King Donovan

King Donovan
King Donovan
	King Donovan in 1968
Born	January 25, 1918; Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Died	June 30, 1987 (aged 69); Branford, Connecticut, U.S.
Years active	1948–1984
Spouse	Imogene Coca (m. 1960–1987, his death)

King Donovan (January 25, 1918 – June 30, 1987) was an American film, stage, and television actor, as well as a film and television director.

Acting work

Film

His film acting work includes Jack in the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers; a role later reprised by Jeff Goldblum in the 1978 version, Solly in The Defiant Ones, Joe Capper in Cowboy, Mack McGee in the original Angels in the Outfield, Major Collins in The Perfect Furlough, and an uncredited but recognizable role in Singin' in the Rain as Rod (head of the Publicity Department).

Stage

In 1948, Donovan appeared on Broadway in The Vigil. In 1968, he toured with his wife Imogene Coca in a productions of You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running” and “Once upon a Mattress.”

Television

Notable television roles include Jake Clampett (a deadbeat who mooches off the Clampetts) for two episodes of CBS's The Beverly Hillbillies, Blanche Morton's (Bea Benaderet's) brother Roger Baker on eight episodes of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show,^[1] and Harvey Helm in a 17-episode stint on NBC's The Bob Cummings Show. Donovan also appeared in six episodes as Chris Norman of It's a Great Life, a sitcom with Frances Bavier, James Dunn and Michael O'Shea, which aired on NBC from 1954 to 1956. About this time, he also guest starred on Ray Bolger's ABC sitcom, Where's Raymond?^[2] and the NBC sitcom, The People's Choice, with Jackie Cooper. He also guest starred on the David Janssen crime drama, Richard Diamond, Private Detective. In 1956 he appeared as Joe Baker on the TV western Cheyenne in the episode titled "Mustang Trail." He played Mark Dawson in the 1959 Maverick episode "Maverick Springs". He was also in Wanted: Dead or Alive in the 1959 episode "Bad Gun" as the gun dealer Sheridan Appleby, in which he tries to recover a defective pistol that he had sold to an outlaw. He and Steve McQueen rescue a kidnapped senator's daughter when the faulty firearm explodes in the face of the bad guy.^[3]

Donovan and the cast in the 1956 film *Invasion of the Body Snatchers*

Donovan guest starred as Paddy Britt in the 1960 episode "The Boy from Pittsburgh" of the NBC western series, Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin and Burt Reynolds and set in the 1840s. Child actor Tom Nolan was cast in the title role as Tommy Jones, a stowaway on the vessel, the Enterprise. In the story line, series lead character Grey Holden (McGavin) transports a box of diamonds, unknowing that a pickpocket has taken the gems and switched the contents of the box. Mona Freeman appeared in this episode as Louise Rutherford, a beautiful widow, with other roles for the character actors Francis De Sales and Robert Emhardt.^[4]

In 1963, he played the part of Poke Tolliver in the episode "Incident of the Buryin' Man" on CBS's Rawhide. Between 1965 and 1967, Donovan had a recurring role as neighbor Herb---whose mission in life seemed to be getting from his house through the study window of professor Jim Nash in less than a full minute---on the situation comedy Please Don't Eat the Daisies.

Directing work

In 1963 Donovan directed the film Promises! Promises!, which received attention as the first Hollywood sound film to feature a mainstream film star (Jayne Mansfield) nude. Later the same year Donovan directed two episodes of Grindl, which starred his wife Imogene Coca and two more the next year.

Personal life and death

Donovan married comedienne Imogene Coca on October 17, 1960, and remained married to her until he died of cancer on Tuesday, June 30, 1987, in the Connecticut Hospice in Branford, Connecticut.

