John Gavin

Born Juan Vincent Apablasa Jr., his father, Juan Vincent Apablasa Sr., was of Chilean origin, and his paternal ancestors, including Cayetano Apablasa, were early landowners in California under Spanish rule. Gavin's mother, Delia Diana Pablos, was born in Sonora, Mexico and her family resettled to Los Angeles during her early childhood. Gavin’s parents divorced when he was about two years old. Gavin’s mother married Herald Ray Golenor, an Irish American, who adopted Gavin and changed his name to John Anthony Golenor.[1]

After attending Roman Catholic schools St. John's Military Academy (Los Angeles) and Villanova Preparatory (Ojai, California), he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics degree and Latin American affairs from Stanford University, where he did senior honors work in Latin American economic history and was a member of Chi Psi fraternity and Navy ROTC.

During the Korean War, Gavin was commissioned in the U.S. Navy serving aboard the USS Princeton off Korea where he served as an air intelligence officer from 1951 until the end of the war in 1953. Due to Gavin's fluency in both Spanish and Portuguese, he was assigned as Flag Lieutenant to Admiral Milton E. Miles until he completed his four-year tour of duty in 1955. He received an award for his work in the Honduras floods of 1954.[2]

In a 1960 interview, Gavin disputed rumors that he was born into wealth by revealing that he attended a preparatory school and Stanford University on scholarships.[3]

Following his naval service, Gavin offered himself as a technical adviser to family friend and film producer Bryan Foy, who was making a movie about the Princeton. Instead, Foy arranged a screen test with Universal-International. Gavin turned down the offer but his father urged him to try it. The test was successful and Gavin signed with the studio.[4][5] "They offered me so much money I couldn't resist", he said later.[6]

Universal groomed Gavin as a leading man in the mold of Rock Hudson. He trained in Jess Kimmel's talent workshop under the name John Gilmore. His classmates included Grant Williams, Gia Scala and John Saxon.[7]

His first film was Raw Edge (1956) where he played the brother of Rory Calhoun and was billed as John Gilmore. His name was changed to John Gavin for the films Behind the High Wall (1956), Four Girls in Town (1957), and Quantez (also 1957).

Gavin was meant to star in The Female Animal (1958) but was too busy on other projects and was replaced by George Nader.[8]

Gavin's break was the lead in A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958), directed by Douglas Sirk from the novel by Erich Maria Remarque. His casting drew comparisons with the casting of the similarly inexperienced Lew Ayres in Universal's film version of All Quiet on the Western Front (1931).[9][10]

Sirk cast Gavin because of Gavin's inexperience, fresh looks and earnest manner.[11] The film was not a success when it was released, although Gavin received praise for his performance.[11]

Before A Time to Love and a Time to Die had been released, Gavin was cast by Douglas Sirk supporting Lana Turner in Imitation of Life (1959). Unlike A Time to Love and a Time to Die, this was a box-office success and Gavin was voted most promising male newcomer for his performance in the film by the Motion Picture Exhibitor.[12]

Gavin appeared as Julius Caesar in Universal's epic Spartacus (1960) directed by Stanley Kubrick.[13] He was cast as Sam Loomis in the thriller Psycho (1960) for director Alfred Hitchcock. Gavin later claimed he was "terribly disturbed" by the sex and violence in Psycho, saying, "I think Hitch really got frosted with me."[11] Both films were successful critically and commercially.

Following the success of Imitation of Life, Gavin was often cast as the handsome opposite to leading ladies but as characters whom were permitted little action.[14] He co-starred against Doris Day in the thriller Midnight Lace, Sophia Loren in the comedic A Breath of Scandal (both 1960),[11] Susan Hayward in the melodrama Back Street and with Sandra Dee in Romanoff and Juliet and Tammy Tell Me True (all 1961). Most of these films were produced by Ross Hunter. Gavin also appeared periodically on television in various anthology series. He was directed by a young William Friedkin in the episode 'Off Season', S3, Ep29 of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

Gavin later claimed that he lacked training support from Universal during his early days there:

When I walked through the gate, Universal quit building actors. All of a sudden I was doing leading roles. I knew I was a tyro but they told me to shut up and act. Some of those early roles were unactable. Even Laurence Olivier couldn't have done anything with them. The dialog included cardboard passages such as 'I love you. You can rely on me, darling. I'll wait.' It was all I could do to keep from adding, 'with egg on my face.'[15]

Gavin disliked comparisons to Rock Hudson and in a 1960 interview said he considered quitting acting to take up law.[3]

Gavin left Universal in 1962. He signed to make several movies in Europe including The Assassins, The Challenge and Night Call.[14] However, he pulled out of The Assassins (which became Assassins of Rome (1965)), Night Call and The Challenge were never made.[16]

In early 1964, he starred in the TV series Destry.[17] The series was not a ratings success and was cancelled.

Gavin was signed for the role of James Bond in the film Diamonds Are Forever (1971) after George Lazenby left the role.[22] However, David Picker, head of United Artists, wanted the box-office assurance of Sean Connery. Gavin's contract was honored despite losing the role to Connery. According to Roger Moore's James Bond Diary, Gavin was slated to play Bond in Live and Let Die (1973), but Harry Saltzman insisted on a British actor for the role and Moore was given the role.[23]

Gavin was on the board of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in 1965. He served a term as third vice president and two terms as president from 1971–73.[24] During his presidency Gavin testified before the Federal Trade Commission on phone talent rackets and met with President Richard Nixon to present the problem of excessive television reruns. He presented petitions to the federal government on the issues of prime-time access rules, legislative assistance for American motion pictures, and film production by the government using non-professional actors.[25]

Gavin's presidency in the Screen Actors Guild came to an end when he was defeated by Dennis Weaver in 1973. Gavin was the first incumbent president to be defeated by an independent challenger.[26]

Gavin made a foray into live theatre in the 1970s, showcasing his baritone voice. He toured the summer stock circuit as El Gallo in a production of The Fantasticks at the South Shore Music Circus twentieth anniversary summer season June 29-July 4, 1970 in Massachusetts.

In 1973, Gavin replaced Ken Howard in the Broadway musical Seesaw opposite Michele Lee.[27] Gavin said he first turned down the musical because of his unhappiness with the quality of the book but reconsidered when Michael Bennett asked him to join the cast.[28] He played the role for seven months and toured the United States in the role with Lucie Arnaz. Both the Broadway and touring production were directed by Michael Bennett.[11]

In the late 1970s, Gavin played Cary Grant in the television movie Sophia Loren: Her Own Story (1980).[29]

A Republican, Gavin was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in June 1981 by President Ronald Reagan and served until June 1986.

• The Fantastiks (1967) – Paper Mill Playhouse
• Seesaw (1974) with Lucie Arnaz – Broadway and tour