Zachary Scott Cause of Death: How the Hollywood Star Succumbed to Brain Cancer

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Zachary Scott was a popular American actor who rose to fame in the 1940s for his roles as villains and mystery men in films such as The Mask of Dimitrios, Mildred Pierce, and Flamingo Road. He was also praised for his performance in Jean Renoir’s The Southerner, a rare departure from his usual typecasting. However, his career declined in the 1950s, and he faced personal troubles such as divorce, injury, and depression. In 1965, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and died at the age of 51. Here is a brief overview of his life and death.

Early Life and Career

Zachary Scott was born on February 21, 1914, in Austin, Texas, to a wealthy and prominent family. He was a collateral relative of George Washington and Bat Masterson, a famous lawman and gambler. He intended to follow his father into medicine, but dropped out of the University of Texas at 19 and worked as a seaman on a freighter bound for England. There he joined a repertory theater company and gained experience and confidence as an actor. He returned to Texas and married actress Elaine Anderson, with whom he had a daughter. He also became active in local theater in Austin, where he was discovered by Broadway stars Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, who recommended him to the Theatre Guild in New York. He made his Broadway debut in 1941 in a revival of Ah, Wilderness! and appeared in several other plays, including Those Endearing Young Charms, in which he caught the eye of Jack L. Warner, the head of Warner Bros. studio.

Hollywood Stardom and Typecasting

Warner signed Scott to a film contract and gave him his first screen role in The Mask of Dimitrios (1944), a thriller based on a novel by Eric Ambler. Scott played the title character, a mysterious and charismatic criminal who is pursued by a novelist across Europe. The film was a success and Scott received favorable reviews for his performance. He was then loaned to United Artists to star in The Southerner (1945), directed by Jean Renoir, one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of all time. Scott played a poor farmer who struggles to make a living and support his family in the Texas countryside. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and Scott was praised for his sensitive and sympathetic portrayal of a common man.

However, Scott’s breakthrough role came in Mildred Pierce (1945), a noir drama based on a novel by James M. Cain. Scott played Monte Beragon, a charming but unscrupulous playboy who seduces both the title character, a successful businesswoman played by Joan Crawford, and her spoiled daughter, played by Ann Blyth. Scott’s character is eventually murdered and his death triggers the plot of the film, which involves flashbacks, betrayal, and suspense. The film was a huge hit and won Crawford an Oscar for Best Actress. Scott also received acclaim for his performance as a villain, but this also led to his typecasting as a cad, a scoundrel, or a weakling in most of his subsequent films. He played similar roles in films such as Danger Signal (1945), The Unfaithful (1947), Cass Timberlane (1947), Ruthless (1948), Flaxy Martin (1949), and Flamingo Road (1949). Although he was popular and well-paid, he was dissatisfied with the quality and variety of his roles and the studio system that controlled his career.

Personal Troubles and Decline

Scott’s personal life also suffered in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He divorced his first wife Elaine in 1950, after 16 years of marriage. He then married actress Ruth Ford, the sister of poet and novelist Charles Henri Ford, with whom he had a son. However, his second marriage was also troubled and he had several affairs. In 1950, he was involved in a rafting accident in Colorado, in which he was badly injured and nearly drowned. He also suffered from depression and alcoholism. He tried to revive his career by taking more diverse and challenging roles in films such as Guilty Bystander (1950), Shadow on the Wall (1950), Wings of Danger (1952), and The Young One (1960), directed by Luis Buñuel. He also returned to the stage and appeared in several Broadway and off-Broadway plays, such as The Little Foxes, The Seven Year Itch, The King of Friday’s Men, and The Disenchanted. He also worked in television, appearing in shows such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, and Route 66.

Diagnosis and Death

In 1965, Scott was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. He underwent surgery, but the cancer was inoperable and terminal. He decided to spend his last days in his family’s home in Austin, where he was surrounded by his loved ones. He died on October 3, 1965, at the age of 51. He was buried in Austin Memorial Park Cemetery. He left behind a legacy of over 40 films and dozens of stage and television appearances. He was remembered as a talented and versatile actor who could play both heroes and villains with equal skill and charisma. He was also known for his generosity and kindness, especially towards the poor and the soldiers. He was a star who shone brightly, but briefly, in Hollywood and beyond.