Fadeout on George Maharis

 

by Pa Rock

Television Junkie

Last week marked the passing of a once well-known television actor whose claim to fame rested primarily on one role.  George Maharanis was ninety-four when he passed away at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on May 24th.  The New York native who had been trained as a classic stage actor, found television as the medium which finally allowed his breakthrough into public recognition.  

In 1960 Maharanis, who was then thirty-two, began playing Buzz Murdock, a twenty-three-year-old non-conformist youth who was traveling the country with his best friend in a 1960 Chevy Corvette convertible and having various weekly adventures along the way.  The road of choice for their travels was "America's Highway," a.k.a.  "Route 66."      The television series, "Route 66,"  featured Maharanis as the dark-toned and a bit untamed (some compared him to James Dean) Buzz Murdock, and actor Martin Milner, light-skinned and blonde, as the traveling partner, Tod Stiles.  My memory of the series was that Tod Stiles (Milner) was usually at the wheel of the two-toned corvette.  Perhaps, according to the storyline, it was his vehicle.

"Route 66," which began in 1960 and lasted until 1964, was very popular during it's short fun of nearly four full seasons.  The old highway itself crossed America at one point as 7th Street in Joplin, Missouri, just forty-five miles north of where I was growing up.  Escape was possible!

Maharanis stayed with the show for nearly three full seasons (84 episodes), but eventually left for what he described as "health reasons" (hepatitis) and what others on the set described as his unhappiness with television and a desire to make movies.  Part of his unhappiness was with what h considered the quality of television work.  Of the dozens of directors that he worked with on the show, Maharanis said that only five knew what the were doing.  Others on the set were apparently quick to refer to him as the one who was "difficult" to work with.

Maharanis never emerged as the movie star that he thought he could become.  His career was hobbled by a gay sex scandal in the early 1970's, something that was illegal at the time, and the subsequent roles that he was offered were largely mediocre and forgettable.  His complete retirement from the entertainment business finally came about in the 1990's.

George Maharis is gone now, but hearing of his demise brought back a few memories from a very oong time ago.

Peaceful travels, Buzz.

Fadeout.