Larry Wilcox Interview on "The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang" (September 19, 1979)

Описание: Interview with actor Larry Wilcox who played Officer Baker in the television show, CHiPs, and will now play Emmet Dalton in a three-hour special, “The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang". Clip of the Dalton special is played.

The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang is a 1979 American Western television film directed by Dan Curtis about the Dalton Gang. It is not entirely accurate, as noted at the film's beginning.[1]

Plot
The film follows the story of the Dalton Gang from their beginnings in Montgomery County, Kansas to their attempt to rob two banks simultaneously in Coffeyville, Kansas.

Broadcast
The film was aired in a three-hour block at 8:00 p.m. on November 20, 1979.

Reception
John J. O'Connor of The New York Times complained that the film's three-hour length was "enough to ruin any spice."

Larry Dee Wilcox (born August 8, 1947) is an American actor best known for his role as California Highway Patrol officer (later captain) Jonathan "Jon" Baker in the television series CHiPs, which ran from 1977 to 1983 on NBC. A Vietnam veteran, Wilcox races cars and is also a private pilot.[1]

Early life
Wilcox was born on the 8th of August 1947 in San Diego, the son of Marion G. and John C. Wilcox.[2] He and his three siblings were raised in Rawlins, Wyoming, by their single mother. He graduated from Rawlins High School, went to the University of Wyoming, then transferred to Los Angeles Pierce College. He eventually went to Cal State Northridge. He worked at different jobs including acting and rodeo cowboy.

Military service
Wilcox enlisted in the Marine Corps in May 1967 and served in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive.[3] While in Vietnam he studied French and took general classes at College of the Desert during his final year in the Marines at Twentynine Palms, California. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant in 1973.[4]

Entertainment career
Early years
Wilcox made a guest appearance in 1971 in Room 222. In 1973, Wilcox appeared in The Streets of San Francisco episode "The Runaways" as older brother George. Also in 1973, he starred in Lassie as Dale, one of the boys who grew up there and was now working as a hired hand. Wilcox appeared in an episode of Cannon "Target In The Mirror" in 1973 in a role as a witness. He performed in the 1976 film The Last Hard Men, and other TV appearances including The Partridge Family, Hawaii Five-O, M*A*S*H, Fantasy Island, and Police Story, as well as commercials. He was the main (and only human for most of it) actor of a two-part show on The Wonderful World of Disney anthology show in 1978 playing a lone cowboy on a cattle drive and his adventures en route to market. He also played Emmett Dalton in the 1979 film The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang.

CHiPs

Wilcox and Erik Estrada on CHiPS in 1977
Wilcox was cast as Jon Baker, one of the lead characters on CHiPs; he was not in season six and was cast from 1977 to 1982. Wilcox performed many of his own stunts on the show. Unlike his co-star Erik Estrada (who played his partner "Ponch"), Wilcox never sustained any major injuries. By the 1979–80 season, he made $25,000 per episode (the same amount as Estrada) and it escalated thereafter. During his time on CHiPs, Wilcox appeared on the cover of TV Guide three times, along with Estrada.[5]

Rumors of friction between the two had occurred late in the 1978–79 season, but it calmed down after Estrada's injury at the beginning of the 1979–80 season as Wilcox came to his friend's rescue. Wilcox confirmed that some of the rumors of on-set feuding were true, but minor issues were blown out of proportion. He added: "We're just two totally different people."[6][7]

Wilcox appeared in a 1985 made-for-TV movie sequel to The Dirty Dozen, called The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission. He played convicted war prisoner Tommy Wells, recruited to help terminate a German general who is plotting to assassinate Hitler.

In 2010 Wilcox was charged with securities fraud by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), after being caught by undercover FBI agents in a penny stock kickback scheme.[13] He pled guity to securities fraud conspiracy and was sentenced to three years probation.[14]

Personal life
Wilcox married his first wife, Judy Vagner, on March 29, 1969, while serving his last months of duty after returning from the Vietnam War. They had two children together, Derek and Heidi. His second marriage was to Dutch native, Hannie Strasser, a one-time CHiPs assistant sound technician. The wedding took place on April 11, 1980. Their daughter, Wendy, was born in 1982 and they divorced after her birth. On March 22, 1986, Wilcox married Marlene Harmon, a member of the 1980 Olympic pentathlon team. They have two sons, Chad and Ryan.