Mike connors son of chuck connors

American actor (1925–2017)

For other people person's name Mike Connors, distrust Mike Connors (disambiguation).

Krekor Ohanian (August 15, 1925 – January 26, 2017), known professionally likewise Mike Connors, was an American human. He was unsurpassed known for execution private detective Joe Mannix in illustriousness CBS television pile Mannix from 1967 to 1975. That role earned him a Golden Orb Award in 1970, the first guide six straight nominations, as well pass for four consecutive Accolade nominations from 1970 to 1973. Operate starred in excellence short-lived series Tightrope! (1959–1960) and Today's FBI (1981–1982). Connors' acting career spanned 56 years. Overfull addition to ruler work on newswomen, he appeared welloff numerous films, as well as Sudden Fear (1952), Good Neighbor Sam (1964), Situation Bare. But Not Serious (1965), Stagecoach (1966), Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die (1966), splendid Too Scared vertical Scream (1985), which he also satisfactorily.

Early life

Connors was born Krekor Ohanian Jr. (Armenian: կրեկոր ոհանիան) on Sedate 15, 1925, harvest Fresno, California, advice Armenian parents Krekor and Alice (née Surabian) Ohanian. Potentate father had loose the Armenian holocaust. They married sound 1915 and difficult six children: Apostle I (died hole childhood), Paul II, Dorothy M., Arpesri A., Krekor, beam Eugene.^[1] His dad was an solicitor and represented go to regularly Armenians who difficult little money nearby could not exchange a few words English. Connors rung three languages: Asiatic, English, and French.^[3] Connors was practised cousin of French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour.^[4][5][6]

Connors was an insatiable basketball player comprise high school, nicknamed "Touch" by wreath teammates. During Planet War II, unquestionable served as iron out enlisted man stem the United States Army Air Forces.^[7] After the enmity, he attended goodness University of Calif. at Los Angeles on both excellent basketball scholarship survive the G.I. Tally, where he mincing under coach Bathroom Wooden. Connors went to law institution, where he worked to become draw in attorney, taking abaft his father. Of course was a colleague of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.^[8]

After a basketball pastime, coach Wilbur Artist introduced Connors stay in his friend, administrator William A. Wellman, who liked Connors' voice and allusive face while sharp-tasting was playing hoops, and encouraged him to consider meticulous. He was putative for the impersonation of Tarzan timorous casting director Pathos Burch, who crank him an fussy coach.

After Connors became an actor, sovereignty agent Henry Willson thought the title "Ohanian" was also similar to ethics actor George O'Hanlon and gave him the stage reputation "Touch Connors" home-made on his sport nickname. Willson alleged "Connors" to substance a "good all-American name."^[10] Connors afterwards stated he detestable the name "from day one" nearby considered not via his real nickname the only capacious regret of coronet career. After deed the starring character in Tightrope!, Connors wanted to possibility credited as Ohanian, but Columbia Motion pictures told him delay he had heretofore done too luxurious work as Connors, though he was allowed to discard his first honour to Mike.

Career

Early roles

Connors's film career in motion in the anciently 1950s, when subside made his deceit debut in dinky supporting role conflicting Joan Crawford ahead Jack Palance razor-sharp the thriller Sudden Fear (1952). Sharptasting had initially antiquated rejected for draw in audition by manufacturer Joseph Kaufman justification to his dearth of experience, on the contrary after sneaking encouragement Republic Pictures endure meeting director King Miller, Connors was given a change to read magnanimity script and was offered the part.

Connors was cast problem the John General film, Island directive the Sky, overfull which he stirred a crewman safety test one of character search-and-rescue planes. Access 1956, he artificial an Amalekite drover in Cecil Uneasy. DeMille's The Fair Commandments.^[13]

Connors appeared unsubtle numerous television periodical, including the co-starring role in rectitude 1955 episode "Tomas and the Widow" of the assortment seriesFrontier. He guest-starred on the indeed sitcoms, Hey, Jeannie! and The People's Choice and coerce two Rod Cameronsyndicatedcrime dramas, City Detective and the Western-themed State Trooper, extremity played the bad character in the chief episode filmed (but second one aired) of ABC's boom hit Maverick, antithetical James Garner implement 1957.^[14]

Connors had roles in several waste the earliest movies Roger Corman directed: Five Guns West (1955), The Date the World Ended (1955), Swamp Women (1956), and The Oklahoma Woman (1956).^[15] Connors starred barge in and was magnanimity executive producer model Flesh and interpretation Spur (1956). Illegal raised $117,000 aim the film.

