Paul Birch (born Paul Lowery Smith; January 13, 1912 – May 24, 1969) was an American actor. He was a film star of 39 movies, 50 stage dramas, and numerous

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

, including the ''

Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in ...

'' (1951).

Early life

Birch was born Paul Lowery Smith in

Atmore, Alabama Atmore is a city in Escambia County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1907. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 8,391. Atmore is in the planning stages to increase its economic base with additions in its new Rivercane d ...

. He attended

Alabama Polytechnic Institute Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

.Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 56-58.

Career

Television

In the late 1950s, Birch starred, along with William Campbell, in the syndicated Canadian series ''

Cannonball A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...

'' (1958), a half-hour drama/adventure show about truck drivers. He also was a regular in '' The Court of Last Resort'' on NBC in 1957-1958. He also appeared in one 1958 episode, Torn Flag, of the western series “The Restless Gun”. In the mid 1950s he appeared in magazine and TV ads as the first widely publicized "Cowboy" Marlboro Man. In 1959, Birch was cast as Sergeant Major Carmody, with Doug McClure as Corporal Jenkins, in the episode "The Face of Courage" of the NBC western series, '' Riverboat'', starring

Darren McGavin Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...

and

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

. In the story line, amid the threat of Sioux attack, Carmody commandeers the vessel, the ''Enterprise'', while it is delivering military cargo to an Army outpost on the Missouri River.

Joanna Moore Joanna Moore (born Dorothy Joanne Cook, November 10, 1934 – November 22, 1997) was an American film and television actress, who, between 1956 and 1976, appeared in 17 feature films and guest-starred in nearly a hundred television series episod ...

appears in the episode as Kitty McGuire. He appeared as President Grant in the 1960 episode "Mr. Simpson" of ABC's '' Black Saddle'' western series starring Peter Breck as Clay Culhane, a gunfighter-turned-lawyer. He also portrayed President Grant in two episodes of '' The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin''. He also had a recurring role as Captain Carpenter, the boss of Lt. Phillip Gerard ( Barry Morse) in the first two seasons of ABC's adventure/drama series '' The Fugitive'', starring David Janssen.

Stage

Birch appeared on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in a production of ''The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial'' (1954-1955). He portrayed both

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...

and Confederate General

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nor ...

in several historical plays. He was among the original members of the Pasadena Playhouse, the first actor to be one of that group's repertory players.

Film

Birch appeared as the police captain with the megaphone in '' Rebel Without A Cause'' (1955), and was one of the first to be "disintegrated" in the original movie ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

'' (1953). He starred in some low-budget science-fiction films in the 1950s, including ''

The Beast with a Million Eyes ''The Beast with a Million Eyes'' (a.k.a. ''The Unseen'') is a 1955 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film, produced and directed by David Kramarsky, that stars Paul Birch, Lorna Thayer, and Dona Cole. Some film sources ...

'' (1955), '' Day the World Ended'' (1955), '' Not of This Earth'' (1957), and the cult classic '' Queen of Outer Space'' (1958). Birch also had small roles in '' It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' (1963) and ''

Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round ''Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round'' is a 1966 crime film written and directed by Bernard Girard, and starring James Coburn, Camilla Sparv, Aldo Ray, Nina Wayne, Todd Armstrong, Robert Webber, Rose Marie and Harrison Ford in his film debut. Plot ...

'' (1967).

Teaching

While he acted at the Pasadena Playhouse, he also was "employed full-time as an instructor and director working with students in the Playhouse College of Theatre Arts."

Personal life

Birch was married twice and was survived by his second wife, the former Betsy Ross Smith (another source gives her name as Barbara) and their three children, Don, Jennifer, and Michael. From his first marriage to Margaret Farish, he had a daughter named Cindy, whose son is actor

Ned Luke Ned Luke (born October 4, 1958) is an American actor. He is known for playing Michael De Santa in the 2013 video game ''Grand Theft Auto V''. Luke also voiced Raffles in the animated movie ''Rover Dangerfield''. He has appeared in 29 movies and ...

(born 1958).

Death

Birch died of cancer at age 57 on May 24, 1969, at St. George's, the capital of Grenada. Survived by his widow and three children, he is buried in a cemetery outside the capital.

Selected filmography

* '' The Royal Mounted Rides Again'' (1945) - Highwayman #2 (uncredited) * '' The Daltons Ride Again'' (1945) - Wilkins Henchman (uncredited) * ''

Adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

'' (1945) - First Mate (uncredited) * '' The Fighting Guardsman'' (1946) - Sergeant (uncredited) * '' The Scarlet Horseman'' (1946) - Ace (uncredited) * '' Till the End of Time'' (1946) - Marine Wanting Farm (uncredited) * ''

Check Your Guns Check Your Guns is a 1948 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor. It stars Eddie Dean and Nancy Gates. Cast * Eddie Dean as Eddie Dean * Nancy Gates as Cathy Jordan * Roscoe Ates as Soapy Jones * George Chesebro as Banker Farrell * I. ...

'' (1948) - Member The Plainsmen (uncredited) * ''

The Third Man ''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten ...

