TV's great character actors

[Sal]

Today I'd like to pay tribute to a fine group of unsung actors and actresses whose ranks appear to be diminishing in today's sitcom world but in the golden days of TV they served as the backbone to many a sitcom. In every sitcom you would see the stars like Lucy or Gleason or Jack Benny as well as the supporting actors like Art Carney or Vivian Vance but there was also another group who seemed to be everywhere whose faces were instantly recognizable but who were anything but household names. These were the great character actors who could play any part that was called for in the script from a doctor one week to a janitor the next with a great deal of skill and style. As you will see in their resumes these people were in great demand because of their talent but they were never recognized for their work with any awards and such, just the eternal gratitude of TV lovers everywhere. Of that group, it was the following who seemed to have the greatest demand for their services and it is their fine work that I would like to acknowledge for you so you can appreciate them all over again. Here they are in alphabetical order:


MABEL ALBERTSON

Born: July 24, 1901 Lynn, Mass.

Died: Sept. 28, 1982 Santa Monica, Cal.

---Sister of Jack Albertson ("Chico and the Man")

Memorable roles: TV's most distraught mother figure, as Darrin Stephens' mother on "Bewitched", Donald Hollinger's mother on "That Girl", and Howard Sprague's mother on the "Andy Griifith Show".

Also appeared on: "The Munsters", "Gomer Pyle", "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".


ELVIA ALLMAN

Born: Sept. 19, 1904 Enochville, North Carolina

Died: March 6, 1993 Santa Monica, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Lucy's boss at the candy factory who gave the order to "Speed it up!"

---Selma Plout "Petticoat Junction"

---Elverna Bradshaw "Beverly Hillbillies"

Also appeared on: "The Andy Griffith Show"; "Mr. Ed"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "The Addams Family"; "Green Acres"; "Bewitched"; "The Munsters"; "My Three Sons"; "The Odd Couple".

PARLEY BAER

Born: Aug. 5, 1914 Salt Lake City, Utah


Memorable roles:

---Mayor Stoner "The Andy Griffith Show"

---A personal favorite: as a bigoted client of Darrin's in the "Bewitched" Christmas episode "Sisters at Heart"


Also appeared on: "I Love Lucy"; "Petticoat Junction"; "The Addams Family"; "Green Acres"; "Hogan's Heroes"; "Gomer Pyle"; "I Dream Of Jeannie"; "Here's Lucy".


MADGE BLAKE

Born: May 31, 1899 Kinsley, Kansas

Died: Feb. 19, 1969 Pasadena, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Mrs. Margaret Mondello, Larry's mom "Leave It To Beaver"

---Aunt Harriet Cooper "Batman"

Also appeared on: "I Love Lucy"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "The Addams Family"; "Bewitched"; "Gomer Pyle".


FRED CLARK


Born: May 9, 1914 Lincoln, Cal.

Died: Dec. 5, 1968 Santa Monica, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Harry Morton "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show"

---Dr. Roy Clyburn, Granny's nemesis "The Beverly Hillbillies"


Also appeared on: "Petticoat Junction"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "I Dream Of Jeannie".


ELLEN CORBY

Born: June 3, 1911 Racine, Wisc.

Died: April 14, 1999 Woodland Hills, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Grandma Esther Walton "The Waltons"

---An elderly con artist who tries to sell Barney Fife a real lemon in the "Andy Griffith" episode "Barney's First Car".


Also appeared on: "I Love Lucy"; "The Beverly Hillbillies"; "Gomer Pyle"; "The Addams Family" ( as Lurch's mother! ) ; "Get Smart"; "The Odd Couple".


RICHARD DEACON

Born: May 14, 1921 Philadelphia, Pa.

Died: Aug. 8, 1984 Los Angeles, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Fred Rutherford, Lumpy's father "Leave It To Beaver"

---Mel Cooley, Alan Brady's brother-in-law "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

Also appeared on: "The Donna Reed Show"; "My Three Sons"; "Mr. Ed"; "The Addams Family"; "Green Acres"; "The Munsters"; "The Beverly Hillbillies"; "I Dream Of Jeannie"; "Get Smart"; "Here's Lucy".


ROSEMARY DE CAMP

Born: Nov. 14, 1910 Prescott, Arizona

Died: Feb. 20, 2001 Torrance, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Margaret MacDonald, Bob's sister "Love That Bob/Bob Cummings Show"

---Helen Marie, Ann's mother "That Girl"

---Aunt Helen "Petticoat Junction" (filling in after Bea Benaderet's death)

---Grandma, Shirley's mom "The Partridge Family"

Also appeared on: "The Beverly Hillbillies".


