Randolph Scott

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Randolph Scott
Randolph Scott-publicity.jpg
Scott in the early 1930s
Background information
Born as: George Randolph Scott
Born Jan 23, 1898
Orange County, Virginia, U.S.
Died Mar 2, 1987 - age  88
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
 
Spouse(s): Marion duPont Scott
(1936 - 1939) divorced
Patricia Stillman
(1944 - )
Occupation: Actor, producer, screenwriter
Years active 1928–1962
Height: 6' 2" (1.88m)

George Randolph Scott (✦January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spans 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of genres, including social dramas, crime dramas, comedies, musicals (albeit in non-singing and non-dancing roles), adventure tales, war films, and a few horror and fantasy films. However, his most enduring image is that of the tall-in-the-saddle Western hero. Out of his more than 100 film appearances over 60 were in Westerns. According to editor Edward Boscombe, "...Of all the major stars whose name was associated with the Western, Scott [was] most closely identified with it."

Scott's more than 30 years as a motion picture actor resulted in his working with many acclaimed screen directors, including Henry King, Rouben Mamoulian, Michael Curtiz, John Cromwell, King Vidor, Allan Dwan, Fritz Lang, Sam Peckinpah, Henry Hathaway (eight times), Ray Enright (seven), Edwin L. Marin (seven), Andre DeToth (six), and most notably, his seven film collaborations with Budd Boetticher. Scott also worked with a diverse array of cinematic leading ladies, from Shirley Temple and Irene Dunne to Mae West and Marlene Dietrich. His profile was incorporated into the original logo of the Las Vegas Raiders

At 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), lanky, muscular, and handsome, Scott displayed what was seen as an easygoing charm and courtly Southern drawl in his early films that helped offset his limitations as an actor, where he was frequently found to be stiff or "lumbering". As he matured, however, Scott's acting was viewed as having improved, while his features became burnished and leathery, allowing him to portray a "strong, silent" type of stoic hero.

During the early 1950s, Scott was a consistent box-office draw. In the annual Motion Picture Herald Top Ten Polls, he ranked 10th in 1950, seventh in 1951, and 10th in both 1952 and 1953. Scott also appeared in Quigley's Top Ten Money Makers Poll from 1950 to 1953.

Scott’s face was also the model for the pirate in the Las Vegas Raiders logo since 1960 when the Raiders were originally located in Oakland, California.

Early years

Scott was born in Orange County, Virginia, and reared in Charlotte, North Carolina, the second of six children born to parents of Scottish descent. His father was George Grant Scott, born in Franklin, Virginia, the first person licensed as a certified public accountant (CPA) in North Carolina. His mother was Lucille Crane Scott, born in Luray, Virginia, and a member of a wealthy North Carolina family. The Scott children in order of birth were: Margaret, Randolph, Katherine, Virginia, Joseph, and Barbara, most born in North Carolina.

Because of his family's financial status, young Randolph was able to attend private schools such as Woodberry Forest School. From an early age, Scott developed and displayed his athleticism, excelling in football, baseball, horse racing, and swimming.

World War I

In April 1917, the United States entered World War I. In July, Scott joined a unit of the North Carolina National Guard. He was trained as an artillery observer and earned promotion to corporal in October 1917 and sergeant in February 1918. In May 1918, Scott entered active duty at Fort Monroe, Virginia as a member of the 2nd Trench Mortar Battalion. The battalion arrived in France in June 1918, and took part in combat with the U.S. IV Corps in the Toul sector and Thiaucourt zone. After the Armistice of November 11, 1918 ended the war, the 2nd TM Battalion took part in the post-war occupation of Germany as part of U.S. VI Corps.

Following the armistice, Scott enrolled in the artillery Officer Candidate School, which was located in Saumur, France. He received his commission as a second lieutenant of Field Artillery in May 1919 and departed for the United States soon afterward. He arrived in New York City on June 6 and reported to Camp Mills, where he received his honorable discharge on June 13. Scott made use of his wartime experience in his acting career, including his training in horsemanship and the use of firearms.

After World War I

With his military career over, Scott continued his education at Georgia Tech, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order and set his sights on becoming an all-American football player. However, a back injury prevented him from achieving this goal. Scott then transferred to the University of North Carolina, majoring in textile engineering and manufacturing. He eventually dropped out and went to work as an accountant in the textile firm where his father, a CPA, was employed.

World War II

Shortly after the United States entered World War II, Scott attempted to obtain an officer's commission in the Marines, but because of a back injury years earlier he was rejected. However, he did his part for the war effort by touring in a comedy act with Joe DeRita (who later became a member of the Three Stooges) for the Victory Committee showcases, and he also raised food for the government on a ranch that he owned.

In 1942 and 1943, Scott appeared in several war films, notably To the Shores of Tripoli (1942) at Fox, Bombardier (1943) at RKO, the Canadian warship drama Corvette K-225 (1943) (produced by Howard Hawks), Gung Ho! at Universal and China Sky (1945) at RKO. He also made The Desperadoes (1943), Columbia Pictures' first feature in Technicolor. The film was produced by Harry Joe Brown, with whom Scott would form a business partnership several years later.

Scott was one of many Universal stars who made a cameo in Follow the Boys (1944). He was in a "northern" with Gypsy Rose Lee, Belle of the Yukon (1944), and made a swashbuckler film for producer Benedict Bogeaus alongside Charles Laughton, the cheaply made production Captain Kidd (1945).

