Born Marvin Wesley Vye, Jr., this Massachusetts-born, Yale-trained character actor was associated for a time with the Theatre Guild in the 1940s. Equipped with a tough-looking countenance and sturdy baritone, he was hired to originate the role of Jigger Craigin in the Guild's 1945 mounting of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel," which also starred 'John Raitt' . With a homely, imposing mug made for adventure tales, he played everything from warrior chiefs to Blackbeard the Pirate. On TV he portrayed a number of corrupt characters on such shows as "The Untouchables" and "77 Sunset Strip" and sometimes even played his tough guys for laughs. In between he appeared in musical productions of "Oklahoma!" and "South Pacific," among others. Vye died in 1976 at age 63.
Was to have created the role of The Kralahome in the original Broadway production of "The King And I" but Hammerstein cut his only song for time constraints. He left the production while it was still previewing out of town, in 1950.
Introduced the song "Golden Earrings", in the 1947 film of the same name.
