David White

David White (April 4, 1916 – November 27, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actor best known for playing Darrin Stephens's boss Larry Tate from 1964 to 1972 on the ABC situation comedy Bewitched.

Early life Born on April 4, 1916, in Denver, Colorado, he later moved with his family to Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Los Angeles City College and began acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and the Cleveland Play House. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, and after his discharge, made his Broadway debut in 1949 in Leaf and Bough.

Career White appeared on numerous television series in the 1950s and 1960s, including One Step Beyond, where he played a police officer. He made two guest appearances on the CBS courtroom drama Perry Mason. In 1960, he played Henry De Garmo in "The Case of the Madcap Modiste" and in 1963, he played newspaper editor Victor Kendall in "The Case of the Witless Witness". He also appeared in Peter Gunn, Mr. Lucky, The Untouchables, The Fugitive, Mission: Impossible, My Three Sons, Father Knows Best , The Six Million Dollar Man, Bonanza, Have Gun – Will Travel, My Favorite Martian, and Dick Tracy. He appeared in two episodes of The Twilight Zone: "I Sing the Body Electric" and "A World of Difference." Also in 1963, he appeared on Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Detective Burr in "An Out for Oscar", and as Lance Hawthorn in "The Dark Pool". Though primarily known for television work, White had several memorable supporting feature-film roles, including portraying a sleazy columnist in Sweet Smell of Success (1957), The Apartment (1960), in which he played a philandering executive, and Sunrise at Campobello (also 1960) and The Lawbreakers (1961).

In 1964, White was cast as sycophantic advertising executive Larry Tate on Bewitched, a role he played for the show's entire run (1964–1972). The character is president of the McMann & Tate advertising agency, workplace of Dick York's (and later Dick Sargent's) Darrin Stephens character. Many of the show's episodes revolved around Tate's attempts to land lucrative advertising accounts. This is the role for which he would become best-known both during his life and posthumously. Larry Tate's baby boy Jonathan was named after White's son. White also directed one season-six episode of Bewitched, "Sam’s Double Mother Trouble".

Following the end of Bewitched, White was a popular character actor on numerous television series for the next decade, including The Love Boat, Remington Steele, Adam-12, The Rockford Files, Columbo: Identity Crisis, What's Happening!!, Rhoda, Quincy, M.E., The Odd Couple, Cagney & Lacey, Wonder Woman and Dallas. He played the role of J. Jonah Jameson in the pilot episode of the television series The Amazing Spider-Man. His final role came in 1986 on an episode of Dynasty. He also appeared in the movies The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington and Disney's Snowball Express, and had a prominent role in the 1985 version of Brewster's Millions starring Richard Pryor.

Personal life White's first marriage was to stage actress Mary Welch. On May 31, 1958, Welch died of complications from her second pregnancy. Their son, Jonathan, died on December 21, 1988, at the age of 33, in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

White married actress Lisa Gorsuch in 1959, with whom he had a daughter, Alexandra. They divorced and Gorsuch remarried, date unknown.

Death David White died of a heart attack on November 27, 1990, in North Hollywood, California, aged 74. He was survived by his daughter from his second marriage, Alexandra.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1957 Sweet Smell of Success Otis Elwell Uncredited1958 The Goddess Burt Harris Uncredited1960 The Apartment Mr. Eichelberger 1960 Sunrise at Campobello Mr. Lassiter 1961 The Great Impostor Dr. Hammond 1961 Madison Avenue Stevenson Brock 1965 The Lollipop Cover Richard 1970 The Red, White, and Black 10th Cavalry Trooper #16 1972 Snowball Express Mr. Fowler 1977 The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington Senator Rawlings 1985 Fast Forward Mr. Sabol 1985 This Wife for Hire Larry Dunston 1985 Brewster's Millions George Granville

