Frank Overton

Frank Emmons Overton (March 12, 1918 – April 24, 1967) was an American actor. He was best known for the roles of Major Harvey Stovall in 12 O'Clock High (1964–1967), Sheriff Heck Tate in To Kill a Mockingbird, and General Bogan in Fail Safe (1964).

Early life Overton was born in Babylon, New York on March 12, 1918.

Career Overton's acting career began on the stage in New York City.

Overton appeared in numerous television programs during the early 1950s and through the late 1960s. In 1959, he appeared in an episode of The Twilight Zone with Gig Young, called "Walking Distance". Overton also appeared in the episode titled "Mute" as Sheriff Harry Wheeler with Ann Jillian. He played the father of Joe's terminally ill fiancee (Brooke Hayward) in Bonanza Season 3 Episode 19 "The Storm". Other TV work included The Fugitive in 1963.

He played Sheriff Heck Tate in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. In 1964, he played General Bogan in the film Fail Safe.

Overton died after a heart attack in 1967 in Pacific Palisades, California. He was survived by his wife and a daughter.

Filmography Film Title Year Role NotesBoomerang 1947 Man in Mob Behind Jail UncreditedMystery Street 1950 Guard UncreditedNo Way Out 1950 Intern UncreditedThe True Story of Jesse James 1957 Major Rufus Cobb Lonelyhearts 1958 Mr. Sargeant Desire Under the Elms 1958 Simeon Cabot The Last Mile 1959 Father O'Connors Wild River 1960 Walter Clark The Dark at the Top of the Stairs 1960 Morris Lacey Posse from Hell 1961 Burt Hogan Claudelle Inglish 1961 Harley Peasley To Kill a Mockingbird 1962 Sheriff Heck Tate Fail Safe 1964 General Bogan Television Title Year Role NotesStudio One 1951–1957 (1) John Emroy(2) Samuel Stone(3) Ben Raisman(4) Alan Wall(5) Mr. McGinnis(8) Dr. Manning (1) Season 4 Episode 9: "A Bolt of Lightning" (1951)(2) Season 4 Episode 37: "Abraham Lincoln" (1952)(3) Season 5 Episode 4: "Little Man, Big World" (1952)(4) Season 5 Episode 8: "Plan for Escape" (1952)(5) Season 6 Episode 17: "The Remarkable Incident at Carson Corners" (1954)(6) Season 7 Episode 5: "The Boy Who Changed the World" (1954)(7) Season 9 Episode 8: "Portrait of a Citizen" (1956)(8) Season 10 Episode 6: "Act of Mercy" (1957)Lux Video Theatre 1952 Prefect Season 3 Episode 17: "A Child is Born"The Trip to Bountiful 1953 Sheriff TV movieThe Philco Television Playhouse 1953–1955 (1) Sheriff(2) Mr. Davis(4) Harris Rhodes(5) Pat Garrett (1) Season 5 Episode 16: "The Trip to Bountiful" (1953)(2) Season 6 Episode 12: "The Dancers" (1954)(3) Season 7 Episode 9: "Walk into the Night" (1955)(4) Season 7 Episode 11: "A Sense of Justice" (1955)(5) Season 7 Episode 23: "The Death of Billy the Kid" (1955)Armstrong Circle Theatre 1954–1959 (1) Frank(2) Major Collins(3) Mr. Arnquist(4) Sam Starr(5) Dr. Bergman (1) Season 5 Episode 4: "Explosion" (1954)(2) Season 5 Episode 34: "Crisis" (1954)(3) Season 6 Episode 14: "A Baby Named X" (1956)(4) Season 7 Episode 7: "Divorcees Anonymous" (1957)(5) Season 9 Episode 15: "Prescription-Hypnosis" (1959)The United States Steel Hour 1954–1963 (1) (2) Al Durfee(3) Steve(4) Mr. Thornton(5) Matt Preston(6) George Crozier (1) Season 1 Episode 18: "Fearful Decision" (1954)(2) Season 2 Episode 18: "Fearful Decision" (Repeat episode from first season) (1955)(3) Season 3 Episode 22: "Noon on Doomsday" (1956)(4) Season 4 Episode 10: "To Die Alone" (1957)(5) Season 5 Episode 2: "Haunted Harbor" (1957)(6) Season 10 