Elmer Calvin "Hank" Patterson (October 9, 1888 – August 23, 1975) was an American actor and musician. He is known foremost for playing two recurring characters on three television series: the stableman Hank Miller on '' Gunsmoke'' and farmer Fred Ziffel on both ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

'' and '' Green Acres''.

Early life

Patterson was born in

Springville, Alabama Springville is a city in St. Clair County, Alabama, United States. It incorporated in December 1880. At the 2020 census the population was 4,786, up from 4,080 in 2010. Geography Springville is located at (33.768950, −86.471037). According t ...

, one of seven children of Green Davis Patterson, an insurance agent, and Mary Isabell "Mollie" Newton Patterson. By the 1890s his family had moved to Taylor, Texas, where he spent most of his boyhood and attended school through 8th grade. In 1917 he registered for a

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

draft card in Lubbock County, Texas. Patterson had intended to be a serious pianist, but he instead became a

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

piano player. By the end of the 1920s he moved to California. He entered the movie business as an actor during the 1930s. His earliest identified screen work was an uncredited appearance in the

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

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 ...

film ''The Arizona Kid'' (1939).

Movies and TV

Patterson found plenty of movie work, mainly playing cantankerous types as well as blacksmiths, hotel clerks, farmers, shopkeepers and other townsmen, usually bit roles and character parts in Republic Pictures westerns, and then in popular TV westerns such as ''

The Cisco Kid The Cisco Kid is a fictional character found in numerous film, radio, television and comic book series based on the fictional Western character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story "The Caballero's Way", published in '' Everybody's Magaz ...

'', ''

The Adventures of Kit Carson ''The Adventures of Kit Carson'' is an American Western that aired from 1951 to 1955. The show ran for four seasons and consisted of 104 episodes over four years. The original air date was Saturday, August 11, 1951. It concluded on January 22, 19 ...

'', ''

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'', and ''

Annie Oakley Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoverished family in western ...

''. He also had small cameo appearances in a number of sci-fi movies by

Bert I. Gordon Bert Ira Gordon (born September 24, 1922) is an American filmmaker and visual effects artist. He is best known for writing and directing science fiction and horror B-movies such as ''King Dinosaur'' (1955), ''The Amazing Colossal Man'' (1957), '' ...

: '' Beginning of the End'', '' The Amazing Colossal Man'', '' Attack of the Puppet People'', and '' Earth vs. The Spider''. Patterson played recurring or different roles in adult/family TV westerns, including the role of Hank Miller in 33 episodes of '' Gunsmoke'' from 1962 through 1973, on '' Have Gun-Will Travel'' (eleven episodes), ''

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 program ...

'' (nine episodes), '' Tales of Wells Fargo'' (seven episodes),'' Maverick'' (four episodes), '' Cheyenne'' (four episodes), '' Wagon Train'' (three episodes), ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'' (three episodes), '' The Virginian'' (two episodes), '' The Rifleman'', '' Bonanza'', and in episodes of '' Lawman'', ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'' (sometimes in a recurring role as former Confederate Soldier Soda Smith), ''

The Restless Gun ''The Restless Gun'' is an American Western television series that appeared on NBC between 1957 and 1959, with John Payne in the role of Vint Bonner, a wandering cowboy in the era after the American Civil War. A skilled gunfighter, Bonner is a ...

'', and many others. In 1959 Patterson appeared as a sodbuster in an uncredited role on '' Lawman'' ("The Young Toughs"). He made additional TV appearances, including in three episodes of '' The Twilight Zone'' as well as ''

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 ...

'', '' Burke's Law'', ''

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 ...

'', '' Judd for the Defense'', ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...

'', and in later years '' The Mod Squad'' and '' Love, American Style'' and ''

Highway Patrol A highway patrol, or state patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is prima ...

''.

''Green Acres''

In 1963 Patterson first appeared in what would become a recurring role as farmer Fred Ziffel on the popular

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 ...

rural comedy ''

''. In 1965 CBS debuted another rural comedy, ''Green Acres''. Both series were set in the mythical farming community of

Hooterville Hooterville is a fictional agricultural community that is the setting for the American situation comedies ''Petticoat Junction'' (1963–70) and ''Green Acres'' (1965–1971), two rural-oriented television series created or produced by Paul Henning ...

