Darryl Richard (actor)
Encyclopedia
Darryl Richard is a former child actor
who appeared on television
from 1955 until 1966. He is best remembered for the role of Morton "Smitty" Smith, the best friend of the character Jeff Stone, played by Paul Petersen
, in twenty episodes of ABC
's situation comedy
series, The Donna Reed Show
.
Richard's first television appearance occurred at the age of eight on January 18, 1955, as Tony in the episode "The Bogey Man" of The U.S. Steel Hour, an acclaimed live-drama series, which then aired on ABC. Richard also appeared in 1955 and 1956 in separate roles in three episodes of CBS
's The Phil Silvers Show
. On January 1, 1960, Richard appeared as Andy in the episode "Sundance and the Blood Money" on Earl Holliman
's CBS western
series, Hotel de Paree
. That same month, he starred as Steve in the episode "Roy Runs Away" of CBS's The Betty Hutton Show
. In the fall of 1960, Richard played the part of Turk in two episodes of CBS's The Ann Sothern Show
.
On May 17, 1962, he made his first appearance on The Donna Reed Show in the episode entitled "The Swingin' Set" as Morton "Smitty" Smith, the best friend of Jeff Stone. His last appearance occurred in the series finale on March 19, 1966 in the segment entitled "By-Line--Jeff Stone." That episode also constituted Richard's own final network television appearance. It occurred one day after his twentieth birthday.
On June 1, 1962, two weeks after his Donna Reed debut, Richard played Thompson in the episode "The Changing of the Guard
" of CBS's The Twilight Zone
, hosted by Rod Serling
. The episode centers upon a teacher at a boys' school, played by Donald Pleasance, who when forced to retire against his wishes contemplates suicide in the mistaken belief that he has made little impact in his career.
Richard also appeared in The Dick Powell Show
, Sam Benedict
, The Rifleman
, and the NBC
sitcom Grindl
, starring Imogene Coca
. On May 7, 1964, Richard played Ralph in "Charlie, He Couldn't Kill a Fly" of NBC's Kraft Suspense Theatre
. On July 18, 1964, he appeared as Frank Peterson on Summer Playhouse: The Jimmy Durante Show.
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
who appeared on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
from 1955 until 1966. He is best remembered for the role of Morton "Smitty" Smith, the best friend of the character Jeff Stone, played by Paul Petersen
Paul Petersen
William Paul Petersen is an American movie actor, singer, novelist, and activist. Primarily known for his character-type roles in the 1960s and 1970s, as an adult Petersen established the organization A Minor Consideration to support child stars and other child laborers through legislation,...
, in twenty episodes of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
series, The Donna Reed Show
The Donna Reed Show
The Donna Reed Show is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the upper middle class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz appears as her pediatrician husband Alex, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children Mary and Jeff. The show originally aired on ABC at 10 pm from September...
.
Richard's first television appearance occurred at the age of eight on January 18, 1955, as Tony in the episode "The Bogey Man" of The U.S. Steel Hour, an acclaimed live-drama series, which then aired on ABC. Richard also appeared in 1955 and 1956 in separate roles in three episodes of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's The Phil Silvers Show
The Phil Silvers Show
The Phil Silvers Show is a comedy television series which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959 for 142 episodes, plus a 1959 special. The series starred Phil Silvers as Master Sergeant Ernest G...
. On January 1, 1960, Richard appeared as Andy in the episode "Sundance and the Blood Money" on Earl Holliman
Earl Holliman
-Early life:Earl Holliman was born at Delhi in Richland Parish of northeastern Louisiana. Holliman’s biological father died before he was born, and his biological mother, living in poverty with several other children, gave him up for adoption at birth...
's CBS western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series, Hotel de Paree
Hotel de Paree
Hotel de Paree is a Western television series that aired on the CBS Friday schedule from October 2, 1959, until June 3, 1960, under the alternate sponsorship of Liggett & Myers and Kellogg's....
. That same month, he starred as Steve in the episode "Roy Runs Away" of CBS's The Betty Hutton Show
The Betty Hutton Show
The Betty Hutton Show is an American sitcom that aired on CBS's Thursday night schedule during the 1959-1960 season. The show was sponsored by General Foods' Post Cereals, and was produced by Desilu and Hutton Productions....
. In the fall of 1960, Richard played the part of Turk in two episodes of CBS's The Ann Sothern Show
The Ann Sothern Show
The Ann Sothern Show is an American sitcom starring Ann Sothern that aired on CBS for 93 episodes. The series began on October 6, 1958, and ended on September 25, 1961. The Ann Sothern Show was Sothern's second sitcom for CBS...
.
On May 17, 1962, he made his first appearance on The Donna Reed Show in the episode entitled "The Swingin' Set" as Morton "Smitty" Smith, the best friend of Jeff Stone. His last appearance occurred in the series finale on March 19, 1966 in the segment entitled "By-Line--Jeff Stone." That episode also constituted Richard's own final network television appearance. It occurred one day after his twentieth birthday.
On June 1, 1962, two weeks after his Donna Reed debut, Richard played Thompson in the episode "The Changing of the Guard
The Changing of the Guard (The Twilight Zone)
"The Changing of the Guard" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:Professor Ellis Fowler is an elderly teacher who is forced into retirement by his school...
" of CBS's The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
, hosted by Rod Serling
Rod Serling
Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling was an American screenwriter, novelist, television producer, and narrator best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen and helped form...
. The episode centers upon a teacher at a boys' school, played by Donald Pleasance, who when forced to retire against his wishes contemplates suicide in the mistaken belief that he has made little impact in his career.
Richard also appeared in The Dick Powell Show
The Dick Powell Show
The Dick Powell Show is an American anthology series that ran on NBC from 1961- 1963, primarily sponsored by the Reynolds Metals Company. It was hosted by longtime film star Dick Powell until his death from lymphatic cancer on January 2, 1963, then by a series of guest hosts until the series ended...
, Sam Benedict
Sam Benedict
Sam Benedict is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from September 1962 to March 1963. The series was created and executive produced by E. Jack Neuman....
, The Rifleman
The Rifleman
The Rifleman is an American Western television program that starred Chuck Connors as homesteader Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show, filmed in black-and-white with a half hour running time, ran...
, and the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom Grindl
Grindl
Grindl is an American situation comedy that began in the fall of 1963 on NBC, originally sponsored by Procter & Gamble. The show, starring Imogene Coca in the title role, lasted for one season.-Synopsis:...
, starring Imogene Coca
Imogene Coca
Imogene Fernandez de Coca was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows....
. On May 7, 1964, Richard played Ralph in "Charlie, He Couldn't Kill a Fly" of NBC's Kraft Suspense Theatre
Kraft Suspense Theatre
Kraft Suspense Theatre, an anthology series, was telecast from 1963 to 1965 on NBC. Sponsored by Kraft Foods, it was seen three weeks out of every four and was pre-empted for Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall specials once monthly...
. On July 18, 1964, he appeared as Frank Peterson on Summer Playhouse: The Jimmy Durante Show.