Tom Pittman

Tom Pittman (born Jerry Lee Altenburger or Alten) was born to Franz Zavier Altenburger (or Alten) (1907 - 1988) and Beulah Dahlia Cory (1910 - 1959). His father was born in Austria and his mother was born in Kansas. Franz, known as Frank Alten, was a film and radio actor. Tom had one half-sister, Paula Diane (Adair) Lair (1939 - 2017). Tom Pittman married Carol Arlyn Johnson (1934 - 2017) on July 26, 1952 in Los Angeles, California, and they had one son. At the time of Tom's death, he and Carol were divorced. Tom 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." On October 31, 1958, he was driving home after a Halloween party when he ran his Porsche Spyder off the road at a sharp curve in the Hollywood Hills. After he failed to return home, his father filed a missing persons report. 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 at the bottom of a 150-foot ravine. Pittman's car had crashed through the guard rail, landing at the bottom of the ravine where it remained out of sight. See an article about the accident at Body of Actor Tom Pittman Found in Car. Also see Tom Pittman: Obituary.