, with characters from ''Petticoat Junction'' often also appearing in ''Green Acres'', including Patterson's Fred Ziffel character. It was on the popular, irreverent ''Green Acres'' that Patterson earned his greatest fame. In 1965 and 1966—two of the years in which the two series ran concurrently—Patterson frequently appeared in both shows in the same week in prime time. The association of Patterson's character with the popular character Arnold, the pet pig whom Fred and his wife Doris treated as a son, ensured Patterson a place in TV history. Arnold attended school, watched TV and was a talented artist, piano player, and actor. He even "talked" (snorted, grunted and squealed) in a language that everyone in Hooterville seemed to understand except Oliver Wendell Douglas (''Green Acres'' co-star

Eddie Albert Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor and activist. He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; the first nomination came in 1954 for his performance in ''Roman Holiday'', ...

). According to westernclippings.com "Characters and Heavies" by Boyd Magers, "Ironically, by the time Patterson was doing 'Green Acres' he was in his late 70s and almost completely deaf, but the producers loved his portrayal so much they worked around his hearing impairment by having the dialogue coach lying on the floor out-of-shot tapping Hank's leg with a yardstick as a cue to speak his line."

Personal life

Hank Patterson was married to Daisy Marguerite (Sheeler) Patterson, a Kentucky native four years younger than Hank whose parents were both of German ancestry. They are listed together in the U.S. Census for both 1930 and 1940 as residing in Los Angeles. In the 1940 census, Hank's occupation is listed as "Actor, Motion Picture Studio & Stage." Patterson's great-grandfather, James Pearson, was an original settler of St. Clair County, Alabama, as was his mother's great-grandfather, Thomas Newton. His great-grandfather, Henry S. Patterson, moved to Blount County, Alabama, around 1857 from

Murray County, Georgia Murray County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,973. The county seat is Chatsworth. Murray County is part of the Dalton, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, ...

. Between 1894 and 1897, the family left Alabama to live in Texas. Hank Patterson died at age 86 on August 23, 1975 of bronchial pneumonia. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood. Daisy died, also at age 86, on February 2, 1979. Patterson's great-niece is actress

Téa Leoni Téa Leoni (; born Elizabeth Téa Pantaleoni; February 25, 1966) is an American actress. In her early career, she starred in the television sitcoms '' Flying Blind'' (1992–93) and '' The Naked Truth'' (1995–98). Her breakthrough role was in ...

.Leoni Online: The Articles - Elle Magazine
/ref>

Selected filmography

*'' The Arizona Kid'' (1939) - Townsman (uncredited) *'' Sabotage'' (1939) - Minor Role (uncredited) *'' The Covered Trailer'' (1939) - Townsman (uncredited) *'' Three Faces West'' (1940) - Pool Player (uncredited) *''

Abilene Town ''Abilene Town'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Edwin L. Marin and starring Randolph Scott, Ann Dvorak, Edgar Buchanan, Rhonda Fleming and Lloyd Bridges. Adapted from Ernest Haycox's 1941 novel ''Trail Town'', the production's ...

'' (1946) - Doug Neil *''

The Scarlet Horseman ''The Scarlet Horseman'' is a 1946 American Western film serial from Universal Pictures. It is directed by Lewis D. Collins and Ray Taylor. Paul Guilfoyle plays Jim Bannion, secret identity of The Scarlet Horseman, with Janet Shaw as Elise, hi ...

'' (1946) - Sen. Masters (uncredited) *'' I Ring Doorbells'' (1946) - Mr. Bradley *'' The El Paso Kid'' (1946) - Jeff Winters *'' Conquest of Cheyenne'' (1946) - Rancher (uncredited) *'' Wild Beauty'' (1946) - Ed (uncredited) *'' Santa Fe Uprising'' (1946) - Deputy Jake *'' Gallant Bess'' (1946) - Ranch Hand (uncredited) *''

Bells of San Angelo '' Bells of San Angelo '' is a 1947 American Trucolor Western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers. The first Roy Rogers film shot in Trucolor, this modern day Western mixes half a dozen songs with mystery, international smu ...

'' (1947) - Deaf Bus Passenger *'' Robin Hood of Texas'' (1947) - Taxicab Driver (uncredited) *'' Springtime in the Sierras'' (1947) - Old-Timer *'' Under Colorado Skies'' (1947) - Slim *'' The Tender Years'' (1948) - Zeke (uncredited) *''

Relentless Relentless may refer to: Film * ''Relentless'' (1948 film), an American film directed by George Sherman * ''Relentless'', a 1977 American television film starring Will Sampson * ''Relentless'' (1989 film), an American crime film starring Jud ...

