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Brian Keith

Robert Alba Keith[1] (November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997), known professionally as Brian Keith, was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his six-decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family film The Parent Trap (1961); Johnny Shiloh (1963); the comedy The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966); and the adventure saga The Wind and the Lion (1975), in which he portrayed President Theodore Roosevelt.

Brian Keith
Keith in Dino, 1957
Born
Robert Alba Keith

(1921-11-14)November 14, 1921
DiedJune 24, 1997(1997-06-24) (aged 75)
Resting placeWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Other namesRobert Keith Jr.
EducationEast Rockaway High School
OccupationActor
Years active1947–1997
Spouses
(m. 1948; div. 1954)
(m. 1954; div. 1969)
Victoria Young-Keith
(m. 1970)
Children7
Parent
Websitebriankeith.com

On television, two of his best-known roles were those of bachelor-uncle-turned-reluctant-parent Bill Davis in the 1960s sitcom Family Affair, and a tough retired judge in the 1980s lighthearted crime drama Hardcastle and McCormick. He also starred in The Brian Keith Show, which aired on NBC from 1972 to 1974, where he portrayed a pediatrician who operated a free clinic on Oahu, and in the CBS comedy series Heartland.

Early life edit

Robert Alba Keith was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, on November 14, 1921, to actor Robert Keith and stage actress Helena Shipman, a native of Aberdeen, Washington. Some sources also list his full name as Brian Robert Keith.[2] He was Roman Catholic.[3] In 1941 he graduated from East Rockaway High School in East Rockaway, New York.

He joined the United States Marine Corps in 1942 completing his service in 1945. He served during World War II as a radioman/tail gunner in the rear cockpit of a two-man Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber in a U.S. Marine squadron. He was awarded a Combat Aircrew Insignia, Air Medal, Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal with three battle stars and World War II Victory Medal.[4]

Career edit

 
Keith in his TV series Crusader (1955)
 
Keith and Spike in The Westerner (1960)

Theatre edit

Keith made his Broadway debut in 1948 in the ensemble of Mister Roberts, which starred his father as "Doc". He was a guard in Darkness at Noon (1951) by Sidney Kingsley, and was in Out West of Eighth (1951), which had only a short run.

Television and films edit

Keith began to guest star on shows such as Hands of Mystery, Shadow of the Cloak, and an adaptation of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea in Tales of Tomorrow. He was in Police Story, Suspense, Eye Witness, The United States Steel Hour, Robert Montgomery Presents, and The Motorola Television Hour.[5] Keith's feature film debut was in a Western for Paramount, Arrowhead (1953). He stayed at that studio for Alaska Seas (1954), replacing Van Heflin, and Jivaro (1954).[6]

Keith guest starred on Campbell Summer Soundstage, The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse, Lux Video Theatre, and The Mask and also played Mike Hammer in a television pilot directed by Blake Edwards, but the series was not picked up.

He went to Columbia for The Bamboo Prison (1954), The Violent Men (1955), Tight Spot (1955), and 5 Against the House (1955), the last two directed by Phil Karlson.[7] He was meant to support Joan Crawford in Queen Bee, but did not appear in the final film.[8]

He guest starred on The Elgin Hour, Mystery Is My Business, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre, The Box Brothers, The Ford Television Theatre, Climax!, Wire Service and Studio 57.

In 1955, Keith starred in his own series, Crusader, as fictional journalist Matt Anders. He continued to appear in films for Columbia, such as Storm Center (1956) co-starring with Bette Davis and Nightfall (1956) with Aldo Ray.

In June 1956, he announced he had formed his own company, Michael Productions, and had optioned a story by Robert Blees called Cairo.[9]

Film stardom edit

Keith was second billed in Dino (1957) with Sal Mineo, and Run of the Arrow (1957) with Rod Steiger. He was top billed in Chicago Confidential (1957), but returned to supporting parts with Appointment with a Shadow (1957) Hell Canyon Outlaws (1957), and Fort Dobbs (1958). He announced he would make Alien Virus for his Michael Productions, but it was not made.[10] Keith was top billed in some low-budget action movies: Violent Road (1958), Desert Hell (1958), Sierra Baron (1958), and Villa!! (1958). The last two were shot back-to-back in Mexico.[11][12] He guest starred on Studio One in Hollywood, Rawhide, Laramie, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and an episode of Zane Grey Theater, which was written and directed by Sam Peckinpah and later led to The Westerner.

The Westerner and Disney edit

Keith supported Paul Newman in The Young Philadelphians (1959), and had the lead in two productions for Disney, the TV show Elfego Baca: Move Along, Mustangers (1959) and the feature Ten Who Dared (1960). In 1960, he won acclaim for his starring role in Sam Peckinpah's extremely hard-bitten, adult, and short-lived series The Westerner (1960). It went for only 13 episodes, but became a cult classic. "Only four or five of those were any good", said Keith later. "But those four or five were as good as anything anybody has ever done."[13] Keith guest starred in: The Untouchables, The Americans, Frontier Circus, Alcoa Premiere, Outlaws, Follow the Sun, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents again. Keith made a second film for Disney, playing the father of twins in the film The Parent Trap (1961), costarring Hayley Mills and Maureen O'Hara, which was a huge hit. Critical acclaim was given to The Deadly Companions (1961), a Western with O'Hara, which marked Peckinpah's feature directorial debut. Keith did two more films for Disney, Moon Pilot (1962) and Savage Sam (1963).

