Edward Platt

Edward Cuthbert Platt (February 14, 1916 – March 19, 1974) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of the Chief in the 19651970 NBC/CBS television series: Get Smart. With his deep voice and mature appearance, he played an eclectic mix of characters over the span of his career.

Edward Platt
Born
Edward Cuthbert Platt

(1916-02-14)February 14, 1916
DiedMarch 19, 1974(1974-03-19) (aged 58)
Alma materJuilliard School
Years active19411974
Spouse
Suzanne Belcher
(m. 1954; div. 1973)
Children4

Early life and military service

Platt was born in Staten Island, New York. He spent a part of his childhood in Kentucky and upstate New York, where he attended the Northwood School, a private school in Lake Placid, and was a member of the ski jump team. He also studied at the Juilliard School.[1] He attended Princeton University, but left after his freshman year.[2] He served in the United States Army during World War II.

Acting career

An operatically trained bass-baritone[3][lower-alpha 1] with a powerful voice, he debuted on Broadway in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Allegro. José Ferrer, who performed with Platt in the Broadway play The Shrike, helped him land his first film role in the 1955 film version. Also in 1955, Platt appeared in Rebel Without a Cause starring James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo. He returned to Broadway in 1958 with the musical Oh, Captain!, in a romantic role. In 1959, he played Cary Grant's attorney in North by Northwest, and he starred in the movie The Rebel Set.

Platt also appeared in episodes of the original Perry Mason ("The Case of the Slandered Submarine" and "The Case of the Larcenous Lady"); 77 Sunset Strip, Trackdown, State Trooper (in the episode "Who Killed Doc Robbins"), Men into Space ("From Another World"), Ripcord ("Million Dollar Drop"), Gunsmoke, Bonanza, One Step Beyond, The Rifleman (S5 E7 "The Assailants" as Sen. Bordon 1962), Rawhide, Whispering Smith, The Outer Limits ("The Man with the Power" and "Keeper of the Purple Twilight"), The Dick Van Dyke Show ("A Nice Friendly Game Of Cards"), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Bat Masterson (in the 1959 episode "Incident in Leadville"), Tales of Wells Fargo, The Twilight Zone, and Wagon Train

His most famous role was the regular role of The Chief in the espionage parody television series Get Smart (1965–1970). After it ended, he had a recurring role in the situation comedy series The Governor & J.J. in 1970. He had guest roles in several other television series of the era, mostly comedies, including Temperatures Rising, Bewitched, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, Love, American Style, and The Odd Couple as Oscar Madison's boss in the episode "Oscar's New Life".

Platt appeared as Sotto Voce in the 1969 KCET television reading of Norman Corwin's 1938 radio play The Plot to Overthrow Christmas.

Work as producer

In 1973, Platt raised the money to produce one of the first independent feature films shot entirely on videotape: Santee, starring Glenn Ford. His crew shot the production with electronic TV cameras and portable video tape recorders, then had the images transferred to film for theatrical release. The movie was not commercially successful.

Death

On March 19, 1974, Platt was found dead in his Santa Monica apartment, at the age of 58.[4] Initial reports indicated the cause of death was a heart attack, but Platt's son later said that his father died from suicide, after a long struggle with untreated depression.[5]

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1949 I Was a Male War Bride Lieutenant in Gates's Office Uncredited
1955 Cult of the Cobra Lamian Threatening Death Uncredited
The Shrike Harry Downs
The McConnell Story Medical Corps Instructor Uncredited
Illegal Ralph Ford
Rebel Without a Cause Ray Fremick
Sincerely Yours Dr. Eubank Uncredited
1956 The Lieutenant Wore Skirts Major Dunning
The Steel Jungle Judge Wahller
Backlash Sheriff J.C. Marson Credited as Edward C. Platt
Serenade Everett Carter
The Proud Ones Dr. Barlow
Storm Center Rev. Wilson
The Unguarded Moment Attorney Briggs
Written on the Wind Dr. Paul Cochrane
Reprisal! Neil Shipley
Rock, Pretty Baby Thomas Daley Sr. M.D.
The Great Man Dr. O'Connor
1957 The Tattered Dress Ralph Adams
Designing Woman Martin J. Daylor
Omar Khayyam Jayhan
House of Numbers The Warden
The Helen Morgan Story Johnny Haggerty
Oregon Passage Roland Dane
1958 The Gift of Love Dr. Jim Miller
Damn Citizen Joseph Kosta
The High Cost of Loving Eli Cave
Summer Love Dr. Thomas Daley
The Last of the Fast Guns Sam Grypton Credited as Edward C. Platt
Gunman's Walk Purcell Avery
1959 The Rebel Set Mr. Tucker / Mr. T
North by Northwest Victor Larrabee
They Came to Cordura Col. DeRose
Inside the Mafia Dan Regent
1960 Cash McCall Harrison Glenn
Pollyanna Ben Tarbell
1961 The Fiercest Heart Madrigo
Atlantis, the Lost Continent Azar the High Priest
Snow White and the Three Stooges Villager Uncredited
The Explosive Generation Mr. Morton
1962 Cape Fear Judge
1963 Black Zoo Detective Rivers
Johnny Shiloh General George Henry Thomas
A Ticklish Affair Captain Haven Hitchcock
1964 Shock Treatment District Attorney Uncredited
Bullet for a Badman Tucker
1965 The Man from Button Willow The Man In The Black Cape Voice, Uncredited

