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John Ireland

Biography

John Ireland

Edit

Overview

  • Born
    January 30, 1914 · Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Died
    March 21, 1992 · Santa Barbara, California, USA (leukemia)
  • Birth name
    John Benjamin Ireland
  • Height
    1.85 m

Mini Bio

    • Born in Canada, John Ireland was raised in New York. Performing as a swimmer in a water carnival, he moved into the legitimate theater, often appearing in minor roles in Broadway plays. His first big break in pictures came in 1945 when he appeared as Windy the introspective letter-writing G.I. in the classic war epic Commando de la mort (1945). Ireland was then often featured (mostly as a heavy) in several films. In 1949, he was nominated for best supporting actor for his role as the reporter in Les fous du roi (1949). During the early 1950s, Ireland often starred as the emoting, brooding hero, almost exclusively in "B" pictures. In 1953, with his son Peter Ireland and wife, Joanne Dru, Ireland co-produced and co-directed the western mini-classic Hannah Lee: An American Primitive (1953) (aka Outlaw Territory). From the mid-'50s on. he appeared mainly in Italian "quickie" features and showed up occasionally in supporting roles in major pictures (Spartacus (1960)). Occasionally, his name was mentioned in tabloids of the times, in connection with young starlets, namely Natalie Wood and Sue Lyon. He was to play the role of the patriarch on the Ponderosa in Bonanza: The Next Generation (1988) but the series was not picked up. In addition to Hannah Lee: An American Primitive (1953), his best work was in La Rivière de la mort (1951) and La hyène du Missouri (1951). In his later years, he owned and operated a tiny restaurant, Ireland's, in Santa Barbara, California.
      - IMDb Mini Biography By: Buxx Banner <buxx572@aol.com>

Family

  • Spouses
      Daphne Myrick Cameron(July 22, 1962 - March 21, 1992) (his death, 2 children)
      Joanne Dru(August 7, 1949 - May 16, 1957) (divorced)
      Elaine Sheldon Rosen(December 29, 1937 - June 4, 1948) (divorced, 2 children)
  • Children
      John Ireland
      Peter Ireland
      Daphne Ireland Whelahan
      Cameron Ireland
      Barbara Nugent Haymes
      Dick Haymes Jr.
      Helen Joanna Haymes
  • Relatives
      Pete(Grandchild)
      Melissa(Grandchild)
      Jack(Grandchild)
      Helios(Grandchild)

Trademark

  • Often played attractive and sly but often unreliable or dangerous characters

Trivia

  • In real life, he was a friend of Robert Mitchum. They lived in the same neighborhood in Santa Barbara in their last years.
  • He was known as one of the genuine "nice guys" of Hollywood, always eager to meet with his fans, sign autographs and pose for photographs.
  • His marriage to Joanne Dru broke down as a result of his affair with Une femme diabolique (1955) co-star Joan Crawford.
  • He was the very first Vancouver-born actor to be nominated for an Academy Award.
  • Older half-brother of Tommy Noonan, who appeared with him in J'ai tué Jesse James (1949). Noonan also worked with Ireland's former brother-in-law, Peter Marshall.

Quotes

  • [At age 45, on his affair with 16-year-old Tuesday Weld] If there wasn't such a difference in our ages I'd ask her to marry me. That and her mother are the only things that stop me.

Salary

  • Satan's Cheerleaders (1977) - $4,000

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