David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer) (March 27, 1931February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as
Richard Kimble in the television series ''
The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen also had the title roles in three other series: ''
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960.
Radio
Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detectiv ...
''; ''
Harry O''; and ''
O'Hara, U.S. Treasury''.
In 1996 ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program TV listings, listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine, TV Guide Mag ...
'' ranked him number 36 on its ''50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time'' list.
Early life
David Janssen was born on March 27, 1931, in
Naponee, a village in
Franklin County in southern
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the so ...
, to Harold Edward Meyer, a banker, and Berniece Graf, a former Miss Nebraska and
Ziegfeld girl. Following his parents' divorce in 1935, his mother moved with five-year-old David to Los Angeles, and married Eugene Janssen in 1940. Young David used his stepfather's name after he entered show business as a child.
He attended
Fairfax High School, where he excelled on the basketball court, setting a school scoring record that lasted over 20 years. His first film part was at the age of thirteen, and by the age of twenty-five he had appeared in twenty films and served two years as an enlisted man in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
. During his Army days, Janssen became friends with fellow enlistees
Martin Milner
Martin Sam Milner (December 28, 1931 – September 6, 2015) was an American actor and radio host. He is best known for his performances on two television series: '' Route 66'', which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964, and ''Adam-12'', which a ...
and
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' D ...
while posted at
Fort Ord
Fort Ord is a former United States Army post on Monterey Bay of the Pacific Ocean coast in California, which closed in 1994 due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) action. Most of the fort's land now makes up the Fort Ord National Monument, m ...
, California.
Acting career
Janssen appeared in many television series before he landed programs of his own. In 1956, he and
Peter Breck
Joseph Peter Breck (March 13, 1929 – February 6, 2012) was an American character actor. The rugged, dark-haired Breck played the gambler and gunfighter Doc Holliday on the ABC/ Warner Bros. Television series '' Maverick'' as well as Victori ...
appeared in
John Bromfield's
syndicated
Syndication may refer to:
* Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system
* Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips
* Web syndication, ...
series ''
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 runs ...
'' in the episode "The Turkey Farmers". Later, he guest-starred on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
's
medical drama
A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...
''
The Eleventh Hour'' in the role of Hal Kincaid in the 1962 episode "Make Me a Place", with series co-stars
Wendell Corey and
Jack Ging. He joined friend Martin Milner in a 1962 episode of ''
Route 66'' as the character Kamo in the episode "One Tiger to a Hill."
Janssen starred in four television series of his own:
* ''
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960.
Radio
Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detectiv ...
'' (1957–1960), a
CBS/
Four Star hit series that also introduced
Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), which ...
, showing only her legs, and
Barbara Bain
Barbara Bain (born Mildred Fogel; September 13, 1931) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cinnamon Carter on the action television series '' Mission: Impossible'' (1966–1969), which earned her three Primetime Emmy Awar ...
as Diamond's girlfriend.
* ''
The Fugitive'' (1963–1967), the hit
Quinn Martin
Quinn Martin (born Irwin Martin Cohn; May 22, 1922 – September 5, 1987) was an American television producer. He had at least one television series running in prime time every year for 21 straight years (from 1959 to 1980). Martin is a membe ...
-produced series, about a Midwest doctor wrongly convicted of murdering his wife;
* ''
O'Hara, U.S. Treasury'' (1971–1972), one of
Jack Webb
John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sgt. Joe Friday in the ''Dragnet'' franchise, which he created. He was a ...
's
Mark VII Limited
Mark VII Limited was the production company of actor and filmmaker Jack Webb, and was active from 1951 to his death in 1982. Many of its series were produced in association with Universal Television; most of them aired on the NBC television networ ...
productions for
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
, as a government agent investigating counterfeiters and other federal crimes;
* ''
Harry O'' (1974–1976), as a disabled San Diego-based private eye.
At the time of its airing in August 1967, the final episode of ''The Fugitive'' held the record for the greatest number of American homes with television sets to watch a series finale — 72 percent. In 1996 ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program TV listings, listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine, TV Guide Mag ...
'' ranked ''The Fugitive'' number 36 on its ''50 Greatest Shows of All Time'' list.
His films include: ''
To Hell and Back'', the biography of
Audie Murphy
Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor and songwriter. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from t ...
