Screen Extras: Part 3, "I Can't Help It"...

Paul Bradley (1901-99)
*Born as Anthony Poliseno in Ohio
*Came to Hollywood in 1922
*Height: 5',11"
*First film with western star Hoot Gibson
*Roomed with character actor Fletcher Norton in 1930
*Served as an officer of Screen Extras Guild
*Died in Tarzana, California just short of 98 years

 Okay, just one more post for right now on Screen Extras, these folks all identified for your future recognizing pleasure with a little bit of trivia to go along with the photos...

Bobby Gilbert (1898-1973)
*Born as Robert Wolf in Philadelphia
*Wife was Fannie Gartner (1894-1985)
*He was also a musician and dancer

Harold Miller (1894-1972)
*Born as Harold Kammermeyer
in Redondo Beach, Calif.
*Height: 6',1"
*Made first film in 1919
*Portrayed the Judge in the opening
credits of tv's Perry Mason

Leoda Richards (1907-98)
*Born as Leoda Carole Knapp in Columbus, OH
*She appeared in a least 3 Broadway shows between
 1927-1935 including the original  Anything Goes 
*She married Chas. Richards in 1928; daughter, Barbara
*She may have not started film work until after husband's death in 1950
*Eventually retired to an upscale community in Laguna Niguel, CA where she died in 1998, only about five weeks before her 91st birthday.

William H. O'Brien (1891-1981)
*Born in Peak Hill, New South Wales, Australia
*Married to wife Ruby  until 1962 (48 years)
*Younger daughter Betty was an actress in the 1940s
*Served as an officer of Screen Extras Guild

Cosmo Sardo (1909-89)
*Born in Boston of Italian decent
*Was a barber in Los Angeles
for many years in addition to Extra work
*Appeared as the Bartender in over 70
episodes of tv's Bonanza
*Married in 1974 to a woman
 23 years his junior
*Died in West Hollywood

Screen Extras: Part Two

Kenner Kemp (1908-85)
*Born as Kennard Grant Kempe
in Concho, Arizona
*Married British-born wife Kathleen
from 1933-80
*Sister Donna Kempe also an Extra
*Performed as Walter Pidgeon's stand-in
*Longtime officer in the Screen Extras
 Guild, including Treasuer & V.P.
*Died in Oceanside, California

Here are several more of the Extras identified...do they look familiar to you?

Arthur Tovey (1904-2000)
*Born as Arthur Roland Tovey
in Douglas, Arizona
*A musician all his life, Tovey was
particularly adept at the piano
*Doubled for Leslie Howard in the 
classic Gone With the Wind
*A lifelong bachelor
*Died in Van Nuys, California just
three weeks short of 96 years

George DeNormand (1903-76)
*Born in New York City
*An experienced stuntman for 30+ years
*Second wife Wanda Tuchock (1898-1985) 
was a longtime screenwriter 
*He died at the Motion Picture Home
from cancer

Tony Regan (1908-88)
*Former Casting Director
*Held offices in the Screen Extras Guild
*Retired to the Las Vegas area

Charles Sherlock (1900-83)

Mathew McCue (1895-1966)

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Now, here are two more that I've yet to identify... can anyone out there put names to the familiar faces?

Clark Ross

                             Both Ross and Power are pictured from the 1962 film Advise & Consent

Paul Power ?

Screen Extras... Who Were They?

Frank Baker (1892-1980)
*Born in Melbourne, Australia
*Made his first film in 1912 !
*Married wife Helen Bruno in 1920
*Came to U.S. in 1929
*A member of director John Ford's
stock company of actors for 40 years
*Worked as a stuntman as well, 1930s
*Died at the Motion Picture Home

Leon Alton (1907-95)
*Born in New York
*Worked on Broadway from 1927-41
*Served in the military 1942-45
*Often appeared in dance scenes
*Worked 40+ years as an Extra
*Owned a health food store in
Toluca Lake for many years

 One of the most frustrating things for me is not being able to identify the name of a character actor. The age of the internet has certainly made it easier. But due to the nature of their work, screen extras are rarely, if ever, given their due. In this first piece on Extras, I would like to identify several and then post some photos that I am not able to identify by name at this point. Any information any reader has on these "unidentified" individuals would be much appreciated...

Duke Fishman (1906-77)
*Born as Marcus Leo Fishman to American
parents in the Phillipines
*Came to Avalon, CA in 1934 and became
a lifeguard and official greeter of
Catalina Island
*Reportedly, the tv commercial character
of "Mr. Clean" was based on Duke
*Though only 5',6", always played tough guys
*Appeared most frequently as a citizen
of Dodge on tv's Gunsmoke

Major Sam Harris (1877-1969)

                                                
                                                         
                                              
                                           
                                           As time allows, I'll add information about each of them, but we'll start with their vital stats to go along with the photo.

Joe Extra #1

                                    Can you identify "Joe Extra #1"? The photo is from a mid-1960s television western, so he clearly was probably born around 1900 or very shortly after. He worked at least from the early 1950s through 1975.

Joe Extra #2

What about "Joe Extra #2"? The photo is from Don Knotts' film The Incredible Mr. Limpet from 1964. Again, an actor probably born around 1900 or so. He worked from the early 1950s until the early 1970s at least.

