Michael Dante
Encyclopedia
Michael Dante is an American award winning actor of television, films and stage and a former professional minor league baseball player.
As a boy growing up on the West Side neighborhood of the city, he used to sneak into a local movie theater with his friends and watch westerns.
"I grew up wanting to be the sidekick of the Lone Ranger and wanting to follow my heroes," he told a reporter in 2006.
He was a shortstop on the Stamford High School baseball team, then played for "The Advocate All-Stars" team which won a 1949 New England baseball championship.
He signed a bonus contract with the Boston Braves
out of high school. His $6,000 bonus went to buy his family a four-door Buick with whitewalls.
During spring training with the Senators he had taken drama classes at the University of Miami
in Florida. Bandleader Tommy Dorsey
arranged a screen test at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
soon after. His first movie was Somebody Up There Likes Me
in 1956.
He changed his name at the urging of Jack Warner
, who thought "Vitti" wouldn't look good on movie marquees. Warner suggested some first names, from which the actor picked "Michael." He chose the last name "Dante" because it had been used by some relatives.
Dante has appeared in 30 films and 150 television shows. He is also notable for spending seven years in supporting roles under contract to three major studios at once: MGM, Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox. He considers his best performances the role he played in "Killer Instinct" on the television program "Desilu Playhouse", along with his roles in the movies "Westbound", "Winterhawk" and "Seven Thieves".
His 1967 performance in the "Friday's Child
" episode of Star Trek
as a member of an alien race, has garnered him invitations to Star Trek conventions. He also had a recurring role as the Sioux
Chief Crazy Horse
in the short-lived ABC
military western series Custer
starring Wayne Maunder
in the title role of Lieutenant Colonel
George Armstrong Custer
.
Dante also has recurring roles on the television serials Days of our Lives
and General Hospital
.
In the 1970s, Dante met John Wayne
, whom he watched on screen as a child. Wayne had seen Dante in "Winterhawk"and asked him to co-host a charity event in Newport Beach
, California. That started a friendship between the two actors, and they co-hosted other events until Wayne's death in 1979.
It was one brief co-starring role that wrote Dante into American popular culture. A frequent extra on the original Star Trek
television series, he was cast in the role of "Maab" in the 1967 episode, "Friday's Child" alongside Julie Newmar
. Dante's affable personality makes him a popular draw at Star Trek fan conventions all over the country.
Michael Dante is currently the host of a syndicated radio talk show
, On Deck, previously known as the Michael Dante Celebrity Talk Show on which he interviews some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Guests on the program have included Milton Berle
, Tony Curtis
, and Bryant Gumbel
. An avid golfer, he once hosted the annual Michael Dante Celebrity Golf Tournament, a charitable fund-raiser held annually in Palm Springs, California
beginning in 1991.
In 2006 he told an interviewer that he had written a script for a sequel to "Winterhawk" and was trying to get funding for the projected movie.
Dante and his wife Mary Jane make their home in Rancho Mirage, California
. He is a cousin of NBA-champion Los Angeles Lakers trainer Gary Vitti.
As a boy growing up on the West Side neighborhood of the city, he used to sneak into a local movie theater with his friends and watch westerns.
"I grew up wanting to be the sidekick of the Lone Ranger and wanting to follow my heroes," he told a reporter in 2006.
He was a shortstop on the Stamford High School baseball team, then played for "The Advocate All-Stars" team which won a 1949 New England baseball championship.
He signed a bonus contract with the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
out of high school. His $6,000 bonus went to buy his family a four-door Buick with whitewalls.
Acting career
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in Florida. Bandleader Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
arranged a screen test at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
soon after. His first movie was Somebody Up There Likes Me
Somebody Up There Likes Me
Somebody Up There Likes Me may refer to:*Somebody Up There Likes Me , 1956 film starring Paul Newman and Pier Angeli*"Somebody Up There Likes Me" , a song by David Bowie, released in 1975 on the album Young Americans...
in 1956.
