John Ericson (born Joseph Meibes; September 25, 1926 – May 3, 2020) was a German-born American actor. He was known primarily for his television work, notably as private detective Sam Bolt on the ABC series Honey West (1965–66), and his roles in several MGM films of the 1950s.

John Ericson
Ericson in 1953
Born
Joseph Meibes

(1926-09-25)September 25, 1926
DiedMay 3, 2020(2020-05-03) (aged 93)
Alma materAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts
OccupationActor
Years active1950–2008
Spouses
Milly Coury
(m. 1953; div. 1971)
Karen Huston
(m. 1974)
Children2

Early life

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Ericson's parents were Ellen Wilson, a Swedish[1] actress and operatic star, and Carl F. Meibes, who later became president of a New York food extract corporation.[2] The family went to the United States from Belgium when he was three.[2]

Career

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Ericson gained early acting experience with stock companies at the Gateway Theatre in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia.[2] He appeared on Broadway in the original 1951 production of Stalag 17, directed by José Ferrer.[3]

 
Ericson in The Student Prince (1954)

Ericson made a number of films for MGM in quick succession in the 1950s. His first appearance was in Teresa (1951), directed by Fred Zinnemann. He also appeared in Rhapsody, The Student Prince, Green Fire (all in 1954), and in Bad Day at Black Rock (1955). He co-starred with Barbara Stanwyck in Forty Guns (1957).[4] In 1958 he appeared as Sheriff Barney Wiley in the Western Day of the Badman which starred Fred MacMurray.  

For the next 30 years, his career continued mostly on television. He appeared in the lead role in "The Peter Bartley Story" of the CBS drama The Millionaire. He appeared with Dorothy Malone in the episode "Mutiny" of CBS's Appointment with Adventure (which aired on January 1, 1956). He made guest appearances in The Restless Gun (1958) and Target: The Corruptors! (1961). Ericson also guest starred twice on Bonanza: he played Vince Dagen in the 1960 episode "Breed of Violence" and he portrayed Wade Hollister in the 1967 episode "Journey to Terror". From 1965 to 1966, he co-starred as the partner of Anne Francis on Honey West. (He and Francis had played brother and sister in Bad Day at Black Rock.)[5] In 1971, he appeared as Jack Bonham on The Men From Shiloh in the episode "The Political".

He played the title role in Pretty Boy Floyd (1960), and his other film appearances included roles in Under Ten Flags (1960), Slave Queen of Babylon (1963), 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964), Operation Atlantis (1965), The Money Jungle (1968), The Bamboo Saucer (1968), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Crash! (1976), and The Far Side of Jericho (2006).

Personal life and death

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Ericson was engaged to Anne Bancroft in 1951.[6] He married twice and had a son and a daughter from his first marriage to Milly Coury. He was married to his second wife Karen Huston Ericson for 46 years.[7] He died of pneumonia on May 3, 2020, aged 93.[3]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1951 Teresa Philip Cass
1951 It's a Big Country Naval Ensign Uncredited
1953 Rhapsody James Guest
1954 The Student Prince Count Von Asterburg
1954 Green Fire Donald Knowland
1955 Bad Day at Black Rock Pete Wirth
1955 The Return of Jack Slade Jack Slade, Jr.
1956 The Cruel Tower Tom Kittredge
1957 Forty Guns Brockie Drummond
1957 Oregon Passage Lt. Niles Ord
1958 Day of the Badman Sheriff Barney Wiley
1960 Pretty Boy Floyd Charles Arthur 'Pretty Boy' Floyd
1960 Under Ten Flags Krüger
1963 Slave Queen of Babylon Kir
1964 7 Faces of Dr. Lao Ed Cunningham / Transformed Pan
1965 Operation Atlantis George Steele
1967 The Vengeance of Pancho Villa Don Diego Alvarado / Diego Owens
1967 The Money Jungle Blake Heller
1968 The Destructors Dutch Holland
1968 The Bamboo Saucer Fred Norwood
1969 Black Talisman Will Hunter
1971 Bedknobs and Broomsticks Col. Heller
1975 Kumander Agimat
1975 Hustler Squad Maj. Stonewell / Stony
1976 Crash! Dr. Gregg Martin
1978 The House of the Dead Talmudge
1984 Final Mission Colonel Joshua Cain
1989 Primary Target Phil Karlson
2006 Birthday Old man Short subject
2006 The Far Side of Jericho Charlie

