Born John Joseph Patrick Ryan, December 30, 1920, in New York, NY; died of heart problems, January 21, 1998, in Honolulu, HI. Actor, director, producer, author.
Lord is remembered for his work in the longest-running cop show, Hawaii Five-0, which aired from 1968 to 1980. Playing straight-laced Steve McGarrett, head of the Five-0 unit in Honolulu, Lord also directed and produced episodes of the series. When the detectives would catch the criminal each week, Lord would utter the famous line that became common in American households: "Book 'em Danno." James MacArthur was featured as Lord's right-hand man, Dan "Danno" Williams. The series was to the 1970s what Miami Vice was to the1980s. It was seen in eighty countries by more than 300 million viewers. Part of its popularity was due to the fact that it was filmed on location in Hawaii-an aspect of production that Lord insisted on. The show is said to have boosted the tourism industry in the islands.
During his career, Lord performed on both stage and screen. He trained for the stage with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse. His stage work included roles in The Illegitimist, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, TheLittle Hut, and The Savage. He won a Theatre World Award in 1954for his work in Traveling Lady. Lord's film work was seen in productions such as The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell, The Hangman, Ride to Hangman's Tree, God's Little Acre, Dr. No, and Doomsday Flight. He wrote the script for 1968's Melissa. As a filmactor, he found himself being cast all too often in villainous roles. His television roles offered him a change. In addition to his work on Hawaii Five-0, he played the title character, a rodeo rider, in the Stoney Burke series. He also had guest starring parts in episodes of Have Gun, Will Travel, Route 66, Dr. Kildare, The FBI, and 12O'Clock High. Lord directed screen work as well. His movies included MStation: Hawaii, while his television credits included Honor Is an Unmarked Grave, Who Says Cops Don't Cry, and Death with Father. Lord went into semi-retirement after the Hawaii Five-0 series ended. He continued to pursue his love of painting, which he developed in his teenage years while sailing with the Merchant Marines. His paintings were sold privately and are also featured in museum collections, including the Whitney Museum, the Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He had also invested in various shopping centers.
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