Hard-Boiled Facts About Vic Morrow, Victim Of Hollywood's Worst Disaster
He Went Down In History
Actor Vic Morrow should have gone down in Hollywood history for two things: playing scary bad guys and as the hero in TV’s Combat! Then, an explosive on-set accident catapulted his name into a different kind of history. This gruesome disaster took three lives and forever changed the way we make movies.
1. He Wasn’t Good At School
Vic Morrow was born on Valentine's Day in 1929 in the Bronx borough of New York City. His parents—who named their son Victor Morozoff—were both immigrants from Russia and the family soon moved to Ashbury Park, New Jersey. School wasn’t exactly Morrow’s strong suit.
2. He Signed Up
As a teenager, Morrow was desperately looking for a way out of school, and one quickly arrived. It was the United States Navy. He dropped out of high school and signed up for duty. As it turned out, Morrow may have had an ulterior motive for enlisting.
3. He Followed The Sun
Morrow clearly wasn't dreaming about a life in the service. He quickly left the Navy, using the GI Bill to get an education. He chose to study pre-law, and he went to sunny Florida to do it. But Morrow soon found that there was something he liked even better than being a lawyer.
4. He Had A Realization
While studying at Florida State, Morrow got a part in a school play. He quickly realized that this was what he wanted to do with his life. He left Florida entirely and headed to New York City, where he started taking acting lessons.
It didn't take long before he started making a splash.