He guest starred on Target: The Corruptors, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Virginian, Sam Benedict, Dr. Kildare, The Fugitive, Wagon Train, 77 Sunset Strip, Kraft Suspense Theatre, The Great Adventure, and Profiles in Courage. Keith did a Western for Universal, The Raiders (1963), then returned to Disney for Johnny Shiloh (1963), Bristle Face (1964), The Tenderfoot (1964), A Tiger Walks (1964), and Those Calloways (1965).

He went to Fox for The Pleasure Seekers (1964) and had support roles in The Hallelujah Trail (1965), The Rare Breed (1966) (again with O'Hara), and Nevada Smith (1966), co-starring with Steve McQueen as traveling gunsmith Jonas Cord. Keith did the comedies The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966) for Norman Jewison, Way... Way Out (1966) with Jerry Lewis, and With Six You Get Eggroll (1968) with Doris Day.

Family Affair edit

 
Keith (center right) with Sebastian Cabot (top) and the other costars of Family Affair

In 1966, Keith landed the role of Uncle Bill Davis on CBS's popular television situation comedy Family Affair. This role earned him three Emmy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.[14] The show made him a household name. It was in the vein of such successful 1960s and 1970s sitcoms that dealt with widowhood and/or many single-parent issues such as The Andy Griffith Show, My Three Sons, The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, One Day at a Time, Here's Lucy, Julia, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, and Sanford and Son. During its first season in 1966, Family Affair was an immediate hit, ranking number 15 in the Nielsen ratings.[15] By the end of its fifth season, in 1971, Family Affair still had high ratings, but was cancelled after 138 episodes.

Kathy Garver, who co-starred as Keith's teenaged niece, Cissy, on Family Affair, indicated that Keith said: "I'm a cultural Irishman, don't you know, I'm a cultural Irishman." Garver explained: "But he went through many manifestations and changes of character, during the five years that we shot. At first, he was up and then his second year, he was going through a divorce, and then, the third year, he met somebody else, and he became more anecdotal and told stories that he loved kids, and he was very outspoken about those that he did not like. So, he was a very interesting character and it was Brian and Sebastian Cabot [who played Mr. French] had such a different style of acting and that's another reason I think that Family Affair was so popular and stayed as it did. Both excellent actors, both coming from very different methods and styles of acting with Sebastian was more from the classical style and he would take home his script and he would dutifully look at every single word and have it to perfection, and then Brian would come in and say, 'Oh what do we have today? Let me see the scene, uh-huh, uh-huh, let's go!' So he was very improvisational, motion of the moment. And those two different styles really worked out for each of them very well."[16]

During the series' run Keith appeared in Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967) with Marlon Brando, With Six You Get Eggroll (1968) with Doris Day, Krakatoa: East of Java (1968) for Cinerama, and Gaily, Gaily (1969) for Norman Jewison. He had leading roles in Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? (1970) for Cinemrama and The McKenzie Break (1970).[17] In 1970, Keith moved to Hawaii.[13] Keith made Scandalous John (1971) for Disney, Something Big (1972) with Dean Martin and director Andrew McLaglen, and the TV movie Second Chance (1972).[18]

The Brian Keith Show, The Zoo Gang, Archer edit

Keith went on to star as pediatrician Dr. Sean Jamison in the NBC sitcom The Brian Keith Show (also known as The Little People). The series was cancelled in 1974 after two seasons. "The show ended because it was bad, not because of Hawaii," said Keith.[13]

Keith also starred in the role of Steven "The Fox" Halliday in the six-part television miniseries, The Zoo Gang (1974), about a group of former underground French Resistance fighters from World War II. The show also starred Sir John Mills, Lilli Palmer, and Barry Morse, and featured a theme by Paul McCartney.[13] Keith was third billed in The Yakuza (1974) starring Robert Mitchum, and in The Wind and the Lion (1975) starring Sean Connery, Keith played President Theodore Roosevelt for writer-director John Milius. He starred in the TV series Archer (1975) as Lew Archer, replacing Peter Graves who'd starred in the pilot, but it was cancelled after six episodes and has never been rerun in the United States (Jerry Goldsmith's score for the first episode of the series was released in 2018 by Lalaland Records).[13] Keith did some Westerns, The Quest (1976) pilot, and Joe Panther (1976), and the TV movie The Loneliest Runner (1976). He had a supporting role in Nickelodeon (1976) and did the TV movies In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan (1977) and The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer (1977). He was in How the West Was Won (1978), Hooper (1978) with Burt Reynolds, Centennial (1979), and The Chisholms (1979). In 1992, he starred in the unsold, ABC half-hour pilot The Streets of Beverly Hills.

Keith spoke fluent Russian, which led to his casting as a Russian in two roles: as a Soviet scientist in the film Meteor (1979) with Natalie Wood (who also spoke fluent Russian and played his translator), and as the Soviet premier in the NBC miniseries World War III (1982) with Rock Hudson. He replaced Barnard Hughes on Broadway in Da and was on The Seekers (1979), Power (1980), The Silent Lovers (1980), The Mountain Men (1980) with Charlton Heston, and Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen (1981). Of the latter he joked, "I only did the picture because it had a long title, and I seem to specialize in those."[5] He had support roles in Sharky's Machine (1981) with Burt Reynolds and Cry for the Strangers (1982).

