Meet Cristall Orton: Inside the Life of James Drury’s First Wife

Cristall Orton was best known as the first wife of American actor James Drury. Born in Greece, she later moved to America and lived most of her adult life privately. She gained attention through James Drury, who became famous for playing the leading character in The Virginian.

Their marriage also made Cristall the mother of his two biological sons. This article explores Cristall Orton’s early life, age, family, marriage, children, different names, and later years. It also looks at her connection with James Drury and his successful acting career.

Quick Bio

Personal Detail	Information
Full Known Name	Cristall Orton
Reported Birth Name	Cristali Othoneos
Other Names	Cristall Othoneos, Cristall Othones, Cristall Drury
Date of Birth	June 18, 1928
Birthplace	Síkinos, Cyclades, Greece
Known For	First wife of James Drury
Former Husband	James Drury
Marriage Date	February 7, 1957
Divorce Date	November 23, 1964
Children	Timothy Drury and James Drury III
Parents	John Orton and Anna Divoli
Sister	Katina Othones DiClemente
Public Career	Lived mainly outside public life
Date of Death	December 23, 2004
Place of Death	Sacramento, California
Age at Death	76 years
Burial Place	East Lawn Memorial Park, Sacramento
Net Worth	Not known

Cristall Orton’s Early Life in Greece

Cristall Orton was born as Cristali Othoneos on June 18, 1928, in Síkinos, Cyclades, Greece. She spent her early childhood in Greece, where her family roots began, before she later moved to the United States. Her parents were John Orton and Anna Divoli. She also had a sister named Katina Othones DiClemente.

Details about her childhood education and daily family life remained limited as she lived mostly away from public attention. In 1946, Cristall moved to New York City when she was around 18 years old. This move began an important new chapter in her life in America.

Cristall Orton’s Age and Birth Details

Cristall Orton was born as Cristali Othoneos on June 18, 1928, in Síkinos, Cyclades, Greece. She spent her early years in Greece before moving to New York City in 1946 at around 18 years old. Her birth year also helps place her life alongside James Drury’s. James was born in 1934, making Cristall about six years older than him.

Cristall lived for 76 years. She died on December 23, 2004, in Sacramento, California. Her life covered several important chapters, from her Greek childhood and move to America to her marriage, motherhood, and later private years.

Her Different Names Explained

One interesting part of Cristall’s biography is the number of names associated with her. She is widely known as Cristall Orton, although Cristall Othoneos, Cristall Othones, Cristali Othoneos, and Cristall Drury are also connected with her life. These variations can sometimes create confusion among readers researching James Drury’s family.

Cristali Othoneos is identified as her reported birth name, while Cristall Drury was connected with her married years. Despite the different spellings, her marriage details remain consistent. Her wedding to James Child Drury Jr. took place on February 7, 1957, making her an important part of the actor’s early personal history.

Education and Professional Life

Cristall Orton maintained an extremely private lifestyle, and details about her formal education were never widely discussed. There is also little information about schools or colleges she may have attended. Unlike her famous husband, she did not establish herself as a recognizable personality in entertainment or another highly public profession.

Her professional life similarly remained away from public attention. She was not known as an actress, performer, or Hollywood professional despite being married to a successful actor. Much of what people know about Cristall instead comes from her family relationships. Her quiet lifestyle separated her personal identity from the celebrity world surrounding James Drury’s successful television career.

Cristall Orton and James Drury’s Marriage

Cristall Orton married James Drury on February 7, 1957, during an important stage of his developing acting career. James had already begun working in movies and television, but his greatest success was still ahead. Their marriage therefore started before he became permanently associated with one of television’s best-known western characters.

The couple remained together for more than seven years and welcomed two sons during their relationship. Their marriage eventually ended when their divorce was finalized on November 23, 1964. Cristall and James did not publicly turn their separation into a major celebrity story. Instead, Cristall continued maintaining the private approach that characterized much of her life.

