Gary Morton

About Gary Morton

Who is it?: Producer, Miscellaneous Crew, Actor
Birth Day: December 19, 1924
Birth Place:  The Bronx, New York, United States
Died On: March 30, 1999(1999-03-30) (aged 74)\nPalm Springs, California, U.S.
Birth Sign: Capricorn
Cause of death: Lung cancer
Occupation: Actor, comedian, producer
Years active: 1965–1990
Spouse(s): Susan Morrow (m. 1953; annulled 1957) Lucille Ball (m. 1961; d. 1989) Susie McAllister (m. 1996)

Gary Morton Net Worth

Gary Morton was born on December 19, 1924 in  The Bronx, New York, United States, is Producer, Miscellaneous Crew, Actor. Gary Morton was a comedian who worked the famed "Borscht Belt" of resorts in the Catskills Mountains. Never as talented nor as renowned as such fellow Borscht Belt comics like Milton Berle, whom he caricatured in one of his few film roles in Lenny (1974), Morton nonetheless was personally popular among his fellow performers. Due to his personable nature, Morton made a living as the opening act for many major artistes, including Tony Bennett.Morton met his future wife Lucille Ball while headlining at New York's Copacabana night club in 1960, when he went on a blind date with the famous redhead, who had recently divorced Desi Arnaz. Morton's indifference to Lucy's celebrity at first infuriated her but, eventually, she was won over by Morton's charm and married him within a year.Morton gave up his nightclub career after marrying Lucy, at her request, and became a producer of her television shows. Morton also served as a warm-up comic for The Lucy Show (1962)'s live audience, content with his role as "Mr. Lucille Ball".
Gary Morton is a member of Producer

💰 Net worth: Under Review

Some Gary Morton images

Biography/Timeline

1953

Morton married Actress Susan Morrow on December 17, 1953. In August 1954 they separated and finally on July 11, 1957, his marriage to Morrow was annulled in Los Angeles.

1961

Morton became closely involved in the management of his wife's career, from the time of their marriage in 1961 throughout the remainder of her career. During Ball's solo years as the titular head of Desilu Productions, Morton and his brother-in-law, Fred Ball, served on the studio's board of Directors in various capacities.

1967

After the sale of Desilu to Gulf+Western in 1967, Morton helped Ball form Lucille Ball Productions to allow her to have more of a free hand in television production. Morton served as executive Producer of Ball's third series Here's Lucy (1968–1974), and was a co-executive Producer of her ill-fated 1986 series Life With Lucy. Aside from producing tasks, he warmed up Ball's audiences before her entrance. He also played bit parts in Ball's various series and acted occasionally in films. He played a fictional borscht belt Comedian Sherman Hart in Lenny (1974).

1996

Morton's effectiveness in his duties has, in recent years, come under some scrutiny and criticism. Most notable of these denouncements are those of Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman, whose dealings with Morton during the production of the original Star Trek television series were documented in their 1996 book, Inside Star Trek: The Real Story. Others, including Grant Tinker, have since come forward with their own recollections of Morton's tenure at Desilu.

1999

In 1996, Morton married Susie McAllister. On March 30, 1999, he died of lung cancer at the age of 74 in Palm Springs, California.

2014

Most critics cite Morton's construction of a "European Street"—a ¾-scale replica of a European-styled Business district street—as being arguably the most wasteful use of studio funds at a time when frugality was a necessity. According to Desilu and Paramount financial records, and as reported by Solow and Justman, not one television or theatrical production was filmed on this set before it was demolished in 1977.