, who was the most decorated American soldier of World War II; ''
Hell to Eternity'', a 1960 American World War II biopic starring Jeffrey Hunter as a Hispanic boy who fought in the
Battle of Saipan
The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June to 9 July 1944 as part of Operation Forager. It has been referred to as the "Pacific D-Day" with th ...
and who was raised by Japanese-American foster parents;
John Wayne's Vietnam war film ''
The Green Berets''; opposite
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...
, in the space story ''
Marooned'', in which Janssen played an astronaut sent to rescue three stranded men in space; and ''
The Shoes of the Fisherman'', as a television journalist in Rome reporting on the election of a new Pope (
Anthony Quinn
Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental ...
).
He also played pilot Harry Walker in the
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: ...
action movie ''
Birds of Prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predato ...
''. He starred as a Los Angeles police detective trying to clear himself in the killing of an apparently innocent doctor in the 1967 film ''
Warning Shot
In military and police contexts, a warning shot is an intentionally harmless artillery shot or gunshot with intent to enact direct compliance and order to a hostile perpetrator or enemy forces. It is recognized as signalling intended confronta ...
'', which was shot during a break in the spring and summer of 1966 between the third and fourth seasons of ''The Fugitive.''
Janssen played an alcoholic in the 1977 TV movie ''A Sensitive, Passionate Man'', which co-starred
Angie Dickinson
Angeline Dickinson (née Brown; born September 30, 1931) is an American actress. She began her career on television, appearing in many anthology series during the 1950s, before gaining her breakthrough role in '' Gun the Man Down'' (1956) wi ...
, and played an engineer who devises an unbeatable system for
blackjack in the 1978 made-for-TV movie ''Nowhere to Run'', co-starring
Stefanie Powers
Stefanie Powers (born November 2, 1942) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Jennifer Hart on the mystery television series '' Hart to Hart'' (1979–1984), for which she received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
and
Linda Evans
Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is an American actress known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s she played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by Barbara Stanwyck) in the Western tele ...
. Janssen's impressively husky voice was used to good effect as the narrator for the TV mini-series ''Centennial'' (1978–79); he also appeared in the final episode. And in 1979 he starred in the made-for-TV mini series ''S.O.S. Titanic'' as John Jacob Astor, playing opposite Beverly Ross as his wife, Madeleine.
Though Janssen's scenes were cut from the final release, he also appeared as a journalist in the film ''
Inchon
Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...
'', which he accepted in order to work with
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage o ...
, who played General
Douglas MacArthur. At the time of his death, Janssen had just begun filming a television movie playing the part of
Father Damien
Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. or Saint Damien De Veuster ( nl, Pater Damiaan or '; 3 January 1840 – 15 April 1889), born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacr ...
, the priest who dedicated himself to the
leper
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria '' Mycobacterium leprae'' or '' Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve dama ...
colony on the island of
Molokai
Molokai , or Molokai (), is the fifth most populated of the eight major islands that make up the Hawaiian Islands archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) at its greatest length and width with a us ...
, Hawaii. The part was eventually reassigned to actor
Ken Howard
Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in '' 1776'' and as basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television show '' The Whi ...
of the CBS series ''
The White Shadow''.
Personal life
Janssen was married twice. His first marriage was to model and interior decorator Ellie Graham, whom he married in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...
on August 25, 1958. They divorced in 1968.
In 1975, he married actress and model Dani Crayne Greco. They remained married until Janssen's death.
Death
Janssen was a heavy drinker who smoked up to four packs of cigarettes a day. He died from a sudden
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...
in the early morning of February 13, 1980, at his beachfront home in
Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Mali ...
, at the age of 48.
[ At the time of his death, Janssen was filming the television movie ''Father Damien''. Janssen was buried at the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in ]Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...
. A non-denominational funeral was held at the Jewish chapel of the cemetery on February 17. Suzanne Pleshette delivered the eulogy at the request of Janssen's widow. Milton Berle
Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...
, Johnny Carson
John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six P ...
, Tommy Gallagher, Richard Harris
Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in '' This Sporting ...
, Stan Herman, Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
and Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...
were among Janssen's pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers included Jack Lemmon
John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadin ...
, George Peppard, James Stewart and Danny Thomas
Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running si ...
.
