Charles Aidman

Charles Leonard Aidman (January 21, 1925 – November 7, 1993) was an American stage, film and television actor.

Early life

Aidman was born in Frankfort, Indiana,''TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book''
/ref> the son of George E. and Etta (Kwitny) Aidman. Aidman graduated from Frankfort High School and attended DePauw University prior to serving as a gunnery officer in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, he returned to his home state and graduated from Indiana University.

Career

Aidman guest-starred on NBC's '' The Virginian'' in the episode "The Devil's Children" and twice on the NBC Western series '' The Californians''. He also appeared twice on ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective''. He portrayed a bounty hunter on ABC's Western series ''Black Saddle''. He was cast in CBS's fantasy drama ''The Twilight Zone'' in the episodes " And When the Sky Was Opened" and " Little Girl Lost". He also guest-starred on other Western series, including the ABC/Warner Bros. series '' Colt .45''; ABC's '' The Rebel''; CBS's ''Gunsmoke'' (in 5 episodes); NBC's ''Riverboat'' (as Frank Paxton in the episode "The Fight at New Canal"); NBC's ''The Americans''; CBS's '' Trackdown'' (as Len Starbuck in "The Samaritan"); and CBS's ''Johnny Ringo'' (as Jeffrey Blake in "The Stranger").

Aidman guest-starred on the NBC children's Western '' Fury'', in episodes of the ABC/WB crime drama ''Bourbon Street Beat'', and in the syndicated aviation adventure series ''Whirlybirds''. He appeared in 1959 and 1960 in different roles on three episodes of the syndicated crime drama ''U.S. Marshal''. In 1960, Aidman made a guest appearance on the CBS courtroom drama ''Perry Mason'' (as murderer Arthur Siddons in "The Case of the Gallant Grafter"). Aidman also guest-starred in a 1961 episode of the Western TV series ''Bonanza'' (as Jim Applegate in "The Rival").

In 1961, in the ''Peter Gunn'' episode "Witness in the Window", Aidman hires Peter Gunn to investigate a woman who is blackmailing him over alleged sexual improprieties that he denies. In the NBC Western series '' The Tall Man'', in the episode "Shadow of the Past", Aidman was cast as Ben Wiley, the father of Sue Wiley, the latest girlfriend of Billy the Kid.

In 1962 and 1963, he made two appearances on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show''. Also in 1963, Aidman was cast as George Ellsworth, an official with the United States Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, in the three-part episode "Security Risk" of the CBS anthology series ''GE True''. He also played a sex-education teacher in the episode of ''Slattery's People'' "Do the Ignorant Sleep in Pure White Sheets"? Also in 1963, Aidman adapted ''Spoon River Anthology'' by poet Edgar Lee Masters into a theater production. It is a production that is still performed.

In 1965, he played a teacher in a sixth-season episode of ''The Andy Griffith Show''. He appeared on the NBC Western series ''The Road West'' in its 1966 episode "The Lean Years". That same year, Aidman played a scientist who turns into a werewolf in an episode of ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea''. He also guest-starred on CBS's ''The Wild Wild West'' during the series's fourth season in a recurring role as Jeremy Pike, one of Jim West's substitute sidekicks. In 1968, he appeared in ABC's ''The Invaders'' as research scientist Julian Reed, in the episode "The Pit". In 1970, Aidman appeared in ''Hawaii Five-O'' as Dr. Royce.

In 1974, he introduced the character Louis Willis (later known as Tom Willis), father-in-law-to-be of Lionel Jefferson, in the February 1974 episode of CBS's ''All in the Family'' "Lionel's Engagement". Also in 1974, Aidman played the father of Elmer Dobkins in an episode of ''Little House on the Prairie''. That same year, he appeared in an episode of the police drama '' Nakia''. In 1977, in "The Grim Reaper" episode of ''M*A*S*H'', he portrayed Colonel Bloodworth, a callous, sadistic commander who takes pleasure in predicting casualties and reducing his troops to statistics. From 1985 to 1987, Aidman was the narrator of the revival of ''The Twilight Zone'' series (until he was replaced by Robin Ward).

His film roles include '' Pork Chop Hill'' (1959), ''War Hunt'' (1962), ''Hour of the Gun'' (1967), ''Countdown'' (1968), '' Angel, Angel, Down We Go'' (1969), ''Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here'' (1969), '' Adam at 6 A.M.'' (1970), ''Kotch'' (1971), '' Dirty Little Billy'' (1972), '' Deliver Us from Evil'' (1973), '' Twilight's Last Gleaming'' (1977), ''Zoot Suit'' (1981), ''Uncommon Valor'' (1983) and ''Innerspace'' (1987), his final feature-film appearance.

Personal life and death

Aidman was married to model Frances Garman. In November 1993, he died of cancer in Beverly Hills, California. He is interred in the Room of Prayer at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries''
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Filmography

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aidman, Charles
1925 births
1993 deaths
People from Frankfort, Indiana
Military personnel from Indiana
Indiana University Bloomington alumni
Male actors from Indiana
American male stage actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
20th-century American male actors
Male actors from Los Angeles
Deaths from cancer in California
Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
United States Navy personnel of World War II
United States Navy sailors