Bradford Dillman (April 14, 1930 – January 16, 2018) was an American actor and author.

Early life

Bradford Dillman was born on April 14, 1930, in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, 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 List of Ca ...

, the son of Dean Dillman, a stockbroker, and Josephine (née Moore). Bradford's paternal grandparents were Charles Francis Dillman and Stella Borland Dean. He studied at Town School for Boys and St. Ignatius High School. He later attended the Hotchkiss School in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, where he became involved with school theatre productions. While at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1948. While a student, he was a member of the Yale Dramatic Association, Fence Club, Torch Honor Society, The Society of Orpheus and Bacchus, WYBC and Berzelius. He graduated from Yale in 1951 with a BA in English Literature. After graduation, he entered the

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 ...

as an officer candidate, training at

Parris Island Parris is both a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Parris Afton Bonds, American novelist * Parris Campbell (born 1997), American football player * Parris Duffus (born 1970), retired American ice hockey goa ...

. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in September 1951. As he was preparing to deploy to the war in

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...

, his orders were changed, and he spent the rest of his time in the Marine Corps, from 1951 to 1953, teaching communication in the Instructors' Orientation Course. He was discharged in 1953 with the rank of first lieutenant.

Career

Studying with the Actors Studio, Dillman spent several seasons apprenticing with the Sharon, Connecticut Playhouse before making his professional acting debut in ''The Scarecrow'' in 1953.

Broadway

Dillman first performed in a

Broadway play Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''T ...

as part of the U.S. premiere cast of

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' in November 1956. He portrayed the author's alter-ego character Edmund Tyrone and won a Theatre World Award for his performance. The production also featured Fredric March, Florence Eldridge and Jason Robards Jr., and played for 390 performances until March 1958. During 1955 he appeared in an episode of the television series '' The Big Picture'' as an MP patrolling the city of

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Georg ...

. In 1957, Katharine Cornell cast him in a '' Hallmark Hall of Fame'' television production of Robert E. Sherwood's Pulitzer Prize winning 1940 play, '' There Shall Be No Night''.

20th Century Fox

Dillman was cast in the movie melodrama '' A Certain Smile'' (1958). He followed this with '' In Love and War'' (1958), a war movie featuring many of

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...

's young contract players, for which he earned a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

award. It was a financial success. So too was '' Compulsion'' (1959), featuring Dillman,

Dean Stockwell Robert Dean Stockwell (March 5, 1936 – November 7, 2021) was an American actor with a career spanning seven decades. As a child actor under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he first came to the public's attention in films including '' Anchors ...

and

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

for producer Richard Zanuck and director

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

. Dillman shared an award for Best Actor with Stockwell and Welles at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...

. After making the movie '' A Circle of Deception'' (1960) in London, Dillman was reunited with Welles, Fleischer and Zanuck for '' Crack in the Mirror'' (1960), filmed in Paris. It was unsuccessful. Back in Hollywood, Fox cast Dillman in support of Yves Montand and Lee Remick in ''

Sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a s ...

'' (1961). They also had him in the title role in ''

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christiani ...

'' (1961).

Television

When he quit Fox, Dillman mostly concentrated on television. He guest-starred in a 1963 episode of '' The Virginian'', titled: "Echo of Another Day". He co-featured with

Diana Hyland Diana Hyland (born Diane Gentner; January 25, 1936 – March 27, 1977) was an American stage, film and television actress. Early years Hyland was born Diane Gentner to John Theodore and Mary (Gorman) Gentner in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. S ...

in the ''Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' episode "To Catch A Butterfly" in February 1963, and with Barbara Barrie in the 1964'' Hitchcock Hour'' episode "Isabel". He appeared in seven episodes of '' Dr. Kildare'' (1964–66) and 26 of ''

Court Martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of me ...

'' (1965–66). He guest-featured in television series such as '' The F.B.I.'' (six episodes), '' Ironside'' (two episodes), '' Shane'', ''

The Name of the Game Name of the Game may refer to: Television * ''The Name of the Game'' (TV series), a 1968–1971 American drama ** ''Fame Is the Name of the Game'', a 1966 American television film and pilot for the series * "The Name of the Game" (''Grey's Anato ...

'', '' Columbo'', ''

Wild Wild West ''Wild Wild West'' is a 1999 American steampunk Western film co-produced and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock alongside Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, from a story penned by brothers Jim and ...

