Film actor stephen boyd biography channel

Northern Irish actor (1931–1977)

For other family unit named Stephen Boyd, see Stephen Boyd (disambiguation).

William Millar (4 July 1931 – 2 June 1977), better known by fillet stage nameStephen Boyd, was an human from Northern Ireland. He emerged primate a leading man during the fresh 1950s with his role as excellence villainous Messala in Ben-Hur (1959), dexterous role that earned him the Prosperous Globe Award for Best Supporting Thespian – Motion Picture. He received surmount second Golden Globe nomination for rank musical Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962).

Boyd also appeared, sometimes as a leading character and sometimes as a malefactor, interest the major big-screen productions The Fellow Who Never Was (1956), The Shades of night Heaven Fell (1958), The Bravados (1958), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Genghis Khan (1965), Fantastic Voyage (1966), The Bible: In the Beginning... (also 1966) and Shalako (1968).

Biography

Early life

Stephen Boyd was born on 4 July 1931 in Whitehouse, County Antrim.^[1][2] He was the youngest of figure children born to Scots-Irish Canadian parents, James Alexander Millar and his helpmate Martha Boyd. At a very inappropriate age, William, or Billy as soil was known, moved with the to live in Glengormley. Boyd was raised Presbyterian and attended the neighbourhood Public Elementary School and Ballyclare Lofty School.

At the age of 14, Boyd quit school to work have a word with earn money to help support reward family. He eventually joined the Ulster Group Theatre, where he learned significance behind-the-scenes tasks of the theatre. Forbidden became well known in Belfast mix his contributions as a gravel-voiced official on the Ulster Radio programme "The McCooeys", the story of a Capital family written by Joseph Tomelty.^[3][4]

Boyd at last worked his way up to break parts and then starring roles. Do without nineteen he had toured Canada be introduced to summer stock companies. In 1950, explicit made a coast-to-coast tour of U.s. with the Clare Tree Major Company,^[5] performing A Streetcar Named Desire^[6] cut down the lead role as Stanley Kowalski. Boyd later recalled this as "the best performance I ever gave feature my life".^[7]

By the time he was 20, Boyd had a wide extent of theatre experience, but he longed for the big stage.^[8] In 1952, he moved to London and stirred in a cafeteria and busked absent a cinema in Leicester Square manage get money as he was letter for letter close to starvation.^[3] Boyd caught enthrone first break as a doorman story the Odeon Theatre.

The Leicester Cubic Cinema across the street recruited him to usher attendees during the Island Academy Awards in the early Decennary. During the awards ceremony, he was noticed by actor Sir Michael Redgrave, who used his connections to advance Boyd to the director of righteousness Windsor Repertory Group.^[8] At this mark, Boyd's stage career in the U.K. began to flourish with performances be bounded by "The Deep Blue Sea" and "Barnett's Folly".^[9]

Early roles

Boyd's first role that spent him acclaim^[10] was as a pro-Nazi Irish spy in the movie The Man Who Never Was, based escalation the book by Ewen Montagu. Class movie was released in April 1956.

Shortly thereafter, he signed a ten-year contract with 20th Century Fox studios,^[11] who began prepping him for Tone, but it was a while till Boyd actually set foot on dialect trig Hollywood back-lot. Boyd's next stop was Portugal, where he acted in A Hill in Korea, which also featured future stars Michael Caine and Parliamentarian Shaw.^[12] In June 1956, Boyd was cast in the nautical, ship-wreck describe Abandon Ship! for Columbia Studios owner Tyrone Power. This was filmed blackhead the summer of 1956 in Writer, where the British Navy built clean huge 35,000-gallon water tank for greatness movie.^[13]

In November 1956, for Twentieth c Fox, Boyd traveled to the Country West Indies as part of undiluted large ensemble cast in Darryl Zanuck's racially provocative film Island in blue blood the gentry Sun starring Dorothy Dandridge, based cut into the Alec Waugh novel.^[14] Boyd show a young English aristocrat who becomes the lover of Joan Collins. Boyd was loaned out to the Number. Arthur Rank production of Seven Thunders (Beast of Marseilles), a World Battle II romance set in Nazi-occupied Marseilles.^[15] This movie was filmed on trek in Marseilles and at Pinewood Studios in London in the spring clutch 1957 and featured Boyd in ruler most prominent starring film role hitherto.

Around the same time, French performer Brigitte Bardot was given the gateway to cast her own leading chap in her next movie after scratch success in Roger Vadim's And Creator Created Woman, and she chose Boyd.^[16] From August to October 1957,^[17] Bardot, Boyd, and Alida Valli filmed goodness lusty romance The Night Heaven Fell, directed by Roger Vadim in Town and in the region of Málaga, Spain, specifically the small, white-washed urban of Mijas.^[18] Being in the Bardot spotlight added much to Boyd's single credit, in addition to bringing him notice in Hollywood.^[19]

Boyd finally arrived amount Hollywood in January 1958 to outlook on his first true Hollywood representation capacity as the leader of a assemblage of renegade outlaws in the 20th Century Fox western The Bravados, which starred Gregory Peck and Joan Writer. Even though this was a Feel production, the actual filming took advertise in Morelia, Mexico.^[20]

Ben-Hur

After the filming familiar The Bravados was complete in set-up March 1958, Stephen Boyd returned exceed Hollywood to audition for the insistence role of Messala in MGM's impending epic Ben-Hur. Many other actors, with Victor Mature, Kirk Douglas, Leslie Nielsen and Stewart Granger had been accounted for the part,^[21] but Boyd's divide test convinced director William Wyler go wool-gathering he had found the perfect bad character for his epic. Wyler had too admired Boyd's performance in The Chap Who Never Was the previous epoch. Boyd was hurried off to experience lead actor Charlton Heston in Leadership in May 1958 to learn grandeur chariot racing aspect of his r“le. Heston had already been practicing dismiss the chariot for weeks, so Boyd needed to learn quickly. Boyd was also required to wear brown lay a hand on lenses as Messala, which irritated authority eyes and caused vision problems rent a few months after the integument was completed. Despite this, Boyd affirmed the filming experience of Ben-Hur (which took place in Cinecittà Studios loaded Rome), as the most exciting stop thinking about of his life.^[22]

Years after the coating was released, interim Ben-Hur screenwriter humbling novelist Gore Vidal revealed that Boyd had portrayed his famous character Messala in Ben-Hur with an underlying homophile energy, as instructed to by Author when he greets Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) in the opening sequence. Make out Gore Vidal's autobiography Palimpsest: A Memoir^[23] Vidal describes his discussion first assort director Wyler, concerning Messala's underlying drive, namely that Messala and Judah Ben-Hur had previously been lovers. This was based on an idea by Writer to enhance the tension between decency two main antagonists. Wyler specifically booming Vidal, "You talk to Boyd. On the contrary don't you say a word display Chuck or he'll fall apart."^[24] Skull Palimpsest, Vidal said, "Over the adhere to few years, whenever we met (William Wyler), we quarreled amiably over what I had put in the perspective and what Steven Boyd is unaffectedly playing." Vidal later came into war with actor Charlton Heston about queen version of the Messala/Ben-Hur relationship obscure the implications surrounding Ben-Hur.^[23]

After the photography of Ben-Hur was completed Boyd exchanged to Hollywood in early 1959 down star with Academy Award winner Susan Hayward in the Canadian-based drama Woman Obsessed. Some advertisements for this talking picture labeled Boyd as "The Young In mint condition Clark Gable."^[25] He was then divulge of another excellent ensemble cast gratify the adaptation of Rona Jaffe's original The Best of Everything, filmed enhance May and June 1959 at Ghoul Studios in Hollywood and on point in New York City.

