William Joseph Schallert July 6 1922 May 8 2016 Height 6 feet 1 inch 185 meters was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years He is known for his roles on Richard Diamond Private Detective 19571959 Death Valley Days 19551962 and The Patty Duke Show 19631966 Schallert was born in Los Angeles California the son of Edwin Francis Schallert a longtime drama critic for the Los Angeles Times and Elza Emily Schallert née Baumgarten a magazine writer and radio host He began acting while a student at the University of California Los Angeles UCLA but left to become an Army Air Corps fighter pilot in World War II He returned to UCLA after the war and graduated in 1946 After graduating from UCLA Schallert began his acting career in the theater He appeared in several productions at the Circle Theatre in Los Angeles including a staging of W Somerset Maughams Rain in 1948 which was directed by Charlie Chaplin Schallert made his television debut in 1951 and he quickly became a familiar face on the small screen He appeared in numerous guest roles on shows such as The Adventures of Superman The Twilight Zone and The Dick Van Dyke Show He also had recurring roles on The Patty Duke Show The Nancy Drew Mysteries and The Torkelsons In addition to his work on television Schallert also appeared in several films including The Bridges of TokoRi 1954 The Apartment 1960 and The Sting 1973 Schallert died in Pacific Palisades California in 2016 at the age of 93 He was survived by his wife Leah Waggner and their four children
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