Ross Elliott (born Elliott Blum; June 18, 1917 – August 12, 1999) was an American television and film

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

. He began his acting career in the

Mercury Theatre The Mercury Theatre was an independent repertory theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and producer John Houseman. The company produced theatrical presentations, radio programs and motion pictures. The Mercury also r ...

, where he performed in

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

' 1938 radio broadcast of ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. It was written between 1895 and 1897, and serialised in '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US in 1897. The full novel was ...

''.

Early years

Elliott was born in the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

in New York City. While at

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

, he participated in the college's dramatic society, causing him to abandon his original plan to become a lawyer.

Radio and stage

Directly out of college, Elliott joined

, garnering bit parts both on the radio (including the notorious '' War of the Worlds'' production (1938)) and stage (including Welles' ''Caesar'' (1937–1938). Elliott's Broadway credits include '' The Shoemaker's Holiday'' (1938), ''Danton's Tod'' (1938), ''Morning Star'' (1940), ''This Is the Army'' (1942), and ''Apple of His Eye'' (1946). In 1972, he returned to the stage in Shakespeare's ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'' with the Santa Monica Theater Guild.

Military service

Elliott joined the United States Army on August 4, 1941. Much of his time there was spent in "soldier-casts of various touring shows".

Film career

After serving in World War II, Elliott moved to Hollywood. He enjoyed a long career, working steadily in supporting roles in a diverse array of films, including ''

Woman on the Run A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional uteruses ...

'', ''

D-Day the Sixth of June ''D-Day the Sixth of June'' is a 1956 American DeLuxe Color CinemaScope romance war film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Henry Koster and produced by Charles Brackett from a screenplay by Ivan Moffat and Harry Brown, based on the ...

'', ''

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms ''The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms'' is a 1953 American independent monster film directed by Eugène Lourié, with stop motion animation by Ray Harryhausen. It is partly based on Ray Bradbury's 1951 short story of the same name, which was later ...

'', '' Tarantula!'', '' Wild Seed'', ''

Kelly's Heroes ''Kelly's Heroes'' is a 1970 war comedy drama film directed by Brian G. Hutton. Set during World War II, the film tells the story of a motley crew of American GIs who go AWOL to rob a French bank, located behind German lines, of its stored Na ...

'', '' Skyjacked'' and ''

The Towering Inferno ''The Towering Inferno'' is a 1974 American disaster film directed by John Guillermin and produced by Irwin Allen, featuring an ensemble cast led by Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. It was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from the novels '' The ...

''. In 1971, Elliott was invited to membership in the Actors Branch of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

, later serving on its Board, and remaining a member until his death in 1999.

Television

Throughout his career, Elliott appeared in more than 200 television programs, including the recurring role of crewman Cort Ryker on the syndicated '' The Blue Angels'' (1960–1961). Elliott appeared 59 times in a recurring role as Sheriff Abbott on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

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 ...

series, '' The Virginian''. Elliott portrayed the television director in the season one episode of ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons. The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...

'' titled " Lucy Does a TV Commercial" (1952) in which Lucy Ricardo advertises Vitameatavegamin. Elliott also appeared on ''I Love Lucy'' as Ricky Ricardo's agent in three episodes of the series' fourth season. In 1956 he appeared as Sam Wilson on the TV western ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

'' in the episode titled "Mustang Trail". In 1958, Elliott played Reverend Kilgore in the episode "The Lord Will Provide" on '' The Texan'', with

Rory Calhoun Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown, August 8, 1922April 28, 1999) was an American film and television actor. He starred in numerous Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared in supporting roles in films such as ''How to Marry a Millio ...

and

Ellen Corby Ellen Hansen Corby (June 3, 1911 – April 14, 1999) was an American actress and screenwriter. She played the role of List of The Waltons characters#Esther Walton, Esther "Grandma" Walton on the Columbia Broadcasting System, CBS television ...

. Later that year he played murder victim and title character George Hartley Beaumont in the ''

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 four short stories, all of which involve a ...

'' episode "The Case of the Corresponding Corpse". In 1960 and 1961 Elliott appeared twice on ''

Leave it to Beaver ''Leave It to Beaver'' is an American television sitcom that follows the misadventures of a suburban boy, his family and his friends. It starred Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers. CBS first broadcast the show ...

''. From 1962 to 1963, he was cast as Marty Rhodes in four episodes of the NBC legal drama ''

Sam Benedict ''Sam Benedict'' is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from September 1962 to March 1963. The series was created and executive produced by E. Jack Neuman, and produced by William Froug. The series starred Edmond O'Brien in the title role ...

''. From 1963 to 1965, Elliott played

Lee Baldwin Lee Baldwin is a fictional character on the daytime dramas ''General Hospital'' and ''Port Charles''. Ross Elliott originated the role on ''General Hospital'' in 1963. Peter Hansen inherited the role in 1965 and played it until 1986 and again ...

on the

ABC Daytime ABC Daytime (sometimes shortened to ABC-D or ABCD) is a division responsible for the daytime television programming block on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC Network and syndicated programming. The block has historically encompassed soap o ...

soap opera ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...

