Don Dubbins was an American actor who appeared in many films and TV shows from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was known for his boyish looks and his roles as young military men, especially in the classic movies From Here to Eternity and The Caine Mutiny. He also worked with James Cagney in two films, These Wilder Years and Tribute to a Bad Man. However, his career faded in the later years and he died of cancer in 1991 at the age of 63. In this article, we will explore his life, his work, and his cause of death.
Early Life and Career
Don Dubbins was born on June 28, 1928, in Brooklyn, New York. His birth name was Donald Gene Dubbins. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1946 to 1948. He began his acting career in 1953, appearing in the TV series The Doctor. He also had a small role as a bugler in the film From Here to Eternity, which starred Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, and Frank Sinatra.
Rise to Fame
Dubbins got his big break when he was discovered by James Cagney, who cast him as his long-lost adopted son in the drama These Wilder Years in 1956. The same year, he co-starred with Cagney again in the western Tribute to a Bad Man, where he played a young cowboy who falls in love with a Mexican woman. Dubbins received positive reviews for his performances and was considered a promising actor.
He continued to appear in films such as The D.I., where he played a private under the strict supervision of Jack Webb; From the Earth to the Moon, where he played an astronaut; The Illustrated Man, where he played a man who encounters strange stories on a tattooed man’s body; and Death Wish II, where he played a detective.
TV Roles and Retirement
Dubbins also had a prolific TV career, appearing in many popular shows such as Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Rifleman, Bonanza, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Millionaire, Peyton Place, Perry Mason, Petticoat Junction, 77 Sunset Strip, The Twilight Zone, The Guns of Will Sonnett, Dynasty, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Then Came Bronson, Dragnet, Murder, She Wrote, Barnaby Jones, and Hunter.
However, his roles became less prominent and more sporadic as he aged. His last TV appearances were in Dynasty in 1988 and Hunter in 1987. His last film role was in The Fix in 1985.
Cause of Death
Dubbins retired from acting and moved to Greenville, South Carolina. His last performance was as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman at the Warehouse Theater in Greenville in 1991. He succumbed to cancer at the St. Francis Hospital in Greenville on August 17, 1991. He was buried in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.
According to The New York Times, he was survived by his wife Jeanne Schaults Dubbins and his son Robert Paul Dubbins from his previous marriage to Carolyn Marie Kline.
Legacy
Don Dubbins was a talented actor who had a promising start but did not achieve lasting fame. He worked with some of the biggest stars of Hollywood and left behind a legacy of films and TV shows that are still enjoyed by many fans today. He was also a veteran who served his country with honor. He will be remembered as a versatile and charismatic performer who lost his battle with cancer too soon.