Career

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Wikipedia article: Randolph Scott Career

Early films

Around 1927, Scott developed an interest in acting and decided to make his way to Los Angeles and seek a career in the motion picture industry. Fortunately, Scott's father had become acquainted with Howard Hughes and provided a letter of introduction for his son to present to the eccentric millionaire filmmaker. Hughes responded by getting Scott a small part in a George O'Brien film called Sharp Shooters (1928). A print of the film survives in the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

In the next few years, Scott continued working as an extra and bit player in several films, including Weary River (1929) with Richard Barthelmess, The Far Call (1929), The Black Watch (1929) (directed by John Ford with John Wayne also uncredited) and uncredited as the Rider in The Virginian (1929) with Gary Cooper. Reputedly, Scott also served as Cooper's dialect coach in this latter film.

Later years

Following Ride the High Country, Scott retired from film at the age of 64. A wealthy man, Scott had managed shrewd investments throughout his life, eventually accumulating a fortune worth a reputed $100 million, with holdings in real estate, gas, oil wells, and securities.

He and his wife Patricia continued to live in Beverly Hills. During his retirement years, he remained friends with Fred Astaire, with whom he attended Dodgers games. An avid golfer with a putting green in his yard, Scott was a member of the Bel Air Country Club, Los Angeles Country Club, and Eldorado Country Club in Indian Wells, California. He also became friends with the Reverend Billy Graham. Scott was described by his son Christopher as a deeply religious man. He was an Episcopalian and the Scott family were members of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, and St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Randolph Scott owned and co-designed Cresta Verde golf course in Corona California

Scott married twice. In 1936, he became the second husband of heiress Marion duPont, daughter of William du Pont Sr., and great-granddaughter of Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours, the founder of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Marion had previously married George Somerville, with Scott serving as best man at the wedding. The Scotts' marriage ended in divorce three years later, in 1939. The union produced no children. Though divorced, she kept his last name nearly five decades, until her death in 1983.

In 1944, Scott married the actress Patricia Stillman, who was 21 years his junior. In 1950, they adopted two children, Sandra and Christopher.

Although Scott achieved fame as a motion picture actor, he managed to stay fairly low profile with his private life. Offscreen he was a good friend of Fred Astaire and Cary Grant. He met Grant on the set of Hot Saturday (1932), and shortly afterward, they moved in together and shared a beach house in Malibu that became known as "Bachelor Hall". It is widely assumed that the two were in a romantic relationship at the time. In 1944, Scott and Grant stopped living together, but they remained close friends for the rest of their lives.

Scott died of heart and lung ailments in 1987 at the age of 89 in Beverly Hills, California. He was interred at Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte, North Carolina. He and his wife Patricia had been married for 43 years. She died in 2004 and is buried next to her husband. Their mid-century modern home was torn down in 2008. The Randolph Scott papers, which includes photos, scrapbooks, notes, letters, articles, and house plans, were left to the UCLA Library Special Collections.

In popular culture

Scott's face reportedly was used as the model for the Oakland Raiders logo in 1960; the logo was redesigned in 1963. For over 50 years, the iconic Raiders experienced only minor modifications and remained consistent with the original design.

In Thomas Pynchon's 1963 book V., the character Profane watches an unspecified Randolph Scott film. It compares himself unfavorably with his hero, whom he describes as "cool, imperturbable, keeping his trap shut and only talking when he had to – and then saying the right things and not running off haphazard and inefficient at the mouth".

In the 1963 film Soldier in the Rain, when Master Sergeant Maxwell Slaughter (Jackie Gleason) defends his date's honor by protecting her from a jealous suitor, Bobby Jo Pepperdine (Tuesday Weld) exclaims "You know what? You were just like Randolph Scott on the late, late movies ... a fat Randolph Scott.".

In the 1968 drama The Sergeant, the uncle of John Phillip Law's girlfriend says how much he loves American films, in particular Westerns starring Randolph Scott.

He is caricatured in the Lucky Luke comic book album "Le Vingtième de cavalerie" (1965) as Colonel McStraggle.

The 1974 comedy film Blazing Saddles paid homage to Scott. When faced by a crowd refusing to cooperate, Sheriff Bart (Cleavon Little) exclaims "You'd do it for Randolph Scott!" Members of the crowd then repeat "Randolph Scott" in hushed tones. An unseen choir suddenly sings out the name, which causes the townsfolk to reverently remove their hats and bow their heads, after which they begin cooperating.

Scott is the putative subject of the 1974 Statler Brothers song "Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott?", lamenting the passing of Western films.

Scott is the subject of guitarist Leo Kottke's song "Turning into Randolph Scott (Humid Child)" on his 1994 album Peculiaroso.

"We'll send them all we've got, John Wayne and Randolph Scott" is a line in Tom Lehrer's song, "Send the Marines".

During the seventh season of NYPD Blue, in the episode "Jackass", Andy Sipowicz acknowledges that he isn’t handsome, saying "I'm not Randolph Scott."

Scott is the subject of a Rodney Dangerfield joke told on the 1981 NBC special "The Stars Salute the President". In a veiled reference to Ronald Reagan (who was in attendance), Dangerfield muses how he is surprised he was invited to perform at the special, because he "voted for Randolph Scott" (both Reagan and Scott were actors in Westerns who later became involved in conservative politics).

Awards

In 1975, Scott was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. He also received an In Memoriam Golden Boot Award for his work in Westerns.

For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Scott has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6243 Hollywood Blvd. In 1999, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.

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Wikipedia article: Randolph Scott
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Note:   Randolph Scott was a volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen
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Note:   Randolph Scott was a volunteer at the USO
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