Edward Platt
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- February 14, 1916
- Died
- March 19, 1974 (aged 58)
- Birthplace
- Staten Island, New York, USA
Biography
Forever and fondly remembered as Don Adams' foil on the popular Mel Brooks/Buck Henry spy series Get Smart (1965), character actor Ed Platt (also billed as Edward C. Platt) had been around for two decades prior to copping that rare comedy role. Born in Staten Island, New York, on Valentine's Day, 1916, he inherited an appreciation of music on his mother's side. He spent a part of his childhood in Kentucky and in upstate New York where he attended Northwood, a private school in Lake Placid, and was a member of the ski jump team. He majored in romantic languages at Princeton University but left a year later to study at the Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati after his thoughts turned to a possible operatic career. He later was accepted into Juilliard. Instead of opera, however, Ed first became a band vocalist with Paul Whiteman and Orchestra. He then sang bass as part of the Mozart Opera Company in New York. With the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company in 1942, he appeared in the operettas "The Mikado," "The Gondoliers" and "The Pirates of Penzance". WWII interrupted his early career. Ed served as a radio operator with the army and would find himself on radio again in the post-war years where his deep, resonant voice proved ideal. A number of musical comedy roles also came his way again. In 1947, he made it to Broadway with the musical "Allegro." Star José Ferrer took an interest in Ed while they both were appearing in "The Shrike" on Broadway in 1952. Around 1953, Edward moved to Texas to be near his brother and began anchoring the local news and kiddie birthday party show called "Uncle Eddie's Kiddie Party." Ferrer remembered Platt and invited him to Hollywood where Ferrer was starring in the film version of The Shrike (1955). Ed recreated his stage role. He also earned fine notices as James Dean's understanding juvenile officer in the classic film Rebel Without a Cause (1955). This led to a plethora of film and TV support offers where the balding actor made fine use of his dark, rich voice, stern intensity and pragmatic air, portraying a slew of professional and shady types in crime yarns, soap dramas and war pictures -- everything from principals and prosecutors to mobsters and murderers. After years of playing it serious, which included stints on the daytime drama General Hospital (1963), Ed finally was able to focus on comedy as "The Chief" to Don Adams klutzy secret agent on Get Smart (1965), a show that inevitably found a cult audience. Picking up a few occasional guest spots in its aftermath, he later tried producing. Twice married and the father of four, Platt died on March 19, 1974. Death was attributed to a massive heart attack at the time. Years later his son revealed that his father, suffering from acute depression and undergoing severe financial pressures, committed suicide at his Santa Monica, California apartment. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.ne
Known For
Filmography
The Female Instinct
Movie · as Julius Nero
Temperatures Rising
TV · as Senator Bradley · 1 ep
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
TV · as Caldwell · 1 ep
The Odd Couple
TV · as Bill Donnelly · 1 ep
Love, American Style
TV · 1 ep
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
TV · as Self (uncredited) · 1 ep
Get Smart: A Man Called Smart
Movie · as Chief
CBS Playhouse
TV · as Judge · 1 ep
The Further Adventures of Gallegher
Movie · as The Judge
Johnny Shiloh
Movie · as Gen. Thomas
Get Smart
TV · as Thaddeus · 138 eps
Bullet for a Badman
Movie · as Tucker
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
TV · as Morgan · 1 ep
Black Zoo
Movie · as Chief Rivers
A Ticklish Affair
Movie · as Captain Haven Hitchcock
Burke's Law
TV · as Capt. Frank Metcalfe · 1 ep
Petticoat Junction
TV · as General Patterson · 1 ep
The Outer Limits
TV · as Dean Radcliffe, Mr. Terrence, David Hunt · 1 ep
Arrest and Trial
TV · as Judge Kenneth W. Browne, Judge Phillips, Superior Court Judge · 1 ep
Temple Houston
TV · 1 ep
Cape Fear
Movie · as Judge
Saints and Sinners
TV · as Dr. Gates · 1 ep
The Virginian
TV · as Stuart Brynmar · 1 ep
General Electric True
TV · 1 ep
Atlantis: The Lost Continent
Movie · as Azor the High Priest
Who Killed Julie Greer?
