George Dolenz

{{Infobox person

| name = George Dolenz

| image = George Dolenz in Vendetta (1950).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Dolenz in Vendetta (1950)

| birth_name = Jure Dolenc

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1908|1|5|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Trieste, Austria-Hungary

| death_date = {{nowrap|{{Death date and age|1963|2|8|1908|1|5}}}}

| death_place = Hollywood, California, U.S.

| resting_place = Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, U.S.

| other_names = Giorgio Dolenz
George Dolentz

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1941–1963

| spouse = {{marriage|Janelle Johnson
|1943}}

| children = 4, including Micky Dolenz

| relatives = Ami Dolenz (granddaughter){{cite book|last=Cozad|first=W. Lee |title=More Magnificent Mountain Movies|publisher=W. Lee Cozad|page=308|isbn=0-9723372-3-7}}

}}

George Dolenz (born Jure Dolenc; akas: Giorgio Dolenz and George Dolentz; January 5, 1908 {{spaced ndash}} February 8, 1963) was an American film actor born in Trieste (then part of Austria-Hungary, now Italy), in the city's Slovene community.{{Citation needed |date=May 2023}}

Biography

Under the name Giorgio Dolenz (Slovene: Jure Dolenc), he emigrated to the United States via Cuba, arriving by steamship at the port of Key West, Florida, in October 1934. By 1937, Dolenz was in Hollywood and working as a waiter.{{Citation needed |date=May 2023}} After appearing in small parts in B movies, he graduated to supporting roles. Following the end of World War II, Dolenz became a leading man under contract to RKO Pictures under Howard Hughes. However, the failure of the feature film Vendetta in 1950 resulted in his return to character and supporting parts for other studios, including MGM's The Last Time I Saw Paris as the husband of Donna Reed's character.

He was cast as the star of the 1956 ITC Entertainment 39-episode television series The Count of Monte Cristo as title character Edmond Dantes.

On April 21, 1958, Dolenz played Count Peter Von Gilsa in the episode "The Outlander" of the NBC Western television series The Restless Gun."The Outlander," The Restless Gun, DVD, Timeless Media Group

In 1959, he portrayed Colonel Gutterez in "The Town Is a Prisoner" episode of the NBC Western series Cimarron City.

Dolenz played Juan Amontillo in the 1961 episode "The Uncourageous" of the ABC Western series The Rebel. That same year, he played Ramon Ortega in the "Brand of Honesty" episode of the NBC Western series The Deputy. His last role was playing Eduard D'Arcy in the season 4 episode 20 of Bonanza titled "Marie, My Love" aired February 10, 1963.

Dolenz married actress Janelle Johnson and they had four children: actor and singer Micky Dolenz (George Michael Dolenz) of the 1960s musical band the Monkees, Gemma "Coco" Dolenz, Gina Dolenz and Debbie Dolenz. {{Cite news |last=Rix |first=Juliet |date=2015-08-14 |title=Micky Dolenz: my family values |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/aug/14/micky-dolenz-the-monkees-my-family-values |access-date=2023-05-24 |issn=0261-3077}}

Dolenz died of a heart attack in 1963 at the age of 55. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.{{Citation needed |date=December 2021}}

Partial filmography

class="wikitable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
1941 \| Unexpected Uncle \| George, Colony Club Headwaiter \| Uncredited
1942 \| Take a Letter, Darling \| Assistant Headwaiter \| Uncredited
rowspan="6"\| 1943 \| No Time for Love \| Captain of Waiters \| Uncredited
Young Ideas \| Pepe \|
Fired Wife \| Oscar Blix \|
The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler \| Herman Marbach \|
She's for Me \| Phil Norwin \|
Moonlight in Vermont \| Lionel Devereau \|
rowspan="5"\| 1944 \| Resisting Enemy Interrogation \| Capt. Volbricht \| Uncredited
In Society \| Count Alexis \|
The Climax \| Amato Roselli \|
Bowery to Broadway \| George Henshaw \|
Enter Arsène Lupin \| Dubose \|
rowspan="3"\| 1945 \| Song of the Sarong \| Kalo \|
Easy to Look At \| Antonio \|
The Royal Mounted Rides Again \| Constable 'Frenchy' Moselle \| Serial
rowspan="3"\| 1946 \| Girl on the Spot \| Leon Lorenz \|
Idea Girl \| Wilfred Potts \|
Night in Paradise \| Frigid Ambassador \|
1947 \| Song of Scheherazade \| Pierre, the Headwaiter \|
1950 \| Vendetta \| Lt. Orso Antonio della Rabia \|
1952 \| My Cousin Rachel \| Guido Rainaldi \|
rowspan="2"\| 1953 \| Scared Stiff \| Mr. Cortega \|
Wings of the Hawk \| Col. Paco Ruiz \|
rowspan="2"\| 1954 \| The Last Time I Saw Paris \| Claude Matine \|
Sign of the Pagan \| Emperor Theodosius \|
rowspan="3"\| 1955 \| The Racers \| Count Salem \|
A Bullet for Joey \| Dr. Carl Macklin \|
The Purple Mask \| Marcel Cadonal \|
1957 \| The Sad Sack \| Ali Mustapha \|
1958 \| The Restless Gun \| Peter VonGilsa \| Episode "The Outlander"
1959 \| Timbuktu \| Colonel Charles Dufort \|
1961 \| Look in Any Window \| Carlo \|
1962 \| Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse \| Gen. von Kleig

class="wikitable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

1941

| Unexpected Uncle

| George, Colony Club Headwaiter

| Uncredited

1942

| Take a Letter, Darling

| Assistant Headwaiter