Person Biography:
Lon McCallister, born Herbert Alonzo McCallister Jr. on April 17, 1923, in Los Angeles, began his acting career as a teenager in wholesome, folksy tales such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) and Judge Hardy's Children (1938). As an adult, his career continued to thrive on the same homespun sentiment.
Raised as "Buddy" to those closest to him, Lon attended Marken Professional School, a training ground for Hollywood hopefuls, where he secured unbilled parts, starting with the film Romeo and Juliet (1936). He became close friends with director George Cukor, who attributed his biggest break to Cukor when he earned a supporting role as a pilot in Winged Victory (1944) after toiling in obscurity for nearly six years.
Lon's notable roles include the film Stage Door Canteen (1943),where he played the unassuming soldier who falls for canteen hostess Marjorie Riordan, and the warm and winning horse-racing tale Home in Indiana (1944),opposite rising star Jeanne Crain.
His World War II induction into the Army put a direct hit on his career momentum, but he managed to recover and pick up where he left off. He won a solid role in the melodramatic thriller The Red House (1947),starring Edward G. Robinson and Judith Anderson, and also starred in the down-home comedy romance Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948),alongside June Haver.
Lon's film career continued with lead roles in the serviceable adventures The Story of Seabiscuit (1949) with Shirley Temple, The Big Cat (1949),The Boy from Indiana (1950),and Montana Territory (1952). He ended his film career with the "B" Korean War drama Combat Squad (1953).
Lon eventually quit the business in the late 1950s and pursued lucrative ventures in real estate and property investment. He never married, but had an off-and-on romantic relationship with fellow actor William Eythe until Eythe's untimely death in 1957. Lon died on June 11, 2005, at the age of 82, due to congestive heart failure, leaving behind his brother Lynn and sister Kathleen.
