William Gerald Paris (July 25, 1925 – March 31, 1986) was an American actor and director best known for playing Jerry Helper, the dentist and next-door neighbor of Rob and Laura Petrie, on ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Prod ...

'', and for directing the majority of the episodes of the

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

''.

Early life

Paris was born in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

, California. His name, as frequently reported, was indeed Paris, and not Grossman, a stepfather's surname he never adopted. Paris' mother's maiden name was Esther Mohr. After serving in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

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 ...

, he attended

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

and the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founde ...

in New York City. After graduating, Paris moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, where he attended

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

and studied acting at the Actors Lab in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

Career

Paris had roles in films such as '' The Caine Mutiny'', ''

The Wild One ''The Wild One'' is a 1953 American crime film directed by László Benedek and produced by Stanley Kramer. The picture is most noted for the character of Johnny Strabler, portrayed by Marlon Brando, whose persona became a cultural icon of the 1 ...

'', and '' Marty''. He also played Martin "Marty" Flaherty, one of Eliot Ness's men, in a recurring role in the first season of ABC-TV's ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'', besides making guest appearances on other television series. (His character in ''The Untouchables'' series was based on similarly named real-life Untouchable Martin J. Lahart.) After having directed some episodes of ''

'' in which he also played the recurring character of next-door neighbor and dentist Jerry Helper, Paris won an Emmy Award in the 1963-64 season for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy for the series. He later devoted himself to directing both in film and television, including ''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from S ...

'' and ''

Here's Lucy ''Here's Lucy'' is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The series co-starred her long-time comedy partner Gale Gordon and her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. It was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1974. It was Ball's th ...

'' (including the famous third season opener featuring

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

and

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

), but he worked most notably on ''

'', where he directed 237 of the show's 255 episodes. Imitating Hitchcock, he appeared uncredited in at least one episode of every season. Paris also directed episodes of ''

Laverne & Shirley ''Laverne & Shirley'' (originally ''Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney'') is an American sitcom television series that played for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of '' Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' st ...

'', '' The Odd Couple'', ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moo ...

'', '' The Ted Knight Show'', and ''

Blansky's Beauties ''Blansky's Beauties'' is an American sitcom television series and ostensible spin-off of ''Happy Days'' that aired on ABC from February 12 to June 27, 1977. The main character of the series was introduced on an episode of ''Happy Days'', then ...

''. He returned to directing feature films in 1985's '' Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment'' and 1986's '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training''. In all, he is credited with directing episodes of 57 TV titles and as an actor in 105 titles.

Personal life

In 1954, Paris married Ruth Benjamin. They had three children. They remained married until Ruth's death in 1980. On March 18, 1986, Paris was hospitalized at

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over ...

, where doctors discovered he had a brain tumor. He underwent two surgeries, but doctors were unable to remove the tumor. Paris remained hospitalized until his death on March 31 at the age of 60. A private memorial was held at Paris' home in Pacific Palisades on April 2.

Filmography

Actor

*''

The Lady Gambles ''The Lady Gambles'' is a 1949 American film noir drama film directed by Michael Gordon and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Preston and Stephen McNally. Plot When his estranged wife Joan is found badly beaten after using loaded dice in a back ...

'' (1949) as Horse Player (uncredited) *'' Sword in the Desert'' (1949) as Levitan (uncredited) *'' Battleground'' (1949) as German Sergeant (uncredited) *'' My Foolish Heart'' (1949) as Usher at Football Game *''

Woman in Hiding ''Woman in Hiding'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Michael Gordon and starring Ida Lupino, Stephen McNally and Howard Duff. Plot Deborah Chandler Clark watches police drag a North Carolina river for her body. She recounts ...

'' (1950) as Customer at Newsstand (uncredited) *'' DOA'' (1950) as Bellhop (uncredited) *''

The Reformer and the Redhead ''The Reformer and the Redhead'' is a 1950 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, and starring June Allyson and Dick Powell. Overview Kathleen Maguire (Allyson) is the daughter of a long-t ...

'' (1950) as Radio Station Call Boy (uncredited) *'' Outrage'' (1950) as Frank Marini *''

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...

