Dan White was born in Falmouth, Florida, a small sleepy town near the Suwannee River, to George and Orpha White. He was one of 13 siblings who were moved to Lakeland around World War I. Dan's introduction to show business came in 1922 at the age of 14, when he joined a stock company in Tampa's old Rialto Theater, where he performed on stage with his brother Willard for nine years.
During this period, Dan met Frances Langford, who later went to Hollywood, and Matilda "Tilda" Mae Spivey, whom he married on February 25, 1933. Tilda had a two-year-old child from a previous marriage, Arthur "Art" Grant Gifford. After leaving show business, Dan worked with the Conservation Corps in Homestead, Florida, but eventually decided to move to California in 1935.
Dan and his family traveled across the country, stopping frequently to make extra money, as Dan was a skilled auto mechanic. They settled in Panama City, Florida, and Shreveport, Louisiana, before reaching Texarkana, Arkansas, where Tilda gave birth to their daughter, June Larue White, on February 14, 1937. The family finally arrived in Hollywood in April 1937.
Dan struggled to find work initially but eventually landed a job with Republic Pictures, where he made at least six movies in his first year. He went on to make nearly 300 films and 150 television appearances, with about 70% of his work being in westerns. Some of his most well-known films include The Yearling, Distant Drums, Red River, To Kill a Mockingbird, Giant, Duel in the Sun, Four Faces West, Jailhouse Rock, Touch of Evil, and many more.
Dan and Tilda had their third child, Donald Curtis White, born on November 9, 1941, just before Pearl Harbor. Dan became known for his villainous roles in numerous "B" westerns and his weathered, high-cheekboned face with its tight-drawn, expressionless mouth and beady snake eyes. In the 1950s and 1960s, when western film work slowed down, Dan turned to television, making appearances in shows such as Gunsmoke.
Dan lived in California for almost 40 years before returning to Tampa, Florida, where he grew up. He made appearances in "Western Film Round-Ups" and television talk shows, and was frequently visited by his family in California until his death on July 7, 1980, at the age of 72. Dan left behind three children and 12 grandchildren, and will be remembered not only for his films but also as a great father and grandfather.
