DENNIS WEAVER The Versatile Sooner By SHIRLEY DODSON COBB
He would be known as "Chester" and "McCloud" and by other names . His OU name was Bill . He might have gone to the Olympics, but he caught a bad case of Broadway fever .
IMAGE IS NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE DUE TO COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS .
A paper copy of this issue is available at call number LH 1 .O6S6 in Bizzell Memorial Library.
22 SOONER V1Af;AzlNE
f Darrell Royal had lost out to a automobile against the mystery best friend . I guess I'm ,justt lucky ." lanky kid from Missouri for the driver of a huge truck, and the In the moment of silence that fol- the third string quarterback slot dur- poignant "Ishi-The Last of His lows, the depth of Weaver's feeling ing the Sooners' 1946 spring practice, Tribe ." surfaces ; the expression on his angu- would Royal have turned to stage and ∎ ran, as an independent candidate, lar face and in his deep brown eyes screen while his competitor went on and won election to the Screen Actor's underscores his words . to a lifetime in football? Guild presidency in 1973 . "She was very supportive of me at Probably not - but Royal's unsuc- • blended his love of country music the time my agent and business man- cessful rival, Dennis Weaver, did with vocal talent and song writing ager were throwing up their hands make that career decision and still is skills to produce more than a half and saying, 'You're going to leave earning accolades as one of dozen albums - some on his own .Just "Gunsmoke?" You've got a fortune Hollywood's most respected actors . Good Records label - and various here,' " Weaver continues . "She'd say, Football - and the University of single releases, including the recent 'You don't understand? He's a leading Oklahoma drama school - brought "Calhoun," a light-hearted duet with man ; he's not a second banana .'" Bill Dennis Weaver to Norman from his wife, Gerry . He has his own pub- Gerry's style mirrors her husband's his Joplin home . However, it was his lishing company, Rajamaya Music, unassuming manner . Garbed in a ability in track and field that ulti- and has been a host on the country softly-gathered cotton printt skirt and mately garnered athletic honors in music series "Country Top 20 ." casual short-sleeved blouse, a fringe the old Big Six/Big Seven Conference . • been honored for his commitment of curls framing her face, she is a When Weaver graduated in 1948, he to family and profession . For their warm and gracious hostess in a graci- was voted the "most versatile man" "outstanding moral, social and civic ous home . on campus. His classmates nearly 33 leadership," the Weavers - Dennis, Such affinity for family may be in- years ago recognized the quality that Gerry and their sons, Richard, Robert bred in Weaver . Born June 4, 1925, in has paved his way to international and Rustin - were named the 1964 Joplin, Missouri, he spent his forma- acclaim . San Fernando Valley "Family of the tive years within a close-knit circle, Sitting in the sun-filled living room Year." For exemplary film and televi- "four kids, my mother and father, and of his ranch-style Calabasas, Califor- sion work, Weaver was inducted last grandparents - who lived about an nia, home, Weaver recently shared year into the National Cowboy Hail of eighth of a mile from us ." reflections of childhood, career, fam- Fame . The 10-acre farm furnished a living ily and philosophy and assessed his during Depression days . Weaver successes, including the Emmy shared the responsibilities . "I was a Award-winning role of Chester "You're going to leave normal kid," he contends . "I had the Goode, Marshall Matt Dillon's mem- same interests as most other kids . . . orable sidekick on the classic CBS-TV 'Gunsmoke?' You've got played all the games at school, milked series, "Gunsmoke ." a fortune here." the cows, hoed the weeds, planted "My versatility?" Weaver muses, whatever was necessary and got the perching his 6-foot, 2-inch frame in- water from the well." formally on an oversized coffee table . White-washed brick walls, adorned Yet, there was a difference . "I was a "I don't know why I was given that with brightly-hued Indian rugs, a little more imaginative, I think, than title . . . People come into this world wagon wheel, and other western ar- the rest of the kids I ran around with certain interests . Mine have al- tifacts, form a compatible backdrop with," he recalls . "I would go to a ways been varied . I've been able to do for the actor, attired in