David's Little House Star Profiles and Trivia

June Dayton was born in Dayton, Ohio in August of 1923. She appeared in over 106 titles from in a thrty five year career that lasted from 1951 to 1986. Some of her appearances included The Young and The Restless, Quincy, Lou Grant, Streets of San Francisco, Something For Joey and Cannon to name a few.
She passed away in June of 1994 in Sherman Oaks, California at the age of 70.

She Was In One Little House Episode
In The Big Inning – 1975 – Margaret Mumford

Karl Lukas was born in August of 1919 in Lowell, Masschusetts. In his forty year career he appeared in over 106 titles, mostly on television. He was in 85 episodes of the Phil Silvers Show in the 1950’s. Some of his other titles included St. Elsewhere, Close Encounters, Quincy, Rockford Files, Earthquake, The Odd Couple, Bonanza, The Lucy Show, Blazing Saddles, The Untouchables and Tombstone Territory to name a few.
He passed away in January of 1995 at the age of 75.

He Was On One Little House Episode
In The Big Inning - 1975 – Jebediah Mumford

After Throwing A Rock Through The Chicken Coop

Charles Just Found A Pitcher!

Ham Larson is one of those kids that acted in a few shows and disappeared. No biographical info is available. He was on one Little House episode and played Myron Wilder, one of the awful nephews that Laura and Almanzo unfortunately volunteered to take care of.

1979Mountain Family Robinson
Toby Robinson

1978The Further Adventures of the Wilderness Family
Toby Robinson

1978An Enemy of the People
Morten Stockmann

1975The Adventures of the Wilderness Family
Toby

1975Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV series)
The Boy
The Medea Factor(1975)… The Boy

Little House on the Prairie
Myron Wilder
The Nephews(1981)… Myron Wilder

As Myron - The Nephews (Right)

As Toby Robinson "Adventures of the Wilderness Family"

Denver-born supporting actress Irene Tedrow is another in a long line of "I know the face...but not the name" character actors whose six-decade career was known more for its durability than for the greatness of roles she played. Born in 1907, she was a lady primarily of the stage, beginning her acting career as a teen. She trained in drama at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh, PA, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1929. A slim, handsome woman in her early days, her features grew more severe with age, which ultimately typed her as puritanical meddlers and no-nonsense matrons practically from her entrance into film in 1937. She seldom, if ever, found a meaty part, appearing way, way down the list of credits, if at all. A founding member of the Old Globe Theatre, she was featured in such classical productions as "Richard III," "Hamlet" and "Henry IV, Part I." She became a primary player on radio during the war years, notably for the maternal role of Mrs. Janet Archer in the popular serial "Meet Corliss Archer" (1951), which she transferred to TV for one season. Her radio role lasted for nine years (43-52). Irene appeared in hundreds of episodic guest appearances for nearly 35 years in everything "Dragnet" (1951), "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960), and "Twilight Zone" (1959) to the more recent "The Facts of Life" (1979), "St. Elsewhere" (1982) and "L.A. Law" (1986). Never a regular series player, she is probably best remembered as the kindly Mrs. Elkins who appeared occasionally on the "Dennis the Menace" (1959) sitcom. Over the years, Irene never abandoned the stage, gracing a number of shows in her senior years including "Our Town" on Broadway, plus "Foxfire," "The Hot L. Baltimore" and "Pygmalion."

Continuing to work as an octogenarian, she died of a stroke at age 87 in 1995 in the Los Angeles area.

She was in 190 titles from 1940 thru 1989. Truly, one of the great character actors of our time! She also appeared on five episodes of Bonanza along with a list of television shows that is much too long to list.

She appeared on one Little House Episode
Remember Me Part 2 – 1975 – Minerva Farnsworth ( Harriet’s Cousin)
Who Wanted To Adopt Alicia Sanderson

The Cincinnati Kid - 1965 - Starring Steve McQueen

Dick Armstrong was one of those people on Little House that appeared in two episodes and you would have never known it. He was in seven shows from 1975 thru 1983. Winds of War, The Villain, Outside Chance, Another Man-Another Chance, Relentless, Posse, and was a stuntman in Brideshead Revisited.

Two Episodes of Little House
Me Me At The Fair - 1977 - The Pickpocket
Gold Country Pt. 1 - 1977 - Grady Jennings - Storekeeper

Meet Me At The Fair - Pickpocket

Born in 1923,Sandy Rosenthal was a character actor that acted in seven titles from 1969 thru 1998. He was in The High Chaparral, Moonfire, Bearcats, 2 epsiodes of Bonanza, Petrocelli and Wildside.
He passed away in December of 1986 at the age of 63 in Tucson, Arizona.