The Frenchmen: Part Two

One of the trickier aspects of dealing lesser known character actors is simply the accurate identification of them. In this screen grab from Disney's Million Dollar Duck from 1971, we seen the well known veteran Edward Andrews (1915-85) in the foreground. He is on the telephone with the fourth in our group of Frenchmen we've been looking at. This film is the last credit I can find for the actor Peter Camlin. I have been able to find out almost nothing about him. One source says he was born on Septermber 5, 1902 in Enghein, France under the name Pierre Gansevoort Nazzari. He appears to have died December 17, 1985 in Los Angeles. I can find no theatrical or dramatic radio credits for him. The earliest film credit of his appears to be 1938's Artists and Models Abroad; followed by such well known pictures as Passage to Marseille (as a French Sergeant); The Razor's Edge; Show Boat (1951 version as a Croupier); An American in Paris; Gentlmen Prefer Blondes (as a Gendarme); Hitchcock's Man Who Knew Too Much (Headwaiter); Unskinkable Molly Brown (French Waiter); Boeing, Boeing (French Taxi Driver); and Disney's Monkeys Go Home! (Cabinet Maker). He worked in television as well, appearing in Hitchcock's series; Climax!; One Step Beyond; Boris Karloff's Thriller; Combat!; Bewitched; and Mayberry RFD in 1970 as what else...? a Maitre d'. How can someone whose career is at least 35 years long simply disappear. Can anyone out there answer the question... whatever happened to Peter Camlin ? Certainly the most familiar Frenchman from the 1950s to the 1980s would be the remarkably prolific Maurice Marsac.

He was born in LaCroix, France March 23, 1915 as Maurice Louis Ferrat. He changed his name after coming to America in 1947 to Maurice Marsac and he worked under that name ever after. Before leaving his native France, he had served in the French Army reserves as a captain, and worked as a secretary for the French Embassy in London until the outbreak of World War II. He returned to France and worked for the French Resistance during the war. His film debut appears to be Paris After Dark in 1943; followed by a good number of well known films including To Have and Have Not; The Razor's Edge (as a Maitre d'); Assignment Paris (Gendarme); April In Paris; How to Marry a Millionaire; Lafayette Escadrille; Gig; Can-Can; King of Kings (barely recognizable as Nicodemus); Poseidon Adventure; The Jerk; The Big Red One; and his last known feature, the 1987 Dragnet, as what else... a Maitre d'! There was probably no more familiar Frenchmen in television during the 1950s and 1970s than Monsieur Marsac. His credits read like the history of classic television...He fed snails to Lucy Ricardo on I Love Lucy; taught French at Our Miss Brooks' high school; was a villain on Superman; he worked multiple times with Burns and Allen and Red Skelton on their series in the 1950s; he provided French support on 

westerns when called for, such as Adventures of Jim Bowie; Northwest Passage; and Daniel Boone. He appeared in many police/detective series such as Public Defender; Peter Gunn; Markham; The Rogues; It Takes a Theif; Mission: Impossible; Mannix; Columbo; McCloud; The New Avengers; The Rockford Files; Barnaby Jones; Hart to Hart; The A-Team; and L.A. Law. He was particularly adept at comedy and in addition to those already mentioned, he continued to appear in top sitcoms such as Real McCoys; My Favorite Martian; Beverly Hillbillies; Hazel; Green Acres; Hogan's Heroes; My Three Sons; Bewitched; Soap; Family Ties; Facts of Life; and Night Court, just to name a small sampling. Maurice appears to have retired from acting in 1988, but he hardly decided to sit at home! For years, he and his wife Melanie (they married in 1952) participated in the world of Croquet. They would tour the world playing in tournaments and it became such an obsession that they remained active in this endeavor for the rest of their lives. Maurice was named resident pro at two Croquet clubs in Newport Beach and he was considered a valuable teacher at the famed Beverly Hills Croquet Club. Around 1996 the Marsacs moved from southern California to northern California (the outskirts of Santa Rosa), where they continued their love for croquet. At one point, late in his life, Marsac was considered in the top 5% of croquet players worldwide! Maurice's wife of 55 years Melanie, died at age 90 in April of 2007 at their home in Oakmont. Less than three weeks later, on May 6, Maurice passed away at 92 from cardiac arrest at a hospital in Santa Rosa. The couple was once described as..."Maurice and Melanie were lively, exciting and wonderful, wonderful people who did not know how to have a dull conversation". 

The Frenchmen

Let's take a look at some of the lesser known character men that were from France. Others may have played Frenchmen, but these fellows were the real thing... not a lot is known about them, so let's see what we can uncover about Jean Del Val, Louis Mercier, Eugene Borden, Peter Camlin, and Maurice Marsac.

Jean Del Val (at left, and sans toupee) was the oldest of this group of five Frenchmen. Born as Jean Jacques Gautier on November 17, 1891 in France, though one source suggest Belgium. He arrived in the United States in 1924 and has his first American film credit that same year in a film starring Rudolph Valentino. Del Val, under his own name Gautier, had done some film work in Europe as early as 1917.  He continued to work steadily amassing score of credits in big and small films alike, including Laurel & Hardy's Block-Heads, Casablanca (as a French police radio announcer), Action in the North Atlantic, Mission to Moscow, Song of Bernadette, Paris After Dark, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Passage to Marseille, Gilda, The Razor's Edge, So Dark the Night, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Funny Face (as a hairdresser), Wreck of the Mary Deare, Can-Can, and The Devil at Four O'Clock, to name just several. In 1966, at the age of 75, he performed a rather unique role in that he had almost no lines and yet was "in the film" from beginning to end. He portrayed Dr. Jan Benes in the sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage.  
                            

