Murray Matheson

Murray Matheson
File:Murray Matheson in Perry Mason 1964.jpg Murray Matheson in Perry Mason 1964
Born	Sidney Murray Matheson (1912-07-01)1 July 1912 Casterton, Victoria, Australia
Died	25 April 1985(1985-04-25) (aged 72) Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actor: stage, film, television
Years active	1945–1983

Sidney Murray Matheson (1 July 1912 – 25 April 1985) was a U.S.-based Australian actor. He appeared on stage and in films and television programs until 1983.

Biography

Matheson was born in Casterton, Australia in 1912 where he grew up on a 3,000-acre sheep station. When he was 12, he saw a production of Sally by a touring company, and that experience sparked his desire to be an actor.

His first principal stage performance was in the musical Roberta at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Australia in 1934. His London debut was at the Palladium in Band Waggon (1939).

He made his New York debut as Captain Worthy in The Relapse, as part of the Theatre Guild (1950). Matheson performed in dozens of plays, including some major tours, until 1982.

Matheson's first film appearance was as Joe Lawson in The Way to the Stars, a.k.a. Johnny in the Clouds (1945). He played the clown in the classic The Twilight Zone episode "Five Characters in Search of an Exit". He made guest appearances in two 1964 episodes of CBS's Perry Mason: once as murder victim B.K. Doran in "The Case of the Accosted Accountant", and once as murderer Howard Hopkins in "The Case of the Wooden Nickels".

Some of his best-known film and television roles include:

• Felix Mulholland in the NBC Banacek series
• Benjamin Ovington in the movie How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)
• The Clown in the Twilight Zone episode "Five Characters in Search of an Exit"
• Mr. Agee in the "Kick the Can" segment of The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
• Dr. John Keith in the film Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
• Talbot in the "Why Wait Until Uncle Kevin Dies" episode of Hawaii Five-O (1973) Season 6, episode 8.

In 1960 Matheson appeared as Alexander on the TV western Laramie on the episode titled "Duel at Parkinson Town." In 1960–61, he was cast as Geoffrey Carey in "The Archer's Ring" and as the High Priest in "The Perils of Penrose", respectively, on the ABC series, Adventures in Paradise, starring Gardner McKay. In 1961, he played the lead guest-starring role in the episode "A Rope for Charlie Munday" on another ABC adventure series, The Islanders, co-starring William Reynolds. In 1969, he guest starred in Bewitched season 5 episode 28, " Samantha's Good News". In 1970, he appeared in an episode of the ABC crime drama The Silent Force, and in 1978 he appeared in the "Murder! Murder!" episode of the NBC crime drama The Eddie Capra Mysteries. In 1982 he made an appearance on The Facts of Life S4 E11.

