Stanley Adams

Stanley Adams (born Stanley Abramowitz; April 7, 1915 – April 27, 1977) was an American actor and screenwriter. He appeared in several films, including Breakfast at Tiffany's and Lilies of the Field (1963). On television, he is probably best known for his guest appearance in the 1967 Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Trouble with Tribbles" and the 1973 Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "More Tribbles, More Troubles" in which he portrayed outer space peddler Cyrano Jones, purveyor of tribbles. Concurrent with his acting career, Adams also maintained a career as a freelance television scriptwriter from the mid-1950s through the early 70s, writing for shows such as It's Always Jan, Mister Ed, Dr. Kildare, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Star Trek, The Outsider, The Flying Nun, Mannix, The Name of the Game, and others. Although he did appear in guest roles in many of these series, Adams generally did not appear as an actor in episodes he wrote.

Early life Adams was born in New York City. He had his first film role playing the bartender in the movie version of Death of a Salesman (1951). He played another barkeep in The Gene Krupa Story and a safecracker in Roger Corman's High School Big Shot (1959).

Career Adams had a lengthy career as a character actor, often playing comic, pompous characters.

Adams played Otis Campbell's brother Ralph on an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Otis was afraid Ralph would find out he was the town drunk, then learned Ralph was the town drunk of his home town. His 1959 portrayal of Chicago gangster/gambler Nick Popolous in Mr. Lucky ("That Stands For Pool") is especially good as he deftly shifts from bumpkin to killer multiple times.

He appeared in an episode of The Tab Hunter Show in 1961. His other roles on TV shows include roles in six episodes of Wagon Train (including S8 E26 as Samuel in "The Jarbo Pierce Story" 1965) and three episodes of Gunsmoke. He played political boss Frank Templeton in the final episode of McHale's Navy (1962–1966) "Wally for Congress." He played a realtor on The Dick Van Dyke Show episode "Your Home Sweet Home Is My Home Sweet Home". He had two roles in the syndicated western series Death Valley Days in the episodes "The Holy Terror" (1963) and "The Lady and the Sourdough" (1966). In 1967, he appeared in an episode of The Lucy Show titled "Lucy the Fight Manager" as a trainer named Louie. He appeared as King Kaliwani in the final episode of Gilligan's Island, and as Captain Courageous in two episodes of the 1960s Batman TV series ("Catwoman Goes to College"/"Batman Displays his Knowledge"). He also played notorious pool shark "Sure Shot" Wilson on the ABC sitcom The Odd Couple .

In genre television he appeared on The Twilight Zone as a time-traveling scientist—opposite Buster Keaton—in "Once Upon a Time" and as a bartender ("Mr Garrity and the Graves"), and as Ilya Klarpe on The Addams Family (1964). In science fiction television circles he is known primarily for two roles, as Tybo the anthropomorphic carrot in the penultimate episode of Lost in Space, "The Great Vegetable Rebellion" (1968), and for playing Cyrano Jones in "The Trouble with Tribbles" (1967) episode of Star Trek. He reprised (as a voice actor) Cyrano Jones in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "More Tribbles, More Troubles" and archival footage of Adams as Jones was later featured in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" (1996). He also co-wrote an episode for Star Treks final season, "The Mark of Gideon".

Adams also had a lengthy theatrical motion picture career. In the 1962 theatrical film adaptation of Rod Serling's teleplay Requiem for a Heavyweight he played the supporting role of Perelli, a sleazy promoter who offers a washed-up boxer a degrading job as a professional wrestler, a role which he reprised; in 1956, he played the part in the original Playhouse 90 production. He played the Chicano café owner in Lilies of the Field and portrayed Rutherford "Rusty" Trawler, "the 9th richest man in America under 50" in the Audrey Hepburn film Breakfast at Tiffany's. He appeared as Stanley in the 1966 television film Death of a Salesman. He played Bernie the foulmouthed caller in the 1974 action/adventure movie Act of Vengeance.

Death Adams committed suicide with a .22 caliber pistol on April 27, 1977, at the age of 62. A note indicated that he had grown despondent thanks to chronic pain from a back injury. He was cremated at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery. His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean. He left behind an ex-wife, a son and a daughter.

Selected filmography

The Atomic Kid (1954) - Wildcat Hooper Hell's Horizon (1955) - Dixie The Fighting Chance (1955) - Piggie (uncredited) Hell on Frisco Bay (1956) - Hammy Inside Detroit (1956) - Harry (uncredited) The Killer Is Loose (1956) - Honor Farm Guard (uncredited) The Bold and the Brave (1956) - Master Sergeant Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) - Romolo's Attorney (uncredited) Calling Homicide (1956) - Peter von Elda (uncredited) Trooper Hook (1957) - Heathcliff Valerie (1957) - Dr. Jackson Black Patch (1957) - Professor Dudley, Drummer Hell Bound (1957) - Herbert Fay Jr. Hell Ship Mutiny (1957) - Roxy I Married a Woman (1958) - Cabbie (uncredited) Saddle the Wind (1958) - Joe, Bartender (uncredited) High School Big Shot (1959) - Harry March North by Northwest (1959) - Lieutenant Harding (uncredited) The Gene Krupa Story (1959) - Bar Owner (uncredited) The Gazebo (1959) - Dan Shelby (voice, uncredited) Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960) (Season 6 Episode 6: "Pen Pal") - Detective Berger One Foot in Hell (1960) - Pete (uncredited) The Rat Race (1960) - Cab Driver (uncredited) Studs Lonigan (1960) - Gangster (uncredited) North to Alaska (1960) - Breezy The Wizard of Baghdad (1960) - Warden Kvetch The Young Savages (1961) - Police Lieutenant Hardy (uncredited) Pirates of Tortuga (1961) - Captain Montbars Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) - Rusty Trawler The Errand Boy (1961) - Grumpy The Outsider (1961) - Noomie 13 West Street (1962) - Finney Have Gun Will Travel (1962) - Caleb Musgrove Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962) - Perelli Critic's Choice (1963) - Bartender Lilies of the Field (1963) - Juan Wild and Wonderful (1964) - Mayor of Man La Loquet Looking for Love (1964) - Employment Service Official (uncredited) A House Is Not a Home (1964) - Harry Fate Is the Hunter (1964) - Bernie (uncredited) Ship of Fools (1965) - Professor Hutten Your Home Sweet Home Is My Home (1965) - Jack Parkly When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965) - Lank Death of a Salesman (1966) – Stanley Nevada Smith (1966) - Storekeeper Thunder Alley (1967) - Mac Lunsford Double Trouble (1967) - Captain Roach Massacre Harbor (1968) - El Gamil (this consists of three episodes of the TV series The Rat Patrol - 'The Last Harbor Raid' parts I, II & III - released as a film) The Grasshopper (1970) - Buddy Miller Move (1970) - New Tenant The Seven Minutes (1971) - Irwin Blair Machismo: 40 Graves for 40 Guns (1971) - Granger Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972) - Stomach Operator Another Nice Mess (1972) - President of Persia California Country (1973) - Grandpa Boomer The Clones (1973) - Carl Swafford Act of Vengeance (1974) - Bernie / Foul Mouth Dixie Dynamite (1976) - Dade McCrutchen Woman in the Rain (1976) - Noodles The Great Gundown (1977) - Buck (final film role)

Television