      It is his body that the team of scientists is injected into after they are miniaturized. He made a couple of other feature film appearance after this, appearing in brief bits in Wait Until Dark and Darling Lili (1970). Del Val appeared in television from its earliest days, in shows as diverse as Perry Mason and Bonanza, as well as I Spy, Combat!, Mission: Impossible and others. His last know appearance is in a small part in a forgettable tv sitcom called Roll Out! in 1973. Little can be found about Del Val's private life. It is unknown as to whether he was married or had any children. He died in Pacific Palisades, California on May 13, 1975 at the age of 83. He's buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Photo of Del Val below with hair.    
     Only a little bit more is known about the actor Eugene Borden  He was born March 22, 1897 in  Paris as Elysee Eugene Prieur-Bardin. He came to the United States in 1914 and married his first wife Geraldine, a Pennsylvania native in 1918. He divorced and married a second time to a woman named Mae. He married a third time to Elva, who was from Cleveland, Ohio. He legally Americanized his name to Eugene Borden in 1935. The 5', 7" Borden often found himself playing waiters, porters, stewards, and various minor French officials. Some of his many small feature film parts include The Three Musketeers, Story of Irene & Vernon Castle, Casablanca (as a Policeman), Mission to Moscow, Song of Bernadette, To Have and Have Not, The Dolly Sisters (as the Chauffeur, see photo), The Jolson Story, The Razor's Edge, The Bishop's Wife, Might Joe Young, All About Eve, An American in Paris, Titanic ('53), The Far Country (as Doc Vallon), To Catch a Thief (as a Waiter), Spirit of St. Louis, and Our Man Flint, just to name several over multiple decades. Television called in the early 1950s, and Borden worked until at least 1966 in the medium, appearing in such programs as The Burns & Allen Show, Have Gun-Will Travel, Perry Mason, Twilight Zone, and his last known appearance, the series Run For Your Life in 1966. Borden died July 21, 1971 at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 74. He is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica. Borden, below, left.
.  Louis Mercier was born as Louis Gabriel Mercier in Algiers, France on March 7, 1901. Slight of build, the 5', 7" Mercier came to the U.S. in 1922 and married an Indiana girl in 1931. Mercier appeared in over 100 films, from a part in a 1926 John Crawford film, Paris, to such features as Jezebel, Casablanca, Song of Bernadette, Passage to Marseille, To Have and Have Not (as Gerard), So Dark the Night, My Darling Clementine, To Catch a Thief (as the French blacksmith), An Affair to Remember, and Wreak of the Mary Deare. His last known appearance was a bit part in the 1977 film The Other Side of Midnight, playing a French cab driver. As with the other Frenchmen, he worked a lot on American television, appearing in such series as Adventures of Superman, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Maverick, Bonanza, Perry Mason, Burke's law, Combat!, I Dream of Jeannie and Green Acres. Mercier died in Pasadena, California on March 25, 1993 at the age of 92. Mercier below, in a Hitchcock tv production in the 1950s on the left, and his bit part in Casablanca, on the right.   

In our next post, "whatever happened to" Peter Camlin? And the busiest Frenchman during television's classic years... Maurice Marsac.

Dallas McKennon 1919-2009

Dallas McKennon turns 90 on the 19th of this month. Not only was Dallas a regular on tv's Daniel Boone as Daniel's friend and storekeeper Cincinnatus; but he played in a host of Disney films and tv shows; was the voice of Archie in the various cartoon series; and was the voice of the one and only Gumby! Dallas has been retired from active film work for some 15 years now, but was still doing live theatrical work as recently as just a few years ago. He lives in Oregon. Happy birthday Dallas!!

Unfortunately, Dallas passed away near his home in Raymond, Oregon on July 14, just five days shy of his 90th birthday. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Betty and eight children. Thanks Dallas, for so much great entertainment over the last 60 years!!

Kwan Hi Lim 1922-2008

Kwan Hi Lim was a lawyer by trade. From Korean ancestry, born in Maui, Hawaii, he attended Boston Law College in 1947 and later Duke University. But from about 1970 through 1992, he appeared in many films and television shows filmed on the islands. He was Lt. Tanaka on Magnum, P.I. some 30 times; and he appeared in at least 25 episodes of Hawaii Five-O over a 10+ year period, almost always as a villain. A small, distinguished looking man with white hair, in his later years he was an elected Judge. Lim could play deadly serious, but also had a flair for comedy. The photo at the right shows Mr. Lim in retirement at the age of 82 in 2004. We learned of his death at 86 from a notice in the SAG magazine, Screen Actor. He passed away in Hawaii back on December 22, 2008.

Victor Millan: 1920-2009

 The veteran character actor Victor Millan passed away at his home in Santa Monica April 3, 2009 at at the age of 88. Millan, whose real name was Joseph Brown, was also a beloved faculty member at Santa Monica College, where he was Dean of the Theatre Arts department for many years. Active since about 1950, MIllan appeared in small roles in such films as Touch of Evil, Giant, Terror in a Texas Town, Boulevard Nights and the 1983 Scarface. Much more active in television, Millan appeared in episodes of Hopalong Cassidy, Annie Oakley, and Ramar of the Jungle in the early days of the medium, to Marcus Welby, Columbo, Quincy and others in the 1970s and 1980s.

