Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. (January 15, 1913 – March 10, 1998) was an American film, stage and television actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

s. He was the father of four children, including the actors Beau Bridges and

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his Leading actor, leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades, he has received List of awards and nominations received by ...

. He started his career as a contract performer for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

, appearing in films such as ''

Sahara The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...

'' (1943), '' A Walk in the Sun'' (1945), '' Little Big Horn'' (1951) and ''

High Noon ''High Noon'' is a 1952 American Western (genre), Western film produced by Stanley Kramer from a screenplay by Carl Foreman, directed by Fred Zinnemann, and starring Gary Cooper. The plot, which occurs in Real time (media), real time, centers ...

'' (1952). On television, he starred in '' Sea Hunt'' (1958-1961). By the end of his career, he had re-invented himself and demonstrated a comedic talent in such

parody film A parody film or spoof film is a subgenre of comedy film that lampoons other film genres or films as pastiches, works created by imitation of the style of many different films reassembled together. Although the subgenre is often overlooked by cri ...

s as ''

Airplane! ''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American disaster film, disaster comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams and brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker in their List of directorial debuts, directoria ...

'' (1980), ''

Hot Shots! ''Hot Shots!'' is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Jim Abrahams, co-writer and co-director of ''Airplane!'', and written by Abrahams and Pat Proft. It stars Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, Valeria Golino, Lloyd Bridges, Jon Cryer, Kevin ...

'' (1991), and '' Jane Austen's Mafia!'' (1998). Among other honors, Bridges was a two-time

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

nominee. He received a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

on February 1, 1994.

Early life

Bridges was born in

San Leandro, California San Leandro (Spanish language, Spanish for "Leander of Seville, St. Leander") is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; between Oakland, California, Oakland to the northwe ...

, to Harriet Evelyn (née Brown) Bridges (1893–1950) and Lloyd Vernet Bridges Sr. (1887–1962), who was involved in the California hotel business and once owned a movie theater. His parents were both from

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

; both were of almost entirely English ancestry. Bridges was a direct descendant of William Bridges, who arrived in New England in 1623 aboard the ship " Little James." Bridges graduated from Petaluma High School in 1930. He then studied political science at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

, where he was a member of

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon () is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on March 9, 1856.Baird, William Raimond, ed. (1905).Baird's Manual of American College Fratern ...

fraternity.

Career

Bridges had small uncredited roles in the films '' Freshman Love'' (1936) and '' Dancing Feet'' (1936).

Theatre

Bridges made his Broadway debut in 1937 in a short-lived production of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's ''

Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...

'', starring Walter Huston and Brian Aherne; Bridges was in the Ensemble. He appeared on stage in ''Suzanna and the Elders'' (1940). In Hollywood he had an uncredited role in ''

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea lane between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, near the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Arctic Archipelago of Canada. The eastern route along the Arctic ...

'' (1940).

Columbia Pictures and U.S. Coast Guard

In 1940, Bridges joined the stock company at

at $75 a week, where he played small roles in features and short subjects. He could be seen in '' The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance'' (1941), '' They Dare Not Love'' (1941), '' Doctor's Alibi'' (1941), '' Blue Clay'' (1941), '' Our Wife'' (1941), and '' I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Island'' (1941). In '' Here Comes Mr. Jordan'' (1941) Bridges is the pilot of the plane in the "heaven" scene. Bridges later reflected, He left Columbia Pictures during World War II to enlist in the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

. Following his discharge, he returned to acting. In later years, he was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, did several public service announcements for the organization, and was made an honorary commodore. Bridges' '' Sea Hunt'' character Mike Nelson was also portrayed as a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and sometimes appeared in uniform. Bridges' sons, actors Beau and Jeff, also served in the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve.

Post-war career

Bridges' first lead role was in the serial ''

Secret Agent X-9 ''Secret Agent X-9'' is a comic strip created by writer Dashiell Hammett ('' The Maltese Falcon'') and artist Alex Raymond ('' Flash Gordon''). Syndicated by King Features, it ran from January 22, 1934, until February 10, 1996. Premise and ...

'' (1945) made for Universal. That studio kept him on for '' Strange Confession'' (1945), an Inner Sanctum mystery. Bridges had some support roles in independent films, '' A Walk in the Sun'' (1945), and '' Abilene Town'' (1946). He was in Paramount's '' Miss Susie Slagle's'' (1946) and Walter Wanger's '' Canyon Passage'' (1947). In 1947 he appeared in a small role in Cecil B. DeMille's film '' Unconquered''.

