John Saxon

John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor and martial artist who worked on more than 200 projects during a span of 60 years.

Saxon is known for his work in Westerns and horror movies, often playing police officers and detectives.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Saxon studied acting with Stella Adler before beginning his career as a contract actor for Universal Pictures, playing in such movies as Rock, Pretty Baby (1956) and Portrait in Black (1961). During the 1970s and 1980s, he established himself as a character actor, frequently portraying law enforcement officials in horror movies such as Black Christmas (1974), Dario Argento's Tenebrae (1982), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

In addition to his roles in horror movies, Saxon co-starred with Bruce Lee in the martial arts movie Enter the Dragon (1973), and had supporting roles in the westerns Death of a Gunfighter (1969) and Joe Kidd (1972), as well as the adventure thriller Raid on Entebbe (1977). In the 1990s, Saxon occasionally appeared in movies, with small roles in Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) and From Dusk till Dawn (1996).

Saxon died of pneumonia in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on July 25, 2020, aged 83.

Spouses

• • Mary Ann Saxon, (m. 1967; div. 1979)
  • Elizabeth Saxon, (m. 1987; div. 1992)​, 
  • Gloria Martel, (m. 2008; died 2020)​

Early life

Saxon, an Italian American, was born Carmine Orrico in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Antonio Orrico, a dock worker, and Anna (née Protettore). He attended New Utrecht High School, graduating in 1953. He then studied acting with famous acting coach Stella Adler.

He started acting in movies during the mid-1950s, playing teenage roles. According to Robert Hofler's 2005 biography The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson, agent Henry Willson saw Saxon's picture on the cover of a detective magazine and immediately contacted the boy's family in Brooklyn. With his parents' permission, the 17-year-old Orrico contracted with Willson, and he was renamed John Saxon. He contracted with Universal Studios in April 1954 at $150 a week. 

John Saxon was proficient in Judo and Shotokan Karate.

Career

Universal Pictures

Saxon spent 18 months at Universal before the studio first used him for a movie. His first significant role was a juvenile delinquent in Running Wild (1955), co-starring Mamie Van Doren.

He was then given a good role in The Unguarded Moment (1956), playing a youth who seemingly stalks Esther Williams. During February 1956 Universal exercised its option on Saxon and he was paid $225 a week.

Teen idol

Saxon had the main part in a low budget teen movie, Rock, Pretty Baby (1956) which became an unexpected success and established Saxon as a teen idol. Universal executives were pleased, and Ross Hunter announced he would be in Teach Me How To Cry. First Saxon quickly reprised his Rock, Pretty Baby role in a sequel, Summer Love (1958). By now he was getting about 3,000 fan letters a week.

He then made Teach Me How to Cry with Sandra Dee which was retitled The Restless Years (1958).

Universal put him in an "A film", This Happy Feeling (1958), directed by Blake Edwards, where Saxon romanced Debbie Reynolds in support of Curt Jurgens. MGM borrowed him to appear opposite Sandra Dee in The Reluctant Debutante (1958), for director Vincente Minnelli, which was widely seen. Saxon was billed third, beneath Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall.

He had a support role in a large budget Biblical drama about Simon Peter, The Big Fisherman (1959) for director Frank Borzage, featuring Howard Keel. It was a financial disappointment.

With United Artists Saxon had the main role in Cry Tough (1959), a movie about juvenile delinquents.

Saxon worked with another major director, John Huston, in the Western, The Unforgiven (1960), playing an Indian in support of Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn.

Back at Universal, he remained in a supporting role for Portrait in Black (1960), reunited with Dee, with Lana Turner and Anthony Quinn.

He was essentially a juvenile delinquent cowboy in The Plunderers (1960), tormenting Jeff Chandler. He played in the Westerns Posse from Hell (1961) with Audie Murphy and guest featured in television series like General Electric Theater and The Dick Powell Theatre.

"I want to do all sorts of character parts," he said in 1960.

Saxon played a serial killer soldier in War Hunt (1962), and had a small role in the comedy success Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962).

Europe

Saxon traveled to Italy to make Agostino (1962).

In 1963 Saxon co-featured with Letícia Román in Mario Bava's Italian giallo movie The Girl Who Knew Too Much.

He returned to Hollywood to perform in Otto Preminger's The Cardinal (1963) and an episode of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre then was back to Europe for The Cavern (1964).

The Ravagers (1965) was filmed in the Philippines; Night Caller from Outer Space (1965) was a science fiction movie filmed in Britain.

