Simon Oakland

Simon Oakland
Born	(1915-08-28)August 28, 1915
Where	Brooklyn, New York City New York|, U.S.
Died	August 29, 1983(1983-08-29) (aged 68)
Where	Cathedral City|, California, U.S.
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Spouse	Lois Porta (?-1983, his death; one child)
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Occupation	Actor
Appearances
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Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television. During his career, Oakland performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and made-for-television movies between 1951 and 1983.

Early life and career

Oakland was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, the son of a plasterer and builder Jacob Weiss and his wife Ethel Oaklander. While he later claimed in media interviews to have been born in 1922 (a date repeated in his New York Times obituary), Social Security| and death indexes indicate he was born Simon Weiss in 1915; his stage name was likely derived from his mother's maiden name, Oaklander.

He began his performing arts career as a musician (he was a violinist, an avocation he would pursue during his entire career as an actor). Oakland began his acting career in the late 1940s. He enjoyed a series of Broadway| hits, including Light Up the Sky, The Shrike| and Inherit the Wind|, and theater was one of his lasting passions. He was a concert violinist until the 1940s.

Moving to films and television

In 1955 Oakland made his film debut, though uncredited, as a Indiana state trooper in The Desperate Hours|. He next appeared in two films released in 1958: as the character Mavrayek in The Brothers Karamazov| and then in the role of Edward Montgomery| in I Want to Live! The character Montgomery was a real-life journalist, who had reported on the California murder trial and 1955 execution of Barbara Graham, played by Susan Hayward in the film. Oakland's portrayal of the journalist as a "tough, but compassionate" personality resulted in the actor often being typecast| in his subsequent roles in both films and on television.

Simon Oakland's notable performance in I Want to Live! led to his playing a long series of tough-guy types, usually in positions of authority, most notably in Psycho|, in which he plays the psychiatrist who explains Norman Bates's multiple personality disorder. He also appeared in West Side Story|, The Sand Pebbles|, Bullitt, and the television series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. He made two guest appearances on CBS's Perry Mason|, both times as the murder victim. He also appeared in the syndicated| crime drama, Decoy|, starring Beverly Garland. Oakland appeared once each on the CBS western, Dundee and the Culhane and in another syndicated crime drama series, Sheriff of Cochise, starring John Bromfield. Oakland played General Thomas Moore on NBC's Baa Baa Black Sheep|, starring Robert Conrad.

Personal life

Oakland was married to Lois Lorraine Porta (1918-2003). The couple had one daughter, Barbara.

Death

Simon Oakland continued to work to the year of his death. His last credited acting appearance was ironically in the episode "Living and Presumed Dead" on the CBS television series Tucker's Witch. That episode aired just three months before Oakland died of colon cancer in Cathedral City, on August 29, 1983, the day after the actor's 68th birthday.