He changed his name at the urging of Jack Warner
Jack Warner
Jack Leonard "J. L." Warner , born Jacob Warner in London, Ontario, was a Canadian American film executive who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California...
, who thought "Vitti" wouldn't look good on movie marquees. Warner suggested some first names, from which the actor picked "Michael." He chose the last name "Dante" because it had been used by some relatives.
Dante has appeared in 30 films and 150 television shows. He is also notable for spending seven years in supporting roles under contract to three major studios at once: MGM, Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century Fox. He considers his best performances the role he played in "Killer Instinct" on the television program "Desilu Playhouse", along with his roles in the movies "Westbound", "Winterhawk" and "Seven Thieves".
His 1967 performance in the "Friday's Child
Friday's Child (TOS episode)
"Friday's Child" is a second season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. It is episode #40, production #32, and was broadcast December 1, 1967. It was written by D.C...
" episode of Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
as a member of an alien race, has garnered him invitations to Star Trek conventions. He also had a recurring role as the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
Chief Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse was a Native American war leader of the Oglala Lakota. He took up arms against the U.S...
in the short-lived ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
military western series Custer
Custer (TV series)
Custer, also known as The Legend of Custer, is a 17-episode military-western television series which ran on ABC from September 6 to December 27, 1967, with Wayne Maunder in the starring role of then Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. During the American Civil War, Custer had risen to the...
starring Wayne Maunder
Wayne Maunder
Wayne E. Maunder is a retired actor, originally from Canada, who starred in three American television series between 1967 and 1974.-Three television series:...
in the title role of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
.
Dante also has recurring roles on the television serials Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
and General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
.
In the 1970s, Dante met John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
, whom he watched on screen as a child. Wayne had seen Dante in "Winterhawk"and asked him to co-host a charity event in Newport Beach
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
, California. That started a friendship between the two actors, and they co-hosted other events until Wayne's death in 1979.
It was one brief co-starring role that wrote Dante into American popular culture. A frequent extra on the original Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
television series, he was cast in the role of "Maab" in the 1967 episode, "Friday's Child" alongside Julie Newmar
Julie Newmar
Julie Newmar is an American actress, dancer and singer. Her most famous role is Catwoman in the Batman television series.-Early life:...
. Dante's affable personality makes him a popular draw at Star Trek fan conventions all over the country.
Michael Dante is currently the host of a syndicated radio talk show
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, On Deck, previously known as the Michael Dante Celebrity Talk Show on which he interviews some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Guests on the program have included Milton Berle
Milton Berle
Milton Berlinger , better known as Milton Berle, was an American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , in 1948 he was the first major star of U.S. television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
, Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama...
, and Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
. An avid golfer, he once hosted the annual Michael Dante Celebrity Golf Tournament, a charitable fund-raiser held annually in Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
beginning in 1991.
In 2006 he told an interviewer that he had written a script for a sequel to "Winterhawk" and was trying to get funding for the projected movie.
Dante and his wife Mary Jane make their home in Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage is a resort city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal population can exceed 20,000. In between Cathedral City and Palm Desert, it is one of the eight cities of the Coachella...
. He is a cousin of NBA-champion Los Angeles Lakers trainer Gary Vitti.
Awards
- The Silver Spur Award (called the "Golden Globe of the Western film and television genre") presented by Reel Cowboys
- The Golden Boot AwardGolden Boot AwardsThe Golden Boot Awards honor actors, actresses, and crew members who have made significant contributions to the genre of Western television and movies. The award is sponsored and presented by the Motion Picture & Television Fund...
("the Oscar of Westerns") - Southern California Motion Picture Council Award for the 'Best of the Best' in the Motion Picture Industry
- Wall of Fame Honoree - Stamford High School - Stamford, CT
- Spirit of the West Award by Wild West Gazette/Bison Western Museum
- Palm Springs Film Festival Award for the Sammy Fuller classic film 'The Naked Kiss'
- Palm Springs 'Walk of Stars' sidewalk star for lifetime achievement
- Apacheland Days, Apache Junction, AZ - Guest of Honor - Western boot prints in cement - Superstition Mountain Museum