Life During James Drury’s Rising Career

Cristall entered James Drury’s life while he was still working toward major Hollywood recognition. During the 1950s, James appeared in movies and television productions while gradually developing his reputation as an actor. His early screen work included Blackboard Jungle, Forbidden Planet, and Love Me Tender, alongside appearances in western television programs.

His growing career required him to work in an industry filled with demanding schedules and changing opportunities. Cristall experienced these early career years as his wife before his greatest television success arrived. Their marriage covered the transition between James being a developing screen actor and becoming the recognizable western star audiences would remember for decades.

The Virginian Years

A major change arrived for the Drury family when James received the title role in NBC’s The Virginian. The western television series premiered in 1962 and quickly became the defining production of his career. Cristall was still married to James when he began portraying the character that would make him widely famous.

The series became especially notable for its 90-minute episodes and eventually continued for nine seasons until 1971. James remained closely associated with the title character throughout his later life. Cristall and James divorced in 1964, meaning their marriage covered the opening years of his greatest television achievement and an important period in his rise to nationwide recognition.

Who Was James Drury?

James Child Drury Jr. was born on April 18, 1934, in New York City. Although his birthplace was far from the western landscapes that later defined his career, he spent part of his childhood on his maternal family’s Oregon ranch. His grandfather introduced him to horses and important elements of ranch life.

These childhood experiences eventually became useful when James began appearing in western productions. He developed strong riding abilities and understood the outdoor lifestyle connected with the characters he portrayed. James also studied drama at New York University before continuing his studies at UCLA. His education and practical experience helped prepare him for the Hollywood career that followed.

Cristall Orton and James Drury’s Two Sons

Cristall Orton and James Drury had two sons together, Timothy Drury and James Drury III. They were James Drury’s only biological children and remained an important part of the family after their parents divorced in 1964. Timothy Drury chose a creative music career.

He became a keyboardist, guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer, working with artists and bands including Whitesnake, Stevie Nicks, Don Felder, Bryan Adams, and Melissa Etheridge. James Drury III, also known as James Randolph Drury, lived a much more private life. He was born in Los Angeles in 1957 and died in 2021.

James Drury’s Acting Success

James Drury entered the entertainment industry during the 1950s and gradually earned roles across film and television. His early appearances included productions such as Blackboard Jungle, Forbidden Planet, and Love Me Tender. Television westerns also became an important part of his developing career, giving him opportunities to strengthen his screen presence.

He appeared in programs including Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Bonanza, and The Texan. However, The Virginian became the role that defined his public image. Beginning in 1962, James played the central character throughout the long-running western. His experience with horses and ranch life helped make his performance believable and strengthened his lasting connection with western television audiences.

Divorce and James Drury’s Later Marriages

Cristall Orton and James Drury officially divorced on November 23, 1964, after more than seven years of marriage. Their separation occurred while The Virginian was already bringing James significant television recognition. Cristall subsequently moved away from the public story surrounding his career and continued living a considerably quieter life.

James eventually married Phyllis Jacqueline Mitchell in 1968. Their marriage lasted until their divorce in 1979, and they had no children together. Later that year, James married Carl Ann Head on July 30. Their marriage lasted approximately forty years until Carl Ann died in 2019, making it the longest of James Drury’s three marriages.

Cristall Orton’s Life After Divorce

After separating from James Drury, Cristall largely disappeared from the public attention connected with Hollywood. She did not use her former husband’s growing fame to establish a celebrity career for herself. Instead, she continued living privately while James remained recognizable to generations of western television viewers.

Her later relationships, everyday activities, and professional experiences received little attention. This absence from entertainment publicity explains why most discussions about Cristall focus on her marriage and children rather than a public career. She belonged to an earlier generation when the former spouses and relatives of actors could maintain significant privacy despite having a close connection with a nationally recognized television personality.

