Edgar Buchanan

William Edgar Buchanan II (March 20, 1903 – April 4, 1979) was an American actor with a long career in both film and television. He is most familiar today as Uncle Joe Carson from the Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, and The Beverly Hillbillies television sitcoms of the 1960s.

Biography Early life Edgar Buchanan was born to Rose (Kee) Buchanan and William Edgar Buchanan Sr., DDS in Humansville, Missouri. He moved with his family to Oregon when he was seven. His father had a dental practice in Eugene, Oregon, and encouraged his son to follow suit. Buchanan Senior did not approve of his son's acting ambitions and pushed him to pursue dentistry instead. Nevertheless, Edgar took courses in theater at the University of Oregon as a pre-med student, and was part of a Portland acting troupe in graduate school. He was also involved in the founding of the Portland Civic Theatre. During his time there, he met his future wife, Mildred "Millie" Spence (1907–1987). They married in 1928 - the same year they both graduated with dental degrees. The couple adopted a son and named him William Edgar "Buck" Buchanan III.

Big changes came in 1939 when the family of three relocated their dental practice from Eugene, Oregon, to Altadena, California. There, Edgar joined the Pasadena Playhouse as an actor. Studio scouts spotted him performing at the playhouse and signed him into a seven-year deal in Hollywood. That same year, he appeared in his first film at age 36, and he left dentistry for good. Meanwhile, his wife, Dr. Millie Buchanan, DDS, took over the dental practice while also supporting her husband's new career as his talent manager.

Edgar was a member of Theta Chi fraternity and a Freemason.

Career Buchanan appeared in more than 100 films, including Texas (1941), in which he played a dentist and appeared with William Holden and Glenn Ford and later in Penny Serenade (1941) with Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die (1942), The Talk of the Town (1942) with Ronald Colman, Cary Grant and Jean Arthur, The Man from Colorado (1948), Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), Shane (1953), She Couldn't Say No (1954), Ride the High Country (1962) with Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea, McLintock! (1963) with John Wayne, Move Over, Darling (1963) with Doris Day and James Garner, and Benji (1974).

Among the many television series in which he was cast as a guest star were Cimarron City, The Californians, and The Rifleman. Edgar appeared in six episodes of The Rifleman, playing Grandpa Fogerty in "The Long Goodbye" (episode 119) and Doc Burrage in the other five: "The Pet" (episode 15), "The Second Witness" (episode 23), "The Trade" (episode 24), "The Deadly Wait" (episode 26), and "The Angry Man" (episode 31). In addition to several other widely varying roles on the series (running the gamut from sympathetic parts to vicious villains), he portrayed Jed Christianson in the episode "Duel at Sundown" on Maverick with James Garner and Clint Eastwood. He was on Leave It to Beaver (as both "Uncle Billy" and "Captain Jack"), The Twilight Zone, Riverboat (as Wingate Pardee in the 1960 episode, "Duel on the River"), Gunsmoke (in 1962 as the title character "Old Dan" - S7E18), Route 66, Bringing Up Buddy, Bus Stop, and The Lloyd Bridges Show. and J.J. Jackson in the CBS crime drama Cade's County.

Buchanan appeared as Uncle Joe Carson in all 222 episodes of Petticoat Junction, the only actor from the show to do so, as well as in 17 episodes of Green Acres, and three episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies. On Petticoat Junction, he took over as proprietor of the Shady Rest Hotel following the 1968 death of show star Bea Benaderet, who had played Kate Bradley; Buchanan had starred as second lead since the series' inception. In the 1966 episode "The All-Night Party" and in the 1969 episode "Kathy Jo's First Birthday Party", he appeared with his real-life son, Buck (who had a cameo as a party goer and an ice cream vendor, respectively). Another star from Petticoat Junction and he appeared together in the 1974 movie Benji; the other "star" was Higgins the dog, which portrayed the title character.

