In the 1960s the Historic Elitch Theatre hosted many touring companies with big-name stars, including a tour of The Chic Life in August of 1969, starring James Whitmore and Audra Lindley. Today’s movie fans may primarily know Whitmore for his role in The Shawshank Redemption. (And Lindley may be best known for her role as Helen Roper in Three’s Company.)
The other footnote for the tour of The Chic Life is that it also starred former-Denver resident, Milo Boulton. A graduate of nearby Denver North High School, Boulton first played the Historic Elitch Theatre in 1936.
In 1950, Whitmore won the Golden Globe for Battleground. He also won a Tony Award and an Emmy Award, and was nominated for two Academy Awards.
Whitmore’s biorgraphy from the 1969 HET Program for The Chic Life:
Mr. Whitmore was born in White Plains, New York, and raised in Buffalo, New York. His football career at Yale was abruptly curtailed by two knee injuries, but he became a member of the famous Whiffenpoofs and was one of the eight seniors comprising the Pundits, a society of high ranking seniors founded by William Lyon Phelps. He also became class historian. He left Yale in his senior year to enlist in the Marine Corps and received his degree while in boot camp.
When he was discharged in 1946, he toured with the USO entertaining troops. After the USO tour he arrived in New York and studied at The American Theatre Wing. He used his last dollar to fly to an audition for producer Kermit Bloomgarten for a part in “Command Decision.” The play opened to rave reviews on his birthday. For this performance he was awarded the Antoinette Perry award for the best supporting performance of the year, as well as the Donaldson Award for the best newcomer of the year. During the run of the play he made his motion picture debut with Glenn Ford in The Undercover Man” and studied at the Actor’s Studio with Elia Kazan.
Under contract to MGM, he contributed the unforgettable portrayal of the sergeant in the movie “Battleground,” for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. His versatile talent found him in comedies and musicals as well as drama. Among them: “The Asphalt Jungle,” “The Next Voice You Hear,” “Kiss Me Kate,” “Battle Cry,” “The Eddie Duchin Story,” “Who Was That Lady,” and “Black Like Me.” He won a wide audience with his role in the television series “The Law and Mr. Jones,” and “My Friend Tony.”
In May of 1965, Mr. Whitmore appeared at the Nassau Community College in “An Evening With Walt Whitman.” In 1966 he appeared as Mr. Sloan in “A Case of Libel” at the Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee. He was seen as Chris in “Anna Christie” at the Greek Theatre in Hollywood. Just prior to the tour of “The Chic Life” he finished filming the part of Admiral “Bull” Halsey in the Twentieth Century Fox Film, “Tara, Tora, Tara.”
Whitmore’s biorgraphy from the 1969 HET Program for The Chic Life
Seasons at the Theatre
- 1969
Elitch Theatre Productions/Roles:
Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:
Elitch Theatre Connections:
Wikipedia Link:
