Murray Hamilton (March 24, 1923 – September 1, 1986) was an American stage, screen and television

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 ...

who appeared in such acclaimed films as '' The Spirit of St. Louis'', ''

Anatomy of a Murder ''Anatomy of a Murder'' is a 1959 American legal drama film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Wendell Mayes was based on the 1958 novel of the same name written by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker under ...

'', '' The Hustler'', ''

The Graduate ''The Graduate'' is a 1967 American independent romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novella by Charles Webb. It stars Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddoc ...

'', ''

The Way We Were ''The Way We Were'' is a 1973 American romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Arthur Laurents adapted the screenplay from his own 1972 novel of the same name, which was based on his ...

'', '' Jaws'' and '' The Amityville Horror''.

Early life

Hamilton was born in

Washington, North Carolina Washington is a city in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States, located on the northern bank of the Pamlico River. The population was 9,875 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Beaufort County. It is c ...

. He displayed an early interest in performing during his days at Washington High School just before America's entry into World War II. Bad hearing kept him from enlisting, so he moved to New York City as a 19-year-old to find a career on stage.

Career

In an early role, he performed on stage with

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in Hollywood. On screen and stage, he often portrayed characters who embodied an everyman image. Bo ...

in the wartime story '' Mister Roberts'' as a replacement for David Wayne, playing Ensign Pulver. In 1960, he was onstage again with Fonda in '' Critic's Choice'';

Howard Taubman Hyman Howard Taubman (July 4, 1907 – January 8, 1996) was an American music critic, theater critic, and author. Biography Born in Manhattan, Taubman attended DeWitt Clinton High School and then won a four-year scholarship to Cornell University ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called him "properly obnoxious as the director". Hamilton was teamed once more with Fonda in 1968 for the drama film '' The Boston Strangler''. Hamilton's best-known performance is as Larry Vaughn, the mayor of Amity, in the

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...

thriller '' Jaws'' (1975). Hamilton reprised the role in the sequel, ''

Jaws 2 ''Jaws 2'' is a 1978 American horror thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and co-written by Carl Gottlieb. It is the sequel to Steven Spielberg's '' Jaws'' (1975), and the second installment in the ''Jaws'' franchise. The film stars Roy ...

'' in 1978. He had agreed to reprise the role again in '' Jaws: The Revenge'', but died in 1986, before production began. Other notable big-screen appearances include the critically acclaimed 1959 film ''

'' with

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

, in which he played the bartender Al Pacquette, who gives testimony in the murder of Barney Quill. He also worked with Stewart in '' The Spirit of St. Louis'' (1957) and '' The FBI Story'' (1959). The actor made dozens of TV guest appearances. In 1955, Hamilton guest-starred on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

legal drama Legal drama, also called courtroom drama, is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in wh ...

Justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

'', based on case files of the Legal Aid Society of

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 * ...

. Hamilton appeared in the '' Perry Mason'' episode "The Case of the Deadly Double" (1958) as murderer Johnny Hale the shadowy boyfriend of a woman with a split personality who is the sister of Perry Mason's client. In 1957, he played a conniving cowboy who sets up Chester for a murder charge as "Jake Buley" in the ''

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 ...

'' episode "Chester's Murder". In 1959, he appeared in a few episodes of the crime drama '' The Untouchables'', as well as co-starring in the second episode of

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...

's television series ''

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 ...

'', "

One for the Angels "One for the Angels" is the second episode of the American anthology television series '' The Twilight Zone''. It originally aired on October 9, 1959, on CBS television. Opening narration Plot Lew Bookman is a kindly sidewalk pitchman who se ...

", playing Mr. Death opposite

Ed Wynn Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), better known as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian. He began his career in vaudeville in 1903 and was known for his ''Perfect Fool'' comedy character, his pioneering radio show ...

. Also, Hamilton portrayed Calhoun, on (S4E9) of ''Gunsmoke'', which aired in April 1959. His character is swindled in a land deal along with other members of a wagon train & his wife tries to leave Calhoun with the swindler. In the 1959–60 television season, Hamilton also co-starred with William Demarest, Jeanne Bal and Stubby Kaye in the NBC

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 ...

'' Love and Marriage''. He played attorney Steve Baker, who resides in an apartment with his wife (played by Bal), two daughters and a father-in-law (portrayed by Demarest). He soon appeared as a guest star on another sitcom, '' The Real McCoys'', starring

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Come and Get It (1936 film), Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky (film), Kentucky'' (19 ...