jeans, cowboy Saturday matinee movie, come home most of the things I'm interested in shirt and boots . Weaver adjusts his and play all the parts - the black . . . but not as well as I probably position before the massive fireplace, hats, the white hats . . . Didn'tt have should . I guess I'm a jack-of-all-trades scooping up a fluffy, white pup de- a horse, so I would ride the fender of and master of none ." manding its share of his, attention . our old Dodge truck or a fence - and His accomplishments refute his Gerry Weaver enters with a tray of practice being mean in front of a mir- words . During his evolving career he glasses filled with a blend of fresh ror . I had leanings toward performing has: fruits and herbs -- a sample of the very early . I don't remember not ∎starred in five television series, natural foods the couple, both veg- wanting to be an actor ." including a nine-year stint as etarians, consume . But the fledgling star kept his fu- "Gunsmoke's" gimpy Chester and Weaver and his wife, the former ture plans to himself'. "It was pretty seven seasons on NBC-TV as "Mc- Geraldine Stowell, met at Joplin difficult to announce in Joplin, Mis- Cloud," the tall-walking Taos, New Junior College and married October souri, that you were going to be an Mexico, marshall tracking criminals 20, 1945 . Their enduring union defies actor at the age of 10 . It's not a very on the streets of New York . the ever-spiraling divorce rate, practical thing, as far as most people • defied "cowboy" typecasting and highly publicized among Hollywood are concerned ." won acclaim for diverse roles in such couples . In high school, his plans surfaced . television movies as "Amber Waves," "I just love her," Weaver searches "I remember those forms that you fil- set amind the midwestern grain har- for the right words to explain their led out, as a junior or a senior, asking vest; "Duel," pitting Weaver in his relationship . "I like her, . . She's my what profession you wanted to follow .
1982 WINTER 2 3 I remember kind of biting the bullet The next morning, Weaver arrived "It was the end of my Olympic op- and writing it down," Weaver admits at the. Olympic trials in time to "get portunity, but 1 did get. accepted for with a laugh . *'That was a big decision my street clothes off, track clothes on, the off-Broadway group . One door . . . putting it down in print ." and participate in the first event ." opened, and another door closed," he Graduating at the age of 16, with "I was wiped out," he admits with a says philosophically . the state high school high jump rec- chuckle . "I had no spring in my legs . For Weaver, the years of study at ord to his credit, he enrolled in the It was the worst first day I ever had ; I OU provided a solid grounding in his nearby .Joplin .Junior College and was wound up in ninth place and should craft . "College gives you a well- u standout in both football and have been second or third ." Weaaver's rounded halee to operate from f6r the basketball . lie left school for 27 slow start took him out of contention, rest of your life," he stresses . "My ex- months in the Naval Air Corps and but he ended sixth in a field of 36 . perience in the drama department while in training set a new speed and agility test record . Discharged as in ensign, he enrol- led at the University of Oklahoma, with the prospect of a football schol- arship . He encountered stiff competi- tion . "1 injured my knee and the coach who had recruited me left," Weaver explains, noting that the new staff, Jim Tatum and his assistant, Bud Wilkinson, had their own stable of athletes on hand . "It was nobody's fault . They had recruits of their own, and there were only so many scholar- ships they could award ." Weaver found the track coach more appreciative of his talents . Working tenaciously . he competed in 12 differ- ent track and field events at OU, set- ting individual records and leading the cross-country team to the Big Six championship . He won the septathlon at the Colorado Relays in 1948, and was OU's first decathlon qualifier in seven years . But the young athlete was finding encouragement from another quarter as well . With Lonny Chapman, a childhood friend and fellow drama major . Weaver hitchhiked to New York after Chapman's graduation in the summer of 1947 . "Lonny stayed," Weaver recalls . "And i n '48, when I was to compete in the Olympic trials in the decathlon in Bloomfield, New Jersey - a subway ride from New York City - Lonny met me at the train ." The two set out to survey the stage scene . Stopping