Frequently-confused Character Actors

 

 

No, not Grady Sutton.  That's actually what he did for a living.  

 

We're talking about actors who are similar in appearance to other actors.  Ever since that moronic Google page a few months ago, where everyone (including women) was "Roy Jenson", we've been considering the necessity of helping future generations of researchers and fans avoid some of the easier mis-identifications.  As follows:

 

 

 

 

Norman Leavitt & Guy Raymond

    This one holds a special place with me, because of my own faulty identification, years ago, on IMDB.  I think it's still there.  I'm too embarrassed to look.

    What can you say about Norman Leavitt, Wally of the eponymous Filling Station, and so much else. 240 appearances in a 32-year career, 7 or 8 a year.  (I was watching 1948's The Big Clock last night, and guess who was there in the first five minutes, asking an expository question.)  His final gig was a gravedigger on Quincy in 1978.

    Guy Raymond is known to Star Trek fans as the bartender in the Tribbles episode.  He might be the only Old TV Guy named "Guy".   

 

 

Ed Binns & Frank Maxwell 

    Gruff guys from another generation.  Both made good army men; Binns' take in Fail Safe is downright chilling, and Maxwell was Rockford's old commanding officer in Korea.  

 

 

 

Ed Peck & Thomas Browne Henry 

    They may have looked like eagle-beaked military types, but neither of them played it much.  Peck was in the Star Trek where they go back to 1967 and kidnap a jet pilot (not the Gary 7 episode).  Henry's supposed to be an admiral in Earth vs the Flying Saucers, but he seems to be wearing Army tans.

Bill Zuckert & Stafford Repp 

    What's this?!  TWO Chief O'Hara's?  Pandemonium!  Seriously, can you tell which one was in Batman?

    It's Repp.  Zuckert got more work, though.  He was Columbo's boss in a couple episodes, random card player in The Cincinnati Kid, a judge in Perry Mason with the beatnik painter/professional cartoonist.  Had a longer career.  We're big fans of Zook's around here, because he was in Radio!

 

James Seay & Jack Warden

    This isn't a particularly common error, since Jack Warden's a known actor of the higher rank.  Still, he did a lot of TV-Guy work until he hit it big, and if you were watching the 1953 film "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas", you might think that one guy was him.  It's not.

John Forsythe & Carl Betz

    A classic example.  I'm not sure they could tell the difference in the 60s.  Forsythe was the phone voice of "Charlie" on Charlie's Angels, but that show is known for the confusion it spawned about David Doyle, who played the character "Bosley", and the actor Tom Bosley, who had nothing to do with the show. (I refer you to the Onion's story.)  Mr Doyle finally had to issue a statement.  I mean, Mr Bosley.  

 

 

 

Irene Tedrow & Anne Seymour

    You may run into trouble with these two.  A brief glance at their curricula vitae reveals they worked a lot of the same shows.  

 

 

Mike Mazurki & Max Rosenblum

On accounta the way these two gents always played lugs.

 

And finally, our own Old TV Guy avatar, Olan Soule and his doppelganger, Not-Olan Soule.

    Not-Olan appeared in at least one episode of The Rockford Files, he even spoke a few lines, but the actor was not credited.  I hate when they do that.

Olan in the 60s

     

 

    Of course, we could say that Olan was an old man by the time Rockford was on, and this younger guy would obviously not be him.  Or we might, if we keep informed by selfless free websites, like this one.  

 

     

    So, welcome to our annual non-membership drive!  May we send you a tote bag?