Bing Russell

Neil Oliver "Bing" Russell (May 5, 1926 – April 8, 2003) was an American actor and Class A minor-league baseball club owner. He was the father of Hollywood actor Kurt Russell and grandfather of ex–major league baseball player Matt Franco and actor Wyatt Russell.

Early life Russell was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, the son of Ruth Stewart (née Vogel) and Warren Oliver Russell. He always wanted to become an actor and studied drama at Brattleboro High School. He grew up around the New York Yankees' spring training camp in St. Petersburg, Florida, in the 1930s and 1940s, where his father ran a floatplane service. As a result, he was an unofficial mascot of the New York Yankees, and became friendly with players including Lefty Gomez and Joe DiMaggio. When Lou Gehrig was weakened by illness, he gave Russell the bat he used to hit his last home run before retiring. and Robert in The Magnificent Seven (1960), he guest-starred in episodes of many television series, including Playhouse 90, Highway Patrol, Wagon Train, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, The Loretta Young Show, Johnny Ringo, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, The Rifleman, Maverick, Zane Grey Theater, Route 66, Rawhide, Ben Casey, The Untouchables, Hazel, The Andy Griffith Show, The Twilight Zone, The Donna Reed Show, The Munsters, Gunsmoke, Combat!, Branded, The Fugitive, The Monkees, I Dream of Jeannie, Ironside, The Big Valley, Death Valley Days, Adam-12, The Virginian, Alias Smith and Jones, The Mod Squad, Mannix, The Rockford Files, The Streets of San Francisco, Emergency!, and Little House on the Prairie.

In 1963, he was cast as John Quigley, a Chicago mobster, in the episode "Five Tickets to Hell" of Jack Webb's CBS anthology series, GE True. In the storyline, Quigley travels to Chihuahua, Mexico, where he robs the mint of $500,000 and kills seven men in the commission of the crime. Police Lieutenant Juan Garcia (Carlos Romero) tracks down Quigley and his three accomplices. BarBara Luna also appears in the episode.

Russell appeared in the original pilot for The Monkees television series, filmed in November 1965, playing Rudy, a record store owner who also served as the group’s manager. After NBC approved the series, the concept of the band having a manager was dropped, and Russell’s character was written out. However, an edited version of the pilot featuring Russell was later broadcast as a regular first-season episode and remains part of the show’s syndication package.

Russell much later played Vernon Presley to his son Kurt's Elvis Presley in the television movie, Elvis (1979). Kurt, as a child actor, had appeared with the real Elvis in the film It Happened at the World's Fair, and in a later interview recalled the singer-actor, professing to be a fan, asking to meet Bing, who had accompanied his son to the set.

Russell owned the Portland Mavericks (1973–1977), the only independent team in the Short Season Northwest League. Russell kept a 30-man roster because he believed that some of the players deserved to have one last season. His motto was fun. He created a park that kept all corporate sponsorship outside the gates, hired the first female general manager, Lanny Moss in professional baseball, and named the first Asian American GM/Manager. His team set a record for the highest attendance in minor league history, but lost the 1977 pennant to the Bellingham Mariners. Subsequently, Major League Baseball regained interest in Portland. The Albuquerque, NM franchise relocated to Portland (for nine years) and resurrected the Class AAA Portland Beavers name. The Portland area was recovered but was forced to pay $206,000 to Russell after he took the matter to arbitration; it was the biggest payout in baseball history for a minor league territory. Ex-major-leaguers and never-weres who could not stop playing the game flocked to his June try-outs, which were always open to anyone who showed up. The team and archival footage of Russell were featured in the documentary The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014).

Personal life In 1945, while working at Teddy's Restaurant in Newport, New Hampshire, a co-worker introduced Russell to his future wife, Louise "Lulu" Crone. Russell and Crone married in 1946 and had four children together, including actor Kurt Russell.

Death Russell died from complications of cancer on April 8, 2003, in Thousand Oaks, California.

Recognition In 1974, the Sporting News named Russell minor league executive of the year.