DVD This Week

I'm a little behind, so this will be "DVD This Week" for the last couple of weeks. Last week, Shout Factory released the first season of the very well regarded CBS television series The Paper Chase. These are the 22 episodes from the 1978-79 season starring the formidable John Houseman as Prof. Charles W. Kingsfield, a role for which he won an Oscar for Supporting Actor in the movie version a few years earlier. James Stephens is the most committed of students, one James Hart.
Many character actors pop up during the 22 episodes. In semi-regular roles, Betty Harford plays the Professor's loyal secretary, Mrs. Nottingham. Veteran actor Jack Manning plays the university's Dean Rutherford. The late character actor Charles Hallahan plays Hart's tavern owner boss, Ernie. These episodes remind us what a great character man Hallahan was turning into. He was much too young when he died in 1997 at the age of 54. Manning is retired these days and turns 93 this year. He's done it all as an actor, director, writer, and teacher for film, television and the stage. Ms. Harford has not been seen much lately. Now in her 70s, she played a Carrington family cook on several episodes of Dynasty, a few years after The Paper Chase.
Other character actors that appear amongst the 22 episodes include one of the later appearances of Alan Napier; Helen Kleeb; Jan Arvan; Nelson Olmsted; Peggy Rea; Howard Caine; Pat Corley; Pitt Herbert; Vernon Weddle; Harry Davis; and others.
This is a highly recommended set of DVDs.

Week before last, Shout Factory released in inaugural season of ABC-TV's Friday night staple, Room 222. These are the 26 episodes from the 1969-70 season of the series that ended up lasting 5 years. This first season won an Emmy Award for Best New Series and one of the special features has a new interview with character actor Michael Constantine about his Emmy nominated role of school principal Seymour Kaufman. Constantine was and is a great actor, and it's a shame we don't seem him much anymore. With a large cast of supporting roles due to the nature of the series (teachers, parents, etc.), many familiar faces show up, including Ivor Francis, Bill Zuckert, William Schallert, Bernie Kopell, Beah Richards, Bruce Kirby, Donald Moffat, Liam Dunn, Patsy Garrett, Helen Kleeb,Willard Sage and others. Some episodes don't have the "remastered" look that some others have, but this is also a highly recommended set.

Character Actor I.D.: James Nusser

--Born May 3, 1905 in Ohio
--Died June 9, 1979 in Hollywood, California at the age of 74. He was survived by his wife of 55 years Alice and at least 3 children. He is buried at the Valhalla Cemetery in North Hollywood.
--Was appearing on network radio shows from the mid-1940s; appearing on such series as Cavalcade of America, Lux Radio Theatre, Your Movietown Radio Theatre, Let George Do It, Family Theatre, NBC University Theatre, Screen Director's Playhouse and later Your Truly Johnny Dollar, Adventures of the Saint, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Short Story, The Line-Up, Wild Bill Hickok, Philip Marlowe, Suspense, Stars Over Hollywood, Father Knows Best, The Whistler, The Roy Rogers Show, Escape, Have Gun-Will Travel, Fort Laramie, and Gunsmoke.
--One of Nusser's best friends since the 1940s was comic actor Jim Backus, also an Ohio native.
--His best known role is that of Dodge City's town drunk, Louie Pheeters on the long running tv series Gunsmoke. Nusser played the role more than 70 times over an 11 year period. Episodes from the 1968 and 1969 tend to feature his best characterizations ("The Long Night" and "The Night Riders" among his best).
--In real life, he unfortunately had a drinking problem like his more famous tv character.

Films of James Nusser
BONZO GOES TO COLLEGE 1952
ONE GIRL'S CONFESSION 1953
IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU 1954
MOHAWK 1956
HELL CANYON OUTLAWS 1957
RARE BREED 1966
HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE 1967
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE LIGHT   
     WENT OUT? 1968
HAIL, HERO! 1969
CAHILL, US MARSHAL 1973

