Forrest Meredith Tucker (February 12, 1919 – October 25, 1986) was an American actor in movies and television who appeared in nearly a hundred films. Tucker worked in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

as a

straight man The straight man (or straight woman in the case of female characters), also known as a "comedic foil", is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically ...

at the age of fifteen. While he was on a trip to California, party hostess Cobina Wright persuaded guest

Wesley Ruggles Wesley Ruggles (June 11, 1889 – January 8, 1972) was an American film director. Life and work He was born in Los Angeles, California, younger brother of actor Charlie Ruggles. He began his career in 1915 as an actor, appearing in a doz ...

to give Tucker a screen test because of Tucker's photogenic good looks, thick wavy hair and height of six feet, five inches. Tucker was a sight reader who needed only one take. He enlisted in the Army during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. After twenty years spent mainly in Westerns and action roles, he returned to his roots, showing versatility as a comedic and stage musical actor. In the television series '' F Troop'', he became identified with the character of Cavalry Sgt. Morgan O'Rourke. Tucker had a drinking problem that began to affect his performances in the later years of his career.

Early life and education

Tucker was born in

Plainfield, Indiana Plainfield is a town in Guilford Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, Guilford, Liberty Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, Liberty, and Washington Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, Washington townships, Hendricks County, Indiana, Hendricks ...

, on February 12, 1919, the son of Forrest A. Tucker and his wife, Doris Heringlake. His mother has been described as an alcoholic. A self-avowed "farm boy", Tucker began his performing career at age 14 at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, pushing the big wicker tourist chairs by day and singing "Throw Money" at night. After his family moved to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, Tucker attracted the attention of Jimmy Lake, the owner of the Old Gaiety Burlesque Theater, by winning its Saturday night amateur contest on consecutive weeks. After his second win, Tucker was hired there at full time as Master of Ceremonies, but left when it was soon discovered that he was underage. Tucker graduated from

Washington-Lee High School Washington-Liberty High School, formerly known as Washington-Lee High School, is a public high school in the Arlington Public Schools district in Arlington, Virginia, covering grades 9–12. Its attendance area serves the central third of Ar ...

, Arlington, Virginia, near Washington, D.C., in 1938, and, after joining the

United States Cavalry The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army. The United States Cavalry was formally created by an act of United States Congress, Congress on 3 August 1861 and ceased as a dist ...

, was stationed at

Fort Myer Fort Myer is the previous name used for a U.S. Army Military base, post next to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Founded during the American Civil War as Fort Cass and ...

Arlington County, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

. However, once again, he was discharged for being underage. He returned to work at the Old Gaiety after his 18th birthday.

Career

Hollywood

When Lake's theater closed for the summer in 1939, a wealthy mentor helped Tucker travel to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and try to break into film acting. He made a successful screen test, and began auditioning for movie roles. In his own estimation, Tucker was in the mold of large "ugly guys" such as

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' (1 ...

Ward Bond Wardell Edwin Bond (April 9, 1903 – November 5, 1960) was an American character actor who appeared in more than 200 films and starred in the NBC television series ''Wagon Train'' from 1957 to 1960. Among his best-remembered roles are Bert th ...

and

Victor McLaglen Victor Andrew de Bier Everleigh McLaglen (10 December 1886 – 7 November 1959) was a British-American actor and boxer.Obituary '' Variety'', 11 November 1959, page 79. His film career spanned from the early 1920s through the 1950s, initially ...

, rather than a matinee idol. His debut was as a powerfully built farmer who clashes with the hero in '' The Westerner'' (1940), which starred

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, silent screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

. Tucker stood out in a fight scene with Cooper. Tucker had a support role in '' The Great Awakening'' (1941) for

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

. Overcoming a feeling in Hollywood that fair hair did not photograph well, he quickly attained leading man status, starring in

PRC China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the second-most populous country after India, representing 17.4% of the world population. China spans the e ...

's ''

Emergency Landing An emergency landing is a premature landing made by an aircraft in response to an emergency involving an imminent or ongoing threat to the safety and operation of the aircraft, or involving a sudden need for a passenger or crew on board to term ...

'' (1941). He signed a contract with

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

Columbia Pictures

At Columbia Tucker had a support role in one of their Lone Wolf pictures, ''

Counter-Espionage Counterintelligence (counter-intelligence) or counterespionage (counter-espionage) is any activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting ac ...

