Julie London's Biography

Gayle Peck; known professionally as: Julie London (September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American former singer, spokeswoman, game show panelist and prolific character actress of stage. She was best known for her smoky, sensual voice. London was at her singing career's peak in the 1950s, lasting her more than a decade, who's known for her only #1 song, Cry Me A River. Her acting career also lasted more than 35 years, it concluded with the female lead role of nurse Dixie McCall on the television series Emergency! (1972–1979), co-starring her best friend Robert Fuller and her real-life husband Bobby Troup, which was produced by her ex-husband Jack Webb.

Biography

Early life

An only child, she was born as Gayle Peck in Santa Rosa, California, in 1926, to Jack & Josephine Peck, who were Vaudeville performers, who also ran the photography studio. Compared to her rival Marilyn Monroe, she too was a Californian girl, a product depression-era American. Around the same time, her family moved to San Bernardino, California, right around 1930, that at the same time, she started singing on a local radio show, where she made her public singing debut, when she was only 3 years old. By 1941, aged 14, her parents’ photography studio went bankrupt hence, she and Gayle’s family moved to Los Angeles, California, in pursuit of a fresh start. Her idol, when she was young was: Billie Holliday, which happened to be her mother’s favorite singer. Together, they sang all of her songs. When she was 15, she temporarily sang in a local big band in hotels and clubs, and all around Hollywood. Her ex-classmate, Arthur Hamilton, wasn’t allowed to watch Gayle sing in clubs like that, due to his illegal age, and he didn’t know about it, though he heard of it. When Gayle met Arthur, she wasn’t sitting besides him in high school, but they talked and became best friends.

She was forced to give up performing in a local band when her actual age was discovered. While in high school, she had a couple of odd jobs, including that of a model. Her mother also got a job at a department store. She graduated from the Hollywood Professional School in 1945.

Her agent changed her name from Gayle Peck to Julie London, and arranged a screen test for the young and upcoming star in 1943. At 17, she made her acting debut in Nabonga, opposite former athlete and actor Buster Crabbe. Despite her shyness, London had decided to become an actress, when a film critic described her as a teenaged Bette Davis, provocative and decisively different. That same year, she performed with the USO, for six days.

In 1959, she co-starred in an unsold pilot titled Maggie Malone, which was a much revised version of a pilot opposite Gail Russell, called MacGreedy's Woman. Neither was picked up any of the networks.[1]

Marriages/Personal life

In July 1947, she married actor Jack Webb (of Dragnet fame). Her widely regarded beauty and poise (she was a pinup girl prized by GIs during World War II) contrasted strongly with his pedestrian appearance and streetwise acting technique (much parodied by impersonators). This unlikely pairing arose from their mutual love for jazz.[2] They had two daughters: Stacy and Lisa Webb. London and Webb divorced in November 1954. Daughter Stacy Webb was killed in a traffic accident in 1996. Webb met London, at one of the jazz clubs in Los Angeles in 1942, when she was only 15, Webb, 22.

In 1954, having become somewhat reclusive after her divorce from Webb, she met jazz composer and musician Bobby Troup at a club on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.[3] They married on December 31, 1959, and remained married until his death in February 1999. They had one daughter, Kelly Troup, who died in March 2002, and twin sons, Jody and Reese Troup.[4]

Career

Singing

London began singing in public in her teens before appearing in a film. She was discovered by talent agent Sue Carol (wife of actor Alan Ladd) while London was working as an elevator operator. Her early film career did not include any singing roles.

She recorded 32 albums in a career that began in 1955 with a live performance at the 881 Club in Los Angeles.[5] Billboard named her the most popular female vocalist for 1955, 1956, and 1957. She was the subject of a 1957 Life cover article in which she was quoted as saying, "It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of oversmoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate."

Julie London's debut recordings were for the Bethlehem Records label. While shopping for a record deal, she recorded 4 tracks that would later be included on the compilation albums Bethlehem's Girlfriends in 1955. Bobby Troup backed London on the dates, and London recorded the standards "Don't Worry About Me", "Motherless Child", "A Foggy Day", and "You're Blasé".[citation needed]

London's most famous single, "Cry Me a River", was written by her high-school classmate, Arthur Hamilton, and produced by Troup.[6] The recording became a million-seller after its release in December 1955 and also sold on re-issue in April 1983 from the attention brought by a Mari Wilson cover. London performed the song in the film The Girl Can't Help It (1956), and her recording gained later attention in the films Passion of Mind (2000) and V for Vendetta (2006).

Other popular singles include "Hot Toddy," "Daddy" and "Desafinado." Recordings such as "Go Slow" epitomized her career style: her voice is slow, smoky, and sensual.

The song "Yummy Yummy Yummy" was featured on the HBO television series Six Feet Under and appears on its soundtrack album. Her last recording was "My Funny Valentine" for the soundtrack of the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine (1981).[1]

Film

Primarily remembered as a singer, London also made more than 20 films. One of her strongest performances came in Man of the West (1958), starring Gary Cooper and directed by Anthony Mann, in which her character, the film's only woman, is abused and humiliated by an outlaw gang.

Smoky-sultry character actress

At the rise of her singing career, London also became a top-notch character actress, making her debut on an episode of: Zane Grey Theatre. The part led to other roles such as: Playhouse 90, The David Niven Show, Adventures in Paradise, The Red Skelton Hour, I Spy, Rawhide, Michael Shayne, Dan Raven, Hong Kong, Follow The Sun, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, The Big Valley (again with good friend Barbara Stanwyck), Checkmate, among many others.

Emergency!

In 1971, after over 15 years of recording, while singing in the nightclub circuit, and 1 failed pilot, London decided to quit recording to pursue her acting career, all the while, Liberty Records went out of business, after transferring to US Records. At the same time, she got a call from her ex-husband and best friend, Jack Webb, along with his partner, Robert A. Cinader, to play the female lead role in NBC's, Emergency!, where she was more than happy to be the producer's first choice for the character, and all of this was because the lounges that she performed were closed during the Nixon Administration. She also received second-billing as sexy, beautiful, head nurse, Dixie McCall. She was 45 when the show started, having to become an overnight sensation, airing in over 70 countries. This show is also the answer to other 1970s TV medical dramas such as: Marcus Welby, MD and Medical Center, medical shows that were groundbreaking that stood the test of time.