Television Work of James Nusser

SPACE PATROL 19510818 UNDERWATER HIDEOUT
GANGBUSTERS 19520000 DURABLE MIKE MALLOY CASE
I MARRIED JOAN 19540317 HOME OF THE WEEK
THE LINEUP 19541210 COP SHOOTING
TV READER'S DIGEST 19550000 AMERICA'S MASTER COUNTERFEITOR
I MARRIED JOAN 19550302 LADY & THE PRIZEFIGHTER
MAN BEHIND THE BADGE 19550528 CASE OF THE UNWELCOME STRANGER
SGT. PRESTON OF THE YUKON 19551229 MAD WOLF OF LOST CANYON
JANE WYMAN SHOW 19560000 NO MORE TEARS
GUNSMOKE 19560317 HELPING HAND
GUNSMOKE 19560526 THE KILLER
DRAGNET 19561227 THE BIG HANDCUFFS
BROKEN ARROW 19570129 THE MISSIONARIES
GUNSMOKE 19570504 CHEAP LABOR
PERRY MASON 19571207 CASE OF THE NEGLIGENT NYMPH
THE LINEUP 19580110 WILLARD PEABODY CASE
THE LINEUP 19580307 LOUIE LAWRENCE CASE
GUNSMOKE 19580308 DOOLEY SURRENDERS
COURT OF LAST RESORT 19580404 TODD-LOOMIS CASE
THE LINEUP 19580530 SAMSON MAGILL CASE
THE TEXAN 19581020 THE FIRST NOTCH
PETER GUNN 19590601 VENDETTA
BAT MASTERSON 19600303 CATTLE AND CANE
GUNSMOKE 19601015 PEACE OFFICER
RIVERBOAT 19601128 THE QUOTA
STAGECOACH WEST 19601213 THE STORM
MRS. G. GOES TO COLLEGE 19610000 MRS. G.'S PRIVATE TELEPHONE
GUNSMOKE 19610325 BIG MAN
BAT MASTERSON 19610406 LEDGER OF GUILT
GUNSMOKE 19610930 PERCE
GUNSMOKE 19611007 OLD YELLOW BOOTS
THE UNTOUCHABLES 19611026 TUNNEL OF HORROR
GUNSMOKE 19611230 A MAN FOR A DAY
TARGET: THE CORRUPTORS 19620000 JOURNEY INTO MORNING
GUNSMOKE 19620106 THE DO-BADDER
BEN CASEY 19620115 IMAGINE A LONG BRIGHT CORRIDOR
GUNSMOKE 19620303 THE GALLOWS
GUNSMOKE 19620526 THE BOYS
GUNSMOKE 19621013 JENNY
GUNSMOKE 19630105 LOUIE PHEETERS
GUNSMOKE 19630202 THE COUSIN
GUNSMOKE 19630302 QUINT'S INDIAN
GUNSMOKE 19630330 WITH A SMILE
GUNSMOKE 19630406 THE FAR PLACES
GUNSMOKE 19630413 PANACEA SYKES
THE FUGITIVE 19630924 THE WITCH
GUNSMOKE 19631012 LEGENDS DON'T SLEEP
GUNSMOKE 19631026 EASY COME
TEMPLE HOUSTON 19631128 BILLY HART
GUNSMOKE 19631221 THE MAGICIAN
GUNSMOKE 19631228 PA HACK'S BROOD
GUNSMOKE 19640208 NO HANDS
GUNSMOKE 19640222 THE BASSOPS
GUNSMOKE 19640307 COMANCHES IS SOFT
GUNSMOKE 19640425 THE PROMOTER
GUNSMOKE 19640606 JOURNEY FOR THREE
GUNSMOKE 19641024 DOCTOR'S WIFE
GUNSMOKE 19641212 INNOCENCE
GUNSMOKE 19650109 RUN SHEEP RUN
GUNSMOKE 19650206 CIRCUS TRICK
GUNSMOKE 19650213 SONG FOR DYING
GUNSMOKE 19650327 THE LADY
GUNSMOKE 19650403 DRY ROAD TO NOWHERE
THE FUGITIVE 19650406 A.P.B.
GUNSMOKE 19650424 GILT GUILT
GUNSMOKE 19650529 HE WHO STEALS
GUNSMOKE 19651016 TAPS FOR OLD JEB
LONG HOT SUMMER 19651028 NO HIDING PLACE
GUNSMOKE 19651106 THE REWARD
GUNSMOKE 19651113 MALACHI
GUNSMOKE 19660122 THE RAID: Parts 1/2
THE ROAD WEST 19660926 THE GUNFIGHTER
GUNSMOKE 19661203 THE NEWCOMERS
GUNSMOKE 19670128 MAIL DROP
GUNSMOKE 19670408 NITRO!: Parts 1/2
GUNSMOKE 19670911 THE WRECKERS
GUNSMOKE 19670918 CATTLE BARONS
GUNSMOKE 19670925 THE PRODIGAL
THE VIRGINIAN 19671004 STAR CROSSED
GUNSMOKE 19671009 VENGEANCE: Parts 1/2
CIMARRON STRIP 19671116 TILL THE END OF THE NIGHT
GUNSMOKE 19671120 STRANGER IN TOWN
WILD WILD WEST 19671124 NIGHT OF THE LEGION OF DEATH
THE VIRGINIAN 19671213 EXECUTION AT TRISTE
GUNSMOKE 19671225 BAKER'S DOZEN
GUNSMOKE 19680108 DEADMAN'S LAW
GUNSMOKE 19680115 NOWHERE TO RUN
GUNSMOKE 19680122 BLOOD MONEY
GUNSMOKE 19680226 MR. SAM'L
GUNSMOKE 19680923 LYLE'S KID
GUNSMOKE 19681014 UNCLE FINNEY
GUNSMOKE 19681021 SLOCUM
GUNSMOKE 19681028 O'QUILLIAN
THE VIRGINIAN 19681106 RIDE TO MISADVENTURE
GUNSMOKE 19681125 RAILROAD
THE OUTSIDER 19681127 I CAN'T HEAR YOU SCREAM
GUNSMOKE 19681216 LOBO
GUNSMOKE 19690113 TIME OF THE JACKALS
GUNSMOKE 19690120 MANNON
GUNSMOKE 19690127 GOLD TOWN
GUNSMOKE 19690203 MARK OF CAIN
GUNSMOKE 19690210 THE REPRISAL
GUNSMOKE 19690217 THE LONG NIGHT
GUNSMOKE 19690224 THE NIGHT RIDERS
GUNSMOKE 19690317 THE PRISONER
GUNSMOKE 19690324 EXODUS 21:22
THEN CAME BRONSON 19690924 THE OLD MOTORCYCLE FIASCO
GUNSMOKE 19690929 STRYKER
GUNSMOKE 19691117 A MATTER OF HONOR
WORLD OF DISNEY 19700301 MENACE ON THE MOUNTAIN: Parts 1/2
GUNSMOKE 19700302 MORGAN
GUNSMOKE 19700309 THE THIEVES
MOD SQUAD 19700929 SEE THE EAGLES DYING
GUNSMOKE 19720103 NO TOMORROW
NIGHT GALLERY 19720105 THE TUNE IN DAN'S CAFE
MANNIX 19720924 CRY SILENCE
THE WALTONS 19721005 THE HUNT
GOODNIGHT MY LOVE 19721017 tv movie
MCMILLAN & WIFE 19750216 LOVE, HONOR & SWINDLE
CANNON 19760107 THE REFORMER
HOW THE WEST WAS WON 19780521