Television Year Title Role Notes1956The Phil Silver's ShowMajor C.W. FriendSeason 1 Episode 21: "The Rest Cure" 1957 Men of Annapolis Captain Bronte Sr. Season 1 Episode 7: "The Bronte Brothers" 1959 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Barberosa Season 5 Episode 7: "Dry Run" 1959 One Step Beyond Lieutenant Barry Season 2 Episode 1: "Delusion" 1959 Have Gun — Will Travel General Crommer Season 3 Episode 8: "Unforgiven" 1959 Have Gun — Will Travel Bud Webster Season 3 Episode 10: "The Golden Toad" 1960 The Twilight Zone Brinkley Season 1 Episode 23: "A World of Difference" 1960 Perry Mason Henry De Garmo Season 3 Episode 22: "The Case of the Madcap Modiste" 1960 Bonanza Alexander Pendleton / Shanghai Pete Season 1 Episode 28: "San Francisco" 1961 Have Gun — Will Travel Cus Mincus Season 4 Episode 27: "Everyman" 1962 The Twilight Zone Mr. Rogers Season 3 Episode 35: "I Sing the Body Electric" 1962 Have Gun — Will Travel Marshal Tom Carey Season 6 Episode 11: "Marshal of Sweetwater" 1962-1963 McKeever and the Colonel Mr. Carlson, Board of Education Season 1 Episode 11: "Hand in Glove", Season 2 Episode 17 "The Neighbor", Episode 19 "The Big Charade", Episode 24 "Project Walkie-Talkie" 1963 Perry Mason Victor Kendall Season 6 Episode 28: "The Case of the Witless Witness" 1963 Mr. Novak Ralph Morrison Season 1 Episode 7: "Hello, Miss Phipps" 1963 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Detective Lieutenant Burr Season 1 Episode 26: "An Out for Oscar" 1963 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Lance Hawthorn Season 1 Episode 29: "The Dark Pool" 1964The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Jack FowlerSeason 2 Episode 15: "Night Caller" (January 31, 1964) 1964–1972 Bewitched Larry Tate Recurring in seasons 1–5, starring in seasons 6–8 (191 episodes) 1973 Banacek W. Crawford Morgan Season 1 Episode 8: "The Two Million Clams of Cap'n Jack" 1973 Adam-12 J.T. McGrath Season 5 Episode 21: "A Fool and His Money" 1973 The Odd Couple Phil Russell Season 4 Episode 9: "Felix Directs" 1974 Kojak Ramsey Brewer Season 1 Episode 17: "Before the Devil Knows" 1974 The Rookies Storey Season 3 Episode 7: "Johnny Lost His Gun" 1975 Rhoda Ted Cummings Season 2 Episode 12: "Friends and Mothers" 1975 Columbo Phil Corrigan Season 5 Episode 3: "Identity Crisis" 1976 The Rockford Files Martin Eastman Season 2 Episode 21: "Foul on the First Play" 1976 What's Happening!! Mr. Reynolds Season 1 Episode 6: "The Burger Queen" 1977 Mary Tyler Moore Show Mr. Cobb Season 7 Episode 18: "Hail the Conquering Gordy" 1977 The Amazing Spider-Man J. Jonah Jameson Season 1 Episode 1: "Spider-Man" (pilot episode) 1978 C.P.O. Sharkey Admiral Holland Season 2 Episode 19: "Captain's Right Hand Man" 1978 The Love Boat Greg Beatty Season 1 Episode 13: "Too Hot to Handle/Family Reunion/Cinderella Story" 1979 Wonder Woman The General Season 3 Episode 15: "The Starships Are Coming" 1981 The Incredible Hulk Archer Hewitt Season 5 Episode 3: "Veteran" 1981 Quincy, M.E. Dr. Fulton Season 6 Episode 17: "Sugar and Spice" 1982 Quincy, M.E. Drew Castle Season 7 Episode 20: "Expert in Murder" 1985 Remington Steele J.W. Kendall Season 3 Episode 22: "Steele of Approval" 1985 Cagney & Lacey Mitchell Farnsworth Season 4 Episode 19: "Two Grand" 1985–1986 Dallas Marv Season 8 Episode 30: "Swan Song" (1985)Season 10 Episode 2: "Return to Camelot: Part 2" (1986) 1986 The A-Team Rudy / Charles Winston Season 4 Episode 20: "Mission of Peace" 1986 Riptide Professor Shellbeck Season 3 Episode 17: "The Play's the Thing" 1986 Dynasty Dr. Gavin Season 7 Episode 5: "The Arraignment" 1989 Mergers & Acquisitions Chairman of the Board (short)