Despite the show's competition against the immensely-popular sitcom, All in the Family, her show, Emergency!, quickly became another one of the immensely-popular, nostalgical dramatic series where it was also the first show ever to feature 2 paramedics working for a specific program, while at the same time, it gained a massive audience to future doctors/nurses and paramedics, or even surgeons.

Already starring on the series was her lifelong best friend and familiar actor, Robert Fuller, who played the male lead role as her hotheaded partner, head physician, Dr. Kelly Brackett, who received first billing. London guest-starred with him on an episode of Laramie and (obviously) Julie’s real-life husband and unfamiliar actor/popular singer, Bobby Troup, who played the regular role of her calm partner, Dr. Joe Early, who got third-billing. Compared to London herself, Troup had been friends with Jack Webb for years, and had guest starred on both of their boss's popular series. And also starring on Emergency! were 2 unfamiliar actors: A USC college graduate, former Army trooper and ex-Paramount contract player, Kevin Tighe, in the role of senior paramedic, Roy DeSoto and a former Santa Barbara college student, a newspaper boy, and an ex-page @ NBC Studios @ Rockefeller Center in New York, Randolph Mantooth, in the role of Roy’s paramedic partner, John Gage. The on- and off-screen chemistry of London, Tighe & Mantooth were all a success of 1970s television, and even gather together to spend the more times at her’s & Bobby’s mansion in Encino, during hiatus, where the two spent an awful lot of times listening to music, while having a wonderful conversation with her & Bobby, becoming surrogate parents to the 2 boys. According to one of her co-stars, Mantooth said in several interviews by the time Emergency! aired, there were absolutely no paramedics in real-life, esp. in 1971, in the many 49 states, with the exception of the state of California, whose city Los Angeles had only 6 of them. They showed future president Ronald Reagan, the very 1st episode of the series, and he [Reagan] said 'This is what it can be.' Reagan watched the very 1st episode. Before the show would be in fruition for the next 8 seasons, paramedics were then certified.

Unlike London, amongst the rest of her regulars - who work regularly in the hospital, both of her own co-stars, Tighe & Mantooth, outside of the hospital who also worked at the fire station, performed a lot of on- and off-camera stunts, which gave the two young stars a lot of injuries, esp. Tighe, in the wake of his days in the Army, who was also wounded, which landed him in the hospital for 2 months cause of a bayenet wound. He also worked in Ft. Knox, KY, before all this. Off- the Emergency! set, Kevin also had to wear a body brace for 2 months because he hurt his back filming emergency and is afaide of heights also, but unlike Tighe, Randolph [being part-Indian] was not afraid of heights, who enjoyed climbing. At the end of every season, upon injuries that sustained both of her guys, she & Bobby actually made it their business, who in turn came to their rescue to recover from their own pains, but her two boys returned to the highly-rated series, making big bucks, esp. London herself. If that weren't enough, also unlike London & her second husband, more issues cames when her co-star, Mantooth, also had issues with his' & Tighe's own salaries, where they both had eye contacted with one another, to talk to the producers about getting better pay, all of these were adjusted, therefore, the money problems have been resolved.

She and her co-stars also appeared in an episode of the Webb-produced series Adam-12, reprising their roles. London and Troup appeared as panelists on the game show Tattletales several times in the 1970s. In the 1950s London appeared in an advertisment for Marlboro cigarettes singing the "Marlboro Song", and in 1978 appeared in television advertisements for Rose Milk Skin Care Cream. Her song "Love Must Be Catchin' On" appeared in the premiere episode of the ABC series "Pan Am" on Sunday, Sept. 25 2011.

Despite good ratings between 1977 and 1979, NBC has decided to pull the plug on its once-successful series, after 8 1/2 seasons & 133 episodes. After cancelation, Julie retired from acting to spend more time with her family, the year after she advertised for Rose Milk Skin Care Cream in 1978 TV spots.

The entire Emergency! cast had also guest-starred on Adam-12, reprising their roles. On July 9, 1986, 7 years after cancelation, the entire Emergency! cast were reunited to celebrate the show’s 15th Anniversary on Good Morning America. Joan Lunden, who was a die hard fan of the series, interviewed nearly the entire cast in New York, with the exception of London herself (who declined to appear), about the show’s key’s success, and massive fans who grew up watching the show later became paramedics.

On October 9, 1998, exactly 2 years before her death, nearly the entire cast appeared at the Emergency!, appeared at the 1998 Emergency! Convention Center in Burbank, California, but frailing health, prevented her from attending, and nobody paid tribute to her.

Long before he became a 1980s soap hunk, including a role on both Loving and The City, a popular character actor, and for being a widely-renown conference speaker, Randolph Mantooth, who played the role of Kevin Tighe's young, hotshot paramedic partner & Julie London's helper, Johnny Gage, said  in a 2012 interview done by Gary Richard Collins II @ the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, MI, about the time he met iconic singer/moviestar, Julie London, on a groundbreaking NBC TV show, Emergency!, if she was not a crazy, impish diva, "No, she was not.  She was not an impish nor a diva.  She was a soul kind of mother. She was the kindest person I have ever known." I also asked him if it was up to Julie London to make sure that both Kevin Tighe & Randy himself had stayed calm, "I don't know if it was up to her, but Kevin & I had kept calm by her personality. Bobby Troup only knew who she was - she was just like Julie.  She made us laughing!" To go over the deaths of Julie and Bobby, Randolph had also said in a 2008 interview with Fancast.com, of his on- and off-screen chemistry with Julie London & Bobby Troup, in a way he would always remember them dearly, "Bobby Troup and Julie London ... it was a killer when he passed away and Julie, too. It was like a real end of an era for us ... I still think about them and those times when Bobby was telling me how he wrote the song, "Route 66", and what he was going through ... I remember saying, 'Randy remember every word he is telling you' ... Julie London was so great, and she always referred to herself as a 'broad'. My fondest memory of her was the sheer joy of working with her ... she always had this droll sense of humor and I also remember sitting in their home [they were married from 1960 until he died in 1999; she was previously married to Jack Webb from 1947-1953]. It was this typical L.A. sprawling house in the hills overlooking the Valley and there were all these photos of Frank Sinatra and others ... I remember sitting there thinking I have been allowed to enter this sanctum that most people don't ever get to see. It was really neat." The very last thing he said was about the times when both Julie & Bobby gave them, "I felt honored to be invited into her's and Bobby's home and that she was very down-to-earth and well-liked. The blooper reel showed her like a big sister with me, though she embarrassed the heck, out of the poor kid at the time." For most of the 21 years after the cancelation ofEmergency!, Randolph did not keep in touch with Julie, but have always thought about her, every minute admiring her, with the exception of Jack's (Julie's real-life ex-husband, boss & best friend) death in 1982, drew London & Mantooth, real closer, as he was mourning in front of a TV star, who helped him get star status, the previous decade. He also appeared, along with best buddy, Kevin Tighe, in the Emergency! reunion, twice, between 1986 (for Good Morning America, which was hosted by a fan of 'Emergency!', Joan Lunden) and in 1998, at a conference in Burbank, between both of those events, her husband (Bobby Troup) came to both of them, as for London, she did not appear in both of those reunions, one in 1986 was for personal reasons and in 1998 due to her stroke she suffered, a few years ago, just a couple years before her death.

