Walter Brooke

Walter Brooke
Brooke and Betty Wragge in 1953
Born
Gustav William Tweer Jr.

(1914-10-23)October 23, 1914
New York City, U.S.
DiedAugust 20, 1986(1986-08-20) (aged 71)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1941–1986
SpouseElizabeth (Betty) Wragge
Children2

Walter Brooke (born Gustav William Tweer Jr.,[1] October 23, 1914 – August 20, 1986) was an American actor.

Career

Brooke's film career stretched from You're in the Army Now (1941) to Jagged Edge (1985). One of his best-remembered roles was that of Mr. McGuire, a friend of Benjamin Braddock's parents in The Graduate (1967), who confides one sacred word to young Benjamin: "Plastics."[2]

Brooke portrayed District Attorney Frank Scanlon in the television series The Green Hornet.[3][4] He also played Clarence Johnson in The Waltons,[3]: 1150-1151  Walter Montgomery in Paradise Bay,[3]: 810  Billy Herbert in One Man's Family,[3]: 791  and Judge Howe in The Lawyers.[3]: 589  Brooke appeared in three episodes of The Incredible Hulk as Mark Roberts, an editor for the fictional National Register. (The Character of Mark Roberts first appeared in the Season 2 episode "Stop the Presses" and was played by actor Richard O' Brien.)

He played several naval officers in McHale's Navy and an unnamed district attorney in two episodes of Perry Mason: "The Case of the Floating Stones" in 1963, and "The Case of the Wrathful Wraith" in 1965. Brooke made guest appearances in four episodes of Mannix (1968–1974). He appeared on stage in the 1957 production of Hide and Seek at the Shubert Theatre in Washington, DC.[citation needed] During the 1970s he appeared in different roles in 4 episodes of The Rockford Files.

Brooke's Broadway credits include Hide and Seek (1957), Seagulls Over Sorrento (1952), Twilight Walk (1951), Two Blind Mice (1949), The Barber Had Two Sons (1943), and Romeo and Juliet (1940).[5]

Brooke was active in the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, serving as a director at both the local and national levels, and he served as an officer in Actor's Equity.[1]

Death

Brooke died from emphysema in Los Angeles[1] on August 20, 1986, aged 71. He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth Wragge Brooke, and their two children, Thomas Brooke and Christina Brooke.[6]

Filmography

Television

  • Cheyenne (1961) - Edward DeVier
  • Bonanza (1970)- "The Big Jackpot"
  • Death Valley Days (1970) - Wesley Hull in Episode: "The Biggest Little Post Office in the World"
  • The Twilight Zone (1963) - Dr. Raymond Gordon in Episode 11, Season 5: "A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain"
  • The Wild Wild West (1967) - S3 E12 "The Night of the Legion of Death" - Prosecutor

References

  1. ^ a b c "Walter Brooke; Actor of Stage, TV, Movies". The Los Angeles Times. August 23, 1986. Archived from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  2. ^ Seabrook, John (September 13, 2010). "Plastics". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. pp. 416–417. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  4. ^ "Classic TV Shows – Green Hornet, Van Williams, Bruce Lee". Fifties Web. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  5. ^ "Walter Brooke". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  6. ^ "Walter Brooke Is Dead at 71; A Stage, Movie and TV Actor". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 24, 1986. Retrieved May 20, 2016.