Wesley Lau
Encyclopedia
Wesley Lau was an American
film and television actor.
. A World War II
veteran of the United States Army Air Corps
, Lau studied playwriting at the University of Wisconsin and received a Master of Arts
degree at Yale Drama School.
. He appeared more frequently during the latter part of the show's run, especially during times when longtime series regular Ray Collins
, who played Lt. Arthur Tragg, was absent (Collins later died in 1965 before the series ended its run).
Other shows in which he made appearances in include Alfred Hitchcock Presents
, Gunsmoke
, The Twilight Zone
, The Time Tunnel
, Mission: Impossible
, and Cannon
.
in Los Angeles.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television actor.
Early life
Wesley Lau was born and raised in Sheboygan, WisconsinSheboygan, Wisconsin
-Airport:Sheboygan is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, which is located several miles from the city.-Roads:Interstate 43 is the primary north-south transportation route into Sheboygan, and forms the west boundary of the city. U.S...
. A World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran of the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
, Lau studied playwriting at the University of Wisconsin and received a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree at Yale Drama School.
Career
During his acting career, Lau was probably best known as Lt. Andy Anderson in the series Perry MasonPerry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
. He appeared more frequently during the latter part of the show's run, especially during times when longtime series regular Ray Collins
Ray Collins (actor)
Ray Bidwell Collins was an American actor in film, stage, radio, and television. One of Collins' best remembered roles was that of Lt. Arthur Tragg in the long-running series Perry Mason.- Biography :...
, who played Lt. Arthur Tragg, was absent (Collins later died in 1965 before the series ended its run).
Other shows in which he made appearances in include Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
, Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
, The Time Tunnel
The Time Tunnel
The Time Tunnel is a 1966–1967 U.S. color science fiction TV series. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen, his third science fiction television series. The show's main theme was Time Travel Adventure. The Time Tunnel was released by 20th Century Fox and broadcast on ABC. The show ran...
, Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
, and Cannon
Cannon (TV series)
Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976.The primary protagonist was the title character, Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad....
.
Death
Lau is buried at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills CemeteryForest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
in Los Angeles.
Television series
- Studio OneStudio One (TV series)Studio One is a long-running American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by the 26-year-old Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC.-Radio:...
- Crime at Blossom's (1953) - Armstrong Circle TheatreArmstrong Circle TheatreArmstrong Circle Theatre is an American anthology drama television series which ran from 1950 to 1957 on NBC, and then until 1963 on CBS. It alternated weekly with The U.S. Steel Hour.-Synopsis:...
- Night Court (1957) Mr. Miller - Omnibus - Lee at Gettysburg (1957) Maj. Gen. John B. Hood
- Steve Canyon - Operation Crash Landing (1958) Sgt. Bowman
- LawmanLawman (tv series)Lawman is an American Western television series originally telecast from 1958 to 1962 starring John Russell as Marshal Dan Troop and featuring Peter Brown as Deputy Marshal Johnny McKay on the ABC Television Network. The series was set in Laramie, Wyoming during the mid to late 1870s. Warner Bros....
- The Badge (1958) Rick Andrews - Mickey Spillane's Mike HammerMickey Spillane's Mike HammerMickey Spillane's Mike Hammer is the title used for two syndicated television series that followed the adventures of fictional private detective Mike Hammer...
- Peace Bond (1958) Johnny Conrad
- Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
- Mrs. Herman and Mrs. Fenimore (1958) Police Detective
- And the Desert Shall Blossom (1958) Tex, the Deputy
- Flight
- The Dart (1958)
- Destination Normandy (1958)
- Typhoon Chasers (1958)
- Jane Wyman Presents
- He Came for the Money (1958) Clay
- Day of Glory (1958) Commander Von Schoss
- The DuPont Show with June AllysonThe DuPont Show with June AllysonThe DuPont Show with June Allyson is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959 to April 3, 1961 with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961...
- The Girl (1959) Joseph Dunn - Pony ExpressPony Express (TV series)Pony Express is a half-hour syndicated western television series which ended its 39-episode schedule in 1960, the centennial of the launching of the Pony Express, a short-lived venture promoted by William Hepburn Russell of the freight company Russell, Majors and Waddell...
- The Peace Offering (1959) Hager - WhirlybirdsWhirlybirdsWhirlybirds is an American drama television series....
