Judson Pratt
| Judson Pratt | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 6, 1916 Hingham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died |
February 9, 2002 (aged 85) Northridge, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1941–1980 |
| Spouse(s) | Roberta Jonay (m. 1950–76) |
| Children | 2 |
Judson Pratt (December 6, 1916 – February 9, 2002) was an American character actor. Pratt began his professional career on stage in the 1940s. From the 1950s to 1980, he appeared in over 100 film and television roles.
Pratt retired from acting in 1980. He died in February 2002.
Early life and career
Pratt was born in Hingham, Massachusetts. In 1941, he made his Broadway debut in the play Popsy. The play closed after two days. In 1950, Pratt made his television debut on Armstrong Circle Theatre. Throughout the rest of the decade, he had guest roles on numerous television shows including Shadow of the Cloak, Have Gun – Will Travel, Kraft Television Theatre, Westinghouse Studio One, Men of Annapolis, The Web, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, General Electric Theater, The Donna Reed Show, and Riverboat.
In 1951, Pratt made his film debut in an uncredited role in the 1953 Alfred Hitchcock film I Confess. In 1956, he co-starred in The Toy Tiger, starring Jeff Chandler, Outside the Law, and Somebody Up There Likes Me. From 1958 to 1959, Pratt had a recurring role on the syndicated Western series Union Pacific.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Pratt became a staple on television with appearances on a variety of series. In 1966 he appeared on the only color episode of Perry Mason, "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist," as theater director Tom Loman. Other television appearances include Father Knows Best, Hotel de Paree, The Man from Blackhawk, Overland Trail, The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Kondike, Bronco, Saints and Sinners, The Iron Horse, That Girl, Circle of Fear, S.W.A.T., Charlie's Angels, and The Quest.
He also made multiple appearances on Western series including This Man Dawson, Cain's Hundred, Laramie, Outlaws, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Death Valley Days, Slattery's People, Daniel Boone, The Virginian,and Bonanza. Pratt also had multiple roles on dramas and comedies including Bracken's World, Mayberry RFD, Kojak, Disney's Wonderful World, and Police Story.
In addition to his extensive work in television, Pratt also had roles in numerous film during the 1960s including The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960), Kid Galahad (1962), starring Elvis Presley, The Ugly American (1963), with Marlon Brando, Cheyenne Autumn (1964), and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969). In the 1970s, Pratt had roles in The Barefoot Executive (1971), Futureworld (1976), Vigilante Force, starring Kris Kristofferson and Jan-Michael Vincent. Pratt's final film role was in the 1978 drama film F.I.S.T., starring Sylvester Stallone. In the film, Pratt portrayed Stallone's character's attorney. Pratt made his final on-screen appearance a 1980 episode of Quincy, M.E..
Personal life
On May 21, 1950, Pratt married Broadway actress Roberta Jonay. The couple had two sons. They remained married until Jonay's death from cancer in April 1976.[1][2]
Death
On February 9, 2002, Pratt died at the age of 85.[3]
Stage career
| Date | Production | Role |
|---|---|---|
| February 10–12, 1941 | Popsy | Western Union Messenger |
| February 10 – May 12, 1951 | Billy Budd | Payne Talbot (Replacement) |
| April 29–29, 1952 | Hook n' Ladder | Sam Ross |
| February 10 – August 13, 1955 | The Desperate Hours | Tom Winston |
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | I Confess | Murphy | Uncredited |
| 1956 | Outside the Law | Agent Maury Saxton | |
| 1956 | The Toy Tiger | Mike Wyman | |
| 1956 | Somebody Up There Likes Me | Johnny Hyland | Uncredited |
| 1956 | The Great American Pastime | Ed Ryder | |
| 1957 | Four Girls in Town | William Purdy | Uncredited |
| 1957 | Man Afraid | Wilbur Fletcher | |
| 1957 | Flood Tide | Maj. Harvey Thornwald - Naval Doctor | |
| 1958 | Monster on the Campus | Lt. Mike Stevens | |
| 1959 | The Horse Soldiers | Sgt. Maj. Kirby | |
| 1960 | The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond | Fats Walsh | |
| 1960 | Sergeant Rutledge | Lt. Mulqueen | |
