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, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, 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 from which he graduated in 1949. He later attended the Hotchkiss School in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

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

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, 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 or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

as an officer candidate, training at Parris Island. 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 is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, 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 The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen in New York City. The studio is best known for its work refining and teaching method actin ...

, 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 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. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

'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 Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, page 95. As ...

Florence Eldridge Florence Eldridge (born Florence McKechnie, September 5, 1901 – August 1, 1988) was an American actress. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 1957 for her performance in '' Long Day's Journey into Night''. E ...

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 is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...

. In 1957, Katharine Cornell cast him in a ''

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, Missouri, Kansas Citybased greeting card company. It is the longest-ru ...

'' television production of Robert E. Sherwood's

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

winning 1940 play, ''

There Shall Be No Night ''There Shall Be No Night'' is a three-act play written by American playwright Robert E. Sherwood. Production The play was presented by the Theatre Guild on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre (now renamed the Neil Simon Theater), from April 29 thro ...

''.

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., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

's young contract players, for which he earned a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

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

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

for producer Richard Zanuck and director

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 ...

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

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

. After making the movie '' 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 space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

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

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone ( 1181 – 3 October 1226), known as Francis of Assisi, was an Italians, Italian Mysticism, mystic, poet and Friar, Catholic friar who founded the religious order of the Franciscans. Inspired to lead a Chris ...

'' (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" also appearing in S2E22 12 O’Clock High, “Twenty-Fifth Mission’. He co-featured with Diana Hyland 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 (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 members of the mili ...

'' (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'', ''

Columbo ''Columbo'' is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originall ...

'', '' The Wild Wild West'', ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, '' The Twilight Zon ...

'', '' The Eleventh Hour'', '' Wagon Train'', '' 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 September 19, 1970 ...

'', ''

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 during th ...

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

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

'' 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 id ...

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 ''The Bridge at Remagen'' is a 1969 DeLuxe Color war film in Panavision starring George Segal, Ben Gazzara, and Robert Vaughn. The film, which was directed by John Guillermin, was shot in Czechoslovakia. It is based on the nonfiction book ...

'' (1969). Dillman played painter Richard Pickman in the television adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's 1926 story, '' Pickman's Model'', presented as the opening act of a December 1971 ''

'' episode. In 1970 Bradford in the role of a U.S. Army captain starred with

Brian Keith Robert Alba Keith (November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997), known professionally as Brian Keith, was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his six-decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family ...

and Tony Curtis in the TV film

Suppose They Gave A War and Nobody Came ''Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came'' (also known as ''War Games, Old Soldiers Never'') is a 1970 American drama-comedy film directed by Hy Averback, produced by Fred Engel, and starring Brian Keith, Don Ameche, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine ...

. He starred as Tony Goodland in "the Greenhouse Jungle", the second episode of the second season of ''

'' (initially aired on October 15, 1972). He also starred as the sadistic hunter Michael Sutton in "The Snare", the ninth episode in the third season of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (initially aired on December 7, 1979).

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

Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

'' (1974), '' Bug'' (1975), '' The Enforcer'' (1976), '' The Swarm'' (1978), '' Piranha'' (1978), '' Sudden Impact'' (1983), and '' Lords of the Deep'' (1989). He appeared in 10 episodes of '' Falcon Crest'' (1982–83), and 2 of ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

'' (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 series f ...

'' 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 with her. He met actress and model Suzy Parker during the production of '' Circle of Deception'' (1960). The couple married on April 20, 1963, and had three children. The marriage lasted until Parker's death on May 3, 2003. Dillman was also a cousin of the eccentric author and heiress Aimee Crocker. Dillman lived for many years in Montecito, California, and helped raise money for medical research. He died in

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara (, meaning ) 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 Coast of the United States excepting A ...

, 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 * '' 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, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' (1963) (Season 1 Episode 19: "To Catch a Butterfly") as Bill Nelson * ''

'' (1964) (Season 2 Episode 31: "Isabel") as Howard Clements * '' 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 (uses archive footage) This was a recut version of a TV film first shown as a two-part episode of NBC's '' Kraft Suspense Theatre'', which spawned the series ''

'' * '' Jigsaw'' (1968) as Jonathan Fields * '' Mission: Impossible'' (1968, TV series) as Paul Shipherd * '' Fear No Evil'' (1969, TV Movie) as Paul Varney * ''

'' (1969) as Major Barnes * ''

Mastermind Mastermind, Master Mind or The Mastermind may refer to: Fictional characters * Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde), a fictional supervillain in Marvel Comics, a title also held by his daughters: ** Martinique Jason, the first daughter and successor of the ...

'' (1969) as Jabez Link * '' Black Water Gold'' (1970, TV Movie) as Lyle Fawcett * ''

Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came ''Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came'' (also known as ''War Games, Old Soldiers Never'') is a 1970 American drama-comedy film directed by Hy Averback, produced by Fred Engel, and starring Brian Keith, Don Ameche, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine ...

'' (1970) as Capt. Myerson * '' Brother John'' (1971) as Lloyd Thomas * ''

'' (1971) (Season 2 episode "Pickman's Model") as Richard Upton Pickman * '' The Mephisto Waltz'' (1971) as Bill Delancey * '' Escape from the Planet of the Apes'' (1971) as Dr. Lewis Dixon * '' Five Desperate Women'' (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 * ''Mission: Impossible'' (1972, TV series) as Larry Edison * '' Deliver Us from Evil'' (1973, TV Movie) as Steven Dennis * '' The Way We Were'' (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'' (1974) as Michel Lagrange * '' The Disappearance of Flight 412'' (1974, TV Movie) as Maj. Mike Dunning * '' Bug'' (1975) as James Parmiter * ''

'' (1976) as Jabez Link * '' The Enforcer'' (1976) as Capt. Jerome McKay * '' One Away'' (1976) as Ruben Bass * '' The Hostage Heart'' (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 * '' Piranha'' (1978) as Paul Grogan * '' Love and Bullets'' (1979) as Jim 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 * '' Lords of the Deep'' (1989) as Dobler * '' Heroes Stand Alone'' (1989) as Walt Simmons

References

External links

*
Cinema Retro's interview with Bradford Dillman
* * {{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 St. Ignatius College Preparatory alumni