Often authoritative and tough, yet sometimes sensitive and compassionate, Simon Oakland was one of the big and small screen's great character actors for over a quarter of a century.
Oakland was born on August 28th, 1915. He died one day after his 68th birthday in 1983.
I will always love him best for his turn as Tony Vincenzo, the exasperated, bellowing boss of reporter Carl Kolchak in the tele-films THE NIGHT STALKER & THE NIGHT STRANGLER and on the show KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER.
With Jack Grinnage and Darren McGavin in THE NIGHT STALKER
http://youtu.be/FfmK8YUdSpY KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER opening-- love that theme!
http://youtu.be/pY0TGZ9VMqU Scene from KOLCHAK Jack the Ripper episode
Oakland was a favorite of director Robert Wise and worked with other acclaimed film makers like Alfred Hitchcock, Richard Brooks and Robert Aldrich.
Some of my other favorite Oakland performances include:
Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Ed Montgomery in I WANT TO LIVE!, Dr. Richmond in PSYCHO, Lt. Shrank in WEST SIDE STORY, Machinist Mate Stawski in THE SAND PEBBLES, Capt. Bennet in BULLITT,
I WANT TO LIVE!
With Steve McQueen in BULLITT
With Ned Glass in WEST SIDE STORY
THE SAND PEBBLES
Wrapping up PSYCHO
With Robert Conrad and Dana Elcar in BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP
With Harry Townes, Yul Brynner and Maria Schell in
THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV
With Henry Morgan in MURDER INC.
With David Sheiner and Bill Bixby in the classic THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode
The Thirty-Fathom Grave
Oakland in character
Some of Oakland's other film & TV credits include: FOLLOW THAT DREAM, PERRY MASON, THE UNTOUCHABLES, THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode The Rip Van Winkle Caper, CHUBASCO, THE OUTER LIMITS, THE HUNTING PARTY, MR. BROADWAY, TONY ROME, GET SMART, IRONSIDE, THE WILD WILD WEST, ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, ELLERY QUEEN, HAWAII-FIVE O, EVENING IN BYZANTIUM, QUINCY M.E., TUCKER'S WITCH, the pilot episode of TOMA, DECOY, BRENNER, THIRD OF A MAN, BRONCO, HEMINGWAY'S ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG MAN, THE U.S. STEEL HOUR, WALL OF NOISE, THE RAIDERS, 77 SUNSET STRIP, THE SATAN BUG, COMBAT!, GUNSMOKE, THE PLAINSMAN, DAN AUGUST, TARZAN, SCANDALOUS JOHN, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY LOVE GEORGE, KEY WEST, KOJAK, YOUNG JOE THE FORGOTTEN KENNEDY, SWITCH, CHIPS, BRET MAVERICK, a regular role on the short-lived DAVID CASSIDY--MAN UNDERCOVER, LOU GRANT, and many more.
With David Partridge....I mean, Cassidy
THE PLAINSMAN remake
With Tony TOMA Musante
With Gena Rowlands & Frank Sinatra in TONY ROME
Oakland had a passion for stage acting. He appeared on Broadway in such shows as INHERIT THE WIND, LIGHT UP THE SKY, HAVE I GOT A GIRL FOR YOU!, THE SHADOW BOX, THE SHRIKE, TWIGS, and more.
Did you know...?
Oakland was born in Brooklyn.
In his younger days he was a concert violinist.
More Oakland work:
http://youtu.be/Ush0IBPOLfA THE HUNTING PARTY trailer Other than Oakland's performance I found that film repellent.
http://youtu.be/bkb5JDAGcFs THE SAND PEBBLES trailer
svc2xiESFmk CHATO'S LAND Trailer
More on Oakland:
Simon Oakland - IMDb Simon Oakland - Wikipedia
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