| 1962 | A Public Affair | Hal Green | |
| 1962 | Kid Galahad | Howie Zimmerman | |
| 1963 | The Ugly American | Joe Bing | |
| 1964 | A Distant Trumpet | Capt. Cedric Gray MD | |
| 1964 | Cheyenne Autumn | Mayor Dog Kelly | |
| 1969 | Hang Your Hat on the Wind | Father O'Flaherty | |
| 1969 | The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes | Detective in Gambling Raid | Uncredited |
| 1971 | The Barefoot Executive | Policeman | |
| 1976 | Futureworld | Bartender | |
| 1976 | Vigilante Force | Harry Lee | |
| 1978 | F.I.S.T | Kovak's Attorney | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | The 20th Century-Fox Hour | MacIntyre | Episode: "The Moneymaker" |
| 1957 | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater | Clay Ramsey | Episode: "No Man Living" |
| 1957 | Ford Theatre | Captain Brooks | Episode: "House of Glass" |
| 1958 | Suspicion | Police Sergeant | Episode: "Fraction of a Second" |
| 1958 | Jefferson Drum | Father Andrew Damon | Episode: "Prison Hill" |
| 1959 | The Rough Riders | Jack McCoy | Episode: "The Rifle" |
| 1959 | The Lawless Years | Ruditsky's Partner | Episode: "The Big Greeny Story" |
| 1959 | Goodyear Television Playhouse | Col. Holt | Episode: "Point of Impact" |
| 1960 | Bourbon Street Beat | Sergeant Bogart | Episode: "Twice Betrayed" |
| 1960 | Thriller | Police Lt. Bill Gordon | Episode: "The Mark of the Hand" |
| 1960 | Dan Raven | Markin | Episode: "Tinge of Red" |
| 1961 | The Americans | Sgt. Willers | Episode: "The Sentry" |
| 1961 | Dennis the Menace | Mr. Kowalski | Episode: "The Pioneers" |
| 1961 | Adventures in Paradise | Harry Summers | Episode: "The Assassins" |
| 1962 | Cheyenne | Vince Harper | Episode: "One Way Ticket" |
| 1963 | Stoney Burke | Ed Mitchnet | Episode: "Color Him Lucky" |
| 1964 | The Fugitive | Bowers | Episode: "Come Watch Me Die" |
| 1959 | The Rough Riders | Jack McCoy | Episode: "The Rifle" |
| 1965 | Death Valley Days | General Bradley | Episode: "Raid on San Francisco Mint", with Ronald W. Reagan as William Chapman Ralston |
| 1966 | Mister Ed | Park Policeman | Episode: "Ed and the Motorcycle" |
| 1966 | The Donna Reed Show | Metcalfe | Episode: " Is There a Small Hotel?" |
| 1966 | Perry Mason | Tom Loman | Episode: "The Case of the Twice Told Twist" |
| 1967 | Bewitched | Eastwood | Episode: "No More Mr. Nice Guy" |
| 1967 | The Second Hundred Years | Policeman | Episode: "Dear Father Come Home with Me Now" |
| 1967 | Lassie | Pat Rockford | Episode: "Inferno" |
| 1969 | The Guns of Will Sonnett | John Hardwick | Episode: "On Angry Juror" |
| 1969 | The Mod Squad | Dr. Arthur Steelman | Episode: "Never Give the Fuzz an Even Break" |
| 1970 | Nanny and the Professor | Mr. Hilder | Episode: "The New Butch" |
| 1970 | Ironside | Parrish | Episode: "The Man on the Inside" |
| 1971 | Room 222 | Policeman | Episode: "I Hate You, Silas Marner" |
| 1972 | Cannon | Mike | Episode: "Treasure of San Ignacio" |
| 1972 | The Partridge Family | Cab Driver | Episode: "Fellini, Bergman, and Partridge" |
| 1972 | Mission: Impossible | Warden Lorimer | Episode: "Hit" |
| 1973 | Kung Fu | Cotton | Episode: "An Eye for an Eye" |
| 1973 | Runaway! | Bill Travers | Television movie |
| 1973 | The Rookies | Allen Mayson | Episode: "A Matter of Justice" |
| 1974 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Fred Blainey | Episode: "The Fatal Challenge" |
| 1975 | Barney Miller | Lt. Faraday | Episode: "Escape Artist" |
| 1975 | Matt Helm | Guard | Episode: "Death Rods" |
| 1976 | The Blue Knight | Cliff | Episode: "The Creeper" |
| 1976 | Little House on the Prairie | Sam Wallace | Episode: "The Long Road Home" |
| 1976 | Switch | Jarvis | Episode: "Maggie's Hero" |
| 1977 | The Streets of San Francisco | Mr. Stewart | Episode: "One Last Trick" |
| 1978 | ABC Weekend Special | Sheriff | Episode: "If I'm Lost, How Come I Found You?" |
| 1978 | The Incredible Hulk | Guard Samuelson | Episode: "Stop the Presses" |
| 1979-1980 | Quincy, M.E. | Various | 2 episodes, (Last appearance) |
References
- ↑ "The Final Curtin: Marriages". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 62 (22): 51. June 3, 1950. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ↑ Theatre World. 32. Crown Publishers. 1977. p. 264.
- ↑ Abbott, Doug; Jackson, Ronald (2009). 50 Years of the Television Western: A Pictorial History. AuthorHouse. p. 46. ISBN 1-434-35925-5.