According to friend and ''Fugitive'' co-star Barry Morse
Herbert Morse (10 June 19182 February 2008), known professionally as Barry Morse, was a British-Canadian actor of stage, screen, and radio, best known for his roles in the ABC television series '' The Fugitive'' and the British sci-fi drama ' ...
, "David Janssen was well known as one of the hardest working actors in the USA", regularly working 12–14 hours a day, and he kept working until his early death.
For his contribution to the television industry, David Janssen has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located on the 7700 block of Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywo ...
.
Selected filmography
* '' It's a Pleasure'' (1945) as Davey / boy referee (uncredited)
* '' Swamp Fire'' (1946) as Emile's Eldest Son (uncredited)
* ''No Room for the Groom
''No Room for the Groom'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Tony Curtis, Piper Laurie, Don DeFore and Spring Byington. '' (1952) as Soldier (scenes deleted)
* '' Francis Goes to West Point'' (1952) as Cpl. Thomas
* '' Untamed Frontier'' (1952) as Lottie's Dance Partner (uncredited)
* '' Bonzo Goes to College'' (1952) as Jack (uncredited)
* '' Yankee Buccaneer'' (1952) as Beckett
* '' Back at the Front'' (1952) as Soldier (uncredited)
* '' Leave It to Harry'' (1954) as Quiz Show Host (short subject)
* '' Chief Crazy Horse'' (1955) as Lt. Colin Cartwright
* '' Cult of the Cobra'' (1955) as Rico Nardi
* '' Francis in the Navy'' (1955) as Lt. Anders
* '' The Private War of Major Benson'' (1955) as Young Lieutenant
* '' To Hell and Back'' (1955) as Lieutenant Lee
* '' All That Heaven Allows'' (1955) as Freddie Norton (uncredited)
* '' The Square Jungle'' (1955) as Jack Lindsay
* '' Never Say Goodbye'' (1956) as Dave Heller
* ''The Toy Tiger
''The Toy Tiger'' is a 1956 American comedy film directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Laraine Day and Jeff Chandler. It is a remake of '' Mad About Music'' (1938).
Plot
New York City advertising executive Gwen Harkinson is a widow with a son ...
'' (1956) as Larry Tripps
* '' Francis in the Haunted House'' (1956) as Police Lieutenant Hopkins
* ''Away All Boats
''Away All Boats'' is a 1956 American war film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Jeff Chandler, George Nader, Lex Barker, and Julie Adams. It was produced by Howard Christie from a screenplay by Ted Sherdeman based on the 1953 novel by Kenne ...
'' (1956) as Talker (uncredited)
* '' Mr. Black Magic'' (1956) as Master of Ceremonies (short subject)
* ''Showdown at Abilene
''Showdown at Abilene'' is a 1956 American western film directed by Charles F. Haas and starring Jock Mahoney, Martha Hyer and Lyle Bettger. The film was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. In 1967 it was remade by Universal as ''Gun ...
'' (1956) as Verne Ward
* '' The Girl He Left Behind'' (1956) as Capt. Genaro
* '' Lafayette Escadrille'' (1958) as Duke Sinclair
* '' Hell to Eternity'' (1960) as Sgt. Bill Hazen
* '' Dondi'' (1961) as Dealey
* '' King of the Roaring 20s – The Story of Arnold Rothstein'' (1961) as Arnold Rothstein
* ''Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a region around much of the rim of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The Ring ...
'' (1961) as Sergeant Steve Walsh
* '' Twenty Plus Two'' (1961) as Tom Alder
* '' Man-Trap'' (1961) as Vince Biskay
* '' My Six Loves'' (1963) as Marty Bliss
* ''Warning Shot
In military and police contexts, a warning shot is an intentionally harmless artillery shot or gunshot with intent to enact direct compliance and order to a hostile perpetrator or enemy forces. It is recognized as signalling intended confronta ...
'' (1967) as Sgt. Tom Valens
* '' The Green Berets'' (1968) as George Beckworth
* '' The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (1968) as George Faber
* '' Where It's At'' (1969) as A.C.
* '' Marooned'' (1969) as Ted Dougherty
* ''Generation
A generation refers to all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively. It can also be described as, "the average period, generally considered to be about 20–30 years, during which children are born and gro ...
'' (1969) as Jim Bolton
* ''Macho Callahan
''Macho Callahan'' is a 1970 Mexican-American Western film directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and starring David Janssen, Jean Seberg, Lee J. Cobb and James Booth. The screenplay concerns a Union soldier who is imprisoned in a Confederate prison c ...
