Gordon Gebert
Encyclopedia
Gordon Alan Gebert was a child actor
who is predominantly known for having smaller roles, in such films as Holiday Affair
. He later turned away from acting and became a college
professor
.
in 1941. His father, Gordon Gebert, Sr., was a salesman for Freuhauf Trailer Co. and eventually handled Iowa truck and bus fleet sales for Ford Motor Co. He was a "frustrated actor" who performed in theatre productions and plays, but never had a huge break.
In 1946, a boy was needed for a play and Gebert took the role, taking acting lessons through the theatre to be able to play it. In the spring of 1948, near the end of first grade, the family took off for Los Angeles and almost immediately young Gordon found himself performing in a Pasadena Playhouse production of Life With Father
. Agent Lola Moore saw and signed him, and he soon had a small part in Come to the Stable
.
His break was Holiday Affair in 1949. He appeared with well-known stars and stood out, being written about in editorials and reviews. It got him spots on radio programmes and in television work, such as Cavalcade of America
, Gunsmoke
and Pursuit. He continued his acting career in The Flame and the Arrow
and The Flying Leathernecks, but never passed the part of a son. Eventually, in 1955, he got the role as the World War II hero Audie Murphy as a boy, in To Hell and Back
.
His last movie was Summer Love and after a few television appearances, his adult acting career never left the ground. Instead, he found an interest in architecture; he enrolled at UCLA, switched to USC and eventually went to MIT for a bachelor's degree. He now is a professor of architecture at New York's City College
School of Architecture.
Gebert met Lizabeth Paravisini, a professor of Spanish and Hispanic culture at Vassar College in 1986 while both were waiting for a flight to Cuba, to fill educational speaking engagements. They married and have a son, Gordon Jr. (b.1992); he has two grown daughters from an earlier marriage.
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
who is predominantly known for having smaller roles, in such films as Holiday Affair
Holiday Affair
Holiday Affair is a black-and-white 1949 light romantic comedy film starring Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh. This modest film, directed and produced by Don Hartman, saw Mitchum expand from his typical roles in film noir and war films....
. He later turned away from acting and became a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
.
Biography
Gebert was born in Des Moines, IowaIowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
in 1941. His father, Gordon Gebert, Sr., was a salesman for Freuhauf Trailer Co. and eventually handled Iowa truck and bus fleet sales for Ford Motor Co. He was a "frustrated actor" who performed in theatre productions and plays, but never had a huge break.
In 1946, a boy was needed for a play and Gebert took the role, taking acting lessons through the theatre to be able to play it. In the spring of 1948, near the end of first grade, the family took off for Los Angeles and almost immediately young Gordon found himself performing in a Pasadena Playhouse production of Life With Father
Life with Father
Life with Father is the title of a humorous autobiographical book of stories compiled in 1935 by Clarence Day, Jr., which was adapted in 1939 into a long-running Broadway play by Lindsay and Crouse, which was, in turn, made into a 1947 movie and a television series.-The book:Clarence Day wrote...
. Agent Lola Moore saw and signed him, and he soon had a small part in Come to the Stable
Come to the Stable
Come to the Stable is a 1949 American film which tells the story of two French nuns who come to a small New England town and involve the townsfolk in helping them to build a children's hospital...
.
His break was Holiday Affair in 1949. He appeared with well-known stars and stood out, being written about in editorials and reviews. It got him spots on radio programmes and in television work, such as Cavalcade of America
Cavalcade of America
Cavalcade of America is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented a musical, such as an adaptation of Show Boat, and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially broadcast on radio from 1935 to 1953, and later on...
, Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
and Pursuit. He continued his acting career in The Flame and the Arrow
The Flame and the Arrow
The Flame and the Arrow is a 1950 American adventure film made by Warner Bros. and starring Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo and Nick Cravat. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Harold Hecht and Frank Ross from a screenplay by Waldo Salt. The music score was by Max Steiner and the...
and The Flying Leathernecks, but never passed the part of a son. Eventually, in 1955, he got the role as the World War II hero Audie Murphy as a boy, in To Hell and Back
To Hell and Back (film)
To Hell and Back is a CinemaScope war film released in 1955. It was directed by Jesse Hibbs and starred Audie Murphy as himself and Kyle Sanville. It is based on the 1949 autobiography of the same name and is an account of Murphy's World War II experiences as a soldier in the U.S. Army...
.
His last movie was Summer Love and after a few television appearances, his adult acting career never left the ground. Instead, he found an interest in architecture; he enrolled at UCLA, switched to USC and eventually went to MIT for a bachelor's degree. He now is a professor of architecture at New York's City College
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
School of Architecture.
Gebert met Lizabeth Paravisini, a professor of Spanish and Hispanic culture at Vassar College in 1986 while both were waiting for a flight to Cuba, to fill educational speaking engagements. They married and have a son, Gordon Jr. (b.1992); he has two grown daughters from an earlier marriage.