Bernard Hamilton (June 12, 1928 – December 30, 2008) was an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), l ...

. Best known as Captain Dobey in '' Starsky & Hutch'' (1975-1979).

Biography

Hamilton was born in

East Los Angeles East Los Angeles ( es, Este de Los Ángeles), or East L.A., is an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 118,786, a drop of 6.1% from 2010, when it was 126,496. For statistical purpo ...

; his brother was jazz drummer

Chico Hamilton Foreststorn "Chico" Hamilton (September 20, 1921 – November 25, 2013) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He came to prominence as sideman for Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, Count Basie, and Lena Horne. Hamilton became a bandleade ...

. He attended

Oakland Technical High School Oakland Technical High School, known locally as Oakland Tech or simply "Tech", is a public high school in Oakland, California, United States, and is operated under the jurisdiction of the Oakland Unified School District. It is one of six comprehe ...

, where he first became interested in acting. In films from 1950, he labored in bit roles for years before getting noticed in the film ''

One Potato, Two Potato "One potato, two potato" (sometimes "One potato, two potatoes") is a traditional children's counting-out rhyme with accompanying hand actions. It has a Roud number of 19230. Text The rhyme has been recorded in a large number of variants, ...

'' (1964), the story of an

interracial marriage Interracial marriage is a marriage involving spouses who belong to different races or racialized ethnicities. In the past, such marriages were outlawed in the United States, Nazi Germany and apartheid-era South Africa as miscegenation. In ...

. He is best remembered for his role as the brusque, no-nonsense Captain Dobey in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

1970s police series ''

Starsky and Hutch ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a '' Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by ...

''. Hamilton was also an impresario; starting in the late 1960s he ran a nightclub/art gallery called Citadel d’Haiti on

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare i ...

. Hamilton also produced

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed p ...

and gospel music recordings on his own record label called Chocolate Snowman. One of his releases featured himself; it was entitled ''Captain Dobey Sings the Blues''. Hamilton died of

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...

on December 30, 2008, aged 80. A US Army veteran in the Korean War, he was buried at

Riverside National Cemetery Riverside National Cemetery (RNC) is a cemetery located in Riverside, California, dedicated to the interment of United States military personnel. The cemetery covers , making it the largest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administratio ...

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire and ...

Selected filmography

* ''

The Jackie Robinson Story ''The Jackie Robinson Story'' is a 1950 biographical film directed by Alfred E. Green (who had directed ''The Jolson Story'', "one of the biggest hits of the 40s") and starring Jackie Robinson as himself. The film focuses on Robinson's struggle w ...

'' (1950) – Ernie * ''

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 Afri ...

'' (1951) – Soldier (uncredited) * ''

The Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their style of play. Created in 1926 by Tommy Brookins in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name ''Harlem'' because of it ...

'' (1951) – Higgins (uncredited) * ''

Mysterious Island ''The Mysterious Island'' (french: L'Île mystérieuse) is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1875. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules Férat. The novel is a crossover sequel to Verne's fam ...

'' (1951) – Neb * ''

Jungle Man-Eaters ''Jungle Man-Eaters'' is a 1954 American adventure film directed by Lee Sholem starring Johnny Weissmuller, Karin Booth and Richard Stapley. It was the last official Jungle Jim movie after Screen Gems bought the rights to make a TV series based on ...

'' (1954) – Zuwaba * ''

Carmen Jones ''Carmen Jones'' is a 1943 Broadway musical with music by Georges Bizet (orchestrated for Broadway by Robert Russell Bennett) and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II which was performed at The Broadway Theatre. Conceptually, it is Bizet's o ...

'' (1954) – Reporter (uncredited) * '' Kismet'' (1955) – Pearl Merchant (uncredited) * ''

Congo Crossing ''Congo Crossing'' is a 1956 American adventure film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Virginia Mayo and George Nader. Most of the exterior sequences were shot in the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Plot Congotanga, West A ...

'' (1956) – Pompala * ''

The Girl He Left Behind ''The Girl He Left Behind'' is a 1956 American romantic comedy film starring Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood. The supporting cast includes Jim Backus, Alan King, James Garner, and David Janssen. The film was written by Guy Trosper and directed by ...

