Richard Xavier Slattery was an American character actor in film, theater and television. Slattery appeared in such films as A Distant Trumpet, The Boston Strangler, Walking Tall, The No Mercy Man and Herbie Rides Again.
Early years
Born in New York, Slattery was a graduate of All Hallows High School who briefly studied at Fordham University, where he had scholarships in track and football. He left Fordham and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a lieutenant in the Pacific for two and a half years.
Career
Slattery was distinguished by a square-jawed look and a rough, gravelly voice that made him ideal as a "tough guy" character, usually as a cop or a drill sergeant type. He had been an NYPDpolice officer for 12 years and started his acting career in police academy training films, and in community theater in the Bronx. Slattery was a familiar face on series television, appearing in numerous guest roles including Route 66, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, 77 Sunset Strip, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, The Andy Griffith Show, Bewitched, The Invaders, F Troop, The Green Hornet, The Virginian, Bonanza, The Partridge Family, The Odd Couple,, The Mod Squad, Emergency!, Run, Joe, Run, The Waltons, Ironside, Kojak, The San Pedro Beach Bums, and Knight Rider. Slattery starred in a revival of the play The Time of Your Life, starting March 17, 1972, at the Huntington Hartford Theater in Los Angeles. For 14 years, Slattery was featured in a series of popular TV commercials for 76 gasoline during the 1970s and early 1980s, playing the grandfatherly owner of "Murph's 76 Station". He played Lieutenant Modeen in Switch and had featured roles in three series: The Gallant Men, Mister Roberts, and C.P.O. Sharkey. Slattery appeared in the Barnaby Jones episode titled "The Loose Connection". He appeared on the Cannon episode, "The Cure That Kills," as a carnival owner, an episode that first aired on February 20, 1974.
Personal life
Slattery was married to Pegeen Rose, an actress, from 1958 to 1968. They had five children. He married Mary Shelquist in 1970 and they divorced in 1979. He married Helene Irene Vergauwen in 1988 and they remained married until his death. His son, Kevin, is a television producer.
