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Leif Erickson
Actor

Leif Erickson

27 Oct 1911Born
29 Jan 1986Died
74Age at death
127Credits

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leif Erickson (born William Wycliffe Anderson) was an American stage, film, and television actor.

Erickson was born in Alameda, California, near San Francisco. He worked as a soloist in a band as vocalist and trombone player, performed in Max Reinhardt's productions, and then gained a small amount of stage experience in a comedy vaudeville act. Initially billed by Paramount Pictures as Glenn Erickson, he began his screen career as a leading man in Westerns.

Erickson enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II.

Read the full biography

Rising to the rank of Chief Petty Officer in the Naval Aviation Photographic Unit, he served as a military photographer, shooting film in combat zones, and as an instructor. He was shot down twice in the Pacific as well as receiving two Purple Hearts. Erickson was in the unit that filmed and photographed the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. Over four years service, he shot more than 200,000 feet of film for the Navy.

Erickson's first films were two 1933 band films with Betty Grable before starting a string of Buster Crabbe Western films based on Zane Grey novels. He would go on to appears in films such as The Snake Pit, Sorry, Wrong Number, Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd, Invaders from Mars, On the Waterfront, A Gathering of Eagles, Roustabout, The Carpetbaggers and Mirage.

One of his more notable roles was as Deborah Kerr's macho husband in the stage and film versions of Tea and Sympathy. He appeared with Greta Garbo, as her brother in Conquest (1937). He played the role of Pete, the vindictive boat engineer, in the 1951 remake of the famed musical Show Boat. His final appearance in a feature film was in Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977).

Erickson appeared frequently on television; he was cast as Dr. Hillyer in "Consider Her Ways" (1964) and as Paul White in "The Monkey's Paw—A Retelling" (1965) on CBS's The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. However, he is probably best known for The High Chaparral, which aired on NBC from 1967 until 1971. He portrayed a rancher, Big John Cannon, determined to establish a cattle empire in the Arizona Territory while keeping peace with the Apache. Erickson guest-starred in several television series, including Rawhide, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Marcus Welby, M.D., Medical Center, Cannon, The Rifleman, The Rockford Files, and the 1977 series Hunter. His final role was in an episode of Fantasy Island in 1984.

Erickson was married to actress Frances Farmer from 1936 until 1942. The same day that his divorce from Farmer was finalized, June 12, 1942, he married actress Margaret Hayes. They divorced a month later. He married Ann Diamond in 1945. They had two children, William Leif Erickson (born 1946 - died 1971 in a car accident) and Susan Irene Erickson (born 1950).

Erickson died of cancer in Pensacola, Florida, on January 29, 1986, aged 74 CLR

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 127 credits.