Leading man

He returned to lead roles with '' Secret Service Investigator'' (1948) at

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

, and '' 16 Fathoms Deep'' (1948) for

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

. Bridges had a support role in

Frank Borzage Frank Borzage ( né Borzaga; April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an American film director and actor. He was the first person to win the Academy Awards, Academy Award for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director for his film ''7th Heaven ...

's '' Moonrise'' (1948) then was the lead in '' Hideout'' (1949) for Republic. Bridges was in a Western at Universal directed by

George Sherman George Sherman (July 14, 1908 – March 15, 1991) was an American film director and Film producer, producer of low-budget Western (genre), Western films. One obituary said his "credits rival in number those of anyone in the entertainment indus ...

, '' Red Canyon'' (1949), and a short at MGM, ''Mr. Whitney Had a Notion'' (1949). He had a good role in '' Home of the Brave'' (1949). At Universal he was

Howard Duff Howard Green Duff (November 24, 1913July 8, 1990) was an American actor. He started in radio during World War II before appearing in many Hollywood features and television programs from 1947 to 1990. He also directed for television. His career ...

's friend in '' Calamity Jane and Sam Bass'' (1949), again for Sherman. Lloyd Bridges 01 Rocketship X-M

Bridges had the star role in '' Trapped'' (1949) directed by

Richard Fleischer Richard Owen Fleischer (; December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director. His career spanned more than four decades, beginning at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood and lasting through the American New Wave. He was the ...

for Eagle Lion and '' Rocketship X-M'' (1950) for Lippert Pictures. He had supporting roles in '' Colt .45'' (1951), '' The White Tower'' (1951), and '' The Sound of Fury'' (1950) (directed by

Cy Endfield Cyril Raker Endfield (November 10, 1914 – April 16, 1995) was an American film director, who at times also worked as a writer, theatre director, and inventor. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he worked in the New York theatre in the late 1930s ...

Blacklisting

Bridges was

blacklist Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...

ed briefly in the 1950s after he admitted to the

House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative United States Congressional committee, committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 19 ...

that he had once been a member of the

Actors' Laboratory Theatre The Actors' Laboratory Theatre was a politically active theatre company and acting school founded in January 1941 by Roman Bohnen, Jules Dassin, Dick Flake, Lloyd Bridges, Danny Mann, Jeff Corey, Mary Virginia Farmer and J. Edward Bromberg. Duri ...

, a group found to have had links to the

Communist Party USA The Communist Party USA (CPUSA), officially the Communist Party of the United States of America, also referred to as the American Communist Party mainly during the 20th century, is a communist party in the United States. It was established ...

. He returned to acting after recanting his membership and serving as a cooperative witness, achieving his greatest success in television. Bridges made his TV debut in 1951 with "Man's First Debt" in '' The Bigelow Theatre''. He had starring roles in the films '' The Fighting Seventh'' (1951), '' Three Steps North'' (1951), and '' Richer Than the Earth'' (1951). On TV he did "Rise Up and Walk" for '' Robert Montgomery Presents'' (1952) and "International Incident" for '' Studio One in Hollywood'' (1952) (the latter directed by Franklin J. Schaffner). Bridges had a supporting role in ''

'' (1952). Bridges guest starred on ''Suspense'' ("Her Last Adventure") and '' Schlitz Playhouse'' ("This Plane for Hire"), and had support roles in '' Plymouth Adventure'' (1952) and '' The Sabre and the Arrow'' (1953). Bridges returned to leads in '' The Tall Texan'' (1953) for Lippert Pictures. Bridges was in "The Long Way Home" for '' Goodyear Playhouse'' (1953), and appeared in '' The Kid from Left Field'' (1953) and '' City of Bad Men'' (1953) for Fox. He travelled to the UK to star in '' The Limping Man'' (1953) for

. He returned to Broadway in ''Dead Pigeon'' (1953–54), which had a short run. He had the lead in a horse movie, '' Prince of the Blue Grass'' (1954) and returned to England to make '' Third Party Risk'' (1954) for Hammer Films. In Hollywood Bridges supported Joel McCrea in '' Wichita'' (1955) and had the lead in

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...

's low-budget '' Apache Woman'' (1955).

Television

On TV Bridges performed in "Broadway Trust" for ''Crossroads'' (1955), "The Dark Fleece" and "Edge of Terror" for ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS pro ...