Two Episodes of Little House
Meet Me at The Fair - 1977 - Chair Dump Barker
The Fighter - 1977 - The Reporter

Meet Me at The Fair - As The Chair Dump Barker

Small Parts Don't Always Mean Small Careers

Steve Eastin grew up on the plains of eastern Colorado. Born in June of 1948, he appeared in his first play at the age of six. From then on, he felt the pull of performing. He always felt his destiny lay in the coastal mountains of Southern California. He developed an affinity for such icons as Burt Lancaster and Robert Mitchum. He received his Actors Equity card at 16, when he appeared in two musicals choreographed by Michael (A Chorus Line) Bennett. In 1970, Steve graduated Cum Laude with a degree in English Literature Ed. from the University of Northern Colorado. While at UNC, he appeared in several productions at The Little Theater of the Rockies. This company also boasts Nick Nolte as one of its alumni.

After completing his undergraduate work, Steve received a Fellowship to teach at the University of Arizona. While at the University of Arizona in Tucson, he was cast in his first SAG role opposite Clint Eastwood in the Universal film Joe Kidd. Subsequently, while in Tucson, he appeared in seven episodes of the NBC/Paramount series Petrocelli with Barry Newman. In 1975, Steve fulfilled a dream by moving to Hollywood.

Upon his arrival, Steve enrolled in the Charles Conrad Studio, where he studied for four years. While there he was in Conrad's teacher training program. Soon, he began to book. He guest starred in such classic shows as Little House, Hill St. Blues, NYPD Blue, The Gilmore Girls, The A-Team, Without A Trace and over two hundred others. He also found himself in the ranks of the top commerical actors, having appeared in numerous spots such as Morgan Stanley, General Electric and New York life. His feature film career has also been blessed with such films as Field of Dreams, Bound By Honor, Austin Powers, The Scout, Con Air, Catch Me If You Can with Leo DiCaprio, A Man Apart with Vin Diesal and Matchstick Men with Nick Cage. In 2005, Steve did re-curring parts on The Gilmore Girls and appeared in The Black Dahlia with Hilary Swank and Scarlett Johannsen.

Steve continues his acting career while keeping his acting school as his top priority. He teaches with a deep affinity for his students. He remembers where he came from and knows what they are up against.
A very interesting video of Steve Easton at his acting studio is below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7mmmCOjHJs

One Little House Episode
Meet Me At The Fair - Shell Game Barker

Steve Easton Coaching Child Actor Cooper Mather On The Set of "Down and Out"

John Brandon is a character actor who has appeared in movies and on television. He played Captain William Handler on the television series Dynasty and Detective John Walsh on Hill Street Blues. He acted in over 70 titles from 1963 thru 2007. Some of them were Melrose Place, The Client, Frasier, The Bold and The Beautiful, 9 episodes of Dynasty, Days of Our Lives, Gunsmoke and Archie Bunker’s Place to name a few.

He Was On One Episode of Little House
Castoffs – 1977 – The Freighter
About To Scare Off The Dog That Would Become "Bandit"

Excellent, prolific and versatile character actor Michael Pataki had a long, varied and impressive career in both movies and TV shows, alike, that spanned a little over 50 years. Pataki was born on January 16, 1938 in Youngstown, Ohio. He attended the University of Southern California as a double major in Drama and Political Science. Michael made his film debut with an uncredited small part in the 1958 feature, Ten North Frederick (1958). However, it was his acclaimed acting on stage in 1966 at a summer stock festival in Edinburgh that really launched Pataki's career. Although usually cast as mean and unlikable antagonistic characters, Michael on occasion portrayed more appealing folks with equal skill and conviction. Pataki gave a superbly chilling and compelling performance as vicious bloodsucker "Caleb Croft" in the creepy horror winner, Grave of the Vampire (1972). Other memorable roles included nasty biker "Snake" in The Dirt Gang (1972), Marianna Hill's weak masochistic boyfriend "Dennis" in the perverse The Baby (1973), the lecherous "Sergeant Ward" in the crummy, The Bat People (1974), hi-jacker "Wilson" in Airport '77 (1977), Dracula's modern-day descendant "Michael Drake" in the hilariously horrible Dracula's Dog (1978), sleazy bounty hunter "Harry Iverson" in The Glove (1979), hard-nosed "District Attorney Dino Fulgoni" in the splendidly gritty The Onion Field (1979), oddball cemetery caretaker "Sam" in the offbeat zombie doozy Dead & Buried (1981), ramrod Russian sports official "Nicoli Koloff" in Rocky IV (1985) and the stern "Dr. Hoffman" in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988). Pataki had a recurring role on the TV series, "The Amazing Spider-Man" (1977); he also appeared in the two spin-off theatrical pictures, Spider-Man (1970) and Spider-Man Strikes Back (1979) (TV). Among the numerous TV shows Michael made guest appearances on are "Twilight Zone" (1959), "Star Trek" (1966), "Combat!" (1962), "Rawhide" (1959), "My Favorite Martian" (1963), "Ben Casey" (1961), "Batman" (1966), "Mission: Impossible" (1966), "The Flying Nun" (1967), "Baretta" (1975), "Happy Days" (1974), "McCloud" (1970), "Barney Miller" (1974),"Charlie's Angels" (1976), "T.J. Hooker" (1982), "WKRP in Cincinnati" (1978), "Laverne & Shirley" (1976), "The Jeffersons" (1975), "The Fall Guy" (1981), "Airwolf" (1987), "St. Elsewhere" (1982) and "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987). Moreover, Pataki provided voices for cartoon television programs; he was especially notable as the voice of the demented "George Liquor" on "The Ren & Stimpy Show" (1991). Michael directed two low-budget 70s drive-in exploitation features for producer Charles Band: the potently unnerving horror shocker, Mansion of the Doomed (1976), and the amusingly silly soft-core comedy musical, Cinderella (1977). In addition, Pataki also worked as an acting coach.

