John Phillip Law
John Phillip Law (September 7, 1937 – May 13, 2008) was an American film actor.[1]
John Phillip Law | |
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![]() John Philip Law in Death Rides a Horse (1967) | |
Born | Hollywood, California, U.S. | September 7, 1937
Died | May 13, 2008 70) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged
Occupation(s) | Film, television actor |
Years active | 1950–2008 |
Spouse | Shawn Ryan (divorced) |
Children | 1 |
Following a breakthrough role as a Russian sailor in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), Law became best known for his roles as gunfighter Bill Meceita in the Spaghetti Western Death Rides a Horse (1967) with Lee Van Cleef, the blind angel Pygar in the science fiction film Barbarella (1968) with Jane Fonda,[1] the title character in the action film Danger: Diabolik (1968), Manfred von Richthofen in Von Richthofen and Brown (1971), and news anchor Robin Stone in The Love Machine (1971). The latter reteamed him with Alexandra Hay, his co-star from the 1968 "acid comedy" Skidoo.[1]
Early years
Law was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff John Law and actress Phyllis Sallee. He was the brother of actor Thomas Augustus Law (also known as Tom Law). He graduated from Hollywood High School.[1]
His mother got him work as a film extra as a child, and he had a non-speaking role as a courtroom page in The Magnificent Yankee (1950),[2] directed by John Sturges.
He attended an engineering college in California then switched to the University of Hawaii where he studied psychology and appeared in several university stage productions. This caused him to decide to become an actor professionally.[1][3]
Career
Lincoln Center and Italy
After graduation, Law moved to New York, where he studied acting and he signed a seven-year contract with Fox. He realised it was a mistake and got out of it, then returned to New York. He had a small role in Garson Kanin's unsuccessful Broadway comedy, Come On Strong (1962).[4][2]
He auditioned for the Repertory Theater at the Lincoln Center, and was one of 12 picked out of 30,000. He stayed there for three years.[3] Law was announced as part of the company in January 1964.[5] He was in their productions of Marco's Millions,[6] The Changeling directed by Elia Kazan with Faye Dunaway,[7] and Tartuffe (1965).[8]
He left the Lincoln Center company and traveled to Europe where he acted in High Infidelity (1964) and 3 notti d'amore (1964).[3]
Early Hollywood films
One of Law's Italian films was seen by the director Norman Jewison, who thought Law perfect for the role of a young Soviet sailor in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966).[1][9] The film was a big success and Law was launched in Hollywood. He followed this with a co-starring role in Otto Preminger's Hurry Sundown (1967), a drama about race relations in the south, which starred Jane Fonda and Michael Caine. Faye Dunaway played his wife in her first film role.[10]
Stardom
Fonda was going to star in Barbarella and recommended Law for the film. Production was delayed so Law played the lead in a Spaghetti Western, Death Rides a Horse (1967) with Lee Van Cleef, then the title role of Danger: Diabolik (1968), directed by Mario Bava and produced by Dino De Laurentiis.[1][11][12]
Law eventually played the angel in Barbarella (1968), co starring with Jane Fonda and produced by De Laurentiis. He followed this with a small role in Preminger's Skidoo (1968), then had the lead in The Sergeant (1968), starring Rod Steiger as a soldier who lusts after Law.[1][13] He turned down roles in Midnight Cowboy and Easy Rider and was replaced when filming The Gypsy Moths.[14]
Law went back to Europe to support Claudia Cardinale in a comedy, Diary of a Telephone Operator (1969). He had a key role in Hollywood's The Hawaiians (1970) with Charlton Heston and played the title role in the Italian Strogoff (1970), based on the novel by Jules Verne, Michael Strogoff.
![](../I/John_Phillip_Law.png.webp)
Law co-starred in Roger Corman's film Von Richthofen and Brown (1971), playing Manfred von Richthofen opposite Don Stroud's Roy Brown. Corman used Lynn Garrison's Irish aviation facility, complete with replica World War I aircraft. Garrison taught Law the basics of flying so that he could take off and land, making some of the footage more realistic.[1]
Law received top-billing in The Love Machine (1971), based on the novel by Jacqueline Susann,[15] replacing Brian Kelly at the last moment. He was one of many actors to have a cameo in The Last Movie (1970). He supported Monica Vitti and Alberto Sordi in Polvere di stelle (1973) then had the title role in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973). He co-starred with Peter Fonda in Open Season (1974) and was in the remake of The Spiral Staircase (1975).[16]
European stardom
Law could still command star roles in Europe: he was in Doctor Justice (1975), A Whisper in the Dark (1976) and Tu dios y mi infierno (1976). He had a supporting role in The Cassandra Crossing (1977) and co-starred with Anthony Quinn in Target of an Assassin (1977), filmed in South Africa.
