Guy Madison was a popular American actor who rose to fame in the 1940s and 1950s. He is best known for playing the legendary lawman Wild Bill Hickok in the Western television series The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok from 1951 to 1958. He also appeared in many movies, such as Till the End of Time, Honeymoon, and Drums in the Deep South. However, his acting career declined in the 1960s and he moved to Europe, where he starred in several Italian and German films. He returned to the US in the 1970s, but only had minor roles. He died of emphysema, a type of lung disease, on February 6, 1996, at the age of 74.
Early Life and Career
Guy Madison was born Robert Ozell Moseley on January 19, 1922, in Pumpkin Center, California. He had three brothers and a sister. He attended Bakersfield College for two years and then worked as a telephone lineman before joining the US Navy in 1942 during World War II. While on leave in Hollywood, he was spotted by Henry Willson, a talent agent for David O. Selznick’s Vanguard Pictures. Willson gave him the screen name Guy Madison and cast him in a small role as a sailor in Selznick’s Since You Went Away (1944). Although he was on screen for only three minutes, he received thousands of fan letters and became a sensation.
After the war, Selznick assigned his contract to RKO Pictures, where he got his first starring role in Till the End of Time (1946), a drama about veterans returning home. The film was a hit, but Madison’s acting was criticized as wooden. He then co-starred with Shirley Temple in Honeymoon (1947), which was a flop. His career began to suffer due to his limited acting ability and he was mostly cast in low-budget Westerns and adventure films.
The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
In 1951, Madison got his breakthrough role as Wild Bill Hickok in the television series The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. The show was based on the life and exploits of the famous frontier marshal and gunfighter. It co-starred Andy Devine as his sidekick Jingles Jones. The show was a huge success and ran for eight seasons on CBS and ABC. It also spawned 16 movies that were made from combined episodes of the series. Madison became a household name and a hero to many young viewers. He also played Hickok on radio for six years.
During his time on the show, Madison tried to diversify his roles and appeared in some more mature films, such as Reprisal! (1956), The Hard Man (1957), and Bullwhip (1958). However, he was mostly typecast as a Western hero and had trouble finding other roles.
Later Years and Death
After the end of The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok in 1958, Madison found work scarce in the US. He decided to go to Europe, where he was offered many roles in Italian and German films. He starred in several spaghetti Westerns, such as Sword of the Conqueror (1961), Son of Django (1967), and Reverend Colt (1970). He also appeared in some war and adventure films, such as Battle of the Last Panzer (1969), Hell Commandos (1969), and Super Stooges vs. the Wonder Women (1974).
In the 1970s, Madison returned to the US, but only had cameo roles in films like Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976) and The Girl Next Door (1977). He also made some guest appearances on television shows like Police Story (1974) and Fantasy Island (1980).
Madison suffered from emphysema, a chronic lung condition that causes shortness of breath and coughing. He died from complications of the disease on February 6, 1996, at the Desert Hospital Hospice in Palm Springs, California. He was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cathedral City, California.
Madison was married twice: first to actress Gail Russell from 1949 to 1954, and then to Sheila Connolly from 1954 to 1964. He had four children with Connolly: Bridget Catherine, Dolly Ann, Erin Patricia, and Robert Madison. Robert became an actor himself and appeared in some Italian films with his father.
Madison was awarded a special Golden Globe Award in 1954 for his contribution to television. He also received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for radio at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard and one for television at 6333 Hollywood Boulevard.
Guy Madison was one of the most popular stars of his era and a beloved icon of the Western genre. He left behind a legacy of films and television shows that entertained millions of fans around the world. He will always be remembered as the brave and handsome Wild Bill Hickok.