The Unfortunate Death of 'Rear Window' Star Wendell Corey

The actor passed away in November 1968 following a Hollywood career that spanned three decades.

By Allison Schonter

Late actor Wendell Corey had a prolific acting career that spanned decades, but just eight years after receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he tragically passed away at the age of 54. Well-known for his portrayal of Tom Doyle in Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 thriller Rear Window, among numerous other credits, Corey died on Nov. 8, 1968.

The Dracut, Massachusetts-born actor got his start in theater just out of high school before transitioning to a career on the screen that would span more than two decades. His most notable role was in Hitchock's Rear Window, where he starred as NYPD Det. Lt. Thomas "Tom" J. Doyle opposite James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, and Raymond Burr. The movie was screened at the 1954 Venice Film Festival, with Corey following it in '58 with another Hitchcock title, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Keep scrolling to learn more about Corey's passing.

Wendell Corey's Illness and death

Two weeks prior to his passing, Corey had "complained about not feeling well" after returning to the United States from a European picture assignment, Herbert A. Spurgin, the Santa Monica mayor at the time, stated, The Boston Globe reported. He was reportedly admitted to the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California early on the morning of Nov. 8 and passed away later that same day.

Wendell Corey's Cause of Death

Corey's death was attributed to an unspecified "liver ailment," though later reports suggested he passed from cirrhosis of the liver following a lifelong battle with alcoholism.

Per the Mayo Clinic, cirrhosis is "severe scarring of the liver" and can be "caused by many forms of liver diseases and conditions, such as hepatitis or chronic alcoholism.

Wendell Corey's Acting Career

Corey was a prolific actor whose career spanned decades. Born in Dracut, Massachusetts in March 1914, Corey got his start in show business shortly after graduating high school. Selling washing machines and refrigerators at a Springfield department store, Corey stumbled into show business after stopping by to visit a friend who was acting at the Springfield Repertory Theater. After discovering that the group needed an actor to play the role of a Swedish janitor in Street Scene, Corey took the job and remained with the theater for a year. That role sparked what would become a decades-long Hollywood career.

He made his Broadway debut was in 1942 with the play Comes the Revolution, which he followed with 110 performances in Strip for Action. It was during his performance as a newspaperman in Elmer Rice's Dream Girl that he caught the attention of producer Hal Wallis, who took Corey under his wing and convinced him to pursue a career in Hollywood. In 1945, Corey signed a contract with Paramount and officially kickstarted his motion picture career.

His long roster of acting credits includes Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), No Sad Songs for Me (1950), Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954), and The Rainmaker (1956), per his IMDb profile. His final film appearance was in the 1969 film The Astro Zombies. On TV, he appeared in everything from Harbor Command to The Eleventh Hour, Perry Mason, and more.

In February 1960, Corey received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

'Rear Window'

Among his many acting credits, Corey is perhaps best known for Rear Window. Based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story It Had to Be Murder, the Hitchcock-directed centers around film L. B. "Jeff" Jefferies, a professional photographer confined to a wheelchair in his apartment in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. Passing time by watching the occupants of neighboring apartments through a telephoto lens and binoculars, he becomes convinced that a murder has taken place.

Rear Window is widely considered to be one of Hitchcock's best films. The movie grossed $37 million at the box office against a $1 million budget and received four Academy Award nominations. In 1977, it was added to the United States National Film Registry in the Library of Congress.

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Work Outside of Acting

Outside of acting, Corey also served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1961 to 1963. In 1965, he beat out 12 other candidates to be elected to the Santa Monica City Council. He continued to serve as a councilman until his death.

Wendell Corey's Funeral

Corey was survived by his wife Alice and four children- Jonathan, Jennifer, Bonnie Alice, and Robin. He was laid to rest in a funeral service at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica on Nov. 12, 1968. Speaking at the service, fellow actor Kirk Douglas said, per The Tuscaloosa News," nothing connected with Wendell Corey could be sad, even his death. He would hate to think he caused so much sadness in the world. So smile with me when we think of him today."

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