Tom Pittman (March 16, 1932 – October 31, 1958) was an American film and television actor. After his death at the age of 26, the Los Angeles Times called him "one of Hollywood's most promising young actors."

Career Pittman was born Jerry Lee Alten in Phoenix, Arizona. His father was television and radio actor Frank Alten. Pittman began his career in acting in 1956 with a guest starring role on Science Fiction Theatre. He made his film debut that same year in D-Day the Sixth of June.

Pittman went on to roles in numerous television Westerns including Gunsmoke (playing “Jimmy McQueen” a young affable yet smart herder who seeks revenge on a career horse-thief in the 1956 S1E32 entitled “Dutch George” and in 1957 as “Budge Grilk”, a psychotic step-son in S3E5’s “Potato Road”), Cheyenne, Have Gun – Will Travel, The Restless Gun, and Cimarron City.

In films, Pittman appeared in the 1957 drama The Young Stranger (1957) and the musical comedy Bernardine (1957). He had a prominent supporting role in the western The Proud Rebel, playing the son of the villain (portrayed by Dean Jagger) who eventually gives up revenge. His final two roles were in the films Verboten! and High School Big Shot, both released in 1959, the year following his death.

Death

In the early 1950s, Porsche dealer and racer Walter and Helm Glöckler in Frankfurt, Germany privately modified the rear-engine Porsche 356 for racing purposes, mostly with open top. By 1953, the factory decided to offer a race-ready car with similar styling, with mid-rear engine layout, the Porsche 550 Spyder. In 1955, actor James Dean crashed and died in a 550. Already in 1957 Porsche upgraded to the Porsche 718. Pittman not only had one of the few Glöckler-Porsche, but also one similar to the one that had been fitted in early 1954 with a significantly modified closed top, which did not race in the 1954 Mille Miglia, only in the Liège–Rome–Liège.https://www.classicdriver.com/de/article/autos/gl-ckler-porsche-356-coup-der-lteste-carrera-aller-zeiten The car was with Pittman in the USA in 1957, still carrying the distinctive German oval-shaped export licence plate.https://www.zwischengas.com/de/blog/2022/11/17/Tod-eines-Heimwaertsrasenden.html

On October 31, 1958, Pittman was driving home after a Halloween party when his Porsche went off the road at a sharp curve in the Hollywood Hills. After he failed to return home, his father filed a missing persons report. Weeks later, on November 19, Los Angeles police officer Roy Kerton retraced the roads Pittman's father said his son liked to drive and found the wreckage of Pittman's Porsche at the bottom of a 150-foot ravine. Pittman died after crashing through the guard rail, his car landing at the bottom of the ravine where it remained out of sight.

Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes 1956 D-Day the Sixth of June Air Force Officer Uncredited 1956 Between Heaven and Hell Replacement Uncredited 1957 The Young Stranger Lynn Spears 1957 The True Story of Jesse James Hughie Uncredited 1957 The Way to the Gold Sid Songster, Jr. 1957 Bernardine George Olsen Uncredited 1957 No Time to Be Young Stu Bradley 1957 Black Patch Flytrap (Carl) 1958 The Proud Rebel Tom Burleigh Credited as Thomas Pittman 1958 Apache Territory Lonnie Foreman Credited as Thomas Pittman 1959 Verboten! Bruno Eckart Released posthumously 1959 High School Big Shot Marvin "Marv" Grant Filmed in 1958. Released posthumously (final film role)

+ Television Year Title Role Notes 1956 Science Fiction Theatre Willis Episode: "Who Is This Man?" 1956 Climax! Episode: "Sit Down With Death" 1956 Highway Patrol Carjack Victim Episode: "Taxi" 1956 Gunsmoke Jimmy McQueen Episode: "Dutch George" 1956 Cheyenne Bushrod Episode: "The Long Winter" 1956 West Point Episode: "The Mystery of Cadet Layton" 1956 The Man Called X Episode: "Underground" 1956 The Ford Television Theatre Episode: "The Women Who Dared" 1957 Navy Log Lieutenant Cal Radin Episode: "Operation Golden Rule" 1957 Suspicion Joe Episode: "Four O'Clock" 1957 Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre John Harris Episode: "The Deserters" 1957 Trackdown Tom Sladen Episode: "The Marple Brothers" 1957 The Restless Gun Lex Harcourt Episode: "Revenge at Harness Creek" 1957 Gunsmoke Budge Grilk Episode: "Potato Road" 1957 Wagon Train Tom "Tommy" Nichols Episode: "The Mary Halstead Story" 1957 General Electric Theater Episode: "The Trail to Christmas" 1958 Have Gun – Will Travel Grady Stewart Episode: "The Reasonable Man"Credited as Geoff Parish 1958 Studio 57 2 episodes 1958 The Walter Winchell File Woody 2 episodes 1958 Telephone Time Wes Sheek Episode: "Trail Blazer" 1958 Trackdown Red Bolton Episode: "The Winter Boys" 1958 Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre Hank Episode: "The Last Test" 1958 M Squad Burt Kennedy Episode: "Day of Terror" 1958 Tombstone Territory Billy Clanton Episode: "Pick Up the Gun"Credited as Thomas Pittman 1958 The Restless Gun Jason Leaf Episode: "The Manhunters" 1958 Buckskin Dan Pruitt Episode: "The Ballad of Gabe Pruitt" 1958 Tales of Wells Fargo Bill Dowd Episode: "The Gambler" 1958 M Squad Alvin Jessop Episode: "Dead or Alive" 1958 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Herold Episode: "The Case of Dr. Mudd" 1958 Man with a Camera Terry Killeen Episode: "Profile of a Killer" 1959 Zorro Romualdo Episode: "The Runaways" 1959 Cimarron City Jesse Stainback Episode: "Child of Fear"

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