Trivia of John Derek

Trivia of John Derek (12 August 1926 - 22 May 1998)

*Son of silent era actors Lawson Harris and Dolores Johnson.His mom was incredibly beautiful, turning heads wherever she went with her good looks (a trait that he ended up inheriting).

*His good looks were soon noticed, and he was groomed for a movie career by both his agent David O Selznick and Henry Willson (who gave him the temporary stage name of Dare Harris).

*He once become Shirley Temple's "Studio Boyfriend". Shirley Temple and Dare Harris (John Derek) ended up under contract to Twentieth Century Fox at the same time. This gave the studio the idea to “gently force” the two to date as a part of a publicity stunt. In 1944, Twentieth Century Fox even gave him small roles in two of Temple’s films (Since Went Away and I'll Be Seeing You) to really get the public excited about the new couple.This might’ve led Dare Harris to eventual stardom.

*When filming A Double Life (1947) , he was approached by Humphrey Bogart.Bogart renamed him John Derek and cast him as Nick "Pretty Boy" Romano, an unrepentant killer, in Knock on Any Door (1949), a socially conscious melodrama directed by Nicholas Ray. Recognizing him as a talented newcomer, Bogart signed Derek to a seven-year contract with Columbia Pictures.

*Columbia Pictures did eventually put Derek into leading roles, but he found these roles completely humiliating. He was cast as Robin Hood in Rogues of Sherwood Forest (released in 1950), and the swashbuckling captain Renato Dimorna in Mask of the Avengers (1951).One critic from the Los Angeles Times called him a “slim and beautiful youth,” while other critics commented on “how pretty his legs were” in his green tights as Robin Hood.

*Impressed by his performance in The Ten Commandments (1956), Paramount submitted his name for consideration in the Best Supporting Actor category of the 29th Academy Awards. He failed to receive a nomination, however.

*He once admit disliked acting and preferred directing.In 1960's he eventually quit acting and start debut of directing a war movie Once Before I Die (1966) that starring his wife at that time , Ursula Andress.