Gary Morton

Gary Morton
Gary Morton at the 61st Academy Awards
Born	Morton Goldaper (1924-12-19)December 19, 1924 New York City
Died	March 30, 1999(1999-03-30) (aged 74) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Lung cancer
Occupation	Actor, comedian, producer
Years active	1965–1990
Spouse(s)	Susan Morrow (m. 1953; annulled 1957) Lucille Ball (m. 1961; d. 1989) Susie McAllister (m. 1996)

Gary Morton (December 19, 1924 – March 30, 1999) was the second husband of Lucille Ball. He was a stand-up comedian, whose primary venues were the hotels and resorts of the Borscht Belt in upstate New York.

Morton was born Morton Goldaper in New York City of Jewish heritage.

Morton married American actress Susan Morrow on December 17, 1953, obtaining their marriage license under their real names: Gary Goldaper and Jacqueline Immoor. In August 1954 they separated and finally on July 11, 1957, his marriage to Morrow was annulled in Los Angeles.

In 1960, Morton met Lucille Ball in New York City a few months before she opened on Broadway in the musical Wildcat. Morton claimed he was always busy working nights, so had not seen the beloved series I Love Lucy. They were married on November 19, 1961 at the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. Morton signed a prenuptial agreement to stifle rumors that he was a . Morton was 13 years younger than Lucille Ball.

Morton became closely involved in the management of his wife's career, from the time of their marriage in 1961 throughout the remainder of her career. During Ball's solo years as the titular head of Desilu Productions, Morton and his brother-in-law, Fred Ball, served on the studio's board of directors in various capacities.

Morton's effectiveness in his duties has, in recent years, come under some scrutiny and criticism. Most notable of these denouncements are those of Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman, whose dealings with Morton during the production of the original Star Trek television series were documented in their 1996 book, Inside Star Trek: The Real Story. Others, including Grant Tinker, have since come forward with their own recollections of Morton's tenure at Desilu.