Michael died of cancer at age 72 on April 15, 2010 in North Hollywood, California.

He appeared in 165 titles from 1958 thru 2010.

He Was In Two Little House Episodes
The Family Tree (1979)… Jeremy Quinn
To Run and Hide (1977)… Stanley Novack

"The Family Tree" As Jeremy Quinn - Albert Had His Number

A Gut Wrenching Scene - Albert - Thinking About Leaving - "Family Tree"

As Stanley Novak in "To Run and Hide"

Actress Collin Wilcox extended her given name twice over the duration of her professional acting career -- billing herself as Collin Wilcox-Horne and Collin Wilcox Paxton, to be exact. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in February of 1935. She was raised in Highlands, North Carolina, and her interest in theater was sparked by her parents, Jack H. and Virginia Wilcox, who founded the Highlands Community Theatre (now known as the Highlands Playhouse) in 1939. She made her acting debut there as a young girl and appeared in various productions, including "Our Town". In later years, Collin would dutifully return from time to time and perform at her theater alma mater in appreciation.

She attended high school in Knoxville, Tennessee and became the resident ingénue at the regional Carousel Theatre. She majored in drama at the University of Tennessee and studied performing at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago, Illinois, as well as improv at The Compass (a forerunner of the Second City troupe) where Paul Sills was the director. There, she worked alongside up-and-coming talents Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Barbara Harris, Severn Darden and Shelley Berman. She eventually migrated to New York in 1957 and earned membership with Lee Strasberg's Actor's Studio, who saw great potential in her. She worked there for eight years.

Collins' Broadway debut came a year later with "The Day the Money Stopped", starring Richard Basehart and Mildred Natwick, which earned her the Clarence Derwent Award for "Best Supporting Actress". Slowly garnering notice for her growing quirks and interesting, edgy performances, Collin went on to work with the crème de la crème of Broadway eccentrics including Tallulah Bankhead in "Crazy October", Geraldine Page in "Strange Interlude" and Ruth Gordon in "La Bonne Soup". Neurotic Southern plays such as Tennessee Williams off-Broadway productions of "Camino Real" and "Suddenly, Last Summer" fit her like a glove. In Los Angeles, she appeared in "The Sea Gull" under the direction of John Houseman, "Period of Adjustment" with William Windom and "Getting Out" with Susan Clark. Williams, himself, chose Collin to repeat her leading role as "Isabel" in "Period of Adjustment", when the play went to London.

Collin's film debut came with her brilliant, award-worthy role as young "Mayella", whose Southern white trash teenager, under the duress of her racist father, falsely accuses black man Brock Peters of rape in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Her cross-examination courtroom sequence with Peters' hired attorney, Gregory Peck, is unforgettable. No other film role would have the same impact as that once-in-a-lifetime part. Prior to this, "Mockingbird" director Robert Mulligan personally selected the classically-trained Collin as his TV "Frankie" in a strong presentation of "The DuPont Show of the Month: The Member of the Wedding (#1.10)" (1958). It was her first television role. For such a strong start, her later film career would prove strangely erratic, with a number of offbeat roles in The Baby Maker (1970), arguably her best post-Mockingbird part, opposite Barbara Hershey and Sam Groom, Catch-22 (1970), September 30, 1955 (1977), Jaws 2 (1978), Marie (1985), The Journey of August King (1995) and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), among them.

