Trax Colton, the dashing leading man who starred opposite Jayne Mansfield in *It Happened in Athens* after being discovered—and rebranded—by the same legendary talent agent who shaped the careers of Rock Hudson, Tab Hunter, and other Hollywood icons, has passed away at the age of 96. Colton died peacefully of natural causes on August 30 in Monte Nido, California, his son Ryan Morelli confirmed to *The Hollywood Reporter*. “I couldn’t have written a better parent into existence,” Ryan reflected. “He was the most generous, loving father anyone could ask for.”
Born Louis Morelli in New Jersey to Italian immigrants Angelo and Caterina, Colton’s journey to stardom began on a sunny day in Beverly Hills. While cruising down Olympic Boulevard in a convertible en route to a lunch date, he caught the eye of Henry Willson, a notorious Hollywood talent scout known for his knack for spotting—and reinventing—raw talent. Willson pulled up alongside Morelli’s car and posed a life-altering question: Would he consider a screen test? Though Morelli had never acted a day in his life, he agreed.
With a new name (Trax Colton) and a contract at 20th Century Fox, he made his debut as a party guest in the 1961 comedy *The Marriage-Go-Round*, starring Susan Hayward, James Mason, and Julie Newmar. His breakout role soon followed: Spiridon Loues, a rugged Greek shepherd determined to compete in the first modern Olympic marathon at the 1896 Athens Games, in *It Happened in Athens* (1962). The film cast Mansfield as Eleni Costa, a glamorous Greek actress who vows to marry the race’s winner in a publicity stunt.
During production, *THR* columnist Mike Connolly hailed Colton as Fox’s “new Rudolph Valentino-Ty Power hybrid,” with rumors swirling of a potential *Blood and Sand* remake starring him. Fellow journalist Dorothy Kilgallen chimed in, dubbing him “our next matinee idol.” But when *It Happened in Athens* flopped at the box office, both Colton and Mansfield were released from their contracts, marking the end of Colton’s brief acting career. “Trax Colton was handsome and charming, but acting wasn’t his true calling,” biographer Eve Golden noted in her 2021 book, *Jayne Mansfield: The Girl Couldn’t Help It*.
The second of four siblings, Morelli grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey, playing violin in an orchestra by age 12 and mastering guitar and piano. Before Hollywood, he sold cars and dabbled in dentistry. His fateful encounter with Willson, however, aligned him with a roster of stars-to-be: Roy Fitzgerald (Hudson), Arthur Gelien (Hunter), Marilyn Louis (Rhonda Fleming), Merle Johnson (Troy Donahue), Francis McGowan (Rory Calhoun), Krekor Ohanian (Touch/Mike Connors), and Robert Moseley (Guy Madison).
After *It Happened in Athens*, Colton screen-tested unsuccessfully for the role of a sleazy manager in *The Stripper* (1963), a part ultimately given to Robert Webber. He later guest-starred on an episode of ABC’s *Combat!* in the 1960s. A polyglot, Colton earned a law degree in 1969 and practiced until the early 2000s. Despite his sparse acting credits, fan letters continued to arrive until his death.
He is survived by sons Ryan and Todd, grandchildren Ronan and Quinn, brother Frank, and a legacy as a fleeting yet unforgettable Hollywood dream. His wife of 48 years, Maureen, died in 2017 from a brain aneurysm at age 70.