Episode 15: "The Secrets of Stella Crozier" (1963)The Alcoa Hour 1956 (1) Barton Steinbach(2) Tyler (1) Season 1 Episode 14: "Even the Weariest River"(2) Season 2 Episode 26: "No License to Kill: Part II"Decoy 1957 Bergen Season 1 Episode 4: "To Trap a Thief" The Twilight Zone 1959–1963 (1) Robert Sloan(2) Harry Wheeler (1) Season 1 Episode 5: "Walking Distance" (1959)(2) Season 4 Episode 5: "Mute" (1963)Thriller 1960 Bart Hattering Season 1 Episode 2: "Child's Play" Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond 1960 Calvin Gannis Season 2 Episode 16: "The Justice Tree"Peter Gunn 1960 Henry Lockwood Season 2 Episode 35: "Letter of the Law"Naked City 1960 Andrew Bates Season 2 Episode 3: "A Succession of Heartbeats"Adventures in Paradise 1960 Max Brodie Season 1 Episode 17: "Judith"Route 66 1960–1963 (1) Hanson(2) Cord Webster(3) Peter Graham(4) Andy Ferguson (1) Season 1 Episode 4: "The Man on the Monkey Board" (1960)(2) Season 1 Episode 13: "The Quick and the Dead" (1961)(3) Season 3 Episode 13: "Where Is Chick Lorimer, Where Has She Gone?" (1962)(4) Season 3 Episode 31: "Soda Pop and Paper Flags" (1963)Perry Mason 1961–1963 (1) Father Paul(2) Deputy District Attorney Nelson Taylor (1) Season 5 Episode 13: "The Case of the Renegade Refugee" (1961)(2) Season 6 Episode 14: "The Case of the Bluffing Blast" (1963)The Defenders 1961–1965 (1) (2) District Attorney Bill Bryan(3) William Bryan(4) District Attorney(5) Malcolm Page(6) Richard Holmes (1) Season 1 Episode 7: "The Hundred Lives of Harry Simms" (1961)(2) Season 1 Episode 14: "The Prowler" (1961)(3) Season 2 Episode 10: "The Invisible Badge" (1962)(4) Season 2 Episode 11: "The Hidden Jungle" (1962)(5) Season 3 Episode 28: "Yankee Come Home" (1964)(6) Season 4 Episode 28: "The Prosecutor" (1965)The Eleventh Hour 1962 Pete Harvey Season 1 Episode 3: "Make Me a Place"Checkmate 1962 Martin Brack Season 2 Episode 22: "Brooding Fixation"Sam Benedict 1962 Roger Colby Season 1 Episode 15: "Where There's a Will"Laramie 1962–1963 (1) Jason Duncan(2) James Courtland (1) Season 3 Episode 19: "The High Country" (1962)(2) Season 4 Episode 27: "The Last Battleground" (1963) Wagon Train 1962–1963 (1) Martin Jennings(2) Doctor (1) Season 5 Episode 19: "The Lonnie Fallon Story" (1962)(2) Season 7 Episode 13: "The Story of Cain" (1963)Bonanza 1962–1967 (1) Captain Matthew White(2) Amos Crenshaw (1) Season 3 Episode 19: "The Storm" (1962)(2) Season 8 Episode 31: "The Wormwood Cup" (1967)The Virginian 1962–1967 (1) Sam Cafferty(2) Mr. Umber(3) Sam Atkins (1) Season 1 Episode 12: "50 Days to Moose Jaw" (1962)(2) Season 2 Episode 22: "Smile of a Dragon" (1964)(3) Season 5 Episode 26: "A Welcoming Town" (1967)The Alfred Hitchcock Hour 1963 George Felse Season 1 Episode 27: "Death and the Joyful Woman"The Fugitive 1963 Sheriff Al Springer Season 1 Episode 11: "Nightmare at Northoak"The Dick Powell Theatre 1963 Dan Corbett Season 2 Episode 24: "Colossus"Dr. Kildare 1963 John Oliver Season 3 Episode 12: "Charlie Wade Makes Lots of Shade"Stoney Burke 1963 Chief Ramsey Season 1 Episode 23: "Joby" Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre 1963 Gene Farrell Season 1 Episode 10: "Corridor 400"Kraft Suspense Theatre 1964 Bruce Reynolds Season 1 Episode 14: "Leviathan Five"12 O'Clock High 1964–1967 Major Harvey Stovall 61 episodesThe Invaders 1967 Dr. Grayson Season 1 Episode 4: "Genesis"Star Trek 1967 Elias Sandoval Season 1 Episode 24: "This Side of Paradise"