long enough for Weaver to throw his hag into a hotel room, the duo toured Broadway . "I was so excited . . . I want to see what was going on in New York . . . We When he wasn't learning his craft in the old Drama Building, Bill Weaver could got a 'scene' in the afternoon . and that he f tttnd on the OU truck Field, honing his talents in 12 di/%event events . The only evening I auditioned for an off- decathlon qualifier in years, Weaver led the cross-c •ountrq tenet to the Big Six championship and aeon the septathlon at the Colorado Relays Broadway group . I couldn't even get . His shot at the Olympics, however, fell victim to the lure of'Broadttway . back to the hotel room ; I slept on somebody's floor," he confesses. 24 SOONER MAGAZINE
gave me great confidence . . . train- ing in all kinds of areas -- play- writing, set ;, a class in directing . "Jugs getting up on the stage and getting a aver the fact that you re going to blsaw your line ; once in a awhile is IMAGE IS NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE DUE TO important . I did that a couple rftirneti at OU . That's a frightening experi- COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS . ence and an important hurdle to got over Weaver's first job was as under- A paper copy of this issue is available at call study to ('hapm,in in the role nt' the college athlete, Turk, in William number LH 1 .06S6 in Bizzell Memorial Library. Ingo',s production, "Come Iiiack Little Sheba,' which opened Fehru,ary 15, 1950, at the Booth Theatre, On the company -s national tour, he took over the role . Weaver also was accepted to New York's prestigious Actor's Studio, like other lop-flight Hollywood state Mar- lon Brando . Paul Newman . Joanne Wautdw,ird and Shellev Winters . Under the tutelage of Lee Strasherg, he honed his taleaut, - It'; very difficult. t o get a toe-hold, to get a start, but work breeds work," he says of his initiation to the stage . "You just. keep doing something - as long as it is in the same arena - and your reputation begins Lo grow . Y Someone asks you to do summer stock . an off-Broadway show Dennis Wearer perches on the coffee table in the liuirig room of his ranch-style home That's what happened to me ." to reflect on the career which had its beginnings in OU draraaa classes . Weaver',; talent and the praise of his contemporaries, especially Miss Weaver joined a repertory company read for the role of Chester . Putting Winters, broughtt him to the attention which included Rock Hudson, Tony hi : own imaginative touches Lo work, of Universal International talent Curtis and Jeff' Chandler . A limited Weaver whipped up an exaggerated scou t .s. number of' leading roles meant western drawl, hunched look, sus- "When the head of the talent de- Weaver often drew small parts in penders and the now-famous limp, He partment came to New York that fall . westerns . was hired . he asked me to read something for The industry was facing what some "That was the open door," Weaver him," Weaver says . "I can remember Hollywood moguls deemed a "threat" asserts . "That gave me national rec- it was from 'The Glass Menagerie' - television- "When I got here in ognition. It was extremely success- When I finished, he said, 'Do you '52," Weaver recalls, "TV was just be- ful ." want to go to California?' . . . and I ginning programming . There was a The series premiered in the fall of said, 'When do we go?' " real fear in the studios . because they 1955 and brought stardom to the cast : But the venture was "frightening," didn't know what it was going to do to James Arness as Dillon, Amanda Weaver admits . "I was concerned the industry . There were tremendous Blake as Kitty, Milburn Stone as Doe, about so many things . . . I was con- layoffs . I was released at Universal . I and Weaver as Chester Goode . scientious; I had to be perfect . . 'One- started freelancing - movies, televi- "Gunsmoke" topped the ratings sea- Take' Weaver, they called me," he sion -- I even delivered flowers for my son after season ; Weaver's portrayal laughs . "That was sill .;: now I'll go 16 aunt's florist shop- - won the 1959 Emmy for best support- takes . if that's w hat . i s needed ." The next three years were "not all ing actor in a series . Studio training polished his talents that lucrative," he admits, but the But success broughtt the specter of and added to his abilities . "Universal part of John Brown, Jr ., in the film stagnation . After seven seasons . Int.ernat.ional had a whole develop- "Seven Angry Men," proved pivotal to Weaver wanted to leave the cast . "'1 ment program . I had to take dance, his future . The movie was directed by wasn't mad at anybody . It was a nice vocal coaching . . . do a musical ." Charles Marquis Warren, who later company . We had a great time to- And the rnidwestern "cowboy" even would produce and direct "Gun- gether, but I didn't want to get learned to ride a horse . smoke ." Warren asked Weaver to pigeonholed into that one character
