Ike Eisenmann

Ike Eisenmann
Cast of TV's The Fantastic Journey. Back row, L-R: Katie Saylor, Roddy McDowall,
Carl Franklin. Front: Ike Eisenmann and
Jared Martin
Born
Ike Eisenmann

(1962-07-21) July 21, 1962 (age 62)
Houston, Texas, US
Occupations
  • Actor
  • producer
  • sound effects specialist
  • digital animator
Years active1972—2009

Ike Eisenmann (born July 21, 1962) is a former American actor, producer, and sound effects specialist who has been active in the entertainment industry since childhood.

Early life and education

Eisenmann was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Ruth Ann (née Gumney) and Albert Able Eisenmann Sr., an actor who appeared as "Cadet Don" on an eponymous children's television show that aired on KTRK (Channel 13) in Houston from 1959 to 1968.[1] Ike's younger brother, Albert Able "Al" Eisenmann Jr., is also an actor, as are Al's daughter Hannah and her brother Stone.

Career

Having appeared on TV shows in the early 1970s, Ike Eisenmann first came to prominence as Tony, the brother of Tia (Kim Richards), in Walt Disney Productions' film Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and its sequel, Return from Witch Mountain (1978). For Green Giant commercials in the 1970s and 1980s, he voiced the Little Green Sprout.[2] He also appeared in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) as engineering cadet Peter Preston, Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott's nephew.

Eisenmann starred in the NBC TV series The Fantastic Journey, and made appearances in other series including CHiPs, Emergency!, T. J. Hooker, The Jeffersons, Wonder Woman, Kung Fu, Mannix, Little House on the Prairie, several episodes of Gunsmoke, and several appearances on the ABC Afterschool Special. He also appeared in the TV movies Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell and Terror Out of the Sky in 1978. Eisenmann starred in the made-for-television 1982 movie Dreams Don't Die as New York subway graffiti artist Danny Baker, who tries to publish his art professionally. Though not a critical success, the film enjoyed cult status during late night rebroadcasts.

Eisenmann continued to appear in minor television roles as a teen, such as on the sitcom The Jeffersons. He also appeared in the 1978 mini-series The Bastard as the Marquis de LaFayette. His other film roles included The Formula (1980) opposite Marlon Brando and George C. Scott, Cross Creek (1983) directed by Martin Ritt, and Disney's Tom and Huck (1995) in a minor role.

Most recent work

During the early 2000s, Eisenmann's career was in post-production and digital animation,[3] working under the alternative spelling of his name, Ike Eissinmann. He has often worked as a loop group actor, on movies such as American Beauty, What Lies Beneath, Meet the Parents, Madagascar, and the Shrek series.[4] In 2002, he directed and appeared in a 12-minute short film, the spoof The Blair Witch Mountain Project.[5]

The 2009 Witch Mountain remake, Race to Witch Mountain, features Eisenmann in a cameo along with his original co-star Kim Richards.[6] Richards and Eisenmann appear in a scene together as a waitress and a sheriff, respectively.[6]

Filmography

References

  1. ^ "A little about Cadet Don". Bayou City History. 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  2. ^ Taylor, Heather. "The Story of Green Giant's Sprout". AdvertisingWeek360. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  3. ^ "2nd time may be the charm for local digital animators". tribunedigital-orlandosentinel. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  4. ^ "Ike Eisenmann". IMDb. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  5. ^ "The Blair Witch Mountain Project (2002)". www.apocalypselaterfilm.com. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  6. ^ a b "Two 'Witch Mountain' vets return: Actors who played kids in original are back for the remake". ComingSoon.net. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2015.

Bibliography

  • Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995. Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 340.