Warren Oates

Warren Mercer Oates (July 5, 1928 – April 3, 1982) was an American actor best known for his performances in several films directed by Sam Peckinpah, including ''The Wild Bunch'' (1969) and ''Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'' (1974). Another of his most acclaimed performances was as officer Sam Wood in '' In the Heat of the Night'' (1967). Oates starred in numerous films during the early 1970s that have since achieved cult status, such as ''The Hired Hand'' (1971), ''Two-Lane Blacktop'' (1971), and ''Race with the Devil'' (1975). Oates also portrayed John Dillinger in the biopic ''Dillinger'' (1973) and as the supporting character U.S. Army Sergeant Hulka in the military comedy ''Stripes'' (1981). Another notable appearance was in the classic New Zealand film '' Sleeping Dogs'' (1977), in which he played the commander of the American forces in the country.

Early life

Warren Oates was born and reared in Depoy, a tiny rural community in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, located just a few miles west of Greenville, the county seat. According to the federal census of 1940, he was the younger of two sons born to Sarah Alice (''née'' Mercer) and Bayless Earle Oates, who owned a general store. "Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940".
Depoy, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, April 4, 1940. Bureau of the Census, United States Department of Commerce, Washington, DC. Digital copy of original enumeration page available on Family Search, a genealogical database provided as a public service by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved July 19, 2017. His brother, Gordon, was five years his senior. On his father's side, Warren was of English, Scottish, and Welsh ancestry. He attended Louisville Male High School in Louisville, Kentucky, until 1945, but did not graduate from that institution. He did, however, later earn a high-school equivalency diploma. After high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps for two years (1946-1948), serving in its air wing as an aircraft mechanic and reaching the rank of corporal. Oates became interested in theater while attending the University of Louisville, where in 1953, he starred in several plays produced by the school's Little Theater Company. Four years later, in New York City, he got an opportunity to star in a live production of the television series '' Studio One''.

Career

Oates moved to Los Angeles, where in the 1950s, he began to establish himself in guest roles in weekly television Westerns, including ''Wagon Train'', ''Tombstone Territory'', '' Buckskin'', '' Rawhide'', '' Trackdown'', ''Tate'', '' The Rebel'', '' Wanted Dead or Alive'', '' The Virginian'', ''Have Gun – Will Travel'', '' Lawman'', ''The Big Valley'', ''Bat Masterson'', and ''Gunsmoke''. Oates first met Peckinpah when he played a variety of guest roles in ''The Rifleman'' (1958–1963), a popular television series sometimes directed by Peckinpah. He also played a supporting role in Peckinpah's short-lived series '' The Westerner'' in 1960. The collaboration continued as he worked in Peckinpah's early films ''Ride the High Country'' ( 1962) and ''Major Dundee'' (1965).

"There were 40 esternseries, and I went from one to the other. I started out playing the third bad guy on a horse and worked my way up to the number-one bad guy," Oates once quipped.

In the episode "Subterranean City" (October 14, 1958) of the syndicated ''Rescue 8'', Oates played a gang member, Pete, who is the nephew of series character Skip Johnson (Lang Jeffries). In the story line, rescuers Johnson and Wes Cameron ( Jim Davis) search for a lost girl in the sewer tunnels and encounter three criminals hiding out underground. Pete soon breaks with his gang companions and joins the firemen Wes and Skip in locating the missing child.

In 1961, Oates guest-starred in the episode "Artie Moon" in NBC's ''The Lawless Years'' crime drama about the 1920s. In 1962, he appeared as Ves Painter in the short-lived ABC series '' Stoney Burke'', co-starring Jack Lord, a program about rodeo contestants.

Oates also played in a number of guest roles on ''The Twilight Zone'' (in "The Purple Testament" and "The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms", in which he costarred with Randy Boone and Ron Foster), '' The Outer Limits'' (" The Mutant" 964, ''Combat! ''("The Pillbox" 964 and ''Lost in Space'' ("Welcome Stranger" 965. During the 1960s and 1970s, he guest-starred on such shows as ''Twelve O'Clock High'' ("The Hotshot" 965, ''Lancer'', and '' The Virginian''.

