Richard Carlson (actor)

Richard Dutoit Carlson (April 29, 1912 – November 25, 1977) was an American actor, television and film director, and screenwriter.

Richard Carlson
Carlson in 1940
Born	Richard Dutoit Carlson (1912-04-29)April 29, 1912 Albert Lea, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	November 25, 1977(1977-11-25) (aged 65) Encino, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Los Angeles National Cemetery
Alma mater	University of Minnesota
Occupation	Actor, director, screenwriter
Years active	1935–1975
Spouse(s)	Mona Carlson ​ ( m. 1939)
Children	2

Biography

Early life

The son of a Danish-born lawyer,[1] Carlson was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota.[2]

Carlson majored in drama at the University of Minnesota, where he wrote and directed plays and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.[3][1] He graduated cum laude with a Master of Arts degree.[3] Carlson then opened his own repertory theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota.[2] When the theater failed, Carlson moved to New York City.[2]

Broadway

In 1935, Carlson made his acting debut on Broadway in Three Men on a Horse, and appeared with Ethel Barrymore in Ghost of Yankee Doodle (1937-8) and Whiteoaks (1938).[2]

In 1937, he wrote and staged the play Western Waters, which ran for only seven performances.[4][5]

He also appeared in Now You've Done It (1937).

Early films

Carlson then moved to California, where he joined the Pasadena Playhouse.[3]

Carlson's first film part was in the 1938 David O. Selznick comedy The Young in Heart. He had a supporting role in The Duke of West Point (1938) then was second billed to Ann Sheridan in Winter Carnival (1939).[6]

He returned to Broadway for Stars in Your Eyes (1939).

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cast him in two films with Lana Turner, These Glamour Girls and Every Other Inch a Lady, both released in 1939.

Carlson was often cast as a romantic male lead, or lead juvenile: Little Accident (1939), Beyond Tomorrow (1940), The Ghost Breakers (1940) with Bob Hope, The Howards of Virginia (1940) with Cary Grant, Too Many Girls (1940) with Lucille Ball, No, No, Nanette (1941), Back Street (1941), West Point Widow (1941), Hold That Ghost (1941) with Abbott and Costello, and The Little Foxes (1941) with Bette Davis.

Carlson had the male lead in Secrets of G32 (1942), The Affairs of Martha (1942), Highways by Night (1942) and My Heart Belongs to Daddy (1942).

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Carlson appeared in several films for MGM in the early 1940s, including White Cargo (1942), Presenting Lily Mars (1943), A Stranger in Town (1943), Young Ideas (1943), and The Man from Down Under (1943).

During World War II, Carlson served in the United States Navy.[1]

Post-war career

When he returned to Hollywood, he had few offers of employment, and turned to writing to supplement his income.[1]

Carlson had supporting roles in So Well Remembered (1947) and The Amazing Mr. X (1948) and the lead in Behind Locked Doors (1948).

In 1950, he co-starred with Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger in the highly successful adventure film King Solomon's Mines, filmed on location in the Kenya Colony and the Belgian Congo.[2] While shooting in Africa, Carlson wrote a series of articles for The Saturday Evening Post, collectively titled "Diary of a Hollywood Safari."[2]

Despite the film's success, Carlson remained a supporting actor: The Sound of Fury (1950), Valentino (1951), A Millionaire for Christy (1951), and The Blue Veil (1951). He did play the lead in the low-budget Whispering Smith Hits London (1952), and Retreat, Hell! (1952).

On July 14, 1951, Carlson and then U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey were the guests on the CBS live variety show Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town, in which hostess Faye Emerson visited Minneapolis to accent the kinds of music popular in the city.[7]

Carlson began to appear regularly on television shows such as The Prudential Family Playhouse, The Ford Theatre Hour, Cameo Theatre, Lights Out, Celanese Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents, Hollywood Opening Night, and The Ford Television Theatre.

Carlson wrote episodes of Schlitz Playhouse and Kraft Theatre.

Carlson was in The Rose Bowl Story (1952), Eagles of the Fleet (1952) and Seminole (1953).

Science fiction

Carlson played the lead in The Magnetic Monster (1953) which led to him finding a niche in the newly re-emergent genres of science fiction and horror.[1]

He followed it with leads in The Maze (1953), It Came from Outer Space (1953) with Barbara Rush, and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) with Julia Adams. He also had the male lead in All I Desire (1953).

From 1953–56 he starred in the TV series I Led 3 Lives.

Director

Carlson's success in the genre led him to the director's chair for the 1954 science fiction film Riders to the Stars, in which he also starred.

He then directed Four Guns to the Border (1954).

Carlson kept busy on television in shows like General Electric Theatre, Matinee Theatre, Kraft Theatre, Lux Video Theatre, Climax!, Studio One in Hollywood, Schlitz Playhouse, and The Best of Broadway. He also appeared in films like The Last Command (1955), Bengazi (1955) and The Helen Morgan Story (1957).

His third feature as director was Appointment with a Shadow (1957).