In 1966, he featured in Curtis Harrington's science fiction/horror classic Queen of Blood with Basil Rathbone and Dennis Hopper, then played opposite Marlon Brando in The Appaloosa (1966), winning a Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor nomination for his portrayal of a Mexican bandit. Saxon recalls, "This was to me a terrific role and something I was ready for, but he [Brando] was despondent. He said he had lent a whole bunch of money to his father, and what he was saying to me was that his father ruined his life by losing all of his money. He was kind of bored in the picture."

The Doomsday Flight (1966) was a made-for-television movie. In an interview in 1966 he said "I never felt comfortable being a teenage dreamboat... I regard myself as a craftsman."

He portrayed Marco Polo in episode 26 of The Time Tunnel ("Attack of the Barbarians"), originally broadcast on March 10, 1967, and was a guest actor on Bonanza in 1967 ("The Conquistadores"). In episode 19, season 5 of The Virginian ("The Modoc Kid") Saxon appeared in the title role alongside a young actor, appearing in one of his first speaking roles, Harrison Ford. And in 1969 he appeared in ("My Friend, My Enemy").

Saxon was in a sex comedy for Sam Katzman, For Singles Only (1968) and played in some Westerns, One Dollar Too Many (1968), Death of a Gunfighter (1969), "The Men From Shiloh" (rebranded name for The Virginian (1971), and Joe Kidd (1972) (again playing a Mexican, this time a revolutionary named Luis Chama). I Kiss the Hand (1973) was a thriller made in Italy.

He spent three years playing Dr. Theodore Stuart for the television series The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (1969–1972).

Enter the Dragon

He played the martial artist Roper in 1973's Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee's first major role in a Hollywood feature. He was in action movies: Mitchell (1974), The Swiss Conspiracy (1975), Strange Shadows in an Empty Room (1976), Napoli violenta (1976), Mark Strikes Again (1976), A Special Cop in Action (1976), Cross Shot (1976), The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (1977).

In 1974 he played police Lieutenant Fuller in the Canadian production of Black Christmas; from 1974–76, he appeared in The Six Million Dollar Man, first as Major Frederick Sloan and then as Nedlick. This role also extended into The Bionic Woman. The actor's likeness was later used for the Kenner action-figure doll called 'Maskatron' which was based on the series.

In 1976, Saxon portrayed a homicidal vampire-like strangler in the Season Two Starsky & Hutch episode, 'Vampire'. Raid on Entebbe (1977) was a prestige television movie for him. Moonshine County Express was a big success for Roger Corman's New World Pictures; Saxon made another for that company, The Bees (1978). He appeared in a Bollywood movie, Shalimar (1978) then it was back to exploitation: Fast Company (1979), The Glove (1979).

Saxon played Hunt Sears, chief of a breakfast cereal conglomerate, opposite Robert Redford and Jane Fonda in the 1979, Oscar-nominated film The Electric Horseman.

1980s–present

He appeared in the 1982 television movie Rooster, and was an occasional celebrity guest on the short-lived game show Whew!, including during the series' final week. His extensive television credits include two years as Tony Cumson on Falcon Crest (1982, 1986–1988) as well as the recurring role of Rashid Ahmed on Dynasty (1982–1984).

He played twice, in different roles, in The A-Team in 1983 and 1985. He played the role of Captain Radl in the two-part Wonder Woman episode "The Feminine Mystique" in 1976.

Saxon has played in many Italian movies, mainly in Italian western and police thriller genres. Titles from these genres include One Dollar Too Many (1968) and Napoli violenta (1976). He also was the second incarnation of Dylan Hunt from the Gene Roddenberry shows named Planet Earth and Strange New World.

He then played in Dario Argento's Tenebrae (1982) as the writer hero's shifty agent; in Mitchell (1975) as the murderous union lawyer and prostitute provider Walter Deaney; in Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) as Sador; in Cannibal Apocalypse (1980) where he played a Vietnam veteran tormented because his worthless pal bit him and years later, he is starting to get the urge to do the same; in Prisoners of the Lost Universe as an alternate-universe warlord, and in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) as the heroine's (Nancy Thompson's) father. He reprised his role in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) and Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) as he played himself in a dual role. He also made his directorial debut in 1987 with the horror movie Zombie Death House, which starred Dennis Cole and Anthony Franciosa. He starred in Maximum Force (1992) as Captain Fuller and also played in From Dusk till Dawn (1996).

In recent years, he has been in a number of independent movies and has played in several television series, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and the Showtime series Masters of Horror.

He was a special guest on the Creation Entertainment – Weekend of Horrors 2010 on May 21 in Los Angeles.