'' (1950) as Cadet *''

The Flying Missile ''The Flying Missile'' is a 1950 black-and-white Cold War era Columbia Pictures film starring Glenn Ford and Viveca Lindfors. Made with the cooperation of the US Navy,Ford 2011, p. 111. it tells a fictionalized story of the then recently reve ...

'' (1950) as Crewman Andy Mason *'' Frenchie'' (1950) as Perry (uncredited) *'' Call Me Mister'' (1951) as Air Force Pilot in Skit (uncredited) *''Her First Romance'' (1951) as Camp Counsellor (uncredited) *''

Bright Victory ''Bright Victory'' is a 1951 American drama romance war film directed by Mark Robson and starring Arthur Kennedy and Peggy Dow. Plot During World War II, American sergeant Larry Nevins is blinded by a German sniper while fighting in North Af ...

'' (1951) as Reynolds, the Medic (uncredited) *''

Submarine Command ''Submarine Command'' is a 1951 American war film directed by John Farrow and starring William Holden, Don Taylor, Nancy Olson, William Bendix, and Darryl Hickman. It is notable for being one of the first films to touch on post traumatic stress ...

'' (1951) as Sgt. Gentry *'' Monkey Business'' (1952) as Scientist (uncredited) *'' Bonzo Goes to College'' (1952) as Lefty Edwards *'' The Glass Wall'' (1953) as Tom *'' Sabre Jet'' (1953) as Capt. Bert Flanagan *''

Flight to Tangier ''Flight to Tangier'' is a 1953 American action film directed by Charles Marquis Warren and starring Joan Fontaine, Jack Palance, and Corinne Calvet. It was released by Paramount Pictures in Technicolor and 3-D. This film also appeared in ''No C ...

'' (1953) as Policeman in Car (uncredited) *''

'' (1953) as Dextro (uncredited) *'' Drive a Crooked Road'' (1954) as Phil *''

Prisoner of War A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of ...

'' (1954) as Axel Horstrom *'' The Caine Mutiny'' (1954) as Ensign Barney Harding *''

About Mrs. Leslie ''About Mrs. Leslie'' is a 1954 American drama film directed by Daniel Mann and starring Shirley Booth and Robert Ryan. It was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 1955. Plot Vivien Leslie, a Beverly Hills, California rooming house owner, reminisces i ...

'' (1954) as Mr. Harkness (uncredited) *'' Unchained'' (1955) as Joe Ravens *'' Marty'' (1955) as Tommy *'' Not as a Stranger'' (1955) as Thompson (uncredited) *''The Naked Street'' (1955) as Latzi Franks *''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'' in "With All My Love" (1955) as Corporal Reynolds *''The View from Pompey's Head'' (1955) as Ian Garrick *''

Good Morning, Miss Dove ''Good Morning, Miss Dove'' is a 1955 DeLuxe Color and CinemaScope film that tells the sentimental story of a beloved schoolteacher who reflects back on her life and former students when she is hospitalized. It stars Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack, ...

'' (1955) as Maurice Levine *'' Hell's Horizon'' (1955) as Cpl. Pete Kinshaw *''Crusader'' (CBS, 1956) as Barney *'' Never Say Goodbye'' (1956) as Joe *''Whodunit (Alfred Hitchcock Presents)'' (1956) as Wally Benson *'' D-Day the Sixth of June'' (1956) as Raymond Boyce *''

I've Lived Before ''I've Lived Before'' is a 1956 American fantasy drama film directed by Richard Bartlett and starring Jock Mahoney, Leigh Snowden, Ann Harding, John McIntire, and Raymond Bailey. The film was released by Universal Pictures in September 1956. Plo ...

'' (1956) as Russell Smith, Copilot *'' Hey, Jeannie!'' (1956) as Joe Grady *''Those Whiting Girls'' (1957) as Artie the Accompanist / Artie *''

Zero Hour! ''Zero Hour!'' is a 1957 drama film directed by Hall Bartlett from a screenplay by Bartlett, Arthur Hailey, and John Champion. It stars Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, and Sterling Hayden and features Peggy King, Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, Ge ...

