Richard Lewis Wesson (November 19, 1922 – April 25, 1996) was a prolific character actor, comedian, comedy writer, and producer.

Biography

Dick Wesson was born on November 19, 1922 in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. A

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audienc ...

impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passag ...

and

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

, Wesson appeared with his brother Gene in a comedy act appropriately called "The Wesson Brothers". They had some hit records such as "Oodles of Boodle" and "All Right Louie, Drop the Gun". Wesson married Wini Walsh and they had one child together, daughter Eileen Wesson (b. 1947). In 1949, Wesson became a television series regular with Jim Backus in ''Hollywood House''. Making his film debut in '' Destination Moon'' (1950), Wesson signed a contract as a

supporting actor A supporting actor is an actor who performs a role in a play or film below that of the leading actor(s), and above that of a bit part. In recognition of important nature of this work, the theater and film industries give separate awards to the ...

with Warner Bros., leaving that studio in 1953. His films for Warner's included ''Burning Arrow'', ''

Calamity Jane Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller. In addition to many exploits she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Lat ...

'' (1953), and ''Desert Song''. Wesson played

comedy relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...

in all his films, frequently as a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

soldier in '' Breakthrough'' (1950) and ''

Force of Arms ''Force of Arms'' (reissued under the title ''A Girl for Joe'') is a 1951 romantic war drama film set in the Italian theater of World War II. It reteamed William Holden and Nancy Olson in the third of their four movies together (''Sunset Boul ...

'' (1951), and in the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

with '' The Man Behind the Gun'' (1952) and '' The Charge at Feather River'' (1953). Wesson's best known role was as Francis Fryer in Calamity Jane (1953). Wesson moved to television appearing as

Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive, known universally as Jackie Cooper. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first ...

's ex-

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...

sidekick, Rollo, on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's '' The People's Choice'' and as Frank Crenshaw in '' The Bob Cummings Show''. Wesson began writing for ''The Bob Cummings Show'' and later ''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family f ...

''. He appeared in The Beverly Hillbillies as a taxi driver and as a patient in The Beverly Hillbillies season 1, episode 33 The Clampetts Get Psychoanalyzed. He produced CBS's ''

My Sister Eileen ''My Sister Eileen'' is a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney, originally published in ''The New Yorker'', which eventually inspired many other works: her 1938 book ''My Sister Eileen'', a play, a musical, a radio play (an ...

'' and many episodes of ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

'' and directed several episodes of each series. He portrayed Jack Reardon on the 1974 CBS situation comedy ''

Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers ''Friends and Lovers'' (also known as ''Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers'') is an American sitcom starring Paul Sand which centers on a musician in Boston, Massachusetts, and his personal relationships. It was Sand's only starring role in a televis ...

''. Wesson later died of an aneurysm on April 25, 1996 in

Rancho Mirage, California Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal (part-time) population can exceed 20,000. Incorporated in 1973 and locate ...

Filmography

Notes

External links

* * Great character actors http://www.playbrass.com/kingspud/sel_by_actor_index_2.php?actor_first=Dick&actor_last=Wesson * Wesson with Sammy Davis Jr. on ''Hollywood House'' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbpcY0svdvU {{DEFAULTSORT:Wesson, Dick 1922 births 1996 deaths American male comedians American television directors American male television actors American male film actors American television writers American male television writers Male actors from Boston Male actors from Los Angeles 20th-century American male actors Comedians from California Screenwriters from Massachusetts Screenwriters from California 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American male writers Deaths from aneurysm