Bruce Yarnell

{{short description|American film, television, theatre actor and singer (1935–1973)}} {{Use American English|date=January 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Bruce Yarnell | image = Bruce Yarnell "Outlaws" (1961 NBC press photo).JPG | caption = Yarnell in ''Outlaws'', 1961 | birth_name = Bruce Patane Altomari Yarnell | birth_date = {{birth date|1935|12|28}} | birth_place = Pasadena, California, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1973|11|30|1935|12|28}} | death_place = Los Angeles County, California, U.S. | death_cause = Airplane crash | burial_place = San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | burial_coordinates = {{coord|34.2739557|-118.4643770|type:landmark|display=inline}} | occupation = {{hlist|Actor|singer}} | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Frances Chadwick|May 25, 1957|1971|end=div}} * {{marriage|Joan Patenaude|July 15, 1972}} }} | children = 3<ref name="a" /> | relatives = | family = Lorene Yarnell (sister) }}

'''Bruce Patane Altomari Yarnell'''<ref name="a">{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ltUkDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA2094| title=Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary| first=Everett| last=Aaker| pages=450–451| publisher=McFarland| date=May 25, 2017| isbn=978-1-4766-6250-3| via=Google Books}}</ref> (December 28, 1935 – November 30, 1973) was an American film, television, theatre actor and singer.<ref name="b">{{cite news |author= |date=December 3, 1973 |title=Yarnell, a Singer, is Killed in Crash |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/03/archives/yarnell-a-singer-is-killed-in-crash-coast-opera-baritone-35-was.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=October 13, 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="c">{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/381807691/| title=Singer, Two Others Die in Plane Crash| newspaper=Los Angeles Times| date=December 2, 1973| access-date=October 13, 2021| page=26| via=Newspapers.com| url-access=subscription}}</ref> He was known for playing the role of Deputy Marshal Chalk Breeson in the final season of the American western television series ''Outlaws''.<ref name="a" /> As a baritone,<ref name="b" /> he performed in musicals such as ''Annie Get Your Gun'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'', ''Carousel'', and ''Oklahoma!''.

== Life and career == Yarnell was born in Pasadena, California, the son of Marie and Harold, a police officer.<ref name="a" /><ref name="b" /> He was the older brother of dancer and actress Lorene Yarnell.<ref name="c" /> He studied opera and later sang at the Earl Carroll Theatre in Los Angeles.<ref name="a" /> He also sang in Reno, Nevada, where he was later joined by the Mormon Choir in numerous musical productions.<ref name="a" /> Yarnell made his theatre debut in 1960 on Broadway, in ''Camelot'' as Sir Lionel.<ref name="d">{{cite web| url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/bruce-yarnell-65832| title=Bruce Yarnell| website=Internet Broadway Database| access-date=October 13, 2021}}</ref>

His film and television career began soon afterwards, when he joined the cast of the western television series ''Outlaws'' in 1961, for its final season, playing the role of Deputy Marshal Chalk Breeson.<ref name="a" /> That same year, he starred in the Broadway musical ''The Happiest Girl in the World'' as General Kinesias, for which he won the 1961 Theatre World Award.<ref name="d" /> Yarnell continued to appear in films and television programs, including ''Irma la Douce'' (1963), ''Bonanza'' (1964–1965), and ''Hogan's Heroes'' (1965).<ref name="a" /><ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LbJ_AQAAQBAJ&pg=PT182| title=Hogan's Heroes: Behind the Scenes at Stalag 13| first=Brenda| last=Royce| page=182| date=December 10, 2013| publisher=St. Martin Publishing Group| isbn=978-1-4668-5957-9| via=Google Books}}</ref> He also starred as Billy Bigelow in the 1966 New York City Center Light Opera Company production of ''Carousel'',<ref>{{cite book |last=Hischak |first=Thomas |year=2007 |title=The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CsbEP_Mu50EC&pg=PA40 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page=40 |isbn=978-0-313-34140-3 |via=Google Books}}</ref> as Frank E. Butler in the same year's Broadway revival of ''Annie Get Your Gun'',<ref name="d" /> as Curly McLain in the 1969 Little Theatre's production of ''Oklahoma!'' – both at the New York State Theater; and as Matt Reedy in the 1968 action film ''The Road Hustlers''.<ref name="a" /><ref name="b" /><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/71640495/| title=Yarnell Casts Holloway In Straight-Man Role| first=Tey| last=Hollow| newspaper=The Pantagraph| location=Bloomington, Illinois| date=August 18, 1968| access-date=October 13, 2021| page=39| via=Newspapers.com| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Yarnell later played leading roles at the San Francisco Opera House.<ref name="a" /> His last credit was in a tour of ''Bye Bye Birdie'' at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in November 1973.<ref name="a" />

== Personal life == Yarnell's first wife was Frances Chadwick, a model; the two married on May 25, 1957.<ref name="a" /> They divorced in March 1971 after having three daughters: Heather, Therese and Waverly.<ref name="a" /><ref name="b" /> He then married Joan Patenaude, a soprano, on July 15, 1972.<ref name="a" />

== Death == Yarnell was a pilot and flew himself to his engagements.<ref>{{cite book |last=Horne |first=Marilyn |url=http://archive.org/details/marilynhornemyli00horn |title=MarilynHorne, my life |last2=Appleton |first2=Jane |date=1983 |location=New York |publisher=Atheneum |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-689-11401-4}}</ref> In the night of November 30, 1973, Yarnell was piloting a single-engine plane from San Francisco to Hollywood Burbank Airport and crashed into a mountain slope near Gorman, California, northwest of Los Angeles.<ref name="a" /><ref name="b" /> He died with his two passengers, Terri and David Wirsching, a police officer from Burbank.<ref name="a" /><ref name="b" /> His last message was that he had electrical power problems and became disoriented.<ref name="a" /> Yarnell was interred in San Fernando Mission Cemetery.<ref name="a" />

=== Legacy === In 1979, Yarnell's second wife, Joan, created an award called the "Bruce Yarnell Memorial Award", given by Opera Philadelphia to an outstanding baritone, bass-baritone or bass.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ericson |first=Raymond |author-link1=Raymond Ericson |date=December 16, 1979 |title=Music Notes: The Pro Arte Story |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/16/archives/music-notes-the-pro-arte-story-notes-on-music-pro-arte.html |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=October 13, 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category}} * {{IMDb name}} * {{TCMDb name | 210620{{!}}24432 }} * {{IBDB name}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yarnell, Bruce}} Category:1935 births Category:1973 deaths Category:20th-century American male actors Category:20th-century American male singers Category:20th-century American singers Category:Accidental deaths in California Category:American baritones Category:American male film actors Category:American male musical theatre actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male television actors Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Category:Burials at San Fernando Mission Cemetery Category:Male actors from Pasadena, California Category:Musicians from Pasadena, California Category:Musicians killed in aviation accidents or incidents Category:Singers from California Category:Theatre World Award winners Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1973 Category:Western (genre) television actors