William Schallert
William Joseph Schallert was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and movies over a career that spanned almost 60 years.
Early life and career
William Schallert was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Edwin Francis Schallert, a longtime drama critic for the Los Angeles Times, and Elza Emily Schallert, a magazine writer and radio host. He began acting while a student at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles but left to become an Army Air Corps fighter pilot in World War II. He returned to UCLA after the war and graduated in 1946. In 1946, he helped found the Circle Theatre with Sydney Chaplin and several fellow students. In 1948, Schallert was directed by Sydney's father, Charlie Chaplin, in a staging of W. Somerset Maugham's Rain. In 1949, Schallert served as the reciter in a concert performance of Arnold Schoenberg's Ode to Napoleon in celebration of the composer's 75th birthday.Schallert appeared in supporting roles on numerous television programs starting in the early 1950s, including four episodes in Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre between 1958 and 1961. He was in three episodes of The Rifleman and four episodes of Gunsmoke : season 3, episode 16 "Twelfth Night" in 1957, season 4, episode 16 "Gypsum Hills Feud" in 1958, and as Col. Grant in season 7, episode 27 "Wagon Girls" in 1962, and banker Ezra Thorpe in "The Money Store" season 14, episode 14. Schallert portrayed farmer Sam Becker in a 1961 episode of The Andy Griffith Show, whose newborn son is delivered by Andy. He appeared in The Partridge Family as a very humble folk-singing guitar player in "Stage Fright" in 1971. He appeared three times as Major Karl Richmond on NBC's Steve Canyon, starring Dean Fredericks in the title role.
Schallert also appeared in several movies. One of his early cinematic roles was a brief uncredited performance as a police detective in The Reckless Moment with Joan Bennett and James Mason. He had roles in The Man from Planet X with Robert Clarke, The Tarnished Angels with Robert Stack, Blue Denim with Brandon deWilde, Pillow Talk with Doris Day and Rock Hudson, In The Heat Of The Night with Sidney Poitier, Speedway with Elvis Presley, The Jerk with Steve Martin, Teachers with Nick Nolte, and Innerspace, in which he played Martin Short's doctor. Schallert also played an ambulance attendant in the early minutes of the 1950s sci-fi classic Them!. He was a founding member of the Circle Players at The Circle Theatre, started in 1946, now known as El Centro Theatre.
Among eight appearances on the syndicated western anthology series Death Valley Days, Schallert in 1955 portrayed American Civil War General Jesse Lee Reno in the episode "Reno." In the story line, two veterans of the Mexican War who served under Reno honor him with the naming of the second-largest city in Nevada. He appeared as Sam Clemens in a 1962 episode, "The $275,000 Sack of Flour." He appeared in an episode of the TV series In The Heat of The Night, where he portrays a husband who kills his terminally ill wife, as Carl Tibbets, owner of a book store in Sparta. Thus he appeared in both the 1967 movie as the mayor and the 1992 episode of the TV show.
Schallert starred in Philbert, an innovative 1964 television pilot for ABC, which combined live-action camera work and animation. It was created by Warner Bros. animator Friz Freleng and directed by Richard Donner. ABC backed out of the series shortly before full production was to begin, although the completed pilot was released in theaters by Warner Brothers as a short subject.
Schallert was probably best known as Martin Lane on The Patty Duke Show. He also appeared as a wise teacher, Mr. Leander Pomfritt, on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and as "The Admiral" on Get Smart. On the two former shows he worked opposite actress Jean Byron. Schallert made three guest appearances on CBS's Perry Mason between 1957 and 1962, including the role of Donald Graves in the series' fifth episode "The Case of the Sulky Girl," as Dr. Bradbury in the 1961 episode "The Case of the Misguided Missile," and as Len Dykes in the 1962 episode "The Case of the Melancholy Marksman." He played the role of Nilz Baris in the ' episode "The Trouble with Tribbles"; and much later he portrayed Varani, a Bajoran musician, in the ' episode "Sanctuary |Sanctuary."