Hobbies:

London had 15 hobbies: cooking, spending time with family, smoking, singing, partying, knitting, dining, listening to music, reading, working on crossword puzzles, swimming, playing games, sports, golfing and gambling.

Later life /Death:

London suffered a stroke in 1995 and was in poor health until her death on October 18, 2000, in Encino, California, at age 74. Prior to her death, she also went into cardiac arrest. She was survived by four of her five children, London was interred next to Troup in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in Los Angeles, California. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Personal Quotes 

Julie: "I'm the world's worst. I dislike women in large groups, and as individuals. " (Source: TVGuide.com)

Julie: "Women should be women, who wants them to be asexual? Not your old buddy." (Source: TVGuide.com)

Julie on her popularity while playing the forty-five something nurse Dixie McCall on Emergency!: "Of course, I knew nothing about nursing and Bobby has seldom been near a doctor. The only experience I've had with emergencies have been with the kids. One is always getting cut on glass or falling out of a tree, so I'm an old hand at taking them to the accident ward of the Valley Hospital. I guess if I had to, though, I could take your blood pressure." (Source: JulieLondon.org)

Julie who said in 1968: "I am lazy. I like to procrastinate. But I force myself to swim, ride a bike or go to a gym. You have to be active to keep in shape." (Source: JulieLondon.org)

Julie who said in 1977: "There's always something just around the corner for people to run into. But I haven't the foggiest what or where my corner is." (Source: People.com)

Julie: "I may have to revise my ideal weight if this pace keeps up. I don't think anyone could gain weight filming and action television series like 'Emergency!'" (Source: TVGuide.com)

Julie despite of her popularity for playing the fortyfiveish, sexy nurse, Dixie McCall, she felt that showbusiness just wasn't enough and near the end of the series' first run: "I feel pride when strangers tell me the show has helped save someone else's life because they've been made aware of paramedics' services, but I'm not fulfilled creatively. I guess I've never been content with what I've accomplished. I think I have excellent taste in what I do, but I keep hoping there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow." (Source: People.com)

Julie when she became an actress: "I wasn't going to, but the store was filled with actors, working there between jobs. They said, 'Go on, See her.'"

Julie when asked if she wanted to star in the pilot of Emergency!, alongside her then husband, Bobby Troup: "Hell yes!" – (Source: TVGuide.com)

Julie who said of Jack Webb: "I'm friendly with Jack. It's just a business relationship. It's not embarrassing at all. The divorce happened 19 years ago. That part of my life is all behind. Bobby is very friendly with Jack. I'd never worked with Jack before, but Bobby has done several 'Dragnets' and 'Adam-12s.'" - (Source: TVGuide.com)

Julie who said in 1974: “One is trying for accurate pronunciation of medical terms . . . especially when there is a difference of opinion. Then there's the problem of those darned rubber gloves. I always try to have the gloves on before they start shooting a scene, because I've had too many times when the cameras were rolling and I couldn't 'pop' them on, which meant the scene had to be done over again.” (Source: JulieLondon.org)

Julie on the singers she liked: "I think Roberta Flack is sensational. The only music I don't really like is country and western. Except when Ray Charles does it. I think Barbra Streisand's great. I love her when she sings softly. Talk, about control; I never had the kind of discipline for voice training. But I think it's great to be identified with one song, like I was with 'Cry Me a River;' Fifteen years later, Streisand did it and sang the hell out of it." - (Source: JulieLondon.org)

Julie if she missed being on the road, as a singer, prior to being a professional actress: "Hell, no. You know how l handled it all those years? I threw up a lot. I'd finish working at 1 A.M. and then I couldn't sleep. And I'm always a wreck at openings. Then I settle down. I do know how to handle audiences. When they get noisy, I sing soft. But you know what I miss? The clothes. I had gorgeous gowns when I was on the road. The other day I had to go buy a dress because I didn't even own one. I'm always in jeans or those damn nurses' uniforms." - (Source: JulieLondon.org)

Julie: "If I had to cook three times a day, I wouldn't be entranced with it, but I do love to cook breakfast. I make a 10-minute or a 45-minute breakfast, depending upon my mood and appetite. I'm a great bacon fan, our favorite eggs are basted with bacon fat, and I mean the drippings from the bacon I've just fried. I hate the taste of burned butter. Frequently I make bacon gravy by browning flour in the drippings. Then I add milk and coarsely ground pepper and cook it until its rich and thick. I make ham gravy the same way, it's my husband's favorite, and my kids adore it." - (Source: JulieLondon.org)

Julie who said in 1972: "I'm not crazy about sexual activities so explicitly shown. Sex is a terribly personal thing. It shouldn't be exploited." - (Source: TVGuide.com)

Julie who said in 1973: "I got a letter from some dame who criticized my demeanor on the show. She said it wasn't proper for me to wear a padded bra. I've never worn a padded bra in my life. I visited some hospitals when we started Emergency! Some of the gals are wearing shag haircuts and earrings. Things have changed." (Source: JulieLondon.org)

