Jan Merlin

April 3, 1925 - September 20, 2019 Mr. Jan Merlin, 94, passed away September 20th, 2019 in Burbank California. Born Jan Wasylewski on April 3, 1925 and reared in New York City, Merlin was of Polish ancestry. Merlin left school to serve in World War II as a Naval torpedo-man in the Pacific theater. After the war, Merlin worked in Summer Stock, and enrolled in NYC's The Neighborhood Playhouse. His more than five decades long professional acting career started in small parts on Broadway, including in the ensemble for Mister Roberts starring Henry Fonda in 1949. From there Merlin performed in numerous on and off Broadway productions, radio shows and had a leading role in early television's Tom Corbett, Space Cadet. Merlin's television credits include roles on The Rough Riders, Perry Mason, Dragnet and many more. Merlin acted in more than 25 films, many times playing the tough guy. His filmography includes: monster movie Them!, and bank heist movie Six Bridges to Cross. Jan had parts in the Guns of Diablo, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Woody Allen's Take the Money and Run, and The Hindenberg. Merlin's uncredited work in The List of Adrian Messenger is the stuff of Hollywood legends.Merlin spent five years writing for the soap opera Another World, and won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in 1975. Jan was preceded in death by his wife Patricia in 1986, and his two sisters Alexandra and Caroline as well as two brothers, Andrew and Joseph. Surviving are his wife of 31 years Barbara, and her children David, Heidi and daughter in law Sandy Skeeter.