Jan Shepard, Elvis Co-Star and TV Western Icon, Dies at 96

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I, Jan Shepard, a veteran of the Wild West on both TV and the big screen, have ridden my last trail. I starred in shows like Rawhide, The Virginian, Gunsmoke, and more than two dozen other Western series. I even had the honor of sharing the screen with the King himself, Elvis Presley, in movies eight years apart. Now, at 96 years old, it’s time for me to hang up my spurs and ride off into the sunset.

She passed away on January 17 at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank due to pneumonia caused by respiratory failure, her son, prop master for Hollywood, Brandon Boyle, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. “She was an exceptional person and will be deeply mourned,” he added.

In the movies “King Creole” (1958) directed by Michael Curtiz and “Paradise, Hawaiian Style” (1966), she played Mimi, Danny Fisher’s sister in the former, who was Presley’s character, and the wife of Danny Kohana, portrayed by James Shigeta. In the latter film, her character partnered with Presley’s Rick Richards in a helicopter business.

Or even more simply:

She acted as Mimi, sister of Presley’s character in “King Creole” (1958), and as Danny Kohana’s wife (James Shigeta) who partnered with Presley’s character in a helicopter business in “Paradise, Hawaiian Style” (1966).

In an interview for the 1999 book “Westerns Women” by Boyd Magers and Michael G. Fitzgerald, she recalled: “The first time I met him, he was the most adorable child, like a big stuffed bear, full of fun.” However, during their next film project, he returned from military service and had noticeably changed. He was always accompanied by several bodyguards.

Her high-definition filmography encompassed the cult classic B-movie “The Behemoth Leech Strike” (1959), which was helmed by Bernard L. Kowalski and produced by the Corman brothers, Gene and Roger, under American International Pictures.

1954 saw the charming actress make her debut in a TV Western series called “Death Valley Days,” followed by a string of roles that had her rolling in the dust on shows like “The Adventures of Kit Carson,” “The Lone Ranger,” “The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp,” “Tales of the Texas Rangers,” “Rawhide,” “Tombstone Territory,” “Wanted: Dead or Alive,” “Bat Masterson,” “Gunsmoke” (four episodes), “Laramie,” “Lawman,” “The Virginian” (five episodes) and “The High Chaparral,” among many others.

Josephine Angela Sorbello hails from Quakertown, Pennsylvania, born on the 19th of March, 1928. During her time at Quakertown High School, she showcased her talents in school plays, led the cheers as a cheerleader, twirled the baton as drum majorette, and stood out as the valedictorian.

1949 saw her arrival in Los Angeles, where she joined the Ben Bard Players, a local theater troupe, and honed her skills at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Simultaneously, she held a job as a secretary at an I. Magnin department store to cover the $25 monthly rent for her apartment on Hollywood Boulevard, which she lived in with future Gunsmoke star Amanda Blake. She mentioned this during a 2019 interview with Alan K. Rode.

1952 saw Shepard’s first on-screen appearance on the television series, Fireside Theater. Following this debut, she was consistently cast in shows such as I Married Joan, Big Town, Private Secretary, Waterfront, Public Defender, and The Loretta Young Show.

(The original sentence is grammatically correct but could be made more conversational and easier to read by breaking it down into simpler sentences.)

1957 saw her acting as a nurse on the syndicated show “Dr. Christian,” alongside Macdonald Carey. In the 60’s, she became a recurring cast member of two soap operas: CBS’ “The Clear Horizon” (set at Cape Canaveral, Florida), which focused on astronauts and their families, and ABC’s “Day in Court,” a legal drama.

As a gamer diving into an epic quest, scoring my dream role in “King Creole” felt like finding that rare, coveted item hidden deep within the game world. My trusted comrade, Dolores Hart, was my guide and ally, leading me to Presley’s love interest part in the movie, making this a moment I’ll never forget – truly the pinnacle of my gaming career!

Presley playfully handed her some 10-cent earrings during their work on the Paramount film, but later gifted her a giant stuffed tiger and a movie camera at Hart’s surprise birthday party.

Shepard recalled that the following day, Dolores encountered Elvis, and she exclaimed, ‘I was taken aback by your presence,’. To which Elvis responded, chuckling, ‘It was inevitable for me to be here, she’s my sister. I wouldn’t have missed her birthday celebration.’

I bumped into him at the recording studio. He remarked, ‘I’ve heard Elvis was at your birthday bash.’ I replied, ‘That’s correct.’ He added, ‘You know, he rarely leaves his place; instead, people visit him, not the other way around.’

After Hart left Hollywood for religious life as a nun, Shepard and Maria Cooper, the daughter of Gary Cooper, took on the role of her godmothers.

In the year 1962, she acted alongside James Drury and Simon Oakland in the critically-acclaimed movie “Third of a Man,” which focuses on the theme of mental illness.

Apart from four appearances on Perry Mason, she was also featured in a variety of other shows such as Highway Patrol, Mannix, Land of the Giants, Then Came Bronson, and finally, The Rookies in 1973, marking her last screen credit.

Dirk London, who was known as Ray Boyle and famously portrayed Wyatt Earp, met his wife in 1951 at Ben Bard. They got married in 1954 after collaborating on an episode of her show “Death Valley Days,” and remained together until his passing at the age of 98 in January 2022.

Those who carry on are Brandon, known for assisting in props for series like “Murder, She Wrote” and “The Newsroom” (his mother declined allowing him to be part of the Elvis Presley film “G.I. Blues”, as the script required him to cry); Jenn, daughter-in-law; Riley and Hayley, grandchildren; and Andrew, his spouse Danielle, and their child Olivia.

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2025-01-27 17:25