Julie of having both of her daughters following in their mother's footsteps - as actresses: "It really doesn't matter how I feel. They'll do what they damn well please anyhow. My 10-year-old daughter Kelly was on an Emergency! She'd read my script and found a part for someone her age. She asked me to call and see if she could play it. I said, 'No way. You want it badly enough, you call.' She did, and got the part. She was on the road with me when she was 2 weeks old. I thought: 'I'll be damned if I'll let her stay home; later, she'll wonder who the hell I am.' I love it when we're on hiatus. From February to June, I just cook and do crazy things like that. I even try to help the kids with that new math. But forget it. Bobby's a Phi Beta Kappa, but he can't do their homework. They use phrases in the textbooks that I never heard of." (Source: TVGuide.com)

Julie: "I was really stupid about it. I thought, 'Oh, that's nice.' My first song, 'River,' was No. 1 for four months, but I didn't know the business then; I didn't know what it meant." - (Source: JulieLondon.org)

Julie when she cooked for her family: “I'm an impulsive cook. I get a yen for something, and I rush down to the kitchen and make up a batch, and my appetite is as erratic as my cooking, some days I couldn't care less about food, then on other days I'll eat spaghetti or chili with onions for breakfast. But my husband can't stand to be in the same room with me when I eat like this.” (Source: JulieLondon.org)

Julie when asked if she had any weight problems: “No, I never do, but I guess it's a lack of sleep. I should eat more protein, but I like to eat what I like.” (Source: JulieLondon.org)

Julie who said in 1966: “I really learned to cook by watching my mother. I'm a Southern cook of sorts, as my mother once lived in Arkansas. I always helped her in the kitchen. She was a marvelous cook. The only trouble I have is trying to repeat her dishes. She never used a recipe.” (Source: Evening Independent.com)

Julie about her stage fright: “Before I sing at a club, I feel so awful, I think, 'I'm going to get out of this business. Nothing is worth it. I'm terrified of the camera. I don't like to watch the dailies. When an old movie of mine appears on TV, I crawl under a chair and hide.” (Source: JulieLondon.org)

Julie who said in 1997: “I'm a girl who needs amplification.” (Source: NewYorkTimes.com)

Julie who said in 1963: “We're opposite types. Marilyn was the sex symbol. . . . I'm strictly the housewife-mother type.” (Source: LATimes.com)

Julie who said in 1961: “Just as long as they buy the records, I don't care why they buy 'em, we spent more time on the covers than the music.” (Source: LATimes.com)

Julie on her singing voice: “It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of over-smoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate.” (Source: Life.com)

Julie when she felt about the careers of both hers and Jack Webb's: "I don't cheer anyone's bad luck, least of all, the man who is father of my two girls. Yet, I would be lying if I said there was no self-satisfaction. I am only human. There's bound to be some elation. I guess any divorced woman would understand how I feel." (Source: Daytona Morning Beach Journal.com)

Albums

• Bethlehem's Girlfriends (1955 - debut recordings)
• Julie Is Her Name (1955, U.S. #2)
• Lonely Girl (1956, U.S. #16)
• Calendar Girl (1956, U.S. #18)
• About the Blues (1957, U.S. #15)
• Make Love to Me (1957)
• Julie (1958)
• Julie Is Her Name, Volume II (1958)
• London by Night (1958)
• Swing Me an Old Song (1959)
• Your Number Please (1959)
• Julie...At Home (1960)
• Around Midnight (1960)
• Send for Me (1961)
• Whatever Julie Wants (1961)
• The Best of Julie (1962)
• Sophisticated Lady (1962)
• Love Letters (1962)
• Love on the Rocks (1962)

• Latin in a Satin Mood (1963)
• Julie's Golden Greats (1963)
• The End of the World (1963, U.S. #127)
• The Wonderful World of Julie London (1963, U.S. #136)
• Julie London (1964)
• In Person at the Americana (1964)
• Our Fair Lady (1965)
• Feeling Good (1965)
• By Myself (1965, produced exclusively for the Columbia Record Club)
• All Through the Night: Julie London Sings the Choicest of Cole Porter (1965)
• For the Night People (1966)
• Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast (1967)
• With Body & Soul (1967)
• Easy Does It (1968)
• Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (1969)
• The Very Best Of Julie London (1975)
• The Ultimate Collection (2006) [3 CD Box Set]

Charted Recordings

• "Cry Me a River" (U.S. #9, 1955)
• "Blue Moon" (South Africa #7, 1961)
• "Desafinado" (Slightly Out Of Tune)" (U.S. # 110, 1962)

• "I'm Coming Back To You" (U.S. # 118, 1963)
• "Yummy Yummy Yummy" (U.S. #125, 1968)
• "Like To Get To Know You" (Easy Listening #15, 1969)

Filmography

• Nabonga (1944)
• Diamond Horseshoe (1945) (bit part)
• On Stage Everybody (1945)
• A Night in Paradise (1946) (bit part)
• The Red House (1947)
• Tap Roots (1948)
• Task Force (1949)
• Return of the Frontiersman (1950)
• The Fat Man (1951)
• The Fighting Chance (1955)
• The Girl Can't Help It (1956)

• Crime Against Joe (1956)
• The Great Man (1956)
• Drango (1957)
• Saddle the Wind (1958)
• Voice in the Mirror (1958)
• Man of the West (1958)
• Night of the Quarter Moon (1959)
• The Wonderful Country (1959)
• A Question of Adultery (1959)
• The Third Voice (1960)
• The George Raft Story (1961)

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Harry Morgan's Biography!

Harry Bratsberg, known professionally as: Harry Morgan (born April 10, 1915) is a popular Emmy Award-winning American character and movie actor and director. In a career that has spanned seven decades, Morgan is well-known for his co-starring roles as Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H (1975–1983), opposite Alan Alda and best friend Loretta Swit, Pete Porter on both Pete and Gladys (1960–1962), opposite Cara Williams and December Bride (1954–1959), opposite Spring Byington, Detective Bill Gannon on Dragnet (1967–1970), opposite his best friend Jack Webb and Amos Coogan on Hec Ramsey (1972–1974), opposite Robert Conrad. He has appeared in more than 100 films, and has appeared in 10 TV shows.