'' (1955) (the latter directed by

John Frankenheimer John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits are ''Birdman of Alcatraz (film), Birdman of Alcatraz'', ''The Manc ...

), "The Ainsley Case" for '' Front Row Center'' (1956), "Across the Dust" and "Prairie Dog Court" for '' Chevron Hall of Stars'' (1956), and "The Silent Gun" and "American Primitive" for ''Studio One in Hollywood'' (1956). He had the lead in the low budget '' Wetbacks'' (1956) and a support role in '' The Rainmaker'' (1956). Bridges gained attention in 1956 for his emotional performance on the live anthology program '' The Alcoa Hour'', in an episode titled " Tragedy in a Temporary Town" written by Reginald Rose and directed by

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. Lumet started his career in theatre before moving to film, where he gained a reputation for making realistic and gritty New York City, New York dramas w ...

. During the performance, Bridges inadvertently used profanity while ad-libbing. Although the slip of the tongue generated hundreds of complaints, the episode won a Robert E. Sherwood Television Award, with Bridges' slip being defended even by some members of the clergy. Bridges received an

nomination for the role. Bridges did "The Regulators" for '' Studio 57'' (1956), "They Never Forget" for '' The United States Steel Hour'' (1957), "Ride the Wild Mare" for '' The Alcoa Hour'' (1957), "Man on the Outside" for ''Studio 57'' (1957), "The Sound of Silence", "Figures in Clay" and "The Disappearance of Amanda Hale" for ''Climax!'', "Heritage of Anger" (1956) and " Clash by Night" (1957) for ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

'', the latter with Kim Stanley. Bridges also made several episodes of '' Zane Grey Theatre'' including "Time of Decision" (1957) and "Wire" (1958). He supported

Rory Calhoun Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown, August 8, 1922April 28, 1999) was an American film and television actor. He starred in numerous Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared in supporting roles in films such as ''How to Marry a Millio ...

in '' Ride Out for Revenge'' (1957) and did "A Time to Cry" on '' The Frank Sinatra Show'' (1958) and had one of his best ever cinema roles in '' The Goddess'' (1958) based on a script by

Paddy Chayefsky Sidney Aaron "Paddy" Chayefsky (; January 29, 1923 – August 1, 1981) was an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. He is the only person to have won three solo Academy Awards for writing both adapted and original screenplays. He w ...

based on the life of

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

; Bridges played a sportsman based on Joe di Maggio opposite Kim Stanley. He directed "Piano to Thunder Springs" for '' Target'' (1958).

''Sea Hunt'' (1958–1961)

Bridges gained wide recognition as Mike Nelson, the main character in the television series '' Sea Hunt'', created by

Ivan Tors Ivan Tors (born Iván Törzs; June 12, 1916 – June 4, 1983) was a Hungary, Hungarian playwright, film director, screenwriter, and Film producer, film and television producer with an emphasis on non-violent but exciting science fiction, underwat ...

, which ran in syndication from 1958 to 1961. He also wrote a book with a co-author about skin-diving entitled ''Mask and Flippers''. Dick Powell Show Premiere Episode 1961

Bridges did "Lepke" (1959) for '' Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' (1960), "Ransom" (1960) (directed by Budd Boetticher) and "Image of a Drawn Sword" (1961) for ''Zane Grey Theatre''. He did a TV movie '' The Valley of Decision'' (1960), "Death of the Temple Bay" for '' The DuPont Show with June Allyson'' (1961), "Who Killed Julie Greer?" (1961) for '' The Dick Powell Theatre'', "The Fortress" (1961) for '' Alcoa Premiere'' (with

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz, May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, musician, choreographer, and presenter, whose career in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He is widely regarded as the "g ...

), and "The Two of Us" (1962) for ''

Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...

''. He also did a special ''Marineland Carnival'' (1962).

''The Lloyd Bridges Show'' (1962–1963)

Bridges starred in the eponymous CBS

anthology series An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different ca ...

'' The Lloyd Bridges Show'' (1962–1963) (produced by Aaron Spelling) which included appearances by his sons Beau and

Jeff Jeff is a masculine name, often a short form (hypocorism) of the English given name Jefferson or Jeffrey, which comes from a medieval variant of Geoffrey. Music * DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ/turntablist record producer Jeffrey Allen Townes ...