'' (1956) – Corporal West (uncredited) * ''

Up Periscope ''Up Periscope'' is a 1959 World War II submarine film drama directed by Gordon Douglas, produced by Aubrey Schenck and starring James Garner and Edmond O'Brien. The supporting cast features Andra Martin, Alan Hale Jr., Edd Byrnes, Warren O ...

'' (1959) – Weary (uncredited) * '' Cry Tough'' (1959) – Policeman (uncredited) * ''

Take a Giant Step ''Take a Giant Step'' is a 1959 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Philip Leacock. The plot concerns a black teenager living in a predominantly white environment and having trouble coping as he reaches an age at which the realities of ...

'' (1959) – Sharpie in Bar (uncredited) * ''

The Young One ''The Young One'' ( es, La joven) (released as ''White Trash'' in the United States and ''Island of Shame'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1960 English-language Mexican drama film directed and co-written by Luis Buñuel, and starring Zachary Sc ...

'' (1960, directed by

Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish-Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico, and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians, and directors to be one of the greatest and ...

) – Traver * ''

Let No Man Write My Epitaph ''Let No Man Write My Epitaph'' is a 1960 American crime drama film about the son of an executed criminal who aspires to escape his impoverished, crime-ridden neighborhood with the help of his mother and a group of concerned neighbors. The film wa ...

'' (1960) – Goodbye George * ''

Underworld U.S.A. ''Underworld U.S.A.'' (also known as ''Underworld USA'') is a 1961 American neo-noir crime film produced, written, and directed by Samuel Fuller. It tells the story of a 14-year-old boy who goes to enormous lengths to get revenge against the mob ...

'' (1961) – Investigator (uncredited) * ''

The Devil at 4 O'Clock ''The Devil at 4 O'Clock'' is a 1961 American adventure film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra. Based on a 1958 novel with the same title by British writer Max Catto, the film was a precursor to '' Krakatoa ...

'' (1961) – Charlie * ''

13 West Street ''13 West Street'' is a 1962 American neo noir crime film directed by Philip Leacock and starring Rod Steiger and Alan Ladd whose own production company produced the film. It was based on the 1957 novel ''The Tiger Among Us'' (1957) by Leigh Brac ...

'' (1962) – Negro * ''

Captain Sindbad ''Captain Sindbad'' is a 1963 independently made fantasy and adventure film, produced by Frank King and Herman King, directed by Byron Haskin, that stars Guy Williams and Heidi Brühl. The film was shot at the Bavaria Film studios in Germany an ...

'' (1963) – Quinius * ''

'' (1964) – Frank Richards * ''

Synanon Synanon is a US-founded social organization created by Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich Sr. in 1958 in Santa Monica, California, United States. It is currently active in Germany. Originally established as a drug rehabilitation program, by the early ...

'' (1965) – Pete * '' Stranger on the Run'' (1967) – Dickory * '' The Swimmer'' (1968) – Chauffeur * ''

The Lost Man ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'' (1969) – Reggie Page * ''

Nam's Angels ''The Losers'' released on video as ''Nam's Angels'' is a 1970 American biker war film directed by Jack Starrett. Plot The plot involves a gang of Hells Angels-type bikers called "The Devil's Advocates" involved in the Vietnam War. They are sent ...

'' (1970) – Capt. Jackson * ''

Walk the Walk ''Walk the Walk'' is a 1970 American exploitation film produced by Kroger Babb. Released by Babb's Hallmark Productions company, it was written and directed by Jac Zacha. It tells the story of a young African-American man battling addiction ...

'' (1970) * '' The Organization'' (1971) – Lt. Jessop * ''

Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as ...

'' (1972) – Davis * ''

Scream Blacula Scream ''Scream Blacula Scream'' is a 1973 American blaxploitation vampire horror film. It is a sequel to the 1972 film '' Blacula''. The film was produced by American International Pictures (AIP) and Power Productions. This was the acting debut of R ...

'' (1973) – Ragman * '' Bucktown'' (1975) – Harley

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Bernie 1928 births 2008 deaths American male film actors Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery African-American male actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors Burials at Riverside National Cemetery 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people