Actor Cornel Wilde, a leading man in the 1940s and 1950s known for his aristocratic demeanor, died of leukemia Monday. He was 74.
Wilde died at 12:20 a.m. with his son, Cornel Wilde Jr., at his bedside, a spokeswoman for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center said.The actor-producer-director-writer had been suffering from the blood disease for some time and was admitted into the hospital on Sept. 2, Cedars-Sinai spokeswoman Paula Correia said.
Wilde was born in New York City on Oct. 13, 1915, and worked as a pre-med student, a toy salesman at Macy's, a commercial artist and an advertising salesman. He abandoned his plans to become a surgeon in 1935 to become an actor.
He is best know for his roles in "Lady with Red Hair," "High Sierra," "A Song to Remember," "The Bandit of Sherwood Forest," "Forever Amber," "The Greatest Show on Earth" and "The Naked Prey."