Frank Emmons Overton (March 12, 1918 – April 24, 1967)[1] was an American actor. He was best known for the roles of Major Harvey Stovall in Twelve O'Clock High (1964-1967), Sheriff Heck Tate in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and General Bogan in Fail Safe (1964).
Frank Overton | |
|---|---|
 Overton (1960s) | |
| Born | Frank Emmons Overton March 12, 1918 |
| Died | April 24, 1967 (aged 49) Pacific Palisades, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 1 |
Early life
Overton was born in Babylon, New York on March 12, 1918.[2]
Career
Overton's acting career began on the stage in New York City.[2] His Broadway credits include The Desperate Hours (1954), The Trip to Bountiful (1953), Truckline Cafe (1945) and Jacobowsky and the Colonel (1943).[3]Peter Gunn TV series 5/30/1960 , season 2 episode 35 " Letter of the Law". Played district attorney Henry Lockwood.
Overton appeared in numerous television programs during the early 1950s and through the late 1960s. In 1959, he appeared in an episode of The Twilight Zone with Gig Young, called "Walking Distance". Overton also appeared in the episode titled "Mute" as Sheriff Harry Wheeler with Ann Jillian. He played the father of Joe's terminally ill fiancee (Brooke Hayward) in Bonanza Season 3 Episode 19 "The Storm" which aired on 1/27/1962. Other TV work included The Fugitive in 1963.
He played Sheriff Heck Tate in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. In 1964, he played General Bogan in the film Fail Safe. [1]
Overton appeared in an episode of the 1961 ABC series The Asphalt Jungle. He made two guest appearances on the CBS courtroom drama series Perry Mason in diverse roles. In 1961 he played a priest, Father Paul, in "The Case of the Renegade Refugee", and in 1963 he played Deputy D.A. Nelson Taylor in "The Case of the Bluffing Blast". Overton played Major Harvey Stovall in the TV series Twelve O'Clock High.
Overton also played a significant role in the movie Wild River, where he appeared as the jilted fiancé of Lee Remick.
One of his last TV roles was that of Elias Sandoval in Star Trek's "This Side of Paradise", which originally aired in March 1967, just one month before his death at age 49.
Personal life and death
In 1962, Overton married actress Phyllis Hill in Los Angeles.[4]
Overton died after a heart attack in 1967 in Pacific Palisades, California. He was survived by his wife, Phyllis Hill, and a daughter.[5]
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
| Boomerang | 1947 | Man in Mob Behind Jail | Uncredited |
| Mystery Street | 1950 | Guard | Uncredited |
| No Way Out | 1950 | Intern | Uncredited |
| The True Story of Jesse James | 1957 | Major Rufus Cobb | |
| Lonelyhearts | 1958 | Mr. Sargeant | |
| Desire Under the Elms | 1958 | Simeon Cabot | |
| The Last Mile | 1959 | Father O'Connors | |
| Wild River | 1960 | Walter Clark | |
| The Dark at the Top of the Stairs | 1960 | Morris Lacey | |
| Posse from Hell | 1961 | Burt Hogan | |
| Claudelle Inglish | 1961 | Harley Peasley | |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | 1962 | Sheriff Heck Tate | |
| Fail Safe | 1964 | General Bogan | |
| Television | |||
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
| The Trip to Bountiful | 1953 | Sheriff | TV movie |
| Studio One | 1954 | Mr. McGinnis | Episode: "The Remarkable Incident at Carson Corners" |
| The Twilight Zone | 1959-1963 | Robert Sloan / Harry Wheeler | Episodes: Walking Distance, Mute |
| Thriller | 1960 | Bart Hattering | Episode: "Child's Play" |
| Perry Mason | 1961 | Father Paul | Episode: "The Case of the Renegade Refugee" |
| Bonanza | 1962-1967 | Amos Crenshaw / Captain Matthew White | Episodes: "The Wormwood Cup", "The Storm" |
| The Virginian | 1962-1967 | Sam Atkins / Mr. Umber / Sam Cafferty | Episodes: "A Welcoming Town", "Smile of a Dragon", "50 Days to Moose Jaw" |
| The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | 1963 | George Felse | Season 1 Episode 27: "Death and the Joyful Woman" |
| The Fugitive | 1963 | Sheriff Al Springer | Episode: "Nightmare at Northoak" |
| Twelve O'Clock High | 1964–1967 | Major Harvey Stovall | 61 episodes |
| The Invaders | 1967 | Dr. Grayson | Episode: "Genesis" |
| Star Trek | 1967 | Elias Sandoval | Episode: "This Side of Paradise" |
