Casting Needs and Leeds

Peter Leeds (1917-1996) was a jack-of-all-trades American actor who had the distinction of appearing more than 8,000 times on television and heard on over 3,000 radio shows. The actor was a "household face" to the parents and their Baby Boomers during the 1950s and 1960s. In spite of his leading man looks, his work was mostly uncredited, filling needed roles in films of the 1940s and being the straight man for many well-known television comedians for three decades. The 6'1" Leeds was also a dramatic actor and Broadway performer who stayed active into the 1980s. 

On my other site, Forgotten Cinema, I select mostly unknown or obscure movies, highlighting commendable or poor production values, the actors' performances, the dialogue, and the music score, usually with humor. Leeds appeared in seven films (below) that I have reviewed, yet his brief appearances elicited little, if any mention, because his role was not significant to the overall story. The exceptions might be 99 River Street or High School Bigshot. As always, Leeds had a genuine style that brought realism to his roles, despite being included in some inferior films. 

1949    D.O.A.     Leo, a bartender

1950    Dial 1119     Martin, a policeman
1953    99 River Street     Nat Finley
1954    The Atomic Kid      Agent Bill
1956    Behind The High Wall     Detective
1957    Bombers B-52     TV quiz show director
1959    High School Big Shot     Carter, a teacher

Design Longevity

Saul Bass (1920-1996) was an American graphic designer and Oscar-winning filmmaker, best known for his design of motion-picture title sequences, film posters, and corporate logos. During his 40-year career, he worked for some of Hollywood's most prominent filmmakers. His iconic title sequences for Man with the Golden Arm (1955), North by Northwest (1959), Vertigo (1958), working with John Whitney, and Psycho (1960). Bass used a variety of techniques, from cut-out animation for Anatomy of a Murder (1958) to fully animated mini-movies. As a graphic designer, Bass designed some of the most iconic corporate logos in North America, including Geffen Records, the 1968 Continental Airlines jet stream logo, United Airlines' 1974 stylized "UA" as a tulip logo, the 1972 Warner Bros. "Big W" logo, and AT&T Corporation's first globe logo in 1983. 

Some additional samples of Saul Bass's designs here.

Broadcast Pioneers

John Chancellor (1927-1996) was an American journalist who spent most of his career with NBC, serving as anchor of the NBC Nightly News from 1970 to 1982. He was noted for his comforting voice and on-air professionalism.

The Chicago-born Chancellor dropped out of high school and soon enlisted in the Army, serving in a public relations unit during World War II. He started his career in local television as a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times.  He replaced Dave Garroway as host of NBC's Today program for just over a year but was not happy with the "soft news" of the program. Chancellor later became a correspondent on NBC's, Huntley-Brinkley Report. He garnered a role as a political correspondent for NBC News along with Frank McGee, Edwin Newman, and Sander Vanocur. From 1971 to 1976, Chancellor became the sole NBC weeknight anchor. Although he was a respected and well-spoken journalist, Chancellor's broadcast ratings were overtaken by CBS's Walter Cronkite in the 1970s. Although no longer the anchor by 1982, Chancellor remained on NBC Nightly News, providing editorial commentaries until his retirement in 1993.

Note: Chancellor has the distinction of creating the idea of using red and blue colors to represent the states won by a Republican or Democrat during presidential elections. He also suggested to his NBC engineers that they create a large electronic map of the United States with its ability to light up the appropriate state won by either candidate.

Late Career Confusion

There was somewhat of a facial morphing that happened between William Prince (1913-1996) at left, and George Macready (1899-1973) in their senior years. The American actors also had similar career paths on stage, early notable films, and frequent television roles. Prince guest-starred on Dallas in 1986 and Macready was a cast member on Peyton Place nearly twenty years before.

A Man in Demand

 

Peter Leeds (1917-1996) was an American actor, appearing on television more than 8,000 times with over 3,000 radio credits using his distinct voice. Hollywood and Leeds were connected at the hip. The bulk of his work took place in the 1950s and 1960s when he became highly visible as a straight man to many well-known television comedians including Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Red Skelton, Jack Benny, and Johnny Carson. His dramatic credits include Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Untouchables, Perry Mason, and M Squad among others. Westerns were a staple for Leeds appearing on Have Gun - Will Travel, Trackdown, and Wagon Train, and a number of lesser-known series.

Though typically uncredited, his mid-century film career was equally busy, playing everything from a police officer, detective, educator, car salesman, or any number of associates or professionals.

Note: Leeds is pictured above, right, with Robert Middleton on an episode of Bonanza.