'' (1942), followed by a

Boston Blackie Boston Blackie is a fictional character created by author Jack Boyle (1881–1928). Blackie was originally depicted as a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, and became a private detective in adaptations for films, radio and televisi ...

entry, '' Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood'' (1942). He was borrowed by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

for '' Keeper of the Flame'' with

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the ...

and

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...

World War II

Like many other movie actors at the time, Tucker enlisted 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

; he earned a commission as a second lieutenant. He served in the Signal Corps and was discharged in 1945.

Post War

Tucker resumed his acting career at war's end. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer borrowed him for the classic film ''

The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Month Club in April 1938. It won the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for the Novel. It was the best-selling ...

'' (1946). Warners borrowed him to play

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

's love rival with

Eleanor Parker Eleanor Jean Parker (June 26, 1922 – December 9, 2013) was an American actress. She was nominated for three Academy Awards for her roles in the films ''Caged (1950 film), Caged'' (1950), ''Detective Story (1951 film), Detective Story'' (1951 ...

in '' Never Say Goodbye'' the same year. Back at Columbia Pictures, he was in '' Coroner Creek'' (1948) with

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor, whose Hollywood career spanned from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in dramas, come ...

Republic Pictures

In 1948, Tucker left Columbia and signed with

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

. His first films for them were '' Hellfire'' (1949) and '' The Last Bandit'' (1949) with

Wild Bill Elliott Wild Bill Elliott (born Gordon Nance, October 16, 1904 – November 26, 1965) was an American film actor. He specialized in playing the rugged heroes of B Westerns, particularly the Red Ryder series of films. Early life Elliott was born G ...

. He made '' Montana Belle'' for Republic with Jane Russell; it was sold to RKO. Tucker had a role in Republic's ''

Sands of Iwo Jima ''Sands of Iwo Jima'' is a 1949 war film starring John Wayne that follows a group of United States Marine Corps, United States Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The film, which also features John Agar, Adele M ...

'' (1949), as PFC Thomas, a Marine with a score to settle with

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

's Sergeant Stryker. He went back to Columbia to support Scott again in '' The Nevadan'' (1950). Tucker was promoted to star roles with '' California Passage'' (1950). He followed this with '' Rock Island Trail'' (1950). Tucker was back to supporting actor for ''

Hoodlum Empire ''Hoodlum Empire'' is a 1952 American film noir crime film directed by Joseph Kane starring Brian Donlevy, Claire Trevor, Forrest Tucker, Vera Ralston, Luther Adler and John Russell (actor), John Russell.. It was inspired by the United States Sena ...

'' (1952) then over at Paramount he co-starred with

Sterling Hayden Sterling Walter Hayden (born Sterling Relyea Walter; March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American actor, author, sailor, and Marine. A leading man for most of his career, he specialized in Westerns and film noir throughout the 1950s, in film ...

in '' Flaming Feather'' (1952) and supported

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...

in ''

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 ...

'' (1953). Tucker went to England in support of British film star Margaret Lockwood in '' Laughing Anne'' (1953), a co-production with Republic. Back in the United States, he returned to Republic: '' San Antone'' (1953) with Rod Cameron; ''

Flight Nurse A flight nurse is a registered nurse specializing in the field of providing comprehensive pre-hospital, emergency critical care, and hospital care to a vast scope of patients. The care of these patients is generally provided during aeromedical ...

'' (1953) and '' Jubilee Trail'' (1954) with Joan Leslie.

England and ''Crunch and Des''

He returned to England to make another with Lockwood, '' Trouble in the Glen'' (1954), and stayed on to make '' Break in the Circle'' (1955) for Hammer Films. Tucker made some films for Allied Artists, '' Paris Follies of 1956'' (1955) and '' Finger Man'' (1955) in support of

Frank Lovejoy Frank Andrew Lovejoy Jr. (March 28, 1912 – October 2, 1962) was an American actor in radio, film, and television. He is perhaps best remembered for appearing in the film noir ''The Hitch-Hiker'' and for starring in the radio drama ''Night Beat ...

, and then supported Randolph Scott once more in '' Rage at Dawn'' (1956). Tucker had a two-year stint on television playing the well-received role of a charter-boat captain in

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

in the series ''Crunch and Des'' from 1955 to 1956 with Sandy Kenyon. He was top billed in Fox's '' The Quiet Gun'' (1957) and supported Charlton Heston in '' Three Violent People'' (1957). Hammer Films in Britain asked him back to play the lead in '' The Abominable Snowman'' (1957). He stayed on in England for '' The Strange World of Planet X'' (1957) and '' The Trollenberg Terror'' (1958).

