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Revered Actor Stuart Whitman Dies at 92

Photo courtesy of Kimberly Whitman via Instagram

Revered Actor Stuart Whitman Dies at 92

By Tess Farrand, Associate Content Editor

Stuart Whitman died at 92 years old in his home in Montecito, California on March 16, 2020.

“He adored people and embraced everyone equally, whether it was his longtime colleague Frank Sinatra, his ever-growing collection of friends or a repairman in his home,” said Whitman’s family in a statement. “He took daily tennis lessons in preparation for heated matches and was gracious in both victory and defeat. An avid storyteller, he was forever the center of attention, living by his mother’s creed, which he took joy in repeating, ‘Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes.'”

TMX reports that Whitman died of skin cancer that infiltrated his blood stream.

The Hollywood Reporter shared about Whitman’s early life and time in the U.S. military:

Stuart Maxwell Whitman was born on Feb. 1, 1928, in San Francisco. When he was 3, he and his family moved to Brooklyn, and he eventually graduated from Hollywood High in 1945.

During a three-year stint with the U.S. Army Engineer Corps, the brawny Whitman won all but one of his 24 boxing matches as a light heavyweight, then played football and studied acting at Los Angeles City College. To help make ends meet, he bought, operated and hired out his own bulldozer.

At the Ben Bard Drama acting school, Whitman appeared as a prize fighter in a production of Here Comes Mr. Jordan and attracted the attention of Hollywood talent scouts.

Whitman had an impressive amount of titles to his acting career including the faith-oriented movie THE STORY OF RUTH (1960) and a few episodes of the TV series WALKER, TEXAS RANGER alongside Christian actor and former Movieguide® Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala host and Epiphany Prize and MOVIEGUIDE® awards winner Chuck Norris.

Whitman also starred with the legendary John Wayne in the 1961 western THE COMANCHEROS and was nominated for an Oscar® for his role in the 1961 movie THE MARK. One of MOVIEGUIDE(R)’s favorite movies with Stuart Whitman is the hilarious 1965 comedy THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES with Terry Thomas, Sarah Miles, James Fox, Robert Morley, Red Skelton, and Gert Frobe of GOLDFINGER and CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG fame (in a very funny performance). Whitman appeared in countless other TV programs since the 1950s. He also turned in a noteworthy performance in the 1964 western RIO CONCHOS with Richard Boone, Jim Brown and Edmund O’Brien, and in the harrowing 1964 movie SHOCK TREATMENT. Finally, he co-starred in the popular TV program HIGHWAY PATROL with Broderick Crawford in 1957 and starred in the short-lived TV western CIMARRON STRIP in 1967-68, where he cut a dashing, heroic figure as Marshal Jim Crown. Both series can be seen on some Cable TV networks.

Even more importantly, Whitman was a husband, father and grandfather and reportedly died in the care of his family.

Whitman’s daughter-in-law posted a touching tribute of the late actor on her Instagram page.

Please keep Whitman’s family in your prayers. Share your favorite Whitman movie or program in the comments below

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.