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Bradford Dillman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bradford Dillman
Dillman as a guest star inThe F.B.I.in 1966.
Born(1930-04-14)April 14, 1930
San Francisco,California,U.S.
DiedJanuary 16, 2018(2018-01-16)(aged 87)
Santa Barbara, California,U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, author
Years active1953–1995
Spouses
Frieda Harding McIntosh
​
​
(m.1956;div.1962)​
​
​
(m.1963;died2003)​
Children5
Signature

Bradford Dillman(April 14, 1930 – January 16, 2018) was an American actor and author.

Early life

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Bradford Dillman was born on April 14, 1930, inSan Francisco,the son of Dean Dillman, a stockbroker, and Josephine (née Moore).[1]Bradford's paternal grandparents were Charles Francis Dillman and Stella Borland Dean. He studied atTown School for BoysandSt. Ignatius High Schoolfrom which he graduated in 1949.[2]He later attended theHotchkiss SchoolinConnecticut,where he became involved with school theatre productions. While atYale University,he enlisted in theU.S. Naval Reservein 1948. While a student, he was a member of theYale Dramatic Association,Fence Club,Torch Honor Society,The Society of Orpheus and Bacchus,WYBCandBerzelius.[3]He graduated from Yale in 1951 with a BA in English Literature.[4][3]

After graduation, he entered theUnited States Marine Corpsas an officer candidate, training atParris Island.He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps in September 1951. As he was preparing to deploy to the war inKorea,his orders were changed, and he spent the rest of his time in the Marine Corps, from 1951 to 1953, teaching communication in the Instructors' Orientation Course. He was discharged in 1953 with the rank of first lieutenant.[4]

Career

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Studying with theActors Studio,[5]Dillman spent several seasons apprenticing with theSharon, ConnecticutPlayhouse before making his professional acting debut inThe Scarecrowin 1953.[6]

Broadway

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Dillman first performed in aBroadway playas part of the U.S. premiere cast ofEugene O'Neill'sLong Day's Journey into Nightin November 1956. He portrayed the author's alter-ego character Edmund Tyrone and won aTheatre World Awardfor his performance. The production also featuredFredric March,Florence EldridgeandJason Robards Jr.,and played for 390 performances until March 1958.[7]

During 1955 he appeared in an episode of the television seriesThe Big Pictureas an MP patrolling the city ofAugusta, Georgia.In 1957,Katharine Cornellcast him in aHallmark Hall of Fametelevision production ofRobert E. Sherwood'sPulitzer Prizewinning 1940 play,There Shall Be No Night.[8]

20th Century Fox

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Dillman was cast in the movie melodramaA Certain Smile(1958). He followed this withIn Love and War(1958), a war movie featuring many of20th Century Fox's young contract players, for which he earned aGolden Globeaward.[9]It was a financial success. So too wasCompulsion(1959), featuring Dillman,Dean StockwellandOrson Wellesfor producerRichard Zanuckand directorRichard Fleischer.[10]

Dillman shared an award for Best Actor with Stockwell and Welles at theCannes Film Festival.[11]After making the movieCircle of Deception(1960) in London, Dillman was reunited with Welles, Fleischer and Zanuck forCrack in the Mirror(1960), filmed in Paris.[12]It was unsuccessful. Back in Hollywood, Fox cast Dillman in support ofYves MontandandLee RemickinSanctuary(1961). They also had him in the title role inFrancis of Assisi(1961).[13]

Television

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When he quit Fox, Dillman mostly concentrated on television. He guest-starred in a 1963 episode ofThe Virginian,titled: "Echo of Another Day" also appearing in S2E22 12 O’Clock High, “Twenty-Fifth Mission’. He co-featured withDiana Hylandin theAlfred Hitchcock Hourepisode "To Catch A Butterfly" in February 1963, and withBarbara Barriein the 1964Hitchcock Hourepisode "Isabel". He appeared in seven episodes ofDr. Kildare(1964–66) and 26 ofCourt Martial(1965–66).[14][15]He guest-featured in television series such asThe F.B.I.(six episodes),Ironside(two episodes),Shane,The Name of the Game,Columbo,The Wild Wild West,Night Gallery,The Eleventh Hour,Wagon Train,The Greatest Show on Earth,Breaking Point,Mission: Impossible(two episodes),The Mary Tyler Moore Show,Cannon,Barnaby Jones(six episodes),Three for the Road,Wonder Womanand a two-part episode ofThe Man From U.N.C.L.E.,which was made into the feature movieThe Helicopter Spies(1968).[16][17]

Dillman appeared twice in theWesterntelevision seriesThe Big Valley(1965–69), once in season two, episode 15, titled "Day of the Comet", broadcast December 26, 1966; and the second time in season three, episode 9, titled "A Noose is Waiting", which was broadcast November 13, 1967.[18]He appeared in occasional movies during this period, includingA Rage to Live(1965),Sergeant Ryker(1968), andThe Bridge at Remagen(1969).[19]

Dillman played painter Richard Pickman in the television adaptation ofH.P. Lovecraft's 1926 story,Pickman's Model,presented as the opening act of a December 1971Night Galleryepisode.[20]In 1970 Bradford in the role of a U.S. Army captain starred withBrian KeithandTony Curtisin the TV filmSuppose They Gave A War and Nobody Came.He starred as Tony Goodland in "the Greenhouse Jungle", the second episode of the second season ofColumbo(initially aired on October 15, 1972). He also starred as the sadistic hunter Michael Sutton in "The Snare", the ninth episode in the third season ofThe Incredible Hulk(initially aired on December 7, 1979).