Hardcastle and McCormick, Pursuit of Happiness, and Heartland edit

Keith once again returned to series television in 1983, with Hardcastle and McCormick, in the role of a cranky retired judge named Milton C. Hardcastle. Daniel Hugh Kelly co-starred as ex-con Mark McCormick in this ABC crime drama with elements of comedy. The chemistry of Keith and Kelly was a hit, and the series lasted three years until its cancellation in 1986.[2] During the series run, Keith was in Murder, She Wrote and The B.R.A.T. Patrol (1986). Keith starred in The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987) (as Davy Crockett), and Death Before Dishonor, then did another TV series Pursuit of Happiness (1987–88), which ran 10 episodes. He was in After the Rain (1988), Young Guns (1988), and Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson (1989). He starred in another short-lived series Heartland (1989). He had roles in Welcome Home (1989), and Lady in the Corner (1989).

Later career edit

Keith made a guest appearance in the Evening Shade, season-one episode "Chip Off The Old Brick" (1991), as the loud-mouthed father of Herman Stiles (played by actor Michael Jeter). He reprised his character from The Westerner in The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) (which featured numerous actors from 1950s TV series playing their original roles in brief cameos), had the lead in Walter & Emily (1991), a short-lived sitcom, and The Streets of Beverly Hills (1992), a pilot. Brian Keith appeared on a two-part episode of Major Dad, season four "The People's Choice" as the Major's (Gerald McRaney) domineering father who pays a visit to the family. The episode aired on September 25, 1992. Keith performed the role of Mullibok on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season-one episode entitled "Progress" (1993), in which an elderly farmer resists forcible relocation by Bajoran authorities.

Among his last performances were The Secrets of Lake Success, Wind Dancer, The Commish, Under a Killing Moon (1994), The Return of Hunter: Everyone Walks in L.A. (1995), The Monroes, Favorite Deadly Sins (1995), Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story (1996), Walker, Texas Ranger, Touched by an Angel, and The Second Civil War (1997). Keith guest-starred in an episode of the TV series The Marshal titled "The Bounty Hunter" (1995) in which he played then Wichita, Kansas, Police Chief Rick Stone under the stage name of Chief Skoblow. The Wichita Police Department cooperated with the Canadian TV production company by providing details of Chief Stone's actual police dress uniform for Keith to wear during the episode. Keith also provided the voice of Ben Parker on Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

In his last film, Keith played President William McKinley in the film Rough Riders (1997). Director John Milius dedicated the film to "Brian Keith, Actor, Marine, Raconteur."[19]

Personal life edit

Keith married three times, first to Frances Helm; then, in 1954, to actress Judy Landon (who made a guest appearance on Family Affair); and finally, in 1970, to Hawaiian actress Victoria Young (née Leialoha), who later appeared on The Brian Keith Show as Nurse Puni.

Keith had two children with Landon and they adopted three children. Keith also had two children with Young.

Death edit

On June 24, 1997, at the age of 75, Keith died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound[20] at his home in Malibu, California.[21] He suffered from emphysema and lung cancer during the latter part of his life, despite having quit smoking ten years earlier. He reportedly also struggled with financial problems and suffered from depression throughout his final days.[22] Keith's death occurred two months after the death of his daughter Daisy, who also died by suicide.[citation needed]

Maureen O'Hara stated in an interview not long after Keith died that she believed he did not commit suicide. She stated that he had a large gun collection and enjoyed cleaning them and showing them to people. She believed he might have been cleaning the gun or looking at it when it went off, and that his death was an accident and definitely not a suicide. She had just visited him and said he was in good spirits. She also stated that he would not have committed suicide given his Catholic beliefs. [23]

Keith's family was joined by many mourners at a private funeral, including Family Affair co-stars Kathy Garver and Johnny Whitaker, and Hardcastle and McCormick co-star Daniel Hugh Kelly. Keith's ashes were interred next to those of his daughter Daisy at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.[24]

Legacy edit

On June 26, 2008, Brian Keith received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[25]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Television edit

Stage edit

  • Heyday (1946)
  • Mr. Roberts as First Mate (c. 1950 as Robert Keith, Jr.) N.B. Robert Keith, Sr. was the Doctor in it.
  • Darkness at Noon (1951)
  • Da (1978)

