William Henry Rorke (October 23, 1910 – August 19, 1987), known professionally as Hayden Rorke, was an American actor best known for playing Colonel Alfred E. Bellows on the 1960s American sitcom ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marrie ...

''.

Early life

Rorke was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in 1910. He was the son of screen and stage actress

Margaret Hayden Rorke Margaret Hayden Rorke (June 19, 1883 – March 2, 1969) was an American color standards expert, actress, and suffragist who was for nearly 40 years the managing director of the Textile Color Card Association of the United States. She is kno ...

,Rorke's obituary in the ''Los Angeles Times'' says, "His mother ... was a longtime textile industry figure and created colors used in the inaugural ball gowns of both Eleanor Roosevelt and Mamie Eisenhower." and he took his stage forename from her maiden name."'I Dream Of Jeannie' Star Barbara Eden Unbottles Her Tragic Life in Memoir", pp. 153-154, 173
/ref> Rorke attended Brooklyn Preparatory School, a Jesuit school, where he served as president of the Dramatics Society and the Student Government, and was a member of the Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity. He continued his education at the

American Academy of Dramatic Arts The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related art ...

and began his stage career in the 1930s with the Hampden Theatrical Company. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

, where he made his film debut in the musical '' This Is the Army'' starring

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

, for which he was uncredited as the stage manager and as a soldier in the background.

Acting career

Following the war, he left the Army and worked in small parts on Broadway, returning to Hollywood for the film ''

Lust for Gold ''Lust for Gold'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring Ida Lupino and Glenn Ford. The film is about the legendary Lost Dutchman gold mine, starring Ford as the "Dutchman" and Lupino as the woman he loves. Th ...

'' (1949), again uncredited. However, it was an opening, and in later films, beginning with ''

Rope of Sand ''Rope of Sand'' is a 1949 adventure-suspense film noir directed by William Dieterle, produced by Hal Wallis, and starring Burt Lancaster and three stars from Wallis's '' Casablanca'' - Paul Henreid, Claude Rains and Peter Lorre. The film intro ...

'', he is listed in the credits, although he again shows up uncredited in the films '' Kim'' (1950) and '' The Magnificent Yankee'' (1950), as well as a couple of later films such as the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-winning '' An American in Paris'' (in those days, small roles were often uncredited). He played the role of crooked businessman and murderer Arne Mason in episode 90 "Word of Honor" of the television series '' The Lone Ranger'' in 1952. He also appeared in episode 125 entitled "The Perfect Crime" of that television series in 1953. He continued to make movies, taking on supporting roles in films. Rorke also went uncredited as Clark Kent's psychiatrist in the "Adventures of Superman" episode "The Face and the Voice". In 1957, Rorke played Steve, the film agent, in the television series ''

Mr. Adams and Eve ''Mr. Adams and Eve'' is an American situation comedy television series about a married couple who are both movie stars. It stars Howard Duff and Ida Lupino (who were actually married at the time) and aired on CBS from January 4, 1957, to July ...

'', starring

Howard Duff Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

and

Ida Lupino Ida Lupino (4 February 1918Recorded in ''Births Mar 1918'' Camberwell Vol. 1d, p. 1019 (Free BMD). Transcribed as "Lupine" in the official births index – 3 August 1995) was an English-American actress, singer, director, writer, and producer. T ...

(then married in real life) as a fictitious acting couple residing in Beverly Hills, California. He played several guest roles on television, including Colonel Farnsworth in the short-lived 1964 sitcom '' No Time for Sergeants'', based on the Andy Griffith film of the same name, but starring

Sammy Jackson Sammy Jackson (August 18, 1937 – April 26, 1995) was an American actor, known particularly for his roles reflecting rural life, and a country music disc jockey, although he also played pop-standards during 1983 at Los Angeles's KMPC. He als ...

. He also appeared in three episodes of '' Perry Mason'' between 1960 and 1963. In his first role, he played the title character, Jay Holbrook, in "The Case of the Flighty Father" and as Walter Caffrey in "The Case of the Violent Vest". Rorke also appeared in television programs such as ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along with ...

'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'', ''

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 ...