Filmography

As an actor
Title	Year	Role	Notes
Open Secret	1948	Fawnes, Bigot Gang Member	film debut
Man from Texas	1948	Sam (mortgage officer)	Uncredited
Shockproof	1949	Joe Wilson	first time Donovan played a character with a first and last name Uncredited
Alias Nick Beal	1949	Peter Wolfe	Donovan's highest billed role (7th) at the time
I Was a Male War Bride	1949	Minro Role	Scenes deleted
All the King's Men	1949	Reporter	Won the Academy Award for Best Picture Uncredited
The Pilgrimage Play	1949	Salathiel
Side Street	1950	Det. Gottschalk	Uncredited
One Way Street	1950	Grieder
Cargo to Capetown	1950	Sparky Jackson	stars John Ireland, the star of Donovan's debut film Uncredited
Mystery Street	1950	Reporter at Beach House	Uncredited
A Lady Without Passport	1950	Surgeon	Uncredited
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye	1950	Driver	Uncredited
Right Cross	1950	Fifth Reporter	Uncredited
The Sun Sets at Dawn	1950	Reporter, National News Service
Storm Warning	1951	Ambulance Driver	starred future president Ronald Reagan Uncredited
The Enforcer	1951	Sgt. Whitlow
The Great Missouri Raid	1951	Witness	Uncredited
Three Guys Named Mike	1951	Willy	Uncredited
The Redhead and the Cowboy	1951	Munroe
The Scarf	1951	Piano Player	Uncredited
Little Bighorn	1951	Pvt. James Corbo
The Prince Who Was a Thief	1951	Merat	Uncredited
Take Care of My Little Girl	1951	Cab Driver	Uncredited
His Kind of Woman	1951	Reporter	Uncredited
Angels in the Outfield	1951	Mack McGee	First Donovan film to be remade. First time Donovan appeared in a film trailer.
Behave Yourself!	1951	Lingerie Shop Manager	Uncredited
Come Fill the Cup	1951	Kip Zunches	Uncredited
The Unknown Man	1951	News Photographer on Courthouse Steps	Uncredited
Something to Live For	1952	Stage Manager	Uncredited
Singin' in the Rain	1952	Rod	Although his role is uncredited it is recognizable. Film voted best musical of the century and fifth best film of the century by AFI. Uncredited
Glory Alley	1952	Telephone Technician	Uncredited
Sally and Saint Anne	1952	Hymie Callahan
The Merry Widow	1952	Nitki
The Mississippi Gambler	1953	Spud	Uncredited
The Magnetic Monster	1953	Dr. Dan Forbes
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms	1953	Dr. Ingersoll
Hannah Lee	1953	Sheriff's Deputy	Uncredited
The Kid from Left Field	1953	Bartender	Uncredited
The Caddy	1953	Drunk	Uncredited
Half a Hero	1953	Sam Radwell
City of Bad Men	1953	Hotel Clerk	Uncredited
Three Sailors and a Girl	1953	Sailor	Uncredited
Easy to Love	1953	Ben
Forever Female	1953	Playwright
Tumbleweed	1953	Wrangler
Riders to the Stars	1954	James O'Herli
Broken Lance	1954	Clerk	Uncredited
Private Hell 36	1954	Evney Serovitch	Uncredited
The Bamboo Prison	1954	Pop
The Seven Little Foys	1955	Harrison	Uncredited
Not as a Stranger	1955	Mr. Slocum	Uncredited
Invasion of the Body Snatchers	1956	Jack Belicec
The Birds and the Bees	1956	Waiter
The Iron Sheriff	1957	Leveret
Cowboy	1958	Joe Capper - Trail Hand
The Defiant Ones	1958	Solly
The Perfect Furlough	1958	Maj. Collins
The Hanging Tree	1959	Wonder
The Thrill of It All	1963	TV Executive	Uncredited
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World	1963	Airport Official	Uncredited
Nothing Lasts Forever	1984	Lunartini Husband	(final film role)

Donovan filmed scenes for an undetermined role in the 1949 film I Was a Male War Bride, but his scenes were deleted.

As director
Title	Date	Notes
Promises! Promises!	1963	First sound film to feature a mainstream film star (Jayne Mansfield) nude. Only film Donovan ever directed.
Grindl	1963–1964	Series starred Donovan's wife, Imogene Coca. 4 episodes
That Girl	1968	1 episode