Jody Mccrea

American film and television actor, also noted as the oldest of the three sons of veteran film actors Joel McCrea and Frances Dee. He briefly hosted Country Style, USA (1957–1959), an Army-produced recruiting television program filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, featuring various country music entertainers. In 1959, McCrea costarred with his father in the short-lived NBC western Wichita Town, set in Wichita, Kansas. Joel McCrea appeared as Marshal Mike Dunbar. Jody McCrea did not portray the role of Joel's son on the program but as the deputy marshal, Ben Matheson. McCrea had a support role in Operation Bikini (1963) at American International Pictures starring Tab Hunter and Frankie Avalon. He impressed the studio enough for them to cast him in a comedic role as dumb-minded "Deadhead" ("Bonehead") in Beach Party (1963) starring Avalon and Annette Funicello. The film was a big hit and McCrea reprised his performance as Deadhead in Muscle Beach Party (1964) and Bikini Beach (1964). In Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), McCrea played "Bonehead" again, but it was his biggest role in the series, having a romance with a mermaid. He was back as Bonehead in How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965). When cast in the beach pictures, he realized his comedic potential. McCrea was an avid body builder, and the only actor appearing in the American International Pictures beach movies who could actually surf. He had a lead role as a biker in The Glory Stompers (1967), starred in Sam (1967) and played the lead in The Girls from Thunder Strip (1970). McCrea starred in a Western Cry Blood, Apache (1970) which he also produced. He died in Roswell, New Mexico on 4 April 2009 of a heart attack at age 74. Link to Wikipedia biography