Buchanan appeared in multiple episodes of Tales of Wells Fargo, starring Dale Robertson, appearing sporadically from 1957 to 1961. He had the recurring role of a rascally ex-outlaw and occasional dentist named Doc Dawson.

In 1967, Dot Records released "Phantom 309" (Dot #17047), a narration by Buchanan. The 45-rpm single was backed with "Cotton Picker". He was interred in the Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1939 My Son Is Guilty Dan, Bartender 1940 Too Many Husbands Detective Adolph McDermott Three Cheers for the Irish Party Guest Uncredited Tear Gas Squad Cousin Andy, a Policeman Escape to Glory Charles Atterbee The Sea Hawk Ben Rollins Uncredited When the Daltons Rode Narrator / Old-timer Uncredited Arizona Judge Bogardus 1941 Penny Serenade Applejack Carney Her First Beau Elmer Tuttle The Richest Man in Town Pete Martin Texas Buford "Doc" Thorpe You Belong to Me Billings, Groundskeeper 1942 Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die Curly Bill Brocious The Talk of the Town Sam Yates 1943 City Without Men Michael T. Mallory The Desperadoes Uncle Willie McLeod Good Luck, Mr. Yates Jonesey Jones Destroyer Kansas Jackson 1944 Buffalo Bill Sergeant Chips McGraw Bride by Mistake Jonathan Connors The Impatient Years Judge Strange Affair Lieutenant Washburn 1946 The Fighting Guardsman Pepe, bandit-valet Abilene Town Sheriff 'Bravo' Trimble The Bandit of Sherwood Forest Friar Tuck Perilous Holiday George Richards The Walls Came Tumbling Down Reverend George Bradford Renegades Kirk Dembrow If I'm Lucky Darius J. Magonnagle 1947 The Sea of Grass Jeff Framed Jeff Cunningham 1948 The Swordsman Angus MacArden The Wreck of the Hesperus George Lockhart The Black Arrow Lawless Adventures in Silverado Dr. Henderson, aka The Monk Best Man Wins Jim Smiley Coroner Creek Sheriff O'Hea The Untamed Breed John Rambeau The Man from Colorado Doc Merroan 1949 The Walking Hills Old Willy Red Canyon Jonah Johnson Lust for Gold Wiser Any Number Can Play Ed 1950 Cheaper by the Dozen Dr. Burton Cargo to Capetown Sam Bennett The Big Hangover Uncle Fred Mahoney Devil's Doorway Zeke Carmody 1951 The Great Missouri Raid Dr. Samuels Rawhide Sam Todd Cave of Outlaws Dobbs Silver City Dutch Surrency 1952 The Big Trees Walter 'Yukon' Burns Flaming Feather Sergeant O'Rourke Wild Stallion John Wintergreen Toughest Man in Arizona Jim Hadlock She Couldn't Say No Ed Meeker 1953 The War of the Worlds Square Dance Musician Uncredited It Happens Every Thursday Jake Shane Fred Lewis 1954 Make Haste to Live Sheriff Lafe Human Desire Alec Simmons Dawn at Socorro Sheriff Cauthen Destry The Honorable Hiram J. Sellers, Mayor 1955 Rage at Dawn Judge The Silver Star Will "Bill" Dowdy The Lonesome Trail Dan Wells Wichita Doc Black 1956 Come Next Spring Mr. Canary 1957 Spoilers of the Forest Tom Duncan 1958 Day of the Bad Man Sam Wyckoff The Sheepman Milt Masters 1959 King of the Wild Stallions Idaho It Started with a Kiss Congressman Richard Tappe Edge of Eternity Sheriff Edwards Hound-Dog Man Doc Cole Stump Run Buck Gaskin 1960 Four Fast Guns Dipper Cimarron Judge Neal Hefner Chartroose Caboose Woody Watts 1961 Tammy Tell Me True Judge Carver Devil's Partner Don Lucas The Comancheros Judge Thaddeus Jackson Breen 1962 Ride the High Country Judge Tolliver 1963 Donovan's Reef Boston Attorney Francis X. O'Brien A Ticklish Affair Captain Martin McLintock! Bunny Dull Move Over, Darling Judge Bryson 1965 The Rounders Vince Moore The Man from Button Willow Sorry Voice 1966 Gunpoint Bull 1967 Welcome to Hard Times Brown 1969 Angel in My Pocket Axel Gresham 1974 Benji Bill (final film role)

