John Milford (September 7, 1927 – August 14, 2000) was an American actor in

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

, and

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

s, playing scores of roles, often as a Western villain. He was estimated to have had about 500 appearances in TV roles.

Early years

Born in Johnstown,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, Milford studied

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

but chose to pursue his first love, acting. He "worked for some years with Los Angeles' Bureau of Engineering, Department of Public Works."

Career

Milford first appeared on television in the 1940s on ''What's My Name?'' on KGRB in Albany, New York. After making his film debut in '' Marty'' in 1955, Milford went on to act in dozens of film and TV roles, especially in Westerns such as ''

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 ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'', '' The Fugitive'', ''

The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour epis ...

'', ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television series starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show ...

''(S3 E4, S5 E7), and '' The Virginian''. From 1959 to 1960, Milford was cast in ten episodes as the historical figure

Ike Clanton Joseph Isaac Clanton (c. 1847 – June 1, 1887) was a member of a loose association of outlaws known as Cochise County Cowboys, The Cowboys who clashed with lawmen Wyatt Earp, Wyatt, Virgil Earp, Virgil and Morgan Earp as well as Doc Holliday. ...

on the ABC/

Desilu Desilu Productions, Inc. () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as ''I Love Lucy'', '' The Lucy Show'', '' Mannix'', '' The ...

series, ''

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults.Hugh O'Brian Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC Western (genre), Western television series ' ...

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman in the American West, including Dodge City, Kansas, Dodge City, Wichita, Kansas, Wichita, and Tombstone, Arizona, Tombstone. Earp was involved in the gunfight ...

. Milford's last episode was S5 E41 "Wyatt's Bitterest Enemy" which aired 6/7/1960. From 1959 to 1968, Milford appeared in three episodes of ''

'': on "Vendetta" as Ned Morgan, "Half a Rogue" as Cal Stacy and "A World Full of Cannibals" as Rodgers. Milford guest-starred in four episodes of ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...

'' from 1969 to 1974: on "Deathrun" as Sheriff George Hale, "Portrait of a Hero" as Col. Edgar Ewing, "Cry Danger" as Stan Forrester and "The Survivor Who Wasn't" as Harry. In 1965, Milford had a recurring role as Cole Younger in the ABC series '' The Legend of Jesse James'', starring Christopher Jones. In the same year, Milford appeared in the third-season episode "Billy the Kid" as Sergeant Stoner on the

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 ...

drama ''

Combat! ''Combat!'' is an American television drama that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American soldiers ...

'', as well as in an episode of ''

'' titled “Winner Take All” (S10E22). Throughout his career Milford continued to work in the theater. He founded the Chamber Theater at 3759 Cahuenga Blvd, pioneering Equity Waiver productions in Los Angeles, and helped launch the careers of actors such as

Richard Chamberlain George Richard Chamberlain (March 31, 1934 – March 29, 2025) was an American actor and singer who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show '' Dr. Kildare'' (1961–1966). He subsequently earned the title "King of the Mini- ...

and

Vic Morrow Vic Morrow (born Victor Morozoff; February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor. He came to prominence as one of the leads of the ABC drama series '' Combat!'' (1962–1967), which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstandin ...

. Milford's ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' obituary credits him with using his engineering background to help create the original design for 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 ...

. Milford played the part of Albert Einstein in the 1996 video game ''Command & Conquer: Red Alert''.

Death

Milford died of

skin cancer Skin cancers are cancers that arise from the Human skin, skin. They are due to the development of abnormal cells (biology), cells that have the ability to invade or metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. It occurs when skin cells grow ...

in 2000.

Filmography

References

LA Times biographical article

External links

*
John Hackney Milford
at Find A Grave {{DEFAULTSORT:Milford, John 1929 births 2000 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Deaths from skin cancer in the United States 20th-century American male actors Western (genre) television actors Deaths from cancer in California People from Johnstown, New York Male actors from New York (state)