, on ABC. In 1961, he appeared in another

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

series, '' 'Way Out'', hosted by

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

, with fellow guest stars

Doris Roberts Doris May Roberts ( Green; November 4, 1925 – April 17, 2016) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades of television and film. She received five Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild award during her acting career, which bega ...

and Martin Huston. He guest-starred in an episode of the

legal drama '' Hawkins'' in 1973. In 1986, he played Curtis "Big Daddy" Hollingsworth, Blanche Devereaux's father, in a first-season episode of ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. The show's ensemble cast stars Beatrice Arthur, Betty ...

''. Hamilton complained in a newspaper article about being typecast, stating "After I was first cast as a heavy on ''The Untouchables'', I couldn't ever persuade them roducersthat I could also do something else." While comic roles were rare for Hamilton during his Hollywood career, he had one opposite

Andy Griffith Andy Samuel Griffith (June 1, 1926 – July 3, 2012) was an American actor, comedian, television producer, singer, and writer whose career spanned seven decades in music and television. Known for his Southern drawl, his characters with a folksy ...

in the 1958 military comedy '' No Time for Sergeants'', as well as an appearance in Steven Spielberg's raucous comedy ''

1941 The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...

'', released in 1979. He also appeared in a comedic guest spot on ''

Mama's Family ''Mama's Family'' is an American sitcom television series starring Vicki Lawrence as Thelma Harper, Mama (Thelma Harper). The series is a spin-off of a recurring series of comedy sketches called "The Family (sketch), The Family" featured on ''T ...

'' in the second-season episode "Mama Cries Uncle" as Uncle Roy. He was more often cast in dramatic works, such as the science-fiction drama ''

Seconds The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of ...

'' (1966), which starred

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular film stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades, and was a prominent figure in the G ...

. In his most high-profile performances, Hamilton appeared with

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

in '' The Hustler'' (1961), playing Findley, a wealthy billiards player who gambles for high stakes, and with

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...

in ''

'' (1967) as Mr. Robinson, husband of the seductress Mrs. Robinson. In 1975, Hamilton appeared again with Newman in '' The Drowning Pool''. He also worked with

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...

in a pair of films, ''

'' (1973) and ''

Brubaker ''Brubaker'' is a 1980 American prison film, prison Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg. It stars Robert Redford as a newly arrived prison warden, Henry Brubaker, who attempts to clean up a corrupt and violent pe ...

'' (1980). In early 1982 he appeared as a judge presiding over an impromptu court case on an episode of '' Bret Maverick''. For many years before and during his film career, Hamilton was a prominent dramatic stage actor, earning a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nomination for his role in the 1965 production of ''Absence of a Cello''. ''New York Times'' theater critic

Brooks Atkinson Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theater critic. He worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of his ...

praised his work in the play ''Stockade'', which was based on a part of the James Jones novel ''

From Here to Eternity ''From Here to Eternity'' is a 1953 American romantic Drama (film and television)#War drama, war drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann and written by Daniel Taradash, based on the 1951 From Here to Eternity (novel), novel of the same name by J ...

'': "Murray Hamilton is an ideal Prewitt. Modest in manner, pleasant of voice, he has a steel-like spirit that brings Prewitt honestly to life." When the actor was suffering from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

and found film roles harder to come by, his old co-star George C. Scott helped out by getting him a part in the

made-for-television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a terrest ...

'' The Last Days of Patton'' (1986).

Death

Hamilton died of

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 ...

at age 63, and is interred at Oakdale Cemetery in his native Washington, North Carolina. He and his wife, Terri DeMarco Hamilton (of The DeMarco Sisters), had a son, David.

Filmography

* 1944 '' Song of the Open Road'' as Crop Corps Kid (uncredited) * 1944 '' Reckless Age'' as Member of Soldier Quartet * 1944 '' Something for the Boys'' as Soldier (uncredited) * 1951 ''

Bright Victory ''Bright Victory'' is a 1951 American drama romance war film directed by Mark Robson, and starring Arthur Kennedy and Peggy Dow. Plot During World War II, American sergeant Larry Nevins is blinded by a German sniper while fighting in North ...

'' as Pete Hamilton * 1951 '' The Whistle at Eaton Falls'' as Al Webster * 1956 ''

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 ...

'' as Major Bromo Lee * 1956 '' The Girl He Left Behind'' as Sergeant Clyde * 1957 '' The Spirit of St. Louis'' as Bud Gurney * 1957 '' Jeanne Eagels'' as Chick O'Hara * 1958 ''

'' as Calhoun * 1958 '' Darby's Rangers'' as Private / Sergeant Sims Delancey * 1958 '' Too Much, Too Soon'' as Charlie Snow * 1958 ''The Silent Service'' as Captain Latham * 1958 '' No Time for Sergeants'' as Irving S. Blanchard * 1958 '' Perry Mason'' as Johnny Hale * 1958 ''

Houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily for regular dwelling. Most houseboats are not motorized, as they are usually moored or kept stationary, fixed at a Berth (moorings), berth, and often tethered to ...