While Collin graced a number of quality TV programs, such as the mini-movies The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974) (TV), Foxfire (1987) (TV) and Wildflower (1991) (TV) along with such established series as "Gunsmoke" (1955), "Twilight Zone" (1959), "The Fugitive" (1963) and "The Waltons" (1971), it was the live stage that kept her fiery passion for acting alive. In the late seventies, she returned to her hometown, met and married third husband Scott Paxton, and founded the multi-arts center, "The Highlands Studio for the Arts", in 1981. She served as its artistic director for nine years as well as its resident playwright and improv teacher. She and her husband (who has been president of the Board of Directors) formed a troupe called "The Instant Theatre Company" (ITC) which reaffirmed her family's name in the commitment to its town's local theater. The company lasted for close to a decade before resurrecting again in 2003 with Collin and Rex Reed performing in a presentation of "Love Letters".

Married three times, she has two children, Kimberley and William, from her former husband, British actor Geoffrey Horne, and one child, Michael, from the marriage to Scott Paxton.

She died of brain cancer at her North Carolina home in Highlands on October 14, 2009. She was 74

She Was In One Little House Episode
To Run and Hide - 1977 - Beth Novak

Sean Kelly was born on November 19th of 1956. He appeared in 29 movies and TV shows from 1969 thru 1983. Some of them included Quincy ME, One day at a Time, Police Story, Phyllis, Marcus Welby, Adam 12, The Brady Bunch, 3 episodes of Bonanza, 6 episodes of Lassie, Mayberry RFD, Family Affair, and Lancer to name a few.

He appeared in The Cowboys alongside John Wayne as “Stuttering Bob” with Clay O’brien who was also on Little House in "Spring Dance". If you like westerns, see this one, probably one of the best ever made! $5.00 Bin at Wal-Mart  

He was on One Little House Episode
Troublemaker – 1976 - Sven Jacobsen

A Much Younger Sean Kelly as "Stuttering Bob" in "The Cowboys" (1972) Catching it From John Wayne
That's Clay O'Brien to the Left Behind Him

James Griffith was born in 1916 in Los Angeles, Ca.. He was an American character actor, ubiquitous in the 1950s reliably playing in pretty much all genres--westerns, sci-fi, drama, comedy, etc., playing everything from cold-blooded killer to jovial country bumpkin with ease. Had leads or "second leads" in a few "B" pictures, but settled down into small character parts in films and TV. Was once a musician with Spike Jones and His City Slickers.

Was a VERY prolific character actor during his 36 year career. He appeared in over 220 titles. He appeared in everything from the Lone Ranger to Wagon Train, Zorro, Have Gun Will Travel, Medical Center to name a few. A very recognizable face on television for nearly forty years.

He passed away in September of 1993 at the age of 77.

Was In Two Little House Episodes.
A Faraway Cry (1982)… Preacher Bob
To See the World (1975)… Dandy Davis

To See The World - Far Left - "Dandy Davis"


A Faraway Cry "Preacher Bob"

Burl Ives was one of six children born to a Scottish-Irish farming family in June of 1909 in Hunt City, Illinois. He first sang in public for a soldiers' reunion when he was age 4. In high school, he learned the banjo and played fullback, intending to become a football coach when he enrolled at Eastern Illinois State Teacher's College in 1927. He dropped out in 1930 and wandered, hitching rides, doing odd jobs, street singing.

Summer stock in the late 1930s led to a job with CBS radio in 1940; through his "Wayfaring Stranger" he popularized many of the folksongs he had collected in his travels. By the 1960s, he had hits on both popular and country charts. He recorded over 30 albums for Decca and another dozen for Columbia. In 1964 he was singer-narrator of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) (TV), an often-repeated Christmas television special. His Broadway debut was in 1938, though he is best remembered for creating the role of Big Daddy in the 1950's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) when it ran on Broadway through the early 1950s.

His four-decade, 30+ movie career began with Ives playing a singing cowboy in Smoky (1946) and reached its peak with (again) his role as Big Daddy role in the movie version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and winning an Oscar for best supporting actor in The Big Country (1958), both in 1958. Ives officially retired from show business on his 80th birthday in 1989 and settled in Anacortes, Washington, although he continued to do frequent benefit performances at his own request.

He appeared in 46 titles (mostly movies) from 1946 thru 1988.
Burl Ives died in April of 1995 at the age of 85 in Anacortes, Washington.

He Was In One Little House Episode
The Hunters -1976 - Sam Shelby - Opposite Johnny Crawford of "Rifleman" Fame.