Television

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Year Title Role(s) Notes
1950 Lux Video Theatre Mike 1 episode
1951 Studio One Anderson 1 episode
1951 The Philco Television Playhouse 1 episode
1951 Out There 1 episode
1951–1956 Kraft Theatre Henry Cristof / Matt Wilson 2 episodes
1952 Mr. District Attorney 1 episode
1955 Star Stage Rick 1 episode
1955–1957 General Electric Theatre Red / Wonder Boy Nick 2 episodes
1955–1957 Cavalcade of America Joe Loring / Leon Patterson 3 episodes
1956 Appointment with Adventure The Captain 1 episode
1956 Stage 7 1 episode
1956 Chevron Hall of Stars Salem Abercromby 2 episodes
1956–1957 Climax! Cameron Lacey / Lindy Jackson / William Herrick 3 episodes
1956–1958 Schlitz Playhouse Eddie Markham / Gunner's Mate Eddie Younger / Paul 5 episodes
1956–1958 Playhouse 90 Johnny Hanneman / Leo West 2 episodes
1956–1959 Zane Grey Theatre Will Ruxton / Lane Baker / Linc Hardaway / Andy McCall 4 episodes
1956–1960 Letter to Loretta Will Hadley / Roy Hendricks / Carl Stanton 3 episodes
1958 The Millionaire Sgt. Peter Bartley 1 episode
1958 Shirley Temple's Storybook Brom Bones / Hiawatha 2 episodes
1958 Wagon Train Dick Richardson 1 episode
1958–1959 The Restless Gun Henry Wilson / Bud Rainey 2 episodes
1959 The David Niven Show Twist Thompson 1 episode
1959 Adventures in Paradise Jeff Hazen 1 episode
1959–1961 Rawhide Tom Bryan / Dan Fletcher 2 episodes
1960 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Dick 1 episode
1960 The Chevy Mystery Show Ray 1 episode
1960–1967 Bonanza Vince Dagen / Wade Hollister 2 episodes
1961 The United States Steel Hour 1 episode
1961 Monte Carlo Unsold pilot
1961–1962 Kraft Mystery Theater Dick 2 episodes
1962 Route 66 David Job 1 episode
1962 Target: The Corruptors! Grauer 1 episode
1962 The Dick Powell Show Fitz 1 episode
1963–1965 Burke's Law Gil Harris / Frank Jorek / Sam Bolt 3 episodes
1965 The Fugitive Lars 1 episode
1965 Profiles in Courage Calvin Pilleo 1 episode
1965 Vacation Playhouse Pete 1 episode
1965–1966 Honey West Sam Bolt 30 episodes
1967 The Invaders Hardy Smith 1 episode
1968–1973 The F.B.I. Sgt. Devlin / Craig Walden 2 episodes
1969 Gunsmoke Blaine Copperton 1 episode
1969–1971 Medical Center Pete Duncan / Steve Crowley 2 episodes
1970 Ironside Fred 1 episode
1970 Marcus Welby, M.D. Peter Barton 1 episode
1971 The Virginian Jack Bonham 1 episode
1971 Longstreet Frank Glendon 1 episode
1972 The Bounty Man Billy Riddle TV movie
1972 Assignment Vienna Jonathan 1 episode
1973 Tenafly Ken Sheperd 1 episode
1973 Escape 1 episode
1974 Hog Wild Morris Melborne TV movie
1974 Hawkins Frank Pearson 1 episode
1974 The Wide World of Mystery Murray 1 episode
1974 Doc Elliot Raymond Boardlow 1 episode
1974 The Streets of San Francisco Shelby 1 episode
1974–1975 Police Story Lieutenant Charlie Parks / Investigator Logan 2 episodes
1975 Barbary Coast McCord 1 episode
1975 S.W.A.T. Captain Brenner 2 episodes
1977 Police Woman Bert Travis 1 episode
1977 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Captain Rogers 1 episode
1978 Vega$ Mr. Smith 1 episode
1978–1983 CHiPs Bob Patterson / Captain Burke 2 episodes
1978–1984 Fantasy Island Policeman / Ellis Lathrop / Gene Collins / Hawkins 4 episodes
1980 The Ghosts of Buxley Hall George Ross TV movie
1981 Nero Wolfe Arthur Poor 1 episode
1982 One Day at a Time Clint Wilkens 1 episode
1983 Knight Rider Phillip Royce 1 episode
1983 The A-Team Calvin Cutter 1 episode
1984 Automan Woodrow 'Woody' Oster 1 episode
1984 Airwolf Dr. Karl Krüger 1 episode
1985 Robert Kennedy & His Times Senator Miniseries
1985 Murder, She Wrote Henderson Wheatley 1 episode
1987 General Hospital Eric Ingstrom
1989 Hardball 1 episode
2008 Crash Doctor's Father 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ "John Ericson and wife Karen--Rare 1989 TV Interview". YouTube. January 2, 2017. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "John Ericson Scored Hit With Audience At Movie Premier". The Kingston Daily Freeman. New York, Kingston. January 18, 1955. p. 11. Retrieved January 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "John Ericson, Actor in 'Honey West,' Dies at 93". The Hollywood Reporter. May 4, 2020. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021.
  4. ^ Hanson, Andrew (July 6, 2010). "John Ericson profile". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  5. ^ Crowther, Bosley (February 2, 1955). "Screen: Drama at Rivoli; Spencer Tracy Seen in 'Bad Day at Black Rock'". The New York Times.
  6. ^ "Anne Bancroft's Film Contract Gets Approval". Los Angeles Times. November 21, 1951.
  7. ^ "Longtime Hollywood star appeared on Santa Fe stages". May 4, 2020.
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