Malcolm MacLeod Atterbury (February 20, 1907 – August 16, 1992) was an American stage, film, and television actor, and

vaudevillian Vaudeville (; ) is a theatre, theatrical genre of variety show, 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 comic ...

Early years and education

A native of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Atterbury was the son of Malcolm MacLeod, Sr. and Arminia Clara (Rosengarten) MacLeod. He had an older sister, Elizabeth, a twin brother, Norman, and a younger brother, George Rosengarten MacLeod. After his father's death his mother remarried to General William Wallace Atterbury, president of

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...

. Through this marriage, he had a half-brother, William Wallace Atterbury Jr. He graduated from

The Hill School The Hill School is a coeducational preparatory boarding school located on a campus in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about northwest of Philadelphia. The Hill is part of the Ten Schools Admission Organization. The school is accredited by the Mi ...

Pottstown, Pennsylvania Pottstown is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts (Pennsylvanian), John Potts. The old name was abando ...

. In the mid-1930s, Atterbury decided to pursue a career in drama. He enrolled at Hilda Spong's Dramatic School using an assumed name. Later, after revealing his true identity, he went on to "finance a summer theater for the Hilda Spong Players at

Cape May Cape May consists of a peninsula and barrier island system in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is roughly coterminous with Cape May County and runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Th ...

, and they, in turn, asked him to be their managing director."

Career

Radio

In 1928, Atterbury was the bass singer in a quartet that sang on WLIT in Philadelphia. In 1930, he became the program director of a radio station in Philadelphia. He went on to become business manager of

WHAT What or WHAT may refer to: * What, an English interrogative word * "What?", one of the Five Ws used in journalism Film and television * ''What!'' (film), also known as ''The Whip and the Body'', a 1963 Italian film directed by Mario Bava * ...

Theatre

Atterbury was a devoted theatre actor. He owned and operated two theatres in the

Adirondack Mountains The Adirondack Mountains ( ) are a massif of mountains in Northeastern New York which form a circular dome approximately wide and covering about . The region contains more than 100 peaks, including Mount Marcy, which is the highest point in Ne ...

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 * ...

, the Tamarack Playhouse in

Lake Pleasant, New York Lake Pleasant is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Hamilton County, New York, Hamilton County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 897 at the 2020 census. It contains the hamlet of Lake Pleasant (haml ...

and the Albany Playhouse Co. in Albany.Variety, May 12, 1948, p. 56 He also appeared on Broadway in the original cast of ''

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to: * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (play), a 1963 stage adaptation of the novel starring Kirk Douglas * ''One Flew Over the ...

'', as Scanlon.

Film

Atterbury is perhaps best known for his uncredited role in

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

's ''

North by Northwest ''North by Northwest'' is a 1959 American spy thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason. The original screenplay written by Ernest Lehman was intended to be the basis for ...

'' (1959), as the rural man who exclaims, "That plane's dustin' crops where there ain't no crops!" Four years later, Atterbury appeared as the deputy in Hitchcock's '' The Birds'' (1963). He further appeared in such films as ''

I Was a Teenage Werewolf ''I Was a Teenage Werewolf'' is a 1957 American science fiction horror film directed by Gene Fowler Jr., and starring Michael Landon as a troubled teenager, Yvonne Lime, and Whit Bissell. Co-written and produced by cult film producer Herma ...

'' (1957), ''

Crime of Passion A crime of passion (), in popular usage, refers to a violent crime, especially homicide, in which the perpetrator commits the act against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as anger or jealousy rather than as a premeditated crime. A ...

'' (1957), ''

Blue Denim ''Blue Denim'' is a 1959 American drama film based on a Broadway play by writer James Leo Herlihy. It starred Carol Lynley and Warren Berlinger who reprised their stage roles. 17-year-old Brandon deWilde appeared in his first "adult" role ...

'' (1959), ''

Wild River A wild river (United States, Australia, & New Zealand) or heritage river (Canada) is a :river or a Drainage basin, river system designated by a government to be protected and kept "relatively untouched by development and are therefore in near n ...

