From Whence I Came

From Oklahoma to Japan, from Hollywood to Arizona, Alton Tabor's life story is an improbable journey for a boy who began life as a dirt poor farm kid during the Great Depression.

Tabor's book From Whence I Came, from Author House (www.authorhouse.com), traces his life from his birth into a farming family in Oklahoma through his dangerous and maturing experience in the Navy during WWII; he outlines his educational experience at the University of Oklahoma Drama School and then takes us on his journey through Hollywood.

Tabor's memories entertain as they inform, showing readers a glimpse of what life was like in the different eras he has lived through. His vivid descriptions and explanations bring the reader back in time to experience a lifetime of joys and sorrows, wonder and excitement. Tabor's tales of his lifetime are a lesson in American history.

"I was listening to the radio and the National Nominating Committee broadcast came on and they nominated Wendell Willkie, who was to run for president for the Republican Party," he wrote. "Wendell Willkie was running against the incumbent, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. After FDR was elected to a fourth term during the war years, the Constitution was changed to limit presidents to two terms."

After leaving the Navy, Tabor headed home to Oklahoma to see his mother, a courageous woman who raised five children on her own in the middle of the Depression. His journey took him through San Francisco, where he enrolled for a brief time at the Holloway School of Drama. Upon leaving San Francisco he entered the University of Oklahoma drama school, where he met his future wife, Patty.

In June of 1951, Tabor returned to active duty with the Navy. He was transferred from San Diego to Japan to work on aircraft carriers and was thrilled for the experience.

"I cannot say enough about how nice the people of the area were and how well and friendly they treated us," he wrote. "I formed a great admiration for their brightness and quick ability to learn."

After returning to the States and being reunited with Patty, Tabor decided to try his hand at acting in Hollywood. He found the task to be daunting.

"Neither of us fully realized at that time what monumental changes were happening to and at the major movie studios," he wrote. "They were dismissing all of their contract players, through cleverly written contract clauses, and trying to cut their overhead to the bone. The movie studios as they had operated had become archaic, and would dissolve as they had been in the past."

Tabor took any job he could find to make ends meet and to support his growing family, while still going on auditions and interviews for acting parts. His break came in the form of commercials for Maywood-Bell Ford, where he worked part time. His career continued in the form of commercials and small parts on some TV series. In 1960, Tabor decided to leave the acting business and became involved in breeding and racing thoroughbreds.

During this time, Patty started drinking; after the birth of their third daughter Tabor filed for divorce and custody of the children. Unfortunately for the family, tragedy struck and Patty was killed in a house fire in 1971. The same year, Tabor had a heart attack. After recovering from both of these events, Tabor went back to work with his thoroughbreds..

His family enlarged over the years, making him a very proud father and grandfather. He retired to Arizona and spent some time traveling to such places as England and Australia as well as around the United States.