Actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the staunch Curly Bill Brosius in the film "The Toughest Gun in Tombstone" (1958). Born John La Varre, Jr., he was the first of six children fathered by screen and stage actor John Merton. After attaining his degree in theatrical arts from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, New York, he relocated to Los Angeles, California, to follow in his father's footsteps as an actor. Upon completing an arranged interview with film director Sam Newfield, he made his formal debut in a small role in the motion picture "Frontier Crusader" and from there went on to flourish as a character actor in over 250 credits in a career that spanned for 33 years. He was often typecast as villains, henchmen, military men, cowboys, sheriffs, playboys, love interests, blue-collared guys, military men, doctors, lawyers, educators, retail clerks, businessmen, con-artists, engineers, prisoners, husbands, fathers, neighbors, reporters, photographers, detectives, policemen, postmen, prizefighters, bank tellers, wardens, bartenders, eccentrics, philanthropists, curators, wealthy bachelors, aristocrats, and, in his later years, patriarchs. He appeared in such full-length films as "Riders of the Badlands" (1941), "Fall In" (1942), "Western Cyclone" (1943), "A Gentle Gangster" (1943), "Flame of the West" (1945), "Silver Range" (1946), "Black Hills" (1947), "Frontier Agent" (1948), "Death Valley Gunfighter" (1949), "I Was a Shoplifter" (1950), "Trail of Robin Hood" (1950), "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1951), "The Longhorn" (1951), "Afrian Treasure" (1952), "Kansas Pacific" (1953), "Devil's Canyon" (1953), "Ride Clear of Diablo" (1954), "Seven Angry Men" (1955), "Red Sundown" (1956), "Apache Warrior" (1957), "The Gun Hawk" (1963), "A Distant Trumpet" (1964), "The Slender Thread" (1965), "Journey to Shiloh" (1968), and "Shootout" (1971). With the advent of television, he flourished as a household name appearing in numerous guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock," "Sky King," "Cowboy G-Men," "The Roy Rogers Show," "Hopalong Cassidy," "The Eddie Cantor Comedy Hour," "Tales of the Texas Rangers," "The Gene Autry Show, "State Trooper," "Crossroads," "The Cisco Kid," "Adventures of Superman," "Schlitz Playhouse," "Judge Roy Bean," "Annie Oakley," "The Lone Ranger," "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin," "Zorro," "Sugarfoot," "Richard Diamond, Private Detective," "Have Gun - Will Travel," "Bronco," "The Restless Gun," "26 Men," "Fury," "Bourbon Street Beat," "Special Agent 7," "Hotel de Paree," "Johnny Ringo," "Tate," "Outlaws," "Maverick," "Klondike," "The Magical World of Disney," "The Barbara Stanwyck Show," "Sea Hunt," "Tales of Wells Fargo," "Shotgun Slade," "Rawhide," "Cheyenne," "The Untouchables," "Ben Casey," "Laramie," "My Favorite Martian," "The Fugitive," "Slattery's People," "Perry Mason," "The Loner," "Wagon Train," "Branded," "Kraft Suspense Theatre," "Daniel Boone," "Lost in Space," "Laredo," "Lassie," "Judd for the Defense," "The Name of the Game," "Death Valley Days," "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "Hawaii Five-O," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," and "Cannon". During his career, he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, was supportive of the California State Democratic Committee, served in the United States Army during World War II, was a regular parishioner of the Episcopal church, served as an honorary chairman for his local charters of The American Red Cross and The March of Dimes, was a theatrical instructor for the Pasadena Playhouse, and was an avid independent musician. After retiring in 1968, he spent the final years of his life focused on religious and charitable causes until his death from complications of a brain hemorrhage.