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Simon Oakland

December 12, 2023

Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television.[1]

Simon Oakland
Oakland as Inspector Spooner in Toma (1973)
Born
Simon Weiss

(1915-08-28)August 28, 1915
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 29, 1983(1983-08-29) (aged 68)
Cathedral City, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1951–1983
Spouse
Lois Lorraine Porta
​
​
(m. 1943)​
Children1

During his career, Oakland performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and made-for-television movies between 1951 and 1983. His most notable big-screen roles were in Psycho (1960), West Side Story (1961), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968), The Hunting Party (1971), and Chato's Land (1972).

Early life and career edit

Oakland was born in Brooklyn, New York,[2] the eldest of the three sons of immigrant Jewish parents, Jacob Weiss and Ethel Oaklander, born in Romania and the Russian Empire respectively.[3][4] His father was a plasterer and builder.[5] While he later claimed in media interviews to have been born in 1922[5][6] (a date repeated in his New York Times obituary),[1][7] Social Security and vital records indicate he was born Simon Weiss in 1915; his stage name was derived from his mother's maiden name, Oaklander.[8][9][10][Note 1]

He began his performing career as a musician (he was a violinist,[12] an avocation he pursued during his entire career as an actor). Oakland began his acting career in the late 1940s. He enjoyed a series of Broadway hits, including Light Up the Sky, The Shrike, and Inherit the Wind, and theater was one of his lasting passions. He was a concert violinist until the 1940s.[citation needed]

Film and television edit

In 1955, Oakland made his film debut, albeit uncredited, as an Indiana state trooper in The Desperate Hours. He next appeared in two films released in 1958: as Mavrayek in The Brothers Karamazov and as journalist Edward Montgomery in I Want to Live! 

Oakland's notable performance in I Want to Live! led to his playing a long series of bullying and dislikable tough-guys, either as authority figures or villains or an admixture of both. He appeared in Psycho as the psychiatrist who, at the end of the film, explains Norman Bates's multiple personality disorder. He appeared in the films West Side Story, The Sand Pebbles, and Bullitt.

He made two guest appearances on CBS's Perry Mason, both times as the murder victim. He appeared in the syndicated crime drama, Decoy, starring Beverly Garland. Oakland appeared once on the CBS Western Dundee and the Culhane and once on the series Sheriff of Cochise. He was also a regular, in a comedic supporting role, as General Thomas Moore, on NBC's Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring Robert Conrad. He appeared in two episodes of the original The Twilight Zone TV series and in The Outer Limits as the alien birdman in "Second Chance". In 1974 and 1975, he was a series regular on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, playing newspaper editor Tony Vincenzo. (He had previously played the same character in the two made-for-television movies that served as the pilot for the series.)

During the 1970s, Oakland appeared in multiple episodes of The Rockford Files, three times as blustery private detective Vern St. Cloud, a nemesis/ antagonist for Jim Rockford.

 
Death certificate of Simon Oakland

Personal life edit

Oakland was married to Lois Lorraine Porta.[6][13] The couple had one daughter, Barbara.[1]

Death edit

Oakland continued working up to the year of his death. His last credited acting appearance was in the episode "Living and Presumed Dead" on the CBS television series Tucker's Witch. That episode aired three months before Oakland's death from colon cancer in Cathedral City, California, on August 29, 1983, the day after his 68th birthday.

TV and filmography edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Some primary sources suggest his birth name may have been Isidor Weiss.[4][11] One source reported that his "real name" was Si Oaklander,[5] but this is contradicted by the weight of evidence.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Simon Oakland, 61, Actor who starred in 3 TV series, dies". New York Times. September 1, 1983. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  2. ^ "Villain on the screen really is a nice guy". The Morning Record. December 9, 1967. p. 3. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  3. ^ "Death Notices: Weiss, Ethel". The Miami News. October 9, 1974 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "United States Census, 1930". Family Search. Retrieved June 3, 2016. Isidor Weiss in household of Jacob Weiss, Brooklyn (registration required)
  5. ^ a b c Wilson, Earl (May 14, 1977). "People Recognise His Face But Not Oakland's Name". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 11A. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Blank, Edward L. (January 3, 1972). "Simon Oakland: 'Face is Familiar - What's his name?'". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 39. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  7. ^ "Michigan Obituaries, 1820-2006". FamilySearch. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  8. ^ "California Death Index, 1940-1997". Ancestry.com. Retrieved September 28, 2019. Duplicate entries under surname Weiss and Oakland with same Social Security number.
  9. ^ "California Death Index, 1940-1997". Ancestry.com. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  10. ^ "U.S. Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014". Ancestry.com. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  11. ^ "New York, New York, Births, 1910-1965". Ancestry.com. New York City Department of Health. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  12. ^ Thompson, Ruth (October 28, 1968). "More Than 800 Programs for Simon Oakland". The Gettysburg Times. No. TV Magazine. p. 1. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  13. ^ "Funeral Services & Memorials: Lois Lorraine Oakland, 84". Santa Fe New Mexican. New Mexico. April 9, 2003. p. 12 – via Newspaperarchive.com.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Simon Oakland.