Law was top-billed in Eyes Behind the Wall (1977), The Rider on the White Horse (1978), and The Devil's Bed (1978). He returned to Hollywood to play a supporting role in The Best Place to Be and Ring of Darkness (both 1979).
1980s onward
Law went to Taiwan to make two films, Yuan (1980) and Attack Force Z (1981), an Australian-Taiwanese co-production. He appeared in Tarzan the Ape Man (1981), and made guest appearances on the TV shows The Love Boat and Murder, She Wrote.
Law remained in demand, albeit mostly now in low-budget films, including Tin Man (1983), Night Train to Terror (1985), American Commandos (1985), Moon in Scorpio (1987), Thunder III (1987), Striker (1987), Una grande storia d'amore (1988), Space Mutiny (1988), Blood Delirium (1988), A Case of Honor (1989), and Cold Heat (1989).
Law appeared in Alienator (1990), Shining Blood (1992), Il giorno del porco (1993), The Mountain of the Lord (1993), Hindsight (1996), My Ghost Dog (1997), Wanted (1999), and Bad Guys (2000). In 2001, he appeared in Roman Coppola's directorial debut CQ, an homage to the Italian spy/sci-fi B-movies in which Law often starred during the 1960s.[1] His final roles included Curse of the Forty-Niner (2002) (which he also associate produced), The Three Faces of Terror (2004), and Ray of Sunshine (2006). His last credited film role was in 2008's Chinaman's Chance.
Personal life
He married and later divorced actress Shawn Ryan, with whom he had a daughter.[17]
Death
On December 13, 2007, his doctors diagnosed Law with pancreatic cancer.[18] He died five months later on May 13, 2008, at his home in Los Angeles.[19]
Selected filmography
- 1950 The Magnificent Yankee as Minor Role (scenes deleted)
- 1951 Show Boat as Extra (uncredited)
- 1962 Smog (uncredited)
- 1964 High Infidelity as Ronald (segment "Scandaloso")
- 1964 Three Nights of Love as Fra Felice (segment "Fatebenefratelli")
- 1966 The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming as Alexei Kolchin
- 1967 Hurry Sundown as Rad McDowell
- 1967 Death Rides a Horse as Bill Meceita
- 1967 Her Harem (uncredited)
- 1968 Danger: Diabolik as Diabolik
- 1968 Barbarella as Pygar, The Blind Angel
- 1968 Skidoo as "Stash"
- 1968 The Sergeant as Private First Class Tom Swanson
- 1969 Diary of a Telephone Operator as Crispino
- 1970 The Hawaiians as Noel Hoxworth
- 1970 Strogoff as Michael Strogoff
- 1971 Von Richthofen and Brown as Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron
- 1971 The Love Machine as Robin Stone
- 1971 The Last Movie as Little Brother
- 1973 Stardust as John
- 1973 The Golden Voyage of Sinbad as Sinbad the Sailor
- 1974 Open Season as Greg Anderson
- 1975 The Spiral Staircase as Steven Sherman
- 1975 Docteur Justice as Dr. Benjamin Justice
- 1976 A Whisper in the Dark as Alex
- 1976 Your Heaven, My Hell as Martín
- 1976 The Cassandra Crossing as Major Stark
- 1976 Target of an Assassin as Shannon
- 1977 Eyes Behind the Wall as Arturo
- 1978 The Rider on the White Horse as Hauke Haien
- 1978 The Devil's Bed as John Vanetti
- 1979 The Best Place to Be as Dr. Gary Mancini
- 1979 Ring of Darkness as The Exorcist
- 1980 The Pioneers as A.P. Karns
- 1981 Attack Force Z as Lieutenant Jan Veitch
- 1981 Tarzan, the Ape Man as Harry Holt
- 1983 Tin Man as Dr. Edison
- 1984 No Time to Die as Ted Barner
- 1985 Night Train to Terror as Harry Billings (segment "The Case of Harry Billings")
- 1985 American Commandos as Kelly
- 1985 Rainy Day Friends as Dr. Stephen Kendrick
- 1987 Johann Strauss: The King Without a Crown as Maximilian Steiner
- 1987 Moon in Scorpio as Allen
- 1987 Colpo di stato as Shaw