Video games edit

References edit

  1. ^ Keith, Victoria Y. (2014). "About Us". BrianKeith.com. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Van Gelder, Lawrence (June 25, 1997). "Brian Keith, Hardy Actor, 75; Played Dads and Desperadoes". The New York Times. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  3. ^ Hays, Matthew. . Montreal Mirror. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2015. I was surprised at Brian, who was Catholic, ...
  4. ^ p. 30 Naval Aviation News Nov-Dec 1988 Vol 71 No 1
  5. ^ a b Vosburgh, Dick (June 26, 1997). "Obituary: Brian Keith". The Independent. p. 18.
  6. ^ THOMAS M. PRYOR (June 27, 1953). "DISNEY IS TESTING FOX' CINEMASCOPE: ' Pleased' With Film Process, but Isn't Sure He Will Use It on Dog Cartoon Feature". THE NEW YORK TIMES. p. 7.
  7. ^ Hopper, Hedda (October 14, 1954). "Brian Keith Set for 'Five Against House'". Los Angeles Times. p. A13.
  8. ^ Hopper, Hedda (February 5, 1955). "Brian Keith to Star With Joan Crawford". Los Angeles Times. p. 14.
  9. ^ Schallert, Edwin (June 4, 1956). "Drama: John Wayne Revives Batjac; Heston to Tour Straw Hat Show Circuit". Los Angeles Times. p. A9.
  10. ^ Schallert, Edwin (August 5, 1957). "Modern 'Sergeant York' Type Aimed at Sinatra; Rome Fashion Fete Due". Los Angeles Times. p. C11.
  11. ^ Dexter, Maury (2012). Highway to Hollywood (PDF). p. 92.
  12. ^ THOMAS M PRYOR (November 19, 1957). "REGAL TO START TEN FILMS SOON". New York Times.
  13. ^ a b c d e Smith, Cecil (January 26, 1975). "Brian Keith's playing Lew Archer--but with Hawaii on his mind". Los Angeles Times. p. q2.
  14. ^ "Brian Keith Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  15. ^ Mavis, Paul (December 1, 2007). "Family Affair-Season Four". DVD Talk. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  16. ^ "OSB Episode 120". On Screen & Beyond. July 11, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  17. ^ Martin, Betty (October 18, 1968). "Break' Role for Keith". Los Angeles Times. p. f18.
  18. ^ Martin, Betty (February 19, 1971). "MOVIE CALL SHEET: 'big' Role for Carol White". Los Angeles Times. p. i9.
  19. ^ "Brian Keith: Inducted to the Walk of Fame on June 26, 2008, with 1 star". Hollywood Walk of Fame. June 26, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  20. ^ Simon, Stephanie (June 25, 1997). "Actor Brian Keith Found Dead in Apparent Suicide". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  21. ^ "Actor Brian Keith dies in apparent suicide". AP NEWS. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  22. ^ Simon, Stephanie (June 25, 1997). "Brian Keith – Hollywood Star Walk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  23. ^ "Maureen O'Hara Discusses Her Life in Film". CNN Transcripts. CNN. October 28, 2000. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  24. ^ "Brian Keith-Daisy Keith grave plaques". Seeing-Stars. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  25. ^ . Getty Images. June 28, 2008. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  26. ^ "Set Up for Death". Suspense. 1949. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.

External links edit

brian, keith, other, people, named, disambiguation, robert, alba, keith, november, 1921, june, 1997, known, professionally, american, film, television, stage, actor, decade, career, gained, recognition, work, films, such, disney, family, film, parent, trap, 19. For other people named Brian Keith see Brian Keith disambiguation Robert Alba Keith 1 November 14 1921 June 24 1997 known professionally as Brian Keith was an American film television and stage actor who in his six decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family film The Parent Trap 1961 Johnny Shiloh 1963 the comedy The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming 1966 and the adventure saga The Wind and the Lion 1975 in which he portrayed President Theodore Roosevelt Brian KeithKeith in Dino 1957BornRobert Alba Keith 1921 11 14 November 14 1921Bayonne New Jersey U S DiedJune 24 1997 1997 06 24 aged 75 Malibu California U S Resting placeWestwood Village Memorial Park CemeteryOther namesRobert Keith Jr EducationEast Rockaway High SchoolOccupationActorYears active1947 1997SpousesFrances Helm m 1948 div 1954 wbr Judy Landon m 1954 div 1969 wbr Victoria Young Keith m 1970 wbr Children7ParentRobert Keith father Websitebriankeith wbr comOn television two of his best known roles were those of bachelor uncle turned reluctant parent Bill Davis in the 1960s sitcom Family Affair and a tough retired judge in the 1980s lighthearted crime drama Hardcastle and McCormick He also starred in The Brian Keith Show which aired on NBC from 1972 to 1974 where he portrayed a pediatrician who operated a free clinic on Oahu and in the CBS comedy series Heartland Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 Theatre 2 2 Television and films 2 3 Film stardom 2 4 The Westerner and Disney 2 5 Family Affair 2 6 The Brian Keith Show The Zoo Gang Archer 2 7 Hardcastle and McCormick Pursuit of Happiness and Heartland 2 8 Later career 3 Personal life 4 Death 5 Legacy 6 Filmography 6 1 Film 6 2 Television 6 3 Stage 6 4 Video games 7 References 8 External linksEarly life editRobert Alba Keith was born in Bayonne New Jersey on November 14 1921 to actor Robert Keith and stage actress Helena Shipman a native of Aberdeen Washington Some sources also list his full name as Brian Robert Keith 2 He was Roman Catholic 3 In 1941 he graduated from East Rockaway High School in East Rockaway New York He joined the United States Marine Corps in 1942 completing his service in 1945 He served during World War II as a radioman tail gunner in the rear cockpit of a two man Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber in a U S Marine squadron He was awarded a Combat Aircrew Insignia Air Medal Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with three battle stars and World War II Victory Medal 4 Career edit nbsp Keith in his TV series Crusader 1955 nbsp Keith and Spike in The Westerner 1960 Theatre edit Keith made his Broadway debut in 1948 in the ensemble of Mister Roberts which starred his father as Doc He was a guard in Darkness at Noon 1951 by Sidney Kingsley and was in Out West of Eighth 1951 which had only a short run Television and films edit Keith began to guest star on shows such as Hands of Mystery Shadow of the Cloak and an adaptation of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea in Tales of Tomorrow He was in Police Story Suspense Eye Witness The United States Steel Hour Robert Montgomery Presents and The Motorola Television Hour 5 Keith s feature film debut was in a Western for Paramount Arrowhead 1953 He stayed at that studio for Alaska Seas 1954 replacing Van Heflin and Jivaro 1954 6 Keith guest starred on Campbell Summer Soundstage The Pepsi Cola Playhouse Lux Video Theatre and The Mask and also played Mike Hammer in a television pilot directed by Blake Edwards but the series was not picked up He went to Columbia for The Bamboo Prison 1954 The Violent Men 1955 Tight Spot 1955 and 5 Against the House 1955 the last two directed by Phil Karlson 7 He was meant to support Joan Crawford in Queen Bee but did not appear in the final film 8 He guest starred on The Elgin Hour Mystery Is My Business Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre The Box Brothers The Ford Television Theatre Climax Wire Service and Studio 57 In 1955 Keith starred in his own series Crusader as fictional journalist Matt Anders He continued to appear in films for Columbia such as Storm Center 1956 co starring with Bette Davis and Nightfall 1956 with Aldo Ray In June 1956 he announced he had formed his own company Michael Productions and had optioned a story by Robert Blees called Cairo 9 Film stardom edit Keith was second billed in Dino 1957 with Sal Mineo and Run of the Arrow 1957 with Rod Steiger He was top billed in Chicago Confidential 1957 but returned to supporting parts with Appointment with a Shadow 1957 Hell Canyon Outlaws 1957 and Fort Dobbs 1958 He announced he would make Alien Virus for his Michael Productions but it was not made 10 Keith was top billed in some low budget action movies Violent Road 1958 Desert Hell 1958 Sierra Baron 1958 and Villa 1958 The last two were shot back to back in Mexico 11 12 He guest starred on Studio One in Hollywood Rawhide Laramie Alfred Hitchcock Presents and an episode of Zane Grey Theater which was written and directed by Sam Peckinpah and later led to The Westerner The Westerner and Disney edit Keith supported Paul Newman in The Young Philadelphians 1959 and had the lead in two productions for Disney the TV show Elfego Baca Move Along Mustangers 1959 and the feature Ten Who Dared 1960 In 1960 he won acclaim for his starring role in Sam Peckinpah s extremely hard bitten adult and short lived series The Westerner 1960 It went for only 13 episodes but became a cult classic Only four or five of those were any good said Keith later But those four or five were as good as anything anybody has ever done 13 Keith guest starred in The Untouchables The Americans Frontier Circus Alcoa Premiere Outlaws Follow the Sun and Alfred Hitchcock Presents again Keith made a second film for Disney playing the father of twins in the film The Parent Trap 1961 costarring Hayley Mills and Maureen O Hara which was a huge hit Critical acclaim was given to The Deadly Companions 1961 a Western with O Hara which marked Peckinpah s feature directorial debut Keith did two more films for Disney Moon Pilot 1962 and Savage Sam 1963 He guest starred on Target The Corruptors The Alfred Hitchcock Hour The Virginian Sam Benedict Dr Kildare The Fugitive Wagon Train 77 Sunset Strip Kraft Suspense Theatre The Great Adventure and Profiles in Courage Keith did a Western for Universal The Raiders 1963 then returned to Disney for Johnny Shiloh 1963 Bristle Face 1964 The Tenderfoot 1964 A Tiger Walks 1964 and Those Calloways 1965 He went to Fox for The Pleasure Seekers 1964 and had support roles in The Hallelujah Trail 1965 The Rare Breed 1966 again with O Hara and Nevada Smith 1966 co starring with Steve McQueen as traveling gunsmith Jonas Cord Keith did the comedies The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming 1966 for Norman Jewison Way Way Out 1966 with Jerry Lewis and With Six You Get Eggroll 1968 with Doris Day Family Affair edit nbsp Keith center right with Sebastian Cabot top and the other costars of Family AffairIn 1966 Keith landed the role of Uncle Bill Davis on CBS s popular television situation comedy Family Affair This role earned him three Emmy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy Series 14 The show made him a household name It was in the vein of such successful 1960s and 1970s sitcoms that dealt with widowhood and or many single parent issues such as The Andy Griffith Show My Three Sons The Beverly Hillbillies Petticoat Junction One Day at a Time Here s Lucy Julia The Courtship of Eddie s Father The Brady Bunch The Partridge Family and Sanford and Son During its first season in 1966 Family Affair was an immediate hit ranking number 15 in the Nielsen ratings 15 By the end of its fifth season in 1971 Family Affair still had high ratings but was cancelled after 138 episodes Kathy Garver who co starred as Keith s teenaged niece Cissy on Family Affair indicated that Keith said I m a cultural Irishman don t you know I m a cultural Irishman Garver explained But he went through many manifestations and changes of character during the five years that we shot At first he was up and then his second year he was going through a divorce and then the third year he met somebody else and he became more anecdotal and told stories that he loved kids and he was very outspoken about those that he did not like So he was a very interesting character and it was Brian and Sebastian Cabot who played Mr French had such a different style of acting and that s another reason I think that Family Affair was so popular and stayed as it did Both excellent actors both coming from very different methods and styles of acting with Sebastian was more from the classical style and he would take home his script and he would dutifully look at every single word and have it to perfection and then Brian would come in and say Oh what do we have today Let me see the scene uh huh uh huh let s go So he was very improvisational motion of the moment And those two different styles really worked out for each of them very well 16 During the series run Keith appeared in Reflections in a Golden Eye 1967 with Marlon Brando With Six You Get Eggroll 1968 with Doris Day Krakatoa East of Java 1968 for Cinerama and Gaily Gaily 1969 for Norman Jewison He had leading roles in Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came 1970 for Cinemrama and The McKenzie Break 1970 17 In 1970 Keith moved to Hawaii 13 Keith made Scandalous John 1971 for Disney Something Big 1972 with Dean Martin and director Andrew McLaglen and the TV movie Second Chance 1972 18 The Brian Keith Show The Zoo Gang Archer edit Keith went on to star as pediatrician Dr Sean Jamison in the NBC sitcom The Brian Keith Show also known as The Little People The series was cancelled in 1974 after two seasons The show ended because it was bad not because of Hawaii said Keith 13 Keith also starred in the role of Steven The Fox Halliday in the six part television miniseries The Zoo Gang 1974 about a group of former underground French Resistance fighters from World War II The show also starred Sir John Mills Lilli Palmer and Barry Morse and featured a theme by Paul McCartney 13 Keith was third billed in The Yakuza 1974 starring Robert Mitchum and in The Wind and the Lion 1975 starring Sean Connery Keith played President Theodore Roosevelt for writer director John Milius He starred in the TV series Archer 1975 as Lew Archer replacing Peter Graves who d starred in the pilot but it was cancelled after six episodes and has never been rerun in the United States Jerry Goldsmith s score for the first episode of the series was released in 2018 by Lalaland Records 13 Keith did some Westerns The Quest 1976 pilot and Joe Panther 1976 and the TV movie The Loneliest Runner 1976 He had a supporting role in Nickelodeon 1976 and did the TV movies In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan 1977 and The Court Martial of George Armstrong Custer 1977 He was in How the West Was Won 1978 Hooper 1978 with Burt Reynolds Centennial 1979 and The Chisholms 1979 In 1992 he starred in the unsold ABC half hour pilot The Streets of Beverly Hills Keith spoke fluent Russian which led to his casting as a Russian in two roles as a Soviet scientist in the film Meteor 1979 with Natalie Wood who also spoke fluent Russian and played his translator and as the Soviet premier in the NBC miniseries World War III 1982 with Rock Hudson He replaced Barnard Hughes on Broadway in Da and was on The Seekers 1979 Power 1980 The Silent Lovers 1980 The Mountain Men 1980 with Charlton Heston and Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen 1981 Of the latter he joked I only did the picture because it had a long title and I seem to specialize in those 5 He had support roles in Sharky s Machine 1981 with Burt Reynolds and Cry for the Strangers 1982 Hardcastle and McCormick Pursuit of Happiness and Heartland edit Keith once again returned to series television in 1983 with Hardcastle and McCormick in the role of a cranky retired judge named Milton C Hardcastle Daniel Hugh Kelly co starred as ex con Mark McCormick in this ABC crime drama with elements of comedy The chemistry of Keith and Kelly was a hit and the series lasted three years until its cancellation in 1986 2 During the series run Keith was in Murder She Wrote and The B R A T Patrol 1986 Keith starred in The Alamo Thirteen Days to Glory 1987 as Davy Crockett and Death Before Dishonor then did another TV series Pursuit of Happiness 1987 88 which ran 10 episodes He was in After the Rain 1988 Young Guns 1988 and Perry Mason The Case of the Lethal Lesson 1989 He starred in another short lived series Heartland 1989 He had roles in Welcome Home 1989 and Lady in the Corner 1989 Later career edit Keith made a guest appearance in the Evening Shade season one episode Chip Off The Old Brick 1991 as the loud mouthed father of Herman Stiles played by actor Michael Jeter He reprised his character from The Westerner in The Gambler Returns The Luck of the Draw 1991 which featured numerous actors from 1950s TV series playing their original roles in brief cameos had the lead in Walter amp Emily 1991 a short lived sitcom and The Streets of Beverly Hills 1992 a pilot Brian Keith appeared on a two part episode of Major Dad season four The People s Choice as the Major s Gerald McRaney domineering father who pays a visit to the family The episode aired on September 25 1992 Keith performed the role of Mullibok on the Star Trek Deep Space Nine season one episode entitled Progress 1993 in which an elderly farmer resists forcible relocation by Bajoran authorities Among his last performances were The Secrets of Lake Success Wind Dancer The Commish Under a Killing Moon 1994 The Return of Hunter Everyone Walks in L A 1995 The Monroes Favorite Deadly Sins 1995 Entertaining Angels The Dorothy Day Story 1996 Walker Texas Ranger Touched by an Angel and The Second Civil War 1997 Keith guest starred in an episode of the TV series The Marshal titled The Bounty Hunter 1995 in which he played then Wichita Kansas Police Chief Rick Stone under the stage name of Chief Skoblow The Wichita Police Department cooperated with the Canadian TV production company by providing details of Chief Stone s actual police dress uniform for Keith to wear during the episode Keith also provided the voice of Ben Parker on Spider Man The Animated Series In his last film Keith played President William McKinley in the film Rough Riders 1997 Director John Milius dedicated the film to Brian Keith Actor Marine Raconteur 19 Personal life editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed March 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message Keith married three times first to Frances Helm then in 1954 to actress Judy Landon who made a guest appearance on Family Affair and finally in 1970 to Hawaiian actress Victoria Young nee Leialoha who later appeared on The Brian Keith Show as Nurse Puni Keith had two children with Landon and they adopted three children Keith also had two children with Young Death editOn June 24 1997 at the age of 75 Keith died of a self inflicted gunshot wound 20 at his home in Malibu California 21 He suffered from emphysema and lung cancer during the latter part of his life despite having quit smoking ten years earlier He reportedly also struggled with financial problems and suffered from depression throughout his final days 22 Keith s death occurred two months after the death of his daughter Daisy who also died by suicide citation needed Maureen O Hara stated in an interview not long after Keith died that she believed he did not commit suicide She stated that he had a large gun collection and enjoyed cleaning them and showing them to people She believed he might have been cleaning the gun or looking at it when it went off and that his death was an accident and definitely not a suicide She had just visited him and said he was in good spirits She also stated that he would not have committed suicide given his Catholic beliefs 23 Keith s family was joined by many mourners at a private funeral including Family Affair co stars Kathy Garver and Johnny Whitaker and Hardcastle and McCormick co star Daniel Hugh Kelly Keith s ashes were interred next to those of his daughter Daisy at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles 24 Legacy editOn June 26 2008 Brian Keith received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 25 Filmography editFilm edit Pied Piper Malone 1924 as Little Boy The Other Kind of Love 1924 as Child uncredited citation needed Knute Rockne All American 1940 as Student at Train Station uncredited citation needed Portrait of Jennie 1948 as Ice Skating Extra uncredited citation needed Fourteen Hours 1951 as Extra uncredited citation needed Arrowhead 1953 as Capt Bill North Alaska Seas 1954 as Jim Kimmerly Jivaro 1954 as Tony The Bamboo Prison 1954 as Cpl Brady The Violent Men 1955 as Cole Wilkison Tight Spot 1955 as Vince Striker 5 Against the House 1955 as Brick Storm Center 1956 as Paul Duncan Nightfall 1956 as John Run of the Arrow 1957 as Capt Clark Dino 1957 as Larry Sheridan Chicago Confidential 1957 as Dist Atty Jim Fremont Appointment with a Shadow 1957 as Lt Spencer Hell Canyon Outlaws 1957 as Happy Waters Fort Dobbs 1958 as Clett Violent Road 1958 as Mitch Barton Desert Hell 1958 as Capt Robert Edwards Sierra Baron 1958 as Jack McCracken Villa 1958 as Bill Harmon The Young Philadelphians 1959 as Mike Flanagan Ten Who Dared 1960 as William Bill Dunn The Deadly Companions 1961 as Yellowleg The Parent Trap 1961 as Mitch Evers Moon Pilot 1962 as Maj Gen John M Vanneman Savage Sam 1963 as Uncle Beck Coates The Raiders 1963 as John G McElroy Narrator A Tiger Walks 1964 as Sheriff Pete Williams The Pleasure Seekers 1964 as Paul Barton Those Calloways 1965 as Cam Calloway The Hallelujah Trail 1965 as Frank Wallingham The Rare Breed 1966 as Bowen Nevada Smith 1966 as Jonas Cord The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming 1966 as Police Chief Link Mattocks Way Way Out 1966 as Gen Howling Bull Hallenby Reflections in a Golden Eye 1967 as Lt Col Morris Langdon With Six You Get Eggroll 1968 as Jake Iverson Krakatoa East of Java 1969 as Connerly Gaily Gaily 1969 as Francis Sullivan Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came 1970 as Officer Michael M Nace The McKenzie Break 1970 as Capt Jack Connor Scandalous John 1971 as John McCanless Something Big 1971 as Col Morgan The Yakuza 1975 as George Tanner The Wind and the Lion 1975 as President Theodore Roosevelt Joe Panther 1976 as Capt Harper citation needed Nickelodeon 1976 as H H Cobb Hooper 1978 as Jocko Meteor 1979 as Dr Dubov The Mountain Men 1980 as Henry Frapp Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen 1981 as Police Chief Sharky s Machine 1981 as Papa Death Before Dishonor 1987 as Col Halloran Young Guns 1988 as Buckshot Roberts After the Rain 1988 citation needed Lady in a Corner 1989 as David Henderson citation needed Welcome Home 1989 as Harry Robins Wind Dancer 1993 as Truman Richards citation needed Entertaining Angels The Dorothy Day Story 1996 as Cardinal The Second Civil War 1997 as Maj Gen Charles Buford Walking Thunder 1997 as Narrator voice Rough Riders 1997 as President William McKinley Follow Your Heart 1999 as Roddy Thompson final film role citation