Biography

Early life and career

Morgan was the oldest of one child born as: Harry Bratsberg^[1] in Detroit, Michigan, in 1915, to Henry Bratsberg, a mechanic, and Anna Olsen, a housewife. He's also of Norwegian and Swedish heritage.^[1] Shortly after his birth, he moved with his family to Muskegon, just 42 miles north of Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he'd been raised, where the city was also famous for the plays, esp. "The League of Youth," also this city was also famous for making Benny Oosterbaum. As a little boy of the late 1910s/early 1920s, he began watching television. In his younger years, he never had stage freight. He began acting in plays while attending Muskegon High School, where his first play was "Front Page," which followed by "Petrified Forest." In his junior year, his class traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan to the University of Michigans's Hill Auditorium where he won the award in front of a large audience. He graduated from Muskegon in 1933, where he achieved distinction as a statewide debating champion.^[2] Morgan originally aspired to a law degree, but began acting while a junior at the University of Chicago in 1935, but a lack of funding forced him to drop out, hence, he took on a job as a salesman for an insurance company. He also worked at a furniture store, before he became an actor.

Morgan began acting on stage under his birth name, joining the Group Theatre in New York City in 1937, and appearing in the original production of the Clifford Odets play Golden Boy, followed by a host of successful Broadway roles alongside such other Group members as Lee J. Cobb, Elia Kazan, Sanford Meisner, and Karl Malden. He also had diner with the majority of his best friends, as well. After "Golden Boy," he traveled to London, with another best friend John Garfield, for approximately 10 weeks, afterwards, the theater was replaced by another company where Harry went back on the road from Chicago to Detroit (his hometown), where "Golden Boy," was a blockbuster.

Morgan did summer stock at the Pine Brook Country Club located in the countryside of Nichols, Connecticut, with the Group Theatre (New York) formed by Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford and Lee Strasberg in the 1930s and early 1940s.^[3][4] He moved to Hollywood, California in 1942, after he was newly married, where he was also doing more stage acting and summer stock. He was bleak, but did a play in Santa Barbara where David Zelnik ran a summer stock company with a bunch of unfamiliar stars. He also did "Hello, There!," in an one-act play.

Screen debut

Morgan made his screen debut (originally using the name "Henry Morgan") in the 1942 movie To the Shores of Tripoli. His screen name later would become "Henry 'Harry' Morgan" and eventually Harry Morgan, to avoid confusion with the then-popular humorist of the same name.

In the same year, Morgan appeared in the movie "Orchestra Wives" as a young man pushing his way to the front of a ballroom crowd with his date to hear Glenn Miller's band play. Ironically, a few years later, still credited as Henry Morgan, was cast in the role of pianist Chummy MacGregor in the 1954 biopic The Glenn Miller Story.

Screen career

Morgan continued to play a number of significant roles on the big screen in such films as The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), Wing and a Prayer (1944), Dragonwyck (1946), The Big Clock (1948), High Noon (1952), and several films in the 1950s for director Anthony Mann, including Bend of the River (1952), Thunder Bay (1953), The Glenn Miller Story (1954), The Far Country (1955) and Strategic Air Command (1955); in his later film career he appeared in Inherit the Wind (1960), How the West Was Won (1962), John Goldfarb, Please Come Home (1965), Frankie and Johnny (1966), Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969), Support Your Local Gunfighter! (1971), Snowball Express (1972), The Shootist (1976), The Wild Wild West Revisited (1979), and a cameo in the film version of Dragnet (1987) with Dan Ackroyd and Tom Hanks. Besides all of the Anthony Mann films, Morgan was in a number of movies with James Stewart, including Strategic Air Command (film) (1955), The Mountain Road (1960), How the West Was Won (1962), The Glenn Miller Story (1954) and The Shootist (1976), also with John Wayne, with whom Morgan also shared scenes in How the West Was Won, featuring Morgan portraying Ulysses S. Grant to Wayne's William Tecumseh Sherman in the John Ford-directed segment of the Cinerama film.

Commanding, yet lovable character actor

For more than 45 years, Morgan would also become an well-regarded character actor making his debut in 1951, on an episode of The Amazing Mr. Malone. This one-part led to other roles such as: The Doctor, The Lone Wolf, Cavalcade of America, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Ensign O'Toole, The Untouchables, The Virginian, Have Gun-Will Travel, a recurring role on Dr. Kildare as Francis X. Healy, Love, American Style, The Partridge Family, Going My Way, Night Gallery, 4 episodes of Gunsmoke, The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Renegade, among many others.

1950s: TV roles and December Bride

Morgan hosted the NBC radio series Mystery in the Air starring Peter Lorre in 1947.

In 1954, after years of starring in stage and in big-screen movies, Morgan finally hit the jackpot with a new CBS sitcom, December Bride, where he became the show's scene-stealer. He played henpecked neighbor, Pete Porter, an man who always joked around, whose wife (Gladys) was rarely seen. His co-stars on the show were Spring Byington, Dean Miller, Frances Rafferty, and Verna Felton. The show was taken from a radio show, which he didn't listen to not a single episode. The show was a light, fluffy comedy, which became extremely popular, all thanks to Morgan's contribution to the series. According to Morgan, he said in 2004, "She was very delightful, she was like the character she played." In both character and in friendship, he also had a wonderful on- and off-screen chemistry with Byington, of the stage, he didn't get along with her. Though he never got to see his character off-screen, he would usually see her, once, when Gladys was in a costume. The reason for this was the audience didn't know.^{[citation needed]} When Miller and Rafferty died within three months of each other in 2004, Morgan became the last surviving member of the December Bride cast.

When December Bride was canceled in 1959, after 5 seasons, and 156 episodes, Morgan's character was on hiatus for almost a year. When Perk Levy, who served as creator of December Bride, approached Morgan into doing a new sitcom that would eventually spun-off, he was more than happy to reprise his role; which the show became Pete and Gladys in 1960, also for CBS, a sitcom that went on the air, where Morgan's character finally got to see his on-screen wife (played by an unfamiliar actor Cara Williams). Morgan met Williams in a 1948 movie, The Saxon Charm, the two did not hit it off immediately, despite being the beautiful redheaded actress. They both had their issues settling, until they finally got along real well. Pete & Gladys was canceled in 1962, after 72 episodes. Unlike its parent series, Morgan said it wasn't his favorite show to date.