Later career and author

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Dillman appeared in made-for-television movies such asFear No Evil(1969),Moon of the Wolf(1972), andDeliver Us from Evil(1973).[19]His film work includedEscape from the Planet of the Apes(1971),The Way We Were(1973),Gold(1974),Bug(1975),The Enforcer(1976),The Swarm(1978),Piranha(1978),Sudden Impact(1983), andLords of the Deep(1989).[21]He appeared in 10 episodes ofFalcon Crest(1982–83), and 2 ofDynasty(1984). His last known acting appearance was an episode ofMurder, She Wrotein 1995, his eighth guest appearance on the series.[19]

Dillman's football fan book,Inside The New York Giants,was published in 1995.[22]An autobiography,Are You Anybody?: An Actor's Life,was published in 1997.[23]

Personal life

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From 1956 to 1962, Dillman was married to Frieda Harding and had two children with her. He met actress and modelSuzy Parkerduring the production ofCircle of Deception(1960). The couple married on April 20, 1963, and had three children. The marriage lasted until Parker's death on May 3, 2003.

Dillman was a cousin of the eccentric author and heiressAimee Crocker.

Dillman lived for many years inMontecito, California,and helped raise money for medical research.[24]He died inSanta Barbara, California,on January 16, 2018, aged 87, due to complications of pneumonia.[25]

Bradford Dillman was the actor's real name. He said "Bradford Dillman sounded like a distinguished, phony, theatrical name -- so I kept it."[26]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^"Bradford Dillman Biography".filmreference.com; Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  2. ^"GENESIS, The Quarterly Magazine of St. Ignatius College Preparatory, San Francisco"(PDF).Spring 2018.
  3. ^abYale Class of 1951 Banner and Pot Pourri (yearbook).New Haven, Conn: Yale University. 1951.
  4. ^abWise, James E.; Anne Collier Rehill (1999). "Bradford Dillman".Stars in the Corps: Movie actors in the United States Marines(2nd ed.). Naval Institute Press. pp. 91–98.ISBN978-1-55750-949-9.RetrievedMarch 21,2009.
  5. ^Garfield, David (1980)."Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980".A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio.New York: MacMillan. p.278.ISBN978-0-0254-2650-4.
  6. ^"Overview for Bradford Dillman".Turner Classic Movies.
  7. ^"Long Day's Journey Into Night – Broadway Play – Original".Internet Broadway Database.
  8. ^"Hallmark Hall of Fame: There Shall Be No Night (1957) - George Schaefer - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related".AllMovie.Archived fromthe originalon 2018-03-13.Retrieved2018-03-12.
  9. ^"Bradford Dillman".Golden Globes.
  10. ^"Compulsion (1959) - Richard Fleischer - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related".AllMovie.
  11. ^"Compulsion (1959) - Richard Fleischer - Awards".AllMovie.
  12. ^"Crack in the Mirror (1960)".AFI-Catalog.RetrievedJanuary 4,2021.
  13. ^"Francis of Assisi (1961)".British Film Institute.Archived fromthe originalon October 9, 2016.
  14. ^"The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Isabel (1964) - Alf Kjellin - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related".AllMovie.
  15. ^"Court-Martial".TV Guide.
  16. ^"Bradford Dillman".TV Guide.
  17. ^Newman, Kim (January 26, 2007)."The Helicopter Spies".Empire.
  18. ^"The Big Valley (a Titles & Air Dates Guide)".epguides.com.
  19. ^abc"Bradford Dillman - Movies and Filmography".AllMovie.
  20. ^Gaita, Paul (October 27, 2009)."Honored Horror: 'Night Gallery: Pickman's Model'".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJanuary 4,2021.
  21. ^"Bradford Dillman".AFI-Catalog.
  22. ^Dillman, Bradford; Giddings, Mike (June 22, 1994).Inside the New York Giants.Third Story Books.ISBN978-1884506161.
  23. ^Dillman, Bradford (June 22, 1997).Are you anybody?: an actor's life.Fithian Press.ISBN978-1564741998.
  24. ^"Bradford Dillman: Orson Welles: The View from Mount Olympus".American Legends.RetrievedJanuary 4,2021.
  25. ^Barnes, Mike (January 21, 2018)."Bradford Dillman, Actor in 'Compulsion' and 'The Way We Were,' Dies at 87".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedJanuary 4,2021.
  26. ^Bernstein, Adam (January 19, 2018)."Bradford Dillman, multifaceted and prolific actor of stage and screen, dies at 87".The Washington Post.RetrievedJanuary 23,2018.
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