Schallert played the role of Carson Drew in the television series The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, featuring Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew. In addition to his onscreen performances, Schallert did voice-over work for numerous television and radio commercials over the years. Among these was a recurring role as "Milton the Toaster" in animated commercials for Kellogg's Pop-Tarts. He had the distinction of appearing in both the original movie version of In the Heat of the Night and the later NBC TV version in 1992. In 2004, TV Guide recognized Schallert's portrayal of Martin Lane on The Patty Duke Show as No. 39 on its list of "50 Greatest TV Dads."
Later career/SAG president
Schallert served as president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1979 to 1981, and afterwards remained active in SAG projects, including serving as a trustee of the SAG Pension and Health Plans since 1983, and of the Motion Picture and Television Fund since 1977. During Schallert's tenure as SAG president, he founded the Committee for Performers with Disabilities, and in 1993 he was awarded the Ralph Morgan Award for service to the Guild.Schallert continued to work steadily as an actor in later life, appearing in a 2007 episode of How I Met Your Mother, the HBO television movie Recount as U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, and the HBO series True Blood and his distinctive voice brought him work for commercial and animation voiceovers. Appearances in 2009 included a guest role on Desperate Housewives on March 15, in which he played the role of a small newspaper editor; he also appeared in an episode of According to Jim. More recently, he appeared in the January 21, 2010, pilot episode of The Deep End on ABC as a retiring CEO with Alzheimer's disease. He also made an appearance on Medium on the February 5, 2010, episode and a cameo on the June 26, 2011, season premiere of True Blood as the mayor of Bon Temps. He played Max Devore in the A&E adaptation of Bag of Bones.
In 2010, Schallert made a series of public service announcement videos with Patty Duke and other castmates from The Patty Duke Show for the Social Security Administration, which can be found at www.ssa.gov. His last television appearance came in 2014 on an episode of the sitcom 2 Broke Girls.
Personal life & death
In a 2014 interview, Schallert said that he was suffering from peripheral neuropathy, forcing him to wear leg braces while effectively "confining" him to a wheelchair. He said about his condition and the leg braces: "They help me stay balanced if I use a walker, but it’s just easier to get around in a wheelchair." While not ruling out working on stage in the future, he said: "Working in film or TV would be too difficult now. Besides, I did my share!"Schallert was married to actress Leah Waggner from 1949 until her death in 2015. She appeared with him in various shows, including episodes of The Patty Duke Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show. They had four sons: William Joseph, Jr., Edwin G., Mark M., and Brendan C. Schallert.
Schallert died on May 8, 2016, at his home in Pacific Palisades at the age of 93, six weeks after the death of his on-screen daughter Patty Duke, on March 29.
Selected filmography
- The Foxes of Harrow as Philadelphia Banker
- Doctor Jim as George Brant
- Mighty Joe Young as Gas Station Attendant
- The Reckless Moment as Police Lieutenant
- Perfect Strangers as Jury Selection Committee Man
- Lonely Heart Bandits as Dave Clark
- Belle Le Grand as Clerk
- M as Rorschach Test subject
- The Man from Planet X as Dr. Mears
- The People Against O'Hara as Intern with Ambulance
- The Red Badge of Courage as Union Soldier
- Bannerline as Cass - Reporter
- Anne of the Indies as Pirate
- Rose of Cimarron as Gold Bullion Guard
- Just This Once as Secretary
- Hoodlum Empire as Inquiry Clerk
- Singin' in the Rain as Messenger on Screen
- Paula as Reporter
- Storm Over Tibet as Aylen
- Sally and Saint Anne
- Holiday for Sinners as Priest
- Captive Women as Carver
- Flat Top as Ens. Longfellow
- Invasion U.S.A. as Third Newscaster
- Torpedo Alley as Minor Role
- The Jazz Singer as Assistant Stage Manager
- Sword of Venus as Valmont
- The Girls of Pleasure Island as Orderly
- Port Sinister as Collins
- Riot in Cell Block 11 as Reporter
- Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl as Priest
- The High and the Mighty as Dispatcher
- Gog as Engle
- Them! as Ambulance Attendant
- The Raid as Rebel Soldier
- Shield for Murder as Assistant D.A.
