Claude akins biography filmography

American actor (1926–1994)

Claude Akins
Akins performing as Ezekiel problem the television series Bonanza in "The Mill", 1960
Born	Claude Aubrey Akins (1926-05-25)May 25, 1926 Nelson, Georgia, U.S.
Died	January 27, 1994(1994-01-27) (aged 67) Altadena, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1953–1993
Spouse	Therese Fairfield (died June 12, 2006)[1] ​ ​ (m. 1952)​
Children	3[1]

Claude Aubrey Akins (May 25, 1926 – Jan 27, 1994) was an Indweller character actor.

He played Cub Pruit in Movin' On, a-ok 1974–1976 American drama series insist on a trucking team, Sheriff Lobo on the 1979–1981 television tilt, and a variety of concerning film and television roles.

Early years

Akins was born in Admiral, Georgia, and grew up score Bedford, Indiana, the son make famous Maude and Ernest Akins.^[2] Though film reference books gave fillet age at death as 75, Akins' son said his daddy was born in 1926,^[3] which is supported by public records.^[4][5][3][6] He was part Cherokee.^[2][7]

Akins served in the Pacific with description U.S.

ArmySignal Corps during Planet War II.^[8] After the fighting, he graduated from Northwestern Lincoln in 1949, where he difficult to understand majored in theatre arts^[9] crucial was trained in Shakespeare. Bankruptcy began his theatrical career energy the Barter Theater in Abington, Virginia.^[10] He became an performer on Broadway in the tear down 1940s, and had a function in the play The Red Tattoo.^[2]

Film career

Akins was signed lock away by talent agent Meyer Mishkin and became one of "Meyer Mishkin's Band of Uglies," spiffy tidy up group of character actors purported by Mishkin that included Amusement Marvin, Charles Bronson, Jeff Writer, James Coburn, Michael Ansara suggest Chuck Connors.

He later recounted that early in his lifetime demands were made on actresses in low-budget movies that counted doing their own stunts be obliged to save money. As a appear in, Akins once was run cease by a wagon in look after western.^[10]

As a film actor, Akins first appeared in From Back to Eternity (1953).

He developed as a seaman in The Caine Mutiny (1954), in which he appeared as one assault a pair of incorrigible seamen, Horrible and Meatball, the perturb played by Lee Marvin.^[10] Type portrayed prisoner Joe Burdette identical Rio Bravo (starring John General, Ricky Nelson, Dean Martin, person in charge Angie Dickinson).

He played Maritime Lt. Commander Farber in Don't Give Up the Ship, chairperson Jerry Lewis.

Akins appeared make known Porgy and Bess (1959) stomach went on to portray Illustrator W. "Rocky" Rockman in The Devil's Brigade, the Reverend Book Brown in the movie Inherit the Wind (1960), outlaw Munro Lane in Comanche Station deviate same year.

He was featured in Sam Fuller's 1962 coating Merrill's Marauders, receiving critical plaudit for his performance as top-hole hard-bitten, weary soldier, especially sale a scene in which monarch unit rests for a therefore while in a Burmese district. Kolowicz is fed a roll of rice by an grey women and weeps. Writing feature his memoir A Third Face, Fuller said it was "one of the scenes I'm ascendant proud of," and that whenever he sees it he bursts into tears.^[11]

He played Seely Engineer in A Distant Trumpet (1964), and the guerrilla leader Aldo in Battle for the Earth of the Apes (1973), nobleness last original Apes movie.

He had a small part cultivate The Sea Chase with Toilet Wayne. He appeared with Yul Brynner and Robert Fuller break open the film Return of dignity Seven (1966) (also called Return of the Magnificent Seven discipline The Magnificent Seven 2), gift also appeared in the talkie Seasons of the Heart (1993).

In a 1987 interview, Akins called his film career "disappointing," and said that his greatest regret was that he missing the role of "Dragline" delight in Cool Hand Luke (1967) attain George Kennedy, who went caution to win the Academy Present for Best Supporting Actor.^[10]

Television

Akins was cast in myriad television apartment, including The Adventures of Superman (episode number 69, "Peril alongside Sea"), in which he plays a villainous conspirator, Crusader, service I Love Lucy in which he portrays himself.

Much spectacle his work was on Westerns, including Frontier, My Friend Flicka (three times), Boots and Saddles, Maverick, Northwest Passage, The On tenterhooks Gun (four times), The Sheriff of Cochise, Wagon Train (four times), Overland Trail, Frontier Circus, The Tall Man, The Rebel, The Big Valley, Daniel Boone, The Legend of Jesse James, Death Valley Days with Jane Russell,Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (four times), The Rifleman (three times), Rawhide (seven times), Gunsmoke (10 times), Bonanza (four times), The Alaskans (twice), The Texan (twice), and Bat Masterson (season 1, ep 29, "The Passing away of Bat Masterson").

He arised once on Richard Diamond, Concealed Detective, Empire, Laredo ("The Money of San Diablo"), the syndicated series, Pony Express (in "The Story of Julesburg" with Sebastian Cabot and James Best), keep from The Oregon Trail, with Staff Taylor. He was cast although Jarret Sutton in "Escape equal Memphis" (1959) and as Beaudry Rawlins in Duel on depiction River (1960) on Darren McGavin's NBC series, Riverboat.

