1970 (Age 36)
In this year, Steve Ihnat worked with Ed Asner on a movie he wrote and directed called Do Not Throw Cushions Into the Ring. He played the role of Christopher Belton. The film was never released. However, he became great friends with Ed Asner, so much so that when Steve died in 1972, Asner took it upon himself to read out a tribute to Ihnat at that year's Emmy Awards.
Steve also appeared as Assistant District Attorney Herb Gates in the movie Zigzag.
In television roles, he returned toThe F.B.I. as John Elgin in "Incident in the Desert". He guest starred in The Silent Forcein the episode "Take as Directed for Death" (role unknwon at this time.)
Steve played Larry Sims in "The Nude Scene" in the second of the two seasons long series Bracken's World. He played (unknown) in the "Journey to Nowhere" episode of Paris 7000 .
In Medical Center Steve played Zach Hibbs in "Fright and Flight". He returned to Here Come the Brides as (Unknown) in "Absalom" . In Storefront Lawyers he Reverend Neil Dana in "The Pastures of Hell" In his single episode for The Mod Squad he had a role in "Search and Destroy".
In The Young Rebels, Steve played Sergeant Nobby Whipple in "Suicide Squad". He played a British spy pretending to be an American patriot, whose job is to kill George Washington.
And finally, he returned to Gunsmoke for his final episode in that series, as Lucas Pritchard in "Jenny". His five year old daughter (played by Lisa Gerritsen of Phyllis fame, has come to visit him. Unfortunately Lucas is a man on the run.
1971 (Age 37)
Steve played psychiatrist Dr. Simon Tyler in the TV movie Sweet, Sweet Rachel. He returned to The FBI as Howard Rademaker in the two-parter "The Masterminds."
Bradford Dillman, one of "the masterminds," had this to say about Ihnat:
| "The Mastermind" episode of The F.B.I. was, I believe, the best episode ever on that long-running series. [Clu] Gulager, [Scott] Marlowe, Ihnat and myself conceive the idea of dressing as cartoon characters to knock off Disneyland. The first part was the caper. Part 2 was the feds in pursuit and the consequences of the robbery. I found Gulager to be a rather eccentric man. Steve Ihnat was taken from us at far too young an age. He was one of the most brilliant actors I ever worked with. As for Marlowe, he was a talented actor, but somewhat withdrawn. [6]
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In The Young Lawyers Steve played Pete Pierce in "Conrad and the Taxi Squad". In Alias Smith and Jones, he played the unpleasant (but not villainous) Harry Downs in "Stagecoach Seven. " He returned to Bonanza for the final time, as the Indian-hating Mr. Ganns in "Terror at 2:00".
For D.A.: Conspiracy to Kill a TV Movie/Pilot for a series to star Robert Conrad, he played James Fletcher.
During much of 1971, Steve worked on his film Honkers, starring James Coburn.
1971/1972
Stephen Lodge writes in his online memoirs:
| As a costumer, I had worked with actor, Steve Ihnat quite a few times when he again came into my life on a TV series on which I was working. We traded stories about what we’d been up to -- he had just finished directing and starring in a movie he had financed himself. I had recently completed a first script with my new writing partner, Dave Cass.
Ihnat asked to read Dave’s and my script. When he had finished, he wanted to know if I’d be interested in co-writing a rodeo story with him. Of course, I said yes. And that’s how The Honkers was born.
Since we were both working, Ihnat and I spent weekends writing our rough draft out by his pool. I would then take what we had come up with to my place, where I sat at my typewriter every night, putting it to paper, adding more descriptive stuff.
At four weeks, we had our first draft. It was only then that we attended a real, live, rodeo to help us with the authentic details and background color. After that stuff was added, we had our final screenplay. Originally titled, "Home Town Boy," Ihnat decided he didn’t like that title, and we eventually changed to just plain "Honker" – a word that describes a certain type of woman found in rodeo circles, or, a real, rough bull.
Ihnat’s agent had our script sold to United Artists within a month. Levy-Gardner-Laven became attached and we went into pre-production almost immediately.
Since about three people usually handle all the important responsibilities on a small production, I ended up in my usual occupation as Wardrobe Man. I wasn’t too disappointed; at least it kept me close to the project by allowing me to be on the set throughout the entire shoot.
We prepared the show out of the Goldwyn Studios, the same lot where "The Fugitive" had been filmed. That made me to feel at home as I created the costumes for the stars, James Coburn, Slim Pickens, Anne Archer, and Lois Nettleton.