Burl Ives Opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman in "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" - 1958

Roger Bowen, born in May of 1932 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, was an American comedic actor and novelist, known for his portrayal of Lt. Col. Henry Blake in the 1970 film MASH. He often portrayed roles as a stuffy defender of the upper class and had regular roles on a number of television series. His successful acting career aside, Bowen always considered himself a writer who only moonlighted as an actor. He wrote eleven novels (including Just Like a Movie) as well as sketches for Broadway and television. He was also one of the co-founders of Chicago's famed comedy and acting troupe The Second City.
Bowen was born in Attleboro, Massachusetts. He said he was writing theater reviews for the University of Chicago student newspaper when he was asked to pen material for an improvisational troupe that included Alan Arkin and Mike Nichols. The troupe, Compass Players, evolved into The Second City. Bowen spent most of the 1960s playing "preppie" types on a number of TV & radio commercials. His first film role was 1968's Petulia, but his big movie break came in 1970, when he created the role of lackadaisical Blake in the 1970 Robert Altman cult film MASH.

While it was another veteran of TV commercials, McLean Stevenson, who would play Colonel Blake’s role on the long-running M*A*S*H television series, Roger Bowen already had solid exposure in the early 1970s. After MASH, Bowen gained a fan following as "Hamilton Majors Jr.", the pleasantly snooty and supportive Ivy League boss of Herschel Bernardi on the TV sitcom Arnie (1970–72).

After Arnie, Bowen joined the cast of The Brian Keith Show, then returned to commercials and movie cameo roles, showing up briefly in such films as Heaven Can Wait, The Main Event and Zapped!.

In the early 1980s, Bowen enjoyed another round of weekly TV work with recurring roles on House Calls, At Ease, and Suzanne Pleshette is Maggie Briggs. He made his final film appearance in the Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss film What About Bob?. He was a tournament chess player who participated in events in the Los Angeles area in the 1970s.

In a strange coincidence, Bowen's death of a heart attack in February of 1996, came one day after the death of McLean Stevenson, TV's Colonel Blake. Because of this, Bowen's family did not report his death to the media until a week afterward, so that it would not be dismissed as a garbled version of Stevenson's obituary. He was 63 years old.


He Was In Two Little House Episodes
Wave of the Future (1981)… Advertising Man
Little Women (1977)… Samuel Mason (Wig Salesman)

Advertising Man in "Wave of the Future"

Samuel Mason - Wig Salesman In "Little Women"

George Murdock, born Jr. George R. Sawaya in June of 1930 in Salina, Kansas was in 161 productions from 1961 thru 2012.

Murdock's craggy facial features and booming bass voice helped him land a steady stream of "heavy" parts in theater, film and television productions. When asked if he ever objected to being typecast, the actor told a Times reporter in 1982: "Getting the job is important. Who cares where it comes from."

A Kansas native, Murdock was an original cast member at the Melrose Theatre in Los Angeles, starring in "Lester Sims Retires Tomorrow" there and during its off-Broadway run in the early 1980s. He appeared in many productions at South Coast Repertory, the Los Angeles Theater Center and the Odyssey Theatre, where he originated the role of Judge Julius Hoffman in "The Chicago Conspiracy Trial" in 1979.

Murdock had dozens of roles on episodic TV series, beginning in the early 1960s with "Twilight Zone" and "The Untouchables" and continuing through the decades with "It Takes a Thief," "Bonanza," "The Name of the Game," "Ironside," "Battlestar Galactica," "Night Court," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "The X-Files," "Law & Order" and other shows. Besides his "Barney Miller" part, he was also a regular on the mid-1980s show "What a Country!"

He passed away in April of 2012 at the age of 81.

Was In One Little House Episode
Injun Kid – 1977 – Jeremy Stokes

Opposite Caesar Ramirez in "Injun Kid"

Kay Peters, currently seventy years old, was born in April of 1942 in Wooster, Ohio. She appeared in eight titles. 4 episodes of ChiPs as Judge Linda 1977, How to Seduce a Woman 1974, The Seven Minutes 1971, Ironside 1970, two episodes of The Bold Ones in 1970, Flareup in 1969 and It Takes A Thief in 1968.

She was in One Episode of Little House
Little Women – 1977 – Della Clark (Ginny’s Mother)

Opposite Rachel Longaker in "Little Women"

Ancel Cook was born in August of 1935. He appeared in 36 titles in character parts in a career that began in 1973 and ended in 2002. He was in movies as well as television.
Some of the movies he appeared in were Breakdown, Down Periscope, Road House, Frightmare, Grand Theft Auto and the Daring Dobermans to name a few.