In addition to Peckinpah, Oates worked with several major directors of his era, including Leslie Stevens in the 1960 film ''Private Property'', his first starring role; Norman Jewison in '' In the Heat of the Night'' ( 1967); Joseph L. Mankiewicz in '' There Was a Crooked Man...'' (1970); John Milius in ''Dillinger'' (1973); Terrence Malick in ''Badlands'' (1973); Philip Kaufman in ''The White Dawn'' (1974); William Friedkin in ''The Brink's Job'' (1978); and Steven Spielberg in ''1941'' (1979).

He appeared in the Sherman Brothers' musical version of ''Tom Sawyer'' (1973), as Muff Potter, the town drunk. He also starred in ''The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond'' (1960), ''Return of the Seven'' (1966), ''The Shooting'' (filmed in 1965, released in 1968), '' The Split'' (1968), ''The Thief Who Came to Dinner'' (1973), ''Cockfighter'' (1974), ''Drum'' (1976), and ''China 9, Liberty 37'' (1978), and played the title role in a 1971 crime drama, ''Chandler''. Oates costarred three times with friend Peter Fonda in ''The Hired Hand'' (1971), ''Race with the Devil'' (1975), and ''92 in the Shade'' (1975).

While making a guest appearance on a segment of the Western television series ''Dundee and the Culhane'', Oates managed to steal the show with his off-camera antics and bloopers that had everyone on the set rolling. After a long day of filming, he headed over and set his footprints in concrete along with all the other stars who appeared at Apacheland Movie Ranch. During this time in mid-1967, ''In the Heat of the Night'' became a blockbuster summer movie. Oates had played Officer Sam Wood, a peeping-tom policeman.

Oates was cast in Roger Donaldson's 1977 New Zealand film '' Sleeping Dogs'' together with New Zealand actor Sam Neill. A political thriller with action film elements, ''Sleeping Dogs'' follows the lead character "Smith" (Neill) as New Zealand plunges into a police state, as a fascist government institutes martial law after industrial disputes flare into violence. Smith gets caught between the special police and a growing resistance movement, and reluctantly becomes involved. Oates plays the role of Willoughby, commander of the American forces stationed in New Zealand and working with the New Zealand fascist government to find and subdue "rebels" (the resistance movement).

His partnership with Peckinpah resulted in two of his most famous film roles. In the 1969 Western classic ''The Wild Bunch'', he portrayed Lyle Gorch, a long-time outlaw who chooses to die with his friends during the film's violent conclusion. According to his wife at the time, Teddy, Oates had the choice of starring in ''Support Your Local Sheriff!'', to be filmed in Los Angeles, or ''The Wild Bunch'' in Mexico. "He had done ''Return of the Seven'' in Mexico; he got hepatitis, plus dysentery, but off he went again with Sam eckinpah He loved going on location. He loved the adventure of it. He had great admiration for Sam. Sam Peckinpah and Monte Hellman were the two directors with whom Warren would work anytime, anywhere." In ''Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'', the dark 1974 action/tragedy also filmed in Mexico, Oates played the lead role of Bennie, a hard-drinking, down-on-his-luck musician and bartender hoping to make a final score. The character was reportedly based on Peckinpah. For authenticity, Oates wore the director's sunglasses while filming scenes of the production.

Although the Peckinpah film roles are his best-known, his most critically acclaimed role is GTO in Monte Hellman's 1971 cult classic ''Two-Lane Blacktop''. The film, although a failure at the box office, is studied in film schools as a treasure of the 1970s, in large part due to Oates' heartbreaking portrayal of GTO. Film critic Leonard Maltin remarked that Oates' performance in this film was as good as any he had seen and should have won the Oscar.

A year before his death, Oates costarred with Bill Murray in the 1981 military comedy ''Stripes''. In the role of the drill sergeant, Sgt. Hulka, Oates played the straight man to Murray's comedic character. The film was a huge financial success, earning $85 million at the box office. In 1982, he costarred opposite Jack Nicholson in director Tony Richardson's '' The Border''.

