Simon Oakland
| Simon Oakland | |
|---|---|
 Oakland (left) as Inspector Spooner and Tony Musante as Toma from Toma (1973) | |
| Born |
August 28, 1915 Brooklyn, New York City New York, U.S. |
| Died |
August 29, 1983 (aged 68) Cathedral City, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1956–1983 |
| Spouse(s) |
Carola Oakland (?-1977; divorced; one child) Lois Porta (?-1983, his death; one child) |
Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television.
Early life and career
Oakland was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.[1] While some sources give his year of birth as 1922,[2][3] 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.[4][5][6][7][Note 1]
He began his performing arts career as a musician (he was a violinist,[9] 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
Oakland made his film debut as the "tough, but compassionate" journalist who speaks up for Susan Hayward's Barbara Graham in I Want to Live! in 1958. Oakland would play this type often over the course of his career.
He went on to play 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).[10] The couple had one daughter, Barbara.[11][2]
Death
Simon Oakland died of cancer, one day after his 68th birthday (29 August 1983), in Cathedral City, California.
TV and filmography
- Sheriff of Cochise as Charlie Moon in "Question of Honor" (1956)
- I Want to Live! (1958)
- Have Gun - Will Travel as Sancho Fernandez in "The Statue of San Sebastian", Season 1, Episode 39 (1958)
- Adventures in Paradise (4 episodes, as Martin in "The Lady from South Chicago", John Briggs in "Beached", Red Mulligan in "Wild Mangoes", and McGraw in "The Beach at Belle Anse", 1959-1962)
- The Alaskans (1 episode, "Doc Booker", 1959)
- Perry Mason (2 episodes, 1960)
- Murder Inc. (1960)
- Psycho (1960), as the psychiatrist who explains Norman Bates' case
- Who Was That Lady? (1960)
- Laramie as fugitive Vernon Kane in "Ride or Die", S1 Ep25 (3/8/1960)
- West Side Story (1961), as Lt. Schrank, a neighborhood police lieutenant
- The Twilight Zone episodes "The Rip Van Winkle Caper" and "The Thirty-Fathom Grave" (the original series, hosted by Rod Serling).
- Bonanza
- Route 66 in "To Walk With the Serpent" (1962)
- Follow That Dream (1962)
- Cain's Hundred, as Walter Hayes in "The New Order" (1962)
- Ben Casey, as Jake in "When You See an Evil Man" (1962)
- Tales of Wells Fargo, as Poderio in "Portrait of Teresa" (1962)
- Bus Stop, as Sgt. Brokaw in "Cry to Heaven" (1962)
- Car 54, Where Are You?, as Secret Service Agent Cordner in "Hail to the Chief" (1962)
- The Untouchables (1962–1963)
- Combat! as Sgt. Akers in "The Long Way Home" (1963)
- My Favorite Martian in episode 1, season 1, "My Favorite Martian" as Lt. Murphy (1963)
- Stoney Burke as Sam Hagen in "Image of Glory" (1963)
- Rawhide in episode "Incident of the Travelin' Man" (1963)
- The Raiders (1963)
- The Outer Limits in episode "Second Chance" (1964)
- Mr. Novak as Carl Green in "With a Hammer in His Hand, Lord, Lord!" (1964)
- Daniel Boone in episodes "The Mound Builders", "Bitter Mission" and "Bickford's Bridge"
- The Reporter (1964) in series finale "Vote for Murder"
- Mr. Broadway (1964) in episode "Try to Find a Spy" with Barbara Feldon
- Combat! in "The Old Men" (1965)
- Get Smart (1965)
- The Sand Pebbles (1966) as the sailor Stawski
- Mission: Impossible in episode "The Frame" (1967)
- Tony Rome (1967)
- It Takes A Thief (in 1968 episode "A Very Warm Reception")
- Hawaii Five-O (in 1968 season 1 episode 2 "Strangers In Our Own Land")
- Hawaii Five-O (in 1970 season 3 episode 8 "Reunion")
- Hawaii Five-O (in 1973 season 5 episode 22 "Engaged To Be Buried")
- Bullitt (1968)
- Chubasco (1968)
- The Wild Wild West TV series in episode "The Night of the Fugitives" (1968)
- The Big Valley (1969) in episode "The Secret"
- Ironside (1969) in episode "Puzzlelock"
- On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970)
- The Hunting Party (1971)
- The Night Stalker (1972)
- Chato's Land (1972)
- The Night Strangler (1973)
- Emperor of the North (1973)
- The Starlost as Dr. Asgard in episode 6, "And only Man is Vile" (1973)
- Toma as Inspector Spooner (1973)
- Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974)
- Ellery Queen (1975)
- Hawaii Five-O as Mendoza in episode 11 season 8, (1975)
- Gibbsville as Chapman in episode 4 season 1, "All the Young Girls" (1976)
- The Feather and Father Gang in season 1, episode 14 "The Big Frame" (1977)
- Baa Baa Black Sheep (1977–1978)
- David Cassidy - Man Undercover (1978–1979)
- Evening in Byzantium (1978)
- The Rockford Files as Vern St. Cloud in 4 episodes over 3 seasons (1977–1979)
- Charlie's Angels (1980)
- Quincy, M.E. (1978–82)
- Tucker's Witch (one of his last roles) (1983)
- The Littlest Hobo as Tom Beecher in episode 13 season 3, 21 Jan (1982)
Notes
References
- ↑ "Villain on the screen really is a nice guy". The Morning Record. 9 December 1967. p. 3. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- 1 2 "Simon Oakland, 61, Actor who starred in 3 TV series, dies". New York Times. 1 September 1983. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ↑ "Michigan Obituaries, 1820-2006". FamilySearch. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ↑ "California Death Records". RootsWeb. Retrieved 2 April 2016. Duplicate entries under surname Weiss and Oakland with same Social Security number.
- ↑ "California Death Index, 1940-1997". FamilySearch. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ↑ "California Death Index, 1940-1997". FamilySearch. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index". FamilySearch. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ↑ Wilson, Earl (14 May 1977). "People Recognise His Face But Not Oakland's Name". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 11A. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ↑ Thompson, Ruth (28 October 1968). "More Than 800 Programs for Simon Oakland". The Gettysburg Times (TV Magazine). p. 1. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ↑ "Funeral Services & Memorials: Lois Lorraine Oakland, 84". Santa Fe New Mexican (New Mexico). 9 April 2003. p. 12. Retrieved 30 March 2016 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
- ↑ "Simon Oakland - 'Face is Familiar - What's his name?'". The Pittsburg Press. 3 January 1972. p. 39. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
External links
- Simon Oakland at the Internet Movie Database
- Simon Oakland at the Internet Broadway Database
- Simon Oakland at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
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