Dana Andrews

Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 - December 17, 1992) was an American actor. He was born in Covington County, Mississippi as one of 13 children. His father was a Baptist minister. Soon his family moved to Kentucky, and later to Texas, where they settled in Huntsville. After school, Andrews studied business administration in Houston.

In 1931, Andrews felt that his interest was acting, and went to California to seek his opportunity in cinema. There he did all kind of jobs to earn his living. One of his employers believed in him and paid for his studies in opera and also at the Pasadena Playhouse , a prestigious theater and acting school. Andrews started to play on this stage and finally signed a contract with Samuel Goldwyn. It was two years later that he was offered his first movie role in William Wyler's The Westerner which starred Gary Cooper.

His roles in the 1944 film Laura with Gene Tierney and the 1946 film The Best Years Of Our Lives, co-starring Fredric March and Myrna Loy made him a star, but his popularity was short-lived. With a few exceptions such as Elephant Walk, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Finch, after the 40's and mid 50's he had little success. In addition, Andrews suffered from alcoholism for many years. He eventually overcame his addiction and became one of the first celebrities to do a public service announcement for AA.

In 1963 Andrews became president of the Screen Actors Guild. A few years later he left acting being aware that he would not be offered enough roles to continue his career. He began working in his own business.

Andrews was married twice. He married his first wife Janet Murray in 1932 but she died three years later. His second wife was actress Mary Todd, whom he wed in 1939. From his first marriage he had a son who died while Andrews was still alive. From his second marriage he had a son and two daughters. During the last years of his life, Andrews suffered from Alzheimer's disease. He died in 1992 in Los Alamitos, California from heart failure.

Filmography

• Wild About Ari (1993)
• Prince Jack (1984)
• The Pilot (1979)
• Born Again (1978)
• A Tree, a Rock, a Cloud (1978)
• Good Guys Wear Black (1978)
• The Last Tycoon (1976)
• Take a Hard Ride (1976)
• Airport 1975 (1974)
• Innocent Bystanders (1972)
• The Devil's Brigade (1968)
• Cobra II (1967)
• Hot Rods to Hell (1967)
• The Frozen Dead (1966)
• Johnny Reno (1966)
• The Loved One (1965)
• Battle of the Bulge (1965)
• Town Tamer (1965)
• Crack in the World (1965)
• Brainstorm (1965)
• The Satan Bug (1965)
• In Harm's Way (1965)
• Madison Avenue (1962)
• The Crowded Sky (1960)
• Enchanted Island (1958)
• The Fearmakers (1958)
• Night of the Demon (1957)
• Zero Hour! (1957)
• Spring reunion (1957)
• Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)
• Comanche (1956)
• While the City Sleeps (1956)
• Smoke Signal (1955)
• Strange Lady in Town (1955)
• Duel in the Jungle (1954)
• Three Hours to Kill (1954)
• Elephant Walk (1954)
• (1952)
• I Want You (1951)
• Sealed Cargo (1951)
• The Frogmen (1951)
• Edge of Doom (1950)
• Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
• Sword in the Desert (1949)
• My Foolish Heart (1949)
• Britannia Mews (1949)
• Deep Waters (1948)
• No Minor Vices (1948)
• The Iron Curtain (1948)
• Night Song (1948)
• Boomerang! (1947)
• Daisy Kenyon (1947)
• The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
• Canyon Passage (1946)
• A Walk in the Sun (1945)
• Fallen Angel (1945)
• State Fair (1945)
• Laura (1944)
• Wing and a Prayer (1944)
• The Purple Heart (1944)
• Up in Arms (1944)
• December 7th (1943)
• The North Star (1943)
• The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
• Crash Dive (1943)
• Berlin Correspondent (1942)
• Swamp Water (1941)
• Ball of Fire (1941)
• Belle Starr (1941)
• Tobacco Road (1941)
• Kit Carson (1940)
• Sailor's Lady (1940)
• Lucky Cisco Kid (1940)
• The Westerner (1940)

External links

• The Internet Movie Database: Dana Andrews