Movie · as Joe Nolan
The Explosive Generation
Movie · as Mr. Morton
The Fiercest Heart
Movie · as Madrigo
Dr. Kildare
TV · as Dr. Tom Paulson · 1 ep
The Dick Van Dyke Show
TV · as Lou Gregory · 1 ep
Pollyanna
Movie · as Ben Tarbell
Cash McCall
Movie · as Harrison Glenn
Surfside 6
TV · 1 ep
Thriller
TV · as James Weeks · 1 ep
North by Northwest
Movie · as Victor Larrabee
Inside the Mafia
Movie · as Dan Regent
The Rebel Set
Movie · as Mr. Tucker / Mr. T
Destination Space
Movie · as Dr. Easton
They Came to Cordura
Movie · as Col. DeRose
The Twilight Zone
TV · as Doctor · 1 ep
The Lawless Years
TV · 1 ep
Rawhide
TV · as Jason Clark
One Step Beyond
TV · as Will Denning · 1 ep
Bonanza
TV · as Harvey Buford, Wade Colly, Will Flanders · 1 ep
The Deputy
TV · as Noah Harper · 1 ep
Hawaiian Eye
TV · as Dr. Wallace Oliver · 1 ep
Mr. Lucky
TV · as Henry Praiswater · 1 ep
Gunman's Walk
Movie · as Purcell Avery
Damn Citizen
Movie · as Joseph Kosta
The Last of the Fast Guns
Movie · as Sam Grypton
The High Cost of Loving
Movie · as Eli Cave
Summer Love
Movie · as Dr. Thomas Daley
The Gift of Love
Movie · as Dr. Jim Miller
77 Sunset Strip
TV · as Mr. Jacobin · 1 ep
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
TV · 1 ep
Peter Gunn
TV · 1 ep
The Rifleman
TV · 1 ep
Bat Masterson
TV · as Roy Evens · 1 ep
Bronco
TV · as Ben Lockwood · 1 ep
Designing Woman
Movie · as Martin J. Daylor
House of Numbers
Movie · as The Warden
The Tattered Dress
Movie · as Ralph Adams, Reporter
The Helen Morgan Story
Movie · as Johnny Haggerty
Omar Khayyam
Movie · as Jayhan
Oregon Passage
Movie · as Roland Dane
Trackdown
TV · as Adam Madson, George Mason · 1 ep
Perry Mason
TV · as Cmdr. Driscoll, Tom Stratton · 1 ep
Have Gun, Will Travel
TV · 1 ep
Alcoa Theatre
TV · as Lieutenant · 1 ep
Wagon Train
TV · as Spinoza de Costa, Cyrus Bolton · 1 ep
Backlash
Movie · as Sheriff J.C. Marson
Storm Center
Movie · as Rev. Wilson
Written on the Wind
Movie · as Dr. Paul Cochrane
The Steel Jungle
Movie · as Judge Wahller
The Unguarded Moment
Movie · as Attorney Briggs
Reprisal!
Movie · as Neil Shipley
Rock, Pretty Baby
Movie · as Thomas Daley Sr.
The Great Man
Movie · as Dr. O'Conner
Serenade
Movie · as Everett Carter
The Lieutenant Wore Skirts
Movie · as Major Dunning - Psychiatrist
The Proud Ones
Movie · as Dr. Barlow
West Point
TV · 1 ep
Wire Service
TV · as Palmer · 1 ep
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
TV · as Sheriff Galt, Marshall Mays · 1 ep
State Trooper
TV · as Stanley Andrews, John Wilbur Mason · 1 ep
Rebel Without a Cause
Movie · as Ray Fremick
Cult of the Cobra
Movie · as Lamian Threatening Death (uncredited)
Illegal
Movie · as Ralph Ford
The Shrike
Movie · as Harry Downs
Sincerely Yours
Movie · as Dr. Eubank (uncredited)
Gunsmoke
TV · as Mr. Burgess · 1 ep
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
TV · as Mr. Henshaw · 1 ep
The Wonderful World of Disney
TV · as Judge (uncredited), Lease Harris, General Thomas, Ben Tarbell · 1 ep
Studio 57
TV · 2 eps
Letter to Loretta
TV · as Henry, Sutter · 2 eps
General Electric Theater
TV · 1 ep
Cavalcade of America
TV · as Dr. Banner · 1 ep
Four Star Playhouse
TV · as Freddie, Chief of Police, Dr. Fain · 1 ep
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV · as Sparks · 1 ep
I Was a Male War Bride
Movie · as Lieutenant in Gates' Office (uncredited)