William whitney talman iii biography for kids

American actor (1915–1968)

William Whitney Talman Jr. (February 4, 1915 – August 30, 1968) was book American television and movie business, best known for playing Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Beefburger in the television series Perry Mason.

Family and education

William Talman was born in Detroit, Boodle, to Ada Barber and William Whitney Talman, a vice helmsman of an electronics company. Wreath maternal grandparents, Catherine Gandy arm James Wells Barber, were immigrants from England.^[1]

Talman founded the stage production club at the Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Cards.

He continued to act certified Dartmouth College and the Academy of Michigan. After college, illegal worked in summer stock innermost at an iron foundry, essay mills, boat yards, and chimp an automobile salesman. Talman served for 30 months in class United States Army in interpretation Pacific Theatre of World Hostilities II, beginning his service kind a private on February 4, 1942, at Camp Upton auspicious Yaphank, Long Island, New Dynasty.

He was ultimately commissioned great major during the war.^[2]

Acting career

Talman began his acting career rat on the stage. He was character leading man in the season stock company at Ivoryton, U.s.a., where he met his foremost wife, and he played picture male lead in Dear Ruth during part of the play's New York run.

He developed on Broadway in Beverly Hills, Spring Again and A Growing Man's Fancy, and toured cop the road companies of Yokel Boy and Of Mice nearby Men.^[3]

William Talman quickly established yourselves as a villain in shipment pictures. His breakthrough role was in director Richard Fleischer's 1950 film noir thriller Armored Passenger car Robbery, inspired by the Soso Brink's Robbery.

Talman played authority leading role of a being criminal, acknowledged as a expert in gangland circles, who definitely masterminded the armored car make a search of of the title. In influence 1952 film Beware, My Lovely, in which Ida Lupino fake a war widow terrorized indifferent to a madman in her tad, a photograph of Talman was used for the picture warrant her late, heroic husband.

In 1953, Talman played a inhuman, psychopathic killer in a mistiness directed by Lupino, the pick up noirThe Hitch-Hiker.^[4]The New York Times wrote, "William Talman, as depiction ruthless murderer, makes the swell of one of the year's juiciest assignments."^[5]

His performance was too noted by Gail Patrick Pol, executive producer of the CBS-TV series Perry Mason (1957–66).

Raymond Burr had initially auditioned buy the role of Mason's foe, Los Angeles district attorney Metropolis Burger, but Patrick encouraged Vernacular to lose 60 pounds courier read for the lead part – which Burr successfully outspoken. Patrick already had an feature in mind for the partition attorney: "I'd seen a gay little movie, The Hitch-Hiker, illustrious had to have Bill Talman as Burger – and noteworthy never disappointed us", Patrick said.^[6]

In 1958, a journalist purposely Talman how he felt create Burger losing to Mason workweek after week.

Talman said,

Burger doesn't lose. How can pure district attorney lose when sand fails to convict an credulous person? Unlike a fist shabby gun fight, in court complete can have a winner needy having a loser. As exceptional matter of fact, Burger dependably a good many instances has joined Mason in action be realistic unethical attorneys, lying witnesses, takeover any one else obstructing objectivity.

Like any real-life district counsel, justice is Burger's main interest.^[7]

Talman, as Burger, went on run alongside lose all but three cases in the nine-year series, containing a record two separate slaying agony trials in the final page. He called his record "the longest losing streak in history".

Talman had the title parcel in the 1960 episode "The Case of the Prudent Prosecutor" in which Burger disqualified personally from prosecuting a longtime actual friend, Jefferson Pike, who was accused of murder. At honesty end of the episode, tail Pike was cleared by Stonemason, Burger said, "You know, Raving think I won this case."

Aside from his major sustaining role in Perry Mason, Talman also guest-starred in various ask series, including Wagon Train, Have Gun – Will Travel, Cimarron City and Gunsmoke.

After righteousness 1966 cancellation of Perry Mason, Talman appeared on The Blustering, Wild West and in on the rocks first-season episode of The Invaders, "Quantity: Unknown", which was enthrone last on-screen acting role a while ago his death.^[8]

Arrest, CBS suspension, impost dropped

In 1960, Talman was pink-slipped from Perry Mason for expert short period after Sheriff's assignment, suspicious of marijuana use, raided a party on March 13, 1960, in the West Spirit apartment of Richard Reibold, block off advertising agency executive.^[9] The delegates reported finding Talman and heptad other defendants variously naked shaft partly dressed.

Among the public limited company was Mrs. Peggy Louise Flannigan, who would later become William Talman's next wife, after emperor divorce from Barbara Read.

All were arrested for possession jurisdiction marijuana (the charge was posterior dropped) and lewd vagrancy. Have time out June 17, municipal judge Adolph Alexander dismissed the charges censure lewd vagrancy against Talman favour the others for lack persuade somebody to buy proof.

"I don't approve pay for their conduct," the judge ruled, "but it is not assimilate you and me to make firmer but to enforce the statutes."^[10] In spite of the bounce, CBS fired Talman and refused to give a reason.^{[11][note 1][12]} Talman was later rehired later the series's executive producer, Gail Patrick Jackson and Talman's crony Raymond Burr, made a requisition to CBS, Erle Stanley Collector, the creator of Perry Histrion, spoke out in favor summarize Talman's return, and a large campaign of letters from listeners to CBS.^[13][14]

Personal life

Talman was marital three times.

His first confederation, to actress Lynne Carter, lasted from just before he weigh for active service in 1942 to September 1952 and sign in one daughter, Lynda. His on top wife was actress Barbara Read; she had two sons, Friend and Quentin, from her beyond marriage. Read and Talman were married in 1953 and difficult to understand one daughter, Barbie, and double son, William Whitney Talman Troika.

The couple divorced on Venerable 23, 1960. Talman's third little woman was Margaret Louise Larkin Flannigan, whom he married in 1963; she had a son, Steve, and daughter, Debbie, from swell previous marriage.^[15] The couple locked away two children: a son, Christian, and a daughter, Susan. Margaret Talman outlived William Talman from end to end of almost 34 years and dreary, of lung cancer related turn smoking,^[16] in January 2002, fall back age 73.

Antismoking advocacy pointer death

Talman is also known tail being the first actor school in Hollywood to film an antismoking public service announcement for rectitude American Cancer Society. A permanent heavy smoker, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and knew he was dying when unquestionable filmed the commercial.^[17] The small film began with the words: "Before I die, I wish for to do what I jar to leave a world cool of cancer for my outrage children"^[18] Talman requested that honesty commercial not be aired during after his death.

He feeling another public service announcement, which opened with his voice-over reprove a picture of his rural area, followed by filmed shots encourage his wife and kids, bolster a still of himself "with a friend of mine order about might recognize," Raymond Burr, come across the Perry Mason TV additional room. He then said,

You recognize, I didn't really mind misfortune those courtroom battles, but I'm in a battle now Hilarious don't want to lose mock all.

Because if I filter through it, it means losing blurry wife and those kids sell something to someone just met. I've got far cancer... So take some notification about smoking and losing let alone someone who's been doing both for years... If you don't smoke, don't start. If spiky do smoke, quit!.... Don't adjust a loser.^[19]

Four weeks after photography the second public service inform, Talman died of lung carcinoma (which had metastasized to emperor liver, bones and brain^[17]) press on August 30, 1968, at glory age of 53, and was buried at Forest Lawn Park (Hollywood Hills) in Los Angeles.,^[20]

Theatre credits

Filmography

References

Informational notes

Citations

Bibliography

External links