Personal Info
Birth date
1929-07-31 (95 Years)
Day of death
2024-02-02
Gender
Male
Known for
Acting
Place of birth
Hollywood, California, USA
Also known as
Donald Patrick Murray
Don Murray
Biography
Donald Patrick "Don" Murray (July 31, 1929-February 2, 2024) was an American actor.
Murray was born in Hollywood, California. He attended East Rockaway High School (class of 1947) in East Rockaway, New York where he played football and track, was a member of the student government and glee club and joined the Alpha Phi Chapter of the Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity. From high school he went on to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Murray had a long and varied career in films and television, including his role as Sid Fairgate in the long-running prime-time soap opera Knots Landing from 1979 to 1981. He was nominated for an Academy Award as best supporting actor in Bus Stop (1956) in which he co-starred with Marilyn Monroe.
He starred as a blackmailed United States senator in Advise & Consent (1961), a film version of a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Allen Drury that was directed by Otto Preminger and cast Murray opposite Henry Fonda and Charles Laughton. He also co-starred with Steve McQueen in the film Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965) and played the ape-hating Governor Breck in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972).
In addition to acting, Murray directed a film based on the book The Cross and the Switchblade (1970) starring Pat Boone and Erik Estrada, and he scripted two episodes of Knots Landing ("Hitchhike" parts 1 & 2) in 1980.
Murray starred with Otis Young in the ground breaking ABC western television series The Outcasts (1968-69) featuring an interracial bounty hunter team in the post-Civil War West.
Murray decided to leave Knots Landing after two years to concentrate on other projects, although some sources say he left over a salary dispute. The character's death was notable at the time because it was considered rare to "kill off" a star character. The death came in the second episode of season three, following up on season two's cliffhanger in which Sid's car careered off a cliff. To make viewers off doubt the character would actually die, Murray was listed in the newly created credit sequence for season three; the character survived the plunge off the cliff (thus temporarily reassuring viewers), but died shortly afterwards in hospital.
Although he effectively distanced himself from the series after his exit in 1981, Murray later contributed an interview segment for Knots Landing: Together Again, a non-fiction reunion special made in 2005.
Murray was the first husband of actress Hope Lange. They had two children, including actor Christopher Murray.Filmography
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
7.4
Overview:
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.The Mike Douglas Show
5.375
Overview:
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.Murder, She Wrote
7.5
Overview:
An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.What's My Line?
6.9
Overview:
Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions.The Ed Sullivan Show
6.8
Overview:
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.Knots Landing
6.8
Overview:
The domestic adventures, misdeeds and everyday interactions of five families living on a cul-de-sac in a small California community.ABC Afterschool Special
6.429
Overview:
Dramatically presented situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers. Several episodes were either in animated form or presented as documentaries. Topics included illiteracy, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy.Golden Globe Awards
7
Overview:
An annual awards ceremony recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign, bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.Studio One
5
Overview:
An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. Studio One, presented by Westinghouse, was one of the first of the anthology TV programs. The episodes were often abridged remakes of movies from years gone by and many future well-known television and movie actors appeared in the productions.The Philco Television Playhouse
6.286
Overview:
The Philco Television Playhouse is an American anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golden Age of Television, winning a 1954 Peabody Award and receiving eight Emmy nominations between 1951 and 1956.Twin Peaks
8.341
Overview:
The body of Laura Palmer is washed up on a beach near the small Washington state town of Twin Peaks. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate her strange demise only to uncover a web of mystery that ultimately leads him deep into the heart of the surrounding woodland and his very own soul.The Wonderful World of Disney
6.769
Overview:
Walt Disney Productions (later The Walt Disney Company) has produced an anthology television series under several different titles since 1954. The original version of the series premiered on ABC in 1954. The show was broadcast weekly on one of the Big Three television networks until 1990, a 36-year span with only a two-year hiatus in 1984-85. The series was broadcast on Sunday for 25 of those years. From 1991 until 1997, the series aired infrequently. The program resumed a regular schedule in 1997 on the ABC fall schedule, coinciding with Disney's recent purchase of the network. From 1997 until 2008, the program aired regularly on ABC. Subsequently, ABC continued the series as an occasional special presentation.Kraft Television Theatre
