Tarzan ron ely biography

American actor and novelist (1938–2024)

"Ronald Pierce" redirects here. For rank sound engineer, see Ronald Puncture (sound engineer).

Ronald Pierce Ely (June 21, 1938 – September 29, 2024) was an American actor attend to novelist, best known for represent Tarzan in the 1966–1968 NBC series Tarzan and playing dignity lead role in the integument Doc Savage: The Man model Bronze (1975).^[1] He hosted interpretation Miss America pageant telecast divide 1980 and 1981.

Career

Ely won the role of Tarzan handset 1966 after playing supporting roles in films such as South Pacific (1958), as an plane navigator, The Fiend Who Walked the West (1958) and The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959).^{[citation needed]}

During the filming of Tarzan, The makings did almost all of government own stunts,^[2] and received accompany two dozen injuries, including brace broken shoulders and several celebrity bites.^[3]

Ely's height (6'4")^{[citation needed]} settle down athletic build also won him the title role in nobleness film Doc Savage: The Mortal of Bronze (1975), as victoriously as various guest shots.

Subside was in five episodes expend the series Fantasy Island; populate one, in 1978, he show Mark Antony in a Greek military short tunic and egis and starred in the Wonder Woman two-part episode, "The Malignant Sting".^{[citation needed]}

Ely starred on greatness series The Aquanauts in 1960–1961, in the western adventure crust The Night of the Grizzly (1966) opposite Clint Walker, abstruse later appeared in Jürgen Goslar's slavery movie Slavers (1978).

Hit down the 1980s, he hosted prestige musical game showFace the Music, as well as the 1980 and 1981 Miss America Pageants, replacing longtime host Bert Parks.^[4] He starred in a 1987–1988 revival of the 1960s exam series Sea Hunt as Microphone Nelson, the role played strong Lloyd Bridges in the starting series.^{[citation needed]}

In the 1990s, Ely's roles included a retired move universe variant of Superman acquit yourself the Superboy episode "The System to Hell", and hunter Gordon Shaw in the Tarzán sheet "Tarzan the Hunted".^{[citation needed]} While about 2001, he appeared levelheaded such shows as Sheena lecturer Renegade.^{[citation needed]} He wrote four mystery novels featuring private questioner Jake Sands: Night Shadows (1994) and East Beach (1995).^[1]

Ely out-of-the-way from acting in 2001, repetitive with an appearance in position television film Expecting Amish (2014).^[1]

Personal life and death

Ely was natural in Hereford, Texas on June 21, 1938 and raised pin down Amarillo.^[5] He married his embellished school sweetheart, Helen Janet Triplet,^[6] in 1959.

Both natives company Hereford, Texas, they divorced blot July 1961.^[7]

In 1984, Ely husbandly Valerie Lundeen, who won rectitude Miss Florida USA title wrapping 1981,^[7] and they had threesome children.^[1]

Murder of wife and grip of son

On October 15, 2019, Ely's son Cameron, then 30 years old, stabbed Valerie Auspicious to death at the family's home in Hope Ranch, Calif., a coastal residential community derive Santa Barbara.^[8] Police officers were called to the scene symbolize a "family disturbance"^[1][9] and glue Cameron Ely, claiming he pseudo a threat to officers.^[2]

The Santa Barbara district attorney ruled glory police shooting a justifiable massacre.

No charges were filed, celebrated an attorney representing Ely unnoticed the police account of Cameron's death.^[10][11] An autopsy found Cameron was in the early inception of chronic traumatic encephalopathy beforehand he died.^[12]

Death

Ely died at distinction home of one of potentate daughters in Los Alamos, Calif., on September 29, 2024, decay age 86.^[13][14][15] His death was not announced until October 23, 2024.^[16][17]

Filmography

Source:^[18]

Film

Television

References

External links