Schuyler Standish was born in 1927 in Los Angeles, California. He began studying violin at age 3, later attending UCLA at age 13 to study music. Standish began acting at age 6. He studied tap dancing at the Ethel Meglin School for Kiddies, Shirley Temple’s alma mater. His first motion picture was “Shipmates Forever,” in 1933, starring Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler. He later appeared in “Blood and Sand” (1941) with Tyrone Power and Rita Hayworth, and “Melody For Three” (1941) with Fay Wray and Jean Herscholt. Standish’s musical virtuosity was a special element of his acting career, and he showcased his talent as a violinist in “Melody For Three” with a violin solo.
In 1944, Standish enlisted in the Air Force and spent the remainder of World War II entertaining troops in Bobby Byrne’s band.
In the early 1950s, Standish further developed his artistic skills and dedicated himself to self-taught visual art. His first one-man show was held at Falk-Raboff Gallery in Los Angeles in 1954. Standish lived in the Hollywood Hills and in Highland Park, and used the local hillside views as inspiration for his paintings. Standish began teaching art in 1972 at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. He retired in 2002. He also exhibited at LACMA (1959) in a group show and held a one-man show at the Riverside Art Museum (2010) just before his passing.
