Herb Ellis (actor) explained

Herb Ellis
Birth Name:Herbert Siegel
Birth Date:17 January 1921
Birth Place:Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Death Place:San Gabriel, California, U.S.
Occupation:Actor
Spouse:Sylvia Siegel
Children:2

Herbert Ellis (born Herbert Siegel; January 17, 1921 – December 26, 2018) was an American character actor and writer. He was best known for his collaborations with Jack Webb, and he frequently portrayed law enforcement officers in film and television.[1]

Born in Cleveland, Ohio,[2] Ellis began his career in Hollywood in the late 1940s. Ellis and Webb together devised the name and concept for Dragnet[3] after collaborating on an unsuccessful project titled Joe Friday, Room Five.[4] He played Officer Frank Smith in eight episodes of the original Dragnet series. He played Frank La Valle in 23 episodes of The D.A.'s Man, and he playedBeat bistro owner, painter and sculptor Wilbur in five episodes of Peter Gunn. Ellis and Webb later worked together on Dragnet 1966 and Dragnet 1967.

From 1959 to 1962, Ellis was cast as Dr. Dan Wagner in seven episodes of the CBS military sitcom/drama series, Hennesey, starring Jackie Cooper as a United States Navy physician, with Abby Dalton as nurse Martha Hale.

Ellis was married to Sylvia Siegel, and they had two children. He died on December 26, 2018, at his home in San Gabriel, California. He was 97.[5] [6]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1953A Blueprint for Murder First Detective at Desk Uncredited
1954Dragnet Booking Sergeant Uncredited
1954Rogue Cop Bartender Uncredited
1954Naked Alibi Communications Officer Uncredited
1955Pete Kelly's Blues Bedido
1956The Killing 2nd American Airlines Clerk
1957Paths of Glory Small Role Uncredited
1958Too Much, Too Soon Assistant Uncredited
1958Colgate Theatre Season 1 Episode 7: "Welcome to Washington"
1959Alfred Hitchcock Presents Detective Breslin Season 4 Episode 18: "The Last Dark Step"
1960Alfred Hitchcock Presents Lieutenant Hogan Season 5 Episode 19: "Not the Running Type"
1961The Andy Griffith Show Bobby Fleet Season 1, Episode 31
1964My Favorite Martian News Reporter
1965The Patty Duke Show Ralphie's Father
1966What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? Lumpe
1966The Fortune Cookie TV Director
Dragnet Rico 'Ricky' Markell TV movie
The Party Director
1968Hang 'Em High Swede Uncredited
1970Dragnet John Sawyer Episode: "Robbery: The Harassing Wife"

Notes and References

  1. Beck, Ken (March 16, 2003). Sgt. Friday had six sidekicks in 'Dragnet' web. The Tennessean
  2. Book: Aaker. Everett. Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters: All Regular Cast Members in American Crime and Mystery Series, 1948-1959. 2011. McFarland & Co.. Jefferson, N.C.. 978-0-7864-6409-8. 211.
  3. Book: Nachman. Gerald. Raised on Radio. 2000. University of California Press. 9780520223035. 307. 13 May 2017. en.
  4. Buntin, John (2009). L.A. noir: the struggle for the soul of America's most seductive city. Random House, Inc.,
  5. Web site: Herb Ellis, Actor and Jack Webb Collaborator on 'Dragnet,' Dies at 97. The Hollywood Reporter. 2 January 2019 .
  6. Web site: RIP OTR writer/actor/director Herb Ellis, aged 96. 28 December 2018.