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Don Porter

Acting 84 (deceased) years old Miami, Oklahoma, USA ★ 0.6
Born: September 24, 1912
Died: February 11, 1997

Biography

Donald "Don" Porter (September 24, 1912 –February 11, 1997) was an American actor who appeared in a number of films since the 1940s, including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron. On television, he portrayed the widowed father of 15-year-old Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field) in the 1965 ABC sitcom Gidget. Besides his work in film and television, Porter was active on stage, as he acted in more than 200 plays, including The Front Page, Plaza Suite, and Any Wednesday. He appeared in various films in the 1940s before landing the role of Peter Sands, the boss of Susan Camille MacNamara (Ann Sothern), on the 1950s sitcom Private Secretary. A retooled version of the series appeared later, titled The Ann Sothern Show. It featured many of the same actors, including Porter as hotel manager James Devery in the venue of a fashionable New York City hotel. He later guest starred on episodes of Green Acres, Love, American Style, The Mod Squad, Barnaby Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O, Three's Company (on which he played Jack Tripper's uncle), and Switch.

Filmography

Acting Credits (76)

Matlock
Matlock Erskine Tate 1986
Hotel
Hotel 1982
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall Judge Oliver Haynes 1980
The Last Song
The Last Song Philip Brockhurst 1980
The Murder That Wouldn't Die
The Murder That Wouldn't Die Gen. Rocky Jensen 1980
Interview with Pontius Pilate
Interview with Pontius Pilate Theodore Michael 1980
Tropic of Desire
Tropic of Desire Commodore Phillips 1979
Vega$
Vega$ 1978
The Paper Chase
The Paper Chase 1978
Dallas
Dallas Matt Devlin 1978
The President's Mistress
The President's Mistress Craig 1978
Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A.
Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. Caufield 1977
The Love Boat
The Love Boat Slade Summerhill 1977
Three's Company
Three's Company 1977
City of Angels
City of Angels 1976
The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman 1976
Ellery Queen
Ellery Queen 1975
Switch
Switch Paul Lorimer 1975
Switch
Switch Salvensen 1975
A Woman for All Men
A Woman for All Men Barney 1975
White Line Fever
White Line Fever Cutler 1975
Last Hours Before Morning
Last Hours Before Morning Mr. Pace 1975
The Legend of Lizzie Borden
The Legend of Lizzie Borden George Robinson 1975
Archer
Archer 1975
Happy Anniversary and Goodbye
Happy Anniversary and Goodbye Ed 'Mad Dog' Murphy 1974
Murder or Mercy
Murder or Mercy Henry Balin 1974
Mame
Mame Mr. Upson 1974
The Morning After
The Morning After Rudy King 1974
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man Dr. Stanley Bacon 1974
40 Carats
40 Carats Mr. Latham 1973
The Norliss Tapes
The Norliss Tapes Sanford T. Evans 1973
Barnaby Jones
Barnaby Jones Jeremy Markham 1973
The Rookies
The Rookies 1972
The Candidate
The Candidate Senator Crocker Jarmon 1972
Love, American Style
Love, American Style 1969
Live a Little, Love a Little
Live a Little, Love a Little Mike Lansdown 1968
The Mod Squad
The Mod Squad 1968
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy Ken Richards 1968
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O Jonathan Cavel 1968
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O Alex Kelsey 1968
Judd, for the Defense
Judd, for the Defense 1967
The F.B.I.
The F.B.I. Mason Hammond 1965
Green Acres
Green Acres 1965
Gidget
Gidget Professor Russell Lawrence 1965
Youngblood Hawke
Youngblood Hawke Ferdie Lax 1964
Gidget Goes to Rome
Gidget Goes to Rome Russell Lawrence 1963
Vacation Playhouse
Vacation Playhouse Battersea, The Housekeeper 1963
Bachelor in Paradise
Bachelor in Paradise Thomas W. Jynson 1961
Desk Set
Desk Set Don the Elevator Operator (uncredited) 1957
Our Miss Brooks
Our Miss Brooks Lawrence Nolan 1956
Private Secretary
Private Secretary 1953
Because You're Mine
Because You're Mine Captain Burton Nordell Loring 1952
The Savage
The Savage Running Dog 1952
The Turning Point
The Turning Point Joe Silbray 1952
Cripple Creek
Cripple Creek Denver Jones 1952
The Fallbrook Story
The Fallbrook Story Narrator 1952
The Racket
The Racket R. G. Connolly 1951
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone Myron Brynk 1950
711 Ocean Drive
711 Ocean Drive Larry Mason 1950
My Friend Irma Goes West
My Friend Irma Goes West Mr. Brent 1950
Buck Privates Come Home
Buck Privates Come Home Capt. Christie 1947
Wild Beauty
Wild Beauty Dr. Dave Morrow 1946
Danger Woman
Danger Woman Professor Claude Ruppert 1946
Cuban Pete
Cuban Pete Roberts 1946
She-Wolf of London
She-Wolf of London Barry Lanfield 1946
Resisting Enemy Interrogation
Resisting Enemy Interrogation Lt. Frank L. Williams, Jr. - American Co-pilot 1944
How to Fly the B-26 Airplane
How to Fly the B-26 Airplane Captain Dick 1944
Keep 'Em Slugging
Keep 'Em Slugging Jerry 1943
Reconnaissance Pilot
Reconnaissance Pilot Camera Instructor 1943
Madame Spy
Madame Spy David Bannister 1942
Who Done It?
Who Done It? 'Murder at Midnight' program manager 1942
Night Monster
Night Monster Dick Baldwin 1942
Eyes of the Underworld
Eyes of the Underworld Edward Jason 1942
Eagle Squadron
Eagle Squadron Ramsey 1942
Top Sergeant
Top Sergeant Al Bennett 1942
Mystery of the White Room
Mystery of the White Room Dr. Donald Fox 1939

Directing Credits (1)

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