# Paton Price > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Paton_Price > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Paton_Price.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paton_Price > Source revision: 1336865847 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Paton Price Born (1916-05-02)May 2, 1916 Evant, Texas, U.S. Died April 26, 1982(1982-04-26) (aged 65) Los Angeles, California, U.S. Alma mater Texas Tech University Occupations Director, actor, acting coach Years active 1936–1964 Spouse Tilly Children Dean Price **Paton Price** (May 2, 1916 – April 26, 1982) was an American actor, director, and acting coach. After moving from his native [Texas](/source/Texas) to [New York City](/source/New_York_City) and performing on [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) starting in the 1930s, he became an acting coach. First associated with the [American Academy of Dramatic Arts](/source/American_Academy_of_Dramatic_Arts), he would work with [Warner Bros.](/source/Warner_Bros.) and [Columbia Pictures](/source/Columbia_Pictures), and would help to develop the careers of actors such as [Kirk Douglas](/source/Kirk_Douglas), [Colleen Dewhurst](/source/Colleen_Dewhurst), [Jean Seberg](/source/Jean_Seberg), and [Dick Clark](/source/Dick_Clark), among others.[1] ## Biography Price was born in [Evant](/source/Evant%2C_Texas), [Texas](/source/Texas) on May 2, 1916. He graduated from [Texas Tech University](/source/Texas_Tech_University) with a degree in English and would move to New York City to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and participate in Broadway productions.[1][2] This included productions such as *[Crime and Punishment](/source/Crime_and_Punishment)* with Sir [John Gielgud](/source/John_Gielgud). By the 1940s, he would go on to teach at the Academy, teaching notable actors and actresses such as Douglas, Dewhurst, [Jason Robards](/source/Jason_Robards), and [Don Murray](/source/Don_Murray_(actor)), among others. He also directed theater productions in [Ohio](/source/Ohio) during this time.[1] During this time, he also collaborated with [Frank Lloyd Wright](/source/Frank_Lloyd_Wright) and Eugene Masselink in attempting to build a new theater in [Hartford](/source/Hartford%2C_Connecticut), [Connecticut](/source/Connecticut). Called the New Theater after Wright's previous plans to build a theater of the same name in [Woodstock](/source/Woodstock%2C_New_York), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), the plan was abandoned due to local opposition, but the two remained on good terms.[3] Price would later move to [Hollywood](/source/Hollywood%2C_Los_Angeles) in the 1950s and teach various actors and actresses including Seberg, Clark, [Kent McCord](/source/Kent_McCord), [Victoria Shaw](/source/Victoria_Shaw_(actress)), the [Smothers Brothers](/source/Smothers_Brothers), and [Glenn Corbett](/source/Glenn_Corbett). He would also go on to direct episodes of various television shows in the 1960s, such as *[77 Sunset Strip](/source/77_Sunset_Strip)*, *[Maverick](/source/Maverick_(TV_series))*, *[The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour](/source/The_Smothers_Brothers_Comedy_Hour)*, and *[The Partridge Family](/source/The_Partridge_Family)*.[1] Politically active and a devout pacifist, Price spent four years at [Lewisburg Penitentiary Center](/source/Federal_Correctional_Institution%2C_Lewisburg) due to his refusal to serve in the [United States Armed Forces](/source/United_States_Armed_Forces) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II) as a [conscientious objector](/source/Conscientious_objector).[1] His pacifism, along with his regard of acting as a mode of professing one's beliefs, deeply influenced his then-student [Dean Reed](/source/Dean_Reed).[4][5] Price would retire from teaching professionally in 1964 and retire to his ranch in [Paso Robles](/source/Paso_Robles%2C_California), California. He died on April 26, 1982, at [Cedars-Sinai Medical Center](/source/Cedars-Sinai_Medical_Center) in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles). At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife Tilly and a son. He was buried at [Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills](/source/Forest_Lawn_Memorial_Park_(Hollywood_Hills)).[1] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-upi_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-upi_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-upi_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-upi_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-upi_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-upi_1-5) ["Paton Price, a director and acting coach who helped..."](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/05/01/Paton-Price-a-director-and-acting-coach-who-helped/9553389073600/) UPI. May 1, 1982. Retrieved February 18, 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Tech Ex Receives First Stage Role"](https://lib-dspace1.ttu.edu/bitstream/handle/20.500.12255/124860/The%20Toreador_March%2023%2C%201937.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y) (PDF). The Toreador. March 23, 1937. Retrieved February 18, 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Paton Price papers on Frank Lloyd Wright's New Theater for Hartford CT, 1948-1958"](https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/archives/cul-8866938). Avery Drawing & Archives, Columbia University Libraries Archival Collections. Retrieved February 18, 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Ariana Harner [Values in Conflict The Singing Marxist.](https://www.deanreed.de/presse/colo1999winter.html) Colorado Heritage, Winter 1999 editor of the Society's "Colorado History Now" newspaper 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Paton Price"](https://www.deanreed.de/people/index-paton.html) (in German). Dean-Reed-Archiv Berlin. Retrieved February 18, 2025. ## External links - [Price's tombstone and biography](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9246/paton-price) - [Paton Price](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0697079/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) Authority control databases International VIAF GND People Deutsche Biographie --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Paton Price](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paton_Price) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paton_Price?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.