'' (1970) as Diego Callahan
* ''Once Is Not Enough
''Once Is Not Enough'' is the third novel by Jacqueline Susann, published in 1973 following her huge bestsellers '' Valley of the Dolls'' (1966) and '' The Love Machine'' (1969). With ''Once Is Not Enough,'' Susann became the first writer in publ ...
'' (1975) as Tom Colt
* '' The Swiss Conspiracy'' (1976) as David Christopher
* '' Two-Minute Warning'' (1976) as Steve
* ''Warhead
A warhead is the forward section of a device that contains the explosive agent or toxic (biological, chemical, or nuclear) material that is delivered by a missile, rocket, torpedo, or bomb.
Classification
Types of warheads include:
*Explos ...
'' (1977) as Tony Stevens
* '' Golden Rendezvous'' (1977) as Charles Conway
* '' Covert Action'' (1978) as Lester Horton
* ''Inchon
Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...
'' (1981) as David Feld (scenes deleted after premiere; final film role; filmed in 1979; released posthumously)
Television films
* ''Belle Sommers'' (1962) as Danny Castle
* ''Night Chase'' (1970) as Adrian Vico
* '' The Longest Night'' (1972) as Alan Chambers
* '' Moon of the Wolf'' (1972) as Sheriff Aaron Whitaker
* ''Hijack
Hijack may refer to:
Films
* ''Hijack'' (1973 film), an American made-for-television film
* ''Hijack!'', a 1975 British film sponsored by the Children's Film Foundation - see Children's Film Foundation filmography
* ''Hijack'' (2008 film), a Bol ...
'' (1973) as Jake Wilkenson
* ''Birds of Prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predato ...
'' (1973) as Harry Walker
* '' Harry O – Such Dust As Dreams Are Made On'' (1973) as Harry Orwell
* ''Pioneer Woman'' (1973) as Robert Douglas
* '' Harry O – Smile Jenny, You're Dead'' (1974) as Harry Orwell
* ''Don't Call the Police'' (1974) as Harry Orwell
* ''Fer-de-Lance'' (1974) as Russ Bogan
* '' Stalk the Wild Child'' (1976) as Dr. James Hazard
* ''Mayday at 40,000 Feet!
''Mayday at 40,000 Feet!'' (aka ''Panic in the Open Sky'' and ''Mayday: 40,000 ft!'') is a 1976 American made-for-television drama film, directed by Robert Butler. The film stars David Janssen, Don Meredith and Christopher George, along wit ...
'' (1976) as Captain Pete Douglass
* ''A Sensitive, Passionate Man'' (1977) as Michael Delaney
* '' Superdome'' (1978) as Mike Shelley
* ''Nowhere to Run Nowhere to Run may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Nowhere to Run'' (1989 film), an American film directed by Carl Franklin
* ''Nowhere to Run'' (1993 film), an American action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme
* ''Nowhere to Run'' (1978 f ...
'' (1978) as Harry Adams
* '' S.O.S. Titanic'' (1979) as John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor (born Johann Jakob Astor; July 17, 1763 – March 29, 1848) was a German-American businessman, merchant, real estate mogul, and investor who made his fortune mainly in a fur trade monopoly, by smuggling opium into China, and ...
* ''The Golden Gate Murders'' (1979) as Det. Sgt. Paul Silver
* '' High Ice'' (1980) as Glencoe MacDonald
* '' City in Fear'' (1980) as Vince Perrino (released posthumously)
* ''Father Damien
Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. or Saint Damien De Veuster ( nl, Pater Damiaan or '; 3 January 1840 – 15 April 1889), born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacr ...
: The Leper Priest'' – 1980 (Incomplete – Replaced by Ken Howard)
Television
* ''Boston Blackie
Boston Blackie is a fictional character created by author Jack Boyle (1881–1928). Blackie, a jewel thief and safecracker in Boyle's stories, became a detective in adaptations for films, radio and television—an "enemy to those who make him ...
'' (1 episode, 1951) as Armored Car Driver (uncredited)
* ''Lux Video Theatre
''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays.
Overview
The ''Lux Vi ...
'' (3 episodes, 1955–1956) as Johnny Reynolds Jr. / Joe Davies / Ralph
* ''Matinee Theatre
''Matinee Theater'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as ''Matinee Theatre''.