Character Actor I.D.: Robert P. Lieb

--Born: September 15, 1914 in Pelham, New York.
--Died September 28, 2002 in Los Angeles, California from complications suffered from intestinal surgery earlier in the year. He was survived by his wife of 56 years, Ina and children.
--Lieb appeared in such Broadway productions as Harvey, 'Daniel, Two Blind Mice, and Inherit the Wind.
--He would most often be seen as either comic or dramatic blowhards or authority figures; frequently lawyers and military men.
--His numerous appearances on the tv series Hazel, were as Harry Thompson, Don DeFore's brother-in-law. On My Three Sons, he was next door neighbor Henry Pearson for four years.

Films of Robert P. Lieb

MYSTERY MEN 1999
STARHOPS 1978
PARALLAX VIEW, THE 1974
HOW TO FRAME A FIGG 1971
MYRA BRECKINRIDGE 1970
ANGEL IN MY POCKET 1969
LOVE GOD?, THE 1969
STAY AWAY, JOE 1968
YOURS, MINE AND OURS 1968
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT? 1968
CLAMBAKE 1967
GRADUATE, THE 1967
FORTUNE COOKIE, THE 1966
BRASS BOTTLE, THE 1964
READY FOR THE PEOPLE 1964
HOW THE WEST WAS WON 1962
UNDERWORLD U.S.A. 1961
PORTRAIT IN BLACK 1960
ELMER GANTRY 1960
THAT KIND OF WOMAN 1959
SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME 1956

