George Sawaya

George Frances Carey Sawaya (August 14, 1923 – September 17, 2003) was an American actor and stuntman.[4] He was best known for playing the role of Detective Lopez on Jack Webb's Dragnet.[5]

George Sawaya
Sawaya (right) with Jack Webb and Barney Phillips in Dragnet, 1951
Born
George Frances Carey Sawaya[1]

(1923-08-14)August 14, 1923
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 17, 2003(2003-09-17) (aged 80)
Studio City, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, stuntman
Years active1951–1984
Spouse(s)
Jean Olsen
​
(div. 1955)​
[2]
Marlene Barr[3]

Life and career

Sawaya was born in Los Angeles, California.[6] He served in the United States Army during World War II.[6] Sawaya began his career in 1951, first appearing in the film The Lady Says No, which starred Joan Caulfield and David Niven. He then made his debut as a stunt performer in 1952, where he appeared in the film The Narrow Margin.[6] Sawaya performed as a double for actor Charles McGraw for the film.[6] In the same year, he appeared in the films, With a Song in My Heart, starring Susan Hayward; Here Come the Marines, starring Leo Gorcey and What Price Glory, starring James Cagney, Corinne Calvet and Dan Dailey. Sawaya had then appeared in numerous films and television programs with actor Ernest Borgnine.[6]

Sawaya appeared and performed as a stunt performer in numerous films, such as, Desert Legion (1953); Day of Triumph (1954); The Prodigal (1955); Andy Hardy Comes Home (1958); The Walking Target (1960); Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962); Come Blow Your Horn (1963); Fort Courageous (1965); Batman (1966); Hello, Dolly! (1969); Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970); Blazing Saddles (1974); St. Ives (1976); and Blade Runner (1982). His final film role was in the 1984 film Repo Man.[7]

Sawaya began his television debut in 1952, where he played the role of the Hispanic character "Detective Lopez" on Jack Webb's Dragnet until 1957. He then made an appearance in the western series The Man Behind the Badge. Sawaya also made an appearance in the action and adventure television series Yancy Derringer. He made guest-starring appearances in Bonanza, The Wild Wild West, Mannix, Star Trek: The Original Series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Rockford Files, The Time Tunnel, Mission: Impossible, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Columbo and Get Smart.[6] He also made an appearance in the legal drama television series Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Malicious Mariner". His final television credit was from the science fiction television series The Powers of Matthew Star, which starred Peter Barton and Louis Gossett Jr.[8]

Death

Sawaya died in September 2003 in Studio City, California, at the age of 80.[1] He was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park.[1]

Selected filmography

References
  1. Wilson, Scott (August 19, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 662. ISBN 9781476625997 – via Google Books.
  2. "Actress Testifies Mate Preferred New Car". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. March 14, 1955. p. 2. Retrieved June 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. closed access
  3. "Now a Colonel's Lady, She Used To Be in Show Biz". The Macon News. Macon, Georgia. October 13, 1967. p. 9. Retrieved June 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. closed access
  4. Warren, Bill (January 12, 2017). Keep Watching the Skies!: American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties, The 21st Century Edition. McFarland. p. 283. ISBN 9781476625058 – via Google Books.
  5. Jenner, Mareike (February 4, 2016). American TV Detective Dramas: Serial Investigations. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 83. ISBN 9781137425669 – via Google Books.
  6. Scott Freese, Gene (April 10, 2014). Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s-1970s: A Biographical Dictionary, 2d ed. McFarland. pp. 249–250. ISBN 9780786476435 – via Google Books.
  7. Willis, John (1985), "Screen World: Volume 36", University of Michigan, Crown Publishers, p. 43
  8. Phillips, Mark; Garcia, Frank (1996). Science Fiction Television Series: Episode Guides, Histories, and Casts and Credits for 62 Prime Time Shows, 1959 Through 1989 · Volume 1. McFarland. p. 262. ISBN 9780786400416 – via Google Books.
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