. Bridges followed it with "A Hero for Our Times" for '' Kraft Suspense Theatre'' (1963), "Wild Bill Hickok – the Legend and the Man" for '' The Great Adventure'' (1964), "Cannibal Plants, They Eat You Alive" for '' The Eleventh Hour'' (1964) and "Exit from a Plane in Flight" for ''Theater of Stars'' (1965). Producer

Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter and producer who created the science fiction series and fictional universe ''Star Trek.'' Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up ...

offered Bridges a starring role on what became ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

''. Bridges declined, saying he got along well with Roddenberry on a personal level but had no desire to work in

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

. The part went to

Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr.; November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was an American film and television actor and producer known for his roles in films such as ''The Searchers'' and ''King of Kings (1961 film), King of Ki ...

for the pilot episode ''The Cage'' and ultimately to

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...

for the first incarnation of the television series.

''The Loner''

Bridges starred in the

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

series '' The Loner,'' which lasted one season from 1965 to 1966 and was created and often written by

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...

. ''The Loner'' earned solid reviews but was cancelled due to low ratings and a perception the show was too realistic or mature for audiences who expected escapist action from westerns. Bridges returned to features with '' Around the World Under the Sea'' (1966). He guest starred in "Fakeout" for '' Mission Impossible'' (1966), and did a TV movie ''

A Case of Libel A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...

'' (1968). Bridges starred in some action films, '' Daring Game'' (1968) and '' Attack on the Iron Coast'' (1968), the latter for

. He did "The People Next Door" for '' CBS Playhouse'' (1968). Bridges starred in some TV movies, ''The Silent Gun'' (1969), and '' Silent Night, Lonely Night'' (1969). He had a support role in '' The Happy Ending'' (1969) directed by

Richard Brooks Richard Brooks (born Reuben Sax; May 18, 1912 – March 11, 1992) was an American screenwriter, film director, novelist and film producer. Nominated for eight Academy Awards in his career, he was best known for ''Blackboard Jungle'' (1955), '' ...

. Bridges returned to Broadway as a replacement for the lead in '' Cactus Flower'' (1967).

Telemovies

Bridges was in heavy demand for TV movies such as '' The Love War'' (1970), '' Lost Flight'' (1970), ''Do You Take This Stranger?'' (1971), ''A Tattered Web'' (1971), and '' The Deadly Dream'' (1971). He starred in a short lived series '' San Francisco International Airport'' (1970/71) and had a support role in a feature, '' To Find a Man'' (1972). Bridges had a (then) rare comedy role on ''

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 third ...

'' with "Lucy's Big Break" (1972). He continued in TV movies: '' Haunts of the Very Rich'' (1972), ''Trouble Comes to Town'' (1973), ''Crime Club'' (1973), ''Running Wild'' (1973), '' Death Race'' (1973), ''The Whirlwind'' (1974, with son Beau), and '' Stowaway to the Moon'' (1975).

''Joe Forrester''

Bridges starred in a short-lived Police Story spin-off '' Joe Forrester'' (1975–76). Bridges played significant roles in several mini-series, including ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...

'', and '' How the West Was Won''. He returned to TV movies: ''The Force of Evil'' (1978), ''Telethon'' (1978), ''The Great Wallendas'' (1978) and ''The Critical List'' (1978). Bridges had a guest part in " The Living Legend" for ''

Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. It began with the original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel series, '' Galactica 1980'', a line of book adaptat ...

'' (1978) and went to Australia to make '' Shimmering Light'' (1978) with Beau. He had a support part in '' The Fifth Musketeer'' (1979) starring Beau and was in '' Disaster on the Coastliner'' (1979), '' Bear Island'' (1979) and '' This Year's Blonde'' (1980) (as Johnny Hyde)

''Airplane!'' and 1980s

Bridges appeared in ''

'' (1980), a critically and commercially successful spoof of disaster films. He appeared in a number of mini series such as '' East of Eden'' (1981), '' The Blue and the Gray'' (1982) and ''

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

'' (1984). He guest starred on shows such as ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...

'' (1981), '' Loving'' (1983), and ''

Matt Houston ''Matt Houston'' is an American crime drama television series starring Lee Horsley as the title character, a wealthy oilman who holds a side job as a private investigator. Created by Lawrence Gordon and produced by Aaron Spelling, it origin ...

'' (1983) and continued to make TV movies like ''Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice'' (1982), '' Grace Kelly'' (1983) and ''Grandpa, Will You Run with Me?'' (1983). Bridges reprised his ''Airplane!'' role in '' Airplane II: The Sequel'' (1982) Bridges starred in a short-lived series ''

Paper Dolls ''Paper Dolls'' is an American primetime television soap opera that aired for 14 episodes on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from September 23 to December 25, 1984. Set in New York City, New York's fashion industry, the show centered on top m ...

