Las Cruces Sun-News from Las Cruces, New Mexico • Page 87

I B.BV 1 'THE WINNING TEAM' found Lytton with Ronald Reagan and Doris Day in the story of an athlete going blind and Lytton as the doctor. LDS as military chief of staff Par featured Lytto7 Remembering Hollywood Profile Herb Lyllon could sit at his home at Organ and watch himself on television every week-- but he seldom does. Las Crucens might see him in McHale's Navy where he appeared in every segment where the script included Admiral Reynolds. He might be spoiled in one of about 25 appearances he made on Gun- smoke-- as a banker, an old hunter or several other roles. He could appear on your screen in one of about 15 roles on Cheyenne with Clint or with Ward Bond in a Wagon Train rerun, often appearing as a doctor.

You might find him with James Garner on Maverick, or in (he Laramie scries. Or he might be seen in a number of movies-- roles in Blood On The Sun with James Cagney, Lion in the Streets, Man of A Thousand Faces with Lon Chancy or The City Story. A few years ago Lytton was ready To Get A Take II was in one of about 20 shows in the Maverick series that Herb Lytton worked in i James Garner. Lyllon was playing a frontier doctor. "Jim Garner had been shot in.

Ihe upper arm," Lyllon recalls. "1 was supposed toextract a .44 calibre slug and drop it in a metal basin. "I secured the slug in a pair of tongs and held them under his armpit. I pulled the slug and Jim sat up and yelled "But his 'ouch' wasn't strong and the director kept telling him thai on Ihenexttakebehadtoexpressmore pain. "I called the direclor aside and told him to print the next one.

"What are you going lo do?" "Nevermind, print it. "The next time I slipped the longs under his armpit I clipped a few hairs between the tongs and the slug. "When I pulled that slug, Jim popped up fast with a really con- "Later, every lime he met me," Lytlon said, "He'd point to his armpit and say, "I've got a bald spot By Jack Weaver Sun-News Editor to leave "Smogsville" and followed his doctors orders to get out of California and move to a dry place with purer air." Bui this decision also involved Roma Lind, a Hollywood TV personality who liad her own women's shows for aboul a decade and her own cosmetics firm, Roma-Lind Products. When he asked her if she planned to get a new boyfriend he found she was not opposed to 'the country he had chosen to comply with his doctor's, orders. The daughter of a mining engineer, she had lived in the Jicarilla Mountains near White Oak and New Mexico also suited her fine.

They were married about four years ago, and three years ago Nov. 1 they moved to Las Cruces. They lived in town for a year, but quickly boughl land al the site of their present home Iwoand one-half miles southwest of Organ, 15 miles east of Las Cruces, in the morning shadow of the grand peaks. Lytton has been in show business for 35 years, but he insists "I never 'went He didn't, as far as Ihe affectations normally associated wilh the celluloid world. He doesn't leave the impression of speaking in a stage voice, even though he can switch lo Ihe lalk of a Japanese soldier or a German scientist wilh a perfection that calls for a second look to see if it's really coming from him.

And when he lells an anecdote aboul his old friend Pat O'Brien, whom he worked wilh in a TV show called Cop Without A Badge, the brogue is straight out of Killarney. But he's friendly, straightforward and sin-, cere: "1 want you to slop in for a cup, and that's not a Hollywood invitation meaning 'get I want toknowwhen." Herb Lj lion He did "go Hollywood" as far as the long association, fond memories and good friendships that can't be erased. When telling ahout Ihe film world, Lytlon bounces about three memories ahead before his firsl recollection can be absorbed. Names fall like rain. Bignames.

Hut they're not just fired for effect, but because they're really parl of Ihe story: "I told DeMille (Cecil when I was working on The Ten 1 played two roles in thai a mute valet chief of It Won't Last Herbert C. Lytton was one of the actors, along wilh Milburn Stone, being considered for the role of "Doc" when the James Arness Gunsmoke series was starling. The show had been on radio. Lytlon's agent told him, "you don't want that. It's been around for eight or nine years.

