Zachary Scott (February 21, 1914 – October 3, 1965)[1] was an American actor who was known for his roles as villains and "mystery men".
Early life
Scott was born in Austin, Texas, the son of Sallie Lee (Masterson) and Zachary Thomson Scott, a doctor.[2]
Scott intended to follow his father into medicine,[3] but after attending the University of Texas at Austin, he dropped out at age 19 and worked as a seaman on an England-bound freighter. There he appeared in almost two dozen repertory theatre productions in 18 months.[4] When he returned to Texas, he began to act in local theater productions.[5]
Career
Broadway
Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne met Scott and his wife Elaine Anderson in Austin, Texas, where Scott was completing his degree, and then wrote to Lawrence Langer about summer jobs for both at the Westport Playhouse in Connecticut, which led to Scott's engagements in New York.[6] He made his debut in a 1941 revival of Ah, Wilderness! with a small role as a bartender.[7] He was also in The Damask Cheek (1942), The Rock (1943), and Those Endearing Young Charms (1943).[7]
Warner Bros.
Jack L. Warner saw Scott perform in Those Endearing Young Charms and signed him to his first film contract,[4] which led to his screen debut in The Mask of Dimitrios (1944).[8]
Back at Warners, Scott was cast in Mildred Pierce (1945) and received much acclaim for his performance as the duplicitous lover of both Joan Crawford and her daughter, and his mysterious murder forms the basis of the plot and frames the film's opening and closing. Variety noted that Scott "makes the most of his character" in "a talented performance."[9]
During his time at Warner's, Scott and his first wife Elaine socialized regularly with Angela Lansbury and her husband Richard Cromwell. Elaine Scott had met Zachary Scott in Austin and she made a name for herself behind the scenes on Broadway as stage manager for the original production of Oklahoma!. [citation needed]
The Scotts had one child together, Waverly Scott.[citation needed]
In 1950, Scott was involved in a rafting accident. Also during that year, he and Elaine divorced; she later married writer John Steinbeck. Possibly as a result of these developments or due to a box-office slump, Scott succumbed to depression, which affected his acting for Warners.[citation needed]
Scott died on October 3, 1965, from a malignant brain tumor at the home of his mother in Austin, Texas at the age of 51.[4]
Legacy
Scott has a star at 6349 Hollywood Boulevard in the Motion Pictures section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.[12]
In 1968, Austin renamed its civic center Zachary Scott Theatre Center in memory of the city's native son. Two streets in the Austin area are named in his memory: at the old airport Mueller Redevelopment and in unincorporated southeast Travis County.[citation needed]
Scott's family endowed two chairs at the University of Texas's theatre department in his name.[citation needed]
^"Candid Close-Ups: Zachary Scott Finds Everything Just Dandy Still on Broadway." Brooklyn Eagle, July 4, 1943.
^ ab"Zachary Scot". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
^Schallert, Edwin (December 2, 1943). "DRAMA AND FILM: Charles Coburn' Wins Col. Effingham Role Carol Stone of Broddway Stage Sought by Producer Bernerd for Screen Duty". Los Angeles Times. p. A8.