1960s: Dragnet and other roles

In the 1964–1965 season, Morgan co-starred as Seldom Jackson in the 26-week NBC comedy/drama Kentucky Jones, starring Dennis Weaver.

In 1966, Morgan began his longterm association with Universal Studios, where his second most best-known role to date was that of Off. Bill Gannon, on Dragnet, which also starred popular producer Jack Webb. He replaced Ben Alexander, who was already under contract with both ABC and 20th Century Fox to star in Felony Squad, just 4 months before production was about to shoot. Morgan had known Webb since the late 1940s, when the two were co-starring on a couple of movies; and became best friends until Webb's death, late in 1982. According to the co-star, he said his best friend had a pretty good memory, who also read lines from the teleprompter, who didn't do much flubbing. There was also a wonderful on- and off-screen chemistry between Webb and Morgan, whose friendship mirrored into their own personal lives; and even spent a lot of weekends together; when not filming.

Despite the 3 day work shift, with longer house, it was possible for Morgan to appear in all the shows. When it debuted as a midseason replacement, for the 1966-67 season, it became an immediate hit, for a second time in Morgan's career, just as it happened with December Bride, a little more than a decade before this one. On the premiere episode of Dragnet, he could hardly remember the LSD storyline, in which Webb's own character takes drugs and in another episode, God had written that speech. It got a lot of mail, while Webb (himself) had wrote the majority of episodes at the requesting of his speech. In two episodes of the revived series in 1967 and 1968, Randy Stuart played officer Gannon's wife, Eileen Gannon. He also made his directorial debut on the show.

Morgan had also appeared with Dragnet star Jack Webb in two film noir movies, Dark City (1950) and Appointment with Danger (1951), and was an early regular member of Jack Webb's stock company of actors on the original Dragnet radio show. Morgan later worked on two other shows for Webb, 1971's The D.A. and the 1972–1974 western Hec Ramsey. Morgan also appeared in at least one episode of Gunsmoke.

Despite high ratings that included 4 1/2 seasons and 98 Dragnet episodes, it was canceled publicly much due to the fact that Webb was planning on leaving the show to continue producing more TV series, among them were: Adam-12 starring Martin Milner and Kent McCord, and Emergency! starring Robert Fuller, Webb's ex-wife and best friend Julie London and former Dragnet player Bobby Troup. Jack had never even heard of the instigation of the cancelation of the series, all the while he was very busy producing Adam-12, because his current show, along with Dragnet, couldn't be abandoned with Adam-12, respectively; which had nothing to do with 2 separate shows. Dragnet was more than a groundbreaking show, but it was also a message, a legacy that it was later used for other TV cop shows that stood the test of time. Both Webb and Morgan would become even greater friends for 13 1/2 years, and despite the fact Morgan wanted to work with Webb, again, he stayed with Universal and NBC, for the next 3 years.

Morgan had also appeared with Dragnet star Jack Webb in two film noir movies, Dark City (1950) and Appointment with Danger (1951), and was an early regular member of Jack Webb's stock company of actors on the original Dragnet radio show. Morgan later worked on two other shows for Webb, 1971's The D.A. and the 1972–1974 western Hec Ramsey. Morgan also appeared in at least one episode of Gunsmoke.

1970s: M*A*S*H (1975–1983)

Morgan's first appearance on M*A*S*H was in the show's third season (1974–1975), when he played spaced-out Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele ("That's three e's, not all in a row!") in "The General Flipped at Dawn", which originally aired on September 10, 1974. Steele is convinced that the 4077th needs to move closer to the front line, to be near the action.

Morgan's memorable Emmy-nominated performance impressed the producers of the show. The following season, Morgan joined the cast of M*A*S*H as Colonel Sherman T. Potter. Morgan replaced McLean Stevenson, who had left the show at the end of the previous season. Col. Potter was a career army officer who was tough, yet good-humored and caring—a father figure to the people under his command. The picture of Col. Potter's wife, on the right side of his desk, is actually that of Eileen Detchon, Morgan's real-life wife at the time. 

He asked if he could use the picture of his wife, and the producers had no objections.

After ending his longtime contract with both NBC & Universal, he switched to both CBS & 20th Century Fox to having an older male lead role on M*A*S*H, which he returned to comedy for the first time in thirteen years. According to Morgan, he said that he was in fact a huge fan of the show, watchig every episode of it that featured Alan Alda, amongst the rest of his cast. He also stated how he got the role was because he'd been friends with producer Gene Reynolds, for years, long before, hence, he had absolutely no way out.

After joining the cast, the show was still a hit with fans, despite his co-stars Linville & Burghoff, leaving the show, within a couple of years of each other. Compared to December Bride and Dragnet, before this one, he said he also loved this role so much that he would play it for another decade, if it weren't cancelled.

Already starring on M*A*S*H were several familiar actors next to Alda, who played the male lead role as chief surgeon: Dr. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, along with Loretta Swit as: Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, who would become best friends/neighbors for life, William Christopher as: Father Mulcahy, Jamie Farr as: Maxwell Q. Klinger, along with the late Larry Linville as: Major Frank Burns and Gary Burghoff as: Corporal Radar O'Reilly. And also starring on M*A*S*H, were 2 unfamiliar actors; a former Marine, Screen Gems and Universal contract player, Mike Farrell, in the role of young talented surgeon, Captain B. J. Hunnicutt (who joined the cast in 1975 with Morgan; after Wayne Rogers left the show because he was grown too tired of his Trapper John character and being a sidekick to Alda's Hawkeye character) and former stage actor and theater game instructor, David Ogden Stiers as: Major Charles Emerson Winchester III (who joined the cast in 1977; after Linville left, because he was afraid of early typecasting, when it was eventually too late). Despite a few actors that departed in the early era-style of the show, the on- and off-screen chemistry of Morgan, Stiers, Swit, and Farrell, were all an instant success story of 1970s/80s television, who in Mike’s later years would bring along his family to have dinner with his mentor's real-life family.

The role of Colonel Potter renewed such great success for Morgan, being comfortable in his 60s, he was nominated for Emmyes 9 times in a row. In 1980, Morgan won an Emmy award for his performance on M*A*S*H.