''. Elliott appeared in 11 episodes of ''

The Jack Benny Program ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio and television comedy series. The show ran for over three decades, from 1932 to 1955 on radio, and from 1950 to 1965 on television. It won numerous awards, including the 1959 and 19 ...

'' as director Freddie. His other television appearances included ''

Burns and Allen Burns and Allen were an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen. They worked together as a successful comedy team that entertained vaudeville, film, radio, and television audiences for over forty years. The ...

'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'', ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961, to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Productions"Calv ...

'', ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The series ...

'', '' Adventures of Superman'', ''

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 a ...

'', ''

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company. During its 18 months of opera ...

'', ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television series starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show ...

'', ''

Rawhide Rawhide may refer to: *Rawhide (material), a hide or animal skin that has not been tanned * Whip made from rawhide Entertainment * ''Rawhide'' (1926 film), a Western directed by Richard Thorpe * ''Rawhide'' (1938 film), a Western starring baseball ...

'', ''

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

'' (title character Lee Groat in S5E17’s "Groat’s Grudge" - 1957), ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a 1938 short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a 1940 full-length novel, '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with anot ...

'', ''

Leave It to Beaver ''Leave It to Beaver'' is an American television sitcom that follows the misadventures of a suburban boy, his family and his friends. It starred Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers. CBS first broadcast the show ...

'', ''

Combat! ''Combat!'' is an American television drama that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American soldiers ...

'', ''

Hazel Hazels are plants of the genus ''Corylus'' of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family, Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K ...

'', ''

The Time Tunnel ''The Time Tunnel'' is an American color science-fiction television series written around a theme of time travel adventure; it starred James Darren and Robert Colbert. The show was creator-producer Irwin Allen's third science-fiction televisi ...

'', ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden ...

'', '' Dragnet'', ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb and produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pe ...

'', ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...

'', ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After being seriously injured in a NASA test f ...

'', ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction film, science fiction Action-adventure fiction, action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson (producer), Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel Cyborg (novel), ''Cyborg'' by ...

'', ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

'', ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy television series created by Gy Waldron that aired on CBS from January 26, 1979, to February 8, 1985, with a total of seven seasons consisting of List of The Dukes of Hazzard episodes, 147 ...

'', and ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books comprise a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adulthood in the Midwestern United States, Americ ...

''. Elliott also appeared in a 1973 episode of ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective fiction, detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law. They run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, Califor ...

''.

Later life

As his acting career waned, Elliott in 1976 joined a local real estate firm as a sales associate and later as a manager. He died of cancer on August 12, 1999, at the age of 82.

Selected filmography

* ''

This Is the Army ''This Is the Army'' is a 1943 American wartime musical film, musical comedy film produced by Jack L. Warner and Hal B. Wallis and directed by Michael Curtiz, adapted from This Is the Army (musical), the wartime stage musical of the same name, d ...

'' (1943) as Officer in Magician Skit * '' The Burning Cross'' (1947) as The Combative Striker * '' Angel on the Amazon'' (1948) as Frank Lane * '' Streets of San Francisco'' (1949) as Clevens * ''

The Crooked Way ''The Crooked Way'' is a 1949 American film noir starring John Payne (actor), John Payne, Sonny Tufts and Ellen Drew. Directed by Robert Florey and shot by John Alton, the film has a similar plot (a war hero loses his memory from a combat wound) ...

'' (1949) as Coroner (uncredited) * ''

Barbary Pirate The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...

'' (1949) as Preble's First Officer (uncredited) * '' The Gal Who Took the West'' (1949) as Cowboy (uncredited) * '' Chinatown at Midnight'' (1949) as Eddie Marsh * '' Gun Crazy'' (1950) as Detective (uncredited) * '' Tyrant of the Sea'' (1950) as Mr. Howard Palmer * '' Dynamite Pass'' (1950) as Henchman Stryker * '' Cody of the Pony Express'' (1950) as Irv, Henchman * ''

Three Secrets ''Three Secrets'' is a 1950 American drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Eleanor Parker, Patricia Neal and Ruth Roman. It was released by Warner Bros. Plot A private plane crashes in the California mountains and a 5-year-old boy sur ...

'' (1950) as Reporter (uncredited) * ''

'' (1950) as Frank Johnson * '' Last of the Buccaneers'' (1950) as Fanuche, Pirate (uncredited) * '' Chicago Calling'' (1951) as Jim * ''

Storm Warning At sea, a storm warning is a warning issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when winds between are occurring or predicted to occur soon. The winds must not be associated with a tropical cyclone. If the winds are associate ...

'' (1951) as Glen (uncredited) * '' I Can Get It for You Wholesale'' (1951) as Ray * '' Hot Lead'' (1951) as Dave Collins * '' Desert of Lost Men'' (1951) as Dr. Jim Haynes * '' The Adventures of Superman'' (1952) episode - "Superman On Earth" * ''

Loan Shark A loan shark is a person who offers loans at Usury, extremely high or illegal interest rates, has strict terms of debt collection, collection, and generally operates criminal, outside the law, often using the threat of violence or other illegal, ...

