Jan Merlin
Jan Merlin | |
---|---|
Born | Jan Wasylewski April 3, 1925 New York City, U.S. |
Died | September 20, 2019 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 94)
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1946–1992 |
Spouse(s) | Patricia Ann Datz (married 1951–1986, her death); Barbara Doyle (married 1988–2019, his death) |
Children | 1 |
Awards | Golden Halo Award, 2009 (from Southern California Motion Picture Council) |
Jan Merlin (born Jan Wasylewski, April 3, 1925 – September 20, 2019)
Early years
Born Jan Wasylewski and reared in New York City, Merlin was of Polish ancestry. He attended the Grace Church School for Boys before dropping out to join the Navy.[2] He later graduated from the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.[3]
During World War II, he enlisted in the United States Navy and became a torpedoman.[2]
Career
After Merlin's discharge, he worked in
His professional acting career, which spanned more than five decades, included performances in stage plays on and off Broadway, radio dramas, live and filmed episodes of
Merlin had co-starring roles in two
In 1960, he was cast as Mick Norton in the episode "Hostage Island" of the ABC adventure series The Islanders, set in the South Pacific.
Also in 1960 he again died on the screen in S3E10 of Gene Berry's TV Western series Bat Masterson, playing a wild gun slinging cowboy, the troubled son of a deceased war hero whose mother left him when he was a child, in the episode "Last Stop To Austin".
He also appeared as Hendry Grant in the 1961 episode "First Blood" of the NBC western series The Tall Man. He made two guest appearances on Perry Mason: in 1958, as Tony Davis in "The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde", and in 1961 as Ralph Quentin in "The Case of the Jealous Journalist." Merlin appeared in a 1954 episode of Dragnet "The Big Rod", cast as Gregory Moore, a felony hit and run suspect. Merlin played a villain in three episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: "No Way Out", "The X Factor" and "Death From The Past". In 1957, he appeared in Season 1 Episode 21 of Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre opposite Ernest Borgnine, also a former US Navy man. In 1962, he was cast as Bill Enders in the episode "The Ride" of the NBC western series Bonanza. In 1962 he was cast as bad guy Clint in the western series Laramie episode "The Stolen Tribute" . He would go on to play a bad guy twice more on the show once as Karl Swenson son in the episode "Trial By Fire" and again In 1963 he played Joel Greevy in "The Fugitives". In 1966, he co-starred in the Combat! Season 4 episode "One at a Time" as a German sniper, Sgt. Erich and again in 1966 in the season 5 episode "Headcount" as Lt. Geiben.
Merlin received a
He also appeared in Little House on the Prairie as Olga Nordstrom's Father, Jon Nordstrom. Season 1 episode 8 1974.
Personal life and death
Merlin married his first wife Patricia Datz in 1951.[2] They had a son, Peter William Merlin (born 1964). Patricia died in 1986. Two years after his wife's death, Merlin married his second wife Barbara Doyle, and remained married until his death on September 20, 2019. He was 94.[6][7]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1954 | Them! |
Radio Man on the SS Viking | Uncredited |
1955 | Six Bridges to Cross | Andy Norris | |
1955 | Big House, U.S.A. | Tommy, Accomplice on Fishing Boat | Uncredited |
1955 | Illegal | Andy Garth | |
1955 | Running Wild | Scotty Cluett | |
1956 | A Day of Fury | Billy Brand | |
1956 | Screaming Eagles | Lt. Pauling | |
1956 | A Strange Adventure | Al Kutner | |
1956 | The Peacemaker | Viggo Tomlin | |
1957 | Woman and the Hunter | Robert Gifford | |
1958 | Cole Younger, Gunfighter | Frank Wittrock | |
1960 | Hell Bent for Leather | Travers | |
1963 | The List of Adrian Messenger/ | The Whistling Man / The Clergyman / The Workman / The Shepherd | Uncredited |
1963 | Gunfight at Comanche Creek | Nielsen | |
1964 | The Virginian | Sam Lake | |
1964 | Gunsmoke | Ed Sykes | |
1965 | Guns of Diablo | Rance Macklin | |
1966 | The Oscar | Actor Frankie Pulls Knife on | Uncredited |
1967 | The St. Valentine's Day Massacre | Willie Marks | |
1969 | Strategy of Terror | Jon | |
1969 | Take the Money and Run | Al – Bank Robber | |
1972 | The Twilight People | Steinman | |
1973 | The Slams | Saddler | |
1973 | I Escaped from Devil's Island | Rosenquist | |
1974 | Little House on the Prairie | Jon Nordstrom | |
1975 | The Hindenburg | Speck | |
1988 | Permanent Record | Minister | |
1989 | Nowhere to Run | Mr. Groker | |
1989 | Time Trackers | Max Barker | |
1989 | Silk 2 | Hancock Gish | |
1990 | False Identity | Potter – Pete |
References
- ^ Magers, Donna. "Jan Merlin". www.westernclippings.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Co-Star Role in 'Rough Riders' Series Caps Long Career for Actor Jan Merlin". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Hawaii, Honolulu. June 13, 1959. p. 59. Retrieved January 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "TV Star to Appear at Little League Opening". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. May 14, 1961. p. 18. Retrieved January 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jan Merlin". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on January 12, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ "Jan Merlin, Actor and Emmy-Winning Writer, Dies at 94". The Hollywood Reporter. September 23, 2019.
- ^ "Jan Merlin Obituary - Burbank, California | Legacy.com". Legacy.com. September 21, 2019.