7.5
Overview:
Kraft Television Theater is an American, well-received anthology series presenting live television dramas.Danger
8
Overview:
Danger is an American anthology series which aired on CBS from September 19, 1950 to May 31, 1955.Hotel
6.8
Overview:
Hotel is an American prime time drama series which aired on ABC from September 21, 1983 to May 5, 1988 in the timeslot following Dynasty. Based on Arthur Hailey's 1965 novel of the same name, the series was produced by Aaron Spelling and set in the elegant and fictitious St. Gregory Hotel in San Francisco. Establishing shots of the hotel were filmed in front of The Fairmont San Francisco atop the Nob Hill neighborhood. Episodes followed the activities of passing guests, as well as the personal and professional lives of the hotel staff.Matlock
7.1
Overview:
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock. The show, produced by The Fred Silverman Company, Dean Hargrove Productions, Viacom Productions and Paramount Television originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC; and from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC. The show's format is similar to that of CBS's Perry Mason, with Matlock identifying the perpetrators and then confronting them in dramatic courtroom scenes. One difference, however, was that whereas Mason usually exculpated his clients at a pretrial hearing, Matlock usually secured an acquittal at trial, from the jury.Orson Welles' Great Mysteries
6.7
Overview:
Orson Welles' Great Mysteries was a British television series The series was an anthology of different tales. Each episode was introduced by Orson Welles, who was the only regular actor in the series. In the opening titles, Welles would be shown in silhouette as he walked through a hallway towards the camera, smoking a cigar and outfitted in a broad-brimmed hat and a huge cloak, the outfit itself being a nod to his having provided the voice of The Shadow in the radio program. When he actually appeared on-screen to introduce the episodes, his face would be all that would be shown, in extreme close-up and very low lighting.Police Story
6.9
Overview:
Police Story is an anthology television crime drama. The show was the brainchild of author and former policeman Joseph Wambaugh and represented a major step forward in the realistic depiction of police work and violence on network TV. Although it was an anthology, there were certain things that all episodes had in common; for instance, the main character in each episode was a police officer. The setting was always Los Angeles and the characters always worked for some branch of the LAPD. Notwithstanding the anthology format, there were recurring characters. Scott Brady appeared in more than a dozen episodes as "Vinnie," a former cop who, upon retirement, had opened a bar catering to police officers, and who acted as a sort of Greek chorus during the run of the series, commenting on the characters and plots.How the West Was Won
6.911
Overview:
The Macahans, a family from Virginia headed by Zeb Macahan, travel across the country to pioneer a new land and a new home in the American West.Wings
6.9
Overview:
Brothers Brian and Joe Hackett attempt to run an airline on the New England island of Nantucket while surrounded by their various wacky friends and employees.Playhouse 90
7.6
Overview:
Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of the mid-1950s were usually hour-long shows, the title highlighted the network's intention to present something unusual, a weekly series of hour-and-a-half dramas rather than 60-minute plays. Playhouse 90 began as a pitch by Frank Stanton—the formidable, forward-thinking right-hand man to CBS chairman William S. Paley—during a brainstorming session for program ideas. The project was ultimately developed by Hubbell Robinson, a CBS vice president who received no screen credit on Playhouse 90 but is often described as its creator.The Wonderful World of Disney
7.774
Overview:
Walt Disney Productions has produced an anthology television series under several different titles since 1954. The original version of the series premiered on ABC, Wednesday night, October 27, 1954. The show, which was hosted by Walt Disney until his death and then from 1996 to 2002 by then-CEO Michael Eisner (with one-off hosts or no hosts during other periods) has since aired continually as either a weekly program or an irregular series of specials on several networks and streaming services, most recently on ABC and Disney+. The show is the second longest showing prime-time program on American television, behind its rival, Hallmark Hall of Fame. However, Hallmark Hall of Fame was a weekly program only during its first five seasons, while Disney remained a weekly program for more than forty years.The Outcasts
5.3
Overview:
A bounty hunter who was a Confederate Officer teams up with an ex-slave who was a Union Soldier during the Civil War… An American Western genre television series, appearing on ABC in the 1968-69 season. The series stars Don Murray and Otis Young. It is most notable for being the first television Western with an African American co-star.Lux Video Theatre
6.333
Overview:
Lux Video Theatre is an American anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1959. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays.Soldier of Fortune, Inc.