Television Year Title Role Notes 1953 Make Room for Daddy Captain Chris Season 1 Episode 8: "The Sea Captain" 1952–1954 Hopalong Cassidy Red Connors 40 episodes 1954 Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson Uncle Harry Episode: "Uncle Harry" 1953, 1955 Cavalcade of America Horace Greeley Doc Mathew 4 episodes1955 Ford Theatre Papa Mumby Season 3 Episode 38: "The Mumbysa" Screen Directors Playhouse Sub Royal Season 1 Episode 8: "The Bush Roper" 1955-1956 Judge Roy Bean Judge Roy Bean 39 episodes1956 Strange Stories Episode: "Con Game" Crossroads Bart Alden Season 2 Episode 10: "The Lamp of Father Cataldo"1957 The Christophers John Augustus Episode: "Sentence Deferred" Climax! Spencer /Constable Season 3 Episode 25: "Avalanche at Devil's Pass"Season 3 Episode 42: "Deadly Climate"1958 The Adventures of Jim Bowie Ringtail Jack Season 2 Episode 23: "Deaf Smith" The Restless Gun Ethan Greenfield Sheriff Jeb Barnes Season 1 Episode 30: "Aunt Emma"Season 1 Episode 35: "The Gold Star" Studio One Dan Ferris Season 10 Episode 43: "Birthday Present" The Gale Storm Show Jasper Stokes Season 3 Episode 4: "Hayride Ahoy" 26 Men Season 2 Episode 4: "Cross and Doublecross" Cimarron City Shanty Season 1 Episode 7: "Kid on a Calico Horse" 1955–1959 General Electric Theater Buckskin /Colonel Starbottle /Preacher Bailey Parson Meachum /Doctor /Timothy Dwight 7 episodes 1958-1959 The Californians Dutch / Major Season 1 Episode 33: "The Golden Bride" (1958)Season 2 Episode 30: "One Ton of Peppercorns" (1959)1959 Lawman Jess Miller Season 1 Episode 15: "The Captives" Trackdown Tully Saxon Season 2 Episode 30: "The Trick" Wanted Dead or Alive Pop Michaels /Chester Blake Season 1 Episode 28: "Railroaded"Season 1 Episode 36: "Amos Carter" Alfred Hitchcock Presents Pops Season 5 Episode 4: "Coyote Moon" The Deputy Isbel Season 1 Episode 14: "Man of Peace" Whirlybirds Burton Season 3 Episode 13: "The Perfect Crime" 1957, 1960 Wagon Train Thaddeus Briscoe /Ben Mattox Season 1 Episode 8: "The John Darro Story" (1957)Season 4 Episode 10: "The Jane Hawkins Story" (1959)1960 Bronco 'Pop' Ben Owens Season 2 Episode 19: "Winter Kill" Bat Masterson Cactus Charlie Season 3 Episode 1: "Debt of Honor" Assignment: Underwater Charlie Noble Season 1 Episode 7: "Charlie Noble's Pearl" Stagecoach West Lum Jensen Season 1 Episode 7: "Red Sand" Riverboat Wingate Pardee Season 2 Episode 11: "Duel on the River" 1957–1961 Tales of Wells Fargo Bob Dawson /Doc Dawson 6 episodes 1958–1961 Maverick Daddy Forge /Jed Christianson /Colonel Hamilton /Sheriff Hadley /Red Daniels 5 episodes 1959-1961 The Rifleman Doc J. Burrage /Grandpa Fogarty 6 episodes 1960-1961 Bonanza Hallelujah Hicks John Henry Hill Season 2 Episode 11: "The Trail Gang" (1960)Season 2 Episode 34: "Sam Hill" (1961)1961 Klondike Sam Perkins Season 1 Episode 13: "The Golden Burro" National Velvet Grandpa Harwell Season 1 Episode 24: "Grandpa"Season 1 Episode 30: "Grandpa