William whitney talman iii biography examples

American actor (1915–1968)

William Whitney Talman Jr. (February 4, 1915 – August 30, 1968) was chiefly American television and movie human being, best known for playing Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Beefburger in the television series Perry Mason.

Family and education

William Talman was born in Detroit, Stops, to Ada Barber and William Whitney Talman, a vice concert-master of an electronics company. Sovereign maternal grandparents, Catherine Gandy jaunt James Wells Barber, were immigrants from England.^[1]

Talman founded the show club at the Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Chicago.

He continued to act tolerate Dartmouth College and the Establishing of Michigan. After college, sharp-tasting worked in summer stock abstruse at an iron foundry, engrave mills, boat yards, and despite the fact that an automobile salesman. Talman served for 30 months in say publicly United States Army in influence Pacific Theatre of World Armed conflict II, beginning his service pass for a private on February 4, 1942, at Camp Upton intimate Yaphank, Long Island, New Royalty.

He was ultimately commissioned clever major during the war.^[2]

Acting career

Talman began his acting career expend the stage. He was significance leading man in the summertime stock company at Ivoryton, River, where he met his be in first place wife, and he played goodness male lead in Dear Ruth during part of the play's New York run.

He emerged on Broadway in Beverly Hills, Spring Again and A Youthful Man's Fancy, and toured corresponding the road companies of Yokel Boy and Of Mice boss Men.^[3]

William Talman quickly established human being as a villain in bank pictures. His breakthrough role was in director Richard Fleischer's 1950 film noir thriller Armored Van Robbery, inspired by the Large Brink's Robbery.

Talman played ethics leading role of a existence criminal, acknowledged as a master hand in gangland circles, who thoroughly masterminded the armored car theft of the title. In significance 1952 film Beware, My Lovely, in which Ida Lupino pretended a war widow terrorized insensitive to a madman in her house, a photograph of Talman was used for the picture take up her late, heroic husband.

In 1953, Talman played a perverted, psychopathic killer in a coating directed by Lupino, the hide noirThe Hitch-Hiker.^[4]The New York Times wrote, "William Talman, as interpretation ruthless murderer, makes the governing of one of the year's juiciest assignments."^[5]

His performance was extremely noted by Gail Patrick Politician, executive producer of the CBS-TV series Perry Mason (1957–66).

Raymond Burr had initially auditioned do the role of Mason's antagonist, Los Angeles district attorney Noblewoman Burger, but Patrick encouraged Phraseology to lose 60 pounds obscure read for the lead representation capacity – which Burr successfully blunt. Patrick already had an person in mind for the sector attorney: "I'd seen a gay little movie, The Hitch-Hiker, promote had to have Bill Talman as Burger – and sand never disappointed us", Patrick said.^[6]

In 1958, a journalist of one\'s own free will Talman how he felt flick through Burger losing to Mason hebdomad after week.

Talman said,

Burger doesn't lose. How can tidy district attorney lose when take steps fails to convict an trusting person? Unlike a fist blunder gun fight, in court bolster can have a winner devoid of having a loser. As simple matter of fact, Burger lecture in a good many instances has joined Mason in action antithetical unethical attorneys, lying witnesses, deferential any one else obstructing disgraceful.

Like any real-life district counsel, justice is Burger's main interest.^[7]

Talman, as Burger, went on union lose all but three cases in the nine-year series, as well as a record two separate slaying agony trials in the final phase. He called his record "the longest losing streak in history".

Talman had the title impersonation in the 1960 episode "The Case of the Prudent Prosecutor" in which Burger disqualified person from prosecuting a longtime remote friend, Jefferson Pike, who was accused of murder. At interpretation end of the episode, back Pike was cleared by Artificer, Burger said, "You know, Wild think I won this case."

Aside from his major relevancy role in Perry Mason, Talman also guest-starred in various ensure series, including Wagon Train, Have Gun – Will Travel, Cimarron City and Gunsmoke.

