Budd Albright
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Budd Albright (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor, singer, stunt man, and sportsman.


Early years

Budd Albright was born Forrest Edwards Albright in Elkhart, Indiana of Dutch-Irish and Italian parents. His father, Forrest (Buzz) Albright, was an athlete who played professional baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals organization and was inducted into the Elkhart County Sports Hall of Fame for his prowess in baseball, basketball and track. He went on to play basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers. His mother (Margaret) Jeanne Rutter was a would be actress who met Budd's father after a local theater performance. When Budd was born in 1936 the young family moved to Los Angeles. Budd had two younger brothers Brian and Tom (both deceased). Times were tough and they lived in a small apartment on Melrose Avenue that overlooked the back lot of Paramount Studios. Budd's parents worked hard and Budd spent a lot of time with his grandmother Viola, who had been General Douglas MacArthur's personal secretary and had graduated from the Chicago Art Institute. She exposed Budd to films, museums and upscale restaurants of the day. The War took the family back to
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
where his father worked for Republic Aviation building the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane. At the end of the war the family moved back to Southern California and settled in Long Beach where Budd attended David Starr Jordan High School and hung out with the late Bob Denver. They both were kicked out of acting class for horsing around. In 1953 his family returned to Cleveland and Budd attended Willoughby Union High School for two years. One night, after watching The Wild One with
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
in a Cleveland movie theater, Budd decided to get out of the cold and return to Southern California to give movies a try. In 1955 Budd returned to LA, parked cars in Beverly Hills, pumped gas in Pacific Palisades and joined Richard Boone's acting class on a tip from actor Billy Gray. His roommate at the time was another struggling actor Doug McClure.


Career


Music

In 1958, Budd landed a recording contract with
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...
. He recorded the Rockabilly songs: "Adrienne" and "Got No Sunshine in My Soul". Budd, along with actor and recording artist Steve Rowland and sax player Chuck Rio formed the Hollywood band "The Exciters." They played all the hot spots around the
Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western border with Beverly H ...
and LA club circuit. On at least one occasion, their band created near havoc while playing at the Encore Club when the police and fire department were called out to arrest couples twisting in the street.


Acting

Budd Albright began his acting career in 1961, with a small part in the Warner's film '' Lad: A Dog.'' In 1962, Budd appeared in five episodes of the television series "The Lively Ones," a musical variety show hosted by Vic Damone. For the next few years, Budd played bit parts in various television series, including a bad guy in McCloud, a gang leader in The Outcasts, and an officer in The Reluctant Astronaut. He was even the Belair Cigarette Man on TV commercials and magazine ads for a few years. In 1964 Budd was contacted by friend
James Drury James Child Drury Jr. (April 18, 1934 – April 6, 2020) was an American actor. He is best known for having played the title role in the 90-minute weekly Western television series '' The Virginian'', which was broadcast on NBC from 1962 ...
, who is best known for his title role in The Virginian. Drury told Budd that Clu Gulager was producing Bye Bye Birdie for summer stock in North Carolina and Budd got the part of Conrad Birdie, one of the leads. In 1966, he appeared in two episodes during the first season of
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
as an actor and was killed off in both shows: as Security Guard Rayburn in '' What Are Little Girls Made Of?'', which was directed by James Goldstone and written by
Robert Bloch Robert Albert Bloch (; April 5, 1917September 23, 1994) was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime, psychological horror and fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and television. He also wrote a relatively small ...
and
Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and ''Sta ...
and as Barnhart the navigator in '' The Man Trap,'' which was directed by Marc Daniels and written by George Clayton Johnson and
Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and ''Sta ...
.


Stunt man

The early 1960s produced a flourish of war films that were perfect for young, up and coming stuntmen. Budd spent a year living with the late Peter Breck, who starred in
The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour e ...
and his wife Diane in the
San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...
and would get together on weekends with friends
Robert Fuller Bob, Bobby, Robbie, Rob or Robert Fuller may refer to: Academics *Robert W. Fuller (born 1936), American president of Oberlin College *Robert C. Fuller (born 1952), American professor of religious studies Performers *Robert Fuller (actor) (born 1 ...
, James Stacy, Chuck Courtney, actor/stuntmen Jerry Summers and Ronnie Rondell riding dirt bikes and partying at Bob Fuller's house. It was Jerry Summers that convinced Budd to try his hand at stunt work. Budd stunt doubled Robert Vaughn, Robert Wagner, Warren Beatty and Chris George. He worked in ''
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? ''What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?'' is a 1966 comedy DeLuxe Color film written by William Peter Blatty and directed by Blake Edwards for the Mirisch Company in Panavision. It stars James Coburn and Dick Shawn. Filming was at Lake Sherwood Ran ...
, Beau Geste, First to Fight, Tobruk, Ice Station Zebra'' and '' There Was a Crooked Man'' and was part of the original Rat Patrol Stunt Team. By the late sixties and early seventies Universal Studios was bursting at the seams with action TV shows and films. Sometimes Budd worked two or three shows at once with parts that included action sequences. Budd logged 31 high falls during that time. He often did double duty as actor/stuntman or actor/stunt coordinator. He worked as both an actor and the Action Coordinator on the movies ''Drive Hard Drive Fast'' (1973) and '' The Lonely Profession'' (1969) for writer/director Douglas Heyes. From 1968 to 1971, Budd worked as a stunt man in all 76 episodes (and as an actor in five episodes) of the groundbreaking TV series, ''
The Name of the Game Name of the Game may refer to: Television * ''The Name of the Game'' (TV series), a 1968–1971 American drama ** ''Fame Is the Name of the Game'', a 1966 American television film and pilot for the series * "The Name of the Game" (''Grey's Anato ...
.'' It was a pioneering wheel series of 90 minute episodes rotating around three main characters played by Tony Franciosa, Gene Barry, and Robert Stack. Other actors who appeared on some episodes during the series included
Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the long-running television series ''Columbo'' (1968–1978, 1989–2003), for which he ...
, Robert Culp, Robert Wagner,
Darren McGavin Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...
, Susan Saint James, Mark Miller,
Ben Murphy Benjamin Edward Murphy (born Benjamin Edward Castleberry Jr., March 6, 1942) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Kid Curry in the ABC television series ''Alias Smith and Jones''. Early life Murphy was born in Jonesboro, Ar ...
, William Shatner, Vera Miles, Jack Klugman and Cliff Potts. Budd has worked with Hall of Fame stuntmen Hal Needham, Ronnie Rondell, Glenn Wilder, Roger Creed and Bill Hickman who is remembered most for the landmark car chase alongside
Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...
in the 1968 film Bullitt.


