Handsome Portrait Photos of John Saxon in the 1950s

Born 1936 as Carmine Orrico in Brooklyn, New York, American actor John Saxon studied acting with Stella Adler before beginning his career as a contract actor for Universal Pictures, appearing in such films as Rock, Pretty Baby (1956) and Portrait in Black (1961), which earned him a reputation as a teen idol and won him a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Saxon established himself as a character actor, frequently portraying law enforcement officials in horror films such as Black Christmas (1974), Dario Argento’s Tenebrae (1982), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

In addition to his roles in horror films, Saxon co-starred with Bruce Lee in the martial arts film Enter the Dragon (1973), and he had supporting roles in the westerns The Appaloosa (1966; for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture), Death of a Gunfighter (1969) and Joe Kidd (1972), as well as the made-for-television thriller Raid on Entebbe (1977).

In the 1990s, Saxon occasionally appeared in films, with small roles in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994) and From Dusk till Dawn (1996). During a span of 60 years, he worked on more than 200 projects.

Saxon died of complications from pneumonia in 2020 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville where he had resided for several years, aged 83. Take a look at these vintage photos to see portraits of a young and handsome John Saxon in the 1950s.