Gerald Mohr's Early Life and Career
Born in New York City in 1914, Gerald Mohr was the son of Sigmond Mohr and Henrietta Noustadt, a Viennese singer. His father's untimely death in a work accident when Mohr was just five years old led to his being raised primarily by his mother and maternal grandfather, a psychologist and associate of Dr. Sigmund Freud. This association with Freud had a profound impact on Mohr, who became a fervent student of the psychoanalyst's work.
Mohr's early life was marked by a love of music and the arts. He was taught to ride and play piano at a young age, and attended the prestigious Dwight Preparatory School in New York. His smooth vocal delivery led to a job as a staff broadcaster for CBS Radio, which in turn opened the door for him to work with Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre.
Mohr's Broadway debut came in the minor role of a gangster in "The Petrified Forest," the same play that launched the career of Humphrey Bogart. His first starring role in films was in the 1941 serial "Jungle Girl," in which he played the principal villain, Slick Latimer.
Radio Career
However, it was radio that became Mohr's meal ticket during the 1940s. He signed on for a number of popular suspense thrillers, including "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe" and "The Whistler." In 1949, "Radio and Television Life" magazine named Mohr the Best Male Actor on Radio.
Film Career
After a number of bit parts, Mohr finally won a noticeable role in "Lady of Burlesque" (1943) with Barbara Stanwyck, thanks to a referral from Orson Welles. Following his service in World War II, Mohr returned to acting and found his niche in intrigue, playing the title role in "The Notorious Lone Wolf" (1946) and its two sequels, as well as "Passkey to Danger" (1946),"Dangerous Business" (1946),and "The Truth About Murder" (1946).
In the 1950s, Mohr continued to play the same type of roles, including "The Sniper" (1952),"Invasion, U.S.A." (1952),and "Guns, Girls, and Gangsters" (1959). His final leads were in "This Rebel Breed" (1960) and the low-grade sci-fi thriller "The Angry Red Planet" (1959).
Television Career
Finding film work scarce in the following decade, Mohr found regular work on TV, guest starring in over 100 dramas, ranging from TV westerns like "Maverick" (1957),"Bronco" (1958),"Cheyenne" (1955),and "Bonanza" (1959) to action/courtroom series such as "77 Sunset Strip" (1958),"Hawaiian Eye" (1959),and "Perry Mason" (1957),among many others.
Final Role and Death
Mohr's last movie role came in the top-notch musical "Funny Girl" (1968),starring Barbra Streisand and Omar Sharif, in which he played Tom Branca, one of Nicky Arnstein's cronies. Mohr died of a heart attack at the age of 54 while filming the pilot of a new TV series called "Private Entrance" in Stockholm, Sweden.