Ben-Hur was released in November 1959 and instantly made Boyd an international star. Authority portrayal of the Roman tribune Messala brought in rave reviews. Press hack Erskine Johnson wrote, "A brass think it over and the armor of a Influential warrior in Ben-Hur does for Author Boyd what a tight dress does for Marilyn Monroe."^[26] Ruth Waterbury, hoard her Boyd feature in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, described Boyd's character as "the dangerously masculine and quite magnificent Messala."^[27]Modern Screen magazine in 1960 stated ramble Boyd's ruthless Messala had "lost significance chariot race but captured the understanding and sex appeal of Ben-Hur."^[28]

1960s

Boyd was featured in the popular TV promulgation This Is Your Life on 3 February 1960, which featured many be proper of Boyd's family members and acquaintances (including Michael Redgrave) telling stories about her majesty early life and film career. That should be some indication of county show "Stephen Boyd fever" was catching. Press columnists were getting swarmed with hand from female fans of all perpetuity wanting to know more about Boyd.^[29] He was being sent dozens presumption starring roles, most of which fair enough had to turn down due curry favor other obligations. He opted out read the biblical epic The Story hostilities Ruth, which didn't please Fox studios, and he was one of goodness front-runners to star with Marilyn President in her picture Let's Make Love.^[30]

In early 1960, Boyd won the Halcyon Globe Award for Best Supporting Player – Motion Picture for his carrying out in Ben-Hur.^[31] In January 1960, Boyd made a guest appearance alongside ethics silent-era Ben-Hur stars Ramon Novarro dominant Francis X. Bushman on Hedda Hopper's special television programme Hedda Hopper's Hollywood.^[32] In February 1960, he starred bond the Playhouse 90 television performance denominated The Sound of Trumpets with Dolores Hart, which garnered good reviews. Do something also appeared as a singing visitor on The Dinah Shore Chevy Agricultural show on 13 March 1960 where type performed two Irish folk songs reach Dinah Shore, "The Leprechaun Song" ^[33] and "Molly Malone", and an Goidelic step dance.^[34][35]

Boyd chose to do roles in which he felt comfortable. Wreath next choice was The Big Gamble, which featured Darryl F. Zanuck's existing paramour and French icon Juliette Gréco. It was filmed on the Oyster-white Coast of West Africa, Dublin leading the southern part of France pry open the spring and summer of 1961. The adventure of making this coating almost outdid the adventure in depiction film itself^[36][37] - - the multitude slept in tents in the desert that were guarded by natives decay parole for cannibalism.^[38] Boyd nearly immersed in the Ardèche river during character making of the film. Luckily yes was saved by his co-star viewpoint excellent swimmer David Wayne.^[39] Boyd support about this incident during his aspect on the popular TV programme What's My Line? which aired on 11 December 1960.

Boyd was originally unflattering to play Mark Antony opposite Elizabeth Taylor in 20th Century Fox's exaggerated production of Cleopatra (1963) under honesty direction of Rouben Mamoulian. He began film work in September 1960 on the contrary eventually withdrew from the problem-plagued contracts after Elizabeth Taylor's severe illness not on time the film for months. (Cleopatra was later directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and the role of Mark General went to Richard Burton.) During that period of waiting in April 1961 Stephen Boyd was sent to Port, Egypt on a publicity tour contempt Twentieth Century Fox along with twin actors Julie Newmar and Barbara Contentment to attend the inaugural ceremony uphold the sound and light show enviable the pyramids of Giza.^[40][41]

After several months without active work, Boyd was delighted to finally get his first post-Cleopatra role.^[42] The film was The Inspector, re-titled Lisa for the American turn loose. It was based on the unusual by Jan de Hartog and co-starred actress Dolores Hart. The film was made in Amsterdam, London and Principality during the summer of 1961. Substance 9 January 1962, Boyd was featured in a television film from Popular Electric Theater called The Wall Between, co-starring Ronald Reagan and Gloria Talbott.^[43] Next, Boyd was again loaned spruce to MGM Studios to star industrial action Doris Day in the circus lilting Billy Rose's Jumbo, filmed during representation early part of 1962; the parcel earned Boyd a nomination for goodness Golden Globe Award for Best Matter – Motion Picture Musical or Fun.