'' (1960), ''

Advise and Consent ''Advise and Consent'' is a 1959 political fiction novel by Allen Drury that explores the United States Senate confirmation of controversial Secretary of State nominee Robert Leffingwell, whose promotion is endangered due to growing evidence ...

'' (1962), and ''

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

'' (1966). His last film was ''

Emperor of the North Pole ''Emperor of the North Pole'' is a 1973 American action adventure film directed by Robert Aldrich, starring Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Keith Carradine, and Charles Tyner. It was later re-released on home media (and is more widely known) un ...

'' (1973).

Television

Atterbury made frequent appearances on television. He was cast in five episodes of

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

's murder mystery series ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and four short stories, all of which involve a ...

'' during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Three times he played the murderer. He played Sam Burris in the 1957 episode, "The Case of the Angry Mourner". His guest-starring roles included appearances on ''

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 ...

'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

The Asphalt Jungle ''The Asphalt Jungle'' is a 1950 American heist film noir directed and cowritten by John Huston and starring Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Jean Hagen, James Whitmore, Sam Jaffe, John McIntire and Marilyn Monroe in one of her earliest role ...

'', '' Have Gun - Will Travel'' (episode: "Shot by Request"), ''

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 ...

'', ''

Window on Main Street ''Window on Main Street'' is an American comedy-drama television series starring Robert Young about an author who returns to his home town after an absence of many years to write about the people and events there. Original episodes aired from Oc ...

'', '' Straightaway'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

Kentucky Jones ''Kentucky Jones'' is an American comedy-drama television series starring Dennis Weaver which centers around a widowed Southern California veterinarian and rancher raising an adopted Chinese boy. Original episodes aired from September 19, 1964, u ...

'', ''The Odd Couple'' (1970 TV series, episode: "A Barnacle Adventure"), ''

The Rookies ''The Rookies'' is an American police procedural series created by Rita Lakin that originally aired on ABC from September 11, 1972, to March 30, 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for ...

'', ''

The Sheriff of Cochise ''The Sheriff of Cochise'' is an American police crime drama television series of 79 black-and-white episodes broadcast from 1956 to 1958. The show has two seasons of 39 episodes, and there is an additional standalone episode. Each episode run ...

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

State Trooper State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction ...

'', ''

Rescue 8 ''Rescue 8'' is a syndicated American action adventure drama series about Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) Rescue Squad 8. It premiered in 1958 and originally ran for two seasons with syndicated reruns continuing for almost a deca ...

'', '' Fury'', '' The Man from Blackhawk'', '' The Tall Man'', '' The Invaders'' (episode: "The Trial") and ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The series ...

'' (episode: "The Cow Thief", 1962), ''The Bob Newhart Show'' (episode: "No Sale"). He had a regular role as Grandfather Aldon in the 1974–75

television family drama, ''

Apple's Way ''Apple's Way'' is an American drama television series that aired on CBS from February 10, 1974, to January 12, 1975. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr. (1923-2016). Premise The Apples of Los Angeles—architect George, his wife Barbara, their ...

''.

Personal life

Atterbury was married on February 6, 1937 to Ellen Ayres Hardies (1915–1994) of

Amsterdam, New York Amsterdam () is a city in Montgomery County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,219. The city is named after Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam is bordered on the northern and ea ...

, daughter of judge Charles E. Hardies Sr. and sister of Charles Hardies Jr., who later became Montgomery County district attorney.

Filmography

*'' Dragnet'' (1954) - Lee Reinhard *'' Man Without a Star'' (1955) - Fancy Joe Toole (uncredited) *'' The Rawhide Years'' (1955) - Luke, Paymaster (uncredited) *''

'' (1956) (Season 1 Episode 27: "Help Wanted") as the Blackmailer *''

Silent Fear ''Silent Fear'' is a 1956 American adventure film The adventure film is a broad genre of film. Some early genre studies found it no different than the Western film or argued that adventure could encompass all Hollywood genres. Commonality was fo ...

'' (1956) - Dr. Vernon *''

'' (1956) - (twice) Seldon & Liveryman *''

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 a ...

