Quick Return" |
References[edit]
- ↑ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838042/
- ↑ https://www.fandango.com/people/don-sullivan-652826/biography
- ↑ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838042/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
- ↑ http://bmoviecast.com/podcasts/bmc13-interview-actor-don-sullivan/
- ↑ http://bmoviecast.com/podcasts/bmc13-interview-actor-don-sullivan/
- ↑ https://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenbwhatley/34765163663
- ↑ http://bmoviecast.com/podcasts/bmc13-interview-actor-don-sullivan/
- ↑ http://bmoviecast.com/podcasts/bmc13-interview-actor-don-sullivan/
- ↑ http://bmoviecast.com/podcasts/bmc13-interview-actor-don-sullivan/
- ↑ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838042/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm#family
External links[edit]
- Don Sullivan at IMDB
- Don Sullivan at the TCM Movie Database
- Don Sullivan at AllMovie
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