Krekor Ohanian (August 15, 1925 – January 26, 2017), known professionally as Mike Connors, was an American actor and film producer. He was best known for playing private detective Joe Mannix on the CBS television series Mannix from 1967 to 1975. This role earned him a Golden Globe Award in 1970, the first of six straight nominations, as well as four consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations from 1970 to 1973. He also starred in the short-lived series Tightrope! (1959–1960) and Today's FBI (1981–1982).
Connors's acting career spanned 56 years. In addition to his work on television, he appeared in numerous films, including Sudden Fear (1952), Good Neighbor Sam (1964), Situation Hopeless... But Not Serious (1965), Stagecoach (1966), Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die (1966) and Too Scared to Scream (1985), which he also produced.
Early life
Connors was born Krekor Ohanian Jr. on August 15, 1925, in Fresno, California, to Armenian parents Krekor and Alice (née Surabian) Ohanian. His father had escaped the Armenian genocide. They married in 1915 and had six children: Paul I (died in childhood), Paul II, Dorothy M., Arpesri A., Krekor and Eugene. His father was an attorney and represented many Armenians who had little money and could not speak English. Connors spoke three languages: Armenian, English, and French. Connors was a cousin of French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour.
Connors was an avid basketball player in high school, nicknamed "Touch" by his teammates. During World War II, he served as an enlisted man in the United States Army Air Forces. After the war, he attended the University of California at Los Angeles on both a basketball scholarship and the G.I. Bill, where he played under coach John Wooden. Connors went to law school, where he studied to become an attorney, taking after his father. He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
After a basketball game, coach Wilbur Johns introduced Connors to his friend, director William A. Wellman, who liked Connors' voice and expressive face while he was playing basketball, and encouraged him to consider acting. He was considered for the role of Tarzan by casting director Ruth Burch, who found him an acting coach.
After Connors became an actor, his agent Henry Willson thought the name "Ohanian" was too similar to the actor George O'Hanlon and gave him the stage name "Touch Connors" based on his basketball nickname. Willson considered "Connors" to be a "good all-American name." Connors later stated he hated the name "from day one" and considered not using his real name the only big regret of his career. After getting the starring role in Tightrope!, Connors wanted to be credited as Ohanian, but Columbia Pictures told him that he had already done too much work as Connors, though he was allowed to change his first name to Mike.
Career
Early roles
thumb|right|200px|Connors with [[Leigh Snowden (left) and Claire Kelly in a publicity photo for Tightrope!, 1960]]
Connors's film career started in the early 1950s, when he made his acting debut in a supporting role opposite Joan Crawford and Jack Palance in the thriller Sudden Fear (1952). He had initially been rejected for an audition by producer Joseph Kaufman due to his lack of experience, but after sneaking into Republic Pictures and meeting director David Miller, Connors was given a chance to read the script and was offered the part.
Connors was cast in the John Wayne film Island in the Sky, in which he played a crewman on one of the search-and-rescue planes. In 1956, he played an Amalekite herder in Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments.
Connors appeared in numerous television series, including the co-starring role in the 1955 episode "Tomas and the Widow" of the anthology series Frontier. He guest-starred on the early sitcoms Hey, Jeannie! and The People's Choice, and in two Rod Cameron syndicated crime dramas, City Detective and the Western-themed State Trooper, and played the villain in the first episode filmed (but second aired) of ABC's smash hit Maverick, opposite James Garner in 1957.
Connors had roles in several of the earliest films Roger Corman directed: Five Guns West (1955), The Day the World Ended (1955), Swamp Women (1956) and The Oklahoma Woman (1956). Connors starred in and was the executive producer of Flesh and the Spur (1956). He raised $117,000 for the film.
In 1958, Connors appeared in the title role of the episode "Simon Pitt", the series finale of the NBC Western Jefferson Drum, starring Jeff Richards as a frontier newspaper editor. He appeared in another NBC Western series, The Californians. That same year, Connors was cast as Miles Borden, a corrupt US Army lieutenant bitter over his $54 monthly pay on NBC's Wagon Train in the episode "The Dora Gray Story" with Linda Darnell in the title role. About this time, he also appeared on an episode of NBC's Western series Cimarron City.