December 12, 2023
simon, oakland, august, 1915, august, 1983, american, actor, stage, screen, television, oakland, inspector, spooner, toma, 1973, bornsimon, weiss, 1915, august, 1915brooklyn, york, diedaugust, 1983, 1983, aged, cathedral, city, california, occupationactoryears. Simon Oakland August 28 1915 August 29 1983 was an American actor of stage screen and television 1 Simon OaklandOakland as Inspector Spooner in Toma 1973 BornSimon Weiss 1915 08 28 August 28 1915Brooklyn New York U S DiedAugust 29 1983 1983 08 29 aged 68 Cathedral City California U S OccupationActorYears active1951 1983SpouseLois Lorraine Porta m 1943 wbr Children1During his career Oakland performed primarily on television appearing in over 130 series and made for television movies between 1951 and 1983 His most notable big screen roles were in Psycho 1960 West Side Story 1961 The Sand Pebbles 1966 Bullitt 1968 The Hunting Party 1971 and Chato s Land 1972 Contents 1 Early life and career 2 Film and television 3 Personal life 4 Death 5 TV and filmography 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksEarly life and career editOakland was born in Brooklyn New York 2 the eldest of the three sons of immigrant Jewish parents Jacob Weiss and Ethel Oaklander born in Romania and the Russian Empire respectively 3 4 His father was a plasterer and builder 5 While he later claimed in media interviews to have been born in 1922 5 6 a date repeated in his New York Times obituary 1 7 Social Security and vital records indicate he was born Simon Weiss in 1915 his stage name was derived from his mother s maiden name Oaklander 8 9 10 Note 1 He began his performing career as a musician he was a violinist 12 an avocation he pursued during his entire career as an actor Oakland began his acting career in the late 1940s He enjoyed a series of Broadway hits including Light Up the Sky The Shrike and Inherit the Wind and theater was one of his lasting passions He was a concert violinist until the 1940s citation needed Film and television 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 Find sources Simon Oakland news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message In 1955 Oakland made his film debut albeit uncredited as an Indiana state trooper in The Desperate Hours He next appeared in two films released in 1958 as Mavrayek in The Brothers Karamazov and as journalist Edward Montgomery in I Want to Live Oakland s notable performance in I Want to Live led to his playing a long series of bullying and dislikable tough guys either as authority figures or villains or an admixture of both He appeared in Psycho as the psychiatrist who at the end of the film explains Norman Bates s multiple personality disorder He appeared in the films West Side Story The Sand Pebbles and Bullitt He made two guest appearances on CBS s Perry Mason both times as the murder victim He appeared in the syndicated crime drama Decoy starring Beverly Garland Oakland appeared once on the CBS Western Dundee and the Culhane and once on the series Sheriff of Cochise He was also a regular in a comedic supporting role as General Thomas Moore on NBC s Baa Baa Black Sheep starring Robert Conrad He appeared in two episodes of the original The Twilight Zone TV series and in The Outer Limits as the alien birdman in Second Chance In 1974 and 1975 he was a series regular on Kolchak The Night Stalker playing newspaper editor Tony Vincenzo He had previously played the same character in the two made for television movies that served as the pilot for the series During the 1970s Oakland appeared in multiple episodes of The Rockford Files three times as blustery private detective Vern St Cloud a nemesis antagonist for Jim Rockford nbsp Death certificate of Simon OaklandPersonal life editOakland was married to Lois Lorraine Porta 6 13 The couple had one daughter Barbara 1 Death 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 