Oklahoma-bred John Ashley got his start in the movie business while on a vacation in California. A friend from Oklahoma State University got him onto the set of the John Wayne movie The Conqueror (1956), and Wayne in turn steered him toward a job in television in the William Castle series Men of Annapolis (1957). One day, Ashley was at the offices...
December 25, 1934, Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Died
October 3, 1997, New York City, New York, United States
Place Of Birth
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Profession
Producer, Actor, Soundtrack
Nationality
American
Spouse
Deborah Walley (m. 1962–1966), Jan Ashley (m. ?–1997)
Children
Anthony Brooks Ashley, Cole Ashley
Albums
Born to Rock
Movies
Beach Party, Muscle Beach Party, Bikini Beach, The Mad Doctor of Blood Island, Beast of the Dead, Brides of Blood, Hot Rod Gang, Beyond Atlantis, The Twilight People, Dragstrip Girl, Savage Sisters, Beast of the Yellow Night, Frankenstein's Daughter, Black Mama White Mama, Hud, Motorcycle Gang, The ...
TV Shows
The A-Team, Straightaway
Star Sign
Capricorn
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Quote
1
This is a terrible thing to admit, but maybe the key to my success with exploitation films is that I always LIKED those movies, and I never had any real reason to turn them down. I just enjoyed doing them.
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Fact
1
Interviewed by Tom Weaver in the book "Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers" (McFarland & Co., 1988).
2
Played Frankie Avalon's best pal in a few "beach party" flicks of the 1960s.
Both Motorcycle Gang (1957) and Hot Rod Gang (1958) featured John's singing skills. He later had recording contracts with a few labels
5
Earned a B.A. in economics at Oklahoma State University.
6
Married actress Deborah Walley in 1962 and they subsequently became sand-and-surf playmates in the film Beach Blanket Bingo (1965). They had one son, TV associate producer Anthony Brooks Ashley born on May 4, 1963, but divorced three years later.
$20 Million