6.091
Overview:
Soldier of Fortune, Inc. was a television show created by Dan Gordon which ran for two seasons, from 1997–1999 The show was about an elite team who performed "unofficial" missions for the US Government. During the first season, the show dealt with terrorists and drug lords, and often tackled issues such as patriotism and self-sacrifice. For the second season, the show was renamed SOF: Special Ops Force. Andrews and Sheppard left the show. Dennis Rodman and David Eigenberg replaced them, though their "hip" characters and new plots led many to abandon the show, leading to its cancellation. The theme song was performed by Trevor Rabin. During the second season, a voice-over by Peter Graves was added.Hallmark Hall of Fame
8.571
Overview:
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The longest-running primetime series in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning during 1951 and continuing into 2013. From 1954 onward, all of its productions have been shown in color, although color television video productions were extremely rare in 1954. Many television movies have been shown on the program since its debut, though the program began with live telecasts of dramas and then changed to videotaped productions before finally changing to filmed ones. The series has received eighty Emmy Awards, twenty-four Christopher Awards, eleven Peabody Awards, nine Golden Globes, and four Humanitas Prizes. Once a common practice in American television, it is the last remaining television program such that the title includes the name of the sponsor. Unlike other long-running TV series still on the air, it differs in that it broadcasts only occasionally and not on a weekly broadcast programming schedule.Producers' Showcase
6.5
Overview:
Producers' Showcase is an American anthology television series that was telecast live during the 1950s in compatible color by NBC. With top talent, the 90-minute episodes, covering a wide variety of genres, aired under the title every fourth Monday at 8 p.m. ET for three seasons, beginning October 18, 1954. The final episode, the last of 37, was broadcast May 27, 1957. Showcase Productions, Inc., packaged and produced the series, which received seven Emmy Awards, including the 1956 award for Best Dramatic Series.Acting
2025Gold of Rio Bravo: Sheriff Kelly's Story as Unknown
2021Promise as Zacharias
2017Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers as Self
2015Tab Hunter Confidential as Self
2010Marilyn Monroe: I Want to Be Loved as Self
2010Marilyn Monroe: Death of an Icon as Self
2008Riots & Revolutions: Confronting the Times as Self
2007Fred Zinnemann - Der Mann, der 'High Noon' machte as Self
2004Hollywood Legenden as Self
2001Island Prey as Parker Gaits
2000Besuch bei Don Murray as Self
1999Alan Ladd: The True Quiet Man as Self
1998Internet Love as Self
1998Mr. Headmistress as Reporter
1997The Wonderful World of Disney (1 Episode) as Reporter
1997Soldier of Fortune, Inc. (1 Episode) as White Dragon / John James / Col. Quentin Shepherd
1997Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years as Self
1996Marilyn, divine et fragile as Self
1996Hearts Adrift as Lloyd Raines
1995The Single Guy (1 Episode) as Chip Bremley
1994Marilyn Monroe: The Mortal Goddess as Self
1994Shurtleff on Acting as Self
1993Montana Crossroads as Frank Morrow
1991Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker as Self
1991Sons and Daughters (13 Episodes) as Bing Hammersmith
1990Wings (1 Episode) as Dad
1990Twin Peaks (8 Episodes) as Bushnell Mullins
1989Ghosts Can't Do It as Winston
1989Brand New Life (6 Episodes) as Unknown
1989My Dad Can't Be Crazy... Can He? as Jack Karpinsky
1987Hollywood Uncensored as Self
1987Made in Heaven as Ben Chandler
1987Mistress as Wyn
1987The Stepford Children as Steven Harding
1987Stillwatch as Sam Kingsley
1987Hollywood's Hidden Secrets as Self
