Background
Colton was born on May 26, 1929 in Highland Park, New Jersey, to Catherine De Angelis and Angelo Morelli, both of Italy.
Colton was born on May 26, 1929 in Highland Park, New Jersey, to Catherine De Angelis and Angelo Morelli, both of Italy.
He had a sister, Martha Morelli. He was working as a used car salesman when he was discovered by Henry Willson, a Hollywood talent agent who had discovered Rock Hudson, Tab Hunter, Clint Walker, and Rory Calhoun. Colton signed an exclusive contract with 20th Century Fox in 1960 and was given a small part in the film adaptation of The Marriage-Go-Round (1961), starring Susan Hayward and James Mason.
He played the character, Spiridon Loues, a Greek shepherd who enters the Olympics as a runner.
lieutenant co-starred sex symbol Jayne Mansfield, whom Colton had a brief affair with during filming. After the picture wrapped, Hollywood columnist Mike Connolly said in a 1961 column that Colton was Fox Studios" new "combination Rudolph Valentino–Ty Power".
In March 1961 Dorothy Kilgallen wrote that "his only other screen cr to date was a tiny role in "Marriage Go Round" but the female reaction around the nation was enough to give him a bigger chance" and speculated that Colton "may be our next matinee idol". In November of 1961 he screen tested for Fox Studios" Celebration for the part of a man who convinces Joanne Woodward to perform in a pornographic movie.
"Celebration" was the film"s working title, it was eventually produced in 1963 as The Stripper without Colton.
lieutenant Happened in Athens was released in 1962, but by that time, Colton had been released from his studio contract and stopped making movies.