1982 WINTER 2 5 for the rest. of my career," he explains . script to enhance the quality of "be- "I'd seen that happen with lots oFpeo- lievability" - essential, he says, to ple . sidekicks especially ." making the story come to life . Weaver Wanting to reduce the gamble . IMAGE IS NOT helped the refinement of "Amber Weaver searched for a new property . AVAILABLE ONLINE Waves" - "sanding down the script," "I did a pilot during hiatus, a musical he calls it . "I wrote three scenes out- for CBS {'TV Tonight) . But 'Gun- DUE TO right - and two songs . I've always smoke' was also for CBS," he ex- COPYRIGHT called that my creative orgy ."- plains . noting that the pilot didn't "My (midwestern) background sell . Weaver went hack to the role of RESTRICTIONS. made it possible for me to be at home Chester for another season . in the part. very quickly," he adds . To keep Weaver with the network, "Then when we got the dramatic con- CBS agreed to let him select another A paper copy of this flicts right, the interaction of the new series ; he chose "Take a Giant characters going right, that glove be- Step," with actress Jane Wyman as issue is available at came snugger ." costar . Again, no buyers ; the project call number "Amber Waves" was a showcase for was dropped . Weaver returned to the improvisatorial quality Weaver "Gunsmoke ." LH 1 .06S6 in feels forges a link between viewer and On his third attempt, he broke Bizzell Memorial film . loose. After appearing in 223 episodes "When I first came out here . of "Gunsmoke ." Weaver completed Library. films had a very clinical, stilted feel- the last scene of his 10 scheduled ing," he explains. "You could tell the shows for the 1963-64 season and left director had read a text hook and the series . said, 'All right, now you do the master His new series, "Kentucky Jones" shot . Now you move in for the two for NBC-TV, premiered the next fall . shot : now for the over-the-shoulder . Weaver had a promise of 26 shows as Weaver's fluffy, white friend feels free Now the singles ; now the next scene' the veterinarian-horsetrainer who to interrupt the magazine interview for . . . It took all the life out . of the stars attention . adopts a Chinese orphan, Suffering its share "People got involved in techniques, low ratings, the series was with- instead of getting involved in content drawn, and Weaver was looking for to work closely with the producer, the and what's going on in the scene work again . "This is a high risk bus- writers, director, casting - to be re- what the people are feeling - and can iness," he notes . sponsible, to some degree, as to what they get that on film so that other In September 1967, CBS-TV aired goes on the screen . It was the ulti- people can feel that also ." the series "Gentle Ben," featuring mate for me ." Weaver as a Florida game warden, The series also furnished Weaver with wife, son and pet bear . The show with a new "personality ." The simple "If you want to be a good ended in 1969 . Chester was exorcised by the astute Weaver then left for Europe to star McCloud . "I had a deep feeling for tennis player, play with with another Oklahoman, James McCloud . He was a rural character in someone better than Garner, in a western entitled "A Man a complex metropolitan situation, you are . . if you want Called Sledge," a Columbia release . and therefore, a classic underdog - He continued appearances on various simplistic, in a way, but tough . He to be a bum, television programs, including the had a bite and a dry sense of humor, hang around with bums ." cameo role of President Abraham and he always saw things with fresh Lincoln in the Universal NBC-TV eyes, He cared," he actor explains_ "World Premiere" movie, "The Great If "Gunsmoke" and "McCloud" take Stories about real people . "These Man's Whiskers ." In another pre- top honors as Weaver's favorite TV are the kind of films I want to do," he miere movie, "McCloud," Weaver por- series, the television movie "Amber stresses . "Films like 'Breaking trayed a U .S . deputy marshall from Waves" heads his list of dramatic Away,' 'Ordinary People,"Kramer vs . New Mexico, who transports a murder roles . Weaver played the part of a Kramer.' witness to New York City, remaining nudwestern wheat harvester, caring "No matter what kind of Story I'm to help police solve the crime . The For his motherless children . "It was a doing - what kind of script it might show received excellent reviews, and wonderful basic script, a great direc- be-whether it's 'Amber Waves' or Weaver had found another series . tor and cast correctly . . . all the `Intimate Strangers' - I'll always try The character, says Weaver, was "a elements were there . It fit like a to have that improvisation that, real favorite, because there was more di- glove ." involvement in it .' mension to it . And l also achieved the Weaver seems to sense the compo- That same involvement, a sense of goal that I had wanted when I got into nents that make a scene or series commitment, compelled Weaver to the business of television to do a work In both "Gunsmoke" and take an active role in the screen leading role in a successful series - "McCloud" he rewrote portions of the Actor's Guild . In 1973 . after serving 26 SOONER MAGALINE
on the board of directors, Weaver ran improving-because somebody had like some were on the inside, and for president as an independent can- sacrif-iced in the late '30s and '40s some were on the outside, The biggest didate on a platform demanding im- "People then met in parked ears reason I ran for president was to try provement of work rules and per- and dark corners, because if the to make everyone feel that it was one formers' benefits . He won, scoring the studios knew, they would have been union and that. they had a voice in it largest upset in the union's 42-year backlisted . Now, I thought, it was my . . That was the biggest single history . turn . . . to give something back . . thing I did . . _ to try to bring "When I came out here, the guild such things as residuals, payments in everyone back together again," was a force ." Weaver contends that perpetuity . . . Those things didn't Weaver holds firmly to his com- the favorable aspects of his contract exist, and I felt I would be a voice in mitments - to his family, his fellow were principally because of what the their support.." workers, and his faith - and the lat- guild had done . Working conditions Weaver also sensed dissension ter is the foundation upon which all were improving, salaries were within the organization . "People Celt the others rest . "Faith is the center of my life," says Weaver, a lay minister in his church . 'You've got to have something that gives you a certain set of' values, something you can lean on, always depend upon . Those thing,, never change . People may try to disguise them, say that they don't exist, but when it comes to the core of things, IMAGE IS NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE DUE TO when it comes to the hard reality, we all want assurance . We all want se- COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS . curity . We ail wantt happiness and peace ." Brought up with "certain morals, a A paper copy of this issue is available at call sense of right and wrong ." Weaver number LH 1 .06S6 in Bizzell Memorial Library. feels he has passed this heritage along to his sans . "I hope I instilled it to some degree . 1 never said . 'This is the way I believe, so this is the way you have to believe,' "Example is the greatest teacher any of us ever had . I've always told my kids . 'If you want to be a good ten- nis player, play with someone better than you are . If' you want to he an actor, get in the best workshop you can find, the best. teacher . And, if you want to be a bunt, hang around with bums . The environment you live in is important ." In spite of the glamour, the pres- sure, the temptations of the Hol- lywood life, the Weavers seem to thrive in an environment that can only be described as "wholesome ." A few steps outside their breakfast. room door, a greenhouse and garden are visible . Rows of vegetables, fruit trees, lush grape vines, well-cared-for seedlings flourish . "This keeps me going," he confesses, walking amid his crops . "You've got to feel good out here . Close to the ground - stable . "There are a lot of wonderful people in this environment Hollywood) and Their marriage has defied Hollywood .statistics . Of his one-and-only wife, Gerry, a lot of wonderful people outside this Weaver say.,,, "I just love her. I like her . . . she's my best friend ." environment . I'm fortunate enough to have them as my friends ." !T 1982 WINTER 27