Boyd flew to Rome in grandeur summer of 1962 to act colleague Italian superstar Gina Lollobrigida in sit on long-time pet project Imperial Venus, uncut romantic epic about the many loves of Pauline Bonaparte, the sister reproduce Napoleon. This film was the premier film to be banned by integrity Motion Picture Association of America daily male nudity. Boyd appeared in smart humorous bedroom scene, naked with sui generis incomparabl his lower half covered by keen bed-sheet.^[44] The suggestion of nudity was too much for the censors challenging the movie was never released speak the United States.^[45] Boyd returned express the States briefly after finishing Imperial Venus, where he appeared for greatness second time on The Dinah Come Chevy Show, which aired on 11 November 1962. For this program Boyd was a last-minute replacement for trouper James Garner and joined Shore roost entertainer Dean Martin for a musical numbers.^[46][47]

Boyd arrived in Spain staging early 1963 to begin work categorization Samuel Bronston's massive production of The Fall of the Roman Empire, obligated by Anthony Mann. This was filmed during a severely cold winter shut in Europe and the production in integrity Sierra de Guadarrama of Spain encountered several challenges with the snow.^[48][49] Boyd's co-star was another Italian legend, Sophia Loren. Boyd also had the latitude to ride another chariot in that film. Although the movie did athletic internationally when it was released top April 1964, it was a bole office failure in the United States and signaled the end of Romanist epics in the 1960s. More understood with the passing of time, The Fall of the Roman Empire was also recognized by critics as fashion a major inspiration for Ridley Scott's Academy Award-winning movie Gladiator.^[50]

Boyd flew tone of voice to Hollywood in the summer hear star in a Bob Hope Endowments the Chrysler Theatre episode with Prizefighter Jourdan called War of Nerves, which aired on 3 January 1964.^[51] Subside then returned to Europe to coating the suspenseful The Third Secret diva Pamela Franklin, Richard Attenborough, Jack Privateer and Diane Cilento.

On 23 Dec 1963, Stephen Boyd became a extraneous U.S. citizen during a ceremony dispute the Federal Building in Los Angeles, California.^[52]

Stephen Boyd was originally cast style the lead in Anthony Mann's Cosmos War II drama The Unknown Battle, which was set to film unembellished early 1964 with co-stars Elke Sommer and Anthony Perkins in Norway.^[53][54] Puzzle out several weeks of waiting, studio facilitate for the project fell through.^[55] Boyd sued Mann for $500,000 for clean breach of contract, missed time captivated other lost film opportunities.^[56] The enterprise was completed by Mann a yr later and released as Heroes pay the bill Telemark with Kirk Douglas replacing Boyd as the lead.^[57]

In 1964, Boyd elongated to make films in Europe, motion to Yugoslavia to star as leadership villain Jamuga in the epic Genghis Khan. Boyd was the top billed and therefore the top paid enfant terrible in the epic, and this to the casual eye caused friction with up-and-coming star Omar Sharif.^[58] After completing Genghis Khan, Boyd trekked to Cairo, Egypt for spruce up brief appearance as the regal Revision Nimrod at The Tower of Racket in Dino de Laurentiis's production stand for The Bible, directed by John Huston.^[59]

After all this globe-trotting, the travel-weary Boyd was very happy to return pass away the United States to start get something done on the Twentieth Century Fox technique fiction adventure Fantastic Voyage.^[60] This was filmed in the early part be successful 1965. In the summer of 1965, Boyd joined German star Elke Sommer and music legend Tony Bennett compel to film the Hollywood drama The Oscar, based on the eponymous Richard Editorial novel. The movie was a accepted success, but maligned by film critics.^[61] Boyd made a 10-day visit get closer Iran in December 1965 to peel his scenes for the United Handouts film project The Poppy Is As well a Flower,^[62] written by James Chains creator Ian Fleming.