- Mr. Jinx (1959) James - Westinghouse Desilu PlayhouseWestinghouse Desilu PlayhouseWestinghouse Desilu Playhouse is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on CBS television between 1958 and 1960...
- A Diamond for Carla (1959) Jery Wilson - Goodyear TheatreGoodyear TheatreGoodyear Theatre is a 30-minute dramatic television anthology series telecast on NBC from 1957 to 1960 for a total of 55 episodes. The live show was derected by Don Taylor, Arthur Hiller and James Sheldon...
- Story Without a Moral (1959) Captain Rheinhold
- Peter GunnPeter GunnPeter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...
- Kill from Nowhere (1959) Joe Scully
- The Death Frame (1960) Eddie Carson
- Have Gun–Will Travel
- Sons of Aaron Murdock (1959) Lew Murdock
- Saturday Night (1960) Stub
- GunsmokeGunsmokeGunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
- Miguel's Daughter (1959) Ab
- Young Love (1959) Rod Allison
- The Blacksmith (1960) Willy
- Black SaddleBlack SaddleBlack Saddle is an American Western series that ran for forty-four episodes on ABC from January 10, 1959 to May 6, 1960. The series was produced by Dick Powell's Four Star Television, and the original pilot was an episode of Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater, with Chris Alcaide playing Culhane.For...
- Client: Tagger (1959) Jesse Britt
- Burden of Guilt (1960) Trip Harris
- Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond
- The Haunted U-Boat (1959) Lt. Schneider
- The Mask (1960) Lt. Harold Wilenski
- Michael Shayne - Murder in Wonderland (1960) Jerry Latimer
- The Law and Mr. JonesThe Law and Mr. JonesThe Law and Mr. Jones is a 45-episode half-hour television crime drama starring James Whitmore. The series aired on ABC in two nonconsecutive seasons from October 7, 1960, to September 22, 1961, and again from April 19 to July 5, 1962...
- Christmas Is a Legal Holiday (1960) Roger Forester - The UntouchablesThe Untouchables (1959 TV series)The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
- Kiss of Death Girl (1960) Whitey Barrows - The Life and Legend of Wyatt EarpThe Life and Legend of Wyatt EarpThe Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp is a Western television series loosely based on the adventures of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp. The half-hour black and white series ran on ABC-TV from 1955 to 1961 and featured Hugh O'Brian as Earp. An off-camera barbershop quartet sang the theme song and hummed...
- He's My Brother (1960) Dave Dray
- Tales of Wells FargoTales of Wells FargoTales of Wells Fargo is an American Western television series that ran from March 18, 1957 to June 2, 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season when it expanded to an hour.-Synopsis:...
- Leading Citizen (1960) Morgan Bates
- The English Woman (1960) Hank
- The Chevy Mystery Show - Trial by Fury (1960) Lieutenant Crane
- Shotgun SladeShotgun SladeShotgun Slade is an American western television series starring Scott Brady that aired in syndication from October 24, 1959, until 1961. Created by Frank Gruber, the stories were written by John Berardino, Charissa Hughes, and Martin Berkeley...
- Backtrack (1960) Jeb - M SquadM SquadM Squad is an American police drama television series that ran from 1957 to 1960 on NBC. Its format would later inspire the creation of spoof TV show Police Squad! Its sponsor was the Pall Mall cigarette brand; Lee Marvin, the program's star, appeared in its commercials during the...
- A Grenade for a Summer's Evening (1960) Harry - Law of the PlainsmanLaw of the PlainsmanLaw of The Plainsman is a Western television series starring Michael Ansara that aired on the NBC television network from October 1, 1959, until May 5, 1960. The character of Native American U.S...
- Stella (1960) Staff Meeker - Johnny RingoJohnny Ringo (TV series)Johnny Ringo is a Western television series starring Don Durant that aired on CBS from October 1, 1959, until June 30, 1960. It was loosely based on the life of the notorious gunfighter Johnny Ringo, who tangled with Wyatt Earp, John "Doc" Holliday, and "Buckskin" Franklin Leslie.This fictional...
- Uncertain Vengeance (1960) Red Crale - The Detectives Starring Robert TaylorThe Detectives Starring Robert TaylorThe Detectives Starring Robert Taylor is an American crime drama series which ran on ABC during its first two seasons, and on NBC during its third and final season...