'', '' The Eleventh Hour'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'', '' The Greatest Show on Earth'', '' Breaking Point'', '' Mission Impossible'' (two episodes), ''

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. ...

'', ''

Cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder duri ...

'', ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was or ...

'' (six episodes), '' Three for the Road'', ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as being ...

'' and a two-part episode of '' The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'', which was made into the feature movie '' The Helicopter Spies'' (1968). Dillman appeared twice 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 i ...

television series '' The Big Valley'' (1965–69), once in season two, episode 15, titled "Day of the Comet", broadcast December 26, 1966; and the second time in season three, episode 9, titled "A Noose is Waiting", which was broadcast November 13, 1967. He appeared in occasional movies during this period, including '' A Rage to Live'' (1965), '' Sergeant Ryker'' (1968), and '' The Bridge at Remagen'' (1969). Dillman played painter Richard Pickman in the television adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's 1926 story, ''

Pickman's Model "Pickman's Model" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, written in September 1926 and first published in the October 1927 issue of ''Weird Tales''. It has been adapted for television anthology series twice: in a 1971 episode of ''Night Gallery' ...

'', presented as the opening act of a December 1971 '' Night Gallery'' episode. He starred as Tony Goodland in "the Greenhouse Jungle", the second episode of the second season of '' Columbo'' (initially aired on October 15, 1972).

Later career and author

Dillman appeared in made-for-television movies such as '' Fear No Evil'' (1969), '' Moon of the Wolf'' (1972), and ''

Deliver Us from Evil " Deliver us from evil" is a line from the Lord's Prayer in the Bible. Deliver Us from Evil may also refer to: Books * ''Deliver Us from Evil'' (novel), a novel by David Baldacci * '' Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Li ...

'' (1973). His film work included '' Escape from the Planet of the Apes'' (1971), ''

The Way We Were ''The Way We Were'' is a 1973 American romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Arthur Laurents wrote both the novel and screenplay based on his college days at Cornell University and hi ...

'' (1973), ''

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

'' (1974), '' Bug'' (1975), '' The Enforcer'' (1976), '' The Swarm'' (1978), ''

Piranha A piranha or piraña (, , or ; or , ) is one of a number of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae, or the subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae in order Characiformes. These fish inhabit South American rivers, ...

'' (1978), '' Sudden Impact'' (1983), and ''

Lords of the Deep ''Lords of the Deep'' is a 1989 American science-fiction horror film co-produced by Roger Corman, about an underwater colony being attacked by alien life forms. Actors included Bradford Dillman and Priscilla Barnes. It was one of several under ...

'' (1989). He appeared in 10 episodes of ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...

'' (1982–83), and 2 of ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

'' (1984). His last known acting appearance was an episode of ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The ser ...

'' in 1995, his eighth guest appearance on the series. Dillman's football fan book, ''Inside The New York Giants'', was published in 1995. An autobiography, ''Are You Anybody?: An Actor's Life'', was published in 1997.

Personal life

From 1956 to 1962, Dillman was married to Frieda Harding and had two children (Jeffrey and Pamela) with her. He met actress and model

Suzy Parker Suzy Parker (born Cecilia Ann Renee Parker; October 28, 1932 – May 3, 2003) was an American model and actress active from 1947 until 1970. Her modeling career reached its zenith during the 1950s, when she appeared on the covers of dozens of ma ...

during the production of '' A Circle of Deception'' (1960). The couple married on April 20, 1963 and had three children, Dinah, Charles, and Christopher. The marriage lasted until Parker's death on May 3, 2003. Dillman was a cousin of the eccentric, author, and heiress Aimee Crocker. Dillman lived for many years in

Montecito, California Montecito ( Spanish for "Little mountain") is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California.McCormack, Don (1999). ''McCormack's Guides Santa Barbara and Ventura 2000''. Mccormacks Guides. p. 58. . Locate ...

, and helped raise money for medical research. He died in

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coa ...

on January 16, 2018, aged 87, due to complications of pneumonia. Bradford Dillman was the actor's real name. He said "Bradford Dillman sounded like a distinguished, phony, theatrical name -- so I kept it."

