American actor (1917–1999)
Ross Elliott
Born Elliott Blum
(1917-06-18 ) June 18, 1917Died August 12, 1999(1999-08-12) (aged 82) Occupation Actor Years active 1938–1986 Spouse Esther Susan ("Sue") Melling (m. 1954–1999 (his death))
[1]
[2]
Ross Elliott (born Elliott Blum ; June 18, 1917 – August 12, 1999)
[3] was an American television and film
character actor . He began his acting career in the
Mercury Theatre , where he performed in
The War of the Worlds ,
Orson Welles ' famed radio program.
Early years
Elliott was born in
the Bronx , New York. While at
City College of New York , he participated in the college's dramatic society, causing him to abandon his original plan to become a lawyer.
[4]
Stage
Directly out of college, Elliott joined
Orson Welles '
Mercury Theatre , garnering bit parts both on the radio (including the notorious
War of the Worlds production) and stage (including Welles'
Caesar ).
[5] Elliott's Broadway credits include
The Shoemaker's Holiday (1938), Danton's Tod (1938), Morning Star (1940), This Is the Army (1942), and Apple of His Eye (1946).
[6] In 1972, he returned to the stage in Shakespeare's
King Lear with the Santa Monica Theater Guild.
[7]
Military service
Elliott joined the United States Army on August 4, 1941. Much of his time there was spent in "soldier-casts of various touring shows."
[4]
Film career
After serving in World War II, Elliott moved to Hollywood. He enjoyed a long career, working steadily in supporting roles in a diverse array of films, including
Woman on the Run ,
D-Day the Sixth of June ,
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms ,
Tarantula! ,
Wild Seed ,
Kelly's Heroes ,
Skyjacked and
The Towering Inferno .
[8] In 1971, Elliott was invited to membership in the Actors Branch of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , remaining a member until his death in 1999.[
citation needed ]
Television
Throughout his career, Elliott appeared in more than 200 television programs, including the recurring role of crewman Cort Ryker on the
syndicated
The Blue Angels (1960–1961). Elliott appeared 59 times in a recurring role as Sheriff Abbott on
NBC 's
western series,
The Virginian .
[9]
Elliott portrayed the television director in the season one episode of
I Love Lucy titled "
Lucy Does a TV Commercial " (1952) in which
Lucy Ricardo advertises Vitameatavegamin.
[10] Elliott also appeared on I Love Lucy as Ricky Ricardo's agent in three episodes of the series' fourth season.
[11]
In 1956 he appeared as Sam Wilson on the TV western
Cheyenne in the episode titled "Mustang Trail". In 1958, Elliott played Reverend Kilgore in the episode "The Lord Will Provide" on
The Texan , with
Rory Calhoun and
Ellen Corby . Later that year he played murder victim and title character George Hartley Beaumont in the
Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Corresponding Corpse".
[12]
In 1960 and 1961 Elliott appeared twice on the popular
Leave it to Beaver , including as the boys' school principal. From 1962 to 1963, he was cast as Marty Rhodes in four episodes of the NBC legal drama
Sam Benedict , starring
Edmond O'Brien . From 1963 to 1965, Elliott played
Lee Baldwin on the
ABC Daytime soap opera
General Hospital .
[13]
Elliott appeared in 11 episodes of
The Jack Benny Program as director Freddie.
[14] His other television appearances included
Burns and Allen ,
The Twilight Zone ,
The Dick Van Dyke Show ,
The Andy Griffith Show ,
Adventures of Superman ,
The Lone Ranger ,
Pony Express ,
The Rifleman ,
Rawhide ,
Gunsmoke (title character Lee Groat in S5E17’s “Groat’s Grudge” - 1957),
Lassie ,
Leave It to Beaver ,
Combat! ,
Hazel ,
The Time Tunnel ,
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ,
Dragnet ,
Adam-12 ,
Emergency! ,
The Six Million Dollar Man ,
The Bionic Woman ,
Wonder Woman ,
The Dukes of Hazzard , and
Little House on the Prairie . Elliott also appeared in a 1973 episode of
Barnaby Jones .
[15]
Later life
As his acting career waned, Elliott in 1976 joined a local real estate firm as a sales associate and later as a manager.
[16] He died of cancer on August 12, 1999, at the age of 82.
