Max Showalter

Max Gordon Showalter (June 2, 1917 – July 30, 2000), sometimes credited as Casey Adams, One of Showalter's memorable roles was as the husband of Jean Peters' character in the 1953 film Niagara.

Early life Showalter was born in Caldwell, Kansas, the son of Elma Roxanna (Dodson) Showalter (1889–1953), a music teacher, and Ira Edward Showalter (1887–1953), who worked in the oil industry and was also a banker and farmer. As a toddler, he developed a desire for acting while accompanying his mother to local theatres where she played piano for silent movies. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as an entertainer with the Special Services division.

Stage By the late 1930s, Showalter had multiple stage roles under his belt, including acting in productions of the Pasadena Playhouse. He soon made his Broadway debut in Knights of Song. He made a cameo as a Life magazine photographer in another Monroe movie, Bus Stop, in 1956.

During the 1950s, Showalter appeared in television shows like The Loretta Young Show and Navy Log, in addition to films like Vicki (1953), Down Three Dark Streets (1954), Naked Alibi (1954), Indestructible Man (1956) and Gunsmoke (1957) as "Barney Wales", the new husband of the title character "Mavis McCloud" (S3E7).

The following year, billed as Casey Adams, he appeared as Ward Cleaver in "It's a Small World", the original pilot for the 1950s sitcom Leave It to Beaver. The pilot was broadcast as an episode of the Studio 57 anthology series. He was replaced by Hugh Beaumont for the television series. Casey Adams also appeared in The Andy Griffith Show as antiques dealer Ralph Mason in the episode titled "The Horse Trader."

In the 1960s, Showalter reclaimed his original name and continued to land roles in such big-budget films as Elmer Gantry (1960), The Music Man (1962), and How to Murder Your Wife (1965). He worked through the 1960s and 1970s. He made six appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of Carl Reynolds in the 1958 episode "The Case of the Curious Bride," murder victim Burt Stokes in "The Case of the Wandering Widow" in 1960, and Talbot Sparr in the 1964 episode "The Case of the Ugly Duckling." He made appearances in other television series like The Twilight Zone (as piano player Pat Riley in S3 E8 1961 "It's a Good Life"), The Lucy Show, Gunsmoke, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The New Phil Silvers Show, Bewitched, Dr. Kildare, Surfside 6, The Doris Day Show, Kojak, Police Story, The Bob Newhart Show, as well as in cult films, Lord Love a Duck, The Anderson Tapes and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. In the 1979 film 10, he famously played a pastor whose hobby was writing (bad) songs. He was also a regular cast member in the short-lived 1980 TV series The Stockard Channing Show. Showalter made his last onscreen appearance in the John Hughes film Sixteen Candles (1984).

Composing Showalter composed the music for Little Boy Blue, which opened at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, California, on September 11, 1950. He also wrote the musical Go for Your Gun, which premiered in Manchester, England, in 1963.

Recording In 1956, Showalter (as Casey Adams) recorded an album of his own music, Casey Adams Plays and Sings Max Showalter Songs (Foremost Records FML-1004). He was one of the artists featured on The Secret Garden, a 1988 CBS Special Products album containing performances of music from the musical of that title that "has played the repertory circuit in England."

In the 1979 film 10, he parodies himself by portraying a church minister who fancies himself a songwriter, singing and playing a mediocre song he wrote, with George (Dudley Moore) as his amused audience.

Painting Show business columnist Hedda Hopper reported in a 1963 newspaper column that Showalter had sold 139 paintings and would have his first one-man show.

Death On July 30, 2000, Max Showalter died of cancer in Middletown, Connecticut. He was 83 years old.

Filmography

Always Leave Them Laughing (1949) as Comet Pen Salesman With a Song in My Heart (1952) as Harry Guild What Price Glory? (1952) as Lt. Moore My Wife's Best Friend (1952) as Pete Bentham Stars and Stripes Forever (1952) as Narrator (voice, uncredited) Niagara (1953) as Ray Cutler Destination Gobi (1953) as Walter Landers Vicki (1953) as Larry Evans Dangerous Crossing (1953) as Jim Logan Night People (1954) as Frederick S. Hobart Down Three Dark Streets (1954) as Dave Millson Naked Alibi (1954) as Det. Lt. Fred Parks The Return of Jack Slade (1955) as Billy Wilcox Never Say Goodbye (1956) as Andy Leonard Indestructible Man (1956) as Police Lt. Dick Chasen Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) (uncredited) Bus Stop (1956) as Life Magazine Reporter Dragoon Wells Massacre (1957) as Phillip Scott Designing Woman (1957) as musical director (uncredited) The Monster That Challenged the World (1957) as Dr. Tad Johns Hellcats of the Navy (1957) (uncredited) The Female Animal (1958) as Charlie Grant The Naked and the Dead (1958) as Col. Dalleson Voice in the Mirror (1958) as Don Martin

