Charles Tyner: Superlative Character Man of COOL HAND LUKE, HAROLD AND MAUDE, THE LONGEST YARD, THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES & More

Tyner, one of the most memorable character actors of the big and little screen for over 4 decades, was born June 8th, 1925. He died on November 8th, 2017 at age 92.

I can proudly say that the master of cruel creeps is a fellow Virginian.

What Hollywood needs is more Charles Tyner's

He was superbly creepy playing the slimy firebug Unger in Robert Aldrich's THE LONGEST YARD with Burt Reynolds

With Joe Kapp in YARD

Also as the mean, tight-lipped chain gang prison guard Boss Higgins in Stuart Rosenberg's COOL HAND LUKE with Strother Martin

Tyner had appeared with COOL HAND star Paul Newman on Broadway in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH

and Newman later cast him in 1971's SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION

Children of the 1980's know him as founder and CEO of Buster Burger, Lyman

Vunk, in the 1985 teen sex opus HAMBURGER: THE MOTION PICTURE,

a staple of late '80's cable

''Put those cookies back, you motherf%cker''

Randi Brooks was his trophy wife in HAMBURGER

And my favorite Tyner role? His brilliant comic turn as the one-armed General Victor Ball, Bud Cort's war loving uncle in Hal Ashby's HAROLD AND MAUDE

''Well, what do you say, Harold? Ah, it's a great life. There's action, adventure, advising, and you'll get a chance to see the war first-hand. And there are plenty of slant-eyed girls. I'll make a man out of you, Harold. You'll travel the world, put on a uniform, and take on a man's job. You'll walk tall, with a glint in your eye and a spring in your step, and the knowledge in your heart that you are working for peace and are serving your country, just like Nathan Hale. Now, that's what this country needs - more Nathan Hales. [He salutes a picture of Nathan Hale] And, Harold, I think I can see a little Nathan Hale in you.''

Born in Danville in the Old Dominion, WWII vet Tyner studied acting with Stella Adler and made his Broadway debut in 1959. That same year he made his film debut playing a sharecropper in Sidney Lumet THAT KIND OF WOMAN.

Throughout his career Tyner worked with top directors like the previously mentioned filmmakers as well as Alfred Hitchcock, Sydney Pollack, Clint Eastwood, Robert Benton, Mark Rydell, Robert Mulligan, Norman Jewison, John Hughes and more.

He was cast as many a farmer, storekeeper, clerk, doctor, minister, military officer and crook.

Tyner seemed right at home in the old west or the great depression.

His many other notable scene-stealing film roles include:

The railroad worker Cracker, sadistic conductor Shack's (Ernest Borgnine) doomed switch man in Robert Aldrich's EMPEROR OF THE NORTH

Also: Mean hillbilly Merle Grogan, Shelly Winters husband in Disney's PETE'S DRAGON, Col. Kincaid, getting a major headache from Clint Howard in EVILSPEAK, 2 different trading post proprietors: The helpful Robidoux in JEREMIAH JOHNSON & the abusive Zukie Limmer in THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, a couple of tombstone makers: Wheeler in FAMILY PLOT & the Stonemason in THE COWBOYS, a trio of doctors in MONTE WALSH, THE STONE KILLER & GAILY, GAILY, small-time robber Pete Schroeder in FUZZ, one of the murderous Bannister Bros. in THE CHEYENNE SOCIAL CLUB, the egg farmer who butts heads with Jeff Bridges in BAD COMPANY, a Minister in LAWMAN with Burt Lancaster, Edmonds, the automobile towing farmer with 2 color-blind mules in THE REIVERS with Steve McQueen, Gus the clerk in PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES & James Wood's father in BEST SELLER (billed as Harold Tyner)

With Winters in PETE'S DRAGON

Tyner and Claude Earl Jones still have their heads in EVILSPEAK

THE COWBOYS

THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES with John Mitchum

With Don Gordon in FUZZ

BAD COMPANY

With Burt Lancaster in LAWMAN

His other film credits include: PULSE, THE MOONSHINE WAR, THE STALKING MOON, THE TRAVELING EXECUTIONER, SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION, THE MIDNIGHT MAN, PASTIME, ENID IS SLEEPING, MOTORAMA, FAIL SAFE and LILITH.

THE MIDNIGHT MAN

With Richard Jaeckel in SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION

PULSE

Tyner's body of work on TV was also quite prolific:

He played the recurring role of Mr. Rodman on FATHER MURPHY with Merlin Olsen,

Matusik in RICH MAN, POOR MAN, mailman Charley Eastman in WINTER KILL with Andy Griffith, Amos in THE FAMILY HOLVAK pilot TV film THE GREATEST GIFT with Glenn Ford, Lefty Slade in PETER LUNDY AND THE MEDICINE HAT STALLION, Rev. Hutchins in the mini-series THE AWAKENING LAND, Linda Lavin's dad in A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH and Mr. Nestor on THE WONDER YEARS.

THE WONDER YEARS with Fred Savage

Tyner's other TV credits include: DALLAS, THE WALTONS, LITTLE HOUSE ON A PRAIRIE, NAKED CITY, THE UNITED STATES STEEL HOUR, HAWK, SARGE, ALIAS SMITH AND JONES, KUNG FU, MANNIX, ST. ELSEWHERE, THE JEFFERSONS, THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, THE MANHUNTER, YOUNG PIONEERS, ER, ON THE AIR, MATLOCK, I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, GUNS OF PARADISE, SPACE, DEADLY MESSAGES, HILL STREET BLUES, HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN, CHARLIE'S ANGLES, LASSIE: A NEW BEGINNING, FAMILY, BARNABY JONES and many more.

THE WALTONS

His other Broadway gigs include:

Sefelt in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST with Kirk Douglas & Gene Wilder, UNDER MILK WOOD, THE MOON BESIEGED and ORPHEUS DESCENDING with Cliff Robertson & Maureen Stapleton.