Personal life

Budd was briefly married to actress Sharon Lee. They were married on September 21, 1958, at Santa Catalina Island's Community Church, separated on June 21, 1959, and legally divorced on February 1, 1961. This was Budd's first marriage, but Sharon's fourth. She married her fifth husband shortly after the couple divorced. Budd has always been active. He raced Go Karts with
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
,
Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in mos ...
and Steve Rowland. He has also raced sports cars and was an American Power Boat Association (APBA) Grand National Boat Racing Champion. He has enjoyed water skiing, despite narrowly escaping serious injury during a dangerous mishap at Hanson Dam in 1961. In his spare time, he races bicycles and acts as the team captain for the Rinaldi/To Be Healthy cycling team. Budd left the acting/stunt business in 1974 and has since worked as a photo journalist with producer Gary Berwin. and has written 32 magazine articles. In 1994, he formed Strike Team Media, a TV-promotional advertising firm and is currently working on getting his screenplays ''Closest of Enemies'', ''Sea Foam Green'' and a TV series idea ''HLS Coconut Grove'' into production. Budd Albright resides in Palm Desert, California and enjoys traveling often.


Filmography


As a stunt man

* 1974 '' Ironside'' (TV series) (stunts - 1 episode) ::'' The Over-the-Hill Blues'' (1974) (stunts) * 1973 ''Drive Hard, Drive Fast'' (TV movie) (stunt coordinator) * 1973 '' McCloud'' (TV series) (stunts - 1 episode) ::'' The Million Dollar Round Up'' (1973) (stunts) * 1968-1971 ''
The Name of the Game Name of the Game may refer to: Television * ''The Name of the Game'' (TV series), a 1968–1971 American drama ** ''Fame Is the Name of the Game'', a 1966 American television film and pilot for the series * "The Name of the Game" (''Grey's Anato ...
'' (TV series) (stunt performer - All 76 episodes) * 1970 '' There Was a Crooked Man...'' (stunts - uncredited) * 1970 '' It Takes a Thief'' (TV series) (stunts - 1 episode) ::'' The Suzie Simone Caper'' (1970) (stunts) * 1969 '' The Lonely Profession'' (TV movie) (stunt coordinator) * 1968 '' Ice Station Zebra'' (stunts - uncredited) * 1966-1968 '' The Rat Patrol'' (TV series) (stunts - All 58 episodes) * 1967 '' Tobruk'' (stunts - uncredited) * 1967 '' First to Fight'' (stunt performer) * 1966 '' Beau Geste'' (stunts - uncredited) * 1966 ''
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? ''What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?'' is a 1966 comedy DeLuxe Color film written by William Peter Blatty and directed by Blake Edwards for the Mirisch Company in Panavision. It stars James Coburn and Dick Shawn. Filming was at Lake Sherwood Ran ...
'' (stunts - uncredited)


As an actor

*1973 ''Drive Hard, Drive Fast'' (TV movie) ::CIA Man & Chase Driver *1972 '' McCloud'' (TV series) ::'' The Barefoot Stewardess Caper'' (1972) - Bad Guy *1968-1971 ''
The Name of the Game Name of the Game may refer to: Television * ''The Name of the Game'' (TV series), a 1968–1971 American drama ** ''Fame Is the Name of the Game'', a 1966 American television film and pilot for the series * "The Name of the Game" (''Grey's Anato ...
'' (TV series) - Man ::''The Showdown'' (1971) ::''The Broken Puzzle'' (1971) ::''Beware of the Watchdog'' (1971) ::''Appointment in Palermo'' (1971) ::''The Savage Eye'' (1971) *1969 '' The Lonely Profession'' (TV movie) - Interviewed Waiter *1968 '' The Outcasts'' (TV series) - Gang Leader Tony ::''A Ride to Vengeance'' (1968) *1967 '' The Reluctant Astronaut'' - Officer (uncredited) *1966 ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' (TV series) ::S1:E1,'' The Man Trap'' - Barnhart (uncredited) ::S1:E7, '' What Are Little Girls Made Of?'' - Security Guard Rayburn *1962 ''The Lively Ones'' (TV series) ::Vic Damone's Friend *1962 '' Lad: A Dog'' (movie) - Family friend


References


External links


Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Albright, Budd American stunt performers American male film actors 1936 births Living people People from Elkhart, Indiana Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from Cleveland Male actors from Long Beach, California People from Palm Desert, California Musicians from Long Beach, California