- The Trap (1960) Carl Ryan - Mr. Lucky - The Two Million Dollar Window (1960) Slate
- Johnny MidnightJohnny Midnight (TV series)Johnny Midnight is an American crime drama that aired for one season in syndicated from January to December 1960. The series stars Edmond O'Brien as the title character.-Synopsis:...
- An Old-Fashioned Frame (1960) Connor - Adventures in ParadiseAdventures in ParadiseAdventures in Paradise is an American television series which ran on ABC from 1959 until 1962. It starred Gardner McKay as Adam Troy, the captain of the schooner Tiki III which sailed the South Pacific looking for passengers and adventure. The show was created by James Michener...
- Vendetta (1961) Paul Moore - The Tall ManThe Tall Man (TV series)The Tall Man is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from 1960 to 1962. The series was produced by Revue Productions.-Synopsis:...
- Ladies of the Town (1961) Jason Cleary - COronado 9COronado 9Coronado 9 is a syndicated crime drama set in San Diego, California, starring Rod Cameron as Dan Adams, a former United States Navy intelligence officer turned private detective. Coronado 9 is Adams's address; the numeral 9 on a rock shown near his front door in the opening credits denotes the...
- But the Patient Died (1961) Dr. David Travis - Wagon TrainWagon TrainWagon Train is an American Western series that ran on NBC from 1957–62 and then on ABC from 1962–65...
- The Christopher Hale Story (1961) Stevens - Outlaws - The Bill Doolin Story (1961) Sam Evans
- The Blue AngelsThe Blue Angels (TV series)The Blue Angels is a 1960-1961 syndicated television series about the Blue Angels of the United States Navy. The program starred Dennis Cross as Commander Arthur Richards, the head of a four-man squadron which tours the country to give flight exhibitions...
- Alien Entry (1961) Vic Lavet - Shirley Temple Theatre - Rebel Gun (1961) Sheriff Westram
- The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
- The Fugitive (1962) Man
- Twenty Two (1961) Airline Agent
- Perry MasonPerry Mason (TV series)Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
(1961–1965) Lt. Andy Anderson (69 episodes)
- Combat! - Soldier of Fortune (1965) Meyer
- The Big ValleyThe Big ValleyThe Big Valley is an American television Western which ran on ABC from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969, which starred Barbara Stanwyck, as a California widowed mother. It was created by A.I. Bezzerides and Louis F. Edelman...
- Earthquake! (1965) Ralph Snyder
- BonanzaBonanzaBonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
- Desert Justice (1960) Dave Walker
- Her Brother's Keeper (1966) Carl Armory
- The Time TunnelThe Time TunnelThe Time Tunnel is a 1966–1967 U.S. color science fiction TV series. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen, his third science fiction television series. The show's main theme was Time Travel Adventure. The Time Tunnel was released by 20th Century Fox and broadcast on ABC. The show ran...
- Revenge of the Gods (1966) M/Sgt. Jiggs
- One Way to the Moon (1966) M/Sgt. Jiggs
- Rendezvous with Yesterday (1966) Master Sgt. Jiggs
- Chase Through Time (1967) M/Sgt. Jiggs
- LaredoLaredo (TV series)Laredo is an NBC Western television series starring Neville Brand, William Smith, Peter Brown, and Philip Carey as Texas Rangers. The program premiered on September 16, 1965, and the final new episode was broadcast on April 7, 1967. The series was produced by Universal Television.-Synopsis:Laredo...
- The Calico Kid (1966) Jacobus Carson
- The Seventh Day (1967) Reverend Egan Thomas
- Garrison's GorillasGarrison's GorillasGarrison's Gorillas was an ABC TV series broadcast from 1967 to 1968; a total of 26 hour-long episodes were produced. It was inspired by the 1967 film The Dirty Dozen, which featured a similar scenario of training Allied prisoners for World War II military missions.The Garrison's Gorillas pilot...
- Banker's Hours (1967) Karl Vogel - Run for Your LifeRun for Your Life (TV series)Run for Your Life is an American television drama series starring Ben Gazzara as a man with only a short time to live. It ran on NBC from 1965 to 1968. The series was created by Roy Huggins, who had previously explored the "man on the move" concept with The Fugitive.-Synopsis:Gazzara plays lawyer...