Connors starred as an undercover police officer who infiltrated organized crime in Tightrope! (1959–1960). Despite the show's popularity, it was canceled after only one season. Connors stated in an interview that the show's primary sponsor, J.B. Williams, refused CBS president James Aubrey's request to move it to a later time slot on a different day. The sponsor dropped Tightrope! and underwrote another program on another network. Connors also did not agree with the suggested change to add a sidekick, to be played by Don Sullivan. He thought the program would lose the suspense element, "Because the whole premise was this guy, all by himself, 'on a tightrope.' ... When he gets a sidekick, it loses the threat and the danger, and the whole premise is in the toilet."
Later, he was cast in the episode "The Aerialist" of the anthology series, Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond. In 1963, he guest-starred as Jack Marson in the episode "Shadow of the Cougar" on the NBC modern Western series, Redigo, starring Richard Egan.
Connors performed his own stunts on the series. During the filming of the pilot episode, he broke his wrist and dislocated his shoulder. The show was taken off the air due to a dispute between CBS and Paramount.
He later reprised the role of Joe Mannix in a 1997 episode of Diagnosis: Murder and in the 2003 comedy film Nobody Knows Anything!
Later career
thumb|right|200px|Connors with [[Genevieve Gilles in a publicity photo for Mannix, 1973]]
He narrated J. Michael Hagopian's 1975 documentary film The Forgotten Genocide, one of the first full-length features on the Armenian genocide. The documentary was nominated for two Emmys. In 1995, Connors narrated another Armenian documentary by Hagopian, Ararat Beckons. However, the series was not picked up.
Connors had roles in the thriller films Avalanche Express (1979) and Nightkill (1980). He starred as a bureau veteran who mentors a team of agents in Today's FBI (1981–1982). The series only lasted one season. Through his daughter Dana, he had one granddaughter. He endorsed Ronald Reagan for President in 1980 and 1984 and endorsed George Deukmejian for Governor of California in 1982 and 1986.
Death
Connors died in Tarzana, California, at age 91 on January 26, 2017, a week after being diagnosed with leukemia.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1952
| Sudden Fear
| Junior Kearney
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1953
| The 49th Man
| Lt. Magrew
|
|-
| Sky Commando
| Lt. Hobson Lee
|
|-
| Island in the Sky
| Gainer
|
|-
| 1954
| Day of Triumph
| Andrew
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1955
| Five Guns West
| Hale Clinton
|
|-
| The Twinkle in God's Eye
| Lou
|
|-
| Day the World Ended
| Tony Lamont
|
|-
| rowspan="6" | 1956
| Jaguar
| Marty Lang
|
|-
| Swamp Women
| Bob Matthews
|
|-
| The Oklahoma Woman
| Tom Blake
|
|-
| Flesh and the Spur
| Stacy Doggett
| Also executive producer
|-
| The Ten Commandments
| Amalekite Herder
| Credited as 'Touch Connors'
|-
| Shake, Rattle & Rock!
| Garry Nelson
|
|-
| 1957
| Voodoo Woman
| Ted Bronson
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1958
| Suicide Battalion
| Major Matt McCormack
|
|-
| Live Fast, Die Young
| Rick
|
|-
| 1960
| The Dalton That Got Away
| Russ Dalton
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1964
| Panic Button
| Frank Pagano
|
|-
| Good Neighbor Sam
| Howard Ebbets
|
|-
| Where Love Has Gone
| Major Luke Miller
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1965
| Harlow
| Jack Harrison
|
|-
| Situation Hopeless... But Not Serious
| Sgt. Lucky Finder
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1966
| Stagecoach
| Hatfield
|
|-
| Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die
| Kelly
|
|-
| 1979
| Avalanche Express
| Haller
|
|-
| 1980
| Nightkill
| Wendell Atwell
|
|-
| 1985
| Too Scared to Scream
| Lt. Alex Dinardo
| Also producer
|-
| 1989
| Fist Fighter
| Billy Vance
|
|-
| 1993
| Public Enemy #2
| Himself
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1994
| William Saroyan: The Man, the Writer
| Narrator (voice)
|
|-
| Downtown Heat
| Steve
|
|-
| 1997
| James Dean: Race with Destiny
| Jack Warner
|
|-
| 1998
| Gideon
| Harland Greer
|
|-
| 2000
| The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave
| Grandpa Osborne
| Uncredited
|-
| 2003
| Nobody Knows Anything!