'' (1984). For TV he appeared in ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

'' (1985), '' Dress Gray'' (1986), and '' North and South, Book II'' (1986). He was in '' Weekend Warriors'' (1986), '' The Thanksgiving Promise'' (1986) for Disney, and '' The Wild Pair'' (1987) starring and directed by Beau. Bridges appeared with Jeff in '' Tucker: The Man and His Dream'' (1987) and was in ''She Was Marked for Murder'' (1988), for TV. Bridges had notable supporting roles in the features '' Winter People'' (1989) and '' Cousins'' (1989). He was in the TV movie '' Cross of Fire'' (1989).

1990s

Bridges starred in a short-lived series, '' Capital News'' (1990), for ABC. In 1990, he had a supporting role in '' Joe Versus the Volcano'', and portrayed Harry Helmsley in the made-for-television movie, '' Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean''. Bridges was in '' Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift'' (1990) then reprised his comedy career with a supporting role in ''

'' (1991). He starred in a TV movie '' In the Nick of Time'' (1992) and was in '' Honey, I Blew Up the Kid'' (1992), ''Devlin'' (1992), and ''Mr. Bluesman'' (1993) before reprising his old role in '' Hot Shots! Part Deux'' (1993). Bridges did ''Secret Sins of the Father'' (1994) with son Beau (who directed), and ''Cinderella ... Frozen in Time'' (1994). His last regular TV series was '' Harts of the West'' (1993–1994). Bridges supported son Jeff in a big budget action film '' Blown Away'' (1994). He did "Sandkings" (1995) for '' The Outer Limits'' (1995) with Beau, '' The Other Woman'' (1995), '' Nothing Lasts Forever'' (1995), and ''The Deliverance of Elaine'' (1996) and did voice work on ''

Peter and the Wolf ''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и волк, Pétya i volk, p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk) Op. 67, a "symphonic tale for children", is a Program music , programmatic musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a ...

'' (1995). He had a semi-regular part on '' Second Noah'' (1996). He received a second Emmy Award nomination four decades after the first when he was nominated in 1998 for his role as Izzy Mandelbaum on ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...

''. Bridges served on the advisory board of the Los Angeles Student Film Institute. Bridges also guest starred on '' Ned and Stacey''. Bridges' last roles were in '' Mafia!'' (1998) and '' Meeting Daddy'' (2000).

Personal life

Bridges met his wife, Dorothy Bridges (1915-2009), (née Simpson), in his fraternity; they married in 1938 in New York City. They had four children: actors Beau Bridges (born in 1941) and

(born in 1949); a daughter, Lucinda Louise Bridges (born in October 1953); and another son, Garrett Myles Bridges, who died of

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sometimes known as cot death or crib death, is the sudden unexplained death of a child of less than one year of age. Diagnosis requires that the death remain unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and ...

on August 3, 1948. Actor Jordan Bridges is Beau's son and Lloyd's grandson. Dorothy and Lloyd exchanged vows again for their 50th wedding anniversary.

Death

On March 10, 1998, Bridges died of natural causes at the age of 85.

Tributes

An episode (" The Burning") in the final ''Seinfeld'' season (1998) was dedicated to the memory of Lloyd Bridges. He had played the character of Izzy Mandelbaum in the episodes " The English Patient" in 1997 and "

The Blood The Blood may refer to: * The Blood of Christ * The Blood (band), an English punk rock band * The Blood (Seinfeld), an episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld * The Blood (album), a 2007 album by Kevin Max * The Blood (film), a 1922 German silen ...

" later the same year. Bridges' last film, '' Jane Austen's Mafia!'', which came out the year of his death, bears a dedication to him. In 2011, Bridges was posthumously named as one of six recipients that year of the Lone Sailor Award, which honors former Coast Guard servicemen who forged successful careers as civilians. His sons Jeff and Beau also received the same award that year.

Filmography

Television work

*''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

'' co-star with Arlene Francis in "Her Last Adventure" (August 19, 1952) as James *''Jukebox Jury'' (1953) *'' Crossroads'' in "Broadway Trust" with

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...

