Roddy McDowall (September 17, 1928 - October 3, 1998) was an English Actor, a former child star turned major Hollywood character star, who 'appeared' as the voice of Chuck the Robot in Season 2's Dr. Morkenstein.
Biography[]
Roddy McDowall was born Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (September 17, 1928) in Herne Hill, London, England, UK to Winifriede Lucinda (Corcoran), an Irish-born aspiring actress, and Thomas Andrew McDowall, a merchant seaman.
Roddy was enrolled in elocution courses at age five and by ten had appeared in his first film, Murder in the Family (1938), playing Peter Osborne, the younger brother of sisters played by Jessica Tandy and Glynis Johns. His mother brought Roddy and his sister to the U.S. at the beginning of World War II, and he soon got the part of Huw, youngest child in a family of Welsh coal miners, in John Ford's How Green Was My Valley (1941), acting alongside Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara and Donald Crisp in the film that won that year's best film Oscar. He went on to many other child roles, in films like My Friend Flicka (1943) and Lassie Come Home (1943) until, at age eighteen, he moved to New York, where he played a long series of successful stage roles, both on Broadway and in such venues as Connecticut's Stratford Festival, where he did Shakespeare. He became a U.S. citizen in 1949. In addition to making many more movies (over 150), McDowall acted in television, developed an extensive collection of movies and Hollywood memorabilia, and published five acclaimed books of his own photography. He died at his Los Angeles home, aged 70, of cancer. Died October 3, 1998 in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA (lung cancer)
Career[]
After winning an acting prize in a school play at age nine, he started appearing in films: Murder in the Family (1938), I See Ice (1938) with George Formby, John Halifax (1938) and Scruffy (1938).
cDowall's family moved to the United States in 1940 after the outbreak of World War II. He became a naturalized United States citizen on 9 December 1949 and lived in the United States for the rest of his life.
His American career began with a part in the 1941 thriller Man Hunt, directed by Fritz Lang. It was made by 20th Century Fox who also produced McDowall's next film How Green Was My Valley (1941), where he met and became lifelong friends with actress Maureen O'Hara. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and McDowall's role as Huw Morgan made him a household name
Filmography[]
Film[]
- Murder in the Family (1938) as Peter Osborne
- John Halifax (1938) as Boy
- Poison Pen (1939) as Choirboy (uncredited)
- His Brother's Keeper (1940) as Boy
- Dead Man's Shoes (1940) as Boy
- Just William (1940) as Ginger
- Saloon Bar (1940) as Boy
- You Will Remember (1941) as Young Bob Slater
- Man Hunt (1941) as Vaner
- This England (1941) as Hugo, Norman Boy
- How Green Was My Valley (1941) as Huw Morgan
- Confirm or Deny (1941) as Albert Perkins
- Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake (1942) as Benjamin – as a Boy
- On the Sunny Side (1942) as Hugh Aylesworth
- The Pied Piper (1942) as Ronnie Cavanaugh
- My Friend Flicka (1943) as Ken McLaughlin
- Lassie Come Home (1943) as Joe Carraclough
- The White Cliffs of Dover (1944) as John Ashwood II as a Boy
- The Keys of the Kingdom (1944) as Francis Chisholm – as a Boy
- Thunderhead, Son of Flicka (1945) as Ken McLaughlin
- Molly and Me (1945) as Jimmy Graham
- Holiday in Mexico (1946) as Stanley Owen
- Rocky (1948) as Chris Hammond
- Macbeth (1948) as Malcolm
- Kidnapped (1948) as David Balfour
- Tuna Clipper (1949) as Alec MacLennan
- Black Midnight (1949) as Scott Jordan
- Big Timber (1950) as Jimmy
- Killer Shark (1950) as Ted
- Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Goes to Bat (1950; short subject)
- The Steel Fist (1952) as Eric Kardin
- The Big Country (1958) as Hannassey Watchman (uncredited)
- The Subterraneans (1960) as Yuri Gilgoric
- Midnight Lace (1960) as Malcolm Stanley
- The Longest Day (1962) as Pvt. Morris
- Cleopatra (1963) as Octavian – Caesar Augustus
- Shock Treatment (1964) as Martin Ashley
- The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) as Matthew
- The Third Day (1965) as Oliver Parsons
- The Loved One (1965) as D.J. Jr.
