Elliott Pershing Stitzel (November 27, 1918 – May 21, 2005), better known by his stage name Stephen Elliott, was an American actor. His best known roles were that of the prospective father-in-law, Burt Johnson, in the hit 1981 film ''

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

'' and as Chief Hubbard in the 1984 blockbuster ''

Beverly Hills Cop ''Beverly Hills Cop'' is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr., and starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop ...

''.

Career

Theatre

From 1940 to 1942, Elliott studied acting with Sanford Meisner at New York's

Neighborhood Playhouse A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...

."Stephen Elliott, 86; Veteran Stage, Film and TV Actor Known for Role in 'Arthur'"
''The Los Angeles Times''. May 24, 2005. After serving in

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 ...

with the

United States Merchant Marine United States Merchant Marines are United States civilian mariners and U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of the government and private sectors, an ...

, he started a successful career on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

with his debut in

Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

'' The Tempest''; two years later, Elliott was selected by Robert Lewis to be one of

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 ...

's founding members. In 1967, Elliott was nominated for the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

for Best Featured Actor in a Play for ''

Marat/Sade ''The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade'' (german: Die Verfolgung und Ermordung Jean Paul Marats dargestellt durch die Schauspielgrupp ...

''. Two years later, he won the

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

for ''A Whistle in the Dark''. Additional Broadway credits include ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

'', ''

The Miser ''The Miser'' (french: L'Avare; ; also known by the longer name ''L'Avare ou L'École du Mensonge,'' meaning The Miser, or the School for Lies) is a five-act comedy in prose by the French playwright Molière. It was first performed on September ...

'', '' Georgy'', ''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as a ...

'', and ''

The Creation of the World and Other Business ''The Creation of the World and Other Business'' is a play by Arthur Miller first performed in 1972. Summary The play is a parable that explores the theme of good-versus-evil by way of a comedic retelling of events in the Book of Genesis in the B ...

''.

Television

Elliott's television credits include the role of

Jane Wyman Jane Wyman ( ; born Sarah Jane Mayfield; January 5, 1917 – September 10, 2007)"Actress, P ...

's first husband in ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...

'', General Padget in ''

Columbo ''Columbo'' () is an American crime drama television series starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on NBC f ...

'', Harold W. Smith in the 1988 television adaptation of '' Remo Williams'',

Texan Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by bo ...

millionaire A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire. In countries that use the short scal ...

attorney Scotty Demarest in ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'', and Judge Harold Aldrich in ''

Chicago Hope ''Chicago Hope'' is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1994, to May 4, 2000. The series is set in a fictional private charitable hospital in Chicago, Illinois. ...

''. He also appeared in the "Murder! Murder!" episode of ''

The Eddie Capra Mysteries ''The Eddie Capra Mysteries'' is an American mystery television series starring Vincent Baggetta as a lawyer who investigates murders and has a knack for solving them. Original episodes aired on NBC from September 8, 1978, to January 12, 1979.McN ...

''. In 1981 he had a small role as the newspaper magnate

William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...

in the TV serial ''Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years''. Highway To Heaven "Thoroughbreds" Episodes 1 and 2 with Helen Hunt and Micheal Landon 1985. He was a member of the regular cast of the short-lived 1988

situation comedy A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

Trial and Error Trial and error is a fundamental method of problem-solving characterized by repeated, varied attempts which are continued until success, or until the practicer stops trying. According to W.H. Thorpe, the term was devised by C. Lloyd Morgan (1 ...

''.

Radio

In 1981, Elliott played the role of

Bail Organa This incomplete list of characters from the '' Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt D ...

, father of

Princess Leia Princess Leia Organa is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, portrayed in films by Carrie Fisher. Introduced in the Star Wars (film), original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Leia is princess of th ...

, in the radio drama adaptation of ''Star Wars''.

Personal life

Elliott was born Elliott Pershing Stitzel in New York City. His marriage to Barbara Blaise was terminated by divorce in February 1947, according to The Kingston Daily Freeman (Kingston, NY), 4 October 1947, page 3. He married stage actress Nancy Chase on 9 October 1947 (Billboard, 18 October 1947, p. 47) and divorced in 1960. They had two children, Jency and Jon. He married his third wife, actress

Alice Hirson Alice Hirson (born March 10, 1929) is an American actress best known for her roles on television. She began her career on stage, before roles on daytime soap operas. She is best known for her roles as Mavis Anderson in the CBS prime time soap ope ...

, whom he met on Broadway in 1964; they were not married until 1980. He died in 2005 in Woodland Hills,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

as result of congestive heart failure. Both Elliott and Hirson appeared in recurring roles on the television series ''

''.

