Murvyn Vye

Chameleon of the stage and screen Murvyn Vye was a born character. Raised in Quincy, Massachusetts, and educated at Yale in the 1930s, Vye stood a formidable six foot one, with carved features and a rich baritone voice. In the following decade, his name became synonymous with the famous Broadway collective the Theatre Guild, and in 1945 he was asked to originate the role of improvident whaler Jigger Craigin in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel," their second production. Another rousing success for the musical moguls, the show brought Vye to Hollywood, where he made his debut as Zoltan, a singing gypsy in the World War II adventure film "Golden Earrings." Vye went on to star with crooner Bing Crosby in "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," with a memorable turn as a surly Merlin. Set to return to Broadway as the stern-faced Kralahome in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and I," he quit the show when the directors scrapped his only song. Vye spent the remainder of the '50s and '60s bouncing between TV gigs (including guest spots on classic comedies such as "The Lucy Show" and "The Beverly Hillbillies") and the occasional feature film. His unique physicality garnered him intimidating roles ranging from warrior chieftains to common thugs, but Vye was always a song-and-dance man at heart, appearing in live musical productions throughout his storied career.