The Tragic Fate of Tom Pittman: How a Promising Actor Died in a Car Crash

Tom Pittman was an American film and television actor who had a bright future ahead of him. He appeared in several popular Westerns and dramas in the 1950s, such as Gunsmoke, Cheyenne, and The Young Stranger. He also starred in two films that were released posthumously, Verboten! and High School Big Shot. However, his life was cut short by a fatal car accident on Halloween night in 1958. He was only 26 years old.

The Early Life and Career of Tom Pittman

Tom Pittman was born Jerry Lee Alten in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 16, 1932. His father was Frank Alten, a television and radio actor. Pittman began his acting career in 1956 with a guest-starring role on Science Fiction Theatre. He made his film debut that same year in D-Day the Sixth of June. He adopted the stage name Tom Pittman after signing a contract with 20th Century Fox. He also used the names Geoff Parish and Thomas Pittman in some of his credits.

Pittman went on to land roles in numerous television Westerns, such as Gunsmoke, Cheyenne, Have Gun – Will Travel, The Restless Gun, and Cimarron City. He also appeared in the 1957 drama The Young Stranger and the musical comedy Bernardine. His final two roles were in the films Verboten! and High School Big Shot, both released in 1959, the year following his death. According to the Los Angeles Times, Pittman was “one of Hollywood’s most promising young actors.”

The Mysterious Circumstances of Tom Pittman’s Death

On October 31, 1958, Pittman was driving home after a Halloween party at the home of Norma Stuart, the ex-wife of Keefe Brasselle. He was driving a Porsche Spyder, a sports car that he had bought with his earnings from High School Big Shot. He was reportedly speeding on a sharp curve in the Hollywood Hills when he lost control of his car and crashed through the guard rail. His car plunged down a 150-foot ravine and landed at the bottom, where it remained out of sight.

Pittman did not return home that night, and his father filed a missing persons report. For nearly three weeks, the police and his family searched for him, but to no avail. On November 19, Los Angeles police officer Roy Kerton retraced the roads that Pittman’s father said his son liked to drive and found the wreckage of Pittman’s Porsche at the bottom of the ravine. Pittman’s body was still inside the car, badly decomposed. The coroner ruled his death as accidental, caused by multiple injuries from the crash.

The Legacy of Tom Pittman

Tom Pittman’s death shocked and saddened his fans and colleagues. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. His films Verboten! and High School Big Shot were released after his death, and both featured him in prominent roles. Verboten! was a war drama directed by Samuel Fuller, in which Pittman played a Nazi sympathizer in post-war Germany. High School Big Shot was a crime drama in which Pittman played a high school student who gets involved in a robbery scheme.

Pittman’s films and television appearances have been preserved and are available for viewing on various platforms. He is remembered as a talented and charismatic actor who had a lot of potential. His tragic death remains one of the most mysterious and unfortunate events in Hollywood history.

Doms Desk

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