''Auntie Mame''

The year 1958 brought another turning point in his career, when he won the role of Beauregard Burnside, Mame's first husband in '' Auntie Mame'', the highest grossing U.S. film of the year. Tucker showed a flair for light comedy under the direction of Morton DaCosta that had largely been unexplored in his roles in Westerns and science fiction films. He supported

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he bec ...

in '' Fort Massacre'' (1958) and had the lead in '' Counterplot'' (1959).

Stage

Tucker was cast as Professor Harold Hill in the national touring production of ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...

'' in 1958 and played the role 2,008 times over the next five years, including a 56-week run at the Shubert Theatre in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. Following his ''Music Man'' run, Tucker starred in the Broadway production of ''Fair Game for Lovers'' (1964).

Television and ''F Troop''

Tucker turned to television for his most famous role, starring as frontier entrepreneur Sgt. Morgan O'Rourke in '' F Troop'' (1965–1967). Though ''F Troop'' lasted only two seasons on ABC, the series has been in constant syndication since, reaching three generations of viewers. (Two of his ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'' episodes feature Tucker in his cavalry uniform again, as the unconventional Sergeant Holly (1970), who in one scene "marries" and spends a hectic night with Miss Kitty.)

Later career

After the run of ''F Troop'' ended, Tucker returned to films in character roles like '' The Night They Raided Minsky's'' (1969), '' Barquero'' (1970), '' Chisum'' (1970), '' Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol'' (1972), and '' Cancel My Reservation'' (1972). He had the lead in '' The Wild McCullochs'' (1975) and was a supporting actor in the television movie '' A Real American Hero'' (1978). On television, Tucker was a frequent guest star, including a total of six appearances on ''

'' and the recurring role of Jarvis Castleberry, Flo's estranged father on the 1976–1985 TV series, ''

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'' and its spinoff, '' Flo''. He also appeared as a guest star on ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction film, science fiction Action-adventure fiction, action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson (producer), Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel Cyborg (novel), ''Cyborg'' by ...

'' as J.T. Conners. Tucker was a regular on three series after '' F Troop'': '' Dusty's Trail'' (1973) with Bob Denver; '' The Ghost Busters'' (1975) which reunited him with ''F Troop'' co-star Larry Storch; and '' Filthy Rich'' playing Big Guy Beck (1982–83). He continued to be active on stage as well, starring in the national productions of '' Plaza Suite'', ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 Show Boat (novel), novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the per ...

'' and ''

That Championship Season ''That Championship Season'' is a 1972 play by Jason Miller. It was the recipient of the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1973 Tony Award for Best Play. Plot synopsis The setting is 1972 at the Coach's home in Scranton, Pennsylvania. ...

''. Tucker returned to the big screen, after an absence of several years, in the

Cannon Films The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that investe ...

action film '' Thunder Run'' (1986), playing the hero, trucker Charlie Morrison. His final film appearance was ''Outtakes'', a low-budget imitation of '' The Groove Tube''.

Personal life

Tucker married four times: # Sandra Jolley (1919–1986) in 1940. She was the daughter of the

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

I. Stanford Jolley (who died of emphysema) and the sister of the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-winning

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Stan Jolley. They had a daughter, Pamela "Brooke" Tucker. They divorced in 1950. # Marilyn Johnson on March 28, 1950 (died of a heart ailment on July 19, 1960, at the age of 37). # Marilyn Fisk on October 23, 1961. They had a daughter, Cindy Tucker, and a son, Forrest Sean Tucker. Fisk appeared in three episodes of ''F Troop'' while married to Tucker. # Sheila Forbes on April 15, 1986. Tucker was a Republican.

Death

Tucker, who had battled

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

for more than a year, as well as having a series of minor illnesses, collapsed and was hospitalized, for the second time in a week, on his way to the ceremony for his star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

on August 21, 1986. He died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital on October 25, 1986, a few months after the theatrical release of '' Thunder Run'' and ''Outtakes''. He was interred in Forest Lawn–Hollywood Hills Cemetery in the

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills is a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It borders Studio City, Universal City and Burbank on the north, Griffith Park on the north and east, Los Feliz on the southeast, Hollyw ...

