Jack Starrett, 52; Adventure Film Actor, Director

Jack Starrett, who entered films as an actor but will be remembered primarily as director of a series of low-budget adventure films, died Monday in a Sherman Oaks hospital of liver failure at age 52.

His sister, Dorothy Barry, said he had been ill for some time.

A native of Refugio, Tex., a small town near Corpus Christi, Starrett worked in the oil fields as a boy before becoming smitten by films when he saw “East of Eden.”

Action Pictures

He came to Hollywood and took odd acting jobs in a series of action pictures before being offered a director’s job on “Run Angel Run!” in 1969. His other credits--either as actor or director or both--include “The Losers,” “Cry Blood Apache,” “Cleopatra Jones,” “Race With the Devil,” “Final Chapter--Walking Tall,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Slaughter,” “The River” and “First Blood.”

On television, he was in such series as “Hunter” and “The A-Team.”

Besides his sister, he is survived by a daughter, his father and a granddaughter. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills.