Frank Overton(1918-1967)
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Perpetually serious-looking New York-born character actor, who showed
up to good effect in many TV shows of the 1950s and '60s. His quietly
authoritarian demeanor lent itself ideally to portraying characters
with badges or uniforms: Sheriff Heck Tate in
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962),
General Bogan of Strategic Air Command in
Fail Safe (1964) and Major Harvey
Stovall of Bomber Group 918 in
12 O'Clock High (1964). The
latter was his only recurring role on television and he made the most
of it, being strongly featured in several of the episodes. Prior to his
well-remembered role as Elias Sandoval on the Star Trek (1966) episode, This Side of Paradise (1967), he had made notable appearances on two other science fiction series.
He was twice featured on The Twilight Zone (1959). On the episode, Walking Distance (1959), he played the father of advertising executive Martin Sloan (Gig Young),
who, unhappy with his life such as it is, has somehow time-traveled
back to his hometown. Sloan finds, to his delight, that everything has
remained unchanged from the time of his childhood. In a superbly-acted
and touching scene, the elder Sloan (having come to terms with the
identity of the stranger), asks his son to leave, because there can
only ever be "one summer per customer". In contrast, Overton's chill,
austere Sheriff Harry Wheeler on Mute (1963) was the antithesis of
his character on "Walking Distance", devoid of compassion or understanding. Overton also appeared as an unsympathetic physician on
The Invaders (1967) episode, Genesis (1967).
Overton's characterizations on stage largely paralleled those on
screen. He made his first stab at Broadway as a lieutenant in Elia Kazan's
comedy
'Jacobowsky and the Colonel', written by S.N. Behrman.
The play ran for 417 performances from 1944 to 1945. He played another
sheriff in
'The Trip to Bountiful' (1953) and replaced James Gregory
as deputy Jesse Bard in the original stage version of 'The Desperate
Hours' (1955). His most successful performance was as Morris Lacey in
'The Dark at the Top of the Stairs' (1957-59), a role he reprised for
the film version of 1960.
An actor who always looked older than his years, Frank Emmons Overton
died of a heart attack in April 1967, aged only 49.
up to good effect in many TV shows of the 1950s and '60s. His quietly
authoritarian demeanor lent itself ideally to portraying characters
with badges or uniforms: Sheriff Heck Tate in
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962),
General Bogan of Strategic Air Command in
Fail Safe (1964) and Major Harvey
Stovall of Bomber Group 918 in
12 O'Clock High (1964). The
latter was his only recurring role on television and he made the most
of it, being strongly featured in several of the episodes. Prior to his
well-remembered role as Elias Sandoval on the Star Trek (1966) episode, This Side of Paradise (1967), he had made notable appearances on two other science fiction series.
He was twice featured on The Twilight Zone (1959). On the episode, Walking Distance (1959), he played the father of advertising executive Martin Sloan (Gig Young),
who, unhappy with his life such as it is, has somehow time-traveled
back to his hometown. Sloan finds, to his delight, that everything has
remained unchanged from the time of his childhood. In a superbly-acted
and touching scene, the elder Sloan (having come to terms with the
identity of the stranger), asks his son to leave, because there can
only ever be "one summer per customer". In contrast, Overton's chill,
austere Sheriff Harry Wheeler on Mute (1963) was the antithesis of
his character on "Walking Distance", devoid of compassion or understanding. Overton also appeared as an unsympathetic physician on
The Invaders (1967) episode, Genesis (1967).
Overton's characterizations on stage largely paralleled those on
screen. He made his first stab at Broadway as a lieutenant in Elia Kazan's
comedy
'Jacobowsky and the Colonel', written by S.N. Behrman.
The play ran for 417 performances from 1944 to 1945. He played another
sheriff in
'The Trip to Bountiful' (1953) and replaced James Gregory
as deputy Jesse Bard in the original stage version of 'The Desperate
Hours' (1955). His most successful performance was as Morris Lacey in
'The Dark at the Top of the Stairs' (1957-59), a role he reprised for
the film version of 1960.
An actor who always looked older than his years, Frank Emmons Overton
died of a heart attack in April 1967, aged only 49.