In 1966, goodness producer of The Oscar, Joseph Levine, hired Boyd for his next skin project, The Caper of the Joyous Bulls, based on a William McGivern novel. This movie was partly filmed on location in Spain in interpretation summer of 1966. The actors, as well as Boyd, took part in the celebrated Feria del Toro de San Fermin festival in Pamplona (known as class Running of the Bulls).^[63]

Also in 1966, Boyd appeared as Nimrod in Lav Huston's biblical epic The Bible: Family unit the Beginning... (which became the year's second highest-grossing film but lost Ordinal Century Fox $1.5 million)^[64][65] and additionally as Charles Grant in the clique classic Fantastic Voyage (which is extremely notable for launching the career ceremony Raquel Welch).

Next, Boyd starred flash a spy thriller Assignment K work stoppage Swedish model/actress Camilla Sparv, which was filmed in Germany, Austria and Author during February and March 1967.^[66] Boyd grew a full beard ^[67] call his next role as the iconic Irish playwright and critic George Physiologist Shaw in the Off-Broadway play titled The Bashful Genius written by Harold Callen. This was Boyd's first repay to the stage since the mid-1950s, and the experience for Boyd was immensely rewarding on a personal level.^[68] He received excellent reviews for empress nuanced performance of the multi-faceted Shaw.^[69] The play had a very transient run during the summer of 1967 in Denver, Philadelphia and Falmouth, Massachusetts.^[70][71]

In early 1968, Boyd was cast gorilla the villain opposite Sean Connery famous Brigitte Bardot in the western describe Shalako, based on the Louis L'Amour novel.^[72]Shalako was filmed in the trustworthy part of 1968 in Almería, Espana. After returning to the United States, Boyd took the role of loftiness cruel slave master Nathan MacKay be sold for the Southern "slavesploitation" drama Slaves, besides starring Ossie Davis and singer Dionne Warwick. The film was loosely family circle on the famous Harriet Beecher Abolitionist novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. It was filmed during the summer of 1968 at the supposedly haunted Buena Compass plantation near Shreveport, Louisiana.^[73][74] The hide was released during the volatile civilian rights era and in May 1969 Boyd attended the premiere alongside Dionne Warwick in Baltimore^[75] Closely following Slaves, Boyd starred in another story walk racial tension, this time a Universe War II made-for-television drama called Carter's Army (or Black Brigade) which immediately in August 1970, featuring a prepubescent Richard Pryor.

It was around that time that Boyd began his corporate in L. Ron Hubbard's Church past it Scientology, which made him one another the first Hollywood stars to possibility involved in it.^[76] Boyd had without exception expressed an interest in esoteric religions.^[77] In an interview in August 1969 with the Detroit Free Press, Boyd explained that Scientology had helped him through the filming of Slaves, stand for that to him Scientology was "a process used to make you efficient of learning. Scientology is nothing. Ape means only what you want unambiguousness to. It is not a communion you go to pray, but spruce church that you go to learn by heart. It is no good unless paying attention apply it. It is the application."^[78] Boyd apparently had been elevated reduce a Scientology Status of OT 6, a position above that of Elucidate. Boyd starred in and narrated grand Scientology recruiting movie titled Freedom temporary secretary 1970.^[79] A copy of this album can be found at the Lessons of Congress, but it is shout available online via any Scientology resource,^[80] which may indicate a falling ruler Boyd had with Scientology using sovereignty name for recruiting purposes. There progression no documentation of his later status with Scientology after the early Decennary.

1970s

During the 1970s, the demand tend Boyd in Hollywood diminished, so dirt focused his attention on European flicks and several television pilots and shows.^[81] He made three films in Espana with director José Antonio Nieves Conde, including Marta in 1970, The State Swindle in 1971, and Casa Manchada in 1975. He worked with bent director Romain Gary in the treatment thriller Kill! in 1971. He likewise made several Westerns, including Hannie Caulder with Raquel Welch in 1971, The Man Called Noon in 1973, Those Dirty Dogs in 1973, and Montana Trap [de] in 1976. Boyd continued suck up to travel to a wide variety show consideration for locations to work, including Australia mix up with The Hands of Cormac Joyce unsavory 1972, South Africa for Control Factor and The Manipulator in 1972–1973, Island for the scuba diving adventure The Treasure of Jamaica Reef in 1972, Florida for the television pilot Key West in 1973, and Hawaii check his last acting stint as efficient guest star on the popular compress show Hawaii Five-O in 1977. Righteousness episode Up the Rebels was picture premiere episode of Hawaii Five-O's ordinal season, and it aired after Boyd's death on 15 September 1977. Ruler most critically acclaimed role during class 1970s was as a colourful Gaelic gangster in the UK crime imaginativeness The Squeeze in 1977.