TV and filmography

• The Desperate Hours| (1955) as State trooper (uncredited)
• Sheriff of Cochise in "Question of Honor", season 1, episode 7 (1956) as Charlie Moon
• The Brothers Karamazov| (1958) as Mavrayek
• I Want to Live! (1958) as Edward S. 'Ed' Montgomery
• Have Gun - Will Travel in "The Statue of San Sebastian", season 1, episode 39 (1958) as Sancho Fernandez
• Adventures in Paradise| (1959-1962) as Martin / John Briggs / Red Mulligan / and McGraw
• The Alaskans in "Doc Booker" (1959) as Doc Booker
• The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960) as Lt. Moody
• Perry Mason| (1960-1961) as Capt. Mike Caldwell / Howard Walters
• Laramie| in "Ride or Die" (1960) as fugitive Vernon Kane
• Who Was That Lady? (1960) as Belka
• Psycho| (1960), as Dr. Fred Richmond, the psychiatrist who explains Norman Bates' case
• Murder Inc.| (1960) as Det. Sgt. William Tobin
• The Twilight Zone| episodes "The Rip Van Winkle Caper" and "The Thirty-Fathom Grave" (the original series, hosted by Rod Serling). (1961-1963) as Captain Beecham / De Cruz
• West Side Story| (1961), as Lt. Schrank, a neighborhood police lieutenant
• Route 66| in "To Walk With the Serpent" (1962) as Ben Newcombe
• Bus Stop|, in "Cry to Heaven" (1962) as Sgt. Brokaw
• Tales of Wells Fargo, in "Portrait of Teresa" (1962) as Poderio
• Cain's Hundred in "The New Order" (1962) as Walter Hayes
• Follow That Dream (1962) as Nick
• Third of a Man (1962) as Doon
• Ben Casey, in "When You See an Evil Man" (1962) as Jake
• Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man (1962) as Joe Boulton
• Car 54, as Secret Service| in "Hail to the Chief" (1962) as Agent Cordner
• The Untouchables| (1962–1963) as Russ Bogan / Pete 'The Persuader' Kalmisky / Joe Palakopolous aka Mr. Pal
• Bonanza (1963-1969) as Judge Seth Tabor / Frank Scott / Mel Barnes / William Poole
• Combat! in "The Old Men" (1963-1965) as Sgt. Tom Akers / Pvt. Clawson
• Stoney Burke| in "Image of Glory" (1963) as Sam Hagen
• Rawhide| in episode "Incident of the Travelin' Man" (1963)
• Wall of Noise (1963) as Johnny Papadakis
• My Favorite Martian in season 1, episode 1, "My Favorite Martian" (1963) as Lt. Murphy
• The Raiders| (1963) as Sgt. Austin Tremaine
• The Outer Limits| in episode "Second Chance|" (1964) as Empyrian
• Mr. Novak in "With a Hammer in His Hand, Lord, Lord!" (1964) as Carl Green
• Mr. Broadway in episode "Try to Find a Spy" with Barbara Feldon (1964) as Shaw
• The Reporter| in series finale "Vote for Murder" (1964) as Det. Lt. Gene Gordon
• Daniel Boone| (1965-1969) as Bickford / General James Wilkerson / Dull Knife
• The Satan Bug (1965) as Tasserly
• Get Smart (1965) as Cowboy
• Gunsmoke in "Overland Express" (1958, season 3, episode 38) as Jim Nation, and in "The Hostage" (1965, season 11, episode 12) as Carl Mandee
• The Plainsman| (1966) as Chief Black Kettle
• The Sand Pebbles| (1966) as the sailor Stawski
• Mission: Impossible in episode "The Frame" (1967) as Jack Wellman
• Tony Rome (1967) as Rudy Kosterman
• Chubasco| (1968) as Laurindo
• Hawaii Five-O, "Strangers in Our Own Land", season 1, episode 2 (1968) as Benny Kalua / Frank Epstein / Mauritany / Shako / Mendoza
• It Takes A Thief| (in 1968 episode "A Very Warm Reception") as Col. Savrille
• Bullitt (1968) as Captain Sam Bennett
• The Wild Wild West TV series in "The Night of the Fugitives" (1968) as Diamond Dave Desmond
• The Big Valley in episode "The Secret" (1969) as Adam Howard
• Ironside| (1969-1973) as Mel Grayson / Theodore 'Ted' Berringer, Sr. / Elton Ferris
• On a Clear Day You Can See Forever| (1970) as Dr. Conrad Fuller
• Hawaii Five-O, "Reunion", season 2 episode 8 (1970) as Frank Epstein
• Scandalous John (1971) as Barton Whittaker
• The Hunting Party| (1971) as Matthew Gunn
• The Night Stalker| (1972) as Vincenzo
• Chato's Land (1972) as Jubal Hooker
• The Night Strangler| (1973) as Tony Vincenzo
• Emperor of the North (1973) as Policeman
• Happy Mother's Day (1973) as Sheriff Roy
• The Starlost in "And Only Man is Vile", episode 6 (1973) as Dr. Asgard
• Toma| (1973) as Inspector Spooner
• Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) as Tony Vincenzo
• Ellery Queen| (1975) as Norris Wentworth
• Baa Baa Black Sheep| (1976–1978) as Brig. Gen. Thomas Moore
• Gibbsville| in season 1, episode 4, All the Young Girls" (1976) as Chapman
• The Feather and Father Gang in "The Big Frame", season 1, episode 14 (1977)
• David Cassidy - Man Undercover (1978–1979) as Sgt. Abrams / Lt. Abrams
• Evening in Byzantium (1978) as Walter Klein
• The Rockford Filesin 4 episodes over 3 seasons (1977–1979) as Vern St. Cloud
• Charlie's Angels (1980) as Sgt. Shanks
• Quincy (1978–82) as U.S. Sen. Reeves / Keith Zagner / Chick Thomas / Sal Jarrett
• The Littlest Hobo, season 3, episode 13 (1982) as Tom Beecher
• Tucker's Witch in "Living and Presumed Dead", season 1, episode 11 (1983) as Daniel Gorman (final screen role)

Notes

References

External links

• Simon Oakland at the Internet Movie Database
• Simon Oakland at the Internet Broadway Database
• Simon Oakland at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Simon Oakland at Find a Grave

Category:1915 births Category:1983 deaths Category:American people of Jewish descent Category:American male film actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male television actors Category:Deaths from cancer in California Category:Deaths from colorectal cancer Category:People from Brooklyn Category:Male actors from New York City Category:Male actors from Los Angeles Category:20th-century American male actors Category:Age controversies Category:Western (genre) television actors