In Memory of Former Child Star Brandon de Wilde: 5 Decades After His Tragic Death in a Car Accident

Photo bytcm.com

It’s been over five decades since the tragic death of former child star Brandon de Wilde. He died as a result of injuries suffered in a car accident in Denver. He was driving alone through a severe rainstorm when his van crashed into a flatbed truck parked by the road. The actor was to perform in a production of Butterflies Are Free at a nearby amusement park theater. He was only 30 years old, and this is his story.

Broadway Debut

Brandon de Wilde was born April 9, 1942, in Brooklyn, to show business veteran parents. In 1950, he made his Broadway debut at only 7 years old in Carson McCullers’s Member of the Wedding.

After 492 acclaimed performances in that stage production, de Wilde was cast in the 1953 classic big-screen Western Shane. An appearance in that film was followed by several other movie roles, including Blue Denim, All Fall Down, Hud, and The Deserter.

Then Came TV

In 1953 and 1954, Brandon de Wilde starred in his own TV show, titled, Jaimie, and was earning a star’s salary, placed in trust by his parents.

Beyond Acting

Later in life, Brandon de Wilde lived briefly on Manhattan’s West Side and took courses at the New School for Social Research, as became interested in other vocations besides acting.

That Tragic Day

On July 6, 1972, while in Colorado for a Denver stage production of Butterflies Are Free, at the Elitch Theatre, Brandon de Wilde was killed in a traffic accident in the Denver suburb of Lakewood. Alone, and not wearing a seatbelt, de Wilde was in a camper van that exited the road before hitting a guardrail and a parked truck. The van rolled onto its side, and de Wilde was pinned in the wreckage.

The talented charismatic actor was rushed to St. Anthony Hospital, where he died at 7:20 p.m. of multiple injuries that included a broken back, neck, and leg.