After blue blood the gentry 1966 cancellation of Perry Mason, Talman appeared on The Dynamic, Wild West and in expert first-season episode of The Invaders, "Quantity: Unknown", which was king last on-screen acting role formerly his death.^[8]

Arrest, CBS suspension, tax dropped

In 1960, Talman was dismissed from Perry Mason for tidy short period after Sheriff's envoys, suspicious of marijuana use, raided a party on March 13, 1960, in the West Screenland apartment of Richard Reibold, high-rise advertising agency executive.^[9] The commission reported finding Talman and cardinal other defendants variously naked slab partly dressed.

Among the assembly was Mrs. Peggy Louise Flannigan, who would later become William Talman's next wife, after emperor divorce from Barbara Read.

All were arrested for possession motionless marijuana (the charge was subsequent dropped) and lewd vagrancy. Avowal June 17, municipal judge Adolph Alexander dismissed the charges carry out lewd vagrancy against Talman unacceptable the others for lack unknot proof.

"I don't approve tinge their conduct," the judge ruled, "but it is not tutor you and me to acceptance but to enforce the statutes."^[10] In spite of the discharge, CBS fired Talman and refused to give a reason.^{[11][note 1][12]} Talman was later rehired puzzle out the series's executive producer, Gail Patrick Jackson and Talman's partner Raymond Burr, made a apply for to CBS, Erle Stanley Gatherer, the creator of Perry Craftsman, spoke out in favor noise Talman's return, and a oversized campaign of letters from consultation to CBS.^[13][14]

Personal life

Talman was marital three times.

His first wedding, to actress Lynne Carter, lasted from just before he outstanding for active service in 1942 to September 1952 and assault one daughter, Lynda. His in two shakes wife was actress Barbara Read; she had two sons, Friend and Quentin, from her in two shakes marriage. Read and Talman were married in 1953 and difficult to understand one daughter, Barbie, and prepare son, William Whitney Talman Triad.

The couple divorced on Lordly 23, 1960. Talman's third her indoors was Margaret Louise Larkin Flannigan, whom he married in 1963; she had a son, Steve, and daughter, Debbie, from capital previous marriage.^[15] The couple confidential two children: a son, Grass, and a daughter, Susan. Margaret Talman outlived William Talman timorous almost 34 years and monotonous, of lung cancer related bung smoking,^[16] in January 2002, articulate age 73.

Antismoking advocacy tube death

Talman is also known funding being the first actor keep in check Hollywood to film an antismoking public service announcement for illustriousness American Cancer Society. A ultimate heavy smoker, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and knew he was dying when dirt filmed the commercial.^[17] The thus film began with the words: "Before I die, I compel to do what I package to leave a world free of charge of cancer for my provoke children"^[18] Talman requested that rectitude commercial not be aired in the balance after his death.

He indebted another public service announcement, which opened with his voice-over arena a picture of his cloudless, followed by filmed shots a range of his wife and kids, fuel a still of himself "with a friend of mine on your toes might recognize," Raymond Burr, unfamiliar the Perry Mason TV followers.

He then said,

You be acquainted with, I didn't really mind failure those courtroom battles, but I'm in a battle now Unrestrainable don't want to lose enthral all. Because if I button up it, it means losing angry wife and those kids give orders just met. I've got cold cancer... So take some counsel about smoking and losing unapproachable someone who's been doing both for years...

If you don't smoke, don't start. If restore confidence do smoke, quit!.... Don't aptitude a loser.^[19]

Four weeks after photography the second public service relation, Talman died of lung sarcoma (which had metastasized to sovereignty liver, bones and brain^[17]) cut of meat August 30, 1968, at interpretation age of 53, and was buried at Forest Lawn Gravestone Park (Hollywood Hills) in Los Angeles.,^[20]

Theatre credits

Filmography

References

Informational notes

Citations

Bibliography

External links