- Tobor the Great as Johnston - a Reporter
- Down Three Dark Streets as Ben
- Black Tuesday as Collins
- Smoke Signal as Pvt. Livingston
- An Annapolis Story as Tony's Instructor
- Top of the World as Capt. Harding
- Bobby Ware Is Missing as Police Radio Dispatcher
- Hell's Horizon as Capt. Ben Morgan
- Glory as Party Guest
- The Lone Ranger as Clive
- Raw Edge as Missionary
- Gunslinger as Marshal Scott Hood
- Written on the Wind as Reporter
- Friendly Persuasion as Young Husband
- The Incredible Shrinking Man as Doctor Arthur Bramson
- The Tattered Dress as Court Clerk
- The Girl in the Kremlin as Jacob Stalin
- Band of Angels as Union Lieutenant
- Man on Fire as Charles, Court Stenographer
- The Story of Mankind as Earl of Warwick
- The Tarnished Angels as Ted Baker
- The Monolith Monsters as Weatherman
- Man in the Shadow as Jim Shaney
- Juvenile Jungle as Bit Role
- Cry Terror! as Henderson, Bank Representative
- Torpedo Run as Capt. Randy Vandercook - Skipper of the 'Bluefin'
- Some Came Running as Al - Jewelry Store Clerk
- Day of the Outlaw as Preston
- The Beat Generation as Father Dinelli
- Blue Denim as George - Bank Vice President
- Pillow Talk as Hotel Clerk
- The Gallant Hours as Thomas George Lanphier Jr.
- Lonely Are the Brave as Harry
- Paradise Alley as Jack Williams
- Shotgun Wedding as Preacher Parsons
- In the Heat of the Night as Mayor Schubert
- Hour of the Gun as Herman Spicer
- Will Penny as Dr. Fraker
- Speedway as Abel Esterlake
- Sam Whiskey as Mr. Perkins
- The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes as Professor Quigley
- ' as CIA Director Grauber
- Tora! Tora! Tora! as Harry Hopkins - Roosevelt's Aide
- The Trial of the Catonsville Nine as Judge
- Charley Varrick as San Miguel Sheriff Bill Horton
- Hijack! as Frank Kleiner
- Peege as Dad
- The Strongest Man in the World as Prof. Quigley
- Tunnel Vision as Francis X. Cody
- ' as Harry
- The Jerk as Judge M.A. Loring
- Hangar 18 as Professor Mills
- as Father
- Gremlins as Father Bartlett
- Teachers as Horn
- Innerspace as Dr. Greenbush
- House Party 2 as Dean Kramer
- Matinee as Dr. Grabow, DDS
- Beethoven's 2nd as Steve - M.C. at Pet & Owner Burger Binge
- Shake, Rattle and Rock! as Judge Boone
- Sweetzer as Barnaby
Television
- It's a Great Life as Travel Bureau Clerk / 3rd Telephone Man
- Zorro as San Fernando Innkeeper
- Leave It to Beaver as Mr. Bloomgarden
- The Gray Ghost as Ebans
- The Adventures of Jim Bowie as Justinian Tebbs / Teeters Hill
- The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show as The Army Sergeant / The Waiter / Charlie Irwin Jr. / Pete
- Father Knows Best as Jennings
- Hey, Jeannie! as Herbert
- The Ray Bolger Show
- Maverick as Carl
- Peter Gunn as First Vice President
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective as Charlie Kane / Johnny Prescott / Charlie
- The Donna Reed Show as Bert Rose
- Wanted Dead or Alive as Link Damon / Craig the Bartender / James Hendricks / Hotel Clerk
- Lawman as Reed Smith
- The DuPont Show with June Allyson as Lt. Barnes
- Johnny Midnight as Richard Bissell
- The Twilight Zone as Policeman
- Johnny Ringo as Tom Ferris / Bogan
- Sea Hunt as Dr. Ken Madison
- Dante as Prof. Louis Hastings
- The Rifleman as Joe Lovering / Marshall Truce / Fogarty
- Coronado 9 as Alfred Bates
- The Andy Griffith Show as Sam Becker
- The Rebel as Charles Ashbaugh
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Lt. Gunderson
- Hennesey as Conrad Musk / Wally Shafer, Jr.