Television Work of Robert P. Lieb

DANGEROUS HEART 19940000 tv movie
WORLD OF DISNEY 19890409 PARENT TRAP III
ALF 19881114 TURKEY IN THE STRAW: Parts 1/2
MABEL AND MAX 19870731 pilot
ST. ELSEWHERE 19841107 FADE TO WHITE
PORTRAIT OF A SHOWGIRL 19820504 tv movie
CRASH 19770000 tv movie
CHARLIE'S ANGELS 19761020 ANGELS IN CHAINS
COLLISION COURSE 19760104 special
MOST WANTED 19760000
BLUE KNIGHT 19760000
MCDUFF, THE TALKING DOG 19760000
MILLION DOLLAR RIPOFF 19760922 tv movie
S.W.A.T. 19750000 OMEGA ONE
RUN JOE, RUN 19750000
CANNON 19750319 TOMORROW ENDS AT NOON
MISSILES OF OCTOBER 19741218 special (as Gen. Curtis LeMay)
APPLE'S WAY 19740000 THE CANDY DRIVE
HAWKINS 19731113 A LIFE FOR A LIFE
THE F.B.I. 19731021 THE EXCHANGE
MARCUS WELBY, M.D. 19730123
GHOST STORY 19721222 TIME OF TERROR
MARCUS WELBY, MD 19720314 SOLOMON'S CHOICE
ALIAS SMITH & JONES 19720113 MCCREEDY BUST- GOING, GOING, GONE
THE F.B.I. 19710307 TURNABOUT
YOUNG LAWYERS 19700000
THE INTRUDERS 19701110 tv movie
BRACKEN'S WORLD 19690000 A PERFECT PIECE OF CASTING
THE VIRGINIAN 19681016 WIND OF OUTRAGE
BEWITCHED 19680208 A PRINCE OF A GUY
BONANZA 19680107 THE TRACKERS
DUNDEE & THE CULHANE 19670000 THE JUBILEE RAID BRIEF
BEWITCHED 19670316 CRONE OF CAWDOR
THE ROAD WEST 19661003 THE LEAN YEARS
HEY LANDLORD! 19660925 FROM OUT OF THE PAST
F TROOP 19660322 DON'T EVER SPEAK TO ME AGAIN
THE VIRGINIAN 19660216 HARVEST OF STRANGERS
F TROOP 19660215 SPY, COUNTERSPY, COUNTER
F TROOP 19660104 OUR HERO-WHAT'S HIS NAME
WACKIEST SHIP IN THE ARMY 19650000
HAZEL 19660100 HAZEL'S ENDEARING YOUNG CHARMS
HAZEL 19651200 KINDLY ADVISE
THE VIRGINIAN 19651110 NOBILITY OF KINGS
HAZEL 19650805 TO BUILD OR NOT TO BUILD
ALRED HITCHCOCK HOUR 19650329 COMPLETELY FOOLPROOF
WACKIEST SHIP IN THE ARMY 19650000 pilot
BONANZA 19640426 ENTER THOMAS BOWERS
BING CROSBY SHOW 19640000 JANICE & ME ON A SATURDAY
MY LIVING DOLL 19640000 RHODA'S FIRST DATE
MY FAVORITE MARTIAN 19640202 GOING, GOING, GONE
HAZEL 19640000 HAZEL SQUARES THE TRIANGLE
WENDY & ME 19640000 $5000 chair
DEATH VALLEY DAYS 19631117 MEASURE OF A MAN
ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR 19631108 NOTHING EVER HAPPENS IN LINVALE
GRINDL 19631103 GRINDL, WITNESS FOR THE DEFENSE
ROOM FOR ONE MORE 19630000
HAZEL 19630000 ALL HAZEL IS DIVIDED INTO
OUR MAN HIGGINS 19630000 WHO'S ON FIRST?
ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR 19621206 HANGOVER
FATHER OF THE BRIDE 19620601
THE DETECTIVES 19620518 SATURDAY EDITION
IT'S A MAN'S WORLD 19620000 WINNING HIS WAY
HAZEL 19620000 LICENSE TO WED
HAZEL 19620000 HAZEL AND THE LOVE BIRDS
HAZEL 19620000 HAZEL'S DAY
DR. KILDARE 19611109 THE LONELY ONES
MY THREE SONS 19610601 THE SUNDAY DRIVE
PETER GUNN 19610320 COME DANCE WITH ME
MY THREE SONS 19610223 MAN IN THE TRENCH COAT
TWILIGHT ZONE 19601223 NIGHT OF THE MEEK (as Officer Flaherty)
MY THREE SONS 19601222 THE ELOPEMENT
CHEVY MYSTERY SHOW 19600000
CORONADO 9 19601025 I WANT TO BE HATED
TALES OF WELLS FARGO 19601024 ALL THAT GLITTERS
THE DEPUTY 19600924 DEADLY BREED
BONANZA 19600109 THE OUTCASTS
ONE STEP BEYOND 19591208 THE STONE CUTTER
PERRY MASON 19591114 CASE OF PAUL DRAKE'S DILEMMA
HALLMARK HALL OF FAME 19591026 WINTERSET
PERRY MASON 19581004 CASE OF PINT-SIZED CLIENT
MIKE HAMMER 19580614 THE BROKEN FRAME
THE CALIFORNIANS 19580513 THE INNER CIRCLE
JEFFERSON DRUM 19580505 LAW AND ORDER
BLONDIE 19570000
KRAFT THEATER 19570000
PHIL SILVERS SHOW 19570326 BILKO GOES SOUTH
PHIL SILVERS SHOW 19560306 COURT MARTIAL
PHIL SILVERS SHOW 19560131 TRANSFER
ROBERT MONTGOMERY PRESENTS 19550000 THE CYPRESS TREE
PHILCO TELEVISION PLAYHOUSE 19550109 WALK INTO THE NIGHT
STUDIO ONE 19540000 THE EXPENDABLES
DANGER 19540803 THE KEY
MAN BEHIND THE BADGE 19540725 CASE OF PHANTOM FIRE
GOODYEAR TELEVISION PLAYHOUSE 19540704 SUITABLE FOR FRAMING
STUDIO ONE 19540111 REMARKABLE INCIDENT AT CARSON CORNERS
MAN BEHIND THE BADGE 19531206 BUFFALO, NEW YORK STORY
LUX VIDEO THEATRE 19530323 ONE FOR THE ROAD
OUT THERE 19511216 SEVEN TEMPORARY MOONS
ROBERT MONTGOMERY PRESENTS 19500605 HAMPION
KRAFT THEATER 194800901 ICEBOUND
KRAFT THEATRE 19480512 BROKEN DISHES
BORDEN TELEVISION THEATRE 19470525 WELECOME JEREMIAH
LIGHTS OUT 19460630 FIRST PERSON SINGULAR (pilot)
MR. MERGENTHWIRKER'S LOBBLIES 19460000
MR. & MRS. NORTH 19460000 special presentation

Russ Conway 1913-2009

The veteran actor Russell Conway died January 12 at the age of 95. He had been retired many years and living in Laguna Woods, California. Born in Manitoba, Canada as Russell Clarence Zink April 25, 1913, Mr. Conway's older brother also became an actor and changed his name to Donald Woods (1906-98). Russell began his career on Broadway in the play Land is Bright in 1938; served in WWII; and took up his acting
career in Hollywood in 1947, where he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild for over 60 years. He appeared in hundreds of films and television shows, including such titles as Twelve O'Clock High, War of the Worlds, Love Me Tender, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, and Our Man Flint. His television work includes Wagon Train, The Fugitive, Sea Hunt, The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible, and the role of father Fenton Hardy in the Hardy Boys serials on the 1950s Mickey Mouse Club. Conway could do westerns to detective shows, drama or comedy. Thanks Russ, for many years of enjoyment!

Character Actor I.D.

An attempt is going to be made to update this site. The best laid plans did not come to fruition when the blog was started, but maybe now we can see some regular updates. Let's start with a few photos and make some identifications and throw in a little biographical info as well...

