Actor Jody McCrea dies at 74
Richard Carnahan
By Dennis McLellan
April 17, 2009
Jody McCrea, the actor son of Joel McCrea who appeared in a spate of
westerns in the 1950s and '60s but was best known for his comedic work
in the surf and on the sand as a regular cast member of the popular
"Beach Party" movies, has died. He was 74.
McCrea, whose mother was actress Frances Dee and who later became
acattle rancher in New Mexico, died of cardiac arrest April 4 in
Roswell, N.M., said his brother, Peter.
The strapping, 6-foot-3 McCrea launched his acting career in films in
1955 and teamed up with his movie-star father in the 1959-60 TV
western "Wichita Town," in which the elder McCrea played the marshal
and Jody one of his deputies.
Over the next decade, McCrea appeared in about two dozen films and
television shows, including the movie westerns "The Broken Land,"
"Young Guns of Texas," "Law of the Lawless," "Young Fury" and "Cry
Blood, Apache."
The beach movies provided a distinct change of pace. Beginning with
"Beach Party," the 1963 American International Pictures comedy
starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon, McCrea appeared in
"Muscle Beach Party," "Bikini Beach" "Pajama Party," "Beach Blanket
Bingo" and "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini."
McCrea's character in the beach movies, which his brother Peter
likened to being the equivalent of court jester ("He was always the
one making gags and interrupting the love scenes") -- was originally
called Deadhead and then Bonehead.
"A great thing about Jody," Avalon told The Times this week, "was he
was just a real fine gentleman and a lot more talented than he really
got out of the career of being an actor. He was very bright, and he
created this character that was kind of the dummy and, of course, he
was the opposite of that."
Recalling the much taller McCrea, Avalon said, "He was a well-built,
real athletic-looking guy, and he really was a surfer: He'd get on
that board and surf."
Although McCrea had two famous parents, Avalon said, "he never boasted
about who his parents were."
Peter McCrea said that following in the footsteps of Joel McCrea had
its upside and downside for his brother.
"It was kind of an inspiration and a difficult path to follow, because
Pop had been so famous and done so many films," he said. "They got
along great. There never was any sense of competition or tension, but
it's a tough act to follow."
McCrea, who also played a rival motorcycle gang leader opposite Dennis
Hopper in the 1968 AIP biker film "The Glory Stompers," retired from
acting in the mid-1970s and eventually moved to New Mexico.
The oldest of three children, he was born Joel Dee McCrea in Los
Angeles on Sept. 6, 1934.
While majoring in theater arts at UCLA, McCrea threw the javelin on
the Bruins' 1956 national championship track and field team. After
college, McCrea served in the Army.
McCrea's wife, actress Dusty Iron Wing McCrea, died in 1996.
In addition to his brother Peter, McCrea is survived by his other
brother, David; and his stepchildren, David Iron Wing and Jacquet
Rogers.
A memorial service has been held in Roswell.
David Oberman
>Meredith McCrea (Gordon McCrea's daughter and Petticoat Junction cast
>member) was in at least one of those beach party movies and I always
>assumed Jody was her brother or cousin or something. Apparently not though.
I met Meredith at my cousin's house several years ago. She told me
that her dad used to get mad at her when she was a teenager if she got
a pimple because he thought that meant she'd been having sex.
sirb...@hotmail.com
Jim Beaver
"Dennis M" <denn...@dennism3.invalid> wrote in message
news:dennism3-ya0240800...@news.datemas.de...
> >Jody McCrea, the actor son of Joel McCrea who appeared in a spate of
>>westerns in the 1950s and '60s but was best known for his comedic work
>>in the surf and on the sand as a regular cast member of the popular
>>"Beach Party" movies, has died. He was 74.
>
>>brother, David; and his stepchildren, David Iron Wing and Jacquet
>>Rogers.
>
> member) was in at least one of those beach party movies and I always
> assumed Jody was her brother or cousin or something. Apparently not
> though.
Since she and her father spelled their last name MacRae, and Joel and Jody
spelled theirs McCrea, the family connection is probably pretty damn
distant, if it exists at all.
Jim Beaver