Don Porter

Donald Cecil Porter (September 24, 1912 – February 11, 1997) was an American stage, film, and television actor.

On television, he played Peter Sands, the boss of Ann Sothern's character on Private Secretary, and Russell Lawrence, the widowed father of 15-year-old Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field) in the 1965 ABC sitcom Gidget.

Life and career Porter was born in Miami, Oklahoma, and as a youth also lived in Nebraska and Oregon. and also appeared in training films.

Porter's first acting roles came when he was 17, playing dramatic parts on the radio. In 1936, he appeared on stage in Portland in Maxwell Anderson's Elizabeth the Queen.

He appeared in various films in the 1940s before landing the role of Peter Sands, the boss of Susan Camille MacNamara (Ann Sothern), on the 1950s sitcom Private Secretary. A retooled version of the series appeared later, titled The Ann Sothern Show. It featured many of the same actors, including Porter as hotel manager James Devery in the venue of a fashionable New York City hotel. He later guest-starred on episodes of Barnaby Jones; Green Acres; Hawaii Five-O; Love, American Style; The Mod Squad; The Six Million Dollar Man; Switch and Three's Company (on which he played Jack Tripper's uncle). Porter also had a lucrative stage career that included the long-running hit Any Wednesday (1964) opposite Sandy Dennis and Gene Hackman.

Porter continued to appear in theatrical films after beginning his television career, including The Turning Point (1952), Our Miss Brooks (1956), Gidget Goes to Rome (1963; playing Russell Lawrence two years prior to repeating the role in the series), and Live a Little, Love a Little (1968; starring with Elvis Presley).

In The Candidate (1972), he played Crocker Jarmon, a United States Senator being challenged by a character played by Robert Redford. Commenting on a scene in which Jarmon gave a stirring speech with feigned sincerity, the New Statesman observed that Porter gave "a beautiful performance of Jarman giving a beautiful performance."

Porter played Mr. Upson in the 1974 film adaptation of Mame with Lucille Ball and Bea Arthur. He made his last onscreen appearance in a 1988 episode of CBS Summer Playhouse.

Personal life and death Porter was married to actress Peggy Converse, with whom he had two children. He died at age 84 in his Beverly Hills, California home on February 11, 1997.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1939 Mystery of the White Room Dr. Donald Fox 1941 Sing for Your Supper Tim Uncredited 1942 Top Sergeant Al Bennett 1942 Eagle Squadron Ramsey 1942 Eyes of the Underworld Edward Jason 1942 Night Monster Dick Baldwin 1942 Who Done It? Art Fraser 1943 Madame Spy David Bannister 1943 Keep 'Em Slugging Jerry 1944 Resisting Enemy Interrogation Lieutenant Frank L. Williams, Jr. Uncredited 1946 She-Wolf of London Barry Lanfield Alternative title: The Curse of the Allenbys 1946 Cuban Pete Roberts Alternative title: Down Cuba Way 1946 Danger Woman Professor Claude Ruppert 1946 Wild Beauty Dr. Dave Morrow 1947 Buck Privates Come Home Captain Christie Alternative title: Rookies Come Home 1950 My Friend Irma Goes West Mr. Brent 1950 711 Ocean Drive Larry Mason 1950 Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone Myron Brynk 1951 The Racket R.G. Connolly 1952 Cripple Creek Denver Jones 1952 Because You're Mine Captain Burton Nordell Loring 1952 The Savage Running Dog Credited as Donald Porter 1952 The Turning Point Joe Silbray 1956 Our Miss Brooks Lawrence Nolan 1957 Desk Set Elevator operator Don UncreditedAlternative title: His Other Woman 1961 Bachelor in Paradise Thomas W. Jynson 1963 Gidget Goes to Rome Russell Lawrence 1964 Youngblood Hawke Ferdie Lax 1968 Live a Little, Love a Little Mike Lansdown With Elvis Presley 1972 The Candidate Senator Crocker Jarmon 1973 40 Carats Mr. Latham 1974 The Morning After Rudy King 1974 Mame Claude Upson 1975 White Line Fever Cutler 1975 A Woman for All Men Barney 1979 Butterflies in Heat Commodore Phillips 1980 The Last Song Philip Brokhurst TV movie 1985 Joey Alternative title: Making Contact

Television Year Title Role Notes 1953–1957 Private Secretary Peter Sands 103 episodes 1959–1961 The Ann Sothern Show James Devery 45 episodes 1965–1966 Gidget Professor Russell Lawrence 32 episodes 1969 Judd, for the Defense Frank Vinton Episode: "Epitaph on a Computer Card" 1971 Green Acres Manager of Hotel Rexford, Carter Episode: "Hawaiian Honeymoon" backdoor pilot for sitcom featuring Don Porter 1972 Cade's County Martin Russell Episode: "Blackout" 1972 Banacek Arnold Leeland Episode: "A Million the Hard Way" 1972 The Rookies General Brooker Episode: "A Deadly Velocity" 1973 Hawaii Five-O Jonathan Cavel-IRS Investigator (The Star in the episode) Episode: "Murder is a Taxing Affair" 1973 The New Adventures of Perry Mason Otis Temple Episode: "The Case of the Deadly Deeds" 1973 Tenafly Miles Episode: "The Cash and Carry Caper" 1974 Here's Lucy Ken Richards Episode: "Meanwhile, Back At the Office" 1974 The Six Million Dollar Man Dr. Stanley Bacon Episode: "Population: Zero" 1974 Chase Miller Episode: "Out of Gas" 1974 The F.B.I. Mason Hammond Episode: "The Lost Man" 1974 Barnaby Jones Adam Montgomery Episode: "Web of Deceit" 1975 Ellery Queen Gregory Layton Episode: "The Adventure of Veronica's Veils" 1975 McMillan & Wife Adrian Danzinger Episode: "Secrets for Sale" 1976–1977 The Bionic Woman Dr. James Courtney 3 episodes 1977 Three's Company Uncle Fremont Episode: "Jack's Uncle" 1978 The Paper Chase Franklin Ford II Episode: "The Man Who Would Be King" 1978 Vega$ Senator William Mitchell Episode: "The Games Girls Play" 1978 Sword of Justice Judge Addams Episode: "Judgement Day" 1978 The Love Boat Slade Summerhill Episode: “Gopher the Rebel” 1979 Turnabout Ed Episode: "Till Dad Do Us Part" 1980 Dallas Matt Devlin 4 episodes 1981 Fantasy Island Emmett Latham Episode: "Also Rans/Portrait of Solange" 1983 The Love Boat George Cowens Episode: "He Ain't Heavy" 1983 Hotel Jonathan Corry Episode: "Faith, Hope & Charity" 1986 Matlock Professor Erskine Tate Episode: "The Professor"

Awards and honors Year Award Result Category Series 1974 Daytime Emmy Award Nominated Best Actor in Daytime Drama - For a Special Program The ABC Afternoon Playbreak