George Maharis, the co-star of the CBS-TV “Route 66” drama during the early 1960s, died several days ago. He was 94.
The story first was broken Saturday by ExtraTV.com, and The Hollywood Reporter confirmed it hours later.
Marc Bahan, Maharis’ caretaker and friend, reported his death in a Facebook post. He said he died on Wednesday:
“Route 66,” which aired from 1960 to 1964, detailed the adventures of two young men who traveled the country, looking for adventure in a Chevrolet Corvette. It starred Maharis and Martin Milner (who died in 2015) as Buz Murdock and Tod Stiles. Maharis was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in the 1962 season.
The show was notable for shooting in various locations all over the United States, though seldom on Route 66 itself. Thanks to chief scriptwriter Stirling Silliphant, it delved into varying social issues of the era, foreshadowing the turmoil of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Most notably, the show inspired generations of viewers to seek their own adventures on the real-life Route 66.
Maharis left “Route 66” during its third season after contracting hepatitis. He was replaced by Glenn Corbett, but the show lost a lot of its tension and magic, and it was canceled after the fourth season.
I happened a chance to interview Maharis for about 30 minutes by phone in 2007 when “Route 66” was about to be released on DVD for the first time. The story that came from that wound up being one of the most popular in Route 66 News history.
“Route 66” now can be streamed on Roku and other online platforms. All 116 episodes can be purchased in a DVD set here (Amazon link).
Regrettably, Maharis never was known to make an appearance at any Route 66 festival or gathering. But he said in our interview he was well aware of the highway’s cultural impact.
“It’s a great old road,” he said. “It’s too bad what (the interstates) did to it. But now they realize the impact that it’s had, and they’re trying to preserve it now. That’s good; it’s part of our history.”
(Image of George Maharis from a “Route 66” publicity photo in 1962 via Wikipedia)
Wow! Such sad and unexpected news. I say unexpected, because I was just reading a new comment on the interview George gave when he was 79. And the commenter said George was alive and well at 95. Obviously, he hadn’t seen the news either. Rest In Peace, George Maharis. You really made me want to see America by road.