Selected filmography

*'' The Westerner'' (1940) .... Wade Harper *''

'' (1941) .... Jerry Barton *'' The Great Awakening'' (1941) .... Moritz *'' Honolulu Lu'' (1941) .... Barney *'' Shut My Big Mouth'' (1942) .... Red *'' Canal Zone'' (1942) .... Recruit Madigan *'' Tramp, Tramp, Tramp'' (1942) .... Blond Bomber *'' Submarine Raider'' (1942) .... Pulaski *'' Parachute Nurse'' (1942) .... Lt. Tucker *''

'' (1942) .... Anton Schugg *'' My Sister Eileen'' (1942) .... Sandhog (uncredited) *'' The Spirit of Stanford'' (1942) .... Buzz Costello (uncredited) *'' Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood'' (1942) .... Whipper *'' Keeper of the Flame'' (1942) .... Geoffrey Midford *'' Talk About a Lady'' (1946) .... Bart Manners *'' The Man Who Dared'' (1946) .... Larry James *'' Renegades'' (1946) .... Frank Dembrow *'' Dangerous Business'' (1946) .... Clayton Russell *'' Never Say Goodbye'' (1946) .... Fenwick Lonkowski *''

'' (1946) .... Lem Forrester *'' Gunfighters'' (1947) .... Ben Orcutt *'' Adventures in Silverado'' (1948) .... Zeke Butler *'' Coroner Creek'' (1948) .... Ernie Combs *'' Two Guys from Texas'' (1948) .... 'Tex' Bennett *'' The Plunderers'' (1948) .... Whit Lacey *'' The Last Bandit'' (1949) .... Jim Plummer *'' The Big Cat'' (1949) .... Gil Hawks *'' Hellfire'' (1949) .... Marshal Bucky McLean *'' Brimstone'' (1949) .... Sheriff Henry McIntyre *''

'' (1949) .... Pfc. Al Thomas *'' The Nevadan'' (1950) .... Tom Tanner *'' Rock Island Trail'' (1950) .... Reed Loomis *'' California Passage'' (1950) .... Mike Prescott *''

Oh! Susanna "Oh! Susanna" is a folk song by Stephen Foster (1826–1864), first published in 1848. It is among the most popular American songs ever written. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. ...

'' (1951) .... Lieutenant Colonel Unger *'' Fighting Coast Guard'' (1951) .... Bill Rourk *'' Warpath'' (1951) .... Sgt. O'Hara *'' Crosswinds'' (1951) .... Gerald 'Jumbo' Johnson *'' The Wild Blue Yonder'' (1951) .... Maj. Tom West *'' Flaming Feather'' (1952) .... Lt. Tom Blaine *'' Bugles in the Afternoon'' (1952) .... Donavan *''

'' (1952) .... Charley Pignatalli *'' Hurricane Smith'' (1952) .... Dan McGuire *'' Montana Belle'' (1952) .... Mac *'' Ride the Man Down'' (1952) .... Sam Danfelser *'' San Antone'' (1953) .... Lt. Brian Culver, CSA *''

'' (1953) .... Wild Bill Hickok *'' Laughing Anne'' (1953) .... Jem Farrell *''