KATHLEEN FREEMAN


Born: Feb. 17, 1919 Chicago, Ill.

Died: Aug. 23, 2001 New York, NY

Most memorable roles:

---Jerry Lewis' mom "The Nutty Professor" one of many of his movies that she appeared in

---Flo Shafer "The Beverly Hillbillies"

Also appeared in: "Mr. Ed" (in the episode "Clint Eastwood Meets Mr. Ed", a real TV landmark if there ever was one); "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "Hogan's Heroes"; "I Dream Of Jeannie".


CHARLES LANE

Born: Jan. 26, 1905 San Francisco, Cal.

---The undisputed king of all the character actors. He's been everywhere!

Memorable roles:


---Homer Bedloe "Petticoat Junction"

(The inspiration for Homer Simpson, perhaps?)

---Mr. Barnsdahl, Lucy's banker, first season of "The Lucy Show"

---Harvey Purvis, Grandpa's egg business partner, "The Real McCoys"

Also appeared on: just about everywhere, including "I Love Lucy"; "Mr. Ed"; "The Beverly Hillbillies"; "The Andy Griffith Show"; "Gomer Pyle"; "Get Smart"; "Bewitched"; "The Munsters"; "Green Acres".


SID MELTON


Born: May 23, 1920 Brooklyn, NY

Memorable roles:

---Uncle Charley Halper "Make Room For Daddy/Danny Thomas"

---Alf Monroe "Green Acres"

---Salvatore Petrillo, Sophia's husband, "The Golden Girls"

Also appeared on: "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "The Munsters"; "The Andy Griffith Show"; "Gomer Pyle"; "Petticoat Junction"; "I Dream Of Jeannie".


ALLAN MELVIN


Born: Feb. 18, 1922 Kansas City, Missouri


Memorable roles:

---Cpl. Henshaw "Sgt. Bilko"

---Sam Franklin, the butcher "The Brady Bunch"

---Barney Hefner "All In The Family"; "Archie Bunker's Place"

---Believe it or not, he is also the cartoon voice of "Magilla Gorilla"

Also appeared on: "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "The Andy Griffith Show"; "McHale's Navy"; "Green Acres".

BURT MUSTIN

Born: Feb. 8, 1884 Pittsburgh, PA

Died: Jan. 28, 1977 Glendale, Cal.


---Another charter member of the Character Actor Hall Of Fame, you can't turn on your set without finding him somewhere.


Memorable roles:

---Gus the fireman "Leave It To Beaver"

---Jud "The Andy Griffith Show"


Also appeared on: nearly everything in sight, including "The Andy Griffith Show"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "The Beverly Hillbillies"; "Get Smart"; "My Three Sons"; "Bewitched"; "The Lucy Show"; "Batman"; "The Monkees"; "Gomer Pyle"; "Petticoat Junction"; "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"; "All In The Family"; "The Brady Bunch"; "Here's Lucy".



WILLIAM SCHALLERT

Born: July 6, 1922 Los Angeles, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Mr. Leander Pomfritt "Dobie Gillis"

---Martin Lane, Patty and Cathy's father "The Patty Duke Show"

---CONTROL AGENT The Admiral "Get Smart"

---Russ Lawrence, Gidget's father "The New Gidget"


Also appeared on: "Leave It To Beaver"; "The Donna Reed Show"; "The Andy Griffith Show"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "Bewitched"; "That Girl"; "The Partridge Family"; "Maude"; "One Day At A Time"; "Archie Bunker's Place".


MARY WICKES


Born: June 13, 1916 St. Louis, Missouri

Died: Oct. 22, 1995 Los Angeles, Cal.


Memorable roles:

----Lucy's ballet teacher "I Love Lucy"


Also appeared on: "My Three Sons"; "The Lucy Show"; "The Beverly Hillbillies"; "Here's Lucy"; "Sanford and Son"; "MASH".

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Thanks to countless reruns and stations like TV Land, we can all enjoy their work for many years to come.

[JT]

Kathleen Freeman was on Donna Reed Show this morning!!!!

[LucyFan]

ELVIA ALLMAN
She also appeared on "The Lucy Show"

PARLEY BAER
He also appeared on "The Lucy Show"

KATHLEEN FREEMAN
She also appeared on "The Lucy Show"

WILLIAM SCHALLERT
He also appeared on "The Lucy Show"

Here is another one worth mentioning:
SID GOULD

~ Appeared on "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy" COUNTLESS times.

