Simon Oakland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television.
During his career, Oakland performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and made-for-television movies between 1951 and 1983. His most notable big-screen roles were in Psycho (1960), West Side Story (1961), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968), The Hunting Party (1971), and Chato's Land (1972). On television, he was a regular on the cult classic horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975), and the military drama Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976-1978).
Early life and career
Oakland was born in Brooklyn, New York, the eldest of the three sons of immigrant Jewish parents, Jacob Weiss and Ethel Oaklander, born in Romania and the Russian Empire respectively. His father was a plasterer and builder. While he later claimed in media interviews to have been born in 1922 (a date repeated in his New York Times obituary), Social Security and vital records indicate he was born Simon Weiss in 1915; his stage name was derived from his mother's maiden name, Oaklander.
Film and television
In 1955, Oakland made his film debut, albeit uncredited, as an Indiana state trooper in The Desperate Hours. He appeared in two films released in 1958: as Mavrayek in The Brothers Karamazov and as journalist Edward Montgomery in I Want to Live!
Oakland's notable performance in I Want to Live! led to his playing a long series of tough-guys, either as authority figures or villains or a mix of both. He appeared in Psycho as the psychiatrist who, at the end of the film, explains Norman Bates's multiple personality disorder. He appeared in the films West Side Story, The Sand Pebbles, and Bullitt.
He made two guest appearances as murder victims on CBS's Perry Mason. He appeared in the syndicated crime drama, Decoy, starring Beverly Garland. Oakland appeared once on the CBS Western Dundee and the Culhane and once on the series Sheriff of Cochise. He was also a regular, in a comedic supporting role, as General Thomas Moore, on NBC's Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring Robert Conrad. He appeared in two episodes of the original The Twilight Zone TV series (“The Rip Van Winkle Caper” and “The Thirty-Fathom Grave”) and in The Outer Limits as the alien birdman in "Second Chance". In 1974 and 1975, he was a series regular on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, playing newspaper editor Tony Vincenzo. (He had previously played the same character in two made-for-television movies.
Personal life
Oakland was married to Lois Lorraine Porta. The couple had one daughter, Barbara.
Death
Oakland continued working up to the year of his death. His last credited acting appearance was in the episode "Living and Presumed Dead" on the CBS television series Tucker's Witch. That episode aired three months before Oakland's death from colon cancer in Cathedral City, California, on August 29, 1983, the day after his 68th birthday. CLR
Photos
Movies (38)
Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy
1977 · Delaney
The Flying Misfits
1976 · Brig. Gen. Thomas Moore
Crackle of Death
1976 · Tony Vincenzo
Demon and the Mummy
1976 · Tony Vincenzo
Please Call It Murder
1975 · Mickey Costigan
Key West
1973 · Gen. Tom Luker
Happy Mother's Day, Love George
1973 · Sheriff Roy
Emperor of the North
1973 · Policeman
Toma
1973 · Lieutenant Spooner
The Night Strangler
1973 · Tony Vincenzo
Chato's Land
1972 · Jubal Hooker
The Night Stalker
1972 · Tony Vincenzo
Crosscurrent
1971 · Capt. E. J. Goodlad
The Hunting Party
1971 · Matthew Gunn
Scandalous John
1971 · Barton Whittaker
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
1970 · Dr. Conrad Fuller
Bullitt
1968 · Captain Sam Bennett
Chubasco
1968 · Laurindo
Alexander The Great
1968 · Attalos
Tony Rome
1967 · Rudy Kosterman
The Sand Pebbles
1966 · Stawski
The Plainsman
1966 · Chief Black Kettle
The Satan Bug
1965 · Tasserly
Ready for the People
1964 · Murray Brock
The Raiders
1963 · Sgt. Austin Tremaine
Wall of Noise
1963 · Johnny Papadakis
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
1962 · Joe Boulton
Third of a Man
1962 · Doon
Follow That Dream
1962 · Nick
West Side Story
1961 · Schrank
Murder, Inc.