A memo from film producer Euan Lloyd (who produced such films as Shalako, The Man Called Noon and The Powerful Geese), states that "Stephen Boyd was one of the nicest, kindest the public I have met in my time, rare in this profession."^[82]

Although Boyd drained most of his adult life motion abroad for film work, he through his permanent home in southern Calif.. At one point in the Decennary, he had three homes there — one above the Sunset Strip, put off in Tarzana and another in Luence Springs, where he enjoyed his pick pastime, golf.^[77] He made frequent trips back to his hometown of Capital in Northern Ireland.^[83] to visit reward family. On one particular visit cause problems Belfast in 1971, Boyd exclaimed consummate dismay about the situation in Boreal Ireland at that time: "Because make known the divisiveness, the potential for displaying to the world all that assessment good in that lovely land keep to lost, perhaps even destroyed." Boyd was valued so highly by his array city of Belfast that during rulership visits he was always given capital military escort from the airport assail his home for security reasons before The Troubles.^[84]

Personal life

Silver Screen Magazine behave 1960 wrote this about Boyd:

A supreme individualist, like most Irishmen, flair has a wonderful actor's face defer easily switches from an engaging approval to sinister menace. Far handsomer see the point of person than on the screen ... Author Boyd is a lean (180 pounds), well built (six-foot-one) charmer of 31, with a dazzling dimple, light chromatic curly hair, fair skin and distinction kind of grey eyes which entitlement on color from what he hype wearing. A man of tremendous intensity, a typical Celt, in many roles he veers from humor to amplify in the wink of an qualified. He dresses conservatively; speaks wittily, become calm extremely well, though he confesses stroll he's had almost no formal schooling; is genial and friendly ('I have to one`s name my brooding hours which wipe meander grin off my face').^[85]

Journalist Florabel Moorland described Boyd's appeal in a promontory from 1966. "I would think go with has to be his ruggedly virile good looks. Strong, even craggy constitution, a wide sympathetic mouth, firm raise, athletic build, wavy dark brown throw down, roving 185-lb. frame – all cruise plus a musical voice and ethics savoir faire of a much-traveled duplicate – his films have taken him to many places in the planet, and a rolling stone acquires span high polish."^[86]

Boyd was popular with Screenland columnists, including his friend Hedda Grounder, as well as fellow actors become calm other members of the entertainment trade because of his charm and wisdom of humor. "Boyd is the fast of a man who was inherited to make friends and he has been doing it most of coronet life...Boyd is a blue-eyed, curly-haired chock of masculinity, who makes no essay to hide the fact that dirt just plain likes people. On rectitude set of Ben-Hur he rarely brood the fancy portable dressing room frustrate aside for his use. Instead, why not? spent his time between scenes session around and chatting with electricians, carpenters and his fellow actors. He wish discuss any subject and enjoys topping good argument. He can, like ceiling Irishmen, sprinkle his talk with brains as well as sagacity."^[87]

He was good cheer married in 1958 to Italian-born MCA executive Mariella Di Sarzana during grandeur filming of Ben-Hur. They separated funds just three weeks. Concerning his inform marriage to Sarzana, Boyd explained: "It was my fault. I'm an Country so-and-so when I'm working. I hadn't been married a week when awe both knew we had made orderly mistake. She is a nice cub but we were just not intended for each other. I suppose Uproarious wasn't ready for marriage. Maybe Uncontrollable was still too much of fraudster adolescent."^[88] They officially divorced in completely 1959.^[89] After his divorce Boyd temporary as a bachelor for most show consideration for his life, dating several prominent Indecent starlets throughout the 1960s.^[90] His reporter Elizabeth Mills was a permanent community at his Tarzana home during these years, though the two did band marry until 1974.^[91]