'' (1948) - Bob Pliny (uncredited) *'' Oklahoma Badlands'' (1948) - Postmaster Fred *'' Panhandle'' (1948) - Old Timer (uncredited) *'' Night Time in Nevada'' (1948) - Dancing Tramp *'' The Denver Kid'' (1948) - Sergeant Cooper *'' The Plunderers'' (1948) - Stage Manager (uncredited) *'' Belle Starr's Daughter'' (1948) - Townsman (uncredited) *'' Red Canyon'' (1949) - Osborne (uncredited) *''

Outcasts of the Trail ''Outcasts of the Trail'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Philip Ford and written by Olive Cooper. The film stars Monte Hale, Paul Hurst, Jeff Donnell, Roy Barcroft, John Gallaudet and Milton Parsons. The film was released on June ...

'' (1949) - Hank Barris - Station Agent (uncredited) *'' The James Brothers of Missouri'' (1949, Serial) - Duffy

h. 4 H is the eighth letter of the Latin alphabet. H may also refer to: Musical symbols * H number, Harry Halbreich reference mechanism for music by Honegger and Martinů * H, B (musical note) * H, B major People * H. (noble) (died after 12 ...

/ Duffy 1*''

The Cowboy and the Indians ''The Cowboy and the Indians'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by John English and written by Dwight Cummins and Dorothy Yost. The film stars Gene Autry, Sheila Ryan, Frank Richards, Hank Patterson, Jay Silverheels and Claudia Drake ...

'' (1949) - Tom - Ranch Foreman *'' Tell It to the Judge'' (1949) - Sleigh Driver (uncredited) *'' Riders in the Sky'' (1949) - Luke - Stagecoach Driver *'' Perfect Strangers'' (1950) - Witness in Montage (uncredited) *'' Code of the Silver Sage'' (1950) - Sgt. Woods *''

No Sad Songs for Me ''No Sad Songs for Me'' is a 1950 film directed by Rudolph Maté, featuring Margaret Sullavan in her last film role as a woman dying of cancer. It was nominated for an Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are award ...

'' (1950) - Night Construction Workman (uncredited) *'' Please Believe Me'' (1950) - Sam Smith (uncredited) *'' The Gunfighter'' (1950) - Jake (uncredited) *''

Desperadoes of the West ''Desperadoes of the West'' (1950) is a 12-chapter Republic film serial. Cast * Richard Powers as Ward Gordon *Judy Clark as Sally Arnold *Roy Barcroft as Hacker, a henchman * I. Stanford Jolley as J. B. "Dude" Dawson *Lee Phelps as Rusty Steel ...

'' (1950, Serial) - Hardrock Haggerty h. 4, 5*''

The Return of Jesse James ''The Return of Jesse James'' is a 1950 American western film directed by Arthur Hilton and starring John Ireland, Ann Dvorak and Henry Hull. It was produced and distributed by the independent Lippert Pictures. The film's art direction was by ...

'' (1950) - Clay County Marshal *'' Al Jennings of Oklahoma'' (1951) - Jeff (uncredited) *'' Silver City Bonanza'' (1951) - Postman *'' Don Daredevil Rides Again'' (1951, Serial) - Buck Bender *'' Indian Uprising'' (1952) - Jake Wilson (uncredited) *'' Rose of Cimarron'' (1952) - Hunter on Trail (uncredited) *''

California Conquest ''California Conquest'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Lew Landers and starring Cornel Wilde and Teresa Wright.

'' (1952) - Sam Lawrence (uncredited) *'' Woman They Almost Lynched'' (1953) - Townsman (uncredited) *'' Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders'' (1953, Serial) - Jed Larson h.2-5*'' Jack Slade'' (1953) - Old Tom (uncredited) *''

Ride Clear of Diablo ''Ride Clear of Diablo'' is a 1954 American Technicolor Western film directed by Jesse Hibbs starring Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, Susan Cabot and Abbe Lane. made for Universal Pictures. Cabot and Murphy had appeared in two films together previousl ...