'' (1957) as Tony Decker *'' Man on the Prowl'' (1957) as Woody *'' Colt .45'' in "Blood Money" (1958) as Joe Bullock *''

The Female Animal ''The Female Animal'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope film noir drama film directed by Harry Keller and starring Hedy Lamarr, Jane Powell, Jan Sterling and George Nader. Although she lived until 2000, this was Lamarr's final film in a film career ...

'' (1958) as Hank Galvez (not Lopez) *''

The Lady Takes a Flyer ''The Lady Takes a Flyer'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Eastmancolor comedy-drama romance film released by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Jack Arnold and written by Danny Arnold based on a story by Edmund H. North. Plot Daredevil pilo ...

'' (1958) as Willie Ridgely *''

Sing, Boy, Sing ''Sing Boy Sing'' is a 1958 musical–drama film released by 20th Century-Fox and starring newcomers Tommy Sands and Lili Gentle. The film was an expansion of the January 1957 ''Kraft Television Theatre'' episode "The Singin' Idol," also starrin ...

'' (1958) as Arnold Fisher *'' The Naked and the Dead'' (1958) as Goldstein *'' No Name on the Bullet'' (1959) as Harold Miller *''

Steve Canyon ''Steve Canyon'' is an American adventure comic strip by writer-artist Milton Caniff. Launched shortly after Caniff retired from his previous strip, '' Terry and the Pirates'', ''Steve Canyon'' ran from January 13, 1947, until June 4, 1988. It e ...

'' (1959) as Maj. 'Willie' Williston *''

Career The career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work and other aspects of life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways. Definitions The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defi ...

'' (1959) as Allan Burke *''

'' (1959-1960) as Agent Martin Flaherty *'' The Alaskans'' in "Peril at Caribou Crossing" (1960) as Walter Collier *''

The Great Impostor ''The Great Impostor'' is a 1961 American comedy-drama film movie based on the true story of an impostor named Ferdinand Waldo Demara. The film is loosely based on Robert Crichton's 1959 biography of the same name, it stars Tony Curtis in the ...

'' (1961) as Defense Lieutenant *''

Michael Shayne Michael "Mike" Shayne is a fictional private detective character created during the late 1930s by writer Brett Halliday, a pseudonym of Davis Dresser. The character appeared in a series of seven films starring Lloyd Nolan for Twentieth Century ...

'' (1960-1961) as Tim Rourke *''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

'' (1961) in "Big Boy Blue" as Tom Gardiner *''

'' (1961-1966) as Jerry Helper / Jack Sullivan / TV Newsman *'' The Lloyd Bridges Show'' (1962) in episode "Big Man, Little Bridge" *'' The Caretakers'' (1963) as Passerby Lorna Bumps on Street (uncredited) *'' The Eleventh Hour'' as Marty Kane in "What Did She Mean by Good Luck?" (1963) *'' The Fugitive'' (1963) as Jim Prestwick *''

Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River ''Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River'' is a 1968 British comedy film produced by Walter Shenson and starring Jerry Lewis. It was released on 12 July 1968 by Columbia Pictures and is based on Max Wilk's novel of the same name, with the or ...

'' (1968) as Baseball Umpire *'' Never a Dull Moment'' (1968) as Police Photographer (uncredited) *''

But I Don't Want to Get Married! ''But I Don't Want to Get Married!'' is a 1970 American made-for-television comedy film starring Herschel Bernardi, Shirley Jones, Brandon Cruz, Nanette Fabray and June Lockhart. It was aired on October 6, 1970 in the ''ABC Movie of the Week'' ...

'' (1970) as Harry *''

Evil Roy Slade ''Evil Roy Slade'' is a 1972 American made-for-television Western comedy film about the "meanest villain in the West". It was directed by Jerry Paris and co-produced and co-written by Garry Marshall. The film is considered a cult classic. ...

'' (1972) as Souvenir Salesman (uncredited) *'' Every Man Needs One'' (1972) as Marty Ranier *''

Leo and Loree ''Leo and Loree'' is a 1980 American romantic comedy film directed by Jerry Paris, starring Donny Most and Linda Purl. It was the first theatrical film from Ron Howard's production company. Plot Leo and Loree are a young couple and aspiring actor ...