December 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Oakland continued working up to the year of his death His last credited acting appearance was in the episode Living and Presumed Dead on the CBS television series Tucker s Witch That episode aired three months before Oakland s death from colon cancer in Cathedral City California on August 29 1983 the day after his 68th birthday TV and filmography editThe Desperate Hours 1955 as state trooper uncredited Gunsmoke 1956 1965 TV Series as Carl Mandee Miguel Jim Nation Enoch Mills The Sheriff of Cochise 1956 Episode Question of Honor season 1 as Charlie Moon The Silent Service 1958 episode USS Cavalla Lucky Lady s Famous First Patrol as Captain Herman J Kossler The Brothers Karamazov 1958 as Mavrayek I Want to Live 1958 as Edward S Ed Montgomery Have Gun Will Travel 1958 Episode The Statue of San Sebastian season one as Sancho Fernandez Adventures in Paradise 1959 1962 TV series as Martin John Briggs Red Mulligan and McGraw The Alaskans 1959 episode Doc Booker as Doc Booker Men Into Space 1959 episode 13 Quarantine as Dr Horton The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond 1960 as Lieutenant Moody Perry Mason 1960 1961 TV series as Captain Mike Caldwell Howard Walters Laramie 1960 episode Ride or Die as fugitive Vernon Kane Who Was That Lady 1960 as Belka Psycho 1960 as Dr Richmond the psychiatrist who explains Norman Bates case Murder Inc 1960 as Detective Sergeant William Tobin The Twilight Zone 1961 1963 episodes The Rip Van Winkle Caper and The Thirty Fathom Grave the original series hosted by Rod Serling as De Cruz and Captain Beecham respectively West Side Story 1961 as Lieutenant Schrank a neighborhood police lieutenant Route 66 1962 episode To Walk With the Serpent as Ben Newcombe Bus Stop 1962 episode Cry to Heaven as Sergeant Brokaw Tales of Wells Fargo 1962 episode Portrait of Teresa as Poderio Cain s Hundred 1962 episode The New Order as Walter Hayes Follow That Dream 1962 as Nick Third of a Man 1962 as Doon Ben Casey 1962 episode When You See an Evil Man as Jake Hemingway s Adventures of a Young Man 1962 as Joe Boulton Car 54 Where Are You 1962 episode Hail to the Chief as Secret Service Agent Cordner Wagon Train 1962 episode The Donna Fuller Story The Untouchables 1962 1963 TV series as Russ Bogan Pete The Persuader Kalmisky Joe Palakopolous Mr Pal Bonanza 1963 1969 TV series as Judge Seth Tabor Frank Scott Mel Barnes William Poole three episodes Combat 1963 1965 TV series as Sergeant Tom Akers Private Clawson Stoney Burke 1963 episode Image of Glory as Sam Hagen Rawhide 1963 episode Incident of the Travelin Man as Bolivar Jagger Wall of Noise 1963 as Johnny Papadakis My Favorite Martian 1963 season one episode onr My Favorite Martian as Lieutenant Murphy The Raiders 1963 as Sgt Austin Tremaine The Outer Limits 1964 episode Second Chance as Empyrian Mr Novak 1964 episode With a Hammer in His Hand Lord Lord as Carl Green Mr Broadway 1964 episode Try to Find a Spy with Barbara Feldon as Shaw The Reporter 1964 in series finale Vote for Murder as Detective Lieutenant Gene Gordon Daniel Boone 1965 1969 TV series as Bickford General James Wilkerson Dull Knife The Satan Bug 1965 as Tasserly Get Smart 1965 as Cowboy The Plainsman 1966 as Chief Black Kettle The Sand Pebbles 1966 as the sailor Stawski Mission Impossible 1967 episode The Frame as Jack Wellman Tony Rome 1967 as Rudy Kosterman Gentle Ben 1967 1969 TV Series as Packy Benner Chubasco 1968 as Laurindo Hawaii Five O 1968 1975 TV series as Benny Kalua Frank Epstein Mauritany Shako Mendoza It Takes A Thief 1968 episode A Very Warm Reception as Colonel Savrille Bullitt 1968 as Captain Sam Bennett The Wild Wild West 1968 episode The Night of the Fugitives as Diamond Dave Desmond The Big Valley 1969 episode The Secret as Adam Howard Ironside 1969 1973 TV series as Mel Grayson Theodore Berringer Sr Elton Ferris On a Clear