Returns" The Barbara Stanwyck Show Judge Franklin Season 1 Episode 36: "A Man's Game" The Tall Man Archie Keogh Season 2 Episode 7: "The Judas Palm" The New Bob Cummings Show Episode: "The Oxtail Incident" Bus Stop Judge Neal Season 1 Episode 9: "The Man from Bootstrap" The Andy Griffith Show Henry Wheeler Season 2 Episode 9: "Aunt Bee's Brief Encounter" 1958, 1962 Perry Mason Andy Templet /Judge Edward Daley Season 2 Episode 11: "The Case of the Perjured Parrot" (1958)Season 6 Episode 10: "The Case of the Lurid Letter" (1962)1960–1962 Laramie Calico /Doc /Tully Casper /Cletus McBain 4 episodes Outlaws Nulty /Neely Season 1 Episode 7: "Starfall: Part 1" (1960)Season 2 Episode 24: "All in a Day's Work" (1962) Route 66 Jack McConkle /Magistrate Abe Chumley Season 1 Episode 10: "The Beryllium Eater" (1960)Season 3 Episode 2: "Journey to Nineveh" (1962)1962 The Twilight Zone Doc Bolton Season 3 Episode 23: "The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank" Thriller Doc O'Connor Season 2 Episode 24: 'Til Death Do Us Part Alcoa Premiere Crab Holman Season 2 Episode 1: "Flashing Spikes" Stoney Burke Vernon Dawes Season 1 Episode 2: "Fight Night" Have Gun – Will Travel Noah Cardiff Season 6 Episode 12: "Man in an Hourglass" The Wide Country Uncle Walter 'Walt' Guthrie Season 1 Episode 12: "Good Old Uncle Walt" Dennis the Menace Mr. Meekin Season 4 Episode 13: "Dennis and the Hermit" 1957–1963 Leave It to Beaver Captain Jack /William 'Uncle Billy' Cleaver 3 episodes1962-1963 The Lloyd Bridges Show Doc Lawton /Andrew Jackson Tyree Season 1 Episode 6: "Just Married" (1962)Season 1 Episode 28: "The Tyrees of Capitol Hill" (1963) Gunsmoke Dan Witter /Dan York Season 7 Episode 18: "Old Dan" (1962)Season 8 Episode 34: "Old York" (1963) Dr. Kildare Steve Devitt /Judge Manning Season 1 Episode 16: "The Administrator" (1962)Season 2 Episode 32: "To Each His Own Prison" (1963) 1965 Luke and the Tenderfoot Luke Herkimer 1968 Something for a Lonely Man Old Man Wolenski TV movie The Beverly Hillbillies Uncle Joe Carson Season 7 (3 episodes) 1965–1969 Green Acres Uncle Joe Carson 16 episodes (There were many crossovers from Petticoat Junction cast members in the series) 1969 The Over-the-Hill Gang Jason Fitch TV movie 1963–1970 Petticoat Junction Joseph P. "Uncle Joe" Carson 222 episodes1970 The Name of the Game Felson Season 3 Episode 8: "Little Bear Died Running" The Mod Squad Hargis Season 3 Episode 8: "Welcome to the Human Race, Levi Frazee!" The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again Jason Fitch TV movie1971 "The Men From Shiloh" (rebranded name of The Virginian) Teddy Birdwell Season 9 Episode 17: "The Legacy of Spencer Flats" Yuma Mules McNeil TV movie 1971–1972 Cade's County J.J. Jackson 24 episodes 1972 The Partridge Family Judge McElwreath Season 3 Episode 2: "M is for Many Things" 1973 Love, American Style Judge Brockmerton Season 4 Episode 14 (Segment: Love and the Family Hour)