Donald Evans Dorrell (December 26, 1933 – May 3, 2003) was an American film and television actor. He was best known for playing the role of Donovan in the American

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 ''

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company. During its 18 months of opera ...

''.

Career

Dorrell was born in

Brownsville, Texas Brownsville ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Cameron County, Texas, Cameron County, located on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border, border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas ...

. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. In 1959, he joined the cast of the new syndicated

television series ''

'' playing the role of Brett Clark's troubleshooter Donovan. He then played Jud Donovan in the 1961 film '' The Gambler Wore a Gun'' and Roger in the film ''

Tammy Tell Me True ''Tammy Tell Me True'' is a 1961 American Eastmancolor comedy film directed by Harry Keller and starring Sandra Dee and John Gavin, Beulah Bondi, Charles Drake, Virginia Grey and Julia Meade. The film, the second in the series, was based on Cid ...

''. Other film appearances included the roles of Stoney Jackson in ''

When the Girls Take Over ''When the Girls Take Over'' is an American men's adventure comedy film produced and directed by Russell Hayden and starring Marvin Miller, Jackie Coogan, and Robert Lowery. Inspired by the Cuban Revolution, it was filmed in Puerto Rico in 19 ...

'', Payne in the 1964 film ''

Ensign Pulver ''Ensign Pulver'' is a 1964 American Technicolor comedy drama film in Panavision and a sequel to the 1955 film '' Mister Roberts''. The film stars Robert Walker Jr., Burl Ives, Walter Matthau and Tommy Sands and features Millie Perkins, Larry H ...

'', and Private Hoxie in the 1965 film '' None but the Brave''. He also guest-starred in an episode of the

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

television series ''

Hazel Hazels are plants of the genus ''Corylus'' of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family, Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K ...

''. He retired from acting in 1965, last appearing in the film ''

That Darn Cat! ''That Darn Cat!'' is a 1965 American thriller (genre), thriller comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson (director), Robert Stevenson and starring Hayley Mills and Dean Jones (actor), Dean Jones in a story about bank robbers, a kidnapping and ...

''. In 1962, Dorrell survived a plane crash in the sea off

Avalon, California Avalon is the only incorporated city on Santa Catalina Island, in the California Channel Islands, and the southernmost city in Los Angeles County. The city is a resort community with the waterfront dominated by tourism-oriented businesses. ...

. Dorrell died of cancer on May 3, 2003, in

Port Ludlow, Washington Port Ludlow is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. It is also the name of the marine inlet on which the community is located. The CDP's population was 2,603 at the 2010 c ...

, at the age of 69.

References

External links

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Rotten Tomatoes profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorrell, Don 1933 births 2003 deaths Actors from Missouri Male actors from Missouri American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors Western (genre) television actors