Gig Young
Biography
Gig Young was an American actor who moved between movies, television and the stage from the late 1930s into the 1970s. Born Byron Elsworth Barr in St. Cloud, Minnesota, he trained at the Pasadena Playhouse, then signed with Warner Brothers, where a character he played in The Gay Sisters gave him his professional name. He became a popular second lead in films including The Three Musketeers (1948), Desk Set (1957) and That Touch of Mink (1962). He won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), having earlier been nominated for Come Fill the Cup and Teacher's Pet. He also appeared on Broadway in Oh Men! Oh Women! and There's a Girl in My Soup, starred in the television series The Rogues, and earned an Emmy nomination for The Neon Ceiling. Later credits included Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), The Killer Elite (1975) and The Hindenburg (1975).
64years old at death
- Born St. Cloud
- Died The Osborne
- Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
- Byron Elsworth Barr (birth name)Also credited as Byron Barr
Movie Career
- Films
- 27
- Career span
- 33 years1943 to 1976
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About the name
Gig Young got his professional name from a character he played in The Gay Sisters, after preview cards praised the actor "Gig Young" and the studio decided it should become his stage name.
Early training
After high school Young sold used cars and studied acting at night, then won a scholarship to the Pasadena Playhouse, training he later called great preparation for his Warner Bros. part.
Big break
Gig Young and George Reeves, the leading actor, were seen by a Warner Brothers talent scout while they acted in Pancho. The studio signed both of them to supporting player contracts.
Gig Young movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Sam Peckinpah directed two of these films, George Sidney two and Gordon Douglas two. Doris Day appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Doris Day's page
Bess Flowers's page
Jeff Corey's page
Clark Gable's page
Edgar Buchanan's page
Ann Doran's page
All films by Sam Peckinpah
All films by George Sidney
All films by Gordon Douglas
Also two films together7 more actors
- Arthur KennedyThe Desperate Hours (1955) and Air Force (1943)
- Marjorie BennettSherlock Holmes in New York (1976) and Young at Heart (1954)
- Steve CarruthersThe Tunnel of Love (1958) and Torch Song (1953)
- Bonnie BedeliaLovers and Other Strangers (1970) and They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
- John AbbottSherlock Holmes in New York (1976) and The Woman in White (1948)
- Red ButtonsThey Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) and A Ticklish Affair (1963)
- Elisabeth FraserThe Tunnel of Love (1958) and Young at Heart (1954)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Gig Young's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$15.1 million
5 of the 27 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 27 films: 5 worldwide figure; 3 us gross only; 1 never in cinemas; 18 figure not found.
- 5Worldwide figure
- 3US gross only
- 1Never in cinemas
- 18Figure not found
Highest grossing
The five biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$8.4M55.7% of the total
- 2$2.5M16.5% of the total
- 3$2.5M16.5% of the total
- 4$1.0M6.6% of the total
- 5$700K4.6% of the total
Awards
Two awards and honors, one of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 1970 | Best Supporting Actor | They Shoot Horses, Don't They? | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.