Richard Edwin Bradford Jr. (November 10, 1934 – March 22, 2016) was an American actor. He is best known for his leading role in the television series ''

Man in a Suitcase ''Man in a Suitcase'' is a British television private eye thriller series produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment. It originally aired in the United Kingdom on ITV from 27 September 1967 to 17 April 1968. ABC broadcast episodes of ''Man in a ...

'' (1967–1968) and supporting role in the film ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'' (1987).

Early life

Bradford was born in Tyler, Texas, the son of Rose and Richard Edwin Bradford. His stepfather was a wholesale grocer. Raised by his grandparents in Conroe, Bradford received his schooling in San Antonio, Texas, then attended Texas A&M on a football scholarship. When an injury short-circuited Bradford's budding athletic career, and a switch to baseball at Texas State University was stymied due to insufficient semester hours, Bradford finally decided to seriously pursue a long-contemplated career in acting. To this end he made his way to New York.

Career

Supporting himself by waiting tables, Bradford studied acting,"The TV Key Mailbag: Richard Bradford Once Head Waiter"
''The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''. June 10, 1968. first with

Frank Corsaro Frank Corsaro (December 22, 1924, New York City, New York – November 11, 2017, Suwanee, GeorgiaRobert ViagasNight of the Iguana Director Frank Corsaro Is Dead at 92/ref>) was one of America's foremost stage directors of opera and theatre. His Bro ...

,Witbeck, Charles
"Yank Is Hit In British Spy Series; 'Unknown' No Longer"
''The Toledo Blade''. May 21, 1968. and finally, in 1962, was admitted to the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

, where he studied for two years, leading to roles in Studio productions such as ''

Mother Courage Mother Courage (German ''Mutter Courage'') is a character from a Grimmelshausen novel ''Lebensbeschreibung der Ertzbetrügerin und Landstörtzerin Courasche'' (''The Runagate Courage'') dating from around 1670. The character had played a cameo r ...

'' (1963),

June Havoc June Havoc (born Ellen Evangeline Hovick; November 8, 1912 – March 28, 2010) was a Canadian American actress, dancer, stage director and memoirist. Havoc was a child vaudeville performer under the tutelage of her mother Rose Thompson Hovick, ...

's ''Marathon '33'' (1963), and ''

Blues for Mister Charlie ''Blues for Mister Charlie'' is James Baldwin's second play, a social commentary drama in three acts. It was first produced and published in 1964. The play is dedicated to the memory of Medgar Evers, his widow and children, and to the memory of th ...

'' (1964). Also, he understudied

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

in the touring production of

A.E. Hotchner Aaron Edward Hotchner (June 28, 1917 – February 15, 2020) was an American editor, novelist, playwright, and biographer.Arthur Penn Arthur Hiller Penn (September 27, 1922 – September 28, 2010) was an American director and producer of film, television and theater. Closely associated with the American New Wave, Penn directed critically acclaimed films throughout the 19 ...

, who cast Bradford in '' The Chase'' (1966),. This work, in turn, attracted the attention of media impresario

Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 ...

, who brought Bradford to Great Britain in 1967 for ''

''. In addition to his numerous TV appearances, Bradford has been featured in many films, such as ''

The Missouri Breaks ''The Missouri Breaks'' is a 1976 American Western film starring Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson. The film was directed by Arthur Penn, with supporting performances by Randy Quaid, Harry Dean Stanton, Frederic Forrest, John McLiam, and Kath ...

'' (1976), ''

An Enemy of the People ''An Enemy of the People'' (original Norwegian title: ''En folkefiende''), an 1882 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, followed his previous play, ''Ghosts'', which criticized the hypocrisy of his society's moral code. That response inclu ...

'' (1978), ''

Badge of the Assassin ''Badge of the Assassin'' is a 1985 television film starring James Woods, Yaphet Kotto and Alex Rocco. It was directed by Mel Damski. The film first aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System network on November 2, 1985. The film's production comp ...

'' (1985), ''

The Trip to Bountiful ''The Trip to Bountiful'' is a 1985 American drama film directed by Peter Masterson and starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford and Rebecca De Mornay. It was adapted by Horton Foote from his 1953 play of the same na ...

'' (1985), ''

'' (1987), and ''

The Milagro Beanfield War ''The Milagro Beanfield War'' is a 1988 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Redford from a screenplay written by John Nichols and David S. Ward based on Nichols's novel of the same name. The ensemble cast includes Ruben Blades, Richar ...