It won't lasl long. Take this other film parl I've got lined up." Lytlon did. Gunsmoke was filmed for 21 years and still plays regularly in prime time. THE SIAMESE TWINS being questioned by "District Attorney" Lytton in the 1956 movie, The They could not be separated. Must the innocent die, or the guilty one live The writer copped out and the Ivtton in the 1956 movie, me live'.

me wnv.ti iwi Defense Rests, were really Siamese film's judge left it up to the audience twins. One had committed a murder, to decide. SECTION E-SUNDAY, NOVEM1JKR 21. 197R-LAS CRUCES. NEW produces a Russian accent-or just about anything else that's needed.

He was a judge in 12 episodes of Lum and Abner. He read as many as two or three parts in 200 episodes of Red Ryder. He has done as many as five parts in show with different voices keyed for him on Ihe script with various colors of ink. Lytton had his own show, Diary of Fate, a suspense drama. He wroleit, sold it, co-produced it, directed it, cast it and played the title role for four years.

Lyllon went lo Hollywood in Ihe early 1910s. A friend directed him to Monogram Sludios where the scale was $23 a day. He was asked if he could "read." He showed them, gol a part as a doctor and completed his role wilh only one lake. He slaried learning his Hollywood lessons: "Don't pay attention lo the camera, thai is, slare at it." "Be kind to everyone while you're on the way up, and they'll be nice to you when you're on your way down." He worked with George Rafl on an early TV show. He remembers Charles Bronson as a bit player.

He treasures his experience working with Patricia Neal in a Navy film. He "wound up in a lot of doctor roles. A memorable one for him was a dramatic Iwo-actor scene wilh Ward Bond in a Maj. Adams flashback episode on Wagon Train. Afler thai, Bond requested Lytton for every doctor's role.

About a third of his roles were as military officers. He has played a lot of judges and a few bums and badmen. He has had some lead roles and a lot of character actor roles, but he was never type cast in just one mold. Herb Lytton never took a drama lesson, but he has taught it. He urges beginners to "have a complete imagination.

Study the entire script-- nol just your part-- then put yourself in Ihe shoes of your character. Think likehim. Be him." Today he's happy at his home at Organ, but he thinks aboul his acting days. He watches Hollywood obituaries closely. He's saddened by Ihe age Bing Crosby shows, remembering when'they lived two blocks apart and their kids played together.

He usually avoids watching his parls on TV "because they really whack them for television." He watched The Day The Earth Stood Still and suffered the culs in the familiar film. "He won'I even tell me when Lytlon is busy with Masonic work, completing his Master Mason's degree and hoping lo go on. He might go back to Hollywood in a few months to attend a dinner al his treasured Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters Club and see some old friends. He's considering some improvements at his Organ home. He's studying ostriches, and he might get one to handle the rattlesnakes he doesn't face wilh a pistol.

He'll steal your Mexican food recipe, but it's never hot enough. He's almost 79 years old. He's retired after a long and successful career. But he is "looking at some radio work." He's drawing up this idea Well, just listen. Konial.iiid Lytton slaves and another 'You won't believe this.

In 192-t 1 was barnstorming, taking passengers, flying over Cincinalli wilh Ihe words "10 Commandments Grand" on the bottom of the for the movie at Ihe Grand Theater, the first Ten Commandments That led to the delicate question: "Do you want to talk aboul your age?" He looked at his wife for silent confirmation. "Why not? I'll be 79 Dec. 9." He looks and acts a lol more like 60. He's proud to relate that he's "the oldest in Ihe stale to apply for the Masonic Lodge" and he's been busy wi In degree work a 11 season. Lyllon isn'l as tall as he appears on the McHale series when he stands over Ernest Borgninc, Joe Flynn and Tim Conway to resolve the disputes of Ihe Navy's rascals.

Lytton is in the neighborhood of 5-10. Borgninc must be shorler lhan some ofusimaginehim. Lytlon did extensive work in radio before and during his film career. He lells of a longtime ability lo "read cold" or present a suitable narration from unfamiliar material. He worked in People Are funny.

He traveled with Gene Autrey and Orson Wells during World War II. He i 'i i Hi" 1 ROMA LIND, now Mrs. Herb Lytton, had a Roma-Lind Products '(cosmetics) Salon on Sunset Boulevard for several years and women's shows on California TV from 1956 to 1966. She has tried to "closeshop" and retire, but still serves some Holly wood customers. IN 1957 Lytton was Maj.

Gen. Noland in The Cosmic Man with JohnCarradinc..