The series, which ran daily from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ...
'' (1 episode, 1956) as Paul Merrick
* ''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 runs ...
'' (1 episode, 1956) as Arnie Hix
* '' Conflict'' (1 episode, 1957) as Sid Lukes
* '' You Are There'' (1 episode, 1957) as Great Dalton
* '' U.S. Marshal'' (1 episode, ????)
* '' Alcoa Theatre'' (2 episodes, 1957–1958) as Jim McCandless / Mike Harper
* '' The Millionaire'' (2 episodes, 1957–1958) as David Barrett / Peter Miller
* ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater
Dick, Dicks, or Dick's may refer to:
Media
* ''Dicks'' (album), a 2004 album by Fila Brazillia
* Dicks (band), a musical group
* ''Dick'' (film), a 1999 American comedy film
* "Dick" (song), a 2019 song by Starboi3 featuring Doja Cat
Names
...
'' (4 episodes, 1957–1959) as Dix Porter / Seth Larker / Tod Owen / Danny Ensign
* ''Richard Diamond, Private Detective
''Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' is an American detective drama, created by Blake Edwards, which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960.
Radio
Dick Powell starred in the ''Richard Diamond, Private Detectiv ...
'' (77 episodes, 1957–1960) as Richard Diamond / Chuck Garrett
* ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on the Columbia Broadcasting System
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former le ...
'' (1 episode, 1959) as Ross Ingraham
* ''Death Valley Days
''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the progra ...
'' (1 episode, 1961) as Dr. Bill Breckenridge
* '' Adventures in Paradise'' (1 episode, 1961) as Scotty Bell
* ''Thriller
Thriller may refer to:
* Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television
** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre
Comics
* ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
'' (1 episode, 1962)
* '' Target: The Corruptors'' (1x19 The Middle Man, 1962) as Robbie Wilson
* ''General Electric Theater
''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.
Radio
After an audition s ...
'' (1 episode, 1962) as Pat Howard
* '' Follow the Sun'' (2 episodes, 1962) as Johnny Sadowsky
* ''Checkmate
Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game.
In chess, the king is ...
'' (1 episode, 1962) as Len Kobalsky
* ''Cain's Hundred
''Cain's Hundred'' is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from 1961 to 1962. The series was produced by Vanadas Productions, Inc. in association with MGM Television.
Synopsis
''Cain's Hundred'' follows the life of Nicholas Cain ( Pe ...
'' (1 episode, 1962) as Dan Mullin
* '' Kraft Mystery Theatre'' (1 episode, 1962)
* '' Route 66'' (S3E1, 1962) as Karno Starling
* '' The Eleventh Hour'' (1 episode, 1962) as Hal Kincaid
* '' The Dick Powell Show'' (1 episode, 1963) as Kenneth 'Ken' Morgan
* '' Naked City'' (2 episodes, 1961–1963) as Carl Ashland / Blair Cameron
* '' The Fugitive'' (120 episodes, 1963–1967) as Dr. Richard Kimble / varied aliases
* '' The Hollywood Palace'' (1 episode, 1965)
* '' O'Hara, U.S. Treasury'' (22 episodes, 1971–1972) as Jim O'Hara / James O'Hara
* ''Cannon
A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder duri ...
'' (1 episode, 1973) as Ian Kirk
* '' Harry O'' (44 episodes, 1973–1976) as Harry Orwell
* '' Police Story'' (1 episode, 1977) as Sgt. Joe Wilson
* '' The Word'' (1978) as Steve Randall
* ''Centennial
{{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation)
A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.
Notable events
Notable centennial events at a ...
'' (1 episode, 1979, and narrator for all 12 episodes, 1978–1979) as Paul Garrett / Narrator
* ''Biography
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...
'' (1979) as Host
Bibliography
*
* David Janssen – Our Conversations: The Early Years (1965–1972): Volume 1 Michael Phelps
* David Janssen: Our Conversations: The Final Years: (1973–1980): Volume 2 Michael Phelps
References
External links
*
The David Janssen Archive
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Janssen, David
1931 births
1980 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
American people of Irish descent
Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
Fairfax High School (Los Angeles) alumni
Male actors from Nebraska
People from Franklin County, Nebraska
United States Army soldiers