- Born
- Birth nameHugh Marjoe Ross Gortner
- Height1.88 m
- In his early career as the 4-year-old "World's Youngest Ordained Minister," Pentecostal preacher Hugh Marjoe Ross Gortner became a 'Miracle Child' extraordinaire. Born in Long Beach, California, the young tyke, who ministered the gospel from memory and performed faith healings, drew capacity crowds as he barnstormed throughout the Bible Belt. The son of Vernon Robert Gortner, an evangelical minister who preached at revivals, it was his mother Marge who pushed and introduced Marjoe to the world as a boy preacher, and it the primary reason for his success. At age 16, however, Marjoe grew acutely disillusioned with what he considered a horrible deception, eventually withdrawing from the scene.
Unbeknownst to his father and other ministers, Marjoe agreed to let a film crew follow him throughout his final 1971 national tour of revival meetings before leaving "the business." The fascinating Oscar-winning documentary Marjoe (1972) that resulted, based on his life as a fake evangelist, introduced the public to a new and profoundly hypnotic performer. Prior to filming the documentary, Marjoe displayed his musical talents. As prolific musician, he could play the drums, saxophone, organ, guitar, accordion and piano and performed with a Los Angeles rock band. On the strength of the documentary's critical success, he managed to record a 1973 solo album for RCA, "Bad, But Not Evil." Feeling a strong compulsion to act, Marjoe's talents for drawing an audience and public speaking were quickly put to use. Handed potent roles in the TV projects The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973) and The Gun and the Pulpit (1974), roles that capitalized on his magnetism and off-center flamboyance, the extremely positive reviews he received helped catapult him into 1970's films.
Unfortunately, most of Marjoe's cinematic efforts went on to earn harsh critical reviews. Following a featured psychotic role in the all-star disaster film Earthquake (1974), Marjoe went on to star in a few wild-eyed roles -- as a Billy the Kid type outlaw in the romantic crime drama Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw (1976), a man framed as a drug smuggler in the action crime film Acapulco Gold (1976), a hunter being attacked by giant killer wasps in the horror opus The Food of the Gods (1976), a cocky cowboy in the motorcycle action film Viva Knievel! (1977), a robot-battling intergalactic outlaw in the space action flick Starcrash (1978) and a vicious, hostage-taking drug dealer in the drama When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder (1979). Because of such poor box office receipts for these film, Marjoe's quest for top film stardom never materialized.
The tall (6'2"), tousle-haired Marjoe did thrive, however, as an offbeat guest on a number of popular TV shows, including "Barnaby Jones," "Nakia," "Medical Center," "Police Story," "Fantasy Island," "The A-Team," "Matt Houston," "Airwolf" and "T.J. Hooker." During the 1986-1987 season, Marjoe had the somewhat close-to-home role of Vince Karlotti, a villainous charlatan who posed as a psychic medium in the nighttime soap opera series Falcon Crest (1981).
Marjoe stumbled through some more films in the 80s, but even with his undeniable charm and charisma, he couldn't rise above the poor material offered in such movies as Mausoleum (1983), Euer Weg führt durch die Hölle (1984), Hellhole (1985), The Survivalist (1987), American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt (1989) and Feuer, Eis & Dynamit (1990). He ended his career in the featured role of a preacher in the biography of Wild Bill Hickock entitled Wild Bill (1995) starring Jeff Bridges.
Before retiring in 2010, the man who blew the whistle on evangelism produced Celebrity Sports Invitational charity golf tournaments and ski events for charitable purposes. Briefly married (1978-1979) to second wife Candy Clark, his co-star in When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder (1979), Marjoe waited four decades before attempting to marry again in 2019, this time to set decorator Susan Magestro.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net
- SpousesSusan Magestro(October 4, 2019 - present)Candy Clark(1978 - 1979) (divorced)Carol J. Raney(1960 - 1968) (divorced, 1 child)
- As a child evangelist, Gortner performed his first marriage ceremony at the age of four.
- His name is a combination of "Mary" and "Joseph", a fact his parents exploited during the child evangelist period of his life.
- The 10 March 1982, issue of Variety announced the film "The Glory Road", directed by Marjoe Gortner starring Gary Busey, Dabney Coleman, and Mary Crosby, started filming 1 February 1982; filming suspended 8 February 1982. The film went bankrupt and was never completed.
- Since childhood, he studied a number of musical instruments - drums, saxophone, organ, guitar, accordion and piano. Before hitting the road to film Marjoe (1972), he had a rock band in L.A. - and, on the strength of the movie's success and his musical ability, he recorded a solo album for RCA Records in 1973. Its title was Marjoe's description of himself: "Bad, But Not Evil".
- He, along with Joseph Smith, is one of the case studies in Christopher Hitchens' 'God Is Not Great' (2009).
- When I was traveling (as a minister), I'd see someone who wanted to get saved in one of my meetings, and he was so open and bubbly in his desire to get the Holy Ghost. It was wonderful and very fresh, but four years later I'd return and that person might be a hard-nosed intolerant Christian because he had Christ. That's when the danger comes in. People want an experience. They want to feel good, and their lives can be helped by it. But then as you start moving into the operation of the thing, you get into controlling people and power and money.
- I don't have any power. And neither do any of these other guys. Hundreds of people were healed at my crusades, but I know damn well it was nothing I was doing.
- Tongues is something you learn [...] It is a releasing that you teach yourself. You are told by your peers, the church and the Bible -- if you accept it literally -- that the Holy Ghost spake in another tongue; and you become convinced that it is the ultimate expression of the spirit flowing through you. The first time maybe you'll just go dut-dut-dut-dut and that's about all that will get out. Then you'll hear other people and the next night you may go dut-dut-dut-UM-dut-dut-DEET-dut-dut and it gets a little better. The next thing you know, it's elahandosatelayeekcondelemosandreyaseya ... and it's a new language you've got down.
- When I act, I do something for real. I keep my emotional level open so that I'm alert on the spur of the moment. I don't work from a method or system. I try to become the character.
- Earthquake (1974) - $6,666 .67 per week
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