Lane Bradford (born John Myrtland Le Varre, Jr., August 29, 1922 – June 6, 1973) was an American actor, who appeared in more than 250 films and

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...

between 1940 and 1973, specializing in supporting "tough-guy" roles predominantly in Westerns but also in more contemporary

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

s such as '' Dragnet'', '' The Fugitive'', and '' Hawaii Five-O''.

Early life

Lane Bradford was born in 1923, the son of

John Merton John Merton (born Myrtland F. LaVarre; February 18, 1901 – September 19, 1959) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 films between 1927 and 1959, mostly as a villain. He was the brother of filmmaker André de la Varre an ...

Career

Bradford appeared in many television series and "B"

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 ...

films. On stage, he co-starred in ''Desperadoes' Outpost'' (1952), '' The Great Sioux Uprising'' (1953, and ''Apache Warrior'' (1957). Bradford played the historical figure,

Sequoyah Sequoyah (Cherokee: ᏍᏏᏉᏯ, ''Ssiquoya'', or ᏎᏉᏯ, ''Se-quo-ya''; 1770 – August 1843), also known as George Gist or George Guess, was a Native American polymath of the Cherokee Nation. In 1821, he completed his independent crea ...

, the namesake of

Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park is an American national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California. The park was established on September 25, 1890, and today protects of forested mountainous terrain. Encompassing a vertical relief of ...

, in the 1954 episode "Sequoia" of the western

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a di ...

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television 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 progra ...

'' hosted by

Stanley Andrews Stanley Andrews (born Stanley Martin Andrzejewski; August 28, 1891 – June 23, 1969) was an American actor perhaps best known as the voice of Daddy Warbucks on the radio program '' Little Orphan Annie'' and later as "The Old Ranger", the firs ...

. The segment covers Sequoyah from earliest years to his development of the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

alphabet.

Carol Thurston Carol Thurston (born Betty Lou Thurston; September 27, 1920 – December 31, 1969) was an American film and television actress who played the fictitious Emma Clanton in eight episodes (1959-1961) of the ABC/Desilu western television series ...

and

Angie Dickinson Angeline Dickinson (née Brown; born September 30, 1931) is an American actress. She began her career on television, appearing in many anthology series during the 1950s, before gaining her breakthrough role in '' Gun the Man Down'' (1956) wi ...

played Sali and Ayoka, respectively. In ak 1959 ''Death Valley Days'' episode, "The Blonde King," Bradford played California pioneer Jim Savage, a friend of the Indians who works to stop a threat to the peace of the

Yosemite Valley Yosemite Valley ( ; ''Yosemite'', Miwok for "killer") is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California. The valley is about long and deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as ...

. In the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, Bradford guest-starred on nearly all of 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 ...

series broadcast on American television during that period. He was cast on the ABC/

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

series, '' Colt .45'' as Pete Jesup in the 1959 episode "The Devil's Godson". He also appeared on ''

Hopalong Cassidy Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He w ...

'', ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'' (fifteen times), '' Buffalo Bill, Jr.'' (six times), '' Laredo'' (five times), '' The Cisco Kid'', '' Tales of the Texas Rangers'' (twice), ''

Jefferson Drum ''Jefferson Drum'', also known as ''The Pen and the Quill'', is an American Western television series starring Jeff Richards that aired on the NBC network from April 25 to December 11, 1958. Overview Jefferson Drum, portrayed by Jeff Richards, ...

'', '' Johnny Ringo'', Maverick, ''

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin ''The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin'' is an American children's television series in the Western genre that aired from October 1954 to May 1959 on the ABC television network. In all, 164 episodes aired. The show starred Lee Aaker as Rusty, a boy o ...

'' (five times), '' Lassie (TV series) (1965)'', ''

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults, premiering four days before ''Gunsmoke'' on September 6, 1955. Two weeks later came the Clint Walker western ''Cheyenne''. The series is loosely bas ...

'' (six times), ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian languages, Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized tribe, federally recognize ...

'' (seven times), ''

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 ...

'' (eight times), ''

The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions in ...

'' (twice), '' The Restless Gun'' (four times), times), ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'' (fourteen times), ''

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

'' (thirteen times), '' The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'', '' Storefront Lawyers'', '' Ripcord, and ''

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon ''Challenge of the Yukon'' is an American radio adventure series that began on Detroit's WXYZ and is an example of a Northern genre story. The series was first heard on January 3, 1939. The title changed from ''Challenge of the Yukon'' to '' ...