Partial filmography

* '' Monodrama Theater'' ( DuMont TV series, 1953) * ''

Three Hours to Kill ''Three Hours to Kill'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by Alfred L. Werker and starring Dana Andrews, Donna Reed and Dianne Foster.

'' (1954) - Sheriff Ben East * '' Canyon Crossroads'' (1955) - Larson * ''

The Proud and Profane ''The Proud and Profane'' is a dramatic war romance made by William Perlberg-George Seaton Productions for Paramount Pictures released in theaters on June 13, 1956. It was directed by George Seaton and produced by William Perlberg, from a screenp ...

'' (1956) * '' Street of Sinners'' (1957) - Bit part * ''

The Hospital ''The Hospital'' is a 1971 American satirical film directed by Arthur Hiller and starring George C. Scott as Dr. Herbert Bock. It was written by Paddy Chayefsky, who was awarded the 1972 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Chayefsky ...

'' (1971) - Dr. Sundstrom * '' Death Wish'' (1974) - Police Commissioner * ''The Gun'' (1974) - Art Hilliard * ''

Report to the Commissioner ''Report to the Commissioner'' is a 1975 American crime drama film based on James Mills' 1972 novel. It involves a rookie cop ( Michael Moriarty) in the New York City Police Department who is assigned a special missing person case, which in fac ...

'' (1975) - Police Commissioner * '' The Hindenburg'' (1975) - Captain Fellows * '' Columbo: A Deadly State of Mind'' (1975, TV Series) - Carl Donner * '' Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy'' (1977) - Joseph Kennedy Sr. * ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'' (1978, Episode: "Deadly Courier") - Enslow * ''

'' (1980-1987, TV Series) - Attorney Scotty Demarest * ''

Cutter's Way ''Cutter's Way'' (also known as ''Cutter and Bone'') is a 1981 American neo noir thriller directed by Ivan Passer. The film stars Jeff Bridges, John Heard, and Lisa Eichhorn. The screenplay was adapted from the 1976 novel '' Cutter and Bone'' by ...

'' (1981) - J. J. Cord * ''

'' (1981) - Burt Johnson * ''

My Body, My Child ''My Body, My Child'' is a 1982 American made-for-television drama film directed by Marvin J. Chomsky and starring Vanessa Redgrave. It premiered on ABC on 12 April 1982. It includes early performances by future ''Sex and the City'' co-stars, Sa ...

'' (1982) - Edgar * ''

Prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...

'' (1983, TV Movie) - Dr. Arthur Jarrett * ''

Benson Benson may refer to: Animals *Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain Places Geography Canada *Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality *Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet United Kingdom * Benson, Oxfordshire ...

(1984) - Whitey Endicott * ''

'' (1984) - Chief Hubbard * ''

Roadhouse 66 ''Roadhouse 66'' is a 1984 film directed by John Mark Robinson and starring Willem Dafoe. The film is set entirely in Kingman, Arizona, and Oatman, Arizona, two towns on historic U.S. Route 66. Plot A young adult from New York is on his way t ...

'' (1985) - Sam * '' Murder, She Wrote: Armed Response'' (1985) - Dr. Sam * ''

Assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

'' (1987) - Fitzroy * '' Perry Mason Movie: The Case of the Lost Love'' (1987, TV Series) - Elliot Moore * '' Walk Like a Man'' (1987) - Walter Welmont * ''Vultures'' (1987) - Theater Attendant * ''

'' (1988, TV series) - Edmund Kittie * '' Arthur 2: On the Rocks'' (1988) - Burt Johnson * '' Remo Williams: The Prophecy'' (1988) - Dr. Harold W. Smith * ''

When He's Not a Stranger ''When He's Not a Stranger'' is a 1989 American Made for TV crime drama film directed by John Gray and starring Annabeth Gish and John Terlesky. The screenplay concerns a college freshman who is physically and sexually assaulted by a controlling ...

'' (1989, TV Movie) - Attorney Foster * '' Columbo: Grand Deceptions'' (1989, TV Series) - General Padget * '' Taking Care of Business'' (1990) - Walter * '' The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake'' (1990, TV Movie) - Owen

References

External links

* *
Stephen Elliott
at

Internet Off-Broadway Database The Internet Off-Broadway Database (IOBDB), also formerly known as the Lortel Archives, is an online database that catalogues theatre productions shown off-Broadway. The IOBDB was funded and developed by the non-profit Lucille Lortel Foundation ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Elliott, Stephen 1918 births 2005 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American male stage actors Male actors from New York City 20th-century American male actors United States Merchant Mariners of World War II