Levy-Gardner-Laven, producers of The Honkers, was one of the many Hollywood movie companies in the early 70s that used the Cinemobile -- an all-in-one production vehicle that was used instead of numerous trucks. It contained everything needed to shoot a movie: all the camera, sound, grip and electrical equipment. Our particular unit was the double-decked model, which meant it also had a multi-seat bus with dressing rooms and restrooms on a second floor. [4] |
1972 (Would have been 38 on August 7)
In this year, Steve had a role as Detective Andy Parker in the movie Fuzz, working with Burt Reynolds, Raquel Welch, Jack Weston and Tom Skerrit. His was a comedic role - he shoots himself in the foot!
Steve played his final role for Mannix, as Lt. Larry Gifford "To Draw the Lightning". He appeared as Jason Benedict in the "Dead Past" episode of Cade's County. He had spent much of the previous year filming Honkers, which he had written with his writing partner, Stephen Lodge, and directed himself. It starred his friend James Coburn.
Steve on the set of Honkers with Slim Pickens
Steve was in Cannes, hoping to promote his 1970 film Do Not Throw Cushions Into the Ring, when he had a heart attack in his hotel room and died on May 12, 1972. It was his wife's 30th birthday. Dan Blocker, his friend from Bonanza would die the next day.
May 12, 1972
Steve was in Cannes, France, attending the film festival, when he suffered a fatal heart attack in his hotel room. This occurred the day before the death of Bonanza star Dan Blocker. Michael Landon and Steve had been good friends since 1967. A service for Steve was held the next week at Pierce Brothers in Westwood, California (although without his body, which was still in France and would be for some time due to red tape). Michael Landon was one of those who attended the service. [2]
Stephen Lodge, Steve's writing partner on Honkers, wrote:
| "His death was a shock to everyone, and because he had passed away in Europe – at the Cannes Film Festival – I spent the next few weeks with his wife and family, picking up their daughter from school and comforting Steve’s parents while we waited for the red tape to be processed so his wife, Sally, could bring his body home without further incident." [3] |
Ed Asner, who had worked with Steve on Don't Throw Cushions in the RIng announced his death on the 1972 Emmys telecast. Here is the text of that tribute:
| "Steve, only 37, died on May 12, 1972, of a heart attack — while attending the Cannes Film Festival. He left his wife, Sally, a daughter and a son 6 weeks old at the time of his death.
"His picture, The Honkers starring James Coburn and directed and co-written by Steve, had just been released. His future as a moviemaker was assured and would have taken him well beyond the fame he had as an actor.
"In the winter of '68-'69 he approached me about doing a movie, to which I agreed. At this point, Steve had no script, just an idea about a newly made actor-star, his agent (me), his separated wife (his wife) and a business manager (Arthur O'Connell) and the business manager's daughter.
"We'd cruise around in his old Rolls improvising scenes for the two of us. Steve would then type these taped improves into script form and then we'd sit about honing and refining the scenes and giving them a direction and their place in the total picture.
"The film was called Don't Throw Cushions in the Ring and got Steve his start as a major director. Though slow, there are many fine things in it and I feel that Steve would always have called the picture his testament. He was at Cannes talking to potential exhibitors when he died. Since his death, I believe arrangements for exhibition in England and Europe have been concluded.
"Steve had a large ego but coupled with it were love and generosity.
"I experienced all of them and can only express amazement and envy at the response the news of his death evoked in people. The intensity of love and sorrow I've witnessed by his friends and fans is remarkable and I can only think how fortunate I was to have been there on the project he was most proud of. I hope it will suffice to say that I considered him a great actor, filmmaker and friend."
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1973
In 1972, Steve had filmed the role of Alain Praetorious in the TV movie Hunter. It was aired posthumously in 1973.
Steve Ihnat is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Bibliography
Earth Vs the Sci Fi Filmakers. Tom Weaver. McFarland. 2005. Interview with Gary Clarke.
Webography
[1] Dustin Hoffman Biography
[2] Bonanza: Scenery of the Ponderosa: Episode Guide
[3] Pioneer Town: Gunsmoke's Final Episode, by Stephen Lodge
[4] Author's Den: Honkers, My First Produced Screenplay, by Stephen Lodge
[6] Cinema Retro Interview with Bradford Dillman.
[7] Jill Townsend interview, from the now defunct Cimarron Strip website
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TV Shows & Movies with Steve Ihnat as Guest Star
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