Death and Final Years

Cristall Orton reportedly died on December 23, 2004, in Sacramento, California. She was 76 years old. Her burial place is listed as East Lawn Memorial Park in Sacramento. Her death occurred many years after her marriage to James Drury had ended and well before James himself passed away.

Cristall’s final decades remained consistent with the privacy that characterized most of her adult life. Her death did not become a major Hollywood news story, and extensive information about her final years did not emerge afterward. James Drury lived until April 6, 2020, when he died from natural causes at his Houston home at age 85.

Cristall Orton’s Wealth and Financial Life

Cristall Orton’s exact net worth was not recorded in the information available about her life. She lived privately, and details about her earnings, property, assets, or other sources of income were never shared in detail. Unlike James Drury, Cristall did not build a well-known career in Hollywood or another public industry.

This kept most information about her finances away from attention. James earned recognition through his acting career, especially The Virginian. However, his professional success does not provide a clear figure for Cristall’s personal wealth, so her individual net worth remains unknown.

Public Life and Social Media

Cristall Orton belonged to a very different celebrity era from the social-media-focused entertainment world of today. She spent most of her life before Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and similar platforms became central to celebrity culture. As a result, she never developed the online identity commonly associated with modern celebrity family members.

She also showed little interest in building a public image through her connection with James Drury. There are no recognized social media profiles belonging to her, and interviews focused specifically on her life are scarce. Her public identity instead remains connected primarily with her former marriage, her two sons, and her position in James Drury’s family history.

Why Cristall Orton Is Still Remembered

Interest in Cristall Orton continues largely because James Drury remains an important name in classic American western television. Viewers who discover or revisit The Virginian often become interested in the actor’s personal history, including his marriages and children. Cristall naturally becomes important because she was his first wife.

Her place in his biography is particularly meaningful because their relationship began before James reached the peak of his television fame. She shared his early married years and became the mother of his only biological children. Through Timothy and James III, Cristall remained permanently connected with the Drury family even though her marriage to James ended decades before his death.

Final Thoughts

Cristall Orton lived a private life, but her connection with one of classic television’s recognizable western actors keeps her story interesting. Born as Cristali Othoneos in Greece, she later moved to America and married James Drury in 1957, years before his career reached its greatest level of fame.

Their marriage produced two sons, Timothy Drury and James Drury III, before ending in divorce in 1964. Cristall then remained mostly outside the entertainment spotlight until her reported death in Sacramento in 2004. Today, she is remembered primarily as James Drury’s first wife, the mother of his sons, and an important figure in his early family history.

FAQs About Cristall Orton

Who was Cristall Orton?

Cristall Orton was the first wife of American actor James Drury, best known for The Virginian. She lived mainly away from Hollywood attention and was also the mother of James Drury’s two biological sons.

When was Cristall Orton born?

Cristall Orton was born as Cristali Othoneos on June 18, 1928, in Síkinos, Cyclades, Greece. She spent her early years in Greece before moving to New York City in 1946.

Who was Cristall Orton married to?

Cristall Orton was married to actor James Drury. They married on February 7, 1957, while James was developing his acting career. Their marriage lasted more than seven years before ending in divorce in 1964.

How many children did Cristall Orton have?

Cristall Orton and James Drury had two sons, Timothy Drury and James Drury III. Timothy became a professional musician, while James Drury III lived a quieter life away from the entertainment spotlight.

Why was Cristall Orton famous?

Cristall Orton became known because of her marriage to James Drury, the actor who played the title character in The Virginian. She was his first wife and shared his early family life.

When did Cristall Orton and James Drury divorce?

Cristall Orton and James Drury divorced on November 23, 1964. Their marriage had started on February 7, 1957, and covered the early years of James Drury’s successful television career on The Virginian.

When did Cristall Orton die?

Cristall Orton died on December 23, 2004, in Sacramento, California, at the age of 76. Her burial place is listed as East Lawn Memorial Park in Sacramento, where she spent her later years.