Don Crosby

Don Crosby - George Wallace Donald Crosby
180px Don Crosby - Portrait by Douglas Baulch - 1963
Born	29 October 1924 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died	3 December 1985(1985-12-03) Potts Point, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Education	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London
Occupation	Actor, Radio Producer
Partner(s)	Elizabeth Teresa Glover
Parent(s)	Joseph Alexander (Marshall) Crosby and Teresa King

Don Crosby, OAM(29 October 1924 – 3 December 1985), born as George Wallace Donald Crosby the fifth child of actor Joseph Alexander (Marshall) Crosby and Theresa King, he was named after one of his fathers friends actor and comedian George Wallace Stevenson. He was taken on stage aged 1 by his dad in a production of operetta His Royal Highness and by the age of 12 started producing radio sketches at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation(then known as Commission). After leaving school he combined his acting career with he's regular job in insurance . In 1945, aged 21, he travelled to London and worked as an assistant stage manager in the West End when he was offered a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy , after which we worked throughout th country in repertory, before returning to Sydney and marrying in 1949, to Elizabeth Terasa Glver. He appeared in [Doris Fittin]] production of Dark of Night, as well as numerous after there productions in Sydney and Melbourne. Entering radio in 1949, he had a successful career not only as an actor but also a producer, when television arrived in Australia in 1956he easily made the transition to the new medium, featuring in plays , again at the national broadcaster, after which he moved to commercial television appearing in the [Hector Crawford|Crawford]] production series, with his craggy features, he was often compared to British superstar Sir John Mills., back to radio another popular role was in the longrunning Gwen Meredith drama serial soap drama Blue Hills. Role again in stage followed and he was particularly celebrated for his role in Steele Rudds productions. In film, he's credit include a calvacade of Aussie cinema, but nomore notable roles include Newsfront and the indiginous rights film The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith. He one of Australia's most distinguished actors and radio producers, with a career spanning all genres including stage, film, radio and television. He urged the use of Australian actors where possible and spoke out against cuts in ABC funding. In 1980 he was awarded an OAM, and in 1985 he received the Australian Film Institute's Longford Lyell Award for services to the industry. During the war he served as an Air Gunner in the Royal Australian Air Force. He was a trade unionist and was president of Actors Equity of Australia from 1976 until his death in 1985, from a myocardial infarction in the Sydney suburb of Potts Point, he was survived nay his wife, threes ons and a daughter, he was 61.