- Inside Daisy Clover (1965) as Walter Baines
- That Darn Cat! (1965) as Gregory Benson
- Lord Love a Duck (1966) as Alan Musgrave
- The Defector (1966) as Agent Adams
- The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967) as Bullwhip Griffin
- The Cool Ones (1967) as Tony Krum
- It! (1967) as Arthur Pimm
- Planet of the Apes (1968) as Cornelius
- 5 Card Stud (1968) as Nick Evers
- Midas Run (1969) as Wister
- Hello Down There (1969) as Nate Ashbury
- Angel, Angel, Down We Go (1969) as Santoro
- Tam-Lin (1970)
- Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971) as Proffer
- Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) as Cornelius
- Terror in the Sky (1971) as Dr. Ralph Baird
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) as Mr. Rowan Jelk
- Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) as Caesar
- The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) as Frank Gass
- The Poseidon Adventure (1972) as Acres
- Arnold (1973) as Robert
- The Legend of Hell House (1973) as Benjamin Franklin Fischer
- Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) as Caesar / Cornelius
- Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974) as grocery story manager
- Funny Lady (1975) as Bobby
- Mean Johnny Barrows (1976) as Tony Da Vince
- Embryo (1976) as Frank Riley
- Sixth and Main (1977) as Skateboard
- Laserblast (1978) as Doctor Mellon
- The Cat from Outer Space (1978) as Mr. Stallwood
- Circle of Iron (1978) as White Robe
- The Thief of Baghdad (1978) as Hasan
- Nutcracker Fantasy (1979) as Franz / Fritz (voice)
- Scavenger Hunt (1979) as Jenkins
- The Black Hole (1979) as V.I.N.CENT
- Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen (1981) as Gillespie
- Evil Under the Sun (1982) as Rex Brewster
- Class of 1984 (1982) as Terry Corrigan
- Fright Night (1985) as Peter Vincent
- Alice in Wonderland (1985) as The March Hare
- GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords (1986) as Nuggit (voice)
- Dead of Winter (1987) as Mr. Murray
- Overboard (1987) as Andrew
- Doin' Time on Planet Earth (1988) as Minister
- Fright Night Part 2 (1988) as Peter Vincent
- The Big Picture (1989) as Judge
- Cutting Class (1989) as Mr. Dante
- Shakma (1990) as Sorenson
- Harold Lloyd, The Third Genius (1990 documentary)
- Going Under (1991) as Secretary Neighbor
- Precious Moments Christmas: "Timmy's Gift" (1991) as narrator (voice)
- The Magical World of Chuck Jones (1992 documentary)
- Mirror, Mirror 2: Raven Dance (1994) as Dr. Lasky
- The Grass Harp (1995) as Amos Legrand
- Last Summer in the Hamptons (1995) as Thomas
- Star Hunter (1995) as Riecher
- The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen (1995 documentary)
- It's My Party (1996) as Damian Knowles
- Mary Pickford: A Life on Film (1997 documentary)
- The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo (1997) as King Murphy
- Something to Believe In (1998) as Gambler
- A Bug's Life (1998) as Mr. Soil (voice)
- When It Clicks (1998) (short subject) as Professor Bark
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Family Theatre | Private Huntington (The Professor) | Episode: "Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration" |