His television credits included Adam-12, Sanford and Son, Welcome Back Kotter, The Dukes of Hazzard, Alice, 2 episodes of The Waltons, and Murder She Wrote to name a few.

He passed away in January of 2001 at the age of 65.

He Was On Three Episodes of Little House
There's No Place Like Home - 1978 - Miles Caulder
Men Will Be Boys - 1978 - Mr Caulder
The Wild Boy Part 1 - 1982 - Farmer

Men Will Be Boys - Albert and Andy Worked For Him
Mr. Caulder


There's No Place Like Home Pt.2 - Miles Caulder
The Farmer That Had Given Up

Robert Loggia, an Italian American, was born in January of 1930 on Staten Island, the son of Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, and Elena Blandino, a homemaker,  both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy. After studying at Wagner College and journalism at the University of Missouri (class of 1951) and serving in the US Army, Loggia began a long career as a supporting player in movies, on stage and television.

Loggia was a radio and TV anchor in Southern Command Network in the Panama Canal Zone. Loggia first came to prominence playing real-life American lawman Elfego Baca in a 1958 series of Walt Disney television shows. He starred as the proverbial cat-burglar-turned-good in a short-lived series called T.H.E. Cat. In 1972 he played Frank Carver on the CBS soap opera The Secret Storm.  His many television credits include appearances on Frasier, The Bionic Woman, Overland Trail, Target: The Corruptors!, The Eleventh Hour, Breaking Point, Combat!, Custer, Columbo, Ellery Queen, Gunsmoke 1965 episode-Chief Joseph, Starsky and Hutch, Charlie's Angels, The Rockford Files (three times as three different characters), Magnum, P.I., Quincy ME, The Sopranos, Monk, Oliver Stone's miniseries Wild Palms and Little House on the Prairie.

His film roles include An Officer and a Gentleman, Mercy Mission: The Rescue of Flight 771, based on the Air New Zealand Flight 103 incident, Scarface, Prizzi's Honor, Over The Top, Independence Day, Necessary Roughness, Return to Me, Armed and Dangerous, and Big (for which he won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor).

In 1985, Loggia was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of crusty private detective Sam Ransom in the thriller Jagged Edge. He was nominated for an Emmy in 1989 for his portrayal of FBI agent Nick Mancuso in the TV series Mancuso, FBI, a follow up to the previous year's miniseries Favorite Son. Loggia appeared as mobsters in multiple films including Sykes in Disney's Oliver & Company (1988), Salvatore "The Shark" Macelli in John Landis' Innocent Blood and Mr. Eddy in David Lynch's Lost Highway (1997) and The Don's Analyst (1997).

In 1998, Loggia appeared in a television commercial lampooning obscure celebrity endorsements. In it, a young boy names Loggia as someone he would trust to recommend Minute Maid orange-tangerine blend; Robert Loggia instantly appears and endorses the drink, to which the boy exclaims, "Whoa, Robert Loggia!" The commercial was later referenced in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle in which Loggia made a guest appearance as "Grandpa Victor" (for which he received his second Emmy nomination); Loggia drinks some orange juice, then spits it out and complains about the pulp. In a similar vein, Loggia has been parodied on an episode of the show Family Guy titled "Peter's Two Dads." Loggia also played a violent mobster named Feech La Manna on a few episodes of the series The Sopranos.

In addition to his role in Oliver & Company (1988), Loggia has had several other voice acting roles. A recurring role on the Adult Swim animated comedy Tom Goes to the Mayor, as crooked cop Ray Machowski in the video game Grand Theft Auto III, as Admiral Petrarch in FreeSpace 2, as the narrator of the Scarface: The World is Yours game adaptation, and in the anime movie A Dog of Flanders (1997). In August 2009, Loggia appeared in one of Apple's Get a Mac advertisements. The advertisement features Loggia as a personal trainer hired by PC to get him back on top of his game.

On October 26, 2009, TVGuide.com announced Loggia joined the cast of the TNT series Men of a Certain Age. The role had him teaming up again with his Necessary Roughness co-star Scott Bakula.

In 2010, he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of his humanitarian efforts.

On December 17, 2011, Loggia was honored by his alma mater, University of Missouri, with an honorary degree for his career and humanitarian efforts.

In 2012 Loggia portrayed Saint Peter during his final imprisonment in The Apostle Peter and the Last Supper.

From 1956 to present, he has appeared in over 256 titles. At 82 years of age, he is still going strong. A remarkable actor!

Update: December 4, 2015

Born: 1/3/1930, Staten Island, New York, U.S.A.
Died: 12/4/2015, Los Angeles, California, Alzheimers 85 Years Of Age



He was on One Little House Episode
Rage – 1982 – Thomas Stark
That Same Year He Played Bryan Mayo in “An Officer and A Gentleman”
Father of Richard Gere’s Character.