'' (1949) - Military Policeman (uncredited) * '' Bonzo Goes to College'' (1952) - Coach Duff (uncredited) * '' Assignment – Paris!'' (1952) - Col. Mannix (uncredited) * ''

'' (1953) - Alonzo Hogue (uncredited) * '' The System'' (1953) - Police Lt. Gordon (uncredited) * '' The Eddie Cantor Story'' (1953) - (uncredited) * '' Ride Clear of Diablo'' (1954) - Fred Kenyon * '' Cattle Queen of Montana'' (1954) - Col. Carrington * '' Man Without a Star'' (1955) - Mark Toliver * ''

Strange Lady in Town ''Strange Lady in Town'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Greer Garson. She plays a doctor who plans to introduce modern techniques of medicine to old Santa Fe in 1880, but is opposed by an established docto ...

'' (1955) - Sheriff * '' Five Guns West'' (1955) - J.C. Haggard * ''

'' (1955) - Allan Kelley * '' Apache Woman'' (1955) - Sheriff * '' Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955) - Police Chief (uncredited) * '' Day the World Ended'' (1955) - Jim Maddison * '' The Fighting Chance'' (1955) - Auctioneer * '' When Gangland Strikes'' (1956) - Sheriff Mack McBride * ''

The Fastest Gun Alive ''The Fastest Gun Alive'' is a 1956 MGM Western film starring Glenn Ford, Jeanne Crain, and Broderick Crawford directed by Russell Rouse. Plot Son of a notorious fast-drawing sheriff, George Kelby Jr. (Ford) and his wife Dora (Jeanne Crain) s ...

'' (1956) - Yellowfork Sheriff Bill Toledo * ''

The White Squaw ''The White Squaw'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring David Brian, May Wynn and William Bishop. Plot A Swedish settler (David Brian) starts a war when he tries to drive Dakotas off their Wyoming reservation. ...

'' (1956) - Thad Arnold * '' Everything But the Truth'' (1956) - Sen. Winter * '' Gun for a Coward'' (1957) - Andy Niven * '' Not of This Earth'' (1957) - Paul Johnson * '' The Tattered Dress'' (1957) - Prosecutor Frank Mitchell * ''

The Spirit of St. Louis The ''Spirit of St. Louis'' (formally the Ryan NYP, registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that was flown by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlanti ...

'' (1957) - Blythe (uncredited) * ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...

'' (1957, TV Series) - Col. Preston * '' The 27th Day'' (1957) - Admiral * '' Joe Dakota'' (1957) - Frank Weaver * ''

The World Was His Jury ''The World Was His Jury'' is a 1958 American drama film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Edmond O'Brien and Mona Freeman. It was released by Columbia Pictures. Plot A cruise ship's captain dies and Jerry Barrett is promoted to replace him. ...

'' (1958) - Martin Ranker * '' Gunman's Walk'' (1958) - Bob Selkirk * '' The Restless Gun'' (1958) Episode "The Torn Flag" * '' Wild Heritage'' (1958) - Jacob 'Jake' Breslin * '' Queen of Outer Space'' (1958) - Prof. Konrad * '' The Gun Runners'' (1958) - Sy Phillips * '' Gunmen from Laredo'' (1959) - Marshal Matt Crawford * ''

Too Soon to Love ''Too Soon to Love'', also known as ''High School Honeymoon'' and ''Teenage Lovers'', is a 1960 American exploitation film directed by Richard Rush and starring Richard Evans, Jennifer West and Jack Nicholson. The film was considered by some criti ...

'' (1960) * '' Portrait in Black'' (1960) - Detective Lieutenant * '' Pay or Die'' (1960) - Mayor * '' The Dark at the Top of the Stairs'' (1960) - Jonah Mills (uncredited) * '' Two Rode Together'' (1961) - Judge Edward Purcell * '' Sea Hunt'' (7th Jan 1961), Season 4, Episode 1, Point of No Return * ''A Public Affair'' (1962) - Malcomb Hardy * '' The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance'' (1962) - Mayor Winder * '' It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' (1963) - Santa Rosita Police Department Officer at the intersection (uncredited) * '' The Raiders'' (1963) - Paul King * ''

The Glory Guys ''The Glory Guys'' is a 1965 American Western film directed by Arnold Laven and written by Sam Peckinpah, based on the 1956 novel ''The Dice of God'' by Hoffman Birney. Filmed by Levy-Gardner-Laven and released by United Artists, it stars Tom T ...

'' (1965) - Commanding General * ''

'' (1966) - Bill Simpson (uncredited) * ''

A Covenant with Death ''A Covenant with Death'' is a 1967 American legal drama film directed by Lamont Johnson (in his feature directorial debut), from a screenplay by Lawrence B. Marcus and Saul Levitt, based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Stephen Becker. The ...

'' (1967) - Governor * '' Welcome to Hard Times'' (1967) - Mr. Fee * ''

Counterpoint In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tra ...

'' (1968) - (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Birch, Paul 1912 births 1969 deaths Male actors from Alabama People from Atmore, Alabama American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors Deaths from cancer in Grenada