Dana Elcar

Ibsen Dana Elcar (October 10, 1927 – June 6, 2005) was an American television and film character actor. He appeared in about 40 films as well as in the 1960s television series Dark Shadows as Sheriff George Patterson and the 1980s and 1990s television series MacGyver as Peter Thornton, MacGyver's immediate supervisor at the Phoenix Foundation. Elcar had appeared in the pilot episode of MacGyver as Andy Colson before assuming the role of Thornton.

Early life Elcar was born in Ferndale, Michigan, the son of Hedwig (née Anderberg) and James Aage Elcar, a carpenter and butcher. He moved to New York in the 1950s to become a professional thespian. He played Inspector Shiller, the supervisor, in the crime drama, Baretta, starring Robert Blake. As a character actor, Elcar guest-starred in many television shows, including Gunsmoke; Mannix; Ironside; Columbo; Cannon; Benson; Newhart; The Fall Guy; Scarecrow and Mrs. King; Hill Street Blues; The A-Team; Trapper John, M.D.; Matlock; Law and Order; and ER.

Elcar guest starred on Get Smart as KAOS Agent Kruger in the two-part 1969 episode entitled "And Baby Makes Four". . In 1970, he appeared on CBS's Mission: Impossible and Storefront Lawyers. In 1971, he was a guest star on Ironside. He appeared on The Waltons and Kung Fu in 1973. Elcar had a regular role as Colonel Lard in the 1976–78 television military drama, Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring Robert Conrad, and he also directed four episodes of the series. He appeared in TV disaster movies such as Heatwave! (1974) and Crisis in Mid-Air (1979). He also appeared in The Sting (1973).

In 1979, Elcar played judges in Centennial and B. J. and the Bear. In 1980, he was cast in the role of "Chief" (previously played in the TV series by Edward Platt, who died in 1974) in the Get Smart feature film entitled The Nude Bomb (a.k.a. The Return of Maxwell Smart). He also co-starred in two episodes of The A-Team in 1984 and 1985. In 1987, he was cast on Matlock.

Elcar and his stunt/photography double Don S. Davis were often mistaken for each other. Elcar appeared in the hit series Knight Rider in the 1983 episode "Merchants of Death"; as a corrupt sheriff in The Incredible Hulk episode "Escape from Los Santos" (1978), in which Banner is headed to Phoenix;

In 1991, Elcar began to develop glaucoma. This condition was written into the MacGyver plot-line, beginning with the sixth season, seventeenth episode "Blind Faith" and continuing through the remainder of that season and the entire seventh season, with Elcar's character developing the disease. The sixth-season finale, "Hindsight", was a clip show using Pete Thornton's upcoming eye surgery as a framing device. After MacGyver, Elcar made a guest appearance in "Computer Virus" S3;E19, a 1993 episode of Law & Order, in which he played a man who blamed his diabetes-caused blindness on his former physician, and whose son murdered other patients as revenge.

Elcar also played a blind character on episodes of The Magic School Bus and ER. Once blind, Elcar accepted the challenge of playing Vladimir in Waiting for Godot on stage, complete with white cane. This was his theatrical swan song, and he retired in 2002 after his ER performance.

Personal life Elcar married Katherine Frances Mead in 1948 and divorced her in 1950. He married Peggy Romano in 1954 and divorced her in 1970. Elcar had four children: Marin Elcar, Nora Elcar Verdon, Dane Elcar, and Chandra Elcar. His long-time partner was Thelma Garcia.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1964 Fail Safe Foster 1965 The Fool Killer Mr. Dodd 1968 A Lovely Way to Die Layton The Boston Strangler Luis Schubert 1969 Pendulum Detective J.J. "Red" Thornton The Maltese Bippy Sergeant Kelvaney The Learning Tree Kirky 1970 Zig Zag Harold Tracey Soldier Blue Captain Battles Adam at 6 A.M. Van Treadly 1971 Mrs. Pollifax-Spy Carstairs A Gunfight Marv Green 1972 The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid Allen 1973 The Sting FBI Agent Polk Caper film set in September 1936, involving a complicated plot by two professional grifters, directed by George Roy Hill. Dying Room OnlyThe SheriffTelevision film directed by Philip Leacock, adapting Richard Matheson's 1953 short story of the same name. 1975 Report to the Commissioner Chief Perna 1976 W.C. Fields and Me Agent Dockstedter Baby Blue Marine Sheriff Wenzel St. Ives Lieutenant Charles Blunt 1979 The Champ Hoffmaster Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff Principal Havermeyer 1980 The Nude Bomb Chief The Last Flight of Noah's Ark Benchley 1981 Buddy Buddy Captain Hubris Condorman Russ 1982 Breach of Contract Unknown 1983 Blue Skies Again Lou 1984 Jungle Warriors D'Antoni All of Me Burton Schuyler Fantasy comedy film directed by Carl Reiner. 2010 Dimitri Moisevitch 1986 Inside Out Leo Gross Drama film directed by Robert Taicher.

