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Bert Freed
Actor

Bert Freed

3 Nov 1919Born
2 Aug 1994Died
74Age at death
128Credits

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).

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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.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 128 credits.

  1. 1986Are You My Mother?Film: Bert
  2. 1982Knight RiderSeries: Anthony Solan (1 episode)
  3. 1981DarkroomSeries: Charlie's Dad (1 episode)
  4. 1981The Fall GuySeries (1 episode)
  5. 1981Charlie and the Great Balloon ChaseFilm: Carlo
  6. 1980SkagFilm: Bishop
  7. 1979Norma RaeFilm: Sam Dakin
  8. 1978BarracudaFilm: Jack
  9. 1978Vega$Series (1 episode)
  10. 1978Till DeathFilm: Dr. Sawyer
  11. 1977In the Matter of Karen Ann QuinlanFilm: Dr. Julius Korein
  12. 1977Love and the Midnight Auto SupplyFilm: Mayor John Randolph
  13. 1976Charlie's AngelsSeries: Stambler (1 episode)
  14. 1975Death ScreamFilm: Det. Ross
  15. 1975BronkSeries (1 episode)
  16. 1974Kolchak: The Night StalkerSeries: Capt. Akins (1 episode)
  17. 1974Paper MoonSeries (1 episode)
  18. 1974LincolnSeries: Edwin Stanton (2 episodes)
  19. 1973Incident at VichyFilm: Marchand, A Businessman
  20. 1973Police StorySeries (1 episode)
  21. 1973Barnaby JonesSeries: Det. Capt. Ben Wyatt (1 episode)
  22. 1972The Streets of San FranciscoSeries (2 episodes)
  23. 1972The RookiesSeries (1 episode)
  24. 1972The Sixth SenseSeries (1 episode)
  25. 1971CannonSeries (2 episodes)
  26. 1971Evel KnievelFilm: Doc Kincaid
  27. 1971Billy JackFilm: Mr. Stuart Posner
  28. 1970BreakoutFilm: Fletcher
  29. 1970The Partridge FamilySeries: Mr. Sharp (1 episode)
  30. 1970There Was a Crooked Man...Film: Skinner
  31. 1970The Andersonville TrialFilm: Board of Military Judges
  32. 1970McCloudSeries: Packy Keefe (1 episode)
  33. 1969Then Came BronsonFilm: Editor Carson
  34. 1968The Mod SquadSeries (1 episode)
  35. 1968LancerSeries (1 episode)
  36. 1968The OutsiderSeries (1 episode)
  37. 1968Wild in the StreetsFilm: Max Jacob Flatow, Sr.
  38. 1968Hang 'em HighFilm: Schmidt
  39. 1968MadiganFilm: Chief of Detectives Hap Lynch
  40. 1968P.J.Film: Police Lieutenant
  41. 1967MannixSeries (1 episode)
  42. 1967The High ChaparralSeries: Telford Burris (1 episode)
  43. 1967The Guns of Will SonnettSeries (1 episode)
  44. 1967IronsideSeries (2 episodes)
  45. 1966The SwingerFilm: Police Captain
  46. 1966Mission: ImpossibleSeries: Leon Chandler, Gen. Brenner (2 episodes)
  47. 1966T.H.E. CatSeries: Director (1 episode)
  48. 1966ShaneSeries: Rufe Ryker (15 episodes)
  49. 1966The Green HornetSeries: Police Sgt. Bert Clark (1 episode)
  50. 1966TarzanSeries (1 episode)
  51. 1966Nevada SmithFilm: Quince
  52. 1965Get SmartSeries: Badeff (1 episode)
  53. 1965The LonerSeries (1 episode)
  54. 1965Hogan's HeroesSeries: Maj. Bernsdorf (1 episode)
  55. 1965The Big ValleySeries: Judge Ben Coulter, Henry Marvin, Homer Roberts (1 episode)
  56. 1965Run for Your LifeSeries: Sheriff Parsons (1 episode)
  57. 1964Fate Is the HunterFilm: Dillon
  58. 1964Invitation to a GunfighterFilm: Sheriff
  59. 1964The MunstersSeries (1 episode)
  60. 1964Shock TreatmentFilm: Frank Josephson
  61. 1963Twilight of HonorFilm: Sheriff Buck Wheeler
  62. 1963Petticoat JunctionSeries: Detective Horton (1 episode)
  63. 1963Mr. NovakSeries: Lorimer (1 episode)
  64. 1963The Outer LimitsSeries: Joe Hayden (1 episode)
  65. 1963Arrest and TrialSeries (1 episode)
  66. 1963The DakotasSeries: Lloyd Mitchell (1 episode)
  67. 1962What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?Film: Ben Golden
  68. 1962Combat!Series: Sgt. Weber (1 episode)
  69. 1962The Lucy ShowSeries: Miller (1 episode)
  70. 1962The VirginianSeries: Milo Henderson, Jason Ainsworth (1 episode)
  71. 1961Ben CaseySeries (2 episodes)
  72. 1961Target: The Corruptors!Series (1 episode)
  73. 1961Dr. KildareSeries: Dr. Donald White, Director (1 episode)
  74. 1961Cain's HundredSeries: Dave Reed (1 episode)
  75. 1960Route 66Series (1 episode)
  76. 1960The SubterraneansFilm: Bartender
  77. 1960Why Must I DieFilm: Adler
  78. 1960The Chevy Mystery ShowSeries: Lt. Columbo (1 episode)
  79. 1959The GazeboFilm: Joe Jenkins
  80. 1959The DetectivesSeries (1 episode)

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.