It Happened to Jane (1959) as Selwyn Harris Elmer Gantry (1960) as Deaf Man (uncredited) Return to Peyton Place (1961) as Nick Parker (uncredited) Claudelle Inglish (1961) as Young Parson (uncredited) Summer and Smoke (1961) as Roger Doremus Bon Voyage! (1962) as The Tight Suit The Music Man (1962) as Salesman on the Train (uncredited) Smog (1962) as Paul Prescott My Six Loves (1963) as B.J. Smith Move Over, Darling (1963) as Hotel Desk Clerk Mr. and Mrs. (1964) as Walter Fate Is the Hunter (1964) as Dan Crawford Sex and the Single Girl (1964) as Holmes How to Murder Your Wife (1965) as Tobey Rawlins Lord Love a Duck (1966) as Howard Greene A Talent for Loving (1969) as Franklin The Moonshine War (1970) as Mr. Worthman The Anderson Tapes (1971) as Bingham Bonnie's Kids (1972) as Frank Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) as Ernest Shears 10 (1979) as Reverend Racing with the Moon (1984) as Mr. Arthur, Piano Teacher Sixteen Candles (1984) as Fred (final film role)

Television

The Swift Show (1948–1949) as Regular (1949) TV Reader's Digest (1 episode, 1954) The Loretta Young Show (4 episodes, 1954–1955) The Return of Jack Slade (1955) The 20th Century Fox Hour (1 episode, 1956) as Barry Navy Log (1 episode, 1956) as Lieutenant Sloane Matinee Theatre (1 episode, 1956) Star Stage (1 episode, 1956) as Pete The Gale Storm Show (1956) as Orchestra Leader Crossroads (1 episode, 1956) as Deavers / Bannister Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans (1 episode, 1957) as Capt. John West Leave It to Beaver (1 episode, 1957) as Ward Cleaver Code 3 (1 episode, 1957) Gunsmoke (1 episode, 1957) as Barney Wales Mr. Adams and Eve (1 episode, 1958) as Dovey General Electric Theater (2 episode, 1959–1962) as Joe Malone / Will Henderson The Thin Man (1 episode, 1959) as Paul Cameron The David Niven Show (1 episode, 1959) as Big Guy The Andy Griffith Show (1 episode, 1961) as Ralph Mason Stagecoach West (1 episode, 1961) as David Harkness Follow the Sun (1 episode, 1961) as Don Hinkley

The Twilight Zone (1 episode, 1961) as Pat Riley Surfside 6 (1 episode, 1962) as Ned Martin Sam Benedict (1 episode, 1963) as John Buchanan Dr. Kildare (2 episodes, 1962–1964) as Rulon Murphy / Ben Ballard Hazel (3 episodes, 1963-1964) as Mr. Blackpool; Mr. Starkey; Mr. Berry. The New Phil Silvers Show (1 episode, 1963) as Frank The Lucy Show (1 episode, 1964) as Vinnie / Vinnie Meyers Perry Mason (6 episodes, 1958–1965) as Charles Judd / Talbot Sparr / Clarence Henry / Frank Logan / Burt Stokes / Carl Reynolds Bewitched (1 episode, 1965) as Charles Barlow The Doris Day Show (1 episode, 1969) as Greg Fletcher Police Story (1 episode, 1975) as Attorney John Barron How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1975) as J. B. Biggley Kojak (1 episode, 1975) as Quinlan The Bob Newhart Show (1 episode, 1977) as Dr. Morgan Quincy M.E. (1 episode, 1978) as Dr. Milton Gold The Stockard Channing Show (11 episodes, 1980) as Gus Clyde The Incredible Hulk (1 episodes, 1980) as Walter Gamble The Love Boat (2 episodes, 1982–1983) as Jarvis Holden / Herman Baker