Sam Melville

Samuel Gardner Melville (August 20, 1936 – March 9, 1989) was an American film and television actor. He appeared as a guest star on many television programs of the 1960s and 1970s.

Career He portrayed Officer Mike Danko in four seasons of Aaron Spelling's ABC series The Rookies, and The Bear in the 1978 surfing movie Big Wednesday, with Celia Kaye as his unnamed "bride".

Melville also had small parts in Hour of the Gun (1967) playing the role of Morgan Earp, The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) starring Steve McQueen, as Lieutenant James Crandall / Schmidt on Hogan's Heroes (1966), and the television disaster film Terror in the Sky (1971) as the co-pilot. On Gunsmoke and Hawaii Five-O, both on CBS, he played villains as a guest-star. However, on the episode "A Mule ... Like the Army's Mule" of the syndicated anthology series Death Valley Days, Melville portrayed United States Army Lt. Jason Beal, who befriended Sandy King, played by Luke Halpin, the youngest member of the Curly Bill Brocius outlaw gang. In 1967, he guest starred in an episode of the CBS western, Dundee and the Culhane.

Cast photo of The Rookies. Clockwise from the top: Georg Stanford Brown (Terry Webster), Kate Jackson (Jill Danko), Gerald S. O'Loughlin (Eddie Ryker), Bruce Fairbairn (Chris Owens) and Sam Melville (Mike Danko) in 1975 In 1970, Melville was cast as Indian agent John Clum in the Death Valley Days episode, "Clum's Constabulary", hosted by Dale Robertson. In the story line, Clum recruits an elite team of Apaches to aid the U.S. Cavalry in the Southwest but faces opposition within the white community. Tris Coffin was cast as Captain Loren Phillips and John Considine as Lago.

Melville again portrayed a villain on the 1980s CBS drama Scarecrow and Mrs. King, which starred Kate Jackson as Mrs. King, and he later portrayed Mrs. King's ex-husband and father of her children on that series. He also played opposite Kate Jackson as her husband in the 1970s series The Rookies. He guest starred as a jewel thief, alongside Janie Fricke, in a seventh season episode of CBS's The Dukes of Hazzard titled "Happy Birthday, General Lee".

Melville was born in Fillmore, Utah, and died from heart failure in Los Angeles. He was survived by his wife, Annie.

Filmography

Television Year Title Role Notes1966 That Girl Roddy Waxman Season 1 episode 6: "Rich Little Rich Kid" Shane Len / Shane's Companion 2 episodes T.H.E. Cat Chris Episode 11: "Curtains for Miss Winslow" Hogan's Heroes Lieutenant James Crandall / Schmidt Season 2 episode 15: "Information Please"1967 The Fugitive Deputy Lee Runnels Season 4 episode 15: "Run the Man Down" The Big Valley Jack Season 2 episode 17: "Image of Yesterday" The Guns of Will Sonnett Kirk Season 1 episode 6: "Message at Noon" Iron Horse Lloyd Barrington Season 2 episode 7: "Leopards Try, But Leopards Can't" Dundee and the Culhane Dave Howard 1967–1971 Gunsmoke Various characters 10 episodes 1968–1970 Death Valley Days John Clum / Lt. Jason Beal / David Meriweather 3 episodes 1968–1971 Hawaii Five-O Hawkins / Gary Oliver / Jerry Parks 3 episodes 1969 Here Come the Brides Lew Season 1 episode 13: "The Log Jam"1970 Bonanza Coulter Season 11 episode 20: "The Law and Billy Burgess" The Young Lawyers Gabe Thomas Episode 6: "We May Be Better Strangers" The Name of the Game Gary Johnson Season 3 episode 9: "All the Old Familiar Faces"1971 Mannix John Ogilvy Season 5 episode 1: "Dark So Early, Dark So Long" Terror in the Sky Stewart TV movie The Man and the City Episode 14: Jennifer 1972 Killer by Night Book Store Owner TV movie Uncredited 1972–1976 The Rookies Officer Mike Danko Main role – 93 episodes 1974 Fools, Females and Fun Stephen Cole TV movie 1975 Hollywood Squares Himself Panelist – September 22 1976 The $10,000 Pyramid Himself 5 episodes1980 Roughnecks O'Dell Hartman TV movie When the Whistle Blows Charlie Sullivan Episode 10: "Run for the Roses" Fantasy Island Tony Chilton Season 4 episode 2: "Flying Aces/The Mermaid Returns" 1980–1984 The Dukes of Hazzard Russell "Snake" Harmon / Tommy Dunkirk / Rick 3 episodes1982 Strike Force Dennis Episode 10: "Internal Affairs" Code Red Episode 13: "Burnout" 1983–1986 T.J. Hooker Mitoski / Hank Carmichael 2 episodes 1984 Airwolf Mace Taggart Season 2 episode 8: "HX-1" 1984–1985 The A-Team Shaw / Rocco 2 episodes1985–1987 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Joe King / Glen Tucker 5 episodes1986 Dallas Dr. David Kenfield 3 episodes The Colbys Michael Grogan Season 1 episode 14: "The Trial" Starman Joe Floss Episode 3: "Fatal Flaw"