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Rod Cameron (December 7, 1910 - December 21, 1983) was a movie actor whose career extended from the 1930s to the 1970s. He appeared in horror, war, action and science fiction movies, but is best remembered for his many westerns.
Cameron was born Nathan Roderick Cox in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He moved to Hollywood as a young man and started out as a stuntman and bit player for Paramount Pictures. His early films include Heritage of the Desert with Donald Woods and Russell Hayden, Rangers of Fortune with Fred MacMurray, and Henry Aldrich for President with Jimmy Lydon. He also played bit roles at Universal Pictures, including in If I Had My Way, starring Bing Crosby and Gloria Jean.
In 1943, Rod Cameron gained star status in action serials for Republic Pictures. As crime-busting federal agent Rex Bennett, Cameron battled enemy terrorists in 15 weekly episodes of G-Men vs the Black Dragon. He was already working in another serial when audience reaction to Black Dragon made him a hit. Cameron was so popular that the studio turned the new production into another Rex Bennett adventure, Secret Service in Darkest Africa, with Cameron again battling against Axis agents.
When cowboy star Johnny Mack Brown left Universal Pictures for Monogram Pictures, Rod Cameron replaced him as Universal's western series star. Tall and rugged, Cameron looked good in the saddle and was very popular. Universal soon gave him straight character roles in feature films, including Salome, Where She Danced co-starring Yvonne DeCarlo.
Universal reorganized and downsized its activities in 1947, leaving Cameron and other contract players unemployed. He was hired by Monogram Pictures for a long string of outdoor action pictures.
Cameron starred in three syndicated television series: City Detective (1953-1955), State Trooper (1956-1959), and the COronado 9 (1960-1961). In City Detective, Cameron appeared as the tough New York City police lieutenant Bart Grant. In State Trooper, a 1950s-style western-themed crime drama, Cameron starred as Rod Blake, a member of the Nevada State Police based in Las Vegas. In COronado 9, set in the San Diego areas, Cameron appeared as Dan Adams, a private detective. State Trooper in particular was known for its notable guest stars despite not being affiliated with a network. Cameron himself guest starred in many westerns, such as NBC's Laramie and also in dramatic series. He continued to work in motion pictures and television into the 1970s.
Cameron's private life was colorful; in a highly publicized marital scrap, he divorced his wife to marry her mother. Hence his former director, William Witney, publicly acclaimed Cameron as the bravest man he had ever seen.
Some reports say he had a daughter from a previous unreported marriage. This may stem from a failed attempt to adopt an orphan girl from a Charlotte, N. C. Orphanage in the late 1940s.
Cameron died in Gainesville, Georgia, at the age of seventy-three. The location of his ashes is unknown. He was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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