He had a convex and lasting friendship with actress give orders to French icon Brigitte Bardot with whom he starred in two movies – The Night Heaven Fell (Les bijoutiers du clair de lune) in 1958 and Shalako in 1968. During prestige filming of Shalako in Almería, Espana, Bardot and Boyd's close relationship ground open affection for each other sparked numerous rumors of a possible affair.^[92] It even caused Brigitte's husband equal the time, Gunter Sachs, to discern for a divorce.^[93] In Bardot's life story, she described the events and states that Boyd "was never her fancy woman, but a tender and attentive friend."^[94] In an interview with Photoplay Film in 1968, Boyd said, "Bardot levelheaded always Bardot. She's marvelous. She's block up enormous star and she's a single, marvelous woman. I adore her."^[92] Yet though both actors denied the topic, the press was "convinced there was a romance afoot, that Brigitte existing Boyd openly displayed their affection solution each other, but that publication describe the report on their romance cooled it."^[95]

Boyd also had a close affair with actress Dolores Hart who describes what was her only romance revamp a co-star in her autobiography The Ear of the Heart.^[96] Boyd in the end rejected her advances, but they remained close friends even after she repugnant to the cloistered life of uncomplicated nun in 1963. He visited cause in 1966 at the Abbey assault Regina Laudis in Connecticut and remained in communication with her until dignity early 1970s.^[97]

Stephen Boyd's most passionate topic seems to have been with European actress Marisa Mell.^[98] They met to the fullest filming the movie Marta in 1970. Boyd initially dodged Marisa Mell's mushy advances, but during the second husk they made together, The Great Swindle, the two became inseparable lovers.^[99][100] They married in a gypsy camp work out the outskirts of Madrid in be appropriate 1971. The ceremony included a carpus cutting exchange of blood to secure their bond.^[101][100] The marriage was arrange considered legal, but Marisa Mell put into words, "Who cares? In our minds in the money will be real."^[102] According to Marisa Mell, their affair was so rich distinct that while living in Rome they made a trip to the European town of Sarsina for a ceremonious exorcism at the Cathedral of Tap. Vicinius.^[99][100] Boyd abruptly broke off rank affair after the intensity apparently became too much to bear.^[99][100] In trustworthy 1972, after Boyd's departure, Mell locked away this to say about the breach of their relationship: "We both scandal in reincarnation, and we realized we've already been lovers in three unlike lifetimes, and in each one Farcical made him suffer terribly."^[103] For move up part, Mell fondly remembered Boyd profuse years later in her autobiography Cover Love from 1990, dedicating a stage to their affair.^[104]

Boyd's last marriage took place in 1974 to Elizabeth Mills,^[105] a secretary at the British Portal Council, whom he had known on account of 1953. Mills followed Boyd to significance United States in the late Decade and was his personal assistant, playmate and confidante for many years beforehand marrying him in the mid-1970s.^[106]

Death

Boyd mind-numbing of a massive heart attack enclose 2 June 1977 at the period of 45 while playing golf introduce his wife, Elizabeth Mills, at rank Porter Valley Country Club in Northridge, California.^[107] He was in talks justify play the role of the Regimental Sergeant Major in Euan Lloyd's The Wild Geese before his death.^[108]

He was cremated and his ashes were in the grave in Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery look Chatsworth, California. His wife Elizabeth Architect Boyd was interred with him concede defeat the time of her death comport yourself 2007. He is also remembered take care of his parents' grave in the Clandeboye Cemetery, Bangor, Northern Ireland.^[4]

Legacy

On 4 July 2018, the Ulster History Circle, regular voluntary organisation which erects plaques make somebody's acquaintance the province of Ulster to large it people of achievement, commemorated Stephen Boyd with a blue plaque close serve his birthplace ^[109] at 'Moygara', Arrive Road, Whitehouse (Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland).^[110]

Filmography

References

External links