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Bert Freed

Acting

Bert Freed

Bert Freed is an actor born on November 3, 1919 in The Bronx, New York USA. He died on August 2, 1994, aged 74. He is known for Where the Sidewalk Ends, Barracuda and Evel Knievel. GloboWatch shows where to watch one of his movies and TV shows, country by country.

Known for
Acting
Born
November 3, 1919
Place of birth
The Bronx, New York USA
Died
August 2, 1994

Biography

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Bert Freed (November 3, 1919 — August 2, 1994) was a prolific American character actor, voice over actor, and the first actor to portray "Detective Columbo" on television. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, Freed began acting while attending Penn State University, and made his Broadway debut in 1942. Following World War II Army service in the European Theatre, he appeared in the Broadway musical The Day Before Spring in 1945 and dozens of television shows between 1947 and 1985. His film debut occurred, oddly enough, in a musical Carnegie Hall (1947). A prominent role was as the villainous Ryker in the television series Shane, in which Freed added a unique touch of realism by beginning the show clean-shaven and growing a beard from one week to the next, never shaving again through the season. Freed played Columbo in a live 1960 episode of the "Chevy Mystery Theatre" seven years before Peter Falk played the role. Thomas Mitchell also played the part on stage prior to Falk's version, which is probably where many of the eccentric Columbo traits originated; only a few were visible in Freed's straightforward interpretation, although the character as played by Freed is recognizably Columbo. He appeared (sometimes more than once) in television shows such as The Rifleman, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Big Valley,The Virginian, Mannix, Barnaby Jones, Charlie's Angels, Then Came Bronson, Run For Your Life, Get Smart, The Lucy Show, Hogan's Heroes, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, Perry Mason, Combat!, Petticoat Junction, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Route 66, Ironside, The Green Hornet, The Munsters, and many, many more. He directed one episode of T.H.E. Cat. Freed appeared as a racist club owner in No Way Out (1950), a gangster in Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950), a Marine private in Halls of Montezuma (1951 film), an Army sergeant in Take the High Ground! (1953), the Police Chief in Invaders From Mars (1953), Sgt. Boulanger in Paths of Glory (1957), the hangman in Hang 'Em High (1968), Max's father in Wild in the Streets (1968), as Chief of Detectives in Madigan (1968), a homosexual prison guard in There Was a Crooked Man... (1970) and Bernard's father in Billy Jack (1971) in which he got "whumped" on the side of the face by Billy Jack's right foot "just for the hell of it." He retired from acting in 1986, and died of a heart attack in Canada in 1994 while on a fishing trip with his son. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bert Freed, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography

  1. 1982Knight Rideras Anthony Solan · 1 episode
  2. 1981The Fall Guy1 episode
  3. 1979Norma Raeas Sam Dakin
  4. 1978Barracudaas Jack
  5. 1978Vega$1 episode
  6. 1976Charlie's Angelsas Stambler · 1 episode
  7. 1974Kolchak: The Night Stalkeras Capt. Akins · 1 episode
  8. 1973Barnaby Jonesas Det. Capt. Ben Wyatt · 1 episode
  9. 1972The Streets of San Francisco2 episodes
  10. 1972The Rookies1 episode
  11. 1971Cannon2 episodes
  12. 1971Evel Knievelas Doc Kincaid
  13. 1971Billy Jackas Mr. Stuart Posner
  14. 1970The Partridge Familyas Mr. Sharp · 1 episode
  15. 1970There Was a Crooked Man...as Skinner
  16. 1970McCloudas Packy Keefe · 1 episode
  17. 1968The Mod Squad1 episode
  18. 1968Wild in the Streetsas Max Jacob Flatow, Sr.
  19. 1968Hang 'em Highas Schmidt
  20. 1968Madiganas Chief of Detectives Hap Lynch
  21. 1967Mannix1 episode
  22. 1967The High Chaparralas Telford Burris · 1 episode
  23. 1967Ironside2 episodes
  24. 1966Mission: Impossibleas Leon Chandler · 2 episodes
  25. 1966The Green Hornetas Police Sgt. Bert Clark · 1 episode
  26. 1966Tarzan1 episode
  27. 1966Nevada Smithas Quince
  28. 1965Get Smartas Badeff · 1 episode
  29. 1965Hogan's Heroesas Maj. Bernsdorf · 1 episode
  30. 1965The Big Valleyas Judge Ben Coulter · 1 episode
  31. 1964Fate Is the Hunteras Dillon
  32. 1964Invitation to a Gunfighteras Sheriff
  33. 1964The Munsters1 episode
  34. 1963Petticoat Junctionas Detective Horton · 1 episode
  35. 1963The Outer Limitsas Joe Hayden · 1 episode
  36. 1962What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?as Ben Golden
  37. 1962Combat!as Sgt. Weber · 1 episode
  38. 1962The Lucy Showas Miller · 1 episode
  39. 1962The Virginianas Milo Henderson · 1 episode
  40. 1960Route 661 episode
  41. 1959The Gazeboas Joe Jenkins
  42. 195877 Sunset Strip1 episode
  43. 1958The Rifleman2 episodes
  44. 1958Peter Gunn1 episode
  45. 1957Paths of Gloryas Sgt. Boulanger
  46. 1957Perry Masonas Ken Woodman · 1 episode
  47. 1955The Desperate Hoursas Tom Winston
  48. 1955Alfred Hitchcock Presentsas Capt. Harvey Ellison · 1 episode
  49. 1955Gunsmokeas Al Clovis · 1 episode
  50. 1955The Cobwebas Abe Irwin
  51. 1954The Long, Long Traileras Foreman
  52. 1953Invaders from Marsas Police Chief A.C. Barrows
  53. 1952The Snows of Kilimanjaroas American Soldier (uncredited)
  54. 1951Detective Storyas Det. Dakis
  55. 1951Red Mountainas Sgt. Randall
  56. 1951Halls of Montezumaas Slattery
  57. 1950No Way Outas Rocky Miller (uncredited)
  58. 1950Where the Sidewalk Endsas Det. Sgt. Paul Klein
  59. 1950711 Ocean Driveas Steve Marshak (uncredited)
  60. 1947Boomerang!as Herron, a Man in Alley Mob