Edward Platt
Edward Platt | |
---|---|
File:Edwardplatt.jpg | |
Born | Edward Cuthbert Platt February 14, 1916 Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
Died | March 19, 1974 Santa Monica, California, U.S. | (aged 58)
Alma mater | Juilliard School |
Years active | 1941–1974 |
Spouse |
Suzanne Belcher
(m. 1954; div. 1973) |
Children | 4 |
Edward Cuthbert Platt (February 14, 1916 – March 19, 1974) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of the Chief in the 1965–1970 NBC/CBS television series: Get Smart. With his deep voice and mature appearance, he played an eclectic mix of characters over the span of his career.
Early life and military service
Platt was born in Staten Island, New York. He spent a part of his childhood in Kentucky and upstate New York, where he attended the Northwood School, a private school in Lake Placid, and was a member of the ski jump team. He also studied at the Juilliard School.[1] He attended Princeton University, but left after his freshman year.[2] He served in the United States Army during World War II.
Acting career
An operatically trained bass-baritone[3][a] with a powerful voice, he debuted on Broadway in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Allegro. José Ferrer, who performed with Platt in the Broadway play The Shrike, helped him land his first film role in the 1955 film version. Also in 1955, Platt appeared in Rebel Without a Cause starring James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo. He returned to Broadway in 1958 with the musical Oh, Captain!, in a romantic role. In 1959, he played Cary Grant's attorney in North by Northwest, and he starred in the movie The Rebel Set.
Platt also appeared in episodes of the original Perry Mason ("The Case of the Slandered Submarine" and "The Case of the Larcenous Lady"); 77 Sunset Strip, Trackdown, State Trooper (in the episode "Who Killed Doc Robbins"), Men into Space ("From Another World"), Ripcord ("Million Dollar Drop"), Gunsmoke, Bonanza, One Step Beyond, The Rifleman, Rawhide, Whispering Smith, The Outer Limits ("The Man with the Power" and "Keeper of the Purple Twilight"), The Dick Van Dyke Show ("A Nice Friendly Game Of Cards"), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Bat Masterson (in the 1959 episode "Incident in Leadville"), Tales of Wells Fargo, The Twilight Zone, and Wagon Train
His most famous role was the regular role of The Chief in the espionage parody television series Get Smart (1965–1970). After it ended, he had a recurring role in the situation comedy series The Governor & J.J. in 1970. He had guest roles in several other television series of the era, mostly comedies, including Temperatures Rising, Bewitched, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, Love, American Style, and The Odd Couple as Oscar Madison's boss in the episode "Oscar's New Life".
Platt appeared as Sotto Voce in the 1969 KCET television reading of Norman Corwin's 1938 radio play The Plot to Overthrow Christmas.
Work as producer
In 1973, Platt raised the money to produce one of the first independent feature films shot entirely on videotape: Santee, starring Glenn Ford. His crew shot the production with electronic TV cameras and portable video tape recorders, then had the images transferred to film for theatrical release. The movie was not commercially successful. [citation needed]
Death
On March 19, 1974, Platt was found dead in his Santa Monica apartment, at the age of 58.[4] Initial reports indicated the cause of death was a heart attack, but Platt's son later said that his father died from suicide, after a long struggle with untreated depression.[5]
Filmography
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1949 | I Was a Male War Bride | Lieutenant in Gates's Office | Uncredited |
1955 | Cult of the Cobra | Lamian Threatening Death | Uncredited |
The Shrike | Harry Downs | ||
The McConnell Story | Medical Corps Instructor | Uncredited | |
Illegal | Ralph Ford | ||
Rebel Without a Cause | Ray Fremick | ||
Sincerely Yours | Dr. Eubank | Uncredited | |
1956 | The Lieutenant Wore Skirts | Major Dunning | |
The Steel Jungle | Judge Wahller | ||
Backlash | Sheriff J.C. Marson | Credited as Edward C. Platt | |
Serenade | Everett Carter | ||
The Proud Ones | Dr. Barlow | ||
Storm Center | Rev. Wilson | ||
The Unguarded Moment | Attorney Briggs | ||
Written on the Wind | Dr. Paul Cochrane | ||
Reprisal! | Neil Shipley | ||
Rock, Pretty Baby | Thomas Daley Sr. M.D. | ||
The Great Man | Dr. O'Connor | ||
1957 | The Tattered Dress | Ralph Adams | |
Designing Woman | Martin J. Daylor | ||
Omar Khayyam | Jayhan | ||
House of Numbers | The Warden | ||
The Helen Morgan Story | Johnny Haggerty | ||
Oregon Passage | Roland Dane | ||