- A Choice of Evils (1967) Phil Carson
- The VirginianThe Virginian (TV series)The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
- Nobody Said Hello (1966) Matt McLain
- The Gentle Tamers (1968) Hoyt
- Vengeance Trail (1967) Sheriff Ben Morris
- Land of the GiantsLand of the GiantsLand of the Giants was an hour-long American science fiction television program lasting two seasons beginning on September 22, 1968 and ending on March 22, 1970. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen. Land of the Giants was the fourth of Allen's science fiction TV series. The show was...
- The Creed (1968) Policeman #1
- Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color - The Mystery of Edward Sims: Pt 1 & Pt 2 (1968) Mr. Parker
- The Mod SquadThe Mod SquadThe 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...
- Willie Poor Boy (1969) Dr. Albee
- The Poisoned Mind (1971) Dr. Maggio
- LongstreetLongstreet (TV series)Longstreet is an American crime drama series that was broadcast on the ABC in the 1971-1972 season . A 90-minute pilot movie of the same name aired prior to the debut of the series as an ABC Movie of the Week.-Synopsis:...
- One in the Reality Column (1971) Defense Attorney
- Mission: ImpossibleMission: ImpossibleMission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
- Doomsday (1969) Dr. Thorgen
- My Friend, My Enemy (1970) Karl Maur
- The Field (1971) (teleplay)
- Double Dead (1972) Jim Thompson
- CannonCannon (TV series)Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976.The primary protagonist was the title character, Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad....
- Hear No Evil (1972) Ray Norman
- Valley of the Damned (1973) Lt. Harry Wharton
- IronsideIronside (TV series)Ironside is a Universal television series which ran on NBC from September 14, 1967 to January 16, 1975. The show starred Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside. The character's debut was in a TV-movie on March 28, 1967. The original title of the show in the...
- In the Forests of the Night (1973) Thompkins
- ChaseChase (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...
- Gang War (1973)
- The MagicianThe Magician (TV series)The Magician was an American television series that ran during the 1973–1974 season. It starred Bill Bixby as stage illusionist Anthony "Tony" Blake, a playboy philanthropist who used his skills to solve difficult crimes as needed. In the series pilot, the character was instead named Anthony...
- Ovation for Murder (1973) Captain Gottschalk
- The Illusion of the Curious Counterfeit: Part 2 (1974) Captain Gottschalk
- Shattered Image (1974) Captain Gottschalk
- The Six Million Dollar ManThe Six Million Dollar ManThe Six Million Dollar Man is an American television series about a former astronaut with bionic implants working for the OSI...
- Lost Love (1975) Emil
- Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the DollsJacqueline Susann's Valley of the DollsJacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls is a 1981 television miniseries based on Jacqueline Susann's novel of the same title....
(1981) Man with Dog
Feature-length films
- I Want to Live!I Want to Live!I Want to Live! is a 1958 film noir produced by Walter Wanger and directed by Robert Wise which tells the heavily fictionalized story of a woman, Barbara Graham, convicted of murder and facing execution. It stars Susan Hayward as Graham, and also features Simon Oakland, Stafford Repp, and Theodore...
(1958) Henry L. Graham - The AlamoThe Alamo (1960 film)The Alamo is a 1960 American historical epic released by United Artists. The film was directed by John Wayne, who also starred as Davy Crockett. The cast also includes Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie and Laurence Harvey as William B...
(1960) Emil Sande - The Foxes (1961)
- The Venetian AffairThe Venetian Affair (film)The Venetian Affair is a 1967 spy film directed by Jerry Thorpe. It stars Robert Vaughn and Elke Sommer and is based on a novel by Helen MacInnes...
(1967) Neill Carlson - Ride to Hangman's Tree (1967) Sheriff Gordon
- Panic in the City (1968) Police Lt. Brady
- Journey to Shiloh (1968) Col. Boykin
- Crosscurrent (1971) Inspector Poole
- No Place to Run (1972) Bill Ryan
- Skyjacked (1972) Stanley Morris
- Call to Danger (1973) Police Sergeant
- Incident on a Dark Street (1973) John Pine
- Homebodies (1974) Construction Foreman
- Cry Panic (1974) Joe Red
- Lepke (1975) First Detective (also as a writer)