Before the age of 12 he had become the first child actor awarded the Donaldson Award, filmed his role in The Member of the Wedding, starred in his most memorable film role as Joey Starrett in the film Shane (1953), been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, starred in his own sitcom television series Jamie on ABC and became a household name making numerous radio and TV appearances before being featured on the cover of Life magazine on March 10, 1952, for his second Broadway outing Mrs. McThing.

Into adulthood, additional plays, movies and TV appearances followed before his death at age 30 in a motor vehicle accident in Colorado, on July 6, 1972.

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