Walker Edmiston

Walker Robert Edmiston (February 6, 1926 – February 15, 2007) was an American actor and puppeteer.

Early years Walker Edmiston was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 6, 1926, to William Sherman Edmiston (1894–1976) and Anna Edmiston (née Anderson, 1887–1967). Edmiston participated in local theater productions during his high school years. He later studied at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Career In the 1950s, Edmiston worked on puppet shows on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles. His voice was heard on the puppet programs The Buffalo Billy Show and Time for Beany and on Dumbo's Circus, which included live action and animation. He was also a member of the cast of Lidsville and voiced characters on Pandamonium. He appeared in character roles on several TV programs during the 1950s through the '70s, including the Star Trek episode “The Corbomite Maneuver” as the voice of Balok. He also appeared in Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, Knots Landing, Adam-12, The Bob Newhart Show and The Dukes of Hazzard. In 1966, Edmiston had a recurring role as Regan in the short-lived ABC comedy western series The Rounders with co-stars Ron Hayes, Patrick Wayne, and Chill Wills.

Edmiston also did many television commercials and animated character voices, such as Ernie the elf in hundreds of commercials for the cookie products of the Keebler Company, and voices for characters on H.R. Pufnstuf and The Bugaloos from the studios of Sid and Marty Krofft,

Personal life and death Edmiston married Evelyn in 1950, and together they had two children, daughters Andria and Erin. 1977–1982 Little House on the Prairie Mr. Deerling, Dr. Moore, Mr. Stohler, Dr. Vanderan 4 episodes 1977 The Bob Newhart Show Sergeant Webber Episode: "Desperate Sessions" 1977 The Waltons Franklin D. Roosevelt, Edward Murrow Episode: "The Hiding Place" 1981–1984 The Dukes of Hazzard Professor Crandall 2 episodes 1981 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Koldar (voice) Episode: "The Dorian Secret" 1981 Spider-Man Magneto (voice) Episode: "When Magneto Speaks... People Listen" 1981 Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends Kingpin, Frankenstein's Monster (voice) 2 episodes 1982 Pandamonium Algeron (voice) 13 episodes 1985–1986 Dumbo's Circus Sebastian (voice) 82 episodes 1985–1986 The Transformers Inferno (voice) 17 episodes 1987–2006 Adventures in Odyssey Bart Rathbone, Tom Riley (voice) 27 episodes 1988 ABC Weekend Special Catso (voice) Episode: "Runaway Ralph" 1954 By Word of Mouse Lecturer (voice) Uncredited 1961 Everything's Ducky Scuttlebutt (voice) 1962 Hitler S.S. Man Uncredited 1965 The Beach Girls and the Monster Mark 1966 Stagecoach Cheyenne Wells Fargo Agent Uncredited 1968 The Green Berets Lt. Moore Uncredited 1970 Pufnstuf Various voices 1971 Escape from the Planet of the Apes Gorilla, Milo (voice) Uncredited 1971 One More Train to Rob Engineer Uncredited 1971 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Mr. Slugworth, Mr. Wilkinson (voice) Uncredited 1974 Down and Dirty Duck Old Prospector (voice) 1980 Wholly Moses! God (voice) 1981 Scared to Death Dennis Warren 1984 The Bear Dr. Rose 1986 The Transformers: The Movie Inferno (voice) Scenes deleted 1986 The Great Mouse Detective Thug (voice) 1990 Dick Tracy Radio Announcer (voice) 1995 Whisper of the Heart Kita (voice) English dub