Otis Munro Bigelow III (June 2, 1920 - October 6, 2007) was a Broadway actor, playwright, and stage manager. He was one of the best-looking men in Manhattan in the 1940s, and one of the first partners of
Christian William Miller.[1]
Early life
Otis Munro Bigelow III was born on June 2, 1920, in
Exeter, New Hampshire. He was the only child of Otis Munro Bigelow II (1881-1932), professor of Romance languages at
Phillips Exeter Academy, and Ruth Lillian Spalding (1885-1937). His grandfather, Otis Munro Bigelow I (d. 1939) was the president of the Baldwinsville State Bank.[1][2]
He attended
Rumsey Hall School, in
Washington, Connecticut, where he had his first sexual experiences with classmates.[3] In 1934 he transferred to
Phillips Exeter Academy, where he was the lead actor in theatrical productions at the Old Farragut Playhouse,
Rye Beach, New Hampshire.[4] One newspaper said: "Otis Bigelow as "Corey Masters" did a very fine job and should be mentioned as one of the outstanding members of the cast."[5] After high school he lost his father and his uncle Robert W. Keyes of
Utica, New York, who had married his aunt, Olivia Bigelow Keyes (1894-1982), became his guardian. He entered
Hamilton College in 1939 joining the Naval Reserve Officer Training.[3] At Hamilton College, Bigelow had lead roles in the Charlatans productions and was managing editor of The Continental (a student-run magazine) and co-editor of Hamiltonews. He was a member of the Publications Board and of
Pi Delta Epsilon, a journalism fraternity. He was part of the
Theta Delta Chi fraternity. He sang in the College Choir and fenced for the Coach Glas. When he graduated in 1943, The Hamiltonian said that he was "the seniors' most diversified artist."[1]
Career
At the beginning of his career, he acted and danced on Broadway. He later became a playwright and theatrical agent.[1]
In 1941 he was writing songs, like "Seems Like Yesterday".[6]
While he was at Hamilton College, Bigelow wrote a play that
John C. Wilson optioned for Broadway, and in 1942, he asked Bigelow to come back to Broadway and rewrite it.[3]
He was a reservist for the U.S. Navy and served during World War II as an officer aboard minesweepers in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. After two years of active duty, he was released in 1945 as a lieutenant.[1]
In 1948, he went to Paris "to get my mind straightened after Hollywood", and took odd jobs in French movies, including acting as well as translating and devising English subtitles.[1] He appeared in films with
Danielle Darrieux,
Jean Pierre Aumont and
Gene Kelly.[4] In 1949 he was in the cast of Peg O' My Heart, starring Academy Award winner
Peggy Ann Garner with the
Chevy Chase Summer Theater in
Wheeling, Illinois; a newspaper said: "The talented resident company, Paula Laurence, Martin Kingsley, Will Kuluva and Otis Bigelow, again will be turning in the excellent performances that marked last week's comedy starring
Buster Keaton."[10] The Tower Ticker column in the Chicago Tribune reported on July 25, 1949, that "Bobbysoxers treeked out to the Chevy Chase summer theater to get Peggy Ann Garner's autograf but stayed to mob Chicago juvenile Otis Bigelow."
Back to New York City, he concentrated on writing, but was not able to support himself.[1]To Dorothy, a Son, by
Roger MacDougal in collaboration with Bigelow, was a success for more than one year in London, directed by
Herman Shumlin and was brought to Broadway in 1952. Starring was
Ronald Howard, the son of
Leslie Howard.[11]
Bigelow took ballet lessons and became a dancer in for The King and I on Broadway for three years;[4] he was the Siamese slave and remained with the production for two years.[1]
In the late 1950s, he was resident company lead for the Cherry County Playhouse in Traverse City, Michigan:
In June 1959, he played the lead role in The Drunkard "one of the most played favorites in the show business history".[18]
In July 1959, he was in the cast of The Happy Time, starring
Greta Thyssen; a newspaper said: "Kay Coulter and Otis Bigelow were wonderful as the parents."[19]
In July 1959, he was Max Hollyday in the cast of Dial M for Murder.[20]
In July 1959, he was Wesley Cartwright, lead role in the cast of "Post Road", starring
ZaSu Pitts. Of Bigelow they said "The most was gotten out of a difficult role by Otis Bigelow, a very versatile actor."[21]
Mason Wright, Otis Bigelow, David C. Jones in 1959, part of the cast of "Yes Man"
In August 1959, he was Newman in the cast of Yes Man, starring
Jack Barry, a TV personality; about Bigelow, a newspaper said "they can search high and low, on Broadway or down alleys, but they'll never find a man who can do a better job of playing the robot part than Otis Bigelow. Absolutely fascinating."[22]
In August 1959, he was Tom MacKenzie in the cast of Seven Year Itch, starring
Gene Raymond, popular stage, screen and television actor.[23]
In June 1960, he was in the cast of The Curious Savage by
John Patrick, starring
ZaSu Pitts. A newspaper said: "As the widow's daughter and sons, Suzanne Kaaren, Otis Bigelow, and Jim MacRoslie create a wonderfully unappetizing trio of characters."[24]
In August 1960, he was Harry King, the father of the lead, in the cast of Belvedere, starring veteran star of movie and TV
Charlie Ruggles.[25]
In August 1960, he was Morris Dixon in the cast of
Noël Coward's Present Laughter, starring
Reginald Gardiner, movie and stage star.[26]
In August 1960, he was Orlov in the cast of Who Was That Lady I Saw You With, starring
Julius LaRosa, again a TV personality.[27]
In August 1960, he was Bradford in the cast of Ballots Up, starring
Marvin Miller, TV and radio personality.[28]
In August 1960, he was Jackson Eldredge in the cast of The Golden Fleecing, starring
Eddie Bracken.[29]
Otis Bigelow in 1961
In 1960, he appeared in the San Juan Drama Festival in Puerto Rico.[4] In June 1961, he had the lead role in Marriage-Go-Round with the Gretna Playhouse, in
Lebanon, Pennsylvania.[4] He was then Hogan in Under the Yum Yum Tree.[30] Later in the month, he was in the cast of Make a Million;[31] a newspaper said: "He moves like a dancer with purpose and grace does Otis Bigelow who has leading roles at the Gretna Play."[32] And in July 1961, he was in the cast of Plain Betsy.[33] In late 1961, he was in the Broadway production A Cook for Mr. General.[34] In June 1962, he was back with the Gretna Play for Everybody Loves Opal starring
Kay MacDonald,[35] and the week after, he was in the cast of "Write Me a Murder", starring
Leonard Frey and
Joseph Masiell.[36] In 1965, he was in the cast of Never Too Late with
Maureen O'Sullivan and
Arthur Godfrey, produced on Broadway and then Palm Beach, Florida.[37]
in 1976 at Lexington Conservatory Theatre in Lexington, NY[85]
Personal life
While acting in a summer production in Rye Beach, New Hampshire, Bigelow met
Gordon Merrick. They shared an apartment in New York on East 54th Street, and
Richard Barr joined them. When Merrick wrote his gay romance The Lord Won't Mind, he modeled one of the characters after Bigelow.[3]
In New York City in the 1940s, Bigelow became a prominent figure in the gay society. He was interviewed by
Alfred Kinsey for his research on sexual behavior.[1] He was in a relationship with millionaire
George Gallowhur, but he left Gallowhur when he fell in love with Bill Miller.[3]
After retirement, Bigelow resided in New York City with Thierry Mahe, his long-term partner of more than 50 years. He had a summer house on Fire Island, New York and traveled often to France. He collected Art Nouveau glass and fin-de-sicle posters.[1]