| Joe Mannix
|
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1954
| The Ford Television Theatre
| Christopher Ames
| Episode: "Yours for a Dream"
|-
| Mr. & Mrs. North
| Mark Willard
| Episode: "Murder for Sale"
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1955
| City Detective
| Massey
| Episode: "Baby in the Basket"
|-
| The Lineup
|
| Episode: "The Messenger Case"
|-
| Frontier
| Tomas
| Episode: "Tomas and the Widow"
|-
| Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
| Mel Dunlap / Lou Renaldi
| 2 episodes
|-
| The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
| Pat Smith
| Episode: "The Big Baby Contest"
|-
| rowspan="7" | 1956
| Have Camera Will Travel
| Larry
| Television film
|-
| Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal
|
| Episode: "The Diana Story"
|-
| The Millionaire
| Victor Volante
| Episode: "The Victor Volante Story"
|-
| The Loretta Young Show
| Al Kiner
| Episode: "Now a Brief Word"
|-
| The Adventures of Jim Bowie
| Rafe Bradford
| Episode: "Broomstick Wedding"
|-
| Gunsmoke
| Bostick
| Episode: "The Mistake" (credited as Touch Connors)
|-
| The People's Choice
| Bob Staples
| Episode: "Sock and the Law"
|-
| 1956–59
| State Trooper
| Jim Madison / Jim Herndon
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="11" | 1957
| Hey, Jeannie!
| Lash Connor
| Episode: "Jeannie, the Westerner"
|-
| Sheriff of Cochise
| Jess Stiles
| Episode: "Husband and Wife"
|-
| Code 3
| Bill Dalhart
| Episode: "The Water Skier"
|-
| Lux Video Theatre
| Glen Kramer
| Episode: "The Latch Key"
|-
| The Silent Service
| Don Melhop
| Episode: "The Ordeal of S-38"
|-
| Those Whiting Girls
| Hotel Guest
| Episode: "The Trio"
|-
| M Squad
| Pete Wikowlski
| Episode: "Pete Loves Mary"
|-
| Have Gun – Will Travel
| Johnny Dart
| Episode: "The Bride"
|-
| The Gale Storm Show
| Jerry Moss
| Episode: "Mardi Gras"
|-
| Maverick
| Sheriff Barney Fillmore / Ralph Jordan
| 2 episodes
|-
| The Walter Winchell File
| Dave Hopper
| Episode: "The Steep Hill"
|-
| 1957–59
| Whirlybirds
| Tom Grimaldi / Wally Otis
| 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="11" | 1958
| Wagon Train
| Lt. Miles Borden
| Episode: "The Dora Gray Story"
|-
| Telephone Time
| Cy Yedor
| Episode: "The Checkered Flag"
|-
| Official Detective
| Martin Whiting
| Episode: "The Cover-Up"
|-
| Studio 57
| Patrolman Jeff Saunders / Hap Gordon
| 2 episodes
|-
| Cheyenne
| Roy Simmons
| Episode: "Dead to Rights"
|-
| Target
|
| Episode: "Death Makes a Phone Call"
|-
| The Texan
| Larry Enright
| Episode: "The Edge of the Cliff"
|-
| Cimarron City
| Bill Thatcher
| Episode: "Hired Hand"
|-
| Rescue 8
| Joe Starky
| Episode: "Find That Bomb!"
