Who was Bing Russell? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Neil Oliver Russell

Died At Age: 76

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Louise Julia Russell (m. 1946 – his death. 2003)

father: Warren Russell

mother: Ruth Stewart Vogel

children: Jill Russell, Kurt Russell

Actors American Men

Height: 5'11" (180 cm), 5'11" Males

Died on: April 8, 2003

place of death: Thousand Oaks, California, United States

U.S. State: Vermont

Cause of Death: Cancer

More Facts

education: Dartmouth College

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Rise to Stardom

Bing Russell, who was interested in acting since childhood, studied drama at Brattleboro High School. He made his acting debut with the film Cavalry Patrol. In 1951, he started working in a 12-part miniseries called, 'The Living Christ Series', in which he appeared as Lazarus in three episodes. This was followed by a series of uncredited roles in a number of films and a few television series, following which he portrayed various characters on the TV show 'You Are There' (1953-55).

During 1955-56, he appeared in a few episodes of 'Cavalcade of America' and served as an assistant director for a few episodes of 'Schlitz Playhouse'. In 1956, he made his film debut with the television movie 'Cavalry Patrol', which was again followed by a series of uncredited roles. By 1957, Russell began appearing regularly on television and also had occasional film appearances, most important of which was the role of Robert in the western film 'The Magnificent Seven' (1960). However, he got his big break in 1961, when he was cast as Deputy Clem Foster on the popular western television series 'Bonanza', a role that he portrayed for 55 episodes of the series during 1961-72.

He later portrayed several outlaw characters, including his role as Chicago mobster John Quigley in the 'Five Tickets to Hell' episode (1963) of the CBS anthology series 'GE True' by Jack Webb. His other notable role was that of a criminal called Burt Alvord in the 'The Measure of a Man' episode (1963) of the syndicated Western series 'Death Valley Days'.

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Baseball Connection

When Bing Russell was seven years old, he reportedly met New York Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez outside the spring training field in Florida while he was trying to defend a stray fly ball that he had caught from a gang of kids. Soon after, he became an unofficial mascot for the Yankees. When Russell was 12, Lou Gehrig, Yankees first baseman, gave him the bat that he used to hit a home run before his retirement. Two years later, Russell’s family moved to Dartmouth, following which he played Class D pro baseball for the Carrollton Hornets of the Georgia-Alabama League for over a year prior to beginning his acting career. Later in the mid-1970s, he became the owner of Portland Mavericks, which was the only independent team in the Class A Northwest League. With 'fun' as his team’s motto, he accepted everyone in his open try-outs, including ex-major league players and new aspirants, later maintaining a roster of 30 men. He also hired the first female general manager in professional baseball, Lanny Moss.

Family & Personal Life

Neil Oliver 'Bing' Russell was born on May 5, 1926 in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States to Ruth Stewart (née Vogel) and Warren Oliver Russell. His father was an aviator who ran commercial seaplane airbases in New England and St. Petersburg, Florida. While Russell studied drama at Brattleboro High School in Vermont, he also took time out to watch Yankees’ spring training at their Florida camp.

He once worked in the 'Teddy's Restaurant' in Newport, New Hampshire, where a co-waitress introduced him to his future wife Louise Julia Crone in 1944. The couple began dating soon after and got married two years later on October 5, 1946. They remained together until his death from cancer on April 8, 2003, in Thousand Oaks, California. They had four children together, Jill, Jamie, Jody, and Kurt. His daughter Jill's son Matt Franco played baseball for Westlake High. Russel’s son Kurt played for the Portland Mavericks, and later became a famous actor. The father-son duo have worked together in the television movie 'Elvis' (1979), in which Kurt portrayed the legendary singer, Elvis Presley, while Bing portrayed his on-screen father Vernon Presley.

Bing Russell Biography