'' (1953) .... Capt. Bill Eaton *'' Jubilee Trail'' (1954) .... John Ives *'' Trouble in the Glen'' (1954) .... Maj. Jim 'Lance' Lansing *'' Break in the Circle'' (1955) .... Capt. Skip Morgan *'' Rage at Dawn'' (1955) .... Frank Reno *'' Finger Man'' (1955) .... Dutch Becker *'' Night Freight'' (1955) .... Mike Peters *'' The Vanishing American'' (1955) .... Morgan *'' Paris Follies of 1956'' (1955) .... Dan Bradley *'' Stagecoach to Fury'' (1956) .... Frank Townsend *'' Three Violent People'' (1956) .... Deputy Commissioner Cable *'' The Quiet Gun'' (1957) .... Sheriff Carl Brandon *'' The Abominable Snowman'' (1957) .... Tom Friend *'' The Deerslayer'' (1957) .... Harry March *'' The Strange World of Planet X'' (1958) .... Gil Graham *'' Fort Massacre'' (1958) .... McGurney *'' Girl in the Woods'' (1958) .... Steve Cory *'' The Trollenberg Terror'' (1958, also known as ''The Crawling Eye'') .... Alan Brooks *'' Auntie Mame'' (1958) .... Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside *'' Gunsmoke in Tucson'' (1958) .... John Brazos *'' Counterplot'' (1959) .... Brock Miller *'' Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title'' (1966) .... Romantic Diner Customer (uncredited) *'' The Night They Raided Minsky's'' (1968) .... Trim Houlihan *'' Barquero'' (1970) .... Mountain Phil *'' Chisum'' (1970) .... Lawrence Murphy *'' Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol'' (1972, TV Movie) .... Harry McMartin *'' Cancel My Reservation'' (1972) .... Reese *'' The Wild McCullochs'' (1975) .... J.J. McCulloch *'' Walking Tall: Final Chapter'' (1977) .... Grandpa Pusser *''Rare Breed'' (1984) .... Jess Cutler *'' Katy Caterpillar'' (1984) .... Goliath the Cat (English version, voice) *'' Thunder Run'' (1986) .... Charlie Morrison *''Outtakes'' (1987) .... Himself *'' Timestalkers'' (1987, TV Movie) .... Texas John Cody (final film role)

Television

*'' G.E. Summer Originals'' episode "Blizzard Bound" (August 28, 1956) *''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'' episode "The Rex Montana Story" (May 28, 1958) .... Rex Montana *''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

'' episode "Three Minutes to Eternity" (1963) .... Bob Dalton of the

Dalton Gang The Dalton Gang was a group of outlaws in the American Old West during 1890–1892. It was also known as The Dalton Brothers because three of its members were brothers. The gang specialized in bank and train robberies. During an attempted doub ...

. *'' The Virginian'' (episode "Hideout" - 1965) .... Martin Evers *''

'' (episode "The Storm" - 1965) .... Adam Benteen *'' F Troop'' (1965–1967) .... Sgt. Morgan O'Rourke / Sgt. O'Rourke / Sgt. Morgan Sylvester O'Rourke *''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

'' episode "The Ballad of Sidewinder and Cherokee" (1967) .... Joe Snag *'' Rawhide'' episode “Incident of the Death Dancer” (December 5, 1967) *''

'' episode "Cattle Barons" (1967) .... John Charron *''

'' episode "Sergeant Holly" (1970) .... Sgt. Emmett Holly *''

'' episode "The War Priest" (1970) .... Sergeant Emmett Holly *''

Alias Smith and Jones ''Alias Smith and Jones'' is an American Western television series that originally aired on ABC from January 1971 to January 1973. The show initially starred Pete Duel (and, after Duel's death, Roger Davis) as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy ...

'' episode "Alias Smith and Jones" (1971) .... Deputy Harker Wilkins *''

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 ...

'' (1971) .... Dr. Ernest Stringfellow (segment "Dr. Stringfellow's Rejuvenator") *''

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 ...

'' episode "Blueprint for Murder" (1972) .... Bo Williamson *''

'' episode "Yankton" (1972) .... Will Donavan *'' Dusty's Trail'' (1973–1974) .... Mr. Callahan *'' The Ghost Busters'' (1975) .... Jake Kong *''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books comprise a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adulthood in the Midwestern United States, Americ ...

'' episode "Founder's Day" (1975) *''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American Action film, action Crime film, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theophilus "Theo" Kojak. Tak ...

'' episode "On The Edge" (1975) .... Det. Paul Zachary *''

'' episode "The Deadly Missiles" (1976) .... J.T. Connors *'' Once an Eagle'' miniseries (1976) .... Col. Avery *'' The Rebels'' (1979, TV Movie) .... Angus Fletcher *''

'' (1979) .... Edsel Jarvis Castleberry *'' Flo'' (1980) .... Jarvis Castleberry * ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...

'' (1980, 1982, 1983) .... 3 episodes (3 roles) * ''

Blood Feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...

'' miniseries (1983) .... Lyndon Johnson *''

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 ...

'' episode "It's a Dog's Life" (1984) .... Tom Cassidy

References

External links

* *
Biography and list of appearances

Grave at seeing-stars.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tucker, Forrest 1919 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male television actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) California Republicans Deaths from lung cancer in California Male actors from Indiana Military personnel from Indiana People from Plainfield, Indiana United States Army Cavalry Branch personnel United States Army officers United States Army personnel of World War II Washington-Liberty High School alumni