'' as Captain Alan Wilson * 1959 ''

'' as Alphonse Paquette * 1959 '' The FBI Story'' as Sam Crandall * 1959 ''

'' (Season 1 Episode 2: "One for the Angels") as Mr. Death * 1960 '' Tall Story'' as Coach Sandy Hardy * 1960 '' Route 66'' (Season 1 Episode 3: "The Swan Bed") as Dr. Stafford * 1960 ''

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 ...

'' (Season 5 Episode 37: "Escape to Sonoita") as Marsh * 1961 '' The Hustler'' as Findley * 1962 '' The Farmer's Daughter'' (TV movie) as Nordick * 1963 '' Papa's Delicate Condition'' as Mr. Harvey * 1963 '' 13 Frightened Girls'' as Wally Sanders * 1963 ''

The Cardinal ''The Cardinal'' is a 1963 American drama film produced independently, directed by Otto Preminger and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel by the same by Henry Morton Robinson. The ...

'' as Lafe * 1965 '' Inherit the Wind'' (TV movie) as E.K. Hornbeck * 1966 ''

'' as Charlie * 1966 '' An American Dream'' as Arthur Kabot * 1965 '' The Fugitive'' as Joe Steelman * 1967 ''A Bell for Adano'' (TV movie) as Sergeant Leonard Borth * 1967 ''

'' as Mr. Robinson * 1968 '' Sergeant Ryker'' as Captain Appleton * 1968 '' No Way to Treat a Lady'' as Inspector Haines * 1968 '' The Boston Strangler'' as Detective Frank McAfee * 1968 '' The Brotherhood'' as Jim Egan * 1969 ''

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium ''If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium'' is a 1969 American romantic comedy film made by Wolper Pictures and released by United Artists and made in DeLuxe Color. Directed by Mel Stuart, the movie was filmed on location throughout Europe, an ...

'' as Fred Ferguson * 1971 ''Vanished'' (TV movie) as Nick McCann * 1971 ''Cannon'' (TV movie) as Virgil Holley * 1971 ''A Tattered Web'' (TV movie) as Sergeant Joe Marcus * 1971 ''The Police'' (TV movie) as Chief of Police * 1971 ''The Harness'' (TV movie) as Roy Kern * 1971 '' The Failing of Raymond'' (TV movie) as Sergeant Manzak * 1972 '' Deadly Harvest'' (TV movie) as Sheriff Bill Jessup * 1973 '' Incident on a Dark Street'' (TV movie) as Edmund Schilling * 1973 ''Murdock's Gang'' (TV movie) as Harold Talbot * 1973 ''

'' as Brooks Carpenter * 1974 ''After the Fall'' (TV movie) as Mickey * 1975 '' Jaws'' as Mayor Larry Vaughn * 1975 '' The Drowning Pool'' as Kilbourne * 1977 '' Murder at the World Series'' (TV movie) as Harvey Murkison * 1977 '' Damnation Alley'' as General Landers (uncredited) * 1977 ''Killer on Board'' (TV movie) as Dr. Folger * 1978 '' Casey's Shadow'' as Tom Patterson * 1978 ''

'' as Mayor Larry Vaughn * 1979 ''Donovan's Kid'' (TV movie) as Henry Carpenter * 1979 ''A Last Cry for Help'' (TV movie) as Ralph Muir * 1979 '' The Amityville Horror'' as Father Ryan * 1979 ''

'' as Claude Crumn * 1980 ''Swan Song'' (TV movie) as Jack McCauley * 1980 ''

'' as John Deach * 1981 ''All the Way Home'' (TV movie) as Joel Lynch * 1981 '' B. J. and the Bear'' as Captain Rutherford T. Grant * 1982 '' Mazes and Monsters'' (TV movie) as Lieutenant Martini * 1983 '' Hysterical'' as The Mayor * 1983 '' Summer Girl'' (TV movie) as Jack Reardon * 1984 ''Boys in Blue'' (TV movie) as Captain Sid Bender * 1984 ''

'' as Uncle Roy Harper * 1984 ''

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 ...

'' as Bud Michaels * 1985 '' Too Scared to Scream'' as Jack * 1986 '' The Last Days of Patton'' (TV movie) as General Hobart "Hap" Gay * 1986 '' Blacke's Magic'' as Ben McGuire * 1986 ''

'' as Curtis "Big Daddy" Hollingsworth * 1986 '' Whoops Apocalypse'' as Jack "Kill The Commies" Preston

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Murray 1923 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Deaths from lung cancer in North Carolina Male actors from North Carolina People from Washington, North Carolina