[Jimbo]

One of the most prolific character actors in television history was Burt Mustin (Born Feb. 2nd, 1884, Died Jan. 28th, 1977). (As noted by Sal above). Mustin was a tall, thin, bald fellow who already was well into his 60s when he first started making a name for himself as a TV character actor.

Mustin appeared in just about every popular sitcom in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, including Leave it To Beaver ("Gus the Fireman"), The Andy Griffith Show ("Jud Fletcher"), Bewitched, Petticoat Junction, All In The Family, Sanford and Son, and The Mary Tyler Moore show just to name a few.

He also made numerous apearances in Jack Webb's police and fire dramas such as Dragnet, Adam 12, and Emergency.

[Pitooey]

WoW I remember some of these actors and actresses. You're right I never knew their names but, I sure knew their faces. They are Unsung heroes.

[Jimbo]

While watching an episode of the "Dick Van Dyke Show" on TV Land this afternoon, I came across another of the all-time great sitcom character actors: Vito Scotti.

Mr. Scotti (born Jan. 26, 1918, died June 5, 1996) almost always played a humble Italian immigrant with a heavy Italian accent (usually playing a waiter, barber, or some similar role).

Like the others mentioned by Sal, Vito Scotti appeared in scores of sitcoms, dramas, and movies from the 1950s until the early 90s.

One of my favorite sitcom episodes featured Mr. Scotti playing the great artist, Picasso (however, it was "Sam" Picasso - not Pablo!)

He also turns up in numerous other sitcoms episodes of Gilligan's Isalnd, Bewitched, Get Smart, Dick Van Dyke, Mad About You, The Golden Girls, and Who's The Boss.

[James]

Originally posted by Sal
WILLIAM SCHALLERT
Also appeared on: "Leave It To Beaver"; "The Donna Reed Show"; "The Andy Griffith Show"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "Bewitched"; "That Girl"; "The Partridge Family"; "Maude"; "One Day At A Time"; "Archie Bunker's Place".

Mr. Schallert also was on "The Waltons" as Stanley Perkins during the last season.

[Alan Brady's Hair]

This is an ancient but terrific thread about the mainstay character actors of TV. Here's another:

RICHARD STAHL



Born: January 4, 1932 Detroit

Died: June 18, 2006 Los Angeles

Memorable roles: balding, deadpan actor who played the chef Howard on the syndicated version of "It's a Living"; guested in different roles on nine different episodes of "the Odd Couple," including Brother Ralph in the episode "The Odd Monks."

Also appeared on: guested on five episodes of "The Bob Newhart Show" and "Newhart," possibly because he was the one actor who could make Bob look animated; All in the Family; WKRP; Barney Miller; Laverne and Shirley; Night Court.

[icecream]

I don't know about awards for the others but Ellen Corby at least was an Emmy winner on The Waltons. Also, she appeared on Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

[William Hogan Jr]

Rosemary DeCamp played the role of Peg Riley on the Jackie Gleason version of Life of Riley, Allan Melvin also played the role of Sgt Hacker, Sgt. Carters Nemisis on Gomer Plyle, U.S.M.C. Bert Mustin and Richard Deacon appeared together as father and son on the old Betty White sitcom Date With the Angels, Parley Baer was the voice of Ernie the elf on the Keebler commercials, and was the original Chester on the radio version of Gunsmoke. By the way Ellen Corby and Charles lane both had bit parts on the Classic Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life.

[jehobden]

Originally Posted by William Hogan Jr

Rosemary DeCamp played the role of Peg Riley on the Jackie Gleason version of Life of Riley, Allan Melvin also played the role of Sgt Hacker, Sgt. Carters Nemisis on Gomer Plyle, U.S.M.C. Bert Mustin and Richard Deacon appeared together as father and son on the old Betty White sitcom Date With the Angels, Parley Baer was the voice of Ernie the elf on the Keebler commercials, and was the original Chester on the radio version of Gunsmoke. By the way Ellen Corby and Charles lane both had bit parts on the Classic Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life.

Parley Bear was also the voice of Eb, the farmhand, on the radio series Granby's Green Acres, the radio series which inspired Green Acres.