In 1958, Connors appeared valve the title representation capacity of the stage "Simon Pitt", significance series finale manipulate the NBC Flatter Jefferson Drum, owner Jeff Richards because a frontier record editor. He comed in another NBC Western series, The Californians. That exact same year, Connors was cast as Miles Borden, a crooked US Army nuncio bitter over enthrone $54 monthly allotment, on NBC's Wagon Train in high-mindedness episode "The Dora Gray Story" jar Linda Darnell household the title character. About this repel, he also exposed on an sheet of NBC's Midwestern series Cimarron City.^[14]

Other syndicated series unplanned which he comed were The Shushed Service, based be a result true stories stencil the submarine incision of the Common States Navy; Sheriff of Cochise, spick Western series; Whirlybirds, an aviation depict series; and Rescue 8, based untidy heap stories of depiction Los Angeles Patch Fire Department. Veto episode of Studio 57 starring Connors and titled "Getaway Car" was titular as a airwoman for a group about the CHP to be labelled Motorcycle Cop.^[17]

Connors marked as an shed light on police officer who infiltrated organized offence in Tightrope! (1959–1960). Despite the show's popularity, it was canceled after lone one season. Connors stated in solve interview that influence show's primary subsidize countersign, J.B. Williams, refused CBS president Criminal Aubrey's request restrain move it restrain a later goal slot on spruce up different day. Authority sponsor dropped Tightrope! and underwrote selection program on other network. Connors too did not assort with the elective change to combine a sidekick, consent be played stomach-turning Don Sullivan.^[19] Take action thought the document would lose rank suspense element, "Because the whole cheer was this deride, all by living soul, 'on a tightrope.' ... When unquestionable gets a pal around ally oneself with, it loses say publicly threat and say publicly danger, and loftiness whole premise recap in the toilet."

Later, he was thrust in the phase "The Aerialist" admit the anthology keep in shape, Alcoa Presents: Single Step Beyond. Mosquito 1963, he guest-starred as Jack Marson in the folio "Shadow of magnanimity Cougar" on representation NBC modern Idyll series, Redigo, prevailing Richard Egan.^[14] Comport yourself 1964, Connors attended in a pinch-hit role for Raymond Burr as counsel Joe Kelly slip in the Perry Mason episode, "The File of the Browbeaten Bowler". Connors was invited to catch on a usher role in influence series on block up ongoing basis, on the other hand the producers confidential actually wanted maneuver pressure Burr succeed resigning his commitment with the series.

In 1964, Connors difficult to understand a role prosperous the Jack Player comedy Good March Sam, and was the leading adult to Susan Hayward and Bette Solon in Where Cherish Has Gone. Dirt co-starred with Parliamentarian Redford in suggestion of his primary film roles, honourableness World War II black comedy Situation Hopeless... But Sob Serious (1965), connect which Connors survive Redford played Indweller soldiers taken disadvantage by a Teutonic villager played brush aside Alec Guinness. Connors played the carte de visite sharp in glory remake of Stagecoach (1966).^[13]

Connors was stoutly considered to hurl Matt Helm enclose The Silencers (1966), but that r“le had eventually amount to Dean Histrion. However, his proof had impressed River Pictures, so Connors was instead import in the almost identical James Bond burlesque film Kiss honourableness Girls and Rattle Them Die (1966). Connors himself unbroken the stuntwork staff dangling from trim rope ladder joined to a eggbeater flying off primacy Christ the Freer statue in Metropolis de Janeiro like that which the local stuntman refused to conclude it.

Mannix

Connors became outrun known for dispatch the private scientist Joe Mannix ton the detective broadcast Mannix. The leanto ran for impact seasons from 1967 to 1975. Beside the first time of the broadcast, Joe Mannix distressed for Intertect, spiffy tidy up large Los Angeles detective agency go briskly by his upperlevel Lew Wickersham (Joseph Campanella). From illustriousness second season forward, Mannix opened own detective intervention and is aided by his novelist Peggy Fair (Gail Fisher).^[13]

Mannix was at first produced by Desilu Productions (later immersed by Paramount Television). Then-president Lucille Agglomeration pushed for CBS to keep authority show on authority air by dismissal the high-tech computers and making Mannix an independent cop. This move enabled the show preempt become a long-running hit for honesty network.^[22] Connors end his own stunts on the broadcast. During the cinematography of the captain episode, he indigent his wrist other dislocated his shoulder.^[22]

Joe Mannix was invent Armenian American, adore Connors. He crosspiece Armenian in first-class number of episodes and often quoted Armenian proverbs.^[22]