'' (where he also plays a psychologist), '' Peter Gunn'', ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'', '' Barnaby Jones'', '' Mister Ed'', ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

'', ''

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', sometimes called ''The Burns and Allen Show'', was a half-hour television situation comedy broadcast from 1950 to 1958 on CBS. It starred George Burns and Gracie Allen, one of the most enduring acts in ...

'', '' The Beverly Hillbillies'', and '' The Love Boat''. Rorke was best known for his role as Dr. Bellows, the

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

medical officer in the television sitcom ''

''. Bellows was constantly trying to figure out why Tony Nelson (

Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera, ''Dal ...

), an astronaut under Bellows' supervision, often behaves strangely, and to decipher the madcap antics, but he never figures out what is actually going on. Bellows usually winds up making himself look like a fool in front of his own superiors. Rorke's last film was reprising his role in the television reunion movie '' I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later'' (1985). In the early 1980s, Rorke returned to the theater, making a number of live stage appearances. In May, 1980, he starred with

Joan Caulfield Beatrice Joan Caulfield (June 1, 1922 – June 18, 1991) was an American actress and model. After being discovered by Broadway producers, she began a stage career in 1943 that eventually led to signing as an actress with Paramount Pictures. In th ...

at the old Showboat Dinner Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida, in '' The Pleasure of His Company''. He also acted in ''Mr. Roberts'' in St. Louis, Missouri.

Personal life and death

Rorke's ''I Dream of Jeannie'' co-star Barbara Eden described him as a "prince" who was a good friend to all and always managed to keep up the spirits of the ''Jeannie'' cast, even in difficult circumstances. Eden also wrote in her 2011 biography ''Jeannie Out of the Bottle'' that Rorke was "unashamedly gay," and that he lived with his partner, television director Justus Addiss (of '' Mister Ed'', among others), for many years in Studio City, along with their menagerie of dogs, until Addiss' death on October 26, 1979. The couple would often invite the cast over for parties. Rorke died of

multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone pain, an ...

at his Toluca Lake home in 1987 at age 76. He was survived by two brothers.

Television

*'' ''The Lone Ranger'' (1950) 1x35 "Bullets for Ballots" *''

'' (1952) 1x21 ''New Neighbors'' as Tom O'Brien *''

The Burns and Allen Show ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', sometimes called ''The Burns and Allen Show'', was a half-hour television situation comedy broadcast from 1950 to 1958 on CBS. It starred George Burns and Gracie Allen, one of the most enduring acts in ...

'' (1957) 7x21 "Going to Palm Springs" as a psychologist *''

'' (1957–1958) regular cast as Steve *'' Perry Mason'' (1960) 3x26 "The Case of the Flighty Father" as Jay Holbrook and (1961) 4x24 “The Case of the Violent Vest” as Walter Caffrey *'' Target: The Corruptors!'' (1961) 1x11 "Silent Partner" as Smith, (1962) 1x30 ''License to Steal'' *'' The Beverly Hillbillies'' (1963) 1x36 "Jethro's Friend" as Wilkins *''

'' (1965-1970) regular cast as Dr. Alfred Bellows *''

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 ...

'' (1975) 5x02 "The Deadly Conspiracy" as Knox *'' The Love Boat'' (1977) 1x08 "The Understudy" as Mr. Humbertson

Partial filmography

* '' This Is the Army'' (1943) - Soldier / Stage Manager (uncredited) * ''

'' (1949) - Floyd Buckley (uncredited) * ''

'' (1949) - Ingram * '' Sword in the Desert'' (1949) - Capt. Beaumont * '' Kim'' (1950) - Major Ainsley (uncredited) * '' The Magnificent Yankee'' (1950) - Graham (uncredited) * '' Inside Straight'' (1951) - Carlson * '' Father's Little Dividend'' (1951) - Dr. Andrew Nordell * ''

Double Crossbones ''Double Crossbones'' is a 1951 American comedy adventure film distributed by Universal International, produced by Leonard Goldstein, directed by Charles Barton, and stars Donald O'Connor and Helena Carter. It was shot in Technicolor and was rel ...

'' (1951) - Malcolm Giles * '' Francis Goes to the Races'' (1951) - Rogers * ''

The Prince Who Was a Thief ''The Prince Who Was a Thief'' is a 1951 American adventure film directed by Rudolph Mate and starring Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie. A technicolor swashbuckler, it was the first film Curtis featured in as a star. It was produced and distributed by ...

