Jack Starrett(1936-1989)
- Actor
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Starrett was a superbly talented and versatile actor and director
who specialized in making hugely enjoyable down-'n'-dirty low-budget
drive-in exploitation pictures. Starrett was born on November 2, 1936,
in Refugio, TX. He attended San Marcos Academy in the 1940s and the
1950s. He made his acting debut as "Coach Jennings" in
Like Father, Like Son (1961) and his debut as a director with two superior biker features
starring legendary B-movie tough guy
William Smith:
Run, Angel, Run! (1969) and
The Losers (1970). The latter movie
proved to be highly influential to subsequent action films made in the
1980s; its "bring the boys back home" Vietnam prisoners of war rescue
operation premise was reused in such 1980s features as
Uncommon Valor (1983),
Missing in Action (1984) and
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985).
His follow-up films
Cry Blood, Apache (1970) and
The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie (1972)
were both regrettably mediocre, but Starrett bounced back with the
exciting Jim Brown blaxploitation
vehicle Slaughter (1972) and the
delightful
Cleopatra Jones (1973).
The Dion Brothers (1974) was an
amiable tongue-in-cheek crime caper romp, while the terrific devil
worship/car chase/horror/action winner
Race with the Devil (1975)
was Starrett's biggest ever drive-in hit and one of his most
well-regarded movies.
A Small Town in Texas (1976)
was a solid entry in the popular redneck exploitation genre that was
hot in the 70s.
Kiss My Grits (1982) rates as one
of his most atypical and underrated films; it's a really sweet
and low-key character study of two likable cowpokes. In addition to his
film work, Starrett also directed episodes of such TV shows as
Hill Street Blues (1981),
The A-Team (1983),
The Dukes of Hazzard (1979),
Knight Rider (1982),
Planet of the Apes (1974)
and
Starsky and Hutch (1975).
Big and burly, with a rough, ruddy complexion, thinning hair, a thick, furry mustache and a deep, booming, resonant rumble of a gravely voice, Jack Starrett had an extremely strong and commanding screen presence that he put to exceptionally fine use as an actor. Starrett was hilarious as the unintelligible old-timer "Gabby Johnson"--a take-off on iconic western sidekick George 'Gabby' Hayes--in Blazing Saddles (1974) and gave an outstanding performance as "Galt", the mean small-town deputy who ruthlessly antagonizes Sylvester Stallone in the fantastic First Blood (1982). Starrett was likewise memorable as strict factory foreman "Swick" in The River (1984), and in addition often took small roles in his own pictures.
He was married to soap opera actress Valerie Starrett. Their daughter, Jennifer Starrett, was also an actress. Alas, Jack Starrett had problems with alcoholism, which led to his tragic and untimely death at age 52 from kidney failure on March 27, 1989.
Big and burly, with a rough, ruddy complexion, thinning hair, a thick, furry mustache and a deep, booming, resonant rumble of a gravely voice, Jack Starrett had an extremely strong and commanding screen presence that he put to exceptionally fine use as an actor. Starrett was hilarious as the unintelligible old-timer "Gabby Johnson"--a take-off on iconic western sidekick George 'Gabby' Hayes--in Blazing Saddles (1974) and gave an outstanding performance as "Galt", the mean small-town deputy who ruthlessly antagonizes Sylvester Stallone in the fantastic First Blood (1982). Starrett was likewise memorable as strict factory foreman "Swick" in The River (1984), and in addition often took small roles in his own pictures.
He was married to soap opera actress Valerie Starrett. Their daughter, Jennifer Starrett, was also an actress. Alas, Jack Starrett had problems with alcoholism, which led to his tragic and untimely death at age 52 from kidney failure on March 27, 1989.