In 1957 and 1958, Carlson played "Mr. Fiction Writer" in three of the nine films made for television collectively titled The Bell Laboratory Science Series. He also directed his final film for the project, The Unchained Goddess.

In 1957 he was cast as two different clergymen, Rabbi Avraham Soltes and Father William Wendt, in the episodes "The Happy Gift" and "Call for Help", respectively, of the syndicated religious anthology series, Crossroads.

Carlson's fourth film as director was The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958) and he wrote Johnny Rocco (1958).[8]

McKenzie's Raiders

In the 1958–1959 television season, Carlson portrayed Colonel Ranald Mackenzie of the 4th Regiment of the United States Cavalry in the syndicated western series, Mackenzie's Raiders, with Morris Ankrum, Louis Jean Heydt, Jack Ging, and Brett King among the "Raiders". The series is set at the former Fort Clark near Brackettville in southwestern Texas, where the real Mackenzie was stationed during much of the 1870s. However, the episodes were filmed at the former Corriganville Movie Ranch in Simi Valley, California. In the series theme, Mackenzie and his men must protect the American border from an assortment of outlaws from both the United States and Mexico. Yet the Raiders cannot risk being caught within Mexico, or they would lose the open support of their own government.[9] Carlson also wrote and directed episodes.

In 1959, Carlson was cast as Paul Drake in "The Faithless" of the NBC western series Riverboat, with Darren McGavin. In the story line, Drake is an escaped prisoner with medical training being transported on the river vessel, the Enterprise, back to jail. Having lost his religious faith, Drake refuses to render medical assistance to a two-year-old girl stricken with a communicable disease which threatens the entire vessel. William Phipps and Jeanne Bates play the parents of the child. Bethel Leslie portrays Cathy Norris.[10]

Carlson began directing for television: The Man and the Challenge (which he also wrote for), This Man Dawson, Men Into Space, Alcoa Premiere, and The Detectives.

His early 1960s credits as actor included The Chevy Mystery Show, Tormented, The Aquanauts (which he also directed), The Loretta Young Show (which he also directed), Bus Stop, Thriller (which he also directed), Going My Way, Arrest and Trial, The Fugitive, Wagon Train, The Christophers, and Burke's Law. He wrote episodes of Daktari and the movie Island of the Lost (1967).

In 1965, he played a mad scientist who creates a mutant, killer octopus in the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode "The Village of Guilt".

He was in the films Della (1965) and Kid Rodelo (1965), directing the latter. He acted in the series The Virginian, Bonanza and Rawhide.

In the final two seasons of CBS's Perry Mason, Carlson made two guest appearances, both times as the murder victim. In 1964 he played Anthony Fry in "The Case of the Tragic Trophy;" in 1966, he played Clete Hawley in "The Case of the Avenging Angel."

Later career

Carlson was in the movies The Doomsday Flight (1966), The Power (1968), and The Valley of Gwangi (1968). Carlson's last movie role was in the 1969 Elvis Presley/Mary Tyler Moore film, Change of Habit.

He was in episodes of The FBI, Lancer, Canon, Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law, and Mobile One. His last acting role was in a 1975 episode of the television series Khan!. Carlson wrote for O'Hara, U.S. Treasury, Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law and Mannix.

Carlson is often confused with actor Hugh Marlowe, to whom he bore a remarkable physical and vocal resemblance. Marlowe appeared on television and in several films including the science fiction classics The Day the Earth Stood Still and Earth vs. the Flying Saucers.

Death

Carlson died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 65 on November 25, 1977, in Encino, California.[11] He was buried in Los Angeles National Cemetery in West Los Angeles. For his contribution to the television industry, Carlson has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6333 Hollywood Blvd.