In "Rage" As Thomas Stark Opposite Melissa Gilbert

In "Officer And A Gentleman" Opposite Richard Gere

Larry "Bud" Pennell (born  21 February 1928 (age 84)), aka Alessandro Pennelli, is an American television and film actor. Mainly a supporting actor, he is best known for his role as "Dash Riprock", the conceited, image-conscious, and macho Hollywood movie star courting "Elly May Clampett" (played by Donna Douglas) in the hit television series The Beverly Hillbillies.

Pennell was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

According to his page on BaseballReference.com, Pennell was a power-hitting left-handed first baseman and outfielder in the Boston Braves organization between 1948 and 1953. He was portrayed in Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews' autobiography as a fun-loving teammate.

Pennell started acting in 1955, as "Oliver Brown" in the movie Seven Angry Men (1955), a low-budget movie about abolitionist John Brown, starring Raymond Massey. That role led him to a lead in Hell's Horizon (1955), with John Ireland and Hugh Beaumont, also in 1955.

After a few small parts in movies, Pennell drifted between television and movie appearances. In 1959, he played opposite Jimmy Stewart (as "John Michael ('Chip') Hardesty") in the hit movie The FBI Story (1959), in the role of "George Crandall". After 1959, he mainly stuck with television, making guest appearances in shows like Death Valley Days, The Outlaws, Sea Hunt, Wagon Train, The Big Valley, The Virginian, and Dragnet.
In 1961, he was given a lead role in the television series Ripcord, an action/adventure series about skydiving, in which he co-starred, as "Ted McKeever", with Ken Curtis as his older mentor, becoming somewhat of a television idol; the show ran for seventy-six episodes between 1961 and 1963.

In 1965, Pennell played in Karl May's "Old Surehand" (1965) as "The General". Pennell's debut on the "The Beverly Hillbillies" came January 20, 1965, in the episode "Elly in the Movies" (Season 3, Episode 16; 88th overall). "Milburn Drysdale" (played by Raymond Bailey) invests some of "Jed Clampett's" (Buddy Ebsen) money in a movie studio, Mammoth Pictures. Jed is distracted and upset that Elly May has not found any suitors in California. Elly May is bored at home, and jealous of Kitty Devine in the previous episode ("The Movie Starlet"), so Drysdale, to smooth things over, helps convince Jed and "Jane Hathaway" (Nancy Kulp) to let her star in a movie. Dash doesn't know that she (Elly May) is the co-star of the movie and daughter of the studio owner (Jed), and mistakenly thinks that Jane Hathaway is. The next episode, "Dash Riprock, You Cad!", which aired the following week on January 27, 1965, also included Sharon Tate (as Janet Trego), the beautiful actress who was murdered in 1969 by the Manson Family. Tate appeared in 15 episodes as Trego.

In 1964, Pennell starred as John Chambers in the episode "Bad Little Rich Girl", with Diana Van der Vlis in the title role as Mary Beth Warren, in the CBS drama Mr. Broadway starring Craig Stevens.

Pennell was on "Lassie" as "Keith Holden" in 1972 and 1974. Ron Hayes had played his brother "Garth Holden" in six Lassie episodes in the 1971–1972 season. At that point, Larry Wilcox also joined the Lassie cast.

In the film "The Great White Hope" (1970), Pennell played former heavyweight champion Frank Brady, who is coaxed out of retirement to try to prevent a black boxer named Jack Jefferson (played by Oscar nominated James Earl Jones) from becoming the first black heavyweight champion. Older, and more distinguished, Pennell returned to big budget motion pictures, as "Captain Cyril Simard" in the World War II blockbuster film Midway (1976), which had a large all-star cast including Charlton Heston and Henry Fonda.

Pennell continued to do small parts, character roles, and cameos, mainly on television shows and movies made for television, including "Little House on the Prairie", "Magnum, P.I." (Tom Selleck played an aide to Capt. Cyril Simard in the movie Midway), and the soap operas "General Hospital" and "The Young and the Restless". One notable role was that of Clark Gable in the television movie "Marilyn: The Untold Story" (1980), with Catherine Hicks as Marilyn Monroe. In 1992, Selleck would get Pennell to join him again in the motion picture Mr. Baseball (1992)

Pennell's most recent roles have been in the movies: Bubba Ho-Tep (2002), as "Kimosabe", The Passing (2005), as "Charles-Butler"; Last Confession (2005), as "Father Conklin"; and in Seasons of Life (2006), as "Lauren's Father".