- 1988 Thunder Warrior III as Sheriff Jeff
- 1988 Striker as Frank Morris
- 1988 Space Mutiny as Flight Commander Elijah Kalgan
- 1988 Blood Delirium as Saint Simon
- 1989 A Case of Honor as Captain Roger L. Barnes
- 1989 Cold Heat as R.C. Mallon
- 1989 Nerds of a Feather (uncredited)
- 1989 The Young & the Restless as Dr. Jim Grainger
- 1990 Alienator as Ward Armstrong
- 1990 Little Women of Today as Tycoon
- 1991 Alaska Stories as Aristocratic Con Man
- 1992 Marilyn Alive and Behind Bars as Harry Billings
- 1992 Day of the Pig as Azazel
- 1992 Europa Mission as Colonel Ferri
- 1992 Shining Blood as "Heep", Ranch Foreman
- 1993 The Mountain of the Lord as Brigham Young
- 1993 Angel Eyes as Steven Fox
- 1995 Brennendes Herz as Böhme
- 1996 Hindsight as Vincent, Joanne's Husband
- 1998 My Magic Dog (TV Movie) as Peter Avelino
- 1999 Wanted as Pursuing Rider
- 2000 Bad Guys as Sheriff
- 2001 CQ as The Chairman
- 2002 Curse of the Forty-Niner as Sheriff Murphy
- 2004 The Three Faces of Terror as Professor Peter Price
- 2006 Ray of Sunshine
- 2008 I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell a.k.a. Chinaman's Chance as Foreman Dan
- 2012 L'apocalisse delle scimmie
References
- Vallance, Tom (May 17, 2008). "John Phillip Law: Actor best known for 'Barbarella'". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022.
- Alpert, Don (August 21, 1966). "New Discovery Is Law Unto Himself". The Washington Post and Times-Herald: G3.
- Clifford, Terry (August 7, 1966). "Actor in 'The Russians Are Coming' Arrives Big with U.S. Teen-Agers". Chicago Tribune: H11.
- "John Phillip Law, 70, Film Actor, Is Dead". The New York Times. Associated Press. May 16, 2008. p. B8.
- Estrow, Milton (January 24, 1964). "LINCOLN THEATER BEGINS REPERTORY: ' After the Fall' by Miller Opens in Temporary Home". The New York Times. p. 19.
- Taubman, Howard (February 21, 1964). "Theater: O'Neill Revival: ' Marco Millions' Given by Repertory Troupe". The New York Times. p. 33.
- Taubman, Howard (October 30, 1964). "Theater: 'The Changeling' Is Revived: Lincoln Center Troupe Opens 2d Season". The New York Times. p. 32.
- Taubman, Howard (January 15, 1965). "The Theater: 'Tartuffe': Moliere's Play Staged by Lincoln Theater". The New York Times. p. 23.
- Martin, Betty (September 27, 1965). "Hudson Up for 'Prix' Lead". Los Angeles Times. p. C19.
- Roger Ebert (May 29, 1967). "Hurry Sundown (1967)". RogerEbert.com. Chicago Sun-Times.
- Aguilar, Carlos; Haas, Anita (June 1, 2008). John Phillip Law - Diabolik Angel. Scifiworld/Quatermass. ISBN 978-8461245017.
- Martin, Betty (April 22, 1967). "Senta to Play Secret Agent". Los Angeles Times. p. 19.
- Martin, Betty (October 21, 1967). "MOVIE CALL SHEET: Law Given 'Sergeant' Role". Los Angeles Times. p. 18.
- "John Exchaw Reviews A New Book About John Phillip Law". Cinema Retro. January 16, 2009.
- Roger Ebert (August 13, 1971). "The Love Machine (1971)". RogerEbert.com. Chicago Sun-Times.
- Thomas, Kevin (September 25, 1974). "Inhumanity Is the Name of Game". Los Angeles Times. p. G11.
- "Obituary for John Phillip Law (Aged 70)". The Boston Globe. May 17, 2008.
- "Career, looks didn't define actor". Daily Breeze. Hermosa Beach, CA. May 21, 2008. Archived from the original on July 23, 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
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: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Bergan, Ronald (May 16, 2008). "John Phillip Law". The Guardian. London. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
External links
Media related to John Phillip Law at Wikimedia Commons