Michael Dante

Michael Dante (born Ralph Vitti, September 2, 1931) is an American actor and former professional minor league baseball player.

Early life Dante was born Ralph Vitti in Stamford, Connecticut on September 2, 1931. Growing up, he would sneak into a local movie theater with his friends to watch Westerns. "I grew up wanting to be the sidekick of The Lone Ranger and wanting to follow my heroes", Dante told a reporter in 2006. and in 1972 he played a harried TV commercial director in My Three Sons. In 1974, he played Julio Tucelli in The Six Million Dollar Man episode, "Dr. Wells Is Missing". Dante had recurring roles on the television serials Days of Our Lives and General Hospital.

In the 1970s, Dante met John Wayne, whom he watched on screen as a child. Wayne had seen Dante in Winterhawk and asked him to co-host a charity event in Newport Beach, California. That started a friendship between the two actors, and they co-hosted other events until Wayne's death in 1979. An avid golfer, he once hosted the annual Michael Dante Celebrity Golf Tournament, a charitable fund-raiser held annually in Palm Springs, California, beginning in 1991.

In 2006, Dante told an interviewer that he had written a script for a sequel to Winterhawk and was trying to get funding for the projected movie. Wall of Fame Honoree – Stamford High School – Stamford, Connecticut Spirit of the West Award by Wild West Gazette/Bison Western Museum Palm Springs Film Festival Award for the Sammy Fuller classic film The Naked Kiss 1994 – Golden Palm Star on the Walk of Stars Apacheland Days, Apache Junction, Arizona – Guest of Honor – Western boot prints in cement – Superstition Mountain Museum

Filmography

+ Film Year Title Role Notes 1956 Somebody Up There Likes Me Shorty the Greek (uncredited) 1957 Jeanne Eagels Sgt. O'Hara in 'Rain' (uncredited) 1958 Fort Dobbs Billings 1958 Born Reckless Cowboy Dancing with Jackie (uncredited) 1959 Westbound Rod Miller 1960 Seven Thieves Louis Antonizz 1962 Kid Galahad Joie Shakes 1963 Operation Bikini Lt. William 'Bill' Fourtney 1964 The Naked Kiss Grant 1964 Apache Rifles Red Hawk 1965 Harlow Ed 1965 Arizona Raiders Brady 1971 Willard Brandt 1973 Thirty Dangerous Seconds Timothy Sills 1975 That's the Way of the World Mike Lemongello 1975 Winterhawk Winterhawk 1977 The Farmer Johnny O. 1979 Missile X: The Neutron Bomb Incident Konstanine Senyonov 1980 Beyond Evil Del Giorgio 1983 The Big Score Goldy 1986 The Messenger Emerson 1989 Return from the River Kwai Commander Davidson 1989 Cage Tony Baccola 2020 Unbelievable!!!!! Michael Dante

+ Television Year Title Role Notes 1957-1958 Sugarfoot Mike Wilson / Walt Lane / Ken Brazwell 3 episodes 1957-1958 Colt .45 Ab Saunders / Davey Bryant 2 episodes 1957-1958 Cheyenne Billy Bob / Whitey / Lt. Dowd / ... 4 episodes 1958 Tales of the Texas Rangers Alfredo Episode: "Edge of Danger" 1958 Rescue 8 Mickey Episode: "The Steel Mountain" 1959 Lawman Jack McCall Episode: "The Captives" 1959 The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin Ramon Estrada Episode: "The Matador" 1957-1959 Maverick Joe / Turk Mason / Sam Harris 3 Episodes 1959 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Angel Episode: "The Killer Instinct" 1959 The Texan Steve Chambers 4 episodes 1960 Bourbon Street Beat Gunner Doyle Episode: "Inside Man" 1960 General Electric Theater Holofernes Episode: "The Story of Judith" 1961 Checkmate Trumpet Player Episode: "Voyage Into Fear" 1961 The Detectives Joe Rano Episode: "The Champ" 1961 Cain's Hundred Danny Speckter Episode: "Final Judgment: Alexander Marish" 1962 87th Precinct Larry Brooks Episode: "Idol in the Dust" 1963 Hawaiian Eye Harry Larcombe Episode: "Go Steady with Danger" 1959-1965 Perry Mason Douglas Kelland / Arthur Manning 2 Episodes 1965 Bonanza Miguel Ortega Episode: "The Brass Box" 1965 Days of Our Lives Barney Jannings (1984) 1966 Get Smart Savage Episode: "Kisses for KAOS" 1967 Star Trek: The Original Series Maab Episode: "Friday's Child" 1967 Custer Crazy Horse 16 Episodes 1968 The Big Valley Francisco Episode: "Deathtown" 1959-1969 Death Valley Days Clay Squires / Capt. Richard Rocha 2 Episodes 1969 Daniel Boone Akari Episode: "For a Few Rifles" 1972 My Three Sons Perry Perigrine Episode: "TV Triplets" 1974 The Six Million Dollar Man Julio Tucelli Episode: "Dr. Wells Is Missing" 1980 The Magical World of Disney Ross Episode: "The Kids Who Knew Too Much" 1980 The Kids Who Knew Too Much Ross TV movie 1982 Knots Landing Captain Alving Episode: "Night" 1983-1984 The Fall Guy Oscar Fields / Tommy 2 Episodes 1986 Simon & Simon Mr. Tobias Episode: "Tonsillitis" 1987 Cagney & Lacey Paul Bennet Episode: "Right to Remain Silent" 2018 Find Your Future Reality Michael Dante