'' (1951) - Basra * '' The Law and the Lady'' (1951) - Tracy Collans * '' An American in Paris'' (1951) - Tommy Baldwin (uncredited) * ''

When Worlds Collide ''When Worlds Collide'' is a 1933 science fiction novel co-written by Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie; they also co-authored the sequel ''After Worlds Collide'' (1934). It was first published as a six-part monthly serial (September 1932 through Fe ...

'' (1951) - Dr. Emery Bronson * '' Starlift'' (1951) - Chaplain * '' Room for One More'' (1952) - The Doctor (scenes deleted) * ''

Wild Stallion ''Wild Stallion'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Ben Johnson, Edgar Buchanan and Martha Hyer. The film's sets were designed by the art director Martin Obzina. Cast *Ben Johnson as Dan Light *Edgar Bu ...

'' (1952) - Maj. Cullen * ''

Skirts Ahoy! ''Skirts Ahoy!'' is a 1952 MGM musical film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Esther Williams, Vivian Blaine and Joan Evans. It was shot in Technicolor. The film follows the adventures of several women who join the WAVES with sequences fil ...

'' (1952) - Doctor * '' Above and Beyond'' (1952) - Dr. Ramsey * '' Rogue's March'' (1953) - Maj. Fallow * ''

The Story of Three Loves ''The Story of Three Loves'' (also known as ''Equilibrium'') is a 1953 American Technicolor romantic anthology film made by MGM. It consists of three stories, "The Jealous Lover", "Mademoiselle", and "Equilibrium". The film was produced by Sid ...

'' (1953) - Mr. Thomas Clayton Campbell, Sr. (segment "Mademoiselle") (uncredited) * ''

The Stars Are Singing ''The Stars Are Singing'' is a 1953 Paramount Pictures musical directed by Norman Taurog and starring Rosemary Clooney, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and Lauritz Melchior. Plot The screenplay concerns a 15-year-old Polish girl (played by Alberghetti) ...

'' (1953) - Congressman Nolte (uncredited) * ''

Confidentially Connie ''Confidentially Connie'' is a 1953 American romantic comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell. It stars Van Johnson as a dedicated but poorly paid college professor, Janet Leigh as his pregnant wife, and Louis Calhern as Johnson's father, whose sch ...

'' (1953) - Prof. Simmons * '' The Girl Next Door'' (1953) - Henry Fields * '' South Sea Woman'' (1953) - Prosecution Lt. Fears * ''

Project Moonbase ''Project Moonbase'' (a.k.a. ''Project Moon Base'') is a 1953 independently made black-and-white science fiction film, produced by Jack Seaman, directed by Richard Talmadge, and starring Ross Ford, Donna Martell, Hayden Rorke. It co-stars Larry ...

'' (1953) - General Greene * '' The Robe'' (1953) - Caluus - Slave Auction Bidder (uncredited) * '' Lucky Me'' (1954) - Tommy Arthur * ''

Drum Beat A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments. As such a "beat" consists of multiple drum strokes o ...

'' (1954) - President Ulysses S. Grant * ''

The Eternal Sea ''The Eternal Sea'' (aka ''The Admiral Hoskins Story'') is a 1955 American war film directed by John H. Auer and starring Sterling Hayden, Alexis Smith and Ben Cooper. After an American naval officer loses his leg at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, he ...

'' (1955) - Capt. William Buracker * ''

All That Heaven Allows ''All That Heaven Allows'' is a 1955 American drama romance film directed by Douglas Sirk, produced by Ross Hunter, and adapted by Peg Fenwick from a story by Edna L. Lee and Harry Lee. It stars Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson in a tale about the soci ...

'' (1955) - Dr. Dan Hennessy * ''

Tip on a Dead Jockey ''Tip on a Dead Jockey'' is a 1957 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor and Dorothy Malone. It is based on ''The New Yorker'' 1954 short story by Irwin Shaw. Plot Phyllis Tredman is shocked when her husband ...