He also rode the horse on the show for most of the time. Before he was offered the role of Colonel Potter, he didn't study any military terms, but had studied some medical terms in part of the doctor who was needed everyday on the set in a way of operations, like technical advisors.

Compared to Dragnet, there were absolutely no teleprompters for the set of M*A*S*H, therefore all actors had to memorized lines each week for themselves to act. At the producers' request, he also directed several episodes of the show. In spite of a good sitcom, there were a lot of fight scenes, happening with guests stars and regulars on the set. 

Despite good ratings for the 11th season of M*A*S*H, CBS decided to reduce the episodes from 24 to 16; due to high rising costs (the decade before Knots Landing was faced), so by season's ending, the series' finale, Goodbye, Farewell and Amen which was written and directed by Alan Alda, drew high ratings, long before any other series' finale like Cheers, Knots Landing and Friends. It was canceled and Morgan had appeared in each and every show for his 8 of the 11 seasons, he stayed on the air, with the ex. of 1 ("Hawkeye").

After the end of the series, Morgan reprised the Potter role in a short-lived spinoff series, AfterMASH.

Long before he co-starred in "Providence," who also had a recurring role on "Desperate Housewives," who in-turn became a political activist, who then became the 2nd husband to actress Shelley Fabares, Mike Farrell, who played the role of Col. Potter's talented surgeon, Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt, from 1975-83 (when he joined the series), who also appeared in all the episodes with the ex. of 1, said in a 2011 interview with Gary Richard Collins II [by e-mail], about the times he had with Harry Morgan, "Harry is a wonderful man and a terrific actor. It was a pleasure for all of us to work with him." Farrell also responded to me for his last 8 seasons, along with Morgan, who in turn had taught him along with the rest of the cast to simply, "remain calm," despite being the overprotective father figure on- the set of "M*A*S*H", "Harry didn't 'teach' anything. He behaved as though we were all professionals and on equal footing. I suspect in behaving in that way he taught all of us a lot." Mike also said in a 2007 interview on his own website – MikeFarrell.org, was also of his on- and off-screen chemistry with Morgan, amongst all the other castmates were, "It's harder for me to separate Harry and Col. Potter because I adore them both so much. Col. Potter was the father figure we all loved and admired. A straight-arrow, regular army, by the book type who, just beneath the surface, was a marshmallow. Harry Morgan is a wonderful guy and a good friend. He's full of stories, jokes, wry humor and is a delight to be around. He is and ought to be a motion picture and television legend." The last thing Farrell said more recently was how David Ogden Stiers, his co-star, had been reduced by Harry, in a jokingly way on the "M*A*S*H" set was, "David was like a rock, when he was concentrating, when he was being Charles Emerson Winchester III, you just couldn't get him, except for Harry Morgan. Harry could look at David and reduced him to a puddle of tears, without turning an eye. David said, 'When he looks at me and flare those nostrils; and he would be gone,' it would be such a wonderful thing to see this great big guy just reduced to a giggling idiot by Harry, but unfortunately, all I could tell you, we had great fun doing the show; and much of it was laughing at some silly gag that one of us had pulled on the others."  After cancelation, the two along with Alan Alda, Loretta Swit, Jamie Farr, amongst the rest of the surviving castmates continued to kept in touch for more of a quarter of a century, while his best buddy, Alda, has had a successful career in directing, while guest-starring in various shows. He and his second wife, Shelley Fabares, along with Harry's wife, Barbara Bushman, would frequently have dinner with the rest of the cast, while attending 2 "M*A*S*H" reunions, between 1991 and 2002. In addition, Eileen's (Harry's real-life wife) death in 1985 and Daniel's (Harry's real-life son) 4 years later in 1989, drew the relationship between Morgan & Farrell as Farrell was delivering his condolences, twice, to such a wonderful star. Farrell also paid tribute to beloved TV star, of six decades experience, at the M*A*S*H 30th Anniversary Special, while at the same time, he hosted this special event.

Later years

In 1986, he costarred with Hal Linden in Blacke's Magic, a show about a magician who doubled as a detective solving unusual crimes. The series lasted only one season.

In 1987, Morgan played Martin Vanderhof on a TV series version of Kaufman and Hart's Pulitzer prize-winning play You Can't Take It With You.

In 1987, Morgan reprised his Bill Gannon character for a supporting role in another film version of Dragnet, a parody of the original series written by and starring Dan Aykroyd and co-starring Tom Hanks and Christopher Plummer.

In the 1990s, Morgan played the role of Judge Stoddard Bell in a series of The Incident; Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore (TV 1992) and Incident in a Small Town (1994 TV) TV movies starring Walter Matthau. He was on an episode of The Simpsons as Officer Bill Gannon from Dragnet in the 7th season ("Mother Simpson") and had a recurring role on 3rd Rock from the Sun as Professor Suter. Morgan directed episodes for several TV series, including two episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and eight episodes of M*A*S*H. Morgan had a guest role on The Jeff Foxworthy Show as Raymond and a guest role on Grace Under Fire as Jean's pot-smoking boyfriend.

In 1991, he along with the rest of the M*A*S*H cast were reunited to participated in 2 MASH reunion shows: Memories of M*A*S*H, this was followed 11 years later with M*A*S*H 30th Anniversary Special, which was hosted by co-star Mike Farrell.

In 2006, Morgan was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

At 96, Morgan is one of the oldest living Hollywood male actors.

Robert Conrad who once worked with Harry on The D.A., said of a legendary actor who was the star of 3 successful series who worked non-stop, "Well, God Bless Harry! He was a character actor, I know of his work. He was a character actor and he was lucky to get much of his work. We don't get that as much of the actors."^[5]

Hobbies

He has/had 10 hobbies: golfing, traveling, dining, fishing, spending time with his family, reading, raising quarter-horses, horseback riding, painting and poetry.

Personal life

Morgan has been married twice: first to Eileen Detchon, from 1940 until her death in 1985, and then to Barbara Bushman Quine (granddaughter of silent film star Francis X. Bushman) from December 17, 1986 to the present. He had four sons with his first wife: Christopher, Charles, Paul, and Daniel (who died in 1989). His grandson Spencer Morgan is a columnist at the New York Observer.