[treky]

Ellen Corby also played Martha Washington in a 2-part episode of BEWITCHED in, I think, 1970 (and Will Geer who played her husband on THE WALTONS played George Washington in the episode)

[Alan Brady's Hair]

JOHN McGIVER



Born: 1913 in New York City

Died: 1975 in West Fulton, New York

Memorable roles: usually in charge and decisive, one of those actors you could never be sure if they were American or British; the boss of superhero "Mr. Terrific"; magnificent single scene performance in Dick van Dyke Show episode, "See Rob Write, Write Rob Write"; butterfly catcher Lord Beasley Waterford in Gilligan's Island episode, "Man with a Net."

Also appeared on: Lucy Show; Beverly Hillbillies; Patty Duke Show; Bewitched; movies.

[Sal]

Thanks to everyone for revisiting this topic. I enjoyed writing it and learning about the people that you see below yet it was so long ago I forgot it was still around. Since you brought it up again, I've seen a couple of additions to the list which are always welcome and with people also adding photos to go with the profiles, I thought I would do the same as well with my original list. So now, here they are again, the great character actors of the past, now featuring the faces behind the names:

Originally Posted by Sal

Here they are in alphabetical order:


MABEL ALBERTSON



Born: July 24, 1901 Lynn, Mass.

Died: Sept. 28, 1982 Santa Monica, Cal.

---Sister of Jack Albertson ("Chico and the Man")

Memorable roles: TV's most distraught mother figure, as Darrin Stephens' mother on "Bewitched", Donald Hollinger's mother on "That Girl", and Howard Sprague's mother on the "Andy Griifith Show".

Also appeared on: "The Munsters", "Gomer Pyle", "The Mary Tyler Moore Show".


ELVIA ALLMAN



Born: Sept. 19, 1904 Enochville, North Carolina

Died: March 6, 1993 Santa Monica, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Lucy's boss at the candy factory who gave the order to "Speed it up!"

---Selma Plout "Petticoat Junction"

---Elverna Bradshaw "Beverly Hillbillies"

Also appeared on: "The Andy Griffith Show"; "Mr. Ed"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "The Addams Family"; "Green Acres"; "Bewitched"; "The Munsters"; "My Three Sons"; "The Odd Couple".

PARLEY BAER



Born: Aug. 5, 1914 Salt Lake City, Utah


Memorable roles:

---Mayor Stoner "The Andy Griffith Show"

---A personal favorite: as a bigoted client of Darrin's in the "Bewitched" Christmas episode "Sisters at Heart"


Also appeared on: "I Love Lucy"; "Petticoat Junction"; "The Addams Family"; "Green Acres"; "Hogan's Heroes"; "Gomer Pyle"; "I Dream Of Jeannie"; "Here's Lucy".


MADGE BLAKE



Born: May 31, 1899 Kinsley, Kansas

Died: Feb. 19, 1969 Pasadena, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Mrs. Margaret Mondello, Larry's mom "Leave It To Beaver"

---Aunt Harriet Cooper "Batman"

Also appeared on: "I Love Lucy"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "The Addams Family"; "Bewitched"; "Gomer Pyle".


FRED CLARK



Born: May 9, 1914 Lincoln, Cal.

Died: Dec. 5, 1968 Santa Monica, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Harry Morton "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show"

---Dr. Roy Clyburn, Granny's nemesis "The Beverly Hillbillies"


Also appeared on: "Petticoat Junction"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "I Dream Of Jeannie".


ELLEN CORBY



Born: June 3, 1911 Racine, Wisc.

Died: April 14, 1999 Woodland Hills, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Grandma Esther Walton "The Waltons"

---An elderly con artist who tries to sell Barney Fife a real lemon in the "Andy Griffith" episode "Barney's First Car".


Also appeared on: "I Love Lucy"; "The Beverly Hillbillies"; "Gomer Pyle"; "The Addams Family" ( as Lurch's mother! ) ; "Get Smart"; "The Odd Couple".


RICHARD DEACON



Born: May 14, 1921 Philadelphia, Pa.

Died: Aug. 8, 1984 Los Angeles, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Fred Rutherford, Lumpy's father "Leave It To Beaver"

---Mel Cooley, Alan Brady's brother-in-law "The Dick Van Dyke Show"

Also appeared on: "The Donna Reed Show"; "My Three Sons"; "Mr. Ed"; "The Addams Family"; "Green Acres"; "The Munsters"; "The Beverly Hillbillies"; "I Dream Of Jeannie"; "Get Smart"; "Here's Lucy".


ROSEMARY DE CAMP



Born: Nov. 14, 1910 Prescott, Arizona

Died: Feb. 20, 2001 Torrance, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Margaret MacDonald, Bob's sister "Love That Bob/Bob Cummings Show"

---Helen Marie, Ann's mother "That Girl"

---Aunt Helen "Petticoat Junction" (filling in after Bea Benaderet's death)

---Grandma Renfrew, Shirley's mom "The Partridge Family"

Also appeared on: "The Beverly Hillbillies".