In 1981, Oates also costarred as a fanatical Southern preacher-turned-Confederate officer in '' The Blue and the Gray'', a CBS TV miniseries that aired in November 1982. His last two films were not released until 1983: ''Blue Thunder'' and '' Tough Enough'', both filmed in late 1981. Both films are dedicated to him, along with Monte Hellman's 1988 film ''Iguana'', which ends with the titles "For Warren".

Death

Oates was ill with influenza in the weeks before his death. On April 3, 1982, at the age of 53, he died of a heart attack while taking an afternoon nap at his home in Los Angeles, after having experienced chest pains and shortness of breath earlier that day."Actor Warren Oates Dies", ''Minden Press-Herald'', Minden, Louisiana, April 5, 1982, p. 8 An autopsy determined that he had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. After his funeral, in accordance with Oates' wishes, his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered at his ranch in Montana.

Legacy

Oates has a dedicated cult following because of his performances in not only Peckinpah's films, but also in Monte Hellman's independent works, his films with Peter Fonda, and in a number of B movies from the 1970s. During a screening of Hellman's ''Two-Lane Blacktop'', Richard Linklater introduced the film, and gave 16 reasons why viewers should love it. The sixth was: "Because there was once a god who walked the Earth named Warren Oates."

The documentary film ''Warren Oates: Across the Border'' was produced by Tom Thurman in 1993 as a tribute to the actor's career.

Oates was the subject of a 2009 biography, ''Warren Oates: A Wild Life'', written by Susan Compo.

