April 26, 1978: Death of Duluth actor Don Marlowe

On this day in 1978, Duluth native Don Marlowe died at his home in Santa Barbara, California. According to biographer David Ouse,  Marlowe’s Hollywood career in the 1930s and 1940s is difficult to trace; he isn’t listed in any movie roles and made questionable claims about appearing in certain films. (He often claimed he played Porky in the Our Gang series, a role made famous by Eugene Gordon Lee.)  In his 1969 book, The Hollywood That Was, Marlowe makes several other such claims, stating that he appeared in the movie Strange Illusion and hung out with Clark Gable, neither of which was true. One aspect of Marlowe’s Hollywood life that remains undisputed was his friendship with Bela Lugosi; at various times, Marlowe even acted as as Lugosi’s agent. In the 1950s Marlowe guest starred in several television series, including one episode each of Dragnet (1957) and Sky King (1956), as well as uncredited roles in several movies, including 1956’s Earth vs. the Flying Saucers. He was credited for his role as Lieutenant Wilson in Journey to Freedom (1957). He got a seemingly big break in 1960 when, according to the Duluth Herald, Jack Lemmon walked off the set of the movie Squad Car and the studio promptly hired Don to replace him. The film tanked—and it was apparently Marlowe’s last movie role. Read more about Marlowe here.

Bela Lugosi and Don Marlowe in “The Tell-Tale Heart.” (Image: moviemonstermuseum.com)