Simon Oakland
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- August 28, 1915
- Died
- August 29, 1983 (aged 68)
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York, USA
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television. During his career, Oakland performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and made-for-television movies between 1951 and 1983. His most notable big-screen roles were in Psycho (1960), West Side Story (1961), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968), The Hunting Party (1971), and Chato's Land (1972). On television, he was a regular on the cult classic horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975), and the military drama Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976-1978). Early life and career Oakland was born in Brooklyn, New York, the eldest of the three sons of immigrant Jewish parents, Jacob Weiss and Ethel Oaklander, born in Romania and the Russian Empire respectively. His father was a plasterer and builder. While he later claimed in media interviews to have been born in 1922 (a date repeated in his New York Times obituary), Social Security and vital records indicate he was born Simon Weiss in 1915; his stage name was derived from his mother's maiden name, Oaklander. Film and television In 1955, Oakland made his film debut, albeit uncredited, as an Indiana state trooper in The Desperate Hours. He appeared in two films released in 1958: as Mavrayek in The Brothers Karamazov and as journalist Edward Montgomery in I Want to Live! Oakland's notable performance in I Want to Live! led to his playing a long series of tough-guys, either as authority figures or villains or a mix of both. He appeared in Psycho as the psychiatrist who, at the end of the film, explains Norman Bates's multiple personality disorder. He appeared in the films West Side Story, The Sand Pebbles, and Bullitt. He made two guest appearances as murder victims on CBS's Perry Mason. He appeared in the syndicated crime drama, Decoy, starring Beverly Garland. Oakland appeared once on the CBS Western Dundee and the Culhane and once on the series Sheriff of Cochise. He was also a regular, in a comedic supporting role, as General Thomas Moore, on NBC's Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring Robert Conrad. He appeared in two episodes of the original The Twilight Zone TV series (“The Rip Van Winkle Caper” and “The Thirty-Fathom Grave”) and in The Outer Limits as the alien birdman in "Second Chance". In 1974 and 1975, he was a series regular on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, playing newspaper editor Tony Vincenzo. (He had previously played the same character in two made-for-television movies. Personal life Oakland was married to Lois Lorraine Porta. The couple had one daughter, Barbara. Death Oakland continued working up to the year of his death. His last credited acting appearance was in the episode "Living and Presumed Dead" on the CBS television series Tucker's Witch. That episode aired three months before Oakland's death from colon cancer in Cathedral City, California, on August 29, 1983, the day after his 68th birthday. CLR
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Tucker's Witch
TV · 1 ep
Vega$
TV · 1 ep
David Cassidy: Man Under Cover
TV · as Sgt. Abrams · 11 eps
Evening in Byzantium
TV · as Walter Klein · 2 eps
Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy
Movie · as Delaney
Lou Grant
TV · 1 ep
CHiPs
TV · as Bruno · 1 ep
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
TV · 1 ep
The Flying Misfits
Movie · as Brig. Gen. Thomas Moore
Crackle of Death
Movie · as Tony Vincenzo
Demon and the Mummy
Movie · as Tony Vincenzo
Quincy, M.E.
TV · as Senator Reeves · 3 eps
Charlie's Angels
TV · as Sergeant Cates · 2 eps
Baa Baa Black Sheep
TV · as Thomas Moore · 36 eps
Please Call It Murder
Movie · as Mickey Costigan
Switch
TV · as Sam · 1 ep
Ellery Queen
TV · 1 ep
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
TV · as Tony Vincenzo · 20 eps
The Rockford Files
TV · as Vern St. Cloud, Beppy Conigliaro · 3 eps
Emperor of the North
Movie · as Policeman
The Night Strangler
Movie · as Tony Vincenzo
Toma
Movie · as Lieutenant Spooner
Happy Mother's Day, Love George
Movie · as Sheriff Roy
Key West
Movie · as Gen. Tom Luker
Kojak
TV · as Tom Donnelly · 1 ep
Police Story
TV · 2 eps
The Starlost
TV · as Dr. Asgard · 1 ep
Toma
TV · as Inspector Spooner · 22 eps
Chato's Land
Movie · as Jubal Hooker
The Night Stalker
Movie · as Tony Vincenzo
The Hunting Party
Movie · as Matthew Gunn
Scandalous John
Movie · as Barton Whittaker
Crosscurrent
Movie · as Capt. E. J. Goodlad
Young Dr. Kildare
TV · as Attorney · 24 eps
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Movie · as Dr. Conrad Fuller
The Young Lawyers
TV · 1 ep
Hawaii Five-O
TV · as Benny Kalua, Shako, Frank Epstein, Marty Mauritany, Mendoza · 1 ep
Medical Center
TV · 1 ep
Bullitt
Movie · as Captain Sam Bennett
Chubasco
Movie · as Laurindo
Alexander The Great
Movie · as Attalos
The Mod Squad
TV · 1 ep
The Outsider
TV · 1 ep
The Name of the Game
TV · as Luis Fierro · 1 ep
Tony Rome
Movie · as Rudy Kosterman
Ironside
TV · as Ted Berringer, Sr., Elton Ferris · 1 ep
Cimarron Strip
TV · 1 ep
Judd, for the Defense
TV · 2 eps
Captain Nice
TV · 1 ep
Good Morning World
TV · as Harry Lewis · 1 ep
The Sand Pebbles
Movie · as Stawski
The Plainsman
Movie · as Chief Black Kettle
Mission: Impossible
TV · as Jack Wellman · 1 ep
Felony Squad
TV · 1 ep
Tarzan
TV · 2 eps
The Satan Bug
Movie · as Tasserly
The F.B.I.
