Don Borisenko

Birth : 1939-05-22, Longbranch, Ontario, Canada

Death : 2014-04-12

History

Canadian performer who was seen in films and television from late 1950s to the 1970s. Called "the Canadian James Dean", after appearing in several features with success, Borisenko went to England where he had starring roles in two films by fellow Canadians: Sidney J. Furie's wartime melodrama "During One Night" (1960), and Mark Robson's account of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, "Nine Hours to Rama" (1963), in which he played Naryan Apte, the friend of Gandhi's murderer, Nathuram Vinayak Godse (played by Horst Buchholz). After he walked off the set of Robert Aldrich's "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), dissatisfied with his role (which was then given to Donald Sutherland), Borisenko appeared on different television shows, back in Canada and in England. Moving in the 1970s to Los Angeles, he changed his name to Jonas Wolfe, appeared in several films, as "Black Gunn" (1972) and "The Laughing Policeman" (1973), and opened a music club, where he reportedly gave the rock group Van Halen their first paying gig. Borisenko finally retired from acting and dedicated his life to poetry, painting and sculpture.

Profile

Don Borisenko

Movies

Black Gunn
Val
A successful and popular nightclub owner who believes financial independence is the path to equality and success, must act as a go-between for militant-minded brother and the white gang syndicate his brother has attacked and robbed. Their involvements lead to a breathless race course chase, the destruction of a dopepusher and a violent waterfront climax.
Reddick
Gower
Charges that the Reverend 'Red' Reddick is exploiting his youth club members leads to an explosive confrontation.
The Psychopath
Donald Loftis
Inspector Holloway is investigating a series of brutal murders in which a doll of each victim is found at the scene. The dolls, as it turns out,were purchased by the crippled Mrs. Von Sturm, whose home is overcrowded with a doll collection. Her pale, wide-eyed, neurotic son is the prime suspect and the daughter of one of the victims discovers the shocking truth.
Nine Hours to Rama
Naryan Apte
José Ferrer and Horst Buchholz star in this fictionalised account of events leading up to the assassination of Indian spiritual leader and independence campaigner Mahatma Gandhi.
The Hired Gun
Gunman Don Borisenko is hired by the townsfolk to mete out justice to a cruel land baron. Instead, Borisenko gets romantically involved with Tass Tory, the wife of a local farmer. When the smoke clears, the gunman has killed the rancher, and the farmer has killed the gunman.
During One Night
David
Story of a young U.S. Army officer, stationed in England during World War II, who is suddenly conscious of a desire to "prove" himself sexually.
Now That April's Here
David Munro
An anthology based on the works of Canadian author Morley Callaghan “Silk Stockings” is about a shy teenager buying a gift out of love for his landlady’s daughter only to be disappointed in his affections. “Rocking Chair” is about a widower rebuffing his late wife’s friendship out of loyalty. “The Rejected One” is about a humble shop girl being insulted and scorned over supper by her rich boyfriend’s family. “A Sick Call” is about young woman returning to Catholicism on her sickbed over the objections of her Protestant husband, who fears religion will come between them during a priest’s visit.