''. Bradford guest-starred on the religion anthology series, '' Crossroads''. He made two appearances on CBS's '' Perry Mason'', including the role of Detective Arnold Buck in the 1962 episode "The Case of the Absent Artist." His last television appearance was in 1973 on an episode of the CBS private-detective series ''

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 ...

'', with

William Conrad William Conrad (born John William Cann Jr., September 27, 1920 – February 11, 1994) was an American actor, producer, and director whose entertainment career spanned five decades in radio, film, and television, peaking in popularity when he s ...

. The episode, titled "Press Pass to the Slammer", aired that year on March 13, just three months before Bradford's death.

Death

In early June 1973, Bradford collapsed while boating in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

. Rushed to Kaiser Memorial Hospital in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the islan ...

, the 50-year-old actor died at that facility four days later of a

cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...

."On the trail of John Merton and his son Lane Bradford."
The Old Corral (bwesterns.com). Retrieved May 7, 2017. Although most biographical profiles of Bradford cite his death date as June 7, 1973, that date is actually incorrect. His official death certificate, which was issued by Kaiser Memorial Hospital, documents that he died on June 6, 1973. In accordance with Bradford's wishes, the Oahu Cemetery Association administered the

cremation Cremation is a method of final disposition of a dead body through burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India and Nepal, cremation on an open-air pyre ...

of his remains.

Selected filmography

*1940: '' Frontier Crusader'' - Cowhand (uncredited) *1940: '' Riders of Black Mountain'' - Deputy (uncredited) *1946: '' Silver Range'' *1946: '' Overland Riders'' *1947: '' Prairie Raiders'' *1947: '' Return of the Lash'' *1947: ''

Black Hills The Black Hills ( lkt, Ȟe Sápa; chy, Moʼȯhta-voʼhonáaeva; hid, awaxaawi shiibisha) is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black Elk P ...

'' *1947: ''

Ghost Town Renegades ''Ghost Town Renegades'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Ray Taylor and written by Patricia Harper. The film stars Lash LaRue, Al St. John, Jennifer Holt, Jack Ingram, Terry Frost and Steve Clark. The film was released on July 26, ...

'' *1948: '' Dead Man's Gold'' *1948: '' Check Your Guns'' *1948: '' Adventures of Frank and Jesse James'' *1949: ''

Death Valley Gunfighter ''Death Valley Gunfighter'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Robert Creighton Williams. The film stars Allan Lane, Eddy Waller, James Nolan, Gail Davis, William "Bill" Henry, Harry Harvey, Sr. and ...

'' *1949: '' Prince of the Plains'' *1950: '' The Arizona Cowboy'' *1951: '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'' *1951: '' Oklahoma Justice'' *1951: '' Wells Fargo Gunmaster'' *1952: '' Man from the Black Hills'' *1952: '' Texas City'' *1952: ''

Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

'' *1953: ''

Law and Order In modern politics, law and order is the approach focusing on harsher enforcement and penalties as ways to reduce crime. Penalties for perpetrators of disorder may include longer terms of imprisonment, mandatory sentencing, three-strikes laws a ...

'' *1953: '' Savage Frontier'' *1953: ''

Kansas Pacific The Kansas Pacific Railway (KP) was a historic railroad company that operated in the western United States in the late 19th century. It was a federally chartered railroad, backed with government land grants. At a time when the first transcontine ...

'' *1953-1956: '' Adventures of Superman'' (TV Series) - Al / Guree the Bear / Capt. Chris White *1954: '' Drums Across the River'' *1955: '' Stranger on Horseback'' - Kettering Henchman (uncredited) *1955: '' Seven Angry Men'' - Ruffian on Train (uncredited) *1955: '' The Spoilers'' - Second Sourdough (uncredited) *1955-1959: '' Fury'' (

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...

TV Series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...

) - Verne / Vern Bates / Bart - aka Verne Clancy *1956: '' The Conqueror'' - Chieftain #4 (uncredited) *1956: '' The Steel Jungle'' - Guard *1956: '' Red Sundown'' - Mike Zellman (uncredited) *1956: '' The Rawhide Years'' - River Pirate (uncredited) *1956: '' Gun Brothers'' - Deputy (uncredited) *1956: ''

Showdown at Abilene ''Showdown at Abilene'' is a 1956 American western film directed by Charles F. Haas and starring Jock Mahoney, Martha Hyer and Lyle Bettger. The film was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. In 1967 it was remade by Universal as ''Gun ...

