Joel McCrea

Early Life

Joel Albert McCrea was born on November 5^th, 1905 in South Pasadena, California. Even as a small child McCrea was fascinated by the movies, often seeing them filmed in his hometown. His interest only grew when, at the age of 9, he and his family moved to Hollywood. Thanks to his father's work as utility executive for the L.A Gas and Electric Company, the McCrea's enjoyed a comfortable middle class life. Despite this comfortable life, the young Joel McCrea was instilled with a powerful sense of work ethic and began working as boy. He took a job as a newspaper delivery boy for the Los Angeles Time, delivering papers to Cecil B. DeMille and others in the film community. By the time he began attending Hollywood High School, the movie business was thriving and soon the tall athletic 15 year old began his career in the film industry as a part time stunt double and horse wrangler. After graduating high school McCrea went off to attend Pomona College. While in higher education he took classes in acting, public speaking and drama. He also gained began acting the stage, first for his schools staged production and then at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Early Career

After finishing college, McCrea returned to Hollywood to continue his career in show business. From 1927 to 1928 he worked as bit player in the industry, continuing his work as a stunt double and even acting in small, uncredited parts in forgettable films like The Fair Co-Ed, The Enemy and Freedom of the Press. The next year he signed a short-term contract with MGM studios and appeared in his first major role as Todd Sayles in The Jazz Age. He then returned to string of small, often uncredited roles in films like The Divine Lady, The Single Standard, and Framed. After leaving MGM in 1930 he signed a contract with RKO Studios and that same year starred in his first feature film The Silver Horde. While at RKO he made friends will star Will Rogers, whom he shared a mutual love of horse riding. Roger's helped the young actor develop a business mind, advising the 24 year old to buy a ranch with the money he was making. The advice turned out to be right on the money, and before the end of the 1940s McCrea was a millionaire.

During his early years RKO Studios McCrea quickly established himself as versatile actor, equally comfortable in both comedy and drama. He starred in a string of films of varying genres including Lightin', Kept Husbands, Girls About Town, and The Lost Squadron. In 1932 he starred in King Vidor romance-adventure flick Birds of Paradise. The pre-code era film caused quite a stir among audiences and critics a controversial scene in which McCrea's co-star Dolores del Rio swam naked. That same year he starred opposite Fay Wray in the big screen adaptation of the Richard Connell short story The Most Dangerous Game. In 1933 he starred opposite young actress Frances Dee in the romance Silver Cord. The two actors hit it and off and were married not long after production for the film ended. Their marriage would last until his death in 1990.

Film Success

During the rest of decade, McCrea continued to build his career and reputation as an actor.  In 1937 he starred opposite his wife in the big budget western Wells Fargo, a genre he had always wanted to master. Two years later he starred in another large-scale Western, this time opposite Barbara Stanwyck in Cecil B. DeMille's Union Pacific. The film, along with John Ford's Stagecoach, are considered to be have helped mature and revolutionize the western from cartoon-ish genre to a mature, adult genre able to convey serious and complex ideas.

By the start of the 1940s McCrea had reached the height of his career. In 1940 he starred opposite Laraine Day in the Alfred Hitchcock spy-thriller Foreign Correspondent. The next year he starred with Veronica Lake in the Preston Sturges socially conscious comedy Sullivan's Travels. In the film McCrea played unhappy director, John L. Sullivan, who escapes his cozy Hollywood life to live as a hobo and see "the real world." At the time it's release, Sullivan's Travels was a moderate box-office success with mixed critical reviews. Over time, over, the films reputation grew and is now considered one of the best socially conscious comedies ever made. They next he worked with Sturges again, this time opposite Claudette Colbert in the screwball comedy The Palm Beach Story. He scored another successful comedy with the 1943 George Stevens film The More the Merrier. The next year he starred in the successful Western Buffalo Bill. Two years later he starred in another successful western, Stuart Gilmore's The Virginian.

The Western Life

 After the success of The Virginian McCrea focused his career mainly around the western. Having been a rancher most of his adult life, the aging actor said western felt more natural to him than any other genre he acted. Towards the end of the decade he starred in films such as Four Faces West, Colorado Territory, and Stars in My Crown. In the early 1950s he extended his western fame into the medium of radio, starring in the Western procedural police drama, Tales of the Texas Western. For the rest of the 1950s  McCrea continued to star in a strong of western hits including Saddle Tramp, Cattle Drive, and Shoot First. In 1955 he took his turn as famed gunman, Wyatt Earp, in the Jacque Tourneur film Wichita. By the end of the decade McCrea expanded his western horizons once again, this time taking his cowboy boots to the small screen by starring in the television series Wichita Town. In 1962 the veteran actor worked with director Sam Peckinpah for the film Ride the High Country. He take a four year hiatus from the screen, returning in 1966 with The Young Rounder before taking another four year hiatus. He appeared in two films in 1970, Cry Blood, Apache and Sioux Nation. Six year later, he starred in his final film Mustang Country and then retired from the show business in 1978.

Later Life

Before entering retirement, McCrea sold 1,200 acres of his southern California ranch to an oil company. His only stipulation was that drilling must not take place within sight of his home. The company agreed and by the time he entered retirement in the late 1970s, McCrea has made millions. He eventually donated several hundred acres of his property to form the Conejo Valley YMCA in Thousand Oaks California. Thanks to his shrew business dealing, McCrea was able to live the rest of his life in relative peace. Joel McCrea died on October 20^th, 1990 of pneumonia. He was 84 years old.