  1. 1980Wild TimesSeries: John Tyree (2 episodes)
  2. 1977Twilight's Last GleamingFilm: Ralph Whittaker - CIA Director
  3. 1977The Fantastic JourneyFilm: Ben Wallace
  4. 1977The Fantastic JourneySeries: Ben Wallace (1 episode)
  5. 1975WinterhawkFilm: Guthrie
  6. 1975Medical StorySeries: Dr. Taussing (1 episode)
  7. 1975AbductionFilm: Prescott
  8. 1975Force FiveFilm: Cal Newkirk
  9. 1974The Rockford FilesSeries: Carl Colton 'C.C.' Calloway (1 episode)
  10. 1974Harry OSeries (1 episode)
  11. 1973The Six Million Dollar Man: The Solid Gold KidnappingFilm: William Henry Cameron
  12. 1973The MagicianSeries: Nicholas Olson (1 episode)
  13. 1973The Evil TouchSeries (1 episode)
  14. 1972The Streets of San FranciscoSeries (1 episode)
  15. 1972The Daughters of Joshua CabeFilm: Amos Wetherall
  16. 1972The Family RicoFilm: Mike Lamont
  17. 1972The RookiesSeries (1 episode)
  18. 1972The New HealersFilm: Dr. Victor Briggs
  19. 1972The Sixth SenseSeries (1 episode)
  20. 1971The Deadly DreamFilm: Dr. Harold Malcolm
  21. 1971Terror in the SkyFilm: Marty Treleavan
  22. 1971CannonSeries (1 episode)
  23. 1971Man and BoyFilm: Sheriff Mossman
  24. 1970Night GallerySeries: Charlie Wheatland (2 episodes)
  25. 1969Medical CenterSeries (1 episode)
  26. 1968The Mod SquadSeries (1 episode)
  27. 1967MannixSeries (1 episode)
  28. 1967The High ChaparralSeries: Big John Cannon (98 episodes)
  29. 1967IronsideSeries (1 episode)
  30. 1965MirageFilm: The Major
  31. 1965I Saw What You DidFilm: Dave Mannering
  32. 1965BrandedSeries (1 episode)
  33. 1964RoustaboutFilm: Joe Lean
  34. 1964Daniel BooneSeries: Aaron Burr, Bill Sedley (1 episode)
  35. 1964The CarpetbaggersFilm: Jonas Cord Sr.
  36. 1964Strait-JacketFilm: Bill Cutler
  37. 1963Kraft Suspense TheatreSeries: General (1 episode)
  38. 1963The Great AdventureSeries: Abel Parrish, President Grover Cleveland (1 episode)
  39. 1963Burke's LawSeries: Jason Hayes (1 episode)
  40. 1963Arrest and TrialSeries (1 episode)
  41. 1963A Gathering of EaglesFilm: Gen. Hewitt
  42. 1962The Alfred Hitchcock HourSeries: Paul White, Doctor Hellyer (1 episode)
  43. 1962The VirginianSeries: Peterson, Charlie Ryan, Bill King (1 episode)
  44. 1962Shootout at Big SagFilm: Sam Barbee
  45. 1961The New BreedSeries: Dr. Eric Thor (1 episode)
  46. 1960The Shape of the RiverFilm: William Dean Howells
  47. 1959The RebelSeries: Dave Blaine (1 episode)
  48. 1959The DuPont Show with June AllysonSeries: Andrew Middleton (1 episode)
  49. 1959BonanzaSeries: Tom Caine, Josh Tatum (1 episode)
  50. 1959RawhideSeries: Frank Travis (1 episode)
  51. 1958The RiflemanSeries (1 episode)
  52. 1958Once Upon a Horse...Film: Granville "Granny" Dix
  53. 1958Twilight for the GodsFilm: Harry Hutton
  54. 1957Kiss Them for MeFilm: Eddie Turnbill
  55. 1957Panic ButtonFilm: Paul Henderson
  56. 1957The VintageFilm: Louis Morel
  57. 1957One Coat of WhiteFilm: Ben Riggs
  58. 1957IstanbulFilm: Charlie Boyle
  59. 1956Dick Powell's Zane Grey TheatreSeries: Jim Lewis, Cash Wilson (1 episode)
  60. 1956Tea and SympathyFilm: Bill Reynolds
  61. 1956The Fastest Gun AliveFilm: Lou Glover
  62. 1956Star in the DustFilm: George Ballard
  63. 1955Matinee TheaterSeries (2 episodes)
  64. 1955Alfred Hitchcock PresentsSeries: Wayne Phillips (1 episode)
  65. 1955GunsmokeSeries: Virgil Powell (1 episode)
  66. 1955The MillionaireSeries: Brian Hendricks, Norman Conover (1 episode)
  67. 1954Climax!Series: Robert Eunson, Richard Carmichael, Doug Randell, Richard Moore (1 episode)
  68. 1954On the WaterfrontFilm: Glover
  69. 1954Inner SanctumSeries (1 episode)
  70. 1953Paris ModelFilm: Edgar Blevins
  71. 1953Captain ScarfaceFilm: Sam
  72. 1953Fort AlgiersFilm: Kalmani
  73. 1953Invaders from MarsFilm: Mr. George MacLean
  74. 1953A Perilous JourneyFilm: Richards
  75. 1953Trouble Along the WayFilm: Father Provincial aka Ed
  76. 1953Born to the SaddleFilm: Bob Marshall
  77. 1953General Electric TheaterSeries: Man (1 episode)
  78. 1953Never Wave at a WACFilm: Norbert 'Noisy' Jackson
  79. 1952Abbott and Costello Meet Captain KiddFilm: Morgan
  80. 1952My Wife's Best FriendFilm: Nicholas Reed

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