Emhardt, known for playing crooked politicians, venal businessman & sweaty traveling salesman, was born July 24th, 1913 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The reliable character man, who appeared in over 150 films & TV shows, died from
heart problems at his home in Ojai, California the day after Christmas, 1994.
Emhardt was 81.
Emhardt studied acting at Butler University and later went to England to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. He came back to the U.S.A. as an understudy for Sydney Greenstreet on a theatrical tour. He later made his Broadway debut in the 1942 comedy THE PIRATE.
Over the next 15+ years, he went on to appear in over a dozen other productions on The Great White Way, including GHOSTS, HEDDA GABLER, LIFE WITH MOTHER (Critics Circle Award Winner), THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH, NATURE'S WAY, THE CURIOUS SAVAGE, THE GIRLS IN 509 and more.
With Tom Ewell in THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH
With Orson Bean & Betsy Von Furstenberger in
NATURE'S WAY
With Dorothy Stickney, Howard Lindsay and Ruth Hammond in
LIFE WITH MOTHER
Emhardt made his TV debut in 1939 (!) in a long-lost BBC telly play, MARCO MILLIONS.
His 1st big screen appearance was 13 years later, as a General in THE IRON MISTRESS with Alan Ladd (as Jim Bowie) & Virginia Mayo.
Some of Emhardt's many notable film and TV roles include (in chronological order):
Mr. Butterfield, the stage line owner who hires rancher Van Heflin to take in notorious outlaw Glenn Ford, in the classic 1957 Delmer Daves western 3:10 TO YUMA
Reunited with director Daves and Alan Ladd as the villain Sample in THE BADLANDERS, also starring Ernest Borgnine
6 memorable guest spots on ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS: the crafty Crackpot Moon, the Road Hog traveling salesman Ed Fratus, Mr. Waterbury, in search of The Right Kind of House, Henry G. McKay, not the husband of Martha Mason, Movie Star, but dull Mabel McKay (Judith Evelyn), dogged insurance Investigator Mr. Kettle in Don't Come Back Alive and the cellar dwelling '' The Prof''-- Professor Rankin, in De Mortuis.
There is more to Emhardt than meets his dirty white suit in
Crackpot
With Jeanette Nolan in The Right Kind of House
With Henry Jones and Philip Coolidge in De Mortuis
Road Hog Emhardt and Ray Teal
Professor Ackerman in THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode Static with Dean Jagger
The syndicate boss Earl Connors in Sam Fuller's savage 1961 gangster classic UNDERWORLD U.S.A. with Richard Rust as his henchman Gus and Cliff Robertson as the vengeance-seeking secret informant Tolly
Verne Shipman, the wealthy racist land owner, intoxicated with hate by THE INTRUDER (William Shatner), in Roger Corman's 1962 cult drama
Maynard, corner man for boxer Elvis Presley in the 1962 remake of KID GALAHAD
Charles Bronson and Emhardt with Elvis in KID
2 memorable guest roles on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW:
The Man in a Hurry, busy businessman Malcolm Tucker, who takes awhile to get used to the slow pace of Mayberry
Willard Foster of Foster's Furniture Polish, who hires Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier) for his commercial in The Foster Lady
Harry Andrews, the bipolar father of THE GROUP member Polly Andrews (Shirley Knight)
Mayor Lester Calhoun in the 1970 all-star cast comedy
SUPPOSE THEY GAVE A WAR AND NOBODY CAME
Hersham, one of the concerned & influential citizens (along with Walter Brooke, John Hillerman, etc.) of the old west town of Sabbath in Michael Winner's 1971 Burt Lancaster oater LAWMAN
Sgt. Vinton, the veteran cop who acts as mentor to THE KIDS FROM C.A.P.E.R. (Civilian Authority for the Protection of Everybody, Regardless!)--
.the 1977 NBC Saturday Morning live-action children's series that was kind of
a junior parody version of a cross between THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. & THE MONKEES
Also The Executive in IT'S ALIVE, The Fussy Man in THE STONE KILLER, The Bishop in THE SENIORS, The Banker in CHANGE OF HABIT with Elvis, Brother Bob Abernathy in FRATERNITY ROW, Gen. Winfield Scott in 1975's TV version of LINCOLN with Hal Holbrook, 2 soap roles: the original Mac Cory on the ANOTHER WORLD (1973) & William Masefield on THE EDGE OF NIGHT (1979), and multiple guest spots on WALT DISNEY'S WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLOR, THE WILD, WILD WEST, SUSPENSE, KRAFT THEATRE, THE WEB, SUNDAY SHOWCASE, HAVE GUN-WILL TRAVEL, THE UNTOUCHABLES, MY THREE SONS, PERRY MASON, BONANZA, THE F.B.I., STUDIO ONE IN HOLLYWOOD and more.
THE WILD, WILD WEST
CHANGE OF HABIT
With Charles Bronson and co. in THE STONE KILLER
Emhardt's other credits include:
DIE SISTER, DIE!, SCORPIO, THE BRADY BUNCH, KUNG FU, LAND OF THE GIANTS,
MARTIN KANE, THE WEB, GOODYEAR PLAYHOUSE, PLAYHOUSE 90, CLIMAX!, THE ALCOA HOUR, THE U.S. STEEL HOUR, PETER GUNN, ONE STEP BEYOND, WAKE ME WHEN IT'S OVER, HONG KONG, RIVERBOAT, NAKED CITY, LARAMIE,THE GERTRUDE BERG SHOW, G.E. THEATER, THE TALL MAN, WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT?, THE DICK POWELL THEATRE, ROUTE 66, ADAM-12, IRONSIDE, FORCED VENGEANCE, AUNT MARY, POLICE STORY, IT HAPPENED ONE CHRISTMAS, ALEX & THE GYPSY, THE ROOKIES, KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER, KOJAK, CANNON, THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, THE DORIS DAY SHOW, THE BOY WHO STOLE THE ELEPHANT, RASCAL, DANILE BOONE, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., MANNIX, HOSTILE GUNS, THE INVADERS, ABC STAGE 67, THAT GIRL, THE LONER, GOMER PYLE USMC, THE DOCTORS AND THE NURSES, MEDICAL CENTER and many, many more.
With Karl Malden on THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO
With Kevin Hagen on LAND OF THE GIANTS
With Irene Tedrow and Nellie Burt on THE INVADERS
Did you know...?
His father, attorney & judge C.J. Emhardt,, served briefly as the mayor of Indianapolis.
Emhardt's second wife, from 1954 until his death 40 years later, was the British stage actress Silvia Sideli. They had 4 children.
He was a supporter of The Boy Scouts of America.
Emhardt at work:
UNDERWORLD U.S.A.
THE INTRUDER
3:10 TO YUMA
The last 14 mins. of
SUPPOSE THEY GAVE A WAR...
THE KIDS FROM C.A.P.E.R
THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW
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