'' (1952) as Norm, Laundryman Thug (uncredited) * ''

Affair in Trinidad ''Affair in Trinidad'' is a 1952 American film noir directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. It was produced by Hayworth's Beckworth Corporation and released by Columbia Pictures. It is notable as Hayworth's "comeba ...

'' (1952) as Corpse of Neal Emery (uncredited) * '' Woman in the Dark'' (1952) as Father Tony Morello * '' Problem Girls'' (1953) as John Page * ''

'' (1953) as George Ritchie * ''

Tumbleweed A tumbleweed is a structural part of the above-ground anatomy of a number of species of plants. It is a diaspore that, once mature and dry, detaches from its root or stem and rolls due to the force of the wind. In most such species, the tumbl ...

'' (1953) as Seth Blanden * ''

Ma and Pa Kettle at Home ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Home'' is a 1954 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont. It is the sixth, and also most successful, installment of Universal Pictures, Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and ...

'' (1954) as Pete Crosby * '' Massacre Canyon'' (1954) as Private George W. Davis * '' Dragnet'' (1954) as Intelligence Division Sergeant at Desk (uncredited) * '' African Manhunt'' (1955) as Rene Carvel * '' Carolina Cannonball'' (1955) as Don Mack * ''

Women's Prison Approximately 741,000 women are incarcerated in correctional facilities, a 17% increase since 2010 and the female prison population has been increasing across all continents.Tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,100 species have been identified, with 166 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

'' (1955) as Joe Burch * '' Toughest Man Alive'' (1955) as Security Agent Cal York * ''

Indestructible Man ''Indestructible Man'' is a 1956 American crime horror science fiction film, an original screenplay by Vy Russell and Sue Dwiggins for producer-director Jack Pollexfen and starring Lon Chaney Jr., Ross Elliott, and Robert Shayne. The pict ...

'' (1956) as Paul Lowe * ''

'' (1956) as Major Mills * '' Chain of Evidence'' (1957) as Bob Bradfield * ''

As Young as We Are ''As Young as We Are'' is a 1958 American drama film directed by Bernard Girard and written by Meyer Dolinsky. The film stars Robert Harland, Pippa Scott, Majel Barrett, Ty Hardin, Barry Atwater and Carla Hoffman. The film was released in ...

'' (1958) as Bob * '' Monster on the Campus'' (1958) as Sergeant Eddie Daniels * '' Never So Few'' (1959) as Colonel Dr. Barry (uncredited) * ''

Sea Hunt ''Sea Hunt'' is an American action adventure television series that aired in syndication from 1958 to 1961 and was popular for decades afterwards. The series originally aired for four seasons, with 155 episodes produced. It stars Lloyd Bridges ...

'' (1960, The Catalyst, Season 3, Episode 32) * ''

'' (1960, “Groat’s Revenge” S5E17 as Lee Grayson, 1960, “The Lady Killer” S5E32 as Grant Lucas) * ''

'' (1961, Season 4, Episodes 1, 3, 4, 7, 35) * ''

Wanted Dead or Alive (TV series) ''Wanted Dead or Alive'' is an American Western television series starring Steve McQueen as bounty hunter Josh Randall. It aired on CBS for three seasons from 1958–1961. The black-and-white program was a spin-off of a March 1958 episode of '' ...

'' (1961) season 3 episode 16 (''The last restreat'') as Jim Lawton * '' Tammy Tell Me True'' (1961) as Professor Bateman * ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'' (1961-1973, 3 episodes) as Watkins / Matthew / Harvey Walters * ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 a ...

'' (1963) (Season 2 Episode 5: "Blood Bargain") as Lieutenant Geer * '' The Thrill of It All'' (1963) as Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

The Crawling Hand ''The Crawling Hand'' is a 1963 American science fiction horror film directed by Herbert L. Strock, and starring Peter Breck, Kent Taylor, Rod Lauren, Alan Hale and Allison Hayes. It was later featured on the television shows ''Mystery Scie ...

'' (1963) as Deputy Earl Harrison * '' The Wheeler Dealers'' (1963) as Lawyer (uncredited) * '' The Lively Set'' (1964) as Ernie Owens * '' Wild Seed'' (1965) as Mr. Collinge * '' Day of the Evil Gun'' (1968) as Reverend Yearby * '' The Invaders'' (1968, Counter-Attack, Season 2, Episode 18) as Professor Eliot Kramer * ''

'' (1970) as Colonel Booker * '' Skyjacked'' (1972) as Harold Shaw * '' The Longest Night'' (1972) as Dr. Steven Clay * '' Act of Vengeance'' (1974) as Sergeant Long * ''

'' (1974) as Deputy Chief #2 * '' Gable and Lombard'' (1976) as Lombard's Director * ''Mr. Too Little'' (1978) as Police Captain * ''Scorpion'' (1986) as Sam Douglas (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elliott, Ross 1917 births 1999 deaths American male radio actors American male television actors Male actors from the Bronx Male actors from Los Angeles 20th-century American male actors Western (genre) television actors Deaths from cancer in California Jewish American actors