'' (1988), but arguably his best known film role is the corrupt police captain in the 1997 film ''

Hoodlum A hoodlum is a thug, usually in a group of misfits who are associated with crime or theft. Early use The earliest reference to the word "hoodlum" was in the December 14, 1866, ''San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin'' after the Hoodlum Band was ...

''. Bradford appeared in the 1989 film '' Heart of Dixie'' and had notable turns in

Costa-Gavras Costa-Gavras (short for Konstantinos Gavras; el, Κωνσταντίνος Γαβράς; born 12 February 1933) is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for films with political and s ...

' ''

Missing Missing or The Missing may refer to: Film * ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young * ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras * ''Missing'' (2007 film) (''Vermist''), a Bel ...

'' (1982), ''

The Mean Season ''The Mean Season'' is a 1985 American thriller film directed by Phillip Borsos and starring Kurt Russell, Mariel Hemingway, Richard Jordan, Richard Masur, Joe Pantoliano, Luis Tamayo and Andy García. The screenplay, written by Christopher Crow ...

'' (1985) and ''

The Crossing Guard ''The Crossing Guard'' is a 1995 American independent drama film co-produced, written, and directed by Sean Penn. The film stars Jack Nicholson, David Morse, Robin Wright and Anjelica Huston. It tells the story of Freddy Gale, a man who has bee ...

'' (1995). In the 1960s, he appeared in one episode of the television series ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' and guest-starred in an episode of ''

The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions in ...

''. In the 1970s, he played Lutie Bascomb in one episode of ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book ''Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 film ...

''. He guest-starred in an episode of ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' in the 1980s. He also guest-starred on ''

Viper The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...

''. In 1987, he starred in the miniseries '' Amerika''. In the mid 1980s, he was a semi-regular cast member of the series ''

Cagney & Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very dif ...

''.

Personal life

Bradford was married to ballet dancer Eileen Elliott from 1965 to 1984. He was in a long-time relationship with actress

Millie Perkins Millie Perkins (born May 12, 1938) is an American film and television actress known for her debut film role as Anne Frank in ''The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film), The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959), and for her supporting actress roles in two 19 ...

. He had a son, Richard Bradford III. He died on March 22, 2016, at the age of 81 in Los Angeles.

Miscellaneous

In 1986,

The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...

used a photograph of Bradford on the cover of their single "

Panic Panic is a sudden sensation of fear, which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation consistent with an animalistic fight-or-flight reactio ...

". In 2004, Bradford gave a series of interviews and commentaries for a DVD release of ''Man in a Suitcase'', expressing mild surprise at the ongoing popularity of the series today.

Selected filmography

* '' The Chase'' (1966) as Damon Fuller * ''To Chase a Million'' (1967) as McGill * '' Operation Heartbeat'' (1969, TV movie) as Dr. Joseph Gannon * ''

'' (1970 - It Takes a Smart Man) as 'Tulsa Red' * ''Mannix'' (1973 - The Danford File ) as Barney Edmonds * ''

'' (1976) as Pete Marker * ''

'' (1978) as Captain Forster * ''

Goin' South ''Goin' South'' is a 1978 American Western- comedy film, directed by and starring Jack Nicholson, with Mary Steenburgen, Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi, Richard Bradford, Veronica Cartwright, Danny DeVito and Ed Begley Jr. Plot Henry Llo ...

'' (1978) as Sheriff Andrew Kyle * ''

More American Graffiti ''More American Graffiti'' is a 1979 American coming-of-age comedy film written and directed by Bill L. Norton, produced by Howard Kazanjian. It is the sequel to the 1973 film ''American Graffiti''. Whereas the first film followed a group of frien ...

'' (1979) as Major Creech * ''

A Rumor of War A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...

'' (1980, TV miniseries) as General Merle Rupert * ''

'' (1982) as Andrew Babcock * '' Hammett'' (1982) as Detective Bradford * ''

The Escape Artist ''The Escape Artist'' is a 1982 film starring Griffin O'Neal and Raúl Juliá. It was based on a book by David Wagoner, and was the directorial debut of Caleb Deschanel. It was the final film of Joan Hackett, Desi Arnaz, and Gabriel Dell, and t ...

'' (1982) as Sam, City Treasurer (uncredited) * ''

Lookin' to Get Out ''Lookin’ to Get Out'' is a 1982 American comedy film, directed by Hal Ashby and written by Al Schwartz and Jon Voight, who also stars. The film also stars Ann-Margret and Burt Young. Voight's daughter, Angelina Jolie, then seven years old, m ...