(November 11, 1955) as Fred *'' Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' in Image of a Drawn Sword (1961) as Lt. Sam Kenyon *'' Sea Hunt'' (1958–1961) as Mike Nelson / Whitey Fender *'' Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' (1960) as Dundee, Season 5, Episode 6 – Ransom *'' The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford'' (January 8, 1959) as Captain Anderson *'' The DuPont Show with June Allyson'' as Captain Anderson in "Death on the Temple Bay", BSD series finale (1961) as Captain Anderson *'' The Lloyd Bridges Show'' (1962–1963) as Adam Shepherd / Sen. Guthrie / Jonathan Tatum / Various characters *'' The Eleventh Hour'' with son Beau, "Cannibal Plants, They Eat You Alive" (1964) as Leonard McCarty *'' Kraft Suspense Theatre'' (1963) as Mason Etheridge *'' The Loner'' (1965–1966) as William Colton *'' Mission: Impossible'' (1966) as Anastas Poltroni *''

'' (1968) as Dennis Corcoran *'' Lost Flight'' (1969) *''The Silent Gun'' (1969) as Brad Clinton *'' Silent Night, Lonely Night'' (1969) as John Sparrow *'' The Love War'' (1970) as Kyle *'' San Francisco International Airport'' (1970–1971) as Jim Conrad *''Do You Take This Stranger?'' (1971) as Steven Breck *''A Tattered Web'' (1971) as Sgt. Ed Stagg *'' The Deadly Dream'' (1971) as Dr. Jim Hanley *''Water World'' (1972–1975) as Narrator *'' Haunts of the Very Rich'' (1972) as Dave Woodrough *''Trouble Comes to Town'' (1973) as Sheriff Porter Murdock *''Crime Club'' (1973) as Paul Cord *'' Death Race'' (1973) as Hans Pimler *''

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

'' (1974) (miniseries) *''The Whirlwind'' (1974) *'' Police Story'' (1974–75) as Joe Forrester / Sgt. Wolf Bozeman *'' Stowaway to the Moon'' (1975) as Charlie Englehardt *''Cop on the Beat'' (1975) *'' Joe Forrester'' (1975–76) as Joe Forrester *''

Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected ''Quinn Martins Tales of the Unexpected'' is an American Horror film, horror and Science fiction film, science fiction Anthology series#Television, anthology television series produced by Quinn Martin, and hosted and narrated by William Conrad. ...

'' (1977 TV series) episode "The Force of Evil" (Dr. Carrington) *''

'' (1977) (miniseries) *''Telethon'' (1977) as Matt Tallman *'' How the West Was Won'' (1978) (miniseries) as Orville Gant *''The Great Wallendas'' (1978) as Karl Wallenda *'' Shimmering Light'' (1978) as Sean Pearse *''GI Diary'' (1978) as Narrator (voice) *''

'' (1978 TV series) as Commander Cain *'' Disaster on the Coastliner'' (1979) as Al Mitchell *'' East of Eden'' (1981 miniseries) as Samuel Hamilton *'' The Blue and the Gray'' (1982 miniseries) as Ben Geyser *'' Grace Kelly'' (1983) as Jack Kelly *'' Loving'' (1983 TV movie pilot) as Jack Forbes *''

'' (1984) as Grant Harper *''

'' (1984) (miniseries) as Caleb Quinn *''

'' (1985 miniseries) as White Knight *'' North and South'' (1986) (miniseries) as Confederate President Jefferson Davis *'' Dress Gray'' (1986) (miniseries) as Gen. Axel Rylander *'' Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift'' (PBS TV Special) as Mr. Nicholas *'' Capital News'' (1990) as Jo Jo Turner *''Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean'' (1990) as Harry Helmsley *'' In The Nick Of Time'' (1991 Christmas Movie) as Santa Claus *'' Harts of the West'' (1993–1994) as Jake Terrel *'' The Other Woman'' as Jacob *'' The Outer Limits'' – " The Sandkings" (March 26, 1995) as Col. Kress (appeared with son Beau and grandson Dylan) *''

'' as Izzy Mandelbaum ** Season 8 episode The English Patient (March 13, 1997) ** Season 9 episode

(October 16, 1997)

References

External links

* * * *
March–April 2004 – United World, "publication of the Coalition for a Democratic World Government, News and Views."

fro
The Scuba Guy

1935 Yearbook Photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridges, Lloyd 1913 births 1998 deaths American people of English descent American male film actors American male television actors Bridges family Hollywood blacklist Male Western (genre) film actors Male actors from the San Francisco Bay Area People from San Leandro, California People from Eureka, California United States Coast Guard officers University of California, Los Angeles alumni 20th-century American male actors United States Coast Guard Auxiliary officers United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II Military personnel from California Sigma Alpha Epsilon members