Selected filmography

* '' A Certain Smile'' (1958) as Bertrand Griot * '' In Love and War'' (1958) as Alan Newcombe * '' Compulsion'' (1959) as Arthur A. Straus * '' Crack in the Mirror'' (1960) as Larnier / Claude * '' A Circle of Deception'' (1960) as Capt. Paul Raine * ''

'' (1961) as Gowan Stevens * ''

'' (1961) as Francis Bernardone of Assisi * '' Monstrosity'' (1963) as Narrator (voice, uncredited) * ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'' (1963) as Bill Nelson, in episode "To Catch a Butterfly" * '' A Rage to Live'' (1965) as Sidney Tate * '' The Plainsman'' (1966) as Lt. Stiles * '' The Helicopter Spies'' (1968) as Luther Sebastian (archive footage) * '' Sergeant Ryker'' (1968) as Capt. David Young (archive footage) * '' Jigsaw'' (1968) as Jonathan Fields * '' Fear No Evil'' (1969, TV Movie) as Paul Varney * '' The Bridge at Remagen'' (1969) as Major Barnes * '' Mastermind'' (1969) as Jabez Link * '' Black Water Gold'' (1970, TV Movie) as Lyle Fawcett * '' Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?'' (1970) as Capt. Myerson * '' Brother John'' (1971) as Lloyd Thomas * '' The Mephisto Waltz'' (1971) as Bill Delancey * '' Escape from the Planet of the Apes'' (1971) as Dr. Lewis Dixon * ''

Five Desperate Women ''Five Desperate Women'' is a 1971 American TV film directed by Ted Post. It was an ABC Movie of the Week. Plot A violent inmate, whose face is not shown, escapes from a state mental facility. He makes his way to a private beach, drowns a man rela ...

'' (1971, TV Movie) as Jim Meeker * '' The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler'' (1971) as Sen. Clayton Zachary Wheeler * '' Moon of the Wolf'' (1972, TV movie) as Andrew Rodanthe * ''

'' (1973, TV Movie) as Steven Dennis * ''

'' (1973) as J.J. * '' The Iceman Cometh'' (1973) as Willie Oban * '' Chosen Survivors'' (1974) as Peter Macomber * '' 99 and 44/100% Dead'' (1974) as Big Eddie * ''

'' (1974) as Manfred Steyner * ''

A Black Ribbon for Deborah ''A Black Ribbon for Deborah'' ( it, Un fiocco nero per Deborah) is a 1974 Italian horror film directed by Marcello Andrei. Cast * Bradford Dillman as Michel Lagrange * Marina Malfatti as Deborah Lagrange * Gig Young as Ofenbauer * Delia Bocc ...

'' (1974) as Michel Lagrange * '' The Disappearance of Flight 412'' (1974, TV Movie) as Maj. Mike Dunning * '' Bug'' (1975) as James Parmiter * '' Mastermind'' (1976) as Jabez Link * '' The Enforcer'' (1976) as Capt. Jerome McKay * '' One Away'' (1976) as Ruben Bass * ''

The Hostage Heart ''The Hostage Heart'' is a 1977 American made-for-television drama film directed by Bernard McEveety, written by Andrew J. Fenady, and based on Gerald Green's novel. It premiered on Friday, September 9, 1977, on CBS. Plot Terrorists take over th ...

'' (1977, TV movie) as Dr. Eric Lake * '' The Amsterdam Kill'' (1977) as Howard Odums * '' The Lincoln Conspiracy'' (1977) as John Wilkes Booth * '' The Swarm'' (1978) as Major Baker * ''

'' (1978) as Paul Grogan * '' Love and Bullets'' (1979) as Brickman * '' Guyana: Crime of the Century'' (1979) as Dr. Gary Shaw * '' The Memory of Eva Ryker'' (1980, TV Movie) as Jason Eddington * '' Running Scared'' (1980) as Arthur Jaeger * '' The Legend of Walks Far Woman'' (1982, TV Movie) as Singer * '' Sudden Impact'' (1983) as Captain Briggs * ''Treasure of the Amazon'' (1985) as Clark * ''Man Outside'' (1987) as Frank Simmons * ''

'' (1989) as Dobler * ''Heroes Stand Alone'' (1989) as Walt Simmons

References

External links

*
Cinema Retro's interview with Bradford Dillman
* *
Bradford Dillman
Aveleyman) {{DEFAULTSORT:Dillman, Bradford 1930 births 2018 deaths 20th Century Studios contract players American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Burials at Santa Barbara Cemetery Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners Deaths from pneumonia in California Hotchkiss School alumni Male actors from San Francisco Military personnel from California New Star of the Year (Actor) Golden Globe winners People from Montecito, California Theatre World Award winners United States Marine Corps officers United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War Yale College alumni