Day You Can See Forever 1970 as Dr Conrad Fuller Scandalous John 1971 as Barton Whittaker The Hunting Party 1971 as Matthew Gunn The Night Stalker 1972 as Vincenzo Chato s Land 1972 as Jubal Hooker The Night Strangler 1973 as Tony Vincenzo Emperor of the North 1973 as Policeman Happy Mother s Day Love George 1973 as Sheriff Roy The Starlost 1973 episode And Only Man Is Vile as Dr Asgard Toma 1973 1974 TV series as Inspector Spooner Kolchak The Night Stalker 1974 1975 TV series as Tony Vincenzo Ellery Queen 1975 episode The Adventure of the Pharaoh s Curse as Norris Wentworth Baa Baa Black Sheep 1976 1978 TV series as Brigadier General Thomas Moore Gibbsville 1976 episode All the Young Girls season one as Chapman Kojak 1976 episode Dead Again as security chief of a department store getting extorted The Feather and Father Gang 1977 episode The Big Frame season one episode 14 as Cosgrove David Cassidy Man Undercover 1978 1979 TV series as Sergeant Abrams Lieutenant Abrams CHiPs 1979 episodes Drive Lady Drive Pts I and II as Bruno Evening in Byzantium 1978 as Walter Klein The Rockford Files 1977 1979 four episodes over three seasons 3 as Vern St Cloud Beppy Conigliaro Charlie s Angels 1980 episode Angel s Child as Sgt Shanks His character s name during the show was always spoken as Cates but in the credits it is listed as Shanks Quincy M E 1978 1982 TV series as U S Sen Reeves Keith Zagner Chick Thomas Sal Jarrett Vega 1981 Episode Set Up as private detective Eddie Miller CHiPs 1982 episode Alarmed as Sweeny The Littlest Hobo 1982 episode Mail Order Bride season three as Tom Beecher Tucker s Witch 1983 episode Living and Presumed Dead season one as Daniel Gorman final appearance Notes edit Some primary sources suggest his birth name may have been Isidor Weiss 4 11 One source reported that his real name was Si Oaklander 5 but this is contradicted by the weight of evidence References edit a b c Simon Oakland 61 Actor who starred in 3 TV series dies New York Times September 1 1983 Retrieved March 1 2016 Villain on the screen really is a nice guy The Morning Record December 9 1967 p 3 Retrieved March 3 2016 Death Notices Weiss Ethel The Miami News October 9 1974 via Newspapers com a b United States Census 1930 Family Search Retrieved June 3 2016 Isidor Weiss in household of Jacob Weiss Brooklyn registration required a b c Wilson Earl May 14 1977 People Recognise His Face But Not Oakland s Name Sarasota Herald Tribune p 11A Retrieved March 1 2016 a b Blank Edward L January 3 1972 Simon Oakland Face is Familiar What s his name The Pittsburgh Press p 39 Retrieved March 2 2016 Michigan Obituaries 1820 2006 FamilySearch Retrieved March 1 2016 California Death Index 1940 1997 Ancestry com Retrieved September 28 2019 Duplicate entries under surname Weiss and Oakland with same Social Security number California Death Index 1940 1997 Ancestry com Retrieved September 28 2019 U S Social Security Death Index 1935 2014 Ancestry com Retrieved September 28 2019 New York New York Births 1910 1965 Ancestry com New York City Department of Health Retrieved February 2 2018 Thompson Ruth October 28 1968 More Than 800 Programs for Simon Oakland The Gettysburg Times No TV Magazine p 1 Retrieved March 3 2016 Funeral Services amp Memorials Lois Lorraine Oakland 84 Santa Fe New Mexican New Mexico April 9 2003 p 12 via Newspaperarchive com External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Simon Oakland nbsp Biography portal nbsp New York City portal nbsp California portal nbsp Music portal nbsp Theatre portal nbsp Film portal nbsp Television portalSimon Oakland at IMDb Simon Oakland at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp Simon Oakland at the Internet Off Broadway Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Simon Oakland amp oldid 1184511241, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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