'' (1956) - Phineas Tripp (uncredited) * ''

Frontier A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. Australia The term "frontier" was frequently used in colonial Australia in the meaning of country that borders the unknown or uncivilised, th ...

'' (1956) Season 1, Episode 19 ''The Assassin'' as Donley *''

The Steel Jungle ''The Steel Jungle'' is a 1956 American film noir crime drama directed by Walter Doniger and starring Perry Lopez, Beverly Garland, and Walter Abel. The film was directed and written by Walter Doniger. Produced independently, the film was d ...

'' (1956) - Mailman *'' Miracle in the Rain'' (1956) - Special Delivery Man (uncredited) *'' Stranger at My Door'' (1956) - Reverend Hastings *'' A Day of Fury'' (1956) - Gaunt Farmer (uncredited) *'' Crime in the Streets'' (1956) - Mr. McAllister *'' Dakota Incident'' (1956) - Bartender / Desk Clerk *''

Johnny Concho ''Johnny Concho'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Don McGuire starring Frank Sinatra, Keenan Wynn, William Conrad and Phyllis Kirk. This was Sinatra's first serious Western and the role allowed him to play against type in his port ...

'' (1956) - Milo, Mail Dispatcher (uncredited) *'' Storm Center'' (1956) - Frank (uncredited) *''

Toward the Unknown ''Toward the Unknown'', originally called ''Flight Test Center'' and titled ''Brink of Hell'' in its UK release, is a 1956 American aviation film about the dawn of supersonic flight filmed on location at Edwards Air Force Base. Starring William ...

'' (1956) - Hank - Bell Technical Representative * '' Reprisal!'' (1956) - Luther Creel (uncredited) *''

'' (1957) - Police Officer Spitz *''

Slander Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making wikt:asserti ...

'' (1957) - Byron (uncredited) *'' Hot Summer Night'' (1957) - Jim - Newspaper Man on Street (uncredited) *''

Fury at Showdown ''Fury at Showdown'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Gerd Oswald.A. H. Weiler.Screen: 'Boy on a Dolphin' at Roxy; Scenery and Signorina Loren Are Eye-Filling Mild Adventure Is Set Against Greek Isles 'Fury at Showdown' Makeshift Safa ...

'' (1957) - Norris *''

'' (1957) - Charles Rivers *'' Valerie'' (1957) - Sheriff *'' Blood of Dracula'' (1957) - Lieutenant Dunlap *''

The Walter Winchell File ''The Walter Winchell File'' is a television crime drama series that initially aired from 1957 to 1958, dramatizing cases from the New York City Police Department that were covered in the ''New York Daily Mirror''. The series featured columnist ...

'' "The Witness" (1957) - Major Frank Spears *''

The Dalton Girls ''The Dalton Girls'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Reginald Le Borg and starring Merry Anders, Lisa Davis, Penny Edwards, Sue George and John Russell. Plot Two men on horseback are fleeing a posse. Pistol shots are exchanged an ...

'' (1957) - Mr. Sewell, the Bank Manager *''

'' (1957) (Season 1 Episode 7: "The Case of the Angry Mourner") - Sam Burris *'' Too Much, Too Soon'' (1958) - Older Attendant (scenes deleted) *'' The High Cost of Loving'' (1958) - Harry Lessing (uncredited) *'' From Hell to Texas'' (1958) - Hotel Clerk *''

No Time for Sergeants ''No Time for Sergeants'' is a 1954 best-selling novel by Mac Hyman, which was adapted into a teleplay on '' The United States Steel Hour'', a popular Broadway play and 1958 motion picture, as well as a 1964 television series. The book chronic ...

'' (1958) - Bus Driver with Applications (uncredited) *'' How to Make a Monster'' (1958) - Security Guard Richards *'' Badman's Country'' (1958) - Buffalo Bill Cody *'' Rio Bravo'' (1959) - Jake (Stage Driver) (scenes deleted) *''

'' (1959) (Season 1 Episode 3: ‘Mr. Denton on Doomsday’) - Henry J. Fate *''

High School Big Shot ''High School Big Shot'' is a 1959 film starring Tom Pittman (actor), Tom Pittman, in his final film role, as Marv Grant, a smart high school student whose plans for getting a college scholarship are threatened by his alcoholic father played by Ma ...