'' (1954) - Wagon Driver (uncredited) *'' Southwest Passage'' (1954) - Barstow (uncredited) *'' Many Rivers to Cross'' (1955) - Second Innkeeper (uncredited) *'' Murder Is My Beat'' (1955) - Medical Examiner (uncredited) *'' Tarantula!'' (1955) - Josh *'' Last of the Desperados'' (1955) - Hank - Wagon Driver (uncredited) *'' The Great Locomotive Chase'' (1956) - Turner - Friendly Jailer (uncredited) *''

'' (1956) - Old Man Kimberley (uncredited) *'' The First Traveling Saleslady'' (1956) - First Cowhand in Courtroom (uncredited) *'' Strange Intruder'' (1956) - Knife Sharpener (uncredited) *'' Julie'' (1956) - Ellis *'' The Storm Rider'' (1957) - Tom Milstead *'' Beginning of the End'' (1957) - Dave *'' God Is My Partner'' (1957) - John Biddle (uncredited) *'' Man of a Thousand Faces'' (1957) - Scotty, Stage Door Man (uncredited) *'' Gunsight Ridge'' (1957) - George Clark (uncredited) *'' The Amazing Colossal Man'' (1957) - Henry *'' Escape from Red Rock'' (1957) - Sheriff Grover *'' Day of the Badman'' (1958) - George Foley (uncredited) *'' Attack of the Puppet People'' (1958) - Janitor *''

'' (1958) - as Jonah in Episode "A Pressing Engagement" *''

'' (1958) - as Milt in Episode "Sheriff Billy" *''

Tombstone Territory ''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The series' first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the second s ...

'' (1058) - Episode "Desert Survival" *'' Terror in a Texas Town'' (1958) - Brady (uncredited) *'' Earth vs. the Spider'' (1958) - Hugo the Janitor *''

The Saga of Hemp Brown ''The Saga of Hemp Brown'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Richard Carlson and starring Rory Calhoun and Beverly Garland. Plot A U.S. cavalry officer, Hemp Brown (Rory Calhoun), runs into some serious trouble when the p ...

'' (1958) - Gil Henry (uncredited) *'' The Decks Ran Red'' (1958) - Mr. Moody *''

Monster on the Campus ''Monster on the Campus'' (a.k.a. ''Monster in the Night'' and ''Stranger on the Campus'') is a 1958 American black-and-white science fiction/ horror film from Universal-International, produced by Joseph Gershenson, directed by Jack Arnold, f ...

'' (1958) - Townsend - Night Watchman (uncredited) *'' Tales of Wells Fargo'' (1959 episode Lola Montez) - Larson *'' No Name on the Bullet'' (1959) - Ed - Chess Player (uncredited) *''

Lone Texan ''Lone Texan'' is a 1959 American Western film directed by Paul Landres and written by James Landis and Jack W. Thomas. The film stars Willard Parker, Grant Williams, Audrey Dalton, Douglas Kennedy, June Blair and Dabbs Greer. The film was r ...

'' (1959) - Jack Stone (uncredited) *''

Gunmen from Laredo ''Gunmen from Laredo'' is a 1959 American Western film produced and directed by Wallace MacDonald, which stars Robert Knapp, Jana Davi and Walter Coy. Cast list * Robert Knapp as Gil Reardon * Jana Davi as Rosita * Walter Coy as Ben Keefer ...

'' (1959) - Stableman (uncredited) *'' Gunfighters of Abilene'' (1960) - Andy Ferris (uncredited) *'' The Absent Minded Professor'' (1961) - Fisherman Spectator (uncredited) *''

Tammy Tell Me True ''Tammy Tell Me True'' is a 1961 American Eastmancolor comedy film directed by Harry Keller and starring Sandra Dee and John Gavin, Charles Drake, Virginia Grey and Julia Meade. The film was based on Cid Ricketts Sumner's 1959 novel of t ...

'' (1961) - Rural Character (uncredited) *'' Straightaway'' (1961 episode "The Tin Caesar") – Parker *'' The Virginian'' (1964 episode "Smile of a Dragon") - Old Man *'' A Covenant with Death'' (1967) - Old Man (uncredited)

Selected Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, Hank 1888 births 1975 deaths People from Springville, Alabama American male television actors American male pianists Vaudeville performers American male film actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Alabama Western (genre) television actors Male Western (genre) film actors 20th-century American male musicians