The actor to the left is a familiar face, but few would know his name. Will Wright was born in San Francisco and spent years in the newspaper business before he entered the world of acting. The photo at the left is from about 1960, but it seemed that Will Wright always looked old. His film and television career lasted a mere 22 years, not all that long for one of such lugubrious features. His films include State Fair, Wilson, Bambi, The Blue Dahlia, Jolson Story, All the King's Men, Adam's Rib, The Wild One, Johnny Guitar, Inherit the Wind and Cape Fear, to name but a few. On television, he was Mr. Merivale the florist on Dennis the Menace; the father of Teensy and Weensy on the Tennessee Ernie Ford episode of I Love Lucy; and Scrooge-like store owner Ben Weaver in three episode of the Andy Griffith Show. There is also some incorrect information on the internet that suggests this gentleman owned and operated an ice cream parlor in Hollywood. This trivia is incorrect in that a man named Wilbur Wright (Wil for short) owned these ice cream parlors. Our Will Wright was content to be just a working actor right up until his death in June of 1962 at the age of 71.

Happy Birthday Charles Lane !!

Well, one of the great character actors of all time, Mr. Charles Lane, turned 102 years old yesterday (Jan 26). No news yet on how Mr. Lane spent his birthday, but work continues on a documentary that is being done that was started shortly before he turned 100 in January of 2005. One might also note that Mr. Lane was born in San Francisco, and that he is also one of the few living survivors of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.

In an active film career that spanned 1932-1995, Mr. Lane stepped before a camera for more than 600 different productions, but is probably best known for some of his television roles. He was Homer Bedloe on the CBS-TV series Petticoat Junction during the 1960s. He was Lucy's boss Mr. Barnsdahl on the first season of her second series, The Lucy Show, from 1962-63. There aren't too many actors that can say they appeared on top rated series in the 1950s like I Love Lucy and Perry Mason, as well as top rated series in the 1970s and 80s like Soap, L.A. Law, Hunter, and others.

Mr. Lane is fond of his association with famed film director Frank Capra, having appeared in several of his films such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Mr. Dees Goes to Town, State of the Union, and It's a Wonderful Life. But he also appeared in films with the Marx Brothers, Abbott & Costello, Bob Hope, Jack Benny and Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy and he was in It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. He was in Blondie, Tarzan, and Ellery Queen movies. He had parts in classics like 42nd Street, In Old Chicago, Mighty Joe Young. He worked for the folks at Disney several times in such productions as The Gnome Mobile, The Ugly Dachshund, My Dog the Thief, and The Aristocats. The list goes on and on and on and on...

So, a happy, happy birthday to Charles Lane. More than 75 years in show business, and still everybody's favorite "mean, old, grouchy skinflint".

(photo at left was taken for his 100th birthday two years ago)

Obit

Another loss in the ranks of "veteran character actors"... Frank Campanella died December 30 at the age of 87. He had worked in films and tv since 1949, almost always playing the imposing tough guy (after all, he was 6 ft, 5 in. tall). He was one of a half dozen or so actors who probably played more cops than any other actors (guys like Ken Lynch and William Boyett). He could occasionally do comedy, but was most often seen in dramatic roles. The New York-born actor continued to work up until a couple years ago. Among his survivors are his younger actor brother, Joseph Campanella.

Still Working & Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to character actor Louis Guss. Mr. Guss turns 89 on January 4th. Still working, he has a small role as a court clerk in the feature film Find Me Guilty. Living in New York for the last several years (instead of Hollywood), he's in his sixth decade of acting professionally. (the photo at right is from 1978)

Character Actor Hall of Fame: Charles Lane

Our next inductee as a member of the Character Actor Hall of Fame is being announced now, so that we may celebrate over the next few weeks. Charles Lane, film and television character actor for over 75 years, will turn 102 years old on January 26! Biographical information and more photos will be added to the post in the coming days and weeks. Happy Birthday to the screen's most beloved "skinflint"!

Return of the "Yessssssss..." Man

One of the great character actor actors of radio and television (he never really did much film work) was the late Frank Nelson. He is of course, best remembered as the man who forever annoyed Jack Benny in both his radio and television shows for over 35 years, with his elongated "Yessssssssssss". Ususally as a floorwalker, clerk, waiter, or some other officious role, Nelson would appear and gain some of the biggest laughs of the episode.

Born in Colorado Springs in 1911, and raised in Denver, Frank Nelson started out in radio in the late 1920s at KOA in Denver; he moved to Hollywood in 1929. He married actress Mary Lansing in 1933, and they had two children. While working on the Benny program in radio, he appeared on many other shows, including Lux Radio Theatre, Fibber McGee & Molly, Abbott & Costello, Baby Snooks, Blondie as well as hundreds of others. He joined Benny in the earliest days of television, but also found time to appear with Lucille Ball in several episodes of I Love Lucy (in the last season, he neighbor Ralph Ramsey), as well as doing numerous voice overs for animated series (such as The Flinstones and The Jetsons) and commercials.

He continued to appear with Benny until the comedian's weekly series went off the air in 1965, but he returned to do bits in a couple of Jack's tv specials in the early 1970s. He did several episodes of the hit 1970s tv series Sanford & Son, as well as appearing on screen in numerous tv commercials for McDonald's hamburgers. Frank Nelson was one of the most highly regarded actors in his profession due to his work off screen for the benefit of his fellow actors, He was one of the founders of the union American Federation of Radio Actors, as well as being the driving force behind their pension and welfare fund years later. He eventually divorced Ms. Lansing, and married fellow radio actor Veola Vonn in 1970; they were married until his death from cancer in September of 1986.