'' (1982) as Bernie Gold * ''Running Hot'' (1984) as Tom Bond * ''

'' (1985) as Phil Wilson * ''

The Legend of Billie Jean ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' is a 1985 American drama film, directed by Matthew Robbins. It stars Helen Slater, Keith Gordon, Christian Slater, Dean Stockwell, Richard Bradford and Peter Coyote. Plot Billie Jean Davy, a teenager from Corpus ...

'' (1985) as Pyatt * ''

'' (1985) as L.J. Delsa * ''

The Trip To Bountiful ''The Trip to Bountiful'' is a 1985 American drama film directed by Peter Masterson and starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford and Rebecca De Mornay. It was adapted by Horton Foote from his 1953 play of the same na ...

'' (1985) as Sheriff * '' Amerika'' (1987, TV miniseries) as Ward Milford * ''

'' (1987) as Police Chief Mike Dorsett * ''

'' (1988) as Ladd Devine * ''

Little Nikita ''Little Nikita'' is a 1988 American thriller film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring River Phoenix and Sidney Poitier. The film marks the first collaboration between Phoenix and Poitier (the second being '' Sneakers'' in 1992). Plot Jef ...

'' (1988) as Konstantin Karpov * '' Permanent Record'' (1988) as Leo Verdell * ''

Sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spring ...

'' (1988) as Captain Blackworth * ''

Wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...

'' (1988) as Gene * '' Heart of Dixie'' (1989) as Judge Claibourne * ''

Night Game A night game, also called a nighter, is a sporting event that takes place, completely or partially, after the local sunset. Depending on the sport, this can be done either with floodlights or with the usual low-light conditions. The term "night g ...

'' (1989) as Nelson * '' Internal Affairs'' (1990) as Captain Grieb * ''Servants of Twilight'' (1991) as Henry Rankin * ''Ambition'' (1991) as Jordan * '' Cold Heaven'' (1991) as Monsignor Cassidy * ''Under Cover of Darkness'' (1992) as Nathan Franklin * ''

Dr. Giggles ''Dr. Giggles'' is a 1992 American slasher film directed by Manny Coto, starring Larry Drake as Evan Rendell Jr., the eponymous Dr. Giggles, and Holly Marie Combs as Jennifer Campbell. The film co-stars Cliff DeYoung and Glenn Quinn. It was re ...

'' (1992) as Officer Hank Magruder * ''

Arctic Blue ''Arctic Blue'' is a 1993 action thriller film directed by Peter Masterson and starring Rutger Hauer, Dylan Walsh, Rya Kihlstedt, and John Cuthbert. Premise Eric Desmond is an amateur marshal in the wilderness of Alaska who has to deal with a ...

'' (1993) as Wilder * '' When a Man Loves a Woman'' (1994) as Angry Man Watching TV (uncredited) * '' Indictment: The McMartin Trial'' (1995) as Los Angeles District Attorney Ira Reiner * ''

Steal Big Steal Little ''Steal Big Steal Little'' is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Andrew Davis and starring Andy García in dual roles. It also features Alan Arkin and Joe Pantoliano. Plot Mild-mannered, unassuming Ruben Martinez has a slick, unscrupulous t ...

'' (1995) as Nick Zingaro, Hood From Chicago * ''

'' (1995) as Stuart Booth * '' The Chamber'' (1996) - Wyn Lettner * ''

'' (1997) as Captain Jack Foley * ''

Just the Ticket ''Just the Ticket'' is a 1998 film directed by Richard Wenk. It stars Andy García and Andie MacDowell. Garcia was also the producer. The film was originally titled ''A Piece of Cake''. Plot Gary Starke (Garcia), desperate to get his girlfrien ...

'' (1999) as Benny Moran * ''

The Man from Elysian Fields ''The Man from Elysian Fields'' is a 2001 American drama film directed by George Hickenlooper, and starring Andy Garcia, Mick Jagger, Olivia Williams, Julianna Margulies, and James Coburn. Synopsis After one book that ended up in the remainder b ...

'' (2001) as Edward Rodgers * ''

Hawaiian Gardens Hawaiian Gardens is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the smallest city in the county in area (approximately 1.0 mi2) and was incorporated on April 9, 1964. The population was 14,254 at the 2010 census, down fro ...

'' (2001) as Bruno * '' The Lost City'' (2005) as Don Donoso Fellove

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bradford, Richard 1934 births 2016 deaths American expatriate male actors in the United Kingdom American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Texas People from Tyler, Texas Texas A&M University alumni