Donald Porter was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 actor

Actor

An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

 who appeared in a number of film

Film

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

s in the 1940s, including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron, but is perhaps best known for his role as Russell Lawrence, the widowed father of 15-year old Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field

Sally Field

Sally Margaret Field is an American actress, singer, producer, director, and screenwriter. In each decade of her career, she has been known for major roles in American TV/film culture, including: in the 1960s, for Gidget or Sister Bertrille on The Flying Nun ; in the 1970s, for Sybil , Smokey and...

) in the 1965 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...

 television series Gidget

Gidget (TV series)

Gidget is an American sitcom about a surfing, boy-crazy teenager called "Gidget" and her widowed father Russ Lawrence, a UCLA professor. Sally Field stars as Gidget with Don Porter as her father. The series was first broadcast on ABC from September 15, 1965 through April 21, 1966...

.

Career

Born in Miami, Oklahoma

Miami, Oklahoma

Miami is a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. As of 2009, the population estimate was 12,910. It is the county seat of Ottawa County. The city is named after the Miami tribe...

, Porter began his acting career in the late 1930s. He appeared in various film in the 1940s before landing the role of Peter Sands, the boss of Susan Camille MacNamara (Ann Sothern

Ann Sothern

Ann Sothern was an American film and television actress whose career spanned six decades.-Early life and career:...

) on the 1950s 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...

 Private Secretary

Private Secretary (TV series)

Private Secretary is an American sitcom that aired from February 1, 1953 to September 10, 1957 on CBS, alternating with The Jack Benny Program on Sundays at 7:30pm EST...

. A retooled version of the series appeared later, titled 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...

. It featured many of the same actors, including Porter, in the venue of a fashionable New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 hotel

Hotel

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

. He later guest starred on episodes of Green Acres

Green Acres

Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...

, Love, American Style

Love, American Style

Love, American Style is an hour-long TV anthology produced by Paramount Television and originally aired between September 1969 and January 1974...

, The Mod Squad

The Mod Squad

The Mod Squad is a television series that ran on ABC from September 24, 1968, until August 23, 1973. This series starred Michael Cole, Peggy Lipton, Clarence Williams III, and Tige Andrews...

, Barnaby Jones

Barnaby Jones

Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement...

, The Six Million Dollar Man

The Six Million Dollar Man

The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...

, Hawaii Five-O

Hawaii Five-O

Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...

, Three's Company

Three's Company

Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....

, on which he played John Ritter

John Ritter

Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...

's uncle, and Switch

Switch (TV series)

Switch is an American action-adventure, tongue-in-cheek detective series starring Eddie Albert and Robert Wagner, who worked as private eyes, for a deceptive sting operation...

. Porter also had roles in the television film The Legend of Lizzie Borden

The Legend of Lizzie Borden

The Legend of Lizzie Borden is a 1975 American television movie. It premiered on ABC on February 10, 1975.-Plot:The film, although based on fact, is a stylish retelling of the events of August 4, 1892 when the parents of New England spinster Lizzie Andrew Borden were found brutally murdered in...

(1975).

Porter also appeared in numerous films including The Turning Point

The Turning Point (1952 film)

The Turning Point is a 1952 crime syndicate drama starring Edmond O'Brien. It's based on Horace McCoy's novel "Storm in the City" and inspired by the Kefauver Committee hearings.-Plot:...

(1952), Our Miss Brooks (1956), Gidget Goes to Rome

Gidget Goes to Rome

Gidget Goes to Rome is a 1963 Columbia Pictures feature film starring Cindy Carol as the archetypal high school teen surfer girl originally created by Sandra Dee in the 1959 film Gidget. The film is the third of three Gidget films directed by Paul Wendkos and expands upon Gidget's romance with...

(playing Russell Lawrence two years prior to repeating the role in the series), and the 1974 film adaptation of Mame

Mame (film)

Mame is a 1974 musical film based on the 1966 Broadway musical of the same name, directed by Gene Saks, written by Paul Zindel, and starring Lucille Ball and Beatrice Arthur.Warner Bros...

with Lucille Ball

Lucille Ball

Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...

 and Bea Arthur. Porter made his last onscreen appearance in a 1988 episode of CBS Summer Playhouse

CBS Summer Playhouse

CBS Summer Playhouse is an American anthology series that ran from June 12, 1987 to August 22, 1989 on CBS. It aired unsold television pilots during the summer season.-Overview:...

.

Personal life and death

Porter was married to actress Peggy Converse with whom he had two children. He died at the age of eighty-four at his home in Beverly Hills, California

Beverly Hills, California

Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...

 on February 11, 1997.

