Tod Andrews

Tod Andrews (November 10, 1920-November 7, 1972) was an American actor. Raised in California, he studied acting and journalism at Washington State College. Starting his career with roles at the Pasadena Playhouse, he eventually moved on to New York stage productions. After being discovered in New York by Jack L. Warner, head of Warner Brothers Studios, he was offered a screen test. Succeeding in that, he went on to a movie career, although he appeared in few major feature films. He most commonly appeared in B movies, as well as making several television appearances.

Acting with the Margo Jones Company in New York City from 1944 to 1948, he was spotted by Joshua Logan. When Henry Fonda left the title role of Broadway show Mr. Roberts, Logan gave Andrews the part.

Among Andrews' television performances was a starring role in "Gray Ghost", a short-lived fictional television series based on the true story of famous Confederate Colonel John Singleton Mosby.

In 1961, he attempted suicide, days before the opening of a new play entitled A Whiff of Melancholy. He said later that it resulted from stress over the role. After some time recovering, he returned to movies in 1965, as Captain Tuthill in Otto Preminger's World War II action blockbuster In Harm's Way.

In 1968, he appeared briefly in Ted Post's Hang 'Em High as a defense attorney. Two years later, he worked with Post again in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, performing a death scene as James Franciscus's stricken commanding officer, Colonel Andrew Maddox.

Tod Andrews played the President of the United States in the political thriller The President's Plane Is Missing in 1972. His final screen appearance was as a doctor in the chiller The Baby, released a year later.

References

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Andrews&GSfn=Tod&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=6811170& Tod Andrews] at Find-A-Grave
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/tod-andrews Tod Andrews] at Answers.com
* [http://www.movietome.com/people/89602/tod-andrews/index.html Tod Andrews] at MovieTome.com