Richard Eastham


Richard Eastham was an American actor of stage, film, and television, a concert singer known for his deep baritone voice, and an inventor.

Early years

Eastham's birth name was chosen in honor of Miss Helen Dickinson Swift, one of his mother's college classmates. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest K. Eastham, and he attended Soldan High School.

Career

On Broadway, Eastham was understudy for Ezio Pinza in South Pacific, eventually replacing Pinza on stage. His performance was so well received that he was made the male lead for a two-year national tour of the musical. His other Broadway plays included Medea and Call Me Madam. Eastham and co-star Janet Blair, in their original roles, headed another tour of South Pacific in 1965.
Prompted by his playing of a guitar in The Sound of Music, Eastham invented a device for stringing a guitar, with 31,000 of them sold in the first three weeks that they were available.

Personal life

Eastham married Betty Jean Van Allen, who was his high school classmate.

Filmography