David Holt (American actor)
| David Jack Holt | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 14, 1927 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | November 15, 2003 (aged 76) San Juan Capistrano, California, U.S. |
| Other names | David Holt |
| Years active | 1933–1977 |
| Notable work | ▪ Sidney Sawyer in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) ▪ Billy (older) in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) ▪ Elizabeth Taylor's older brother in Courage of Lassie (1946) |
David Jack Holt (mostly known as David Holt; August 14, 1927 – November 15, 2003) was an American actor initially groomed at the age of seven to be the male Shirley Temple. After being let down by Will Rogers, stress, polio, and resentment from his father precipitated his downfall, which culminated in being reduced to starring in the cheap drugs-scare melodrama "She Shoulda Said 'No'!", at the age of 22. By the time he was 25, no acting parts were available for him and he eventually turned to songwriting, where he had some moderate success before his death in 2003 at the age of 76.
Holt was born on August 14, 1927 in Jacksonville, Florida. Four years later, his sister Betty was born, who also became an actor. At a young age, Holt's dancing skills so impressed the actor and wit Will Rogers that Rogers purportedly told Holt's mother that if ever they were in Hollywood they should contact him and he would get young David into pictures. Relying on this understanding, Holt's father promptly quit his job with Ford Motors. Intent on holding Rogers to his promise, the Holt family drove to California. Despite their best efforts, Rogers refused even to see them.
With no income, Holt's father worked as a casual laborer. Holt's mother took Holt to auditions, sometimes sharing transport with Shirley Temple and her mother. Initially, Holt found it difficult to get acting jobs. He did, however, get a job as "body double" for Cheeta's chimpanzee predecessor in the 1933 film Tarzan the Fearless and had a small role in the 1933 Our Gang (Little Rascals) comedy Forgotten Babies.
At age seven, in 1934, Holt got his acting break in the movie You Belong to Me, a melodrama in which his character's parents dies. He was now a child star, and Paramount Pictures put him under a long-term contract and promoted him as a male version of Shirley Temple. Over the next six years, Holt made 20 films, but did not come close to the superstar status set by his friend, Shirley Temple.
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