Filmography

Film
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1938	The Young in Heart	Duncan Macrae
	The Duke of West Point	Jack West
1939	Winter Carnival	Professor John Welden
	These Glamour Girls	Joe
	Dancing Co-Ed	Michael "Pug" Braddock
	Little Accident	Perry Allerton
1940	Beyond Tomorrow	James Houston
	The Ghost Breakers	Geoff Montgomery
	The Howards of Virginia	Thomas Jefferson
	Too Many Girls	Clint Kelly
	No, No, Nanette	Tom Gillespie
1941	Back Street	Curt Stanton
	West Point Widow	Dr. Jimmy Krueger
	Hold That Ghost	Dr. Duncan "Doc" Jackson	Alternative title: Oh Charlie
	The Little Foxes	David Hewitt
1942	Fly-by-Night	Dr. Geoffrey Burton
	The Affairs of Martha	Jeff Sommerfield
	Highways by Night	Tommy Van Steel
	My Heart Belongs to Daddy	Prof. Richard Inglethorpe Culbertson Kay
	White Cargo	Mr. Langford
1943	Presenting Lily Mars	Owen Vail
	A Stranger in Town	Bill Adams
	Young Ideas	Tom Farrell
	The Man from Down Under	"Nipper" Wilson
1947	So Well Remembered	Charles Winslow
1948	The Amazing Mr. X	Martin Abbott
	Behind Locked Doors	Ross Stewart
1950	King Solomon's Mines	John Goode
	The Sound of Fury	Gil Stanton	Alternative title: Try and Get Me
1951	Valentino	Bill King
	A Millionaire for Christy	Dr. Roland Cook
	The Blue Veil	Gerald Kean
1952	Whispering Smith Hits London	Whispering Smith
	Retreat, Hell!	Captain Paul Hansen
	The Rose Bowl Story	Narrator	Voice, Uncredited
	Flat Top	Lt. Rodgers
1953	The Magnetic Monster	Dr. Jeffrey Stewart
	Seminole	Major Harlan Degan
	It Came from Outer Space	John Putnam
	The Maze	Gerald MacTeam
	All I Desire	Henry Murdoch
	The Golden Blade	Narrator	Voice, Uncredited
1954	Riders to the Stars	Dr. Jerome "Jerry" Lockwood	Also directed
	Creature from the Black Lagoon	Dr. David Reed
1955	An Annapolis Story	Narrator	Voice, Uncredited
	The Last Command	William B. Travis	Alternative title: San Antonio de Bexar
	Bengazi	Insp. Levering
1956	Three for Jamie Dawn	Martin Random
1957	The Helen Morgan Story	Russell Wade
1960	Tormented	Tom Stewart
1964	Della	David Stafford
1966	Kid Rodelo	Link	Also director
	The Doomsday Flight	Chief Pilot Bob Shea	TV movie written by Rod Serling
1968	The Power	Professor Norman E. Van Zandt
1969	The Valley of Gwangi	Champ
	Change of Habit	Bishop Finley
Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1953–1956	I Led Three Lives	Herbert Philbrick
1954	General Electric Theater	Archie Hawkins	1 episode
	The Best of Broadway	Mike Connor	1 episode
1959	Riverboat	Paul Drake	1 episode
	The Man and the Challenge	-	Director, 1 episode
	Men into Space	-	Director, 1 episode
1960	The Aquanauts	Ross Porter	1 episode
1961–1962	The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor	-	Director, 5 episodes
1962	Bus Stop	George Whaley	1 episode
	Thriller	Guy Guthrie	1 episode
	Going My Way	Francis Delaney	1 episode
1964	Arrest and Trial	Turner Leigh	1 episode
	The Fugitive	Allan Pruitt	1 episode
	The Virginian	Sheriff Marden	Episode "Smile of a Dragon"
	Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'	Lars Mattson	1 episode
1965	The Virginian	Major Ralph Forrester	Episode "Farewell to Honesty"
1968	Bonanza	Arch Hollinbeck	1 episode
1969	It Takes a Thief	Daniel K. Ryder	1 episode
	The F.B.I.	Harold David Dewitt	1 episode
	Lancer	Judah Abbott	1 episode
1971–1973	O'Hara, U.S. Treasury	-	Writer, 3 episodes
1972–1973	Cannon	Owen McMahon; Mr. Archibald	2 episodes
1973	Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law	Al Downes	1 episode
1975	Khan!		1 episode

References

1. Weaver, Tom; Schecter, David; Kronenberg, Steve (2014-10-31). The Creature Chronicles: Exploring the Black Lagoon Trilogy. McFarland. ISBN 9781476615806.
2. Times, Special To The New York (1977-11-27). "Richard Carlson, Actor, Dies at 65; Star of 'I Led Three Lives' on TV". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-03-30.
3. "Richard Carlson Dies, Actor In TV Series, Films, Writer". The Washington Post. 1977-11-27. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-03-30.
4. Bordman, Gerald (1996-11-21). American Theatre: A Chronicle of Comedy and Drama, 1930–1969. Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 9780195090796.
5. League, The Broadway. "Western Waters – Broadway Play – Original | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2017-03-30.
6. Schallert, Edwin (22 Sep 1938). "Political Subject Next on Capra Slate: 'Career Man' Planned Sheehan May Sign Janet Woods Back in Films 'West Point' Cast Set". Los Angeles Times. p. 19.
7. "Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town". Classic Television Archives. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
8. Thomas M. Pryor (Sep 21, 1957). "Leo M'carey, Fox in 3-picture deal: Director-Producer's First Is 'Marco Polo'--Paramount Signs Miss Bel Geddes Widmark Will be Outlaw". The New York Times. p. 23.
9. Billy Hathorn, "Roy Bean, Temple Houston, Bill Longley, Ranald Mackenzie, Buffalo Bill, Jr., and the Texas Rangers: Depictions of West Texans in Series Television, 1955 to 1967", West Texas Historical Review, Vol. 89 (2013), pp. 112-113
10. "The Faithless", Riverboat November 22, 1959 on IMDb
11. Jarvis, Everett Grant (1996). Final Curtain: Deaths of Noted Movie and TV Personalities, 1912–1996 (8 ed.). Carol Pub. Group. p. 65.

External links

• Richard Carlson at the Internet Broadway Database
• Richard Carlson on IMDb
• Richard Carlson at Find a Grave