Update: Passed away August 28th, 2013 - 85 Years Old

He has acted in over 104 titles since 1956.

Appeared in One Little House Episode
Gold Country Part 1 & 2 – 1977 – As Ben Griffin

"Dash Riprock" - Beverly Hillbillies

Ha! I remember Dash Riprock. Great name.

Joseph Patrick Cranshaw born June 17, 1919 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma , was known for his distinctive look and deadpan humor. He is best known for one of his last roles, that of Joseph "Blue" Pulaski, a fraternity brother in the 2003 hit comedy Old School. Cranshaw also starred as Sheriff Bob in the Air Bud movies and he played the same role in Air Buddies the final time.

Despite an acting span of more than 50 years and some 108 appearances, Cranshaw's first credited film role came at the age of 41, in The Amazing Transparent Man (1960). Cranshaw's mild-mannered and gentlemanly demeanor led him to a number of roles as bank tellers, store managers, and grandfathers. His major credits include Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978), Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), Nothing to Lose (1997), Broken Vessels (1998), Best in Show (2000), and Bubble Boy (2001). He also appeared in over 50 television shows, including a recurring role as Mel's Diner regular Andy on the sitcom Alice.

He became interested in acting while entertaining American troops before World War II.

Cranshaw died in his home in Ft.Worth, Texas, at the age of 86 surrounded by family and friends.

Appeared in 108 titles from 1955 – 2006. Michael cast him in one episode of Father Murphy and one episode of Highway to Heaven.

He Was In Two Episodes Of Little House
To See The Light – 1980 – Manuel Barton
Men Will Be Boys – 1978 – Spokes

In "Men Will Be Boys" - At The End of The Table

He Was Quite A Character!

You've been hard at work again Dave. Amazing!!

Robert Loggia....didn't notice who he was in An officer and a Gentleman. I remember my aunt begged my mom to let me see that movie. I think I was 14. I still remember the birds and bees talk I got AFTER it...by my Aunt. I shouldn't have watched it. lol

Carl Pitti was born in August of 1916 in Des Moines, Iowa. He was inducted in the the Hollywood Stuntman’s Hall of Fame in 1984. His film credits include the original "Of Mice and Men" with Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney Jr., "Billy the Kid" with Robert Taylor, "Tribute to a Bad Man" with James Cagney, "The Hallelujah Trail" with Burt Lancaster" and "High Plains Drifter" with Clint Eastwood. He also worked on several TV series, most notably "Bonanza" and "Little House on the Prairie."

He taught Glenn Ford how to shoot a gun in “The Fastest Gun Alive” in 1956.

He did a ton of work for Michael Landon as you can see below. He was one of those actors that was always there, similar to Jack Lilly, who was also a stuntman and actor. His movie career began in 1939 and he worked up until 1984 appearing in his last program in an episode of Highway To Heaven. He was also in two episodes of Father Murphy.

He was in twenty episodes of Little House in varied roles. Everything from a Stage Coach Driver to a deputy to a customer. A few of his roles on Little House included the Deputy in “Survivor” , Len in “The Godsister”, Silas in “The High Cost of Being Right”, Carl in “The Barn Burner”, the dance caller in “Welcome To Olsenville”, and on and on. He was in one episode of Highway To Heaven and two episodes of Father Murphy.

He passed way in August of 2003 in Hemet California. He was 86.

"Little House on the Prairie" (20 episodes )

Survival (26 February 1975) - Deputy Hill
The Race (11 October 1976) - Carl
Little Girl Lost (18 October 1976) - Man
Journey in the Spring: Part 1 (15 November 1976) - Carl
Gold Country: Part 1 (4 April 1977) - Carl
The High Cost of Being Right (14 November 1977) - Silas
Harriet's Happenings (30 October 1978) - Customer
The Godsister (18 December 1978) - Len
Barn Burner (19 February 1979) - Carl
The Third Miracle (8 October 1979) - Rider #2
The King Is Dead (12 November 1979) - Carl
Sylvia: Part 1 (9 February 1981) - Man #1
Growin' Pains (9 October 1981) - Wagon Driver
Gambini the Great (9 November 1981) - 1st Townsman
The Legend of Black Jake (16 November 1981) - Townsman
For the Love of Nancy (30 November 1981) - Stage Driver
Wave of the Future (7 December 1981) - Driver
Uncle Jed (1 February 1982) - Stage Driver
Welcome to Olesonville (11 October 1982) - Dance Caller
The Older Brothers (17 January 1983) - Stage Driver

Making Charles Count The Corn
"The High Cost of Being Right" - 1977 - "Silas"


"Survival" - 1975 - "Deputy Hill" (Right) Opposite Jack Ging