CORNEL WILDE BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Cornel Wilde was born on October 18th, 1918 in New York City, New York. His father was a traveling salesman and worked a lot in Europe.  Wilde would frequently travel with his dad on business and was able to become fluent in several languages.  He attended University for several years studying medicine, but soon gave it up to pursue a career in acting.  He was also very involved in fencing and gave up a spot on the 1936 Olympic fencing team. 
 
His acting career began with appearances in a variety of plays in New York and plays that traveled as well.  Cornel had the opportunity to use his fencing skills when he was hired as a fencing instructor and a feature player for a Broadway production of, "Hamlet" (1940).  While rehearsing in Hollywood he landed a film contract. 

He began with just being cast in small roles and then was getting the leads in various B movies.   His first screen credit was, "The Perfect Snob" (1941).  It was not until 1945 when he played the lead in, "A Song to Remember" that his acting career officially took off.  He received an Oscar nomination for his role in this particular film.  He also starred in, "A Thousand and One Nights" (1945) and spent the rest of the 40's appearing in romantic and swashbuckling films.  He also had appearances in some noir films such as, "Leave Her to Heaven" (1945), "Road House" (1948) and "Shockproof" (1949), the latter film also starring his then wife Patricia Knight.

Following this film, he continued to star in several other major productions such as, "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952) which won Best Picture Oscar.  Three years later in 1955, Wilde formed his own company, Theodora Productions which he was able to produce, direct and even star in his own films.  He produced, "The Big Combo" (1955).  He made eleven films total, but earned little respect for his overall work. 
 
Some of his major screen roles were, "Leave Her to Heaven", "The Naked Prey" (1966) which he produced, directed and starred in as the mail lead character, "Beach Red" (1967) and "No Blade of Grass" (1970).
 
During the early 70's, Wilde took a short break from films to see what working on Television was all about.  He appeared as a surgeon in the 1971, "Night Gallery" episode, "Deliveries in the Rear" and also in a television movie, "Gargoyles" (1972).  The mid 70's, Wilde returned to film to write, direct and star in, "Sharks' Treasure" (1975).   
 
Cornel Wilde passed away on October 16th, 1989 in Los Angeles, California from leukemia three days after his 77th birthday.  He was married twice, one in 1937 to actress Patricia Knight and together they had one daughter, Wendy, born on February 22, 1943.  The couple divorced in 1951.  He then married actress Jean Wallace in 1951 and together they had one son, Cornel Wilde Jr. born December 19th, 1967.  This marriage also ended in divorce in 1981.  Wilde is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Cemetery in Westwood, California.  
 

Filmography

1985  Flesh and Bullets
1979  The Fifth Musketeer
1978  The Norseman
1975  Sharks' Treasure
1972  Gargoyles
1970  No Blade of Grass
1969  The Comic
1967  Beach Red
1966  The Naked Prey
1963  Sword of Lancelot
1962  Constantine and the Cross
1959  Edge of Eternity
1958  Maracaibo
1957  The Devil's Hairpin
1957  Omar Khayyam
1956  Beyond Mombasa
1956  Hot Blood
1955  Storm Fear
1955  The Scarlet Coat
1955  The Big Combo
1954  Passion
1954  I Woman's World
1954  Star of India
1953  Saadia
1953  Treasure of the Golden Condor
1952  Operation Secret
1952  California Conquest
1952  At Sword's Point
1952  The Greatest Show on Earth
1950  Two Flags West
1950  Four Days Leave
1949  Shockproof
1948  Road House
1948  The Walls of Jericho
1947  It Had to Be You
1947  Forever Amber
1947  The Homestretch
1947  Stairway for a Star
1946  Centennial Summer
1946  The Bandit of Sherwood Forest
1945  Leave Her to Heaven
1945  A Thousand and One Nights
1945  A Song to Remember
1943  Wintertime
1942  Life Begins at Eight-Thirty
1942  Manila Calling
1941  The Perfect Snob
1941  Kisses for Breakfast
1941  Knockout
1941  High Sierra
1940  Lady with Red Hair
1937  Exclusive
1936  The Rhythm Party