Selected filmography

Film
Year	Film	Role	Notes
1939	Mystery of the White Room	Dr. Donald Fox
1941	Sing for Your Supper	Tim	Uncredited
1942	Who Done It?	Art Fraser
1943	Keep 'Em Slugging Keep 'Em Slugging Keep 'Em Slugging is a 1943 American film starring The Little Tough Guys.-Plot:Tommy and his gang decide to get jobs in order to free draft-age men for the war effort. Because of their previous encounters with the law, the group has a tough time getting hired. Eventually, Tommy gets a job at a...	Jerry
1944	Resisting Enemy Interrogation	Lieutenant Frank L. Williams, Jr.	Uncredited
1946	She-Wolf of London She-Wolf of London (film) She-Wolf of London is a 1946 horror film produced by Universal Studios, directed by Jean Yarbrough and starring June Lockhart and Don Porter. The title evokes the earlier Werewolf of London , although, unlike its forebear, it is concerned more with mystery and suspense than supernatural horror...	Barry Lanfield	Alternative title: The Curse of the Allenbys
	Cuban Pete Cuban Pete (film) Cuban Pete is a 1946 black-and-white musical comedy film released in the United States. It was directed by Jean Yarbrough and starred the Cuban-born actor and musician Desi Arnaz....	Roberts	Alternative title: Down Cuba Way
1947	Buck Privates Come Home Buck Privates Come Home Buck Privates Come Home is a 1947 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is a sequel to their 1941 hit, Buck Privates....	Capt. Christie	Alternative title: Rookies Come Home
1950	My Friend Irma Goes West My Friend Irma Goes West My Friend Irma Goes West is a 1950 film based on the radio show My Friend Irma and featuring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis...	Mr. Brent
1951	The Racket The Racket (1951 film) The Racket is a 1951 remake of the the 1928 film The Racket. This film noir-style black-and-white film was directed by John Cromwell with uncredited directing help from Nicholas Ray and Mel Ferrer. The police crime drama is based on a popular Bartlett Cormack play. The Racket is a 1951 remake of...	R.G. Connolly
1952	Because You're Mine Because You're Mine This article is about the 1952 musical comedy film. For other uses see Because You're Mine .Because You're Mine is a 1952 musical comedy film starring Mario Lanza. Directed by Alexander Hall, the film also stars Doretta Morrow, James Whitmore, and Dean Miller.-Plot:Opera singer superstar Renato...	Captain Burton Nordell Loring
	The Savage The Savage The Savage is a 1952 Western film directed by George Marshall and starring Charlton Heston. Much of the film was shot in the Black Hills of South Dakota.-Plot synopsis:...	Running Dog	Credited as Donald Porter
1957	Desk Set Desk Set Desk Set is a 1957 American romantic comedy film directed by Walter Lang and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn...	Elevator operator Don	Uncredited Alternative title: His Other Woman
1961	Bachelor in Paradise Bachelor in Paradise Bachelor in Paradise is a 1961 Metrocolor romantic comedy film starring Bob Hope and Lana Turner. It was directed by Jack Arnold, and written by Valentine Davies and Hal Kanter, based on story by Vera Caspary....	Thomas W. Jynson
1964	Youngblood Hawke	Ferdie Lax
1968	Live a Little, Love a Little Live a Little, Love a Little Live A Little, Love A Little is a 1968 musical comedy starring Elvis Presley. It was directed by Norman Taurog, who had directed several previous Presley films. This was to be Taurog's final film. Shortly thereafter, he went blind...	Mike Lansdown
1972	The Candidate The Candidate (1972 film) The Candidate is a 1972 American film starring Robert Redford. Its themes include how the political machine corrupts. There are many parallels between the then-recent 1970 California Senate election between John V. Tunney and George Murphy; however, Redford's character Bill McKay is a political...	Senator Crocker Jarmon
1973	40 Carats 40 Carats (film) Forty Carats is a 1973 American film directed by Milton Katselas, based on the play by Jay Presson Allen. The screenplay was written by Leonard Gershe and directed by Milton Katselas. The cast include Liv Ullman, Edward Albert, Gene Kelly, Binnie Barnes, Deborah Raffin, Nancy Walker, and Natalie...	Mr. Latham
1975	White Line Fever White Line Fever (film) White Line Fever is an American movie about truck drivers released in 1975 and starring Jan-Michael Vincent.-Backstory:Sam Hummer was a local truck driver from Tucson Arizona who worked for a Tucson-based produce-shipper called "Red River". His driving partners were Duane Haller and "Pops" Dinwiddie...	Cutler
1985	Joey Joey (1985 film) Joey, also known as Making Contact, is a 1985 West German fantasy film from Centropolis Film Productions . The film was co-written and directed by Roland Emmerich...		Alternative title: Making Contact
Television
