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Hugh O'Brian had a bit part as a "Jazz Fan" in the 1950 film noir D.O.A., in which Edmond O'Brien tries to find the man who poisoned him. Rudolph Maté directed the thriller. Dimitri Tiomkin's score was released by Screen Archives Entertainment in 2007.
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O'Brian received his first poster credit as a supporting actor in the pioneering 1950 sci-fi film ROCKETSHIP X-M. O'Brian played astronomer "Harry Chamberlin," who is slated to serve as navigator of the first manned spaceship. Kurt Neumann directed the Lippert Pictures release. Ferd Grofe's score was released on a Starlog LP in 1977, and re-issued on CD by Monstrous Movie Music in 2012.
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He was also an advocate for education in the public schools and had an annual award named in his honor that honored a student for his or her accomplishments. R.I.P. Hugh O'Brian.
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I remember him most from the Wyatt Earp TV series (one for the wrinkles here to remember), he seemed like a good guy & lived a good long life.
A very good & rich speaking voice as well. He killed John Wayne in The Shootist, I'm sure I read somewhere that he did that small part for nothing, so he could work with the Duke.
He also played Liz Eddington (Barbara Bouchet)'s boyfriend in "In Harm's Way" which also starred the Duke, though they shared no scenes together, and he was uncredited
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O'Brian worked for noted western director Budd Boetticher in the 1952 Audie Murphy western THE CIMARRON KID. O'Brian played "Red Buck," a member of the notorious Dalton outlaw gang. The Universal-International Picture had a stock music score.
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O'Brian had a supporting role in the 1953 Rock Hudson western THE LAWLESS BREED. Hudson played notorious real-life gunfighter John Wesley Hardin, who runs afoul of the "Hanley Brothers"--"Ike" (Hugh O'Brian), "Dirk" (Lee Van Cleef), and "Ben" (Glenn Strange)--when he guns down their father "Gus" (Michael Ansara) during a poker game. Raoul Walsh directed the Universal release. Herman Stein provided the uncredited score.
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Posted: |
Sep 7, 2016 - 7:44 PM
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By: |
riotengine
(Member)
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One of my favorite Hugh O'Brian films is the underrated Fiend Who Walked The West, the western 1958 remake of Kiss Of Death, which starred Robert Evans in the Richard Widmark part.
Caught this on the CBS Late Movie, (many years ago) like others here. I had forgotten that Ron "Tarzan" Ely was in this. One thing I always remembered was Evan's recurring line, "The name's Felix, (Griffin) after my pa."
Got a chance to revisit this recently thanks to a most helpful Classic Horror Film Board member, who burned me a copy of the French DVD. As I've complained about in the past, I was pretty annoyed with Fox Cinema Archives for releasing a MOD pan & scan version of this (which they have still not corrected). I got the opportunity to see a widescreen version, and it really makes all the difference. I'd read some reviews where some people were dismissive of this remake, and I think a reappraisal is due. I thought Gordon Douglas (Them, Rio Conchos, In Like Flint) did a terrific job, and uses some really interesting framing, making for some effective compositions. The whole cast is solid, with Hugh O'Brien making for a very sympathetic lead. While Robert Evans is no Richard Widmark, and Felix Griffin is not up to Tommy Udo, I did think Evans was pretty effective as the creepy, weaselly, hateful psycho. Later in the film, when O'Brien starts slapping Evans around (to goad him into a gunfight) my wife and I leapt off the couch, yelling "hit him, hit him!" The film also stars Linda Crystal and Stephen McNally.
Thought it was interesting how the film pushes the envelope in terms of some of the violence. Les Baxter does the score, but curiously, Bernard Herrmann's Day The Earth Stood Still score arbitrarily pops in during the main credits (thankfully, to never return). It is also featured prominently in the "Fiend" trailer.
Greg Espinoza
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Glenn Ford was THE MAN FROM THE ALAMO, who is selected by his fellow soldiers to leave the embattled mission to go protect the families left behind by the other defenders. Hugh O'Brian plays "Lt. Tom Lamar," who is charged with evacuating the women, elderly, and children of Franklin, Texas after the Alamo's fall. Budd Boetticher directed this historical drama. Frank Skinner's score has not had a release.
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In 1954's BROKEN LANCE, O'Brian played "Mike Devereaux," one of the sons of rancher "Matt Devereaux" (Spencer Tracy) and half-brother to half-breed "Joe Devereaux" (Robert Wagner). Edward Dmytryk directed the 20th Century Fox production. Leigh Harline's score was released by Film Score Monthly in 2001.
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Breaking away from westerns for a time, in 1954's THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS O'Brian played song lyricist "Charles Gibbs." Walter Lang directed this musical based on the Irving Berlin songbook. Varese Sarabande issued the most complete version of the film's soundtrack.
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"The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" was the first western television series written for adults, premiering four days before "Gunsmoke" on September 6, 1955. It was loosely based on the life of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp. The half-hour black-and-white program aired for 229 episodes on ABC from 1955 to 1961 and featured Hugh O'Brian in the title role.
O'Brian was chosen for the role in part because of his physical resemblance to early photographs of Wyatt Earp. The series was produced by Desilu Productions and filmed at the Desilu-Cahuenga Studio. Sponsors included General Mills, Procter & Gamble, and Parker Pen Company. An off-camera chorus under the direction of Ken Darby sang the theme song and hummed the background music in early episodes. The theme song "The Legend of Wyatt Earp" was composed by Harry Warren. Incidental music was composed by Herman Stein.
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On the strength of his television stardom, Hugh O'Brian got his first lead role in a feature film in 1958's THE FIEND WHO WALKED THE WEST. O'Brian played bank robber "Dan Hardy." Gordon Douglas directed the 20th Century Fox production. The film was affected by the 1958 musicians' strike and used a stock music score, including tracks from Bernard Herrmann's THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. (But unlike riotengine, I can't find any source that confirms that Les Baxter was involved with the film's music.).
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