Paradise almost killed Win. After Star Trek, Mission:Impossible and Dragnet appearances, he left L.A. in '69 to shoot his own movie in the Virgin Islands. He lost his financing, one home burned d ...Show More
Paradise almost killed Win. After Star Trek, Mission:Impossible and Dragnet appearances, he left L.A. in '69 to shoot his own movie in the Virgin Islands. He lost his financing, one home burned down and hurricane Hugo destroyed two more before he landed parts in "Caribe", a short lived Stacy Keach/Carl Franklin TV series, Bare Essentials, a M.O.W, and Weekend at Bernie's II, which enabled his 1993 return to Hollywood. In the '60's, Win studied acting with Stella Adler in NYC. He was singled out for praise in the NY Times (11/23/64) by members of the Moscow Art Theatre, visiting NY to assess US understanding of Stanislavski's system. "This minor scene was genuine, realistic art that produced a great impression" (Torporkov). While appearing as Dirk (the gigolo) on the soap "Love of Life", he worked as assistant manager at all Rugoff Theatres in NYC, this brought him up to speed on great foreign films. After getting glowing reviews in stock, he landed a part on "Trials of O'Brien" opposite Peter Falk, but slept through his first morning "call". Mortified and feeling he had blown it in NYC, it was time to catch "the first thing smoking" and head for the West Coast. While appearing opposite Leslie Parrish in The Adding Machine and Ahna Capri in Period of Adjustment at the Holmes Repertory Theatre in Los Angeles, Jocelyn Brando (yes, HIS sister) said "Goodbye Win, I'm leaving the Co., going to New York. I got a part on "Love of Life". He stammered... "I just left that show to come here!?!?" "Idiot," she responded, "don't you know what those things pay?". Receiving a beautiful review in Variety for his stage work in "Zoo Story" while appearing on Star Trek, Judd: For the Defence, Custer, Dragnet, etc. he decided the next logical step was to shoot his own independent film in the Virgin Islands (for great production value!) Sounded good... you know the rest. While licking his wounds between fire and hurricanes, he created the U.S. Virgin Islands Film Commission (5th in the U.S.) bringing millions of dollars into the islands by luring hundreds of national commercials plus features like The Island of Dr. Moreau (Burt Lancaster), Four Seasons (Alan Alda), Christopher Columbus (Brando) etc. He also turned the Atlanta Film Fest into the Virgin Islands' International Film Fest with such guests as Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani and Roy Scheider. Win moved a 160 foot sunken freighter 3 miles (under water) with the world's largest sea crane to lure "The Deep" but lost that movie to a beautiful wreck in the neighboring BVI. However his wreck did become a cash cow for dive operators, the boating industry and the filming of national commercials. In 1979 while hosting the annual (Film Commissioners') Cineposium, he and Carol Smith became the first recipients of the "Dutch Horton Award". He also proposed creating the National Association of Film Commissioners (now it is International). Today he's doing what he enjoys most, writing and shooting short films with his son Mark in L.A. He's appeared in 12 indie films and one spec sitcom since his return and is presently storyboarding two features of his own. Hide
