Stanley Adams (born Stanley Abramowitz; April 7, 1915 – April 27, 1977) was an American actor and screenwriter. He appeared in several films, including Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and Lilies of the Field (1963). On television, he is probably best known for his guest appearance in the 1967 Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" in which he portrayed outer space peddler Cyrano Jones, purveyor of tribbles. Concurrent with his acting career, Adams also maintained a career as a freelance television scriptwriter from the mid-1950s through the early 70s, writing for shows such as It's Always Jan, Mister Ed, Dr. Kildare, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Star Trek, The Outsider, The Flying Nun, Mannix, The Name of the Game, and others. Although he did appear in guest roles in many of these series, Adams generally did not appear as an actor in episodes he wrote.
Adams had a lengthy career as a character actor, often playing comic, pompous characters.
Adams played Otis Campbell's brother Ralph on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Otis was afraid Ralph would find out he was the town drunk, then learned Ralph was the town drunk of his home town. His 1959 portrayal of Chicago gangster/gambler Nick Popolous in Mr. Lucky ("That Stands For Pool") is especially good as he deftly shifts from bumpkin to killer multiple times.
He appeared in an episode of The Tab Hunter Show in 1961. His other roles on TV shows include roles in six episodes of Wagon Train (including S8 E26 as Samuel in "The Jarbo Pierce Story" 1965) and three episodes of Gunsmoke. He played political boss Frank Templeton in the final episode of McHale's Navy (1962–1966) "Wally for Congress." He played a realtor on The Dick Van Dyke Show episode "Your Home Sweet Home Is My Home Sweet Home". He had two roles in the syndicated western series Death Valley Days in the episodes "The Holy Terror" (1963) and "The Lady and the Sourdough" (1966).[1][unreliable source?] In 1967, he appeared in an episode of The Lucy Show titled "Lucy the Fight Manager" as a trainer named Louie. He appeared as King Kaliwani in the final episode of Gilligan's Island, and as Captain Courageous in two episodes of the 1960s Batman TV series ("Catwoman Goes to College"/"Batman Displays his Knowledge"). He also played notorious pool shark "Sure Shot" Wilson on the ABC sitcom The Odd Couple .
Adams also had a lengthy theatrical motion picture career. In the 1962 theatrical film adaptation of Rod Serling's teleplay Requiem for a Heavyweight he played the supporting role of Perelli, a sleazy promoter who offers a washed-up boxer a degrading job as a professional wrestler. He played the Chicano café owner in Lilies of the Field and portrayed Rutherford "Rusty" Trawler, "the 9th richest man in America under 50" in the Audrey Hepburn film Breakfast at Tiffany's. He played Bernie the foulmouthed caller in the 1974 action/adventure movie Act of Vengeance.
Death
Adams committed suicide on April 27, 1977, at the age of 62.[4] He was reportedly depressed due to chronic pain from a back injury. He was cremated at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery. His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean. He left behind an ex-wife, a son and a daughter.[5]
Massacre Harbor (1968) - El Gamil (this consists of three episodes of the TV series The Rat Patrol - 'The Last Harbor Raid' parts I, II & III - released as a film)