American actor and occasional screenwriter. One of the most frequently seen heavies in films and television programs of the 1950s, his name is nevertheless well known only to buffs. Occasionally he played minor leads and sympathetic characters, but his stern good looks and rich deep voice made him a memorable villain, particularly in Westerns.
[on Mike Ragan] He was always good for a laugh if he was on the show . . . always into something. He...Show more »
[on Mike Ragan] He was always good for a laugh if he was on the show . . . always into something. He was a hell of a personality. Everybody seemed to like him, including myself. Show less «
[on Dennis Moore] He was never what you'd call a team player. I don't know whether he didn't like th...Show more »
[on Dennis Moore] He was never what you'd call a team player. I don't know whether he didn't like the business or was just a private man. Show less «
There's much more leeway in playing a heavy, you can get more out of the role. With the existing dia...Show more »
There's much more leeway in playing a heavy, you can get more out of the role. With the existing dialogue, you get more of a chance to pull things out of it . . . character and personality. With a heavy, you just play it straight and it's just plain interesting, the fact that you're not a nice guy. Show less «
[on Harry Lauter] Harry probably saved my life. We were up at Big Bear for a week's location shoot w...Show more »
[on Harry Lauter] Harry probably saved my life. We were up at Big Bear for a week's location shoot with [Gene Autry]. Harry and I were doing heavies. I'm supposed to ride by a rock, Gene follows and bulldogs me into the lake for a fight in that cold water. Harry has to ride by with Pat Buttram pursuing him--Pat bulldogs him and he succumbs to Pat--on dry ground. Now, I had a bad cold all week--real sick, coughing, no medication. Unbeknownst to me, Harry talked to director George Archainbaud and said, "What's the difference who goes in the water? Let us switch places". So we did. If I'd gone in the water I would have come down with pneumonia and possibly died. To this day, I say Harry probably saved my life. He was always good for a laugh--take a bad situation and make it fun. Show less «