RICHARD HARRISON 1935 Salt Lake City, Utah, US

Born on May 26, 1935, in Salt Lake City, Utah, actor and model Richard Harrison enjoyed a 40-year in films until his retirement from acting in the 1990s. He left Utah for Los Angeles in 1953, taking a job at a gym and in the process getting in shape. Much like his contemporary Ed Fury, Harrison started his career as a physique model in the 1950s and graced the covers of numerous magazines. He also developed an interest in acting and began training on stage. At age 22, the handsome Harrison made his film debut in the science fiction effort Kronos (1957; with Jeff Morrow). Several more films followed, including the musical romance South Pacific (1958; with Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor, and Ken Clark) and the war drama Battle Flame (1959; with Scott Brady and Robert Blake). While he was getting steady film work, Harrison's career didn't blossom until he signed a contract with American International Pictures (AIP) for the adventure Master of the World (1961; with Vincent Price and Charles Bronson). That same year, he married his first wife, Loretta, and gained James H. Nicholson, co-owner of AIP, as a father-in-law. He then headed to Rome and became a star in a string of sword and sandal films beginning with The Invincible Gladiator (1961; with Isabelle Corey). Popular with audiences worldwide, he went on to star in such peplums as Gladiators 7 (1962; with Loredana Nusciak), Medusa Vs. the Son of Hercules (1962; with Arturo Dominici), and Giants of Rome (1964; with Ettore Manni). Harrison ran with the sword and sandal genre until it died out in 1965. Unlike some of his contemporaries, he easily made the transition to other film genres; his Eurospy films include Secret Agent Fireball (1965), Killers Are Challenged (1966; with Susy Andersen), and Ring Around the World (1966; with Helene Chanel and Giacomo Rossi Stuart). Harrison also starred in a few entertaining heist crime dramas such as Master Stroke (1967; with Adolfo Celi and Margaret Lee) and 28 Minutes for 3 Million Dollars (1967). His spaghetti westerns were among the best, including One Hundred Thousand Dollars for Ringo (1965; with Massimo Serato) and Vengeance (1968; with Spela Rozin). richard harrison today Harrison's career continued to be strong throughout the 1970s and 1980s starring in action films. In the early 1990s, Harrison and his second wife Francesca moved to Palm Springs, California. He ran for the office of mayor in 1995 and again in 1999 but lost the race to incumbent Will Kleindienst. The retired actor was recently awarded a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. His most recent film project was the experimental film Jerks, made in 2000.