- The Dick Van Dyke Show as Rev. Kirk
- Bonanza as George Norton
- Perry Mason as Len Dykes / Dr. Bradbury / Donald Graves
- The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis as Mr. Leander Pomfritt / Prof. Leander Pomfritt
- Death Valley Days as Sam Clemens / Dave Meiser / Carl Sprenger / Charlie Tetlow / Ellis Higby / Jesse Lee Reno / Albert Johnson / Mr. Loomis
- Hazel as Kemper
- Have Gun – Will Travel as Chee Yan / Dallas Burchfield / Soldier / Clyde Broderick
- Empire as Sully Mason
- Rawhide as Lieutenant Carter / Lt. Hill / The Salesman
- The Lucy Show as Mr. Cresant
- The Patty Duke Show as Martin Lane / Kenneth Lane / Uncle Jed Lane
- The Virginian as Harry Foley
- Combat! as Major Fisher
- The Rat Patrol as Dr. Schneidermann
- ' as Dr. Harrison Selby
- ' as Nilz Baris
- The Wild Wild West as Frank Harper / Rufus Krause / Silas Grigsby
- The Mod Squad as Father Bob Hughes
- Bewitched as Dr. Anton
- Room 222 as Dr. Charles Garrett
- Land of the Giants as Dr. Arno
- Get Smart as Admiral Hargrade / Earl Kibbee
- Hawaii Five-O as Defense Counsel Herbert / Craig Wilkie
- The Partridge Family as Red Woodloe
- Gunsmoke as Judge Ray Cordelius / Jake Spence / Ezra Thorpe / Jess / Capt. Grant / Alben Peavy / Eben Hakes
- The Girl with Something Extra as Mr. Everett
- Love, American Style as Louis / Steve
- The Six Million Dollar Man as Lorin Sandusky
- Barnaby Jones as Mr. Freels
- The Bionic Woman as Bill Elgin
- The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries as Carson Drew
- One Day at a Time as Mr. Morton
- Little Women as Jonathan March
- Archie Bunker's Place as Dr. Wakeford
- Blind Ambition as Herbert Kalmbach
- Little House on the Prairie as Dean Russell Harmon / Snell
- The Waltons as Stanley Perkins, the salesman and Rose's beau
- Lou Grant as Frank Obler / Mark Worth
- Magnum, P.I. as Bob, the Foster Father
- North and South: Book II as Gen. Robert E. Lee
- Highway to Heaven as Grandpa Raines
- Matlock as Judge Elliot Franklin
- The New Gidget as Russ Lawrence
- Midnight Caller as Paul Drude
- War and Remembrance as Harry Hopkins
- Quantum Leap as Judge Eugene Haller
- Murphy Brown as Ken Hamilton, Murphy Brown's retired journalism teacher
- In the Heat of the Night as Carl Tibbetts
- The Torkelsons as Wesley Hodges
- Dinosaurs as Wesayso Scientist
- ' as Varani
- Coach as Bert Wilkins
- My Name Is Earl as Dr Rudin
- How I Met Your Mother as Brady
- The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as David
- Desperate Housewives as Ken
- According to Jim as Ed
- ' as Appa Ali Apsa
- The Deep End as Hal Douglas
- Bag of Bones as Max Devore