1960 · William Tobin
Psycho
1960 · Fred Richman
Who Was That Lady?
1960 · Belka
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond
1960 · Lt. Moody
I Want to Live!
1958 · Edward S. 'Ed' Montgomery
The Brothers Karamazov
1958 · Mavrayek
The Desperate Hours
1955 · State Trooper (uncredited)
Red Light
1949 · Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
TV shows (78)
Tucker's Witch
1982
David Cassidy: Man Under Cover
1978 · Sgt. Abrams
Vega$
1978
Evening in Byzantium
1978 · Walter Klein
Lou Grant
1977
CHiPs
1977 · Bruno
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977
Quincy, M.E.
1976 · Senator Reeves
Charlie's Angels
1976 · Sergeant Cates
Baa Baa Black Sheep
1976 · Thomas Moore
Ellery Queen
1975
Switch
1975 · Sam
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1974 · Tony Vincenzo
The Rockford Files
1974 · Vern St. Cloud, Beppy Conigliaro
Kojak
1973 · Tom Donnelly
Toma
1973 · Inspector Spooner
The Starlost
1973 · Dr. Asgard
Police Story
1973
Young Dr. Kildare
1971 · Attorney
The Young Lawyers
1970
Medical Center
1969
Hawaii Five-O
1969 · Benny Kalua, Shako, Frank Epstein, Marty Mauritany, Mendoza
The Mod Squad
1968
The Name of the Game
1968 · Luis Fierro
The Outsider
1968
Judd, for the Defense
1967
Cimarron Strip
1967
Good Morning World
1967 · Harry Lewis
Ironside
1967 · Ted Berringer, Sr., Elton Ferris
Captain Nice
1967
Mission: Impossible
1966 · Jack Wellman
Felony Squad
1966
Tarzan
1966
The F.B.I.
1965 · Nikos Kapralos
Get Smart
1965 · Cowboy
The Wild Wild West
1965 · Diamond Dave Desmond
The Big Valley
1965 · Adam Howard
Profiles in Courage
1964 · Captain Bogart, Perry Fuller
Daniel Boone
1964 · Dull Knife, General James Wilkerson, Bickford
The Rogues
1964 · Absalom MacBride
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963 · Frederic Sterne
My Favorite Martian
1963 · Lt. Murphy
Mr. Novak
1963 · Carl Green
The Bill Dana Show
1963
The Outer Limits
1963 · Empyrian
Combat!
1962 · Sgt. Tom Akers, Pvt. Clawson
Stoney Burke
1962
The Virginian
1962 · Bob Coulter, Charles Sanders
Saints and Sinners
1962 · Alberto Bianco
The New Breed
1961 · Felix Pascal
Ben Casey
1961
Bus Stop
1961
Cain's Hundred
1961 · Walter Hayes
The Defenders
1961 · District Attorney Gardella, District Attorney, Assistant District Attorney Murphy
Special for Women
1960 · The Father
Route 66
1960
Outlaws
1960
The Detectives
1959
The Untouchables
1959 · Russ Bogan
Adventures in Paradise
1959 · Martin Quirk, John Briggs, McGraw, Red Mulligan
The Alaskans
1959
The Twilight Zone
1959 · De Cruz, Captain Beecham
Men Into Space
1959
Deadline
1959 · Lyons
Bonanza
1959 · Frank Scott / Mel Barnes, William Poole, Judge Seth Tabor
Tightrope
1959
Black Saddle
1959 · Grat Mowery
Rawhide
1959 · Bolivar Jagger, Sheriff Blaine
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Naked City
1958 · Duke
Bronco
1958
Decoy
1957 · Lieutenant, Sgt. Steve Necclo
Perry Mason
1957 · Howard Walters, Capt. Mike Caldwell
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956 · Corporal Townsend, Jesse Harp
Gunsmoke
1955 · Enoch Mills, Jim Nation, Miguel, Carl Mandee
General Electric Theater
1953 · Director
Suspense
1949