Filmography

Films

Television films

Television

* 1956 ''The United States Steel Hour'' ("Operation Three R's") as Private Lear
* 1956 '' The Big Story'' ("Reunion") as Danny (Adult)
* 1957 ''Kraft Television Theatre'' ("Gun at a Fair One") as Milkman
* 1956-1958 ''Westinghouse Studio One'' as 2nd Card Player
* 1958-1967 ''Gunsmoke'' as Al Tresh / Chris Kelly / Deke Bassop / Speeler / Lafe / Tate Crocker / Billy 'Sweet Billy' Cathcart / Jep Galloway / Jed Hakes / Seth Pickett
* 1958-1961 '' Wanted Dead Or Alive'' as Jesse Cox / Billy Clegg / George Aswell / Clem Robinson. Note: wrongly credited as "Warren Oats" as Jesse Cox in "Die by the Gun," Season 1, Episode 14, first aired 12/6/1958.
* 1958 ''Rescue 8'' ("Subterranean City") as Pete
* 1958 ''The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin'' ("The Epidemic") as Deke
* 1958 ''Playhouse 90'' ("Seven Against The Wall") as Ted Ryan
* 1958 ''Black Saddle'' ("Client: Steele") as Deputy Simms
* 1958-1960 ''Tombstone Territory'' as Joe Clinton / Bob Pickett / Vic Reel
* 1958-1960 ''Have Gun – Will Travel'' as John Bosworth / Harrison
* 1959 '' Buckskin'' ("Charlie, My Boy") as Charlie
* 1959 '' The Rough Riders'' ("The Rifle") as Frank Day
* 1959 '' Trackdown'' as 'Lute' Borden / Kelly Hooker / Deputy Norvil
* 1959 ''Wagon Train'' ("The Martha Barham Story") as Private Silas Carpenter
* 1959 '' The Rebel'' ("School Days") as Troy Armbruster
* 1959-1961 ''Bat Masterson'' as Sonny Parsons / 'Cat' Crail
* 1960 ''Hotel de Paree'' ("Hard Luck for Sundance") as Charlie Aiken
* 1960 ''Bronco'' ("Every Man a Hero") as Private Hurd Maple
* 1960-1965 '' Rawhide'' as Marco / Charlie 'Rabbit' Waters / Weed / Jesse Gufler
* 1960 ''Johnny Ringo'' ("Single Debt"), as Burt Scanlon
* 1960 ''Tate'' ("Before Sunup) as Cowpoke
* 1960 '' Wrangler'' ("Affair at the Trading Post") as Shep Martin
* 1960 '' Outlaws'' ("Thirty a Month") as Bill Hooton
* 1960 '' The Westerner'' ("Jeff") as Drunk
* 1960 '' Lawman'' ("The Second Son") as Al May
* 1960 '' Hawaiian Eye'' ("The Contenders") as Al
* 1960 ''Michael Shayne'' ("Murder 'Round My Wrist") as Frank Hobbes
* 1960 '' The Case of the Dangerous Robin'' ("Baubles and Bullets") as Unknown
* 1961-1962 '' Target: The Corruptors!'' ("Mr. Megalomania" and "Journey into Mourning") as Unknown
* 1961 ''Bat Masterson'' ("Members of Mimbres") as 'Cat' Craig, JB Villain
* 1961 '' Laramie'' ("Two for the Gallows") as Pete Dixson
* 1961 ''Stagecoach West'' as Billy Joe / Trooper Haig / Tom Lochlin
* 1961 ''The Lawless Years'' ("Artie Moon") as Charlie Brown
* 1961 ''The Dick Powell Show'' ("Somebody's Waiting") as Bruno
* 1958-1962 ''The Rifleman'' ("The Day of Reckoning", "The Marshall", "Bloodlines", "The Prodigal") as Willie Breen / Andrew Sheltin / Jed Malakie
* 1960-1962 '' Thriller'' ("Knock Three-One-Two" & "The Hollow Watcher") as Unknown
* 1960-1962 ''77 Sunset Strip'' as 'Dink' Strahman / Orville
* 1962 ''Bonanza'' ("The Mountain Girl") as Unknown
* 1962 ''The Untouchables'' ("Pressure") as Artie Krebs
* 1962-1963 '' Stoney Burke'' as Ves Painter (Oates' only regular role on a television series)
* 1963 ''The Twilight Zone'' "The Purple Testament" & "The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms" as Unknown
* 1963 ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' ("The Day of the First Suitor") as Eldon Bishop
* 1963-1966 '' The Virginian'' as Corbie / Roy Judd / Bowers / Buxton
* 1964 ''Combat!'' ("The Pillbox") as Soldier Stark
* 1964 '' The Outer Limits'' ("The Mutant") as Reese Fowler
* 1964 '' The Fugitive'' ("Devil's Carnival" & "Rat in a Corner") as Hanes McClure / Herbie Grant
* 1964 '' The Reporter'' ("No Comment") as Mickroe
* 1965 ''Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' ("The War" & "Eric Kurtz") as Joe Grover
* 1965 '' Branded'' ("Judge Not") as Pierce / Frank
* 1965 ''A Man Called Shenandoah'' ("The Fort") as Sergeant Ryder
* 1965 ''Slattery's People'' as Eugene Henson / Stu Burns
* 1965 ''Twelve O'Clock High'' as Lieutenant Colonel Troper
* 1965 ''Lost in Space'' ("Welcome Stranger") as Jimmy Hapgood
* 1965-1966 ''The Big Valley'' as Korby Kyles / Duke
* 1966 '' The Monroes'' as Nick Beresford
* 1966 ''Shane'' as Kemp Spicer
* 1967 ''Dundee and the Culhane'' as Lafe Doolin
* 1967 '' The Iron Horse'' as Hode Avery
* 1967 ''Cimarron Strip'' as Mobeetie
* 1968 '' Run for Your Life'' as Deputy Potter
* 1968 ''Disneyland'' as John Blythe
* 1969-1970 ''Lancer'' as Sheriff Val Crawford / Drago
* 1971 ''The F.B.I.'' as Richie Billings
* 1971 '' The Name of the Game'' as John Lew Weatherford
* 1978 ''Black Beauty'' as Jerry Barker
* 1973 '' Police Story'' as Richey Neptune
* 1979 ''Insight'' as Unknown
* 1981 '' East of Eden'' as Cyrus Trask
* 1982 '' The Blue and the Gray'' as Major 'Preacher' Welles (released posthumously)
* 1985 '' Tales of the Unexpected'' as Harry (filmed in 1981; released posthumously; final role)

References

External links

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''Time'' magazine interview

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oates, Warren
1928 births
1982 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
American people of English descent
American people of Scottish descent
American people of Welsh descent
Ranchers from Montana
Male actors from Kentucky
Male actors from Los Angeles
Male actors from Louisville, Kentucky
Male Western (genre) film actors
People from Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
United States Marines
University of Louisville alumni
Louisville Male High School alumni
Western (genre) television actors