On a cloudless day, contemplating a panoramic view of the ocean
from the porch of his restored 1939
Frank Lloyd Wright house in Brentwood, Jack Larson smiles thoughtfully
as the ghost of his past begins enveloping him. From where he sits,
the fishing boats sailing on the open sea look like swans floating
on a blue lake. "I love this view," he says with a voice
just above a whisper. "It's so peaceful."
Indeed, the house, situated on a populated hillside, displays an
awe-inspiring view, and an imposing presence among its neighboring
structures. Inside, it is dominated by books and art. And the outside,
surrounded by plants, trees and snake grass, bear the unmistakable
feel of success.
Inspired by the mood, Larson, a playwright, actor and film producer,
admits that the ghost of his past --the one who escorted him to
the hall of fame-- has a name: Jimmy Olsen, cub reporter for The
Daily Planet in The Adventures of Superman television
series of the 50s. Yet, almost breathlessly, he clarifies that the
character of jimmy Olsen, alone, could not have transformed him
into a mythical figure in the entertainment world without the knowledge
edge and acting skills he developed at Pasadena Junior College (PJC),
now Pasadena City College (PCC). "I probably wouldn't have
acquired so much success in this competitive field," says the
65-year-old man, grinning. His words, like his laugh --open and
full of joy-- seem sincere. Raised in Montebello, is the only child
of a divorced couple (an East L.A. milk-truck driver and a Western
Union clerk) the trim, blue-eyed man recalls his countless escapes
from Montebello High School to go bowling. "I was a bad boy,"
be re reveals, exploding in a laugh. "I remember my parents
getting so upset because I was flunking school."
Now that he scrutinizes hs adolescent behavior, he does not regret
it. If anything, he takes pride in saying that at age 14, he became
the California Bowling Champion for his age group. At that time,
driven by his liking for the sport, he assumed he would make his
living bowling. However, deep in his soul, he knew because he was
a voracious reader -- that writing would eventually monopolize his
youthful ideal.
Ever since he was little, Jack was interested in writing, poetry
and drama, and he always excelled in those fields," states
William Goldmann, PCC dean Of educational services who attended
Winter Gardens elementary school and Montobello High with Larson.
"He was a very talented kid.
Larson laughs It such praise. "I don't want to sound too conceited,
but, yes, I was a talented kid," he agrees. And entering PJC
in the fall of 1945, "my instructors discovered that had a
gift for writing and motivated me to write plays, and to be in plays
as well."
With a previous knowledge of the works of Shakespeare, Saroyan and
Maugham, which he learned in high school, Larson sensed that he
had a passion for poetry (although he claims he never liked being
called a Poet).
He began writing in strict metrical -- mostly rhymed verse -- and
contemporary plays with leading roles for himself to play. The fall
of 1945, he starred in Charley's Aunt, a play written by
Brandon Thomas, and in the spring of 1946, he also starred in Fantasy
in Wonderland a musical show he wrote.
"My parents,
were stunned, "he remembered, beaming. " They were very
happy to see that I was doing scholastically much better at PJC
than I had done at Montobello.
And Larson himself was stupefied in 1948, one year, after he wrote
Tambourine, a musical operetta shown on campus, when the
opportunity of a lifetime knocked on his door. Subtly, yet anxious
to proclaim it, he reminisces about the time and place where his
life switched gears dramatically. His voice, like the voice of a
fairy tale narrator, is deep and conspiratorial.
The place: Sexson Auditorium.
The scene: Balguna Del Mar, a musical comedy Larson wrote
about college students vacationing at Laguna and Balboa beach during
spring break. While he was playing the starring role in the play,
an agent for Warner Brothers spotted him and offered him an audition
.
"It sounds like an amazing thing to happen,"
he admits, "but Hollywood discovered me at PJC's Sexson Auditorium.
For a young stage actor like myself, movies really meant something,
so you can imagine the excitement I felt."
Shortly after the audition, Larson signed with Warner Brothers for
a part in the movie Fighter Squadron, a post-World War II
film directed by Raoul Walsh, Which also featured Rock Hudson, another
newcomer. 'Tile mo- he Signed with Warner Brothers, marked for him
the initiation into his professional acting career in Hollywood's
movieland.