Television Year Title Role Notes 1954 A Time to Live Dr. Clay Contract role 1956 The Big Story Oscar Episode: "Zeke Scher and George MacWilliams of The Denver Post" (S 8:Ep 11) 1957 Bernie Episode: "Charley Wigle of The Denver Post aka Young Lovers" (S 8:Ep 26) Cashmore Episode: "Malcolm Glover of The San Francisco Examiner aka Car 83" (S 8:Ep 36) 1958 Lieutenant Alameda Episode: "Until Proven Guilty" 1959 Brenner The Bartender Episode: "False Witness" (S 1:Ep 1) The Play of the Week Friend Ed Episode: "Burning Bright" (S 1:Ep 3) 1960 Sunday Showcase Newspaperman Episodes: Omnibus Episode: "He Shall Have Power" (S 8: Ep 1) 1961 Armstrong Circle Theatre Episode: "The Medicine Man" (S 12: Ep 7) 1962 The DuPont Show of the Week Dennis Wilcox Episode: "Big Deal in Laredo" (S 2:Ep 4) Guiding Light District Attorney Andrew Murray 1963 Naked City Al Boris Episode: "Man Without a Skin" (S 4:Ep 20) The Armstrong Circle Theatre Carl Rogers Episode: "The Embezzler" (S 14:Ep 15) Hallmark Hall of Fame Jacob Episode: "The Patriots" (S 13:Ep 2) 1966–1967 Dark Shadows Sheriff George Paterson 1967 The Borgia Stick Craigmeyer Made for TV movie 1968 The Name of the Game Hood Episode: 1x02 "Witness" 1968 Mannix Shérif Viewcola Season 2 Episode 12 : "Fear I to Fall" 1969 Get Smart Kruger Episode: "And Baby Makes Four: Part 2" 1970 Room 222 Everett Stiles Episode: "The Lincoln Story" (S 2:Ep 3) 1970 Mission: Impossible C.W. Cameron Episode: "Flip Side"1970Hawaii Five-ODr. BenjaminThree Dead Cows at Makapuu (Part 1 and Part 2) 1972–1975 Cannon Lieutenant Sam Levaca / Walter Ryan / John 41 1x25 "Cain's Mark", 2x07 "A Long Way Down", 5x13/14 "The Star" 1973 Hawkins Dr. Aronson Episode: "Death and the Maiden" 1973 Columbo Falcon Episode: "Any Old Port in a Storm" 1973 The Partridge Family Mr. Felcher Episode: "Trial of the Partridge One" (Season 3, Episode 16) 1976 Law of the Land Reverend Endicott TV movie 1976-1978 Baa Baa Black Sheep Colonel Thomas A. Lard Actor: 36 episodesDirector: 4 episodes 1978 The Incredible Hulk Sheriff Harris Episode "Escape From Los Santos" (S 2:Ep 10) 1979 Centennial Judge Hart Episode "The Winds of Death" (Ep 11) 1980 Galactica 1980 Mr. Steadman Episode "Space Croppers" (S 1:Ep 9) 1981 Benson Senator Chapman S.3, Ep.1 "Benson's appointment 1983 Trapper John, M.D. Jared Vennemar Episode: "Pasts Imperfect" (S 4:Ep 18) Knight Rider Strock Episode 26: "Merchants of Death" 1984 The A-Team George Olsen Episode: "Double Heat" (S 3:Ep 6) 1985 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Mitch Larner Episode: "Spiderweb" (S 2:Ep 13) Hill Street Blues Lieutenant Mel Taber Episode: "Washington Deceased" (S 5:Ep 16) Riptide Harry Silverman Episode: "Arrivederci, Baby" (S 2:Ep 21) The A-Team Judge Leonard Mordente Episodes: There Were Times, Dear Don Mason Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Nancy Malone. Toughlove Max Wiley Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Glenn Jordan. Trapper John, M.D. Howard Bowman Episode: "Billboard Barney" (S 7:Ep 9) 1985–1992 MacGyver Pete Thornton /Andy Colson Appeared in 85 episodes (but credited in a further 40 episodes; also appeared in the 1985 pilot as character Andy Colson) 1986 Murder in Three Acts Dr. Strange Made-for-TV-Movie based on Agatha Christie's book Three Act Tragedy and directed by Gary Nelson. 1987 Matlock Arthur Hughes Episode: "The Court-Martial: Part 1" (S 1:Ep 18) 1993 For Their Own Good Sally's Father Law & Order Robert Cook Episode: "Virus" 1995 The Magic School Bus Mr. Terese Episode: "Going Batty" (S 2:Ep 4) 2002 ER Manny Kendovich Episode: "Damage Is Done" (S 8:Ep 13) (final appearance)