Agar's career suffered in the wake of his divorce, but he developed a niche playing leading men in low-budget science fiction, Western, and horror movies in the 1950s and 1960s. John Wayne gave him several supporting roles in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In later years he worked extensively in television.
Agar met Shirley Temple in 1943 when he was asked to escort her to a Hollywood party.[8]
After his marriage with Temple in 1945, her boss at the time, David O. Selznick, signed Agar to a five-year acting contract starting at $150 a week, including acting lessons.[9][10][11] Agar made his film debut as Temple's love interest in Fort Apache (1948),[12] a John Ford western for RKO starring John Wayne and Henry Fonda. It was a financial and critical success.[13]
More successful was a reunion with Wayne and Ford, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), in which Agar played the romantic lead. It was a sizeable hit and has come to be regarded as a classic.[13] Even more popular was the World War II film Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) where Agar supported John Wayne. Made by Republic Pictures, it was a sizeable hit, earning Wayne an Oscar nomination and getting Agar some good reviews. Toward the end of his life, Agar blamed John Wayne for getting him hooked on cigarettes and alcohol, two addictive habits that would later ruin his life.[7]
Warner Bros put Agar in a war film, Breakthrough (1950) which relied extensively on pre-existing war footage. It was a reasonable success at the box office.[14]
His contract with Universal ended when he complained that he was tired of only doing science fiction roles.[16] His final film with the studio was supporting Universal's Western star Audie Murphy in a comedy Joe Butterfly (1957).
Agar's sister was a schoolmate of Shirley Temple. In 1944 Agar escorted Temple to a party held by her boss at the time, David O. Selznick. The two were married in 1945.[9][11] Agar and Temple had a daughter together, Linda Susan Agar, born 1948 (who was later known as Susan Black, taking the surname of her stepfather, Charles Alden Black). However, the marriage foundered, in part because of Agar's drinking (he had been arrested for drunk driving) and in part because of pressures of their high public profile. Temple sued for divorce on the grounds of mental cruelty in 1949.[9][17][18] The two were divorced on December 7, 1950.[19] After the divorce, Agar had little contact with his daughter or with Temple.[20]
Agar married model Loretta Barnett Combs (1922–2000) in 1951. They tried to elope but officials refused to marry them for an hour because Agar had been drinking.[21] They remained married for 49 years until her death in 2000. They had two sons, Martin Agar and John G. Agar III.[22]
Legal issues
In 1950 Agar was fined for reckless driving.[23][24] In 1951 he was sentenced to five months in jail for drunk driving, and released on probation after 60 days.[25] In 1953 Agar was again arrested for drunk driving, and sentenced to 120 days in prison.[26] In 1960 he was again arrested for drunk driving.[27]
As for being associated with science fiction B movies, Agar said, "I don't resent being identified with B science fiction movies at all." Agar later said, "Why should I? Even though they were not considered top-of-the-line, for those people that like sci-fi, I guess they were fun. My whole feeling about working as an actor is, if I give anybody any enjoyment, I'm doing my job, and that's what counts."[7]
The television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 has featured several of Agar's films, including The Mole People, Women of the Prehistoric Planet and Revenge of the Creature.
^John George Agar in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Name: John George Agar [John G Agar]
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birth Date: 31 Jan 1921
Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois
Death Date: 7 Apr 2002
Father:
John G Agar
Mother:
Lillian Rogers
SSN: 322183716
Notes: Jun 1938: Name listed as JOHN GEORGE AGAR; 10 Apr 2002: Name listed as JOHN G AGAR
^p. 14 Agar, John & Van Savage, L.C. On the Good Ship Hollywood BearManor Media; 1st Edition (July 11, 2007)
^ ab"How John Agar wooed Shirley". The Sun. No. 2214. Sydney. 16 September 1945. p. 3 (SUPPLEMENT TO THE SUNDAY SUN). Retrieved 14 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^"John Agar Fined in Driving Case". Los Angeles Times. 21 April 1950. p. 2.
^"JOHN AGAR CONVICTED". The Daily News. Vol. LXVIII, no. 23, 409. Western Australia. 22 April 1950. p. 5 (FIRST). Retrieved 14 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^"John Agar Sentenced to Jail". New York Times. 28 August 1951. p. 21.
^"John Agar Gets 120 Days for Violating Probation". Chicago Daily Tribune. 31 January 1953. p. a8.
^"John Agar Fined for Drunk Driving". Los Angeles Times. 16 January 1960. p. B1.