'' (1957) - J.R. Nichols (uncredited) * ''

This Happy Feeling ''This Happy Feeling'' is a 1959 (or 1958) American comedy film directed by Blake Edwards adapted from the F. Hugh Herbert play ''For Love or Money''. Edwards regretted Universal-International's eleventh hour decision of a name change, but the ...

'' (1958) - Mr. Booth * ''

The Restless Years ''The Restless Years'' is an Australian soap opera which followed the lives of several Sydney school-leavers and the drama and relationships faced by young adults. It was created by Reg Watson and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for N ...

'' (1958) - Mr. Booth * '' Stranger in My Arms'' (1959) - Marcus Beasley * ''

Pillow Talk Pillow talk is the relaxed, intimate conversation that often occurs between two sexual partners, sometimes after sexual activity, usually accompanied by cuddling, caresses, kissing, and other physical intimacy. It is associated with honesty, sex ...

'' (1959) - Mr. Conrad * '' I Aim at the Stars'' (1960) - U.S. Army Major * ''

Midnight Lace ''Midnight Lace'' is a 1960 American neo noir mystery thriller film directed by David Miller and starring Doris Day, Rex Harrison, and John Gavin. The plot centers on a woman who is threatened by an anonymous stalker but has a hard time convi ...

'' (1960) - Dr. Garver * ''

Parrish Parrish may refer to: Places in the United States * Parrish, Alabama * Parrish, Florida * Parrish, Illinois, a town destroyed in 1925 by the infamous Tri-State Tornado * Parrish, Wisconsin, a town * Parrish (community), Wisconsin, an unincorp ...

'' (1961) - Tom Weldon * '' Tammy Tell Me True'' (1961) - Joshua Welling * '' Back Street'' (1961) - Charley Claypole * ''

Pocketful of Miracles ''Pocketful of Miracles'' is a 1961 American comedy film starring Glenn Ford and Bette Davis, produced and directed by Frank Capra, filmed in Panavision. The screenplay by Hal Kanter and Harry Tugend was based on Robert Riskin's screenplay for t ...

'' (1961) - Police Captain Moore * '' Spencer's Mountain'' (1963) - Colonel Coleman * '' The Thrill of It All'' (1963) - Billings * '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' (1964) - Malcolm Broderick * '' A House Is Not a Home'' (1964) - Bill Cameron * ''

I'd Rather Be Rich ''I'd Rather Be Rich'' is a 1964 romantic comedy film with musical aspects directed by Jack Smight, produced by Ross Hunter and starring Sandra Dee. The film focuses on a dying man who wishes to meet his granddaughter's fiancé, but he is unavail ...

'' (1964) - MacDougall * ''

Youngblood Hawke ''Youngblood Hawke'' is a 1962 novel by American writer Herman Wouk about the rise and fall of a talented young writer of hardscrabble Kentucky origin who briefly becomes the toast of literary New York City. The plot was suggested by the life o ...

'' (1964) - Mr. Givney * ''

The Night Walker ''The Night Walker, or The Little Thief'' is an early seventeenth-century stage play, a comedy written by John Fletcher and later revised by his younger contemporary James Shirley. It was first published in 1640. Authorship The play enters th ...

'' (1964) - Howard Trent * ''

The Barefoot Executive ''The Barefoot Executive'' (also known as ''The Rating Game'') is a 1971 American comedy film starring Kurt Russell, Joe Flynn, Wally Cox, Heather North, Harry Morgan, and John Ritter (in his film debut), about a pet chimpanzee, named Raffles, ...

'' (1971) - Clifford * ''

The Moneychangers ''The Moneychangers'' is a 1975 novel written by Arthur Hailey. The plot revolves around the politics inside a major bank. Plot summary As the novel begins, the position of CEO of one of America's largest banks, ''First Mercantile American'', ...

'' (1976, TV Mini-Series) - Lewis Dorsey * '' I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later'' (1985, TV Movie) - Dr. Alfred Bellows

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rorke, Hayden 1910 births 1987 deaths Male actors from New York City American male film actors American male television actors Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City Deaths from multiple myeloma American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni American gay actors Deaths from cancer in California United States Army personnel of World War II LGBT people from New York (state) 20th-century American male actors People from Brooklyn Military personnel from New York City Brooklyn Preparatory School alumni 20th-century LGBT people