|-
| Jefferson Drum
| Simon Pitt
| Episode: "Simon Pitt"
|-
| Lawman
| Hal Daniels
| Episode: "Lady in Question"
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1959
| The Rough Riders
| Randall Garrett
| Episode: "Wilderness Trace"
|-
| Bronco
| Hurd Elliott
| Episode: "School for Cowards"
|-
| Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond
| Mario Patruzzio
| Episode: "The Aerialist"
|-
| The Californians
| Charles Cora
| Episode: "The Bell Tolls"
|-
| Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer
| Marty / Lou Torrey
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1959–60
| Tightrope!
| Nick Stone
| 37 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1962
| The Untouchables
| Eddie O'Gara
| Episode: "The Eddie O'Gara Story"
|-
| The Expendables
| Mike
| Television film
|-
| 1963
| Redigo
| Jack Marston
| Episode: "Shadow of the Cougar"
|-
| 1964
| Perry Mason
| Joe Kelly
| Episode: "The Case of the Bullied Bowler"
|-
| 1967–75
| Mannix
| Joe Mannix
| 194 episodes<br>Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama <small>(1970)</small><br>Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama <small>(1971–1975)</small><br>Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series <small>(1970–1973)</small>
|-
| 1968–70
| The Red Skelton Show
| Various
| 3 episodes
|-
| 1971
| Here's Lucy
| Joe Mannix
| Episode: "Lucy and Mannix Are Held Hostage"
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1973
| Beg, Borrow, or Steal
| Vic Cummings
| Television film
|-
| Bob Hope Special
| Joe Mannix
| Private Eyes spoof skit with Hope as "Cannon"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1976
| The Killer Who Wouldn't Die
| Karl Ohanian
| rowspan="3" | Television film
|-
| Charo
| Gen. George Washington
|-
| Revenge For A Rape
| Travis Green
|-
| 1977
| Police Story
| Curtis 'Manny' Mandell
| Episode: "Stigma"
|-
| 1978
| Long Journey Back
| Vic Casella
| rowspan="4" | Television film
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1979
| The Death of Ocean View Park
| Sam Jackson
|-
| High Midnight
| Capt. Lou Mikalich
|-
| 1980
| Casino
| Nick
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1981–82
| The Love Boat
| Mark Hayward / Sidney Sloan
| 4 episodes
|-
| Today's FBI
| Ben Slater
| 18 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1984
| Earthlings
| Captain Jim Adams
| Television film, unsold pilot
|-
| Glitter
|
| Episode: "Pilot"
|-
| The Fall Guy
| Himself
| Episode: "Private Eyes"
|-
| 1988–89
| War and Remembrance
| Col. Harrison 'Hack' Peters
| 4 episodes
|-
| 1989
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents
| Robert Logan
| Episode: "Driving Under the Influence"
|-
| 1989–95
| Murder, She Wrote
| Boyce Brown / Walter Murray
| 3 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1993
| Armen and Bullik
| Joe 'Uncle Do Do' Armen
| Television film
|-
| The Commish
| James Hayden
| Episode: "Scali, P.I."
|-
| Hart to Hart Returns
| Bill McDowell
| Television film
|-
| 1994
| Burke's Law
| Jack Duncan
| Episode: "Who Killed the Anchorman?"
|-
| 1997
| Diagnosis: Murder
| Joe Mannix
| Episode: "Hard-Boiled Murder"
|-
| 1998
| Walker, Texas Ranger
| Judge Arthur McSpadden
| Episode: "Code of the West"
|-
| 1998–99
| Hercules
| Chipacles (voice)
| 10 episodes
|-
| 2007
| Two and a Half Men
| Hugo
| Episode: "Prostitutes and Gelato"
|}
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Award
! Year
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
|-
| rowspan="6" | Golden Globe Awards
| 1970
| rowspan="6" | Best Actor – Television Series Drama
| rowspan="10" | Mannix
|
|-
| 1971
|
|-
| 1972
|
|-
| 1973
|
|-
| 1974
|
|-
| 1975
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | Primetime Emmy Awards
| 1972
| rowspan="4" | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
|
|-
| 1970
|
|-
| 1971
|
|-
| 1973
|
|}
References
Further reading
External links
- Mike Connors (Aveleyman)