1986License to Kill as Tom Fiske
1986Scorpion as Gifford Lease
1986Something in Common as Theo Fontana
1986Peggy Sue Got Married as Jack Kelcher
1986Radioactive Dreams as Dash Hammer
1986T.J. Hooker - Blood Sport as Senator Stuart Grayle
1986Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend as Self
1986Matlock (2 Episodes) as Albert Gordon
1984A Touch of Scandal as Benjamin Gilvey
1984Murder, She Wrote (1 Episode) as Wally Hampton
1983Quarterback Princess as Ralph Maida
1983I Am The Cheese as David Farmer
1983Thursday's Child as Parker Alden
1982Hotel (1 Episode) as Sam Burton
1981Return of the Rebels as Sonny Morgan
1981Endless Love as Hugh
1981Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen as Pimp
1980Fugitive Family as Peter Ritchie
1980Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop as Sergeant Jack Leland
1980The Boy Who Drank Too Much as Ken Saunders
1980If Things Were Different as Robert Langford
1979Knots Landing (33 Episodes) as Sid Fairgate
1979Crisis in Mid-Air as Adam Travis
1978Rainbow as Frank Gumm
1977How the West Was Won (3 Episodes) as Anderson
1975Deadly Hero as Edward A. Lacy
1975A Girl Named Sooner as Sheriff Phil Rotteman
1974Amy Prentiss (1 Episode) as Connors
1974The Sex Symbol as Sen. Grant O'Neal
1974The Girl on the Late, Late Show as William Martin
1973Orson Welles' Great Mysteries (1 Episode) as Jack Stanley
1973Police Story (3 Episodes) as Jack Bonner
1973Cotter as Cotter
1972ABC Afterschool Special (1 Episode) as Jack Karpinsky
1972Conquest of the Planet of the Apes as Breck
1972Justin Morgan Had a Horse as Justin Morgan
1971Happy Birthday, Wanda June as Herb Shuttle
1970The Intruders as Sam Garrison
1969Daughter of the Mind as Dr. Alex Lauder
1969Childish Things as Tom Harris
1968The Outcasts (26 Episodes) as Earl Corey
1967The Viking Queen as Justinian
1967The Borgia Stick as Tom Harrison
1967Sweet Love, Bitter as David Hillary
1966The Plainsman as Wild Bill Hickok
1966Kid Rodelo as Kid Rodelo
1965Baby the Rain Must Fall as Deputy Sheriff Slim
1964One Man's Way as Norman Vincent Peale
1963Marilyn as Self ("Bus Stop") (archive footage) (uncredited)
1962Escape from East Berlin as Kurt Schröder
1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (3 Episodes) as Self
1962Advise & Consent as Senator Brigham Anderson
1961The Mike Douglas Show (6 Episodes) as Self
1961The Hoodlum Priest as Father Charles Dismas Clark
1960One Foot in Hell as Dan Keats
1960Hedda Hopper's Hollywood as Self
1959Winterset as Mio Romagna
1959Shake Hands with the Devil as Kerry O'Shea
1959These Thousand Hills as Albert Gallatin 'Lat' Evans
1958From Hell to Texas as Tod Lohman
1957A Hatful of Rain as Johnny Pope
1957The Bachelor Party as Charlie Samson
1956Playhouse 90 (1 Episode) as Randy Bragg
1956Bus Stop as Beauregard 'Bo' Decker
1955A Man Is Ten Feet Tall as Axel Nordman
1954The Wonderful World of Disney (1 Episode) as Justin Morgan
1954Producers' Showcase (1 Episode) as Henry Antrobus
1951Hallmark Hall of Fame (1, 1 Episode) as Mio, Parker Alden
1950Lux Video Theatre (1 Episode) as Jimmy
1950Danger (1 Episode) as Unknown
1950What's My Line? (1 Episode) as Self - Mystery Guest
1948Studio One (1 Episode) as Biondello
1948The Philco Television Playhouse (1, 1 Episode) as Unknown, Axel Nordman
1948The Ed Sullivan Show (1 Episode) as Self
1947Kraft Television Theatre (1, 1, 1 Episode) as George, Booth, Unknown
1944Golden Globe Awards (1 Episode) as Self - Presenter
Directing
2008Breathe ... Director
1976Damien's Island ... Director
1970The Cross and the Switchblade ... Director
Production
2008Breathe ... Producer
1969Childish Things ... Producer
1961The Hoodlum Priest ... Producer
Writing
1979Knots Landing (2 Episodes) ... Writer
1970The Cross and the Switchblade ... Writer
1969Childish Things ... Writer
1961The Hoodlum Priest ... Screenplay, Original Story
1956Playhouse 90 (1 Episode) ... Writer