KATHLEEN FREEMAN



Born: Feb. 17, 1919 Chicago, Ill.

Died: Aug. 23, 2001 New York, NY

Most memorable roles:

---Jerry Lewis' mom "The Nutty Professor" one of many of his movies that she appeared in

---Flo Shafer "The Beverly Hillbillies"

Also appeared in: "Mr. Ed" (in the episode "Clint Eastwood Meets Mr. Ed", a real TV landmark if there ever was one); "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "Hogan's Heroes"; "I Dream Of Jeannie".


CHARLES LANE



Born: Jan. 26, 1905 San Francisco, Cal.

---The undisputed king of all the character actors. He's been everywhere!

Memorable roles:


---Homer Bedloe "Petticoat Junction"

(The inspiration for Homer Simpson, perhaps?)

---Mr. Barnsdahl, Lucy's banker, first season of "The Lucy Show"

---Harvey Purvis, Grandpa's egg business partner, "The Real McCoys"

Also appeared on: just about everywhere, including "I Love Lucy"; "Mr. Ed"; "The Beverly Hillbillies"; "The Andy Griffith Show"; "Gomer Pyle"; "Get Smart"; "Bewitched"; "The Munsters"; "Green Acres".


SID MELTON



Born: May 23, 1920 Brooklyn, NY

Memorable roles:

---Uncle Charley Halper "Make Room For Daddy/Danny Thomas"

---Alf Monroe "Green Acres"

---Salvatore Petrillo, Sophia's husband, "The Golden Girls"

Also appeared on: "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "The Munsters"; "The Andy Griffith Show"; "Gomer Pyle"; "Petticoat Junction"; "I Dream Of Jeannie".


ALLAN MELVIN



Born: Feb. 18, 1922 Kansas City, Missouri


Memorable roles:

---Cpl. Henshaw "The Phil Silvers Show"

---Sam Franklin, the butcher "The Brady Bunch"

---Barney Hefner "All In The Family"; "Archie Bunker's Place"

---Believe it or not, he is also the cartoon voice of "Magilla Gorilla"

Also appeared on: "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "The Andy Griffith Show"; "McHale's Navy"; "Green Acres".

BURT MUSTIN



Born: Feb. 8, 1884 Pittsburgh, PA

Died: Jan. 28, 1977 Glendale, Cal.


---Another charter member of the Character Actor Hall Of Fame, you can't turn on your set without finding him somewhere.


Memorable roles:

---Gus the fireman "Leave It To Beaver"

---Jud "The Andy Griffith Show"


Also appeared on: nearly everything in sight, including "The Andy Griffith Show"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "The Beverly Hillbillies"; "Get Smart"; "My Three Sons"; "Bewitched"; "The Lucy Show"; "Batman"; "The Monkees"; "Gomer Pyle"; "Petticoat Junction"; "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"; "All In The Family"; "The Brady Bunch"; "Here's Lucy".



WILLIAM SCHALLERT



Born: July 6, 1922 Los Angeles, Cal.


Memorable roles:

---Mr. Leander Pomfritt "Dobie Gillis"

---Martin Lane, Patty and Cathy's father "The Patty Duke Show"

---CONTROL AGENT The Admiral "Get Smart"

---Russ Lawrence, Gidget's father "The New Gidget"


Also appeared on: "Leave It To Beaver"; "The Donna Reed Show"; "The Andy Griffith Show"; "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; "Bewitched"; "That Girl"; "The Partridge Family"; "Maude"; "One Day At A Time"; "Archie Bunker's Place".


MARY WICKES



Born: June 13, 1916 St. Louis, Missouri

Died: Oct. 22, 1995 Los Angeles, Cal.


Memorable roles:

----Lucy's ballet teacher "I Love Lucy"

----Miss Cathcart, Dennis' neighbor "Dennis The Menace"


Also appeared on: "My Three Sons"; "The Lucy Show"; "The Beverly Hillbillies"; "Here's Lucy"; "Sanford and Son"; "MASH".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to countless reruns and stations like TV Land, we can all enjoy their work for many years to come.

[Alan Brady's Hair]

Sal: Thanks for starting this thread! It was great to run across it among the older material. One thing that's pretty amazing is that all the retro over-the-air channels didn't even exist then, so now these people are everywhere.