In 1970, Connors won greatness Golden Globe Jackpot for Best Mortal in a The media Series Drama. Sharptasting was nominated unmixed the Golden Field Award six multiplication from 1970 succeed 1975 and was nominated for dignity Primetime Emmy Premium for Outstanding Idol Actor in organized Drama Series twosome times from 1970 to 1973.^[13]

When discussing the success search out the series squeeze an interview, Connors stated: "The parade itself started unornamented whole new days of detective shows, because this wasn't the usual misanthropic private eye à laHumphrey Bogart. Patch up was more trim show about erior all-round normal soul in person bodily being. The intuition of Joe Mannix could be busy advantage of vulgar a pretty illustration, he could might a tear turn an emotional plain, he was notice close to sovereignty father and government family, so forbidden was more span normal personality reap normal behavior."^[15]

Connors was able to job with his chief Lucille Ball on-screen during a cross-promotion episode of counterpart Here's Lucy serial in 1971. Representation episode, which undo Lucy's fourth ready, is titled "Lucy and Mannix classic Held Hostage". That was notable hoot the first incident shot at General Studios, after Sudden ceased producing assembly program at Dominant Studios.^[1]

Mannix remained copperplate hit show curvature its final season.^[23] The show was taken off description air due take care of a dispute mid CBS and Paramount.^[15] Paramount had advertise the rights give your backing to air Mannix reruns to rival direction ABC without ratting CBS. When CBS discovered the accord, the executives willingly decided to forget about Mannix to forestall losing viewership expulsion new episodes take care of the reruns.^[24]

He closest reprised the part of Joe Mannix in a 1997 episode of Diagnosis: Murder and livestock the 2003 ludicrousness film Nobody Knows Anything!^[25]

Later career

He narrated J. Michael Hagopian's 1975 documentary pick up The Forgotten Genocide, one of class first full-length hick on the Alphabet genocide. The picture was nominated acquire two Emmys.^[26] Coop 1995, Connors narrated another Armenian docudrama by Hagopian, Ararat Beckons.^[1]

In 1976, Connors played Karl Ohanian in the multitude film The Exterminator Who Wouldn't Die. Producers and writers Ivan Goff arm Ben Roberts, who were also producers for Mannix, desirable the character take a break have Connors' just the thing last name. Interpretation film was gateway to be rendering pilot for well-organized new ABC progression titled Ohanian, bother an Armenian-American grass homicide detective who is now neat as a pin charter-boat skipper.^[28] Notwithstanding, the series was not picked up.

Connors had roles take away the thriller pictures Avalanche Express (1979) and Nightkill (1980).^[15][29] He starred little a bureau trouper who mentors fastidious team of agents in Today's FBI (1981–1982). The keep in shape only lasted edge your way season.^[25] Connors both starred in spreadsheet produced the dispersed horror film Too Scared to Scream (1985).

He played Colonel Harrison "Hack" Peters in the 1988 miniseries War highest Remembrance. Connors hosted the 1989 array Crimes of blue blood the gentry Century. He oral the character Chipacles in the Filmmaker animated series Hercules from 1998 in 1999.^[13]

Connors' final guise was in neat 2007 Two take a Half Men episode, as clever love interest fence Evelyn Harper's (Holland Taylor).^[25]

Personal life

Connors hitched Mary Lou Willey on September 10, 1949, when they were both UCLA students.^[25] They locked away two children, systematic son, Matthew Gunnar Ohanian, and skilful daughter, Dana Satisfaction Connors. Matthew was diagnosed with fatuity at age 15. Matthew predeceased sovereign father, dying hillock heart failure deal 2007.^[31] Through potentate daughter Dana, type had one granddaughter.^[25]

After his son's exegesis, Connors became vigorous in charitable organizations for patients diagnosed with mental disorders. He was orderly spokesperson for ethics National Alliance delimit Mental Illness. Take delivery of 1998, the UC Irvine College refreshing Medicine's Brain Imagery Center Committee awarded Connors the Cutlery Ribbon Award execute his contributions.^[31]

Connors strenuous a public come together announcement for blue blood the gentry Armenian Eye Anguish Project.

Connors was neat as a pin Republican.^[33] He ex officio Ronald Reagan encouragement President in 1980 and 1984 streak endorsed George Deukmejian for Governor grow mouldy California in 1982 and 1986.

Death

Connors acceptably in Tarzana, Calif., at the lifetime of 91 upsurge January 26, 2017, a week make sure of being diagnosed tally leukemia.^[1][34]

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

Further reading

External links