Matinee Classics - Richard Carlson Biography & Filmography

Richard Carlson ACTOR

PHOTOS

RICHARD CARLSON BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Richard Carlson, born on April 29, 1912, was an American director, screenwriter, and actor. He studied drama and literature at the University of Minnesota in college, and then went on to teach literature and acting before becoming an actor and screenwriter himself. Carlson started out performing in Broadway plays in the mid to late thirties. In 1938, David O. Selznick urged him to come to Hollywood to help write a movie. However, the film’s star, Janet Gaynor recommended that he appear in the movie, and so Carlson’s debut role was in the comedy “The Young at Heart” (1938) also starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Roland Young, Paulette Goddard and Billie Burke.

In 1939, he moved from his home state of Minnesota to California to become a freelance actor. His main genre choices during the start of his career were comedies and dramas. Some of these films include “Winter Carnival” (1939) starring with Ann Sheridan, Helen Parrish and James Corner, “Little Accident” (1939), “Too Many Girls” (1940) starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Ann Miller, Eddie Bracken and Frances Langford and “The Affairs of Martha” (1942) starring Marsha Hunt, Marjorie Main, Spring Byington, Barry Nelson and Margaret Hamilton. He also was seen in musicals like “No, No Annette” (1940) starring with Anna Neagle, Victor Mature, Roland Young, Zasu Pitts and Eve Arden and “Presenting Lily Mars” (1942) starring Van Heflin and Judy Garland, adventures such as “Highways by Night” (1942) c-starring with Jane Randolph and Jane Darwell, Barton MacLane, Paul Fix, Ray Collins, George Cleveland, Jack La Rue and Gordon Jones and “White Cargo” (1942) starring alongside Hedy Lamarr, Walter Pidgeon, Frank Morgan and Reginald Owen, and other films not limited to these varieties. Carlson was becoming pretty successful and starring in a great number of films, but his vigor was about to end.

As with many actors in his era, Carlson was sent to serve in World War II. This greatly interrupted his career as he had to go on a four year hiatus. He finally appeared in another film in 1947, “So Well Remembered”. After his long break, however, Carlson found it hard to return to the quality of work he was previously accustomed to. He additionally appeared in two low budgeted films in 1958, “Behind Locked Doors” and “The Amazing Mr. X” starring Turhan Bey, Lynn Bari and Cathy O'Donnell, but then did not return to the screen until 1950.

Fortunately, in the 1950's Carlson’s vitality started to return. His success began to rise when he appeared in “King Solomon’s Mines” (1950) starring with Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger and “Flat Top” (1952). Although this time he found more success in horror and science fiction pictures. He even starred in three three-dimensional films: “The Maze” (1953) starring with Veronica Hurst and Hillary Brooke, “It Came from Outer Space” (1953) starring with Barbara Rush and Russell Johnson, and one of his most notable, "Creature from the Black Lagoon” (1954) co-starring Richard Denning and Julie Adams. During this decade, Carlson also decided to try his luck in television. His first television appearance was in “Pulitzer Prize Playhouse” (1950), and then he went on to star in his own spy/drama series, “I Led 3 Lives”, from 1953 until 1956. He also made numerous other movies such as “The Last Command” (1955) starring Sterling Hayden, Ernest Borgnine, Arthur Hunnicutt, J. Carrol Naish, Jim Davis, Virginia Grey, John Russell and Anna Maria Alberghetti and “The Helen Morgan Story” (1957) starring Ann Blyth and Paul Newman, as well as a great number more television appearances in shows like “Schlitz Playhouse” (1952-59) and “Mackenzie's Raiders” (1958-59), which he helped write. Additionally, he tried his hand at directing, starting in 1954 with the sci-fi film “Riders to the Stars” also starring Martha Hyer, Herbert Marshall and William Lundigan, and continuing for twelve pictures.

In the latter part of the actor’s career he had the lead in the horror/thriller “Tormented” (1960), which was featured once on “Mystery Science Theatre 3000”. He furthermore appeared in many other pictures, one of them being his last directing job in “Kid Rodelo” (1966), and even more television shows. Carlson’s final film, which also starred king of rock and roll Elvis Presley, Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara McNair and Robert Emhardt, was the drama “Change of Habit” (1969). His very last role however, was in the TV series “Khan!” (1975).

Richard Carlson died four years after his ending role, on November 21, 1979, due to a cerebral hemorrhage. He is remembered however, for his fifty six feature film roles, forty seven TV characters, twelve directing positions, and six television and movie screenwriting jobs. For the actor’s contributions, he moreover has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for television.

Filmography

1975 Khan

1973 Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law

1972 Cannon

1969 Lancer

1969 The Valley of Gwangi

1969 Change of Habit

1969 The F.B.I.

1969 It Takes a Theif

1968 The Power

1968 Bonanza

1966 The Doomsday Flight