Full Name Joel Dee McCrea Name Jody McCrea Occupation Actor Role Film actor | Years active 1955–1985 Parents Frances Dee, Joel McCrea Website www.jodymccrea.com | |
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Other names Joel D. McCreaJoel Dee McCrea Relatives Stepchildren: Jaquet Ironwing, David Ironwing Spouse Dusty McCrea (m. 1976–1996) Siblings Peter McCrea, Mona Leigh McCrea, David McCrea Movies Beach Party, Beach Blanket Bingo, Cry Blood - Apache, Bikini Beach, Pajama Party Similar People Joel McCrea, Frances Dee, John Ashley, William Asher, Jack Starrett | ||
JODY MCCREA TRIBUTE
Joel Dee "Jody" McCrea (September 6, 1934 – April 4, 2009), was an American film and television actor; son of veteran film actors Joel McCrea and Frances Dee. He was married to Dusty Ironwing McCrea from 1976, until her death in 1996. He is survived by the stepchildren he raised, Jaquet Ironwing and David Ironwing.
Contents
- JODY MCCREA TRIBUTE
- Young Guns of Texas Western 1962 James Mitchum Alana Ladd Jody McCrea
- Career
- Later career and death
- Filmography
- References
Young Guns of Texas (Western 1962) James Mitchum, Alana Ladd, Jody McCrea
Career
McCrea served in the United States Army, Special Services. He later briefly hosted Country Style, USA, an Army-produced recruiting television program filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, featuring various country entertainers. He began acting on the 1959–1960 television series Wichita Town with his father. He went on to star in films (mainly westerns), including the World War I drama Lafayette Escadrille, The Broken Land (with Jack Nicholson), Law of the Lawless, and Cry Blood, Apache, which he also produced.
In 1959, McCrea costarred with his father in the short-lived NBC western Wichita Town, set in Wichita, Kansas. Joel McCrea appeared as Marshal Mike Dunbar. Jody McCrea did not portray the role of Joel's son on the program but as the deputy marshal, Ben Matheson.
He was most notable for his comedic role as dumb-minded "Deadhead" ("Bonehead") in the 1960s Beach Party films made by American International Pictures. Other beach movies in which he has appeared include Muscle Beach Party, Bikini Beach, and Beach Blanket Bingo.
He made several television appearances, including Wagon Train, Vacation Playhouse, and The Greatest Show on Earth. He played Lieutenant Brannin, a cocky cavalry officer based loosely on George Armstrong Custer, in Sam Peckinpah's Major Dundee (1965), but his scene was deleted from the final cut.
In the early 1960s, McCrea made an appearance on the popular TV show I've Got a Secret as part of a group of entertainers related to famous Hollywood personalities.
When cast in the beach pictures, he realized his comedic potential. When first offered the role of "Deadhead", for example, he was quoted at the time as saying that he "wasn't sure what the character would become". McCrea felt that the audience enjoyed Deadhead as they felt superior to him.
McCrea was an avid body builder, and the only actor appearing in the American International Pictures beach movies who could actually surf.
He recorded a 45 rpm single in 1964 for Canjo Records to coincide with the film Bikini Beach (Side A: "Chicken Surfer"/Side B: "Looney Gooney Bird")
Later career and death
Although he occasionally acted in community theater, McCrea retired from acting in 1970 after his final film Cry Blood, Apache. He became a rancher in Roswell, New Mexico, where he died in 2009 of a heart attack at age 74.