'' - Loop *1957: '' The Phantom Stagecoach'' - Langton (uncredited) *1957: ''

Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend ''Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Richard L. Bare and starring Randolph Scott, James Craig, Angie Dickinson and James Garner. James Garner, who had a small role, said "it was always fun working with ...

'' - Stone (uncredited) *1957: '' Gun Glory'' - Ugly (uncredited) *1957: '' Apache Warrior'' - Sgt. Gaunt *1956-1957: ''

'' (TV Series) - Bart Larson / Jason Bowhead / Big Ike Bancroft *1958: ''

Richard Diamond, Private Detective ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960. Radio Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detectiv ...

'' (

CBS-TV CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

, Series) - Sol Noonan *1958: '' The Sheepman'' - Ranch Hand (uncredited) *1958: ''

The Toughest Gun in Tombstone ''The Toughest Gun in Tombstone'' is a 1958 American Western film directed by Earl Bellamy and starring George Montgomery. Opening narration "In the early eighteen-eighties, when all law enforcement failed in Arizona Territory, cattle rustling ...

'' - Curly Bill Brosius *1958: ''

The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold ''The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold'' is a 1958 American Western film in Eastmancolor released by United Artists. The second of two theatrical features specifically based on and continuing the TV show '' The Lone Ranger'' it stars Clay ...

'' - Wilson *1959: '' Have Gun - Will Travel - Frank Tanner *1959-1960: '' The Texan'' (CBS, TV Series, with Chill Wills) - Buck Tanner / Jed Burdette / Gabe Kiley / Spike Taylor *1959-1972: ''

'' (TV Series) - Dump Hart / Joe Eggers / Bradford / Reese / Dan O'Hare / Davis / Lige / Gant / Bob / Rawlins / Tush / Jay *1960: ''

Bourbon Street Beat ''Bourbon Street Beat'' is a private detective television series that aired on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from October 5, 1959, to July 4, 1960, starring Richard Long (actor), Richard Long as Rex Randolph and Andrew Duggan as C ...

'' ( ABC-TV, Series) - Bailey *1960: ''

'' (TV Series) - Rob Bradbury *1960: ''

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

'' ( NBC-TV, with

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award from four nominations, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, the Ceci ...

) - William Essey *1961: ''

Sea Hunt ''Sea Hunt'' is an American action adventure television series that aired in syndication from 1958 to 1961 and was popular for decades afterwards. The series originally aired for four seasons, with 155 episodes produced. It stars Lloyd Bridges a ...

'' (TV Series) - Capt. Jonathan Moss / Frank Judd *1963: ''

The Gun Hawk ''The Gun Hawk'' is a 1963 American Western film directed by Edward Ludwig and starring Rory Calhoun, Rod Cameron, Ruta Lee and Rod Lauren. Plot Gunslinger Rory Calhoun dispenses his own brand of justice in this action-packed Western advent ...

'' - Joe Sully *1963: ''

The Dakotas The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, econo ...

'' (ABC-TV Series) - Sergeant Abel Round *1964: ''

A Distant Trumpet ''A Distant Trumpet'' is a 1964 American Western film, the last directed by Raoul Walsh. It stars Troy Donahue, Suzanne Pleshette and Diane McBain. The screenplay by John Twist, Albert Beich and Richard Fielder is based on the 1960 novel of ...

'' - Maj. Miller *1965: '' Shenandoah'' - Tatum (uncredited) *1965: '' The Slender Thread'' - Al McCardle *1965: ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another ...

'' (TV Series) - Sam *1966: ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...

'' (ABC-TV Series) - Cordy Blue *1967: '' Rango'' (ABC-TV Series) - Cole Colton (Episode: "Shootout at Mesa Flats") *1967: '' Dragnet'' (NBC-TV Series) - Champ Ridgely *1968: '' Journey to Shiloh'' - Case Pettibone *1971: '' Shoot Out'' - Prison Warden (uncredited) *1971-1973: '' Hawaii Five-O'' (CBS-TV Series) - Manola / Moose Oakley *1973: ''

'' (CBS-TV Series) - Walt Morgan

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bradford, Lane 1922 births 1973 deaths American male television actors American male film actors 20th-century American male actors People from Yonkers, New York People from Los Angeles