Elcar, a TV & film favorite. best known as Pete Thornton, the boss of MacGyver (Richard Dean Anderson) for 7 seasons, died on June 6th, 2007. He was 77.
Elcar developed glaucoma in 1991 and his condition was written into the show.
He continued working after going blind.
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Elcar on a 1993 episode of LAW & ORDER
Elcar was the go-to-guy for casting directors who needed a gruff & stern, yet sometimes humorous, authority figure.
Elcar worked with such top directors as Sidney Lumet, Billy Wilder, George Roy Hill, Carl Reiner, Franco Zeffirelli, Gordon Parks, Richard Fleischer, Philip Kaufman and Peter Hyams.
His other notable big and little screen roles include:
FBI Agent Polk in THE STING (here with Charles Durning)
A regular role, Col. Lard(!), on BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP/BLACK SHEEP SQUADRON from 1976-78
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Simon Oakland, Robert Conrad and Elcar
on the BLACK SHEEP set
Recurring roles on DARK SHADOWS & BARETTA
Sheriff George Patterson on DS
Steve Martin's boss in ALL OF ME with Lily Tomlin
Racist Sheriff Kirky in THE LEARNING TREE
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Mr. Dodd in THE FOOL KILLER with Salome Jens and Edward Albert
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Capt. Battles in SOLDIER BLUE
Elcar's other feature film credits include:
FAIL-SAFE, A LOVELY WAY TO DIE, THE BOSTON STRANGLER, PENDULUM, THE MALTESE BIPPY, ADAM AT 6 A.M., ZIG ZAG, MRS. POLLIFAX-SPY, A GUNFIGHT, THE GREAT NORTHFIELD MINNESOTA RAID, REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER, BABY BLUE MARINE, W.C. FIELDS AND ME, THE CHAMP, GOOD LUCK, MISS WYCOFF, The Chief in the rotten GET SMART film THE NUDE BOMB, BUDDY BUDDY, CONDORMAN, BLUE SKIES AGAIN, JUNGLE WARRIORS, 2010:THE YEAR WE MAKE CONTACT and more.
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With Rod Steiger in W.C. FIELDS AND ME
Elcar was quite prolific in his TV work.
Career highlights include:
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER, Vladimir in the 1977 version of WAITING FOR GODOT, D.A. Robert Murray on the soap THE GUIDING LIGHT, the recurring role of Dr. Zack Fuller on THE DOCTORS AND THE NURSES, La Hire in SAINT JOAN with Genevieve Bujold, Dr. Strange in AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MURDER IN THREE ACTS with Peter Ustinov, the Sheriff in DYING ROOM ONLY, Col. Cathcart in a failed pilot for CATCH-22 with Richard JAWS Dreyfuss, Prescott in HEAT WAVE!, Hal Rodgers in PANIC ON THE 5:22, The Warden in the 1983 version of I WANT TO LIVE with Lindsay Wagner, Carl Reed on FALCON CREST.
Elcar with Martin Sheen (RFK), William Devane (JFK) and Andrew Duggan (Gen. Maxwell Taylor) in the superb 1974 tele-movie THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER
He also guest starred on tons of shows like THE F.B.I., THE INVADERS, THE BIG STORY, CAR 54, WHERE ARE YOU?, THE DEFENDERS, GET SMART, HAWAII FIVE-O, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, GUNSMOKE, THE BOLD ONES, IRONSIDE, MANNIX, KUNG FU, THE ROCKFORD FILES, THE A-TEAM, TRAPPER JOHN M.D. and many, many more.
THE INVADERS
Elcar was also a gifted stage actor. His Broadway credits include:
HUGHIE, DYLAN, THE POWER AND THE GLORY, THE HONEYS and SEMI-DETACHED.
Did you know...?
He was born Ibson Dana Elcar on October 10th, 1927.
Elcar directed episodes of such TV series as THE ROCKFORD FILES, THE DUKE, SALVAGE 1, BLACK SHEEP SQUADRON and MacGYVER.
His son is actor Dane Elcar (LAW & ORDER, OPEN DOORS).
SPOILER ALERT!
The very last scen of the last episode of MacGYVER
http://youtu.be/0sBiCLaAhBQ
Another SPOILER ALERT!
The End of THE STING
http://youtu.be/p9c2Edu7d8A
Part 1 of THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER
http://youtu.be/fGEEx78wDvU
BLACK SHEEP SQUADRON episode Operation Stand Down
http://youtu.be/uDw1vBshKHI
Scene from ALL OF ME
http://youtu.be/u14YNz-Ym2c
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