TV · as Nikos Kapralos · 1 ep
Get Smart
TV · as Cowboy · 1 ep
The Big Valley
TV · as Adam Howard · 1 ep
The Wild Wild West
TV · as Diamond Dave Desmond · 1 ep
Ready for the People
Movie · as Murray Brock
Daniel Boone
TV · as Dull Knife, Bickford, General James Wilkerson · 1 ep
Profiles in Courage
TV · as Captain Bogart, Perry Fuller · 1 ep
The Rogues
TV · as Absalom MacBride · 1 ep
Wall of Noise
Movie · as Johnny Papadakis
The Raiders
Movie · as Sgt. Austin Tremaine
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
TV · as Frederic Sterne · 1 ep
Mr. Novak
TV · as Carl Green · 1 ep
The Bill Dana Show
TV · 1 ep
The Outer Limits
TV · as Empyrian · 1 ep
My Favorite Martian
TV · as Lt. Murphy · 1 ep
Third of a Man
Movie · as Doon
Follow That Dream
Movie · as Nick
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
Movie · as Joe Boulton
Saints and Sinners
TV · as Alberto Bianco · 1 ep
Combat!
TV · as Sgt. Tom Akers, Pvt. Clawson · 2 eps
The Virginian
TV · as Bob Coulter, Charles Sanders · 1 ep
Stoney Burke
TV · 1 ep
West Side Story
Movie · as Schrank
Cain's Hundred
TV · as Walter Hayes · 1 ep
Bus Stop
TV · 1 ep
Ben Casey
TV · 1 ep
The New Breed
TV · as Felix Pascal · 1 ep
The Defenders
TV · as District Attorney Gardella, Assistant District Attorney Murphy · 1 ep
Psycho
Movie · as Fred Richman
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond
Movie · as Lt. Moody
Murder, Inc.
Movie · as William Tobin
Who Was That Lady?
Movie · as Belka
Route 66
TV · 1 ep
Outlaws
TV · 1 ep
Special for Women
TV · as The Father · 1 ep
The Twilight Zone
TV · as De Cruz, Captain Beecham · 1 ep
Rawhide
TV · as Bolivar Jagger, Sheriff Blaine · 1 ep
Men Into Space
TV · 1 ep
Adventures in Paradise
TV · as Martin Quirk, John Briggs, McGraw, Red Mulligan · 1 ep
The Alaskans
TV · 1 ep
Black Saddle
TV · as Grat Mowery · 1 ep
The Detectives
TV · 1 ep
Tightrope
TV · 1 ep
Bonanza
TV · as Frank Scott / Mel Barnes, William Poole, Judge Seth Tabor · 1 ep
Deadline
TV · as Lyons · 1 ep
The Untouchables
TV · as Russ Bogan · 1 ep
I Want to Live!
Movie · as Edward S. 'Ed' Montgomery
The Brothers Karamazov
Movie · as Mavrayek
77 Sunset Strip
TV · 1 ep
Naked City
TV · as Duke · 1 ep
Bronco
TV · 1 ep
Perry Mason
TV · as Howard Walters, Capt. Mike Caldwell · 1 ep
Have Gun, Will Travel
TV · 1 ep
Decoy
TV · as Lieutenant, Sgt. Steve Necclo · 1 ep
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
TV · as Corporal Townsend, Jesse Harp · 1 ep
The Desperate Hours
Movie · as State Trooper (uncredited)
Gunsmoke
TV · as Enoch Mills, Jim Nation, Miguel, Carl Mandee · 1 ep
General Electric Theater
TV · as Director · 1 ep
Red Light
Movie · as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Suspense
TV · 1 ep