Victor Rodman (born Victor Rottman, August 6, 1892–June 29, 1965) was an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

best known for his work on two Jack Webb

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 are l ...

television programs A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed bet ...

, '' Dragnet'' and ''

Noah's Ark Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in ...

''.

Biography

Rodman was born in Augusta, Arkansas. Named after his farmer father who was a Hungarian immigrant, he began acting in silent film shorts as early as 1914 and continued in that genre until 1925. During the 1930s and 1940s, he acted in radio dramas such as "Speed Gibson" and "This Is Your FBI". He performed as Dr. Kingsley in "Speed Gibson" and assumed various parts in the FBI series. After a 30-year absence from the screen, Rodman appeared from 1953 to 1957 on eight episodes of ''Dragnet''. In 1955, he guest starred in the syndicated series, '' I Led Three Lives'', based on the exploits of communist infiltrator

Herbert Philbrick Herbert Arthur Philbrick (May 11, 1915 – August 16, 1993) was a Boston-area advertising executive who was encouraged by the FBI to infiltrate the Communist Party USA between 1940 and 1949. His autobiography was the basis for the 1950s television ...

. He played Comrade Arthur in the episode "Commie Dies." Thereafter, he joined the cast of ''Noah's Ark'', which ran for twenty-four episodes. During this 1956–1957 series, he played an older

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

, Dr. Sam Rinehart, who uses a wheelchair. Paul Burke portrayed the younger colleague and title character, Dr. Noah McCann.

May Wynn Donna Lee Custer ( Hickey, January 8, 1928 – March 22, 2021), better known as May Wynn, was an American dancer, singer, and actress. Early life Wynn, who grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, was descended from a line of performers. Her ...

starred as the young clinic receptionist, Liz Clark.Alex McNeil, ''Total Television'', p. 606 In 1958, Rodman guest starred in the role of Rufe Teller in the episode "Drop to Drink" of

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

's '' Wanted Dead or Alive'', a

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

starring future screen star Steve McQueen. In 1959, he appeared in the episode "Devil's Acre" of the syndicated western, ''

Man Without a Gun ''Man Without a Gun'' is an American western television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television and presented on the NTA Film Network and in first-run syndication in the United States from 1957 to 1959. Set in the town of Yellowstone near Y ...

''. In 1959, Rodman also played a nightwatchman on an episode of CBS' ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'' starring

Raymond Burr Raymond William Stacy Burr (May 21, 1917September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor known for his lengthy Hollywood film career and his title roles in television dramas ''Perry Mason'' and '' Ironside''. Burr's early acting career included roles ...

, called “The Case of the Bartered Bikini”. In 1960, Rodman guest starred as a judge on the episode "A Tender Touch" of the Craig Stevens detective series, ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...

''. Just prior to his death, Rodman's last role was uncredited as a prison inmate in the film '' Brainstorm'', directed by William Conrad. Rodman died at the age of seventy-two in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. Internet references do not give Rodman's place of birth, family information, other occupations, or burial site.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodman, Victor American male television actors American male film actors Male actors from Los Angeles 1892 births 1965 deaths People from Augusta, Arkansas 20th-century American male actors