Gregory Walcott

Gregory Walcott

Born Bernard Mattox
(1928-01-13)January 13, 1928
Wendell, North Carolina, U.S.
Died March 20, 2015(2015-03-20) (aged 87)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names Greg Walcott
Occupation Actor
Years active 1952–1994
Spouse(s) Barbara (m. 1954; d. 2010)
Children 3

Gregory Walcott (January 13, 1928 – March 20, 2015) was an American television and film actor. Although he had roles in many successful Hollywood films and television series, he is perhaps best known for having appeared in the 1994 film Ed Wood and Wood's cult classic Plan 9 from Outer Space from 1959.

Life and career

Born Bernard Mattox in Wendell, North Carolina, Walcott was raised in Wilson, North Carolina. Walcott served in the United States Army towards the end of World War II and the Korean War. While serving in the United States Army, he appeared as a drill instructor in the film Battle Cry (1955), then as a military policeman in 1955's war-themed classic Mister Roberts with Henry Fonda, as the drill instructor with Tony Curtis in The Outsider (1961), and later Midway (1976) as Capt. Elliott Buckmaster.

He would appear in a number of western films, beginning with an uncredited role in Red Skies of Montana (1952) opposite Richard Widmark, then later more prominently as a gunslinger who tries to romance Claudette Colbert in 1955's Texas Lady.

Walcott had roles in many television series, including that of Stone Kenyon in two episodes of the NBC sitcom, The People's Choice with Jackie Cooper. He was frequently cast in westerns like Bonanza (seven times), Maverick, Frontier Doctor, Wagon Train, The High Chaparral, 26 Men, Sugarfoot (with Will Hutchins and cast opposite another guest star, Joi Lansing, in the 1958 episode "Bullet Proof"), Laramie, The Rifleman, The Tall Man, The Dakotas, and in several episodes of CBS's Rawhide, through which he began a long collaboration with Clint Eastwood. Walcott had featured roles in Eastwood's films Joe Kidd (1972), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), The Eiger Sanction (1975), and Every Which Way But Loose (1978).

Walcott made a guest appearance on Perry Mason as Bill Johnson in the 1959 episode, "The Case of the Howling Dog." He also was one of the stars of a 1961–1962 NBC television series, 87th Precinct, as Detective Roger Havilland. Walcott accepted guest roles on many popular television series, such as CBS's Dennis the Menace, with Jay North. He had recurring roles too in the original Dallas, Murder, She Wrote, and he appeared as Captain Diggs on the 1970s series Land of the Lost.

His theatrical film work included the comedy On the Double (1961) alongside Danny Kaye, the 1963 Gregory Peck film Captain Newman, M.D., Prime Cut (1972) with Lee Marvin, The Last American Hero (1973) starring Jeff Bridges, and the chase film The Sugarland Express (1974), directed by a 27-year-old Steven Spielberg. Walcott played a sheriff in the 1979 film Norma Rae, the film that won an Oscar for star Sally Field, and appeared in the Brooke Shields film Tilt the same year. He made a cameo appearance in the 1994 Ed Wood bio-pic starring Johnny Depp, directed by Tim Burton, which was Walcott's final role.

Walcott long regretted having anything to do with Plan 9, but in a September 10, 2000 Los Angeles Times interview, he said, "It's better to be remembered for something than for nothing, don't you think?"[1]

Walcott died of natural causes on March 20, 2015 in his home in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, aged 87.[2]

Filmography

List of acting performances in film
Year Title Role Notes
1952 Red Skies of Montana Randy O'Neill Uncredited
Fearless Fagan MP at Gate Uncredited
Battle Zone Rifleman Uncredited
Above and Beyond Burns Uncredited
1955 Battle Cry Sgt. Jim Beller
Strange Lady in Town Scanlon
Mister Roberts Shore Patrolman
The McConnell Story Military Policeman
Texas Lady Deputy Jess Folley
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell Howard Millikan Uncredited
1956 The Lieutenant Wore Skirts Lt. Sweeney
The Steel Jungle Guard Weaver
Thunder Over Arizona Mark Warren
1957 The Persuader Jim Cleery
1958 Jet Attack Lt. Bill Clairbone
Badman's Country Bat Masterson
1959 Plan 9 from Outer Space Jeff Trent
1960 Simon Lash: The Black Book Lt. Wile
1961 On the Double Colonel Rock Houston
The Outsider Sgt. Kiley
1963 Captain Newman, M.D. Capt. Howard
1967 Bill Wallace of China Bill Wallace
1969 Changes Businessman / Job Interviewer Uncredited
1972 Prime Cut Weenie
Joe Kidd Mitchell
Man of the East Bull Schmidt
1973 The Last American Hero Cleve Morley
1974 The Sugarland Express Mashburn
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Used Car Salesman
Chi ha rubato il tesoro dello scia?
1975 The Eiger Sanction Pope
1976 The Quest Blacksmith
Midway Cpt. Elliot Buckmaster
1978 Donner Pass: The Road to Survival Will McKutcheon
Every Which Way but Loose Putnam
1979 Norma Rae Lamar Miller
Tilt Mr. Davenport
1980 To Race the Wind Don Summerfun
1987 House II: The Second Story Sheriff
1994 Ed Wood Potential Backer (Last appearance)

References

  1. Downey, Mike (2000-09-10). "When Bad Gets Good". latimes.com. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
  2. "Gregory Walcott, Reluctant Star of 'Plan 9 From Outer Space,' Dies at 87". Hollywood Reporter.com. Retrieved March 22, 2015.

External links

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