'' (1959) - Mr. Grant *''

'' (1959) - Man at prairie crossing (uncredited) *''

'' (1959) - Marriage License Clerk (uncredited) *'' Hell Bent for Leather'' (1960) - Gamble *''

'' (1960) - Sy Moore *''

From the Terrace ''From the Terrace'' is a 1960 American DeLuxe Color romantic drama film in CinemaScope directed by Mark Robson from a screenplay by Ernest Lehman, based on the 1958 novel of the same name by John O'Hara. The film stars Paul Newman, Joanne Wo ...

'' (1960) - George Fry *''

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...

'' (1960) (Season 1 Episode 1: "Black November") - Bolton *''

Summer and Smoke ''Summer and Smoke'' is a two-part, thirteen-scene play by Tennessee Williams, completed in 1948. He began working on the play in 1945 as ''Chart of Anatomy'', derived from his short stories "Oriflamme" and "Yellow Bird", the latter still a wor ...

'' (1961) - Reverend Winemiller *''

Advise & Consent ''Advise & Consent'' is a 1962 American political drama film based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ''Advise and Consent'' by Allen Drury, published in 1959. The film was adapted for the screen by Wendell Mayes and was directed by Otto P ...

'' (1962) - Senator Tom August *'' The Birds'' (1963) - Deputy Al Malone *''

Cattle King ''Cattle King'' is a 1963 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Tay Garnett. It stars Robert Taylor (American actor), Robert Taylor and Robert Loggia. It was also known by the alternative title of ''Guns of Wyoming'' in some countr ...

'' (1963) - Abe Clevenger * ''

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre ''Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' is an American anthology series, sponsored by Chrysler, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967. The show was hosted by Bob Hope, but it had a variety of formats, including musical, dramatic, and comed ...

'', episode:"A Killing at Sundial" (1963) *'' Seven Days in May'' (1964) - Horace - White House Physician (uncredited) *'' The Fugitive'' (1964) (Season 2 Episode 3: ‘Man on a String’) -Sheriff Mead *'' Joy in the Morning'' (1965) - Willis J. Calamus (uncredited) *'' The Fugitive'' (1966) (Season 3 Episode 20: ‘Stroke of Genius’) - Sheriff Bilson *''

'' (1966) (Episode: 'The Unwritten Commandment') - Willard Walker *'' The Chase'' (1966) - Mr. Reeves *''

'' (1966) - Gideon Hale *''

The Hardy Boys The Hardy Boys, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional characters who appear in a series of mystery novels for young readers. The series revolves around teenage amateur sleuths, solving cases that often stumped their adult counterparts. ...

'' (1969) - Clams Daggett *''

The Learning Tree ''The Learning Tree'' is a 1969 American coming-of-age film written, produced and directed by Gordon Parks Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks (November 30, 1912 – March 7, 2006) was an American photographer, composer, author, poet, an ...

'' (1969) - Silas Newhall *'' Emperor of the North'' (1973) - Hogger *''

The Towering Inferno ''The Towering Inferno'' is a 1974 American disaster film directed by John Guillermin and produced by Irwin Allen, featuring an ensemble cast led by Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. It was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from the novels '' The ...

'' (1974) - Jeweler (uncredited) *''

The Bob Newhart Show ''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American television sitcom produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psychol ...

'' (1976) (Season 4 Episode 16: 'No Sale') – Mr. Arbogast *'' Police Story'' (1978) (Season 5 Episode 4: 'Day of Terror... Night of Fear') – Alfred Weiser *'' Quincy M.E.'' (1978) (Season 4 Episode 8: 'No Way to Treat a Body') – Raymond Kaufman *''

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 ...

'' (1979) (Season 6 Episode 13: 'The Angry Heart') - Brewster Davenport

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Atterbury, Malcolm 1907 births 1992 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Male actors from Philadelphia The Hill School alumni