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Dan White (actor)

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Dan White
White in Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)
Born(1908-03-25)March 25, 1908
Falmouth, Florida, U.S.
DiedJuly 7, 1980(1980-07-07) (aged 72)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Resting placeAshes scattered in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast
OccupationActor
Years active1936–1977
Known forWesterns
Spouse
Tilda Spivey
​
(m. 1933)​
Children3

Dan White (March 25, 1908[citation needed] – July 7, 1980)[1] was an American actor, well known for appearing in Western films and TV shows.

Biography

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Early life

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White was born in 1908 to George and Orpha White about one mile (1.6 km) from the Suwannee River in Falmouth, Florida. He was one of 12 siblings. The family later moved to Lakeland, Florida.[2]

White acted in a show with Frances Langford in Tampa's Rialto Theatre.[3] During this period he met Matilda Mae "Tilda" Spivey. They wed on February 25, 1933. Tilda had a two-year-old child from a previous marriage by the name of Arthur Grant Gifford. He still longed for a career in entertainment and resigned from the CCC in 1935 and started his journey to Hollywood with his small family. In January 1936, he stopped at Texarkana, Arkansas, while Tilda awaited the birth of their second child. Her sister, Mary, who was in Texarkana, invited the Whites to stay there for a few months. After the birth of the baby, June Larue White, the Whites continued toward California.[2]

In Hollywood

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Upon return in 1938, he got work with the Republic Pictures Corporation, making six films in his first year. The first film was Prairie Moon, with Gene Autry. White made $55 a week during that picture. He claimed to have made about 300 films and 150 television cameos during his years in Hollywood. Around 70 percent were Westerns. His well-known films include The Yearling, Distant Drums, Red River, To Kill a Mockingbird, Giant, Duel in the Sun, Four Faces West, Jailhouse Rock, and Touch of Evil.[4]

During this time, White and his wife had a third child, Donald Curtis White (born November 9, 1941). The films that made White most famous were his numerous appearances in B-Westerns, where he portrayed the antagonist. During the 1950s and 1960s, he started turning to television. He was offered the role of "Sam the Bartender" on Gunsmoke, but he didn't commit to the idea. He asked his best friend Glenn Strange to apply for the job instead.[citation needed]

White was posthumously inducted into the Walk of Western Stars. His grandson accepted the honor on his behalf on April 11, 2019.[5]

Selected filmography

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Motion pictures

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Note: An asterisk (*) means that Dan White had an uncredited role; two asterisks means that he was credited as either Daniel White or Daniel M. White.

Television

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References

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  1. ^ [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-obit/49085341/ "Actor Daniel White Loved Florida, Role in 'Yearling'", Tampa Tribune, July 11, 1980, p.2-D
  2. ^ a b Profile, b-westerns.com. Accessed June 17, 2024.
  3. ^ "Lakeland Schoolmates Meet Again -- In the Movies". The Tampa Times. August 15, 1940. p. 3. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  4. ^ Dan White at IMDb
  5. ^ "City News | City of Santa Clarita, CA". santa-clarita.com. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
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