Television credits

Year Series Role Notes
1955 Gunsmoke Mr. Burgess Episode "Smoking Out the Nolans"
1958 Silent Service Capt. Benítez Episode "The Last Dive"
Tales of Wells Fargo Doc Bell Episode "Doc Bell"
1959 Wagon Train Matthew Sinclair Episode "The Duke LeMay Story," Season 2, Episode 30, airdate: Apr. 29, 1959
Have Gun Will Travel Mayor Episode "The Traffetta Mayor," Season 2, Episode 17, airdate: Jan. 10, 1959
One Step Beyond Will Denning Episode "The Burning Girl," Season 1, Episode 16, airdate: May 5, 1959
Rawhide Jason Clark Episode "Incident of the Thirteenth Man," Season 2, Episode 6, airdate: Oct. 23, 1959
Mr Lucky Henry Praiswater Episode "The Stowaway"
Police Station Desk Sgt.
1960 Wagon Train Spinoza de Costa Episode "The Maidie Brant Story," Season 3, Episode 16, airdate: Jan. 20, 1960
Men into Space Dr. Luraski Episode "From Another World"
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Marshall Mays Episode "The Ox"
Perry Mason Cmdr. Driscoll Episode "The Case of the Slandered Submarine," "The Case of the Larcenous Lady"
1960-1963 Bonanza Harvey Bufford / Wade Colly / Will Flanders Episodes: "The Outcast", "The Guilty" and "The Colonel"
1961 The Twilight Zone The Doctor Episode "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim"
Boris Karloff's Thriller Jim Weeks Episode "Late Date"
1962 Wagon Train Cyrus Bolton Episode "The Frank Carter Story," Season 5, Episode 34, airdate: May 23, 1962
Bronco Sheriff Ben Lockwood Episode "Ride the Whirlwind"
The Rifleman Senator Jim Bordon Episode "The Assailants"
Ripcord Jake Miller Episode "Million Dollar Drop"
1963 The Outer Limits Dean Radcliffe Episode "The Man with the Power"
1964 The Outer Limits Mr. Terrence Episode "The Special One"
Kraft Suspense Theatre 2nd patient (Sam) Episode "The Gun"
The Outer Limits David Hunt Episode "Keeper of the Purple Twilight"
The Virginian Stuart Brynmar Episode "The Secret of Brynmar Hall"
Petticoat Junction General Patterson Episode "The Lost Patrol"
1965-1970 Get Smart Chief of CONTROL Main cast
1969-1970 The Governor & J.J. Orrin Hacker Recurring role
1970 Bewitched Jennings Booker Season 7 Episode 10 Samantha's Old Man
1971 The Odd Couple Bill Donnelly Episode "Oscar's New Life"
1972 The Snoop Sisters Jules Nero Episode The Female Instinct

Notes

  1. In the Get Smart episode "The Hot Line", Platt sings the French song "Alouette".

References

  1. "Actor Edward Platt Is Dead Of Heart Attack". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. AP. March 21, 1974. p. 4A. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
  2. "About Page". 20m.com. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  3. "Edward Platt". Would You Believe.
  4. "Edward Platt, Actor, Dies". Lincoln Evening Journal. Nebraska, Lincoln. United Press International. March 21, 1974. p. 22. Retrieved August 30, 2016 via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. Death certificate states coronary failure. "Overview for Edward Platt". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
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