[17]
Selected filmography
This Is the Army (1943) as Officer in Magician Skit
The Burning Cross (1947) as The Combative Striker
Angel on the Amazon (1948) as Frank Lane
Streets of San Francisco (1949) as Clevens
The Crooked Way (1949) as Coroner (uncredited)
Barbary Pirate (1949) as Preble's First Officer (uncredited)
The Gal Who Took the West (1949) as Cowboy (uncredited)
Chinatown at Midnight (1949) as Eddie Marsh
Gun Crazy (1950) as Detective (uncredited)
Tyrant of the Sea (1950) as Mr. Howard Palmer
Dynamite Pass (1950) as Henchman Stryker
Cody of the Pony Express (1950) as Irv - Henchman
Three Secrets (1950) as Reporter (uncredited)
Woman on the Run (1950) as Frank Johnson
Last of the Buccaneers (1950) as Fanuche - Pirate (uncredited)
Chicago Calling (1951) as Jim
Storm Warning (1951) as Glen (uncredited)
I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951) as Ray
Hot Lead (1951) as Dave Collins
Desert of Lost Men (1951) as Dr. Jim Haynes
"
The Adventure's of Superman (1952) Superman On Earth "
Loan Shark (1952) as Norm - Laundryman Thug (uncredited)
Affair in Trinidad (1952) as Corpse of Neal Emery (uncredited)
Woman in the Dark (1952) as Father Tony Morello
Problem Girls (1953) as John Page
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) as George Ritchie
Tumbleweed (1953) as Seth Blanden
Ma and Pa Kettle at Home (1954) as Pete Crosby
Massacre Canyon (1954) as Private George W. Davis
Dragnet (1954) as Intelligence Div. Sergeant at Desk (uncredited)
African Manhunt (1955) as Rene Carvel
Carolina Cannonball (1955) as Don Mack
Women's Prison (1955) as Don Jensen
Tarantula (1955) as Joe Burch
Toughest Man Alive (1955) as Security Agent Cal York
Indestructible Man (1956) as Paul Lowe
D-Day the Sixth of June (1956) as Maj. Mills
Chain of Evidence (1957) as Bob Bradfield
As Young as We Are (1958) as Bob
Monster on the Campus (1958) as Sgt. Eddie Daniels
Never So Few (1959) as Colonel Dr. Barry (uncredited)
Sea Hunt (1960, The Catalyst, Season 3, Episode 32)
Gunsmoke (1961, “Groat’s Revenge” S5E17 as Lee Grayson
Sea Hunt (1961, Season 4, Episodes 1, 3, 4, 7, 35)
Wanted Dead or Alive (TV series) (1961) season 3 episode 16 (The last restreat ) as Jim Lawton
Tammy Tell Me True (1961) as Professor Bateman
Bonanza (1961-1973, 3 episodes) as Watkins / Matthew / Harvey Walters
The Thrill of It All (1963) as Minor Role (uncredited)
The Crawling Hand (1963) as Deputy Earl Harrison
The Wheeler Dealers (1963) as Lawyer (uncredited)
The Lively Set (1964) as Ernie Owens
Wild Seed (1965) as Mr. Collinge
Day of the Evil Gun (1968) as Reverend Yearby
The Invaders (1968, Counter-Attack, Season 2, Episode 18) as Prof. Eliot Kramer
Kelly's Heroes (1970) as Colonel Booker
Skyjacked (1972) as Harold Shaw
The Longest Night (1972) as Dr. Steven Clay
Act of Vengeance (1974) as Sgt. Long
The Towering Inferno (1974) as Deputy Chief #2
Gable and Lombard (1976) as Lombard's Director
Mr. Too Little (1978) as Police Captain
Scorpion (1986) as Sam Douglas (final film role)
References
^ Vallance, Tom (August 29, 1999).
"Obituary: Ross Elliott (10/23/2011)" . Independent . Retrieved September 1, 2021 .
^
"Esther Susan Melling" . Biographical Summaries of Notable People . MyHeritage. Retrieved March 12, 2023 .
^ Brumburgh, Gary (July 20, 2017).
"Ross Elliott (1917-1999)" . Profiles of the Working Actor . Industry Central. Retrieved February 19, 2023 .
^
a
b Weaver, Tom. "The Sci-Fi Stalwarts". Classic Images (490): 20–22.
^ Vallance, Tom (August 29, 1999).
"Obituary: Ross Elliott (10/23/2011)" . Independent . Retrieved September 1, 2021 .
^
"Ross Elliott" . Playbill Vault . Retrieved May 13, 2016 .
^ "King Lear". Los Angeles Times . March 7, 1972. p. E16.
^ Vallance, Tom (August 29, 1999).
"Obituary: Ross Elliott (10/23/2011)" . Independent . Retrieved September 1, 2021 .
^
"Ross Elliott, 82, an Actor on TV Series" . New York Times . Associated Press. August 24, 1999. Retrieved February 18, 2023 .
^
"Ross Elliott" . Toledo Blade . Ohio, Toledo. Times-Post News Service. August 17, 1999. p. 17. Retrieved May 14, 2016 .
^
"Ross Elliott, 82, an Actor on TV Series" . New York Times . Associated Press. August 24, 1999. Retrieved February 18, 2023 .
^ Brumburgh, Gary (July 20, 2017).
"Ross Elliott (1917-1999)" . Profiles of the Working Actor . Industry Central. Retrieved February 19, 2023 .
^
"Ross Elliott, 82, an Actor on TV Series" . New York Times . Associated Press. August 24, 1999. Retrieved February 18, 2023 .
^ Oliver, Myrna (August 18, 1999).
"Ross Elliott: Actor in TV and Movies" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 18, 2023 .
^ Brumburgh, Gary (July 20, 2017).
"Ross Elliott (1917-1999)" . Profiles of the Working Actor . Industry Central. Retrieved February 19, 2023 .
^ "People in Real Estate: Elliott named new manager". Los Angeles Times . February 23, 1980.
^
"Ross Elliott, 82, an Actor on TV Series" . New York Times . Associated Press. August 24, 1999. Retrieved February 18, 2023 .
External links