| 1960 | The Twilight Zone | Sam Conrad | Season 1, Episode 25: "People Are Alike All Over" |
| 1960 | The Tempest | Ariel | TV movie |
| 1961 | Naked City | Donnie Benton | Season 2, Episode 20: "The Fault in Our Stars" |
| 1964 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | George / Gerald Musgrove | Season 9, Episode 24: "The Gentleman Caller"
Season 3, Episode 5: "See the Monkey Dance" |
| 1964 | Combat! | Murfree | Season 3, Episode 13: "The Long Walk" |
| 1964 | Kraft Suspense Theatre | Robert "Professor" Benson | Season 2, Episode 11: "The Wine-Dark Sea" |
| 1965 | Ben Casey | Dwight Franklin | Season 4, Episode 19: "When I am grown to Man's Estate" |
| 1966 | 12 O'Clock High | "T" / Sgt. Willets | Season 2, Episode 24: "Angel Babe" |
| 1966 | Batman | Bookworm | Season 1, Episode 29: "The Bookworm Turns"
Season 1, Episode: 30 "While Gotham City Burns" |
| 1966 | Run for Your Life | Gyula Bognar | Episode: "Don't Count on Tomorrow" |
| 1967 | The Cricket on the Hearth | Cricket Crocket | Voice, TV movie |
| 1967 | The Invaders | Lloyd Lindstrom | Season 1, Episode: 2 "The Experiment" |
| 1968 | The Legend of Robin Hood | Prince John | Episode dated 18 February 1968 |
| 1969 | Journey to the Unknown | Rollo Verdew | Season 1, Episode 12: "The Killing Bottle" |
| 1969 | It Takes a Thief | Roger | Season 2, Episode 19: "Boom at the Top" |
| 1969 | Night Gallery | Jeremy Evans | "The Cemetery" segment |
| 1969 | The Name of the Game | Philip Saxon | Season 1, Episode 11: "The White Birch" |
| 1970 | The Name of the Game | Early McCorley | Season 3, Episode 12: "Why I Blew Up Dakota" |
| 1971 | Terror in the Sky | Dr. Ralph Baird | TV movie |
| 1971 | A Taste of Evil | Dr. Michael Lomas | TV movie |
| 1971 | What's a Nice Girl Like You...? | Albert Soames | TV movie |
| 1972 | Columbo | Roger Stanford | Episode: "Short Fuse" |
| 1972 | The Rookies: Dirge for Sunday | Fenner | Episode: "Dirge for Sunday" |
| 1972 | Mission: Impossible | Leo Ostro | Episode: The Puppet |
| 1973–1974 | The Carol Burnett Show | Himself – Guest | |
| 1973 | Barnaby Jones | Stanley Lambert | Episode: "See Some Evil... Do Some Evil" |
| 1973 | Miracle on 34th Street | Dr. Sawyer | 1973 remake, TV movie |
| 1973 | McMillan & Wife | Jamie McMillan | Episode: "Death of a Monster... Birth of a Legend" |
| 1974 | Planet of the Apes | Galen | 14 episodes |
| 1974 | The Elevator | Marvin Ellis | TV movie |
| 1976 | Ellery Queen | The Amazing Armitage | Season 1, Episode: 12 "The Adventure of the Black Falcon" |
| 1976 | Flood! | Mr. Franklin | TV movie |
| 1976 | Mowgli's Brothers | Narrator / Mowgli / Shere Khan / Baloo / Bagheera / Tabaqui | Voice, TV Short |
| 1977 | The Feather and Father Gang | Vincent Stoddard | Season 1, Episode 12: "The Mayan Connection" |
| 1977 | The Rhinemann Exchange | Bobby Ballard | 3 episodes |
| 1977 | The Fantastic Journey | Dr. Jonathan Willoway | 8 Episodes |
| 1977 | Wonder Woman | Henry Roberts / Professor Arthur Chapman | 2 episodes |
| 1978 | The Immigrants | Mark Levy | TV movie |
| 1978 | The Thief of Baghdad | Hasan | TV movie |
