Stardust And Spurs: Exploring Santa Clarita’s Walk Of Western Stars – David Carradine

Posted by: Dani Gallegos in Arts and Entertainment, Santa Clarita Latest News October 31, 2024 - 2:28 pm 0 1,522 Views

Saddle up for a trip through entertainment history with a weekly highlight from Santa Clarita’s Walk of Western Stars! This week, actor David Carradine.

David Carradine was an American actor, director and producer whose career included over 200 major and minor roles in film, television and on stage spanning more than four decades.

The actor was born on Dec. 8, 1936, in Hollywood, California, the eldest child of actor John Carradine and his wife Ardanelle Abigail Carradine.

Carradine was the half-brother of Bruce, Keith, Christopher and Robert Carradine and an uncle of Ever Carradine and Martha Plimpton, most of whom are also actors.

The actor’s parents divorced and repeatedly remarried; he was born during his mother’s second marriage of three, and his father’s first of four.

At the age of 5, Carradine almost died by suicide by hanging after learning that he and his older half-brother, Bruce, had different biological fathers.

Carradine’s parents divorced in 1944, which started a series of court battles over child custody and alimony.

Carradine then joined his father in New York City; by this time, his father had remarried. On Dec. 25, 1947, Carradine appeared in a live telecast adaption of “A Christmas Carol” with his father as Ebenezer Scrooge.

For the next few years, Carradine spent time in boarding schools, foster homes, and reform schools.

Carradine also often accompanied his father to summer theatre throughout the northeast, spending time in Massachusetts during the winter and in Vermont milking cows on a farm.

Eventually, Carradine returned to California, where he graduated from Oakland High School and attended Oakland Junior College for a year before transferring to San Francisco State College, where he studied drama and music theory.

In 1960, Carradine was inducted into the United States Army, where he drew pictures for training aids.

That Christmas, Carradine married his high school sweetheart, Donna Lee Becht, according to officials.

While stationed at Fort Eustis, Virginia, the actor helped establish a theatre company that became known as the “entertainer unit.”

After leaving the army, Carradine became serious about acting, added officials.

In 1963, the actor made his television debut on an episode of Armstrong Circle Theatre, “Secret Document X265.”

Several other television roles followed, including appearances on “Wagon Train,” “East Side/West Side,” “Arrest and Trial,” “The Virginian,” “Bob Hope Presents the Chysler Theatre” and “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.”

In 1964, the actor appeared as “The Utah Kid” on The Virginian in the episode “The Intruders,” according to officials.

Carradone soon got a contract with Universal, and the studio gave him his feature film debut in “Taggart” (1964), a Western based on a Louis L’Amour novel.

In May 1964, Carradine joined the cast of the Broadway play “The Deputy” by Rolf Hochhuth, replacing Jeremy Brett.

When the play ended he was still under contract to Universal, and resumed TV work and spent a lot of time playing, in his words, “greenhorns in Westerns and villains in thrillers.”

The actor guest-starred in “The Trials of O’Brien” in episodes that were cut together and released theatrically as “Too Many Thieves” (1967) and “Coronet Blue.”

Carradine’s first big break came with his second Broadway part in “The Royal Hunt of the Sun,” a play by Peter Shaffer about the destruction of the Inca civilization by conquistador Fransisco Pizarro.

Carradine left the production of “Royal Hunt of the Sun” in May 1966 to take up an offer to star in the TV series “Shane,” a 1966 Western based upon a 1949 novel of the same name, previously filmed in 1953.

After this, Carradine was in demand for supporting actors when he was cast in “Johnny Belinda” and “The Violent Ones” in 1967.

In 1969 starred in “Heaven with a Gun,” “Young Billy Young” and “The Good Guys and the Bad Guys”.

In 1970, the actor starred in “The McMasters” and “Macho Callahan,” according to officials.

In 1972, Carradine co-starred as “Big” Bill Shelly in one of Martin Scorsese’s earliest films, “Boxcar Bertha,” which starred Barbara Hershey, his partner at the time.

For three seasons, Carradine starred as the half-Chinese/half-white American Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the AB Chit TV series “Kung Fu” (1972 to 1975).

In 1976, the actor received critical praise for his portrayal of folk singer Woody Globe Award and New York Film Critics Circle Award.

In “The Long Riders” (1980), Carradine starred with his half-brothers Keith and Robert Carradine as the Younger Brothers.

Carradine attracted notice in 1985 when he appeared in a major supporting role in “North and South,” a miniseries about the American Civil War, as the evil and abusive Justin LaMotte. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.

Carradine continued to be in demand for action films, either aimed at the video market or for TV: Oceans of Fire (1986), Armed Response (1986) for Fred Olen Ray, The Misfits Brigade (1987), and Six Against The Rock (1987) as Bernie Coy. Carradine also guest starred on Amazing Stories and Night Heat, as well as I Saw What You Did (1988), Run for Your Life (1988), Warlords(1988) (again for Ray), Tropical Snow (1989), and The Cover Girl and the Cop (1989).

Carradine’s last performances included a role in the music video of the Jonas Brother song Burnin’ Up (2008), Camille (2008), Last Hour (2008), Break (2008), The Golden Boys (2008), Kandisha (2008), Archie’s Final Project (2009), Absolute Evil – Final Exit (2009), Road of No Return (2009) with Michael Madsen, Crank: High Voltage (2009), and Autumn (2009).

On May 31, 2009, the actor arrived in Bangkok, Thailand to shoot the film “Stretch” and was last seen alive on June 3, but could not be contacted after he failed to appear for a meal with the film crew.

On June 4, 2009, Carradine was found dead in his room at the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel, according to officials.

Lt. Teerapop Luanseng and Lt. Col. Pirom Jantrapirom said that Carradine was found naked and had hanged himself in the room’s closet with a curtain cord.

Police said he had been dead for at least 12 hours and found no sign of struggle. His death was deemed accidental, added officials.

Where is David Carradine’s Plaque on the Walk of Western Stars?

In 2008, David Carradine was honored with a plaque on the Walk of Western Stars. The plaque is on the south side of Market Street.

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