Synopsis: Thrust Into Television

Many movie character actors found steady work and arguably more exposure with the advent of television. 

BARTLETT ROBINSON (1912-1986) 

Robinson was an American actor who performed on radio, stage, film, and television for five decades. The mustachioed Robinson and his recognizable voice were often cast in mostly serious roles of authority, such as military officers, wealthy ranchers, sheriffs, corporate executives, doctors, and judges, whether in Westerns, dramas, or playing the straight man in comedies.

Synopsis: Thrust Into Television

Many movie character actors found steady work and arguably more exposure with the advent of television. 

BEN COOPER (1933-2020) 

Though not a household name, Ben Cooper always provided a convincing performance with intensity and pathos. The American actor can be found in numerous supporting roles in films and the occasional lead in lower-budget projects. His modern-day dramas are probably lesser known. Cooper was most associated with the Western film, yet never strayed far from the television path, however. Her was a natural in Westerns, partly due to his horseman skills that began during his childhood. 

Discover more about Cooper's career at IMDB.

The Aubuchon Way

Jacques Aubuchon (1924-1991) was an American character actor who kept busy from the 1950s through the 1980s. He is primarily known for his roles in a wide variety of television series.

Though Aubuchon spent most of his career on the small screen, he was in a handful of films, including Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953), The Silver Chalice (1954), and Thunder Road (1958) to name three. His roles varied from Westerns to modern-day dramas to comedies. His first television appearance was on the comedy Mr. Peepers (1953). He could play an informant, an outlaw, or a criminal. He somewhat specialized in untrustworthy individuals, even in comedies. His mastery of dialects made him a popular casting choice. Aubuchon perhaps is best known for his seven appearances on the wacky comedy McHale's Navy (1962-64) as the hilarious Chief Urulu.

Above, left is Jacques Aubuchon with actor J.D. Cannon 

Television Transition

 

Don Dubbins (1928-1991)

The television medium offered a career shift for some movie character actors. Many were kept busy, becoming a household face if not a name.

Don Dubbins was an American television actor in westerns and dramas from the early days of the medium throughout the 1980s. His film credits after signing with Columbia Pictures are sparse but James Cagney took a liking to him and he garnered roles in two of his films, one being, Tribute to a Bad Man. He made a quick transition to the small screen where his boyish good looks provided the best benefits. As he matured, his roles were varied, working non-stop throughout his forty-year career.

The Brooklyn-born Marine veteran typically made single appearances on most shows in such classics as Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Twilight Zone, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Rockford Files, and Murder, She Wrote. Additionally, he also appeared in other popular series ranging from the comedy Mork & Mindy to the police drama Hunter. However, Dubbins spent extra time with Perry Mason for seven appearances, and five roles each for Dragnet 1967 and Barnaby Jones.

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.

Horton Hears a Tune

 

Robert Horton (Mead Howard Horton Jr. 1924-2016) was an American actor best known as Flint McCullough in Wagon Train (1957–1962). During his six decades of television, Horton also became known for his voice, leading him into a career in musical theater. After graduating cum laude from UCLA in the mid-Forties, he relocated from California to New York City but the struggling actor returned to California, eventually signing a contract with MGM. It was there he met fellow actors Robert Fuller and James Drury, both of whom became Horton's lifelong friends. 

The ruggedly handsome Horton, who was often not assigned a shirt, made dozens of appearances on television beginning in its infancy, most notably in several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. About a decade later he had an offbeat role as an amnesiac in the 1965-1966 television western, A Man Called Shenandoah. As a talented singer, in the 1960s Horton recorded on the Columbia Records label and performed in theaters and nightclubs all over America and Australia. He was hired as the male lead in a successful run of the musical version of N. Richard Nash's play, 110 in the Shade (aka The Rainmaker) on Broadway. Before retiring in 1989, he took a brief turn in the daytime soap, As the World Turns.

Peter Haskell: Made for Television

 

Peter Haskell (1934-2010) began his career on American television in supporting roles, as both good and bad guys. Though he acted in the occasional film, the 6' 2" actor is best known for his forty-five years frequenting many popular series, often in an authority role as doctor, Senator, or an unscrupulous businessman. His deviously good looks and strong presence before the cameras began during television's second decade with The Outer Limits, Dr. Kildare, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Fugitive, and 12 O'Clock High. He played Dr. Anson Brooks in two episodes of Ben Casey, then Mission: Impossible, with appearances on Medical Center. Haskell had a forty-one-episode run as lead character, Kevin Grant, for the one-season drama, Bracken's World in 1970. He was so familiar during the Seventies on television he was expected on the police/crime shows so popular of the era such as McCloud, Mannix, Cannon, and The Streets of San Francisco. In 1976, he played ruthless billionaire, Charles Estep in, Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II. As the Eighties dawned and his hair switched to white, he continued with mostly single appearances on television's schedule with recurring roles on three daytime soap operas. His last recurring role was in sixteen episodes as Tyler Chase on, The Law and Harry McGraw. His final performance was, appropriately or not, in 2009 during the final season of the medical drama, ER.

Not Your Average Joe

 

Joseph Raymond (Joe) Maross (1923-2009) was an American actor of stage and a few notable films in a career spanning over four decades. From 1952, he worked predominantly on television in supporting or guest roles, often with intensity as an authority figure or criminal, in westerns or military dramas. His versatility made it impossible for him to be typecast. It would have been hard through the 1970s to turn your television on and not find Maross guest-starring. Just do not expect him to ever show up on The Tonight Show. His list is endless but perhaps known for one of two The Twilight Zone episodes, "Third From the Sun" (1960) or his two appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He essentially had only three recurring roles, however, for Peyton Place (1968-69), Code Red (1981-82) and Dallas (1983). After his stint in the Marine Corps during World War II, the Pennsylvania native attended Yale University earning his theater arts degree in 1947.