1958 | The Gift of Love | Dr. Jim Miller | |
Damn Citizen | Joseph Kosta | ||
The High Cost of Loving | Eli Cave | ||
Summer Love | Dr. Thomas Daley | ||
The Last of the Fast Guns | Sam Grypton | Credited as Edward C. Platt | |
Gunman's Walk | Purcell Avery | ||
1959 | The Rebel Set | Mr. Tucker / Mr. T | |
North by Northwest | Victor Larrabee | ||
They Came to Cordura | Col. DeRose | ||
Inside the Mafia | Dan Regent | ||
1960 | Cash McCall | Harrison Glenn | |
Pollyanna | Ben Tarbell | ||
1961 | The Fiercest Heart | Madrigo | |
Atlantis, the Lost Continent | Azar the High Priest | ||
Snow White and the Three Stooges | Villager | Uncredited | |
The Explosive Generation | Mr. Morton | ||
1962 | Cape Fear | Judge | |
1963 | Black Zoo | Detective Rivers | |
Johnny Shiloh | General George Henry Thomas | ||
A Ticklish Affair | Captain Haven Hitchcock | ||
1964 | Shock Treatment | District Attorney | Uncredited |
Bullet for a Badman | Tucker | ||
1965 | The Man from Button Willow | The Man In The Black Cape | Voice, Uncredited |
Television credits
Year | Series | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1955 | Gunsmoke | Mr. Burgess | Episode "Smoking Out the Nolans" |
1958 | Silent Service | Capt. Benítez | Episode "The Last Dive" |
Tales of Wells Fargo | Doc Bell | Episode "Doc Bell" | |
1959 | Wagon Train | Matthew Sinclair | Episode "The Duke LeMay Story," Season 2, Episode 30, airdate: Apr. 29, 1959 |
Have Gun Will Travel | Mayor | Episode "The Traffetta Mayor," Season 2, Episode 17, airdate: Jan. 10, 1959 | |
One Step Beyond | Will Denning | Episode "The Burning Girl," Season 1, Episode 16, airdate: May 5, 1959 | |
Rawhide | Jason Clark | Episode "Incident of the Thirteenth Man," Season 2, Episode 6, airdate: Oct. 23, 1959 | |
Mr Lucky | Henry Praiswater | Episode "The Stowaway" | |
Police Station | Desk Sgt. | ||
1960 | Wagon Train | Spinoza de Costa | Episode "The Maidie Brant Story," Season 3, Episode 16, airdate: Jan. 20, 1960 |
Men into Space | Dr. Luraski | Episode "From Another World" | |
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | Marshall Mays | Episode "The Ox" | |
Perry Mason | Cmdr. Driscoll | Episode "The Case of the Slandered Submarine," "The Case of the Larcenous Lady" | |
1960-1963 | Bonanza | Harvey Bufford / Wade Colly / Will Flanders | Episodes: "The Outcast", "The Guilty" and "The Colonel" |
1961 | The Twilight Zone | The Doctor | Episode "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" |
Boris Karloff's Thriller | Jim Weeks | Episode "Late Date" | |
1962 | Wagon Train | Cyrus Bolton | Episode "The Frank Carter Story," Season 5, Episode 34, airdate: May 23, 1962 |
Bronco | Sheriff Ben Lockwood | Episode "Ride the Whirlwind" | |
The Rifleman | Senator Jim Borden | Episode "The Assailants" | |
Ripcord | Jake Miller | Episode "Million Dollar Drop" | |
1963 | The Outer Limits | Dean Radcliffe | Episode "The Man with the Power" |
1964 | The Outer Limits | Mr. Terrence | Episode "The Special One" |
Kraft Suspense Theatre | 2nd patient (Sam) | Episode "The Gun" | |
The Outer Limits | David Hunt | Episode "Keeper of the Purple Twilight" | |
The Virginian | Stuart Brynmar | Episode "The Secret of Brynmar Hall" | |
Petticoat Junction | General Patterson | Episode "The Lost Patrol" | |
1965-1970 | Get Smart | Chief of CONTROL | Main cast |
1969-1970 | The Governor & J.J. | Orrin Hacker | Recurring role |
1970 | Bewitched | Jennings Booker | Season 7 Episode 10 Samantha's Old Man |
1971 | The Odd Couple | Bill Donnelly | Episode "Oscar's New Life" |
1972 | The Snoop Sisters | Jules Nero | Episode The Female Instinct |
Notes
References
- ^ "Actor Edward Platt Is Dead Of Heart Attack". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. AP. March 21, 1974. p. 4A. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
- ^ "About Page". 20m.com. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ^ "Edward Platt". Would You Believe.
- ^ "Edward Platt, Actor, Dies". Lincoln Evening Journal. Nebraska, Lincoln. United Press International. March 21, 1974. p. 22. Retrieved August 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Death certificate states coronary failure. "Overview for Edward Platt". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
External links
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- 1916 births
- 1974 suicides
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- Military personnel from New York City
- Male actors from Staten Island
- United States Army soldiers
- Princeton University alumni
- Juilliard School alumni
- American bass-baritones
- Singers from New York City
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American male singers
- United States Army personnel of World War II
- 1974 deaths