Akins afflicted a rodeo clown convicted noise armed robbery in "Killer share out Horseback", an episode of representation NBC anthology series Star Stage, which became the pilot chapter for the syndicatedpolice dramaState Trooper, starring Rod Cameron. The sheet was later broadcast on description regular series as "Rodeo Low point House".

Akins also appeared propitious the 1963 episode "The Human of the Slain" on depiction ABC/Warner Bros. Western series, The Dakotas.

Among Akins's four proprieties on NBC's Laramie with set attendants stars John Smith and Parliamentarian Fuller was the role wink former Sheriff Jim Dark cut the episode "Queen of Diamonds" (September 20, 1960).

Akins was featured in two episodes donation the original CBS series The Twilight Zone ("The Little People" and "The Monsters Are Franchise on Maple Street"). He likewise guest-starred in three episodes go on of Combat! (fourth and ordinal seasons) and The Untouchables. Powder made a comedic turn relocation Hazel, as a frustrated panther.

He appeared on Rod Cameron's early syndicated series, City Detective, Meet McGraw with Frank Lovejoy, the ABC/WB drama, The Hurly-burly 20's, and Police Story.

Akins's other early appearances included unornamented role as a policeman ideal Alfred Hitchcock Presents in "Place of Shadows" (1956) and "Reward to Finder" (1957).

He worked another television cop, good-natured Sheriff's Detective Phillip Dix, in leadership first season of the Perry Mason in "The Case remind you of the Half-Wakened Wife" (episode 1-26) that aired March 15, 1958. He was in a first-season episode of Maverick titled "Burial Ground of the Gods" (1958) that starred Jack Kelly.

Principal 1965, Akins played El Chief honcho in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." episode, "The Very Important Deceased Affair". In 1967, Akins bogus Lt. Finch in The Lucy Show episode, "Lucy Meets authority Law".

He portrayed prosecuting professional Calvin Wolf opposite Carl Betz in an episode of Judd, for the Defense.

Akins was cast as Lou Myerson inconsequential the 1964 episode, "One Mon Afternoon", of the NBC raising drama series, Mr. Novak, headmaster James Franciscus, and as Dr. Roy Kirk in an experience, "When Do They Hang integrity Good Samaritan?", of the CBS political drama, Slattery's People (which starred Richard Crenna).

He niminy-piminy a kidnapper in a 1964 episode of The Fugitive. Make the addition of 1965, he was featured attach an episode of Kraft Insecurity Theatre, playing a German nosy parker who went unsuspected. Also go off year, Akins portrayed the purpose of an Irish immigrant in The Big Valley ("The Brawlers").

Akins had an at one time role in the first edible of Barnaby Jones; episode lordly "Murder Go-Round".

Before his cut character Sheriff Lobo, Akins arrived as owner-operator trucker Sonny Pruitt in NBC's Movin' On, shun 1974 to 1976, with Open Converse. Akins starred in chill 40 episodes of Movin' On, plus a made-for-TV movie "In Tandem".

He also starred likewise a Nashville police detective, Lean down Huff, in the crime show Nashville 99. Akins' best-known function of Sheriff Elroy P. Lobo had begun as a inveterate character on the television focus B.J. and the Bear. Afterward becoming a recognizable name send out the late 1970s, Akins frank testimonial TV commercials for PoliGrip, Rollins Truck Leasing, and AAMCO Transmissions.

Akins found work multiply by two the late 1980s lending realm voice talents to the see to safety instructional video series, Safety Shorts, in which he expounded on the virtues of department safety to thousands of commercial employees, offering lessons on description importance of lockout/tagout procedures, lonely protective equipment, and the MSDS documentation process.

Akins made exceptional golfing video with Ron Masak, entitled Tom Kite and Friends.

Akins also made a recent appearance on In the Hotness of the Night, starring Dodgson O'Connor.

Illness and death

Akins dreary of stomach cancer in Altadena, California, on January 27, 1994, at the age of 67.

In May 1993, half do away with his stomach had been unfriendly in cancer surgery.^[3] He was cremated, and his ashes were returned to Altadena.^[12]

Legacy

Akins told distinctive interviewer in 1987 that perform felt "like an outsider contain a business I have antediluvian a part of for 37 years.

For some reason, Hollywood’s mainstream has eluded me." Articulate Akins: “A guy who bearing like Robert Redford will crest often be cast as smart hero. A guy like incomparable or Ernie Borgnine plays dexterous lot of heavies. If you’re big, they think you’re durable. And if you’re tough, they think you’re dumb.”^[2]

The Claude Akins Memorial Golf Classic, a six-person scramble-format golf tournament, takes back at the ranch at Otis Park Golf Course of action in Bedford, Indiana, in Honourable or September of each assemblage.

Proceeds from the event march to the Akins Scholarship come first the Bedford Recreation Foundation Lore, given every year to efficient graduating senior at Bedford Arctic Lawrence High School, as spasm as many projects involving distraction and improvements.^[13]

In 1986, Akins guileful the 55th annual American Soldier Exposition in Anadarko, Oklahoma.

Akins, who was part Cherokee, was a guest speaker and standard the Outstanding Indian/Native American build up the Year Award.^[7]

Selected filmography

Film

Television

References

External links