In 2020, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Filmography

The Living Christ Series (1951) as Lazarus Big Leaguer (1953) as Undetermined Role (uncredited) Soldier (1953, TV series) as Sgt. Corbett The Public Defender (1954, TV series) as 2nd Cop Crashout (1955) as Young Man with Girl in Bar (uncredited) Kiss Me Deadly (1955) as Police Detective (uncredited) Cult of the Cobra (1955) as Laundry Man (uncredited) Tarantula (1955) as Deputy (uncredited) Lucy Gallant (1955) as One of Casey's Air Force Buddies (uncredited) You Are There (1953–1955, TV Series) as Disheartened Soldier Cavalry Patrol (1956, TV Movie) as Jenner The Price of Fear (1956) as Maxie (uncredited) Behind the High Wall (1956) as Guard (uncredited) Attack (1956) as Medic (uncredited) Science Fiction Theatre (1956, TV Series) as Radio Operator Highway Patrol (1956–1957, TV Series) as Toby Larkin Teenage Thunder (1957) as Used-car salesman Drango (1957) as Lieutenant with Supply Wagon The True Story of Jesse James (1957) as Jayhawker Sergeant (uncredited) Fear Strikes Out (1957) as Ballplayer Holding Trophy (uncredited) The Land Unknown (1957) as Navy Radio Operator (uncredited) Navy Log (1956–1957, TV Series) as Bob Harris The Ford Television Theatre (1957, TV Series) as Lieutenant Young The Silent Service (1957, TV Series) as Lieutenant Jackson The Deadly Mantis (1957) as State Trooper at Train & Bus Wrecks (uncredited) Hellcats of the Navy (1957) as Frogman on Submarine (uncredited) Bailout at 43,000 (1957) as Flyer at Bar (uncredited) Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) as Harry (Griffin bartender) (uncredited) Playhouse 90 (1957, TV Series) Beau James (1957) as Reporter (uncredited) The Land Unknown (1957) as Radio operator (uncredited) The Web (1957, TV Series) as Police Officer The Walter Winchell File (1957, TV Series) Harbor Command (1957, TV Series) as Jim Casey Jones (1957, TV Series) as Baylor Wagon Train (1957, TV Series) as Private Cullen Bombers B-52 (1957) as Operator (uncredited) Ride a Violent Mile (1957) as Corporal Norman Tombstone Territory (1957, TV Series) as Ollie Williams Suspicion (1957, TV Series) as Mechanic Teenage Thunder (1957) as Used-Car Salesman Flight (1958, TV Series) as Pilot The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1958, TV Series) as Sergeant Turner The Lady Takes a Flyer (1958) as First Tower Controller (uncredited) Suicide Battalion (1958) as Lt. Chet Hall The Loretta Young Show (1955–1958, TV Series) as Convict Sugarfoot (1958, TV Series) as Sergeant McKinnock Cattle Empire (1958) as Douglas Hamilton The Lineup (1958, TV Series) as Theodore Northwest Passage (1958, TV Series) as Pvt. Ben Smith Gunsmoke (1958, TV Series) as Ed Shelby Good Day for a Hanging (1959) as George Fletcher Rio Bravo (1959) as Cowboy murdered in saloon (uncredited) Colt .45 (1958–1959, TV Series) as Jack Lowden The Horse Soldiers (1959) as Dunker, Yankee Soldier Amputee Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) as Skag, Belden Hand The Texan (1959, TV Series) as Larry Boland Black Saddle (1959, TV Series) as Ken Wilson Johnny Ringo (1959, TV Series) as Dick Walsh Disneyland (1959, TV Series) as Arne Texas John Slaughter (1959, TV Series) as Arne Tales of Wells Fargo (1959, TV Series) as Captain Maynard The Alaskans (1960, TV Series) as Edward Carse Wanted: Dead or Alive (1959–1960, TV Series) as Billy Hemp Gunsmoke (1960) as Garve Tabor Shotgun Slade (1960, TV Series) as Deputy U.S. Marshal Benton Wrangler (1960, TV Series) as Ritter Tate (1960, TV Series) as Corey The Rifleman (1959–1960, TV Series) as Hode Evans & Sanchez The Magnificent Seven (1960) as Robert, (Henry's traveling companion) Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater (1956–1960, TV Series) as Cole Bonanza (1961–1973) (TV series) as Deputy Clem Foster The Great Impostor (1961) as Morgan (uncredited) Surfside 6 (1961, TV Series) as Ron Kaslow Saint of Devil's Island (1961) as Gerard The Brothers Brannagan (1961, TV Series) as Fenner in "Tough Guy" The Blue Angels (1961, TV Series) as Denton in episode "The Duster" Maverick (1957–1962, TV Series) as Luke Storm Bronco (1959–1962, TV Series) as Jeb Thomas Rawhide (1962, TV Series) as Jack Harris The Virginian (1962 TV series) as Sgt. Eads, a member of Roosevelt's Rough Riders in the episode "Riff-Raff" Alcoa Premiere (1962, TV Series) as Hogan Ben Casey (1962, TV Series) as John Have Gun - Will Travel (1958–1962, TV Series) as Andy Dawes and Sheriff Reagan The Untouchables (1961–1962, TV Series) as Officer Cavanaugh Stakeout! (1962) as Joe The Andy Griffith Show (1963, TV Series) as Mr. Burton Stoney Burke (1963, TV Series) as Neeley Laramie (1960–1963, TV Series) as Reeves Sam Benedict (1963, TV Series) as Len George G.E. True (1963, TV Series) as John Quigley The Stripper (1963) as Mr. Mulvaney A Gathering of Eagles (1963) as Captain (uncredited) The Twilight Zone (1961–1963, TV Series) as Ben Braden One Man's Way (1964) as Tom Rayburn Cheyenne Autumn (1964) as Braden's Telegraph Operator (uncredited) The Donna Reed Show (1964, TV Series) as Bill Gayley The Munsters (1965, TV Series) as The Second Ranger Combat! (1965, TV Series) as Gaines The Hallelujah Trail (1965) as Horner (miner) A Man Called Shenandoah (1965, TV Series) as Clem Branded (1965–1966, TV Series) as Sheriff Gorman Incident at Phantom Hill (1966) as General's Aide (uncredited) The Fugitive (1963–1966, TV Series) as Davis Madame X (1966) as Police Sgt. Riley Billy the Kid versus Dracula (1966) as Dan 'Red' Thorpe The Monroes (1966, TV Series) as Aaron The Monkees (1966, TV Series) as Rudy Gunther in S1:E10, "The Monkees" Run for Your Life (1966, TV Series) as Deputy I Dream of Jeannie (1967, TV Series) as Amos Lincoln Ride to Hangman's Tree (1967) as Keller (uncredited) Dundee and the Culhane (1967, TV Series) as H.P. Graham Hondo (1967, TV Series) as Thompson Blackbeard's Ghost (1968) as Second Official (uncredited) Journey to Shiloh (1968) as Greybeard Ironside (1968, TV Series) as Cal Bristold The Love Bug (1968) as Race Track Starter (uncredited) The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967–1969, TV Series) as Bartender The Outcasts (1969, TV Series) as Grainer The Big Valley (1965–1969, TV Series) as Clint Death Valley Days (1961–1969, TV Series) as Jack Alvord The Virginian (1962–1969, TV Series) as Donovan The Virginian (1970) as Sheriff Martin credit as Neil Russell The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969) as Angelo Adam-12 (1969–1970, TV Series) as Johnson The Young Lawyers (1970, TV Series) as McCracken Yuma (1971, TV Movie) as Rol King (as Neil Russell) The Million Dollar Duck (1971) as Mr. Smith A Taste of Evil (1971, TV Movie) as Sheriff O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (1971, TV Series) as Bob Rasmussen Alias Smith and Jones (1972, TV Series) as Sheriff Longstreet (1972, TV Series) as Police Lieutenant Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972) as Alfred Set This Town on Fire (1973, TV Movie) as Chuck The Mod Squad (1973, TV Series) as Kerner Satan's School for Girls (1973, TV Movie) as Sheriff Runaway! (1973, TV Movie) as Fireman Gunsmoke (1956–1974, TV Series) as Ed Shelby A Cry in the Wilderness (1974, TV Movie) as Mr. Griffey The Sex Symbol (1974, TV Movie) as Public Relations Man Death Sentence (1974, TV Movie) as Trooper The Rockford Files (1974, TV Series) as Lieutenant Mannix (1970–1974, TV Series) as George Enright The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) as Herm Dally The Streets of San Francisco (1973–1975, TV Series) as Dan Riggs Emergency! (1973–1975, TV Series) as Captain Wilson Petrocelli (1975, TV Series) as John Miller Little House on the Prairie (1976, TV Series) as Len Coty The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1976, TV Movie) Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers (1976, TV Mini-Series) as Timberwell The Loneliest Runner (1976, TV Movie) as Fred Dawkins Elvis (1979, TV Movie) as Vernon Presley Overboard (1987) as Sheriff Earl (Elk Cove) Sunset (1988) as Studio Guard Tango & Cash (1989) as Van Driver Dick Tracy (1990) as Club Ritz Patron #2