| 1979 | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century | Governor Saroyan | Season 1, Episode 2: "Planet of the Slave Girls" |
| 1979 | Supertrain | Talcott | Episode: "The Green Lady" |
| 1979 | Fantasy Island | Gary Pointer | 1 Episodes |
| 1979 | Hart to Hart | Dr. Peterson | Episode: "Hart to Hart" |
| 1979 | Mork & Mindy | Chuck the Robot | Voice, Episode: "Dr. Morkenstein" |
| 1980 | The Martian Chronicles | Father Stone | 3 episodes |
| 1980 | The Memory of Eva Ryker | MacFarland | TV movie |
| 1980 | The Return of the King | Samwise Gamgee | Voice, TV movie |
| 1980–1981 | Fantasy Island | Mephistopheles | 2 Episodes |
| 1981 | The Million Dollar Face | Derek Kenyon | TV movie |
| 1982–1983 | Tales of the Gold Monkey | Bon Chance Louie | 20 episodes |
| 1984 | The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood | Prince John | TV movie |
| 1985 | Hollywood Wives | Jason Swankle | 3 episodes |
| 1985 | Alice in Wonderland | The March Hare | TV movie |
| 1985–1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Gordon Fairchild / Dr. Alger Kenyon | 2 episodes |
| 1985 | Bridges to Cross | Norman Parks | Episode: "Memories of Molly" |
| 1987–1989 | Matlock | Don Mosher / Christopher Hoyt | 2 episodes |
| 1987 | The Wind in the Willows | Ratty | Voice, TV movie |
| 1988 | Remo Williams: The Prophecy | Chuin | TV movie |
| 1989 | Around the World in 80 Days | McBaines | 3 episodes |
| 1991 | The Pirates of Dark Water | Niddler | Voice, 5 Episodes |
| 1991 | An Inconvenient Woman | Cyril Rathbone | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Timmy's Gift: A Precious Moments Christmas | Narrator | Voice |
| 1992 | The Legend of Prince Valiant | King Frederick | Voice, Episode: "The Battle of Greystone" |
| 1992 | Quantum Leap | Edward St. John V | Season 4, Episode: "A Leap for Lisa" |
| 1992 | Darkwing Duck | Sir Quackmire Mallard | Voice, Episode: "Inherit the Wimp" |
| 1992–1994 | Batman: The Animated Series | Jervis Tetch / The Mad Hatter | Voice, 4 episodes |
| 1992 | Camp Candy | Voice, Episode: "When it Rains… it Snows" | |
| 1993 | 2 Stupid Dogs | Chameleon | Voice, Episode: "Chameleon" |
| 1993 | SWAT Kats | Lenny Ringtail / Madkat | Voice, Episode: "Enter the Madkat" |
| 1994 | Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is | Jeremy Sennet | TV movie |
| 1994 | Red Planet | Headmaster Marcus Howe | Voice, 3 Episodes |
| 1994 | The Tick | Breadmaster | Voice, 6 Episodes |
| 1996 | Tracey Takes On... | Rex Gaydon | Episode: "Nostalgia" |
| 1996 | Gargoyles | Proteus | Voice, Episode: "The New Olympians" |
| 1996 | Duckman | Akers | Voice, Episode: "Apocalypse Not" |
| 1996 | Pinky and the Brain | Snowball | Voice, 6 Episodes |
| 1996 | Dead Man's Island | Trevor Dunnaway | TV movie |
| 1996 | Unlikely Angel | Saint Peter | TV movie |
| 1998 | The New Batman Adventures | Jervis Tetch / The Mad Hatter | Voice, 2 Episodes |
| 1998 | Superman: The Animated Series | Episode: "Knight Time" | |
| 1998 | Behind the Planet of the Apes | host / narrator | Television documentary |
| 1999 | Godzilla: The Series | Dr. Hugh Trevor | Voice, Episode: "DeadLoch"
Posthumous Release |