It Blew me away," he avows firmly.
Imbued with satisfaction and stimulated by his achievements, he
felt more compelled to carry on with his life's most profound dream
a Career On Broadway. Without hesitation, he auditioned for Superman.
And although he wavered about accepting the role of Jimmy, he acceded
the instant the show's casting director advised him to "take
the money and run." Besides he believed because the show did
not have a sponsor, nobody was ever going to set, it, "it was
for kids only."
"I had nothing to lose,"
Larson says, emphatically.
With this in mind, he, filmed
26 Superman episodes, at $250 Per show, and left for Manhattan,
never suspecting the show would succeed. Two years later, in 1953
to he exact, the series aired on television, and became an instant
success.
Larson was spooked. he didn't know what to do. Everywhere he went,
his fans cornered him. He "acted like a nut," and refused
to do publicity because he feared that his reputation as a serious
playwright would be damaged, and his future roles as an actor
would be typecast forever.
"I got so famous as Jimmy that people did not want to hire
me to do anything else," he says." "And I thought,
well, everybody will quickly forget about Jimmy, and they will
hire me as a more mature actor."
But that didn't happen. Nobody ever forgot about Jimmy, and Larson
had to cope with it. Accepting the reality of the situation, he
agreed to film six more Superman seasons before the show was interrupted
by the suicide of Superman's star George Reeves in 1959. (By then,
Larson was making $350 per show and the program was as popular
as I Love Lucy)
After The Series concluded, Larson, unable to obtain good roles
that would satisfy his expectations, decided to submerge himself
into the world of writing. He wrote The candid House, a
retelling of the Hansel and Gretel story for the opening
of the Bing Center Theater; Chuck an off- Broadway hit
play about an epileptic magazine salesman Cherry, Larry,
Sandy , Doris, Jean, Paul, a romp
in verse comedy about gayness; and Lord Byron I libretto
for the Virgil Thomson opera, which has recently been released
on CD.
Yet, impatient to explore new adventures in the entertainment
Industry, Larson resolved to launch his career in film production.
He became an associate producer for many successful films including
The Paper Chase, Mike's Murder, The China Syndrome,
Urban Cowboy and Bright Lights, Big City.
Last year, before Lois & Clark: The New Adventures
of Superman television series aired on ABC, Larson was asked
to contribute to the show. But just as he chose not to ever get
married (although he had the opportunity he preferred not to do
it.
"The one thing I would never consider is doing another television
series," he declares. "I believe that you only have
to do it once in a lifetime I did mine in Superman, and feel very
to be remembered as Jimmy."
In retrospect, he adds, his life has been "very rewarding."
From everything he's done -- bowling, acting, writing and producing
-- he has no regrets. (He doesn't even complain about the fact
that the Superman series is still making hundreds of millions
of dollars in syndication and lie is not receiving residuals).
"There isn't anything I Would change," he claims proudly.
"I never strived for anything but the best."
Often, When Larson looks around his house and evaluates the things
he has accomplished; when he hears somebody calling him Jimmy
instead of Jack; and when he's asked to reveal the secret
of his success, he cannot help but think that without his education
at PCC, Hollywood probably wouldn't have known he existed.
"Anything I ever learned, except later when life beat me
up, I learned it at PJC," he affirms philosophically. .
And the most important thing he learned there is that anyone can
Succeed.
"You just have to work your hardest, do your very best and
never blow an opportunity because you never know what you might
be remembered for," he warns. "Take my example, I was
given an opportunity in Sexson Auditorium and that was enough
for me to succeed."
Looking at the sea, with his 13 year-old dog Max sitting next
to him, Larson smiles meditatively as he argues that more than
his Success itself, the best thing that could have ever happened
to him was to be born in L. A.
"I love the ocean," lie whispers.
Guillermo Duarte is a Features Writer intern for L.A.'s leading
spanish news paper La Opinión and was Features Editor of
the Courier in Fall of 1993
http://www.jimnolt.com |