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1953–1957	Private Secretary Private Secretary (TV series) Private Secretary is an American sitcom that aired from February 1, 1953 to September 10, 1957 on CBS, alternating with The Jack Benny Program on Sundays at 7:30pm EST...	Peter Sands	103 episodes
1959–1961	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...	James Devery	92 episodes
1965–1966	Gidget Gidget (TV series) Gidget is an American sitcom about a surfing, boy-crazy teenager called "Gidget" and her widowed father Russ Lawrence, a UCLA professor. Sally Field stars as Gidget with Don Porter as her father. The series was first broadcast on ABC from September 15, 1965 through April 21, 1966...	Professor Russell Lawrence	32 episodes
1969	Judd, for the Defense Judd, for the Defense Judd, for the Defense is an American legal drama originally broadcast on the ABC network on Friday nights from September 8, 1967, to September 19, 1969.-Synopsis:...	Frank Vinton	1 episode
1972	Cade's County Cade's County Cade's County is a modern-day Western/crime drama which aired on CBS during the 1971–72 television season. There were 24 episodes.-Synopsis:...	Martin Russell	1 episode
	Banacek Banacek Banacek is a short-lived, light-hearted detective TV series starring George Peppard on NBC from 1972 to 1974. It alternated in its timeslot with several other shows but was the only one to last beyond its first season...	Arnold Leeland	1 episode
	The Rookies The Rookies The Rookies is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It followed the exploits of three rookie police officers in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department .-History:...	General Brooker	1 episode
1973	The New Adventures of Perry Mason	Otis Temple	1 episode
	Tenafly Tenafly (TV series) Tenafly is a drama series and one of the TV shows for the NBC Mystery Movie for the 1973-74 season.-Overview:It starred James McEachin as Harry Tenafly, a former cop turned detective who finds himself in one pickle after another. It was also one of the few series that had a main black character on...	Miles	1 episode
1974	Here's Lucy Here's Lucy Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...	Ken Richards	1 episode
	The Six Million Dollar Man The Six Million Dollar Man The Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...	Dr. Stanley Bacon	1 episode
	Chase Chase (1973 TV series) Chase is an American television series that aired on the NBC network from September 11, 1973 to August 28, 1974. The show was a production of Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited for Universal Television and marked the first show produced by Stephen J...	Miller	1 episode
	The F.B.I.	Mason Hammond	1 episode
1975	Ellery Queen Ellery Queen (TV series) Ellery Queen is an American television detective mystery series that ran for one season from 1975 to 1976 on NBC. It starred Jim Hutton as Ellery Queen, and David Wayne as his father, Inspector Richard Queen...	Gregory Layton	1 episode
	McMillan & Wife	Adrian Danzinger	1 episode
1976–1977	The Bionic Woman The Bionic Woman The Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...	Dr. James Courtney	3 episodes
1977	Three's Company Three's Company Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....	Uncle Fremont	1 episode
1978	The Paper Chase The Paper Chase (TV series) The Paper Chase is a television series based on a 1970 novel by John Jay Osborn, Jr., as well as a 1973 film based on the novel. It follows the lives of law student James T. Hart and his classmates at Harvard Law School.-Production:...	Franklin Ford II	1 episode
	Vega$ Vega$ Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...	Senator William Mitchell	1 episode
	Sword of Justice Sword of Justice (TV series) Sword Of Justice is an American action-adventure television series that aired on NBC for one season during 1978 and 1979. The series was considered a mix of The Saint, It Takes a Thief, and The Rockford Files.-Synopsis:...	Judge Addams	1 episode
1980	Dallas Dallas (TV series) Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...	Matt Devlin	4 episodes
1981	Fantasy Island Fantasy Island Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...	Emmett Latham	1 episode
1983	Hotel Hotel (TV series) Hotel is an American prime time drama series which aired on ABC from September 21, 1983 to May 5, 1988 in the timeslot following Dynasty....	Jonathan Corry	1 episode
1986	Matlock Matlock (TV series) Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...	Professor Erskine Tate	1 episode

Award nominations

Year	Award	Result	Category	Series
1974	Daytime Emmy Award Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...	Nominated	Best Actor in Daytime Drama - For a Special Program	The ABC Afternoon Playbreak The ABC Afternoon Playbreak The ABC Afternoon Playbreak is an American television anthology series that was broadcast on ABC from 1973 to 1975. The ninety-minute dramas aired once a month and featured some of the more popular television and film stars of the 1970s .-Episodes:Season 1#"The Things I Never Said" #"A...

External links