Matheson's ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1945	The Way to the Stars	Joe Lawson
1945	Journey Together	Lancaster Crew
1946	School for Secrets	Wing Cdr. Allen
1948	The Secret Tunnel	Mr. Henderson
1949	The Fool and the Princess	Graham Ballard
1952	Hurricane Smith	Dr. Whitmore
1952	Plymouth Adventure	Christopher Martin	Uncredited
1952	Botany Bay	Rev. Mortimer Thynne
1953	Jamaica Run	Inspector Mole
1953	Flight to Tangier	Franz Kovac
1953	King of the Khyber Rifles	Maj. Ian MacAllister
1954	The Bamboo Prison	Comrade Clayton
1955	Love is a Many-Splendored Thing	Dr. John Keith
1958	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	James St. George Bernard Bowlby	Season 3 Episode 37: "The Canary Sedan"
1958	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	Oliver Teleton	Season 4 Episode 10: "Tea Time"
1958	Peter Gunn	Phillip Lasdowne	Season 1, Episode 17: "Missing Night Watchman"
1960	Laramie	Alexander	Episode: "Duel at Parkinson Town"
1960	One Step Beyond	Bentley	Episode: "Delia"
1961	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	Cyril Hardeen	Season 6 Episode 20: "The Throwback"
1961	Thriller	Thomas Edward Griffith	Episode: "The Poisoner"
1961	The Twilight Zone	Clown	Season 3, Episode 14: "Five Characters in Search of an Exit"
1961	The Islanders	Charlie Munday	Episode: A Rope for Charlie Munday
1962	The Notorious Landlady	Neighbour	Uncredited
1963	Wall of Noise	Jack Matlock
1963	The Fugitive	Earl Morehead	Episode: "Ticket to Alaska"
1964	Perry Mason	B K Doran	S7,E14: "The Case of the Accosted Accountant"
1964	Perry Mason	Howard Hopkins	S8,E12: "The Case of the Wooden Nickels"
1964	The Alfred Hitchcock Hour	Charles Justin	Season 2 Episode 19: "Murder Case"
1964	Signpost to Murder	Dr. Graham
1965	Get Smart	Devonshire	S1, episode 22: "Smart The Assassin"
1965	My Favourite Martian	Filbert	S3, E12 "Avenue C Mob"
1965	The Man from U.N.C.L.E	The Maharajah	S1, E17 "The Yellow Scarf Affair"
1966	Assault on a Queen	Captain
1967	How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying	Benjamin Ovington	Movie
1967	F.B.I	Henry Dodd	S2, E24 "Flight Plan"
1967	The Invaders	Dr Reynard	S1, E11 "The Ivy Curtain"
1967	Girl from UNCLE	Dr Merek	S1, E28 "The High and the Deadly Affair"
1968	Star!	Bankruptcy Judge	Uncredited
1968	In Enemy Country		Uncredited
1969	Explosion	Owner of Jaguar	Movie
1969	Bewitched	John Van Millwood	S5, episode 28 Samantha's Good News
1970	F.B.I	Murray Elders	S5, E19 "The Diamond Millstone"
1970	The Silent Force	Valentine Estes	S1, E2 "The Hero"
1970	It Takes a Thief	Harry Fulham	S3, E21 "The Suzie Simone Caper"
1970	McCloud	Grantley	S1, E4 "The Stage is All the World"
1971	McCloud	George Lincoln	S2, E4 "The Disposal Man"
1971	Marcus Welby MD	Dr Stoddard	S3, E14 "Cross Match"
1971	Mannix	Snowy Bartlett	S6, E14 "Light and Shadow"
1972	A Fan's Notes	Clarke Institute doctor
1972	Banyon	Charles Troy	S1, E14 "Just Once"
1972-4	Banacek	Felix Mulhulland	16 episodes
1972	Hec Ramsey	Lionel Harlock	S1, E2 Hangman's Wages
1973	Marcus Welby MD	Edward Liddell	S4, E16 "A Necessary End"
1973	Hawaii Five-0	Talbot	S6, E8 "Why Wait Till Uncle Kevin Dies?"
1973	Here's Lucy	Professor Dietrich	S5, E19 "Lucy And The Professor"
1973	Circle of Fear	Mathews	S2, E9 "The Phantom of Herald Square"
1973	McMillan and Wife	Angus McPhee	S2, E7 "Two Dollars on Trouble to Win"
1973	Ghost Story	Mathews	S1, E22 The Phantom of Herald Square
1973	Night Gallery	Dr Strang	S3, E14 The Doll of Death
1974	The Magician (American TV Series)	Walter Moran	S1, E18 The Illusion Of The Fatal Arrow
1974	Kolchak:The Night Stalker	Horror in The Heights	Mr Lane-Mariot
1975	Marcus Welby MD	Lucky	S6, E24 "Loser in a Dead Heat"
1975	Hawaii Five-0	Lord Danby	S8, E4 "Termination With Extreme Prejudice"
1975	The Manhunter	Major Markley	S1, E18 The Seventh Man
1975	S.W.A.T	4 episodes	Hit Men, Criss-Cross,The Bravo Enigma & Murder by Fire
1975	McMillan and Wife	Aaron Hildreth	S4, E5 "Night Train to L.A"
1976	The Tony Randall Show	Burnside	S1, E6 The Snow White Affair
1976	Phyllis	Charles Plunkett	S1, E21 Leo's Suicide
1977	Family	Sandor Pratt	S2, E11 "An Eye to The Future"
1977	Sugar Time	DeForest	S1, E2 "Witty, Urbane And Erudite"
1977	Tail Gunner Joe	Publisher	TV movie
1978	Charlie's Angels	Leland Swinnerton	S2, episode 22 Mother Goose is Running for His Life
1978	Rabbit Test	Dr. Mario Lowell	1978 Movie
1978	Battlestar Galactica	Specter	Episode: "The Young Lords" Voice, Uncredited
1978	Battlestar Galactica	Statesman Geller	Episode: "Greetings From Earth"
1979	Vegas	Phillip Grayson	S1, E12 Ghost Of The Ripper
1979	Hart to Hart	Martin Hyde-Jones	S1, episode 5 Death in the Slow Lane
1979	Mary and Joseph:A Story of Faith	Zacharias	TV movie
1980	Angel on My Shoulder	The Stranger	TV movie
1981	Three's Company	Roger	S6, E7 Two Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1981	The Million Dollar Face	Sir Douglas Devereux	TV movie
1982	The Facts of Life	Prof. Henry Clayton	Episode: "September Song"
1982	The Great Detective	S4, E4 Star of Bengal
1982	Tucker's Witch	Nathan Bly	S1, E2 Big Mouth
1983	Twilight Zone: The Movie	Mr. Agee	(segment "Kick the Can")
1983	Newhart	Carl	S2, E3 "Animal Attractions"

Sources

• Biography at FilmReference.com

External links

• Murray Matheson at IMDb
• Murray Matheson at the Internet Broadway Database
• "54 Murray Matheson Pictures and Images". Getty Images.