'' (1980) as Tony *'' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986) as Priest in Police Line-up (uncredited) (final film role)

Director

*'' The Silent Service'', two episodes (1957) *'' The Joey Bishop Show'' (1961) *''

'' (1963–66) *'' The Farmer's Daughter'' (1963) *''

The Munsters ''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monsterEpisodes referring to the fact that Herman is Frankenstein's monster include #55, "Just Anoth ...

'' (1964) *''

'' (1968) *''

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewster ...

'' (1966) *''

Hey, Landlord ''Hey Landlord!'' is an American sitcom that appeared on NBC during the 1966–1967 season, sponsored by Procter & Gamble in the 8:30-9pm Eastern time period on Sunday nights. It is notable for its casting director Fred Roos, who later became a ...

'' (1966–67) (TV series) *''Sheriff Who?'' (1967) (TV pilot) *'' Never a Dull Moment'' (1968) *'' How Sweet It Is!'' (1968) *''

'' (1968) (TV series) *''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

'' (1969) *'' Viva Max!'' (1969) *''

'' (1970 pilot) *'' The Grasshopper'' (1970) *'' McCloud'' (1970) *''

'' (1970) *'' The Odd Couple'' (1970–75) *''

Barefoot in the Park ''Barefoot in the Park'' is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The play premiered on Broadway in 1963, starring Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley. It was made into a film in 1967, which starred Redford and Jane Fonda. Productions ''Barefoot ...

'' (1970 TV series) *''

'' (1970) (TV) *'' The Feminist and the Fuzz'' (1971) (TV) *'' The New Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1971) *''Two on a Bench'' (1971) (TV) *'' What's a Nice Girl Like You...?'' (1971) *''

Star Spangled Girl ''Star Spangled Girl'' is a 1971 American romantic comedy film directed by Jerry Paris and based on the 1966 Neil Simon play ''The Star-Spangled Girl''. It stars Sandy Duncan, Tony Roberts, Todd Susman, and Elizabeth Allen. Plot In a Los A ...

'' (1971) (TV) *''Call Her Mom'' (1972) (TV) *''

'' (1972) (TV) *''Wednesday Night Out'' (1972) (TV pilot) *''Keeping Up with the Joneses'' (1972) (TV pilot) *'' The Couple Takes a Wife'' (1972) (TV) *'' Every Man Needs One'' (1972) (TV) *''Thicker Than Water'' (1973) (TV series) *'' Break Up'' (1973) (TV special) *''

'' (1974–84) (TV series) *''

Only with Married Men ''Only with Married Men'' is a 1974 American made-for-television comedy film directed by Jerry Paris. Plot A girl decides to only date married men. A man falls in love with her and pretends to be married to woo her. Cast *David Birney as Dave ...

'' (1974) (TV) *''The Fireman's Ball'' (1975) (TV pilot) *'' When Things Were Rotten'' (1975) (TV series) *''Good Heavens'' (1976) (TV series) *''

How to Break Up a Happy Divorce ''How To Break Up A Happy Divorce'' is a 1976 American made-for-television comedy film starring Barbara Eden and Peter Bonerz, written and produced by writer partners, Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso. It was broadcast on NBC on October 6, 1976. ...

'' (1976) *''

'' (1977) (TV series) *'' The Ted Knight Show'' (1978) (TV series) *''Make Me an Offer'' (1980) (TV) *''

'' (1980) *'' Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment'' (1985) *'' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986) *''

You Again? ''You Again?'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for two seasons on NBC from February 27, 1986, to January 7, 1987. It was based on the British show ''Home to Roost''. Synopsis Jack Klugman stars as Henry Willows, a man still em ...

'' (1986) (TV series)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Paris, Jerry 1925 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American male actors Actors Studio alumni American male comedians 20th-century American comedians American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors United States Navy personnel of World War II American television directors Deaths from brain cancer in the United States Deaths from cancer in California Film directors from California Male actors from San Francisco New York University alumni Primetime Emmy Award winners University of California, Los Angeles alumni United States Navy officers