For Actor Young, the Gig Was Up When He Committed a Double Murder-Suicide: A Tragic Look Back.
Overview
Actor Gig Young was charismatic, multifaceted, and successful. But he was also an abusive, self-destructive alcoholic who eventually killed himself after he murdered his wife.
A Closer Look
Many classic TV lovers may remember Gig Young from the famed “Walking Distance” episode of the original edition of the anthology series The Twilight Zone. In that episode, Young played a man who, when reminiscing about a simpler time, finds himself meeting his younger self in the past.
Did that possibly reflect Young’s silent true yearnings in real life? To flee the hustle and bustle of Hollywood for a more tranquil life?
On September 17, 1978, at age 64, Young, who was once married to Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery, wed his fifth wife, a 31-year-old German art gallery employee named Kim Schmidt.
On October 19, 1978, three weeks after their marriage, Young and Schmidt were both found dead in their New York City apartment with gunshot wounds to the head. Police theorize that Young first shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself in a suicide pact.
The murder/suicide occurred at the Osborne Apartments on West 57th Street between Seventh Avenue and Broadway, a co-op building. On the day he died, Young taped an episode of The Joe Franklin Show (the episode of which never aired) and then went home and committed the murder-suicide.
Conclusion
Gig Young’s tragic demise was a sad ending to, if not a wonderful life but a brilliant, though uneven career.
[Note: This article is based on accredited news and media reports, including linked information attributed to Britannica.com and IMDb.com.]