needed Television edit Suspense CBS Set Up for Death 1949 starring John Marley amp Brian Keith 26 Police Story CBS guest star Tales Of Tomorrow Appointment On Mars 1952 Television Series as Robert Keith Jr Target The Corruptors ABC guest star Sam Benedict NBC guest star Crusader CBS 1955 56 52 episodes in title role as Matt Anders The Westerner NBC 1960 as Dave Blassingame Alfred Hitchcock Presents 1959 Season 4 Episode 31 Your Witness as Arnold Shawn Alfred Hitchcock Presents 1959 Season 5 Episode 5 No Pain as Dave Rainey Alfred Hitchcock Presents 1960 Season 5 Episode 34 Cell 227 as Herbert Herbie Morrison Outlaws NBC 1961 62 2 episodes as guest star as Sven Johannsen Jim Whipple The Untouchables The Jamaica Ginger Story 1961 as Jim Martinson Alfred Hitchcock Presents 1962 Season 7 Episode 20 The Test as Vernon Wedge The Alfred Hitchcock Hour CBS 1962 Season 1 Episode 3 Night of the Owl as Jim Mallory The Virginian Duel at Shiloh 1963 as Johnny Wade Wagon Train 1963 2 episodes as guest star as First Sgt Gault Tom Tuesday Fear in a Desert City Pilot for The Fugitive 1963 as Edward Welles Kraft Suspense Theatre A Cause of Anger S1 Ep 19 NBC 1964 as Andy Bastian The Tenderfoot 1964 a three part television miniseries comedy Western for Walt Disney s Wonderful World of Color Family Affair CBS 1966 71 as Uncle Bill Davis Password CBS 1966 as Himself Game Show Contestant Celebrity Guest Star The Bull of the West TV movie 1972 as Johnny Wade archive footage The Brian Keith Show NBC 1972 74 as Dr Sean Jamison The Zoo Gang ITV 1974 as Steven The Fox Halliday Archer NBC six episodes 1975 as Lew Archer The Loneliest Runner NBC 1976 as Arnold Curtis In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan TV movie 1977 as Joe Quinlan How the West Was Won originally titled The Macahans ABC 1977 as General Stonecipher Centennial NBC 1978 79 as Sheriff Axel Dumire The Seekers 1979 as Elijah Weatherby The Chisholms CBS 1979 as Andrew Blake World War III miniseries as Soviet General Secretary Gorny Cry for the Strangers TV movie 1982 as Chief Whalen Hardcastle and McCormick ABC 1983 86 as Judge Milton C Hardcastle The Murder of Sherlock Holmes Pilot for Murder She Wrote CBS 1984 as Caleb McCallum The B R A T Patrol Disney Made for TV movie ABC 1986 Pursuit of Happiness ABC 1987 as Prof Roland G Duncan Perry Mason The Case of the Lethal Lesson CBS 1989 as Frank Wellman Sr Heartland CBS 1989 as B L McCutcheon The Young Riders Star Light Star Bright ABC 1991 as Cyrus Happy Walter amp Emily NBC 1991 92 as Walter Collins Evening Shade Chip Off the Old Brick CBS 1991 94 The Streets of Beverly Hills pilot ABC 1992 Major Dad The People s Choice parts I amp II season 4 episodes 1 amp 2 CBS 1992 as Jake MacGillis Star Trek Deep Space Nine Progress syndicated 1993 as Mullibok Spider Man 1995 as Uncle Ben voice The Commish The Iceman Cometh ABC 1994 as Phil Iceman Greene Lou Parslow Cybill Who s Who for What s His Name season 2 episode 16 CBS 1996 as Arthur Minnow Pacific Blue First Shoot season 1 episode 2 USA 1996 as Mac McNamara Touched by an Angel CBS 1996 as Leonard Pound Walker Texas Ranger Ghost Rider season 5 episode 3 CBS 1996 as Del Forman Duckman Kidney Popsicle and Nuts season 4 episode 18 USA 1997 as Duckman s Father voice Stage edit Heyday 1946 Mr Roberts as First Mate c 1950 as Robert Keith Jr N B Robert Keith Sr was the Doctor in it Darkness at Noon 1951 Da 1978 Video games edit Under a Killing Moon 1994 as The ColonelReferences edit Keith Victoria Y 2014 About Us BrianKeith com Retrieved August 29 2015 a b Van Gelder Lawrence June 25 1997 Brian Keith Hardy Actor 75 Played Dads and Desperadoes The New York Times Retrieved August 29 2015 Hays Matthew It s a Family Affair Montreal Mirror Archived from the original on June 30 2012 Retrieved August 29 2015 I was surprised at Brian who was Catholic p 30 Naval Aviation News Nov Dec 1988 Vol 71 No 1 a b Vosburgh Dick June 26 1997 Obituary Brian Keith The Independent p 18 THOMAS M PRYOR June 27 1953 DISNEY IS TESTING FOX CINEMASCOPE Pleased With Film Process but Isn t Sure He Will Use It on Dog Cartoon Feature THE NEW YORK TIMES p 7 Hopper Hedda October 14 1954 Brian Keith Set for Five Against House Los Angeles Times p A13 Hopper Hedda February 5 1955 Brian Keith to Star With Joan Crawford Los Angeles Times p 14 Schallert Edwin June 4 1956 Drama John Wayne Revives Batjac Heston to Tour Straw Hat Show Circuit Los Angeles Times p A9 Schallert Edwin August 5 1957 Modern Sergeant York Type Aimed at Sinatra Rome Fashion Fete Due Los Angeles Times p C11 Dexter Maury 2012 Highway to Hollywood PDF p 92 THOMAS M PRYOR November 19 1957 REGAL TO START TEN FILMS SOON New York Times a b c d e Smith Cecil January 26 1975 Brian Keith s playing Lew Archer but with Hawaii on his mind Los Angeles Times p q2 Brian Keith Biography TV Guide Retrieved August 29 2015 Mavis Paul December 1 2007 Family Affair Season Four DVD Talk Retrieved August 29 2015 OSB Episode 120 On Screen amp Beyond July 11 2010 Retrieved August 29 2015 Martin Betty October 18 1968 Break Role for Keith Los Angeles Times p f18 Martin Betty February 19 1971 MOVIE CALL SHEET big Role for Carol White Los Angeles Times p i9 Brian Keith Inducted to the Walk of Fame on June 26 2008 with 1 star Hollywood Walk of Fame June 26 2008 Retrieved August 29 2015 Simon Stephanie June 25 1997 Actor Brian Keith Found Dead in Apparent Suicide Los Angeles Times Retrieved August 29 2015 Actor Brian Keith dies in apparent suicide AP NEWS Retrieved March 17 2022 Simon Stephanie June 25 1997 Brian Keith Hollywood Star Walk Los Angeles Times Retrieved August 29 2015 Maureen O Hara Discusses Her Life in Film CNN Transcripts CNN October 28 2000 Retrieved May 26 2017 Brian Keith Daisy Keith grave plaques Seeing Stars Retrieved May 26 2017 Brian Keith Honored At The Hollywood Walk of Fame Getty Images June 28 2008 Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved August 29 2015 Set Up for Death Suspense 1949 Archived from the original on December 21 2021 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brian Keith nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Brian Keith nbsp Biography portalOfficial website Brian Keith at IMDb Brian Keith at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp Brian Keith at the TCM Movie Database Brian Keith at Memory Alpha Brian Keith at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Brian Keith amp oldid 1188724826, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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