In July 1997, Morgan was charged with abusing his wife a year earlier, after a beating left her with injuries to her eye, foot, and arm. Prosecutors dropped the charges after the 82-year-old actor completed a six-month domestic violence counseling program.^[6]

During Morgan's tenure on M*A*S*H, a photograph of Eileen Detchon regularly appeared on the desk of his character, Sherman T. Potter, to represent Potter's wife, Mildred. Mildred was also the name of Morgan's character's wife in High Noon, as well as the name of his wife in the movie The Apple Dumpling Gang. A drawing of a horse, seen on the wall behind Potter's desk, was drawn by Morgan's grandson, Jeremy Morgan. In addition, Eileen was the name of the wife of Officer Bill Gannon on Dragnet.

On September 9, 2008, Harry's & Barbara's dog, Sterling, had passed away after suffering from a prolonged illness, but in actuality, he died of the affects of global warming. It was also said that Sterling was also in a coma. Morgan said of his dog's, Sterling's death was, "He was a very special dog." Sterling's ashes were cremated and were interred at Harry's & Barbara's garden in Los Angeles, California. With the encouragement of ex-M*A*S*H co-star and decades-long friend, Loretta Swit, both Harry and Barbara had found another rescue dog, who named him: Teddy 2, in honor of the poodle Barbara had owned earlier. Teddy 2 had been diagnosed with a Prisoner Systemic Stress Trauma.^[7]

Personal Quotes:

Harry: "I didn't have enough money to go back east, so I stayed around, finding jobs mainly out of friendships. I played a lot of sheriffs in those years." (Source: The Windsor Star.com).

Harry: "I could never afford to go back to New York and the theater, what with a big family. I didn't really start out to be an actor. I just sort of fell into it. I've had a good career, a lot of laughs. I don't know if that's enough, but it beats coal mining." (Source: Lakeland Ledger.com).

Harry on replacing McLean Stevenson for the last 8 seasons of M*A*S*H, after his predecessor created the character]: "And he wouldn't leave that behind, so I had to start from scratch." (Source: Deseret News.com)

Harry on M*A*S*H co-star Larry Linville: "We were all fond of Larry, but when we moved onto the set, no one was fond of Frank Burns. He was nothing like Larry in the flesh. He was brilliant in that part." (Source: USIMDB.com)

Harry who said in 1975: "For some reason, I'm confused with Henry Morgan. Perhaps the M*A*S*H series will change that situation." (Source: Deseret News.com)

Harry who said in 1976: "A lot of people live much more simply than in the old days. That doesn't bother me. Keeping busy is the problem. Television guest shot fees are going down. You can do a dozen guest shots a year, but you're not making that much money." (Source: Lakeland Ledger.com)

Harry who went from one successful series to another, before he got M*A*S*H: "Television allowed me to kick the Hollywood habit of typing an actor in certain roles. M*A*S*H was so damned good, I didn't think they could keep the level so high, but they have. I think this season's shows have been outstanding." (Source: The Leader-Post.com).

Harry who felt that if his fears proved true that M*A*S*H had started to suffer in later months: "No one connected with it will be able to stand its being less than it was. I'm sure they'd rather leave than hang around and watch quality go down." (Source: St. Petersburg Times.com).

Harry: "It's amazing how attached we've become." (Source: St. Petersburg Times.com).

Harry on his popularity while playing the sixty-something Colonel Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H: "Two guys just waved to me and said, 'Hi, Colonel,' as I was coming to the hotel lobby." (Source: the Waycross Journal-Herald.com).

Harry who said in 1977: "It might be good for a holiday show, but I don't imagine it will be a real ratings-getter." (Source: Star News.com).

Harry on making reservations to replace McLean Stevenson on M*A*S*H: After all, I was replacing a great comic, McLean Stevenson, and entering a company that had been close-knit for three seasons.

Harry who was a little worried about replacing McLean Stevenson as to how he would fit the rest of the M*A*S*H cast: "Our relationships just get deeper and deeper the longer I'm with the show." (Source: Harlan Daily Enterprise.com).

Harry who said in 1979: "I think I'm a lot looser now, less military. There's much more of a flow between me and the other characters now. It's good. We have so much fun sitting around off-camera that it really doesn't change when we get on-camera. There's a lot of affection flowing around there." (Source: Harlan Daily Enterprise.com)

Harry: "Loretta Swit called me from London, I think she's probably my best friend. She didn't even call collect." (Source: The Calgary Herald.com)

Harry on the death of Jack Webb: "Jack had a lot of affection in him. He'd always throw his arms around me. My God, off-screen he was the most garrulous person you ever met - full of life and laughs. We had a ball ... I loved him very much." (Source: Anchorage Daily News.com).

Harry who said in 1985 at the time he told 40th President Ronald Reagan a few things he didn't know or might have forgotten]: "I once lived in the White House for four days in the Presidential quarters. Well, before I get arrested, I had better tell you that NBC did sort of a maxi-series called 'Backstairs at the White House,' and I played President Truman. We didn't have a Rose Garden. But then, they never promised us a rose garden." (Source: New York Times.com)

Harry who said in 1986: "The only ones in town who were moving office equipment in the teeth of the Depression were the people selling filing cabinets to the Social Security Administration." (Source: The Calgary Herald.com)

Harry: "An actor's most important responsibility is to know lines well." (Source: Schenectady Gazette.com)

Harry of his M*A*S*H character: "He was firm. He was a good officer and he had a good sense of humor. I think it's the best part I ever had. I loved playing Colonel Potter." (Source: Emmy TV Legends.com)

Harry: "I've never been more comfortable in a part than with Colonel Potter." (Source: People.com)

Harry: "I don't care about the money. I'm just interested in the perks. I'll do a series if I am picked up by a limo, work only until 4, and the show is shot in Hawaii." (Source: Schenectady Gazette.com)

Harry who said in 1983 about his real-life wife Eileen Dutchon and his AfterMASH co-star, Barbara Townsend: "Eileen looks a lot like Town-send, and the two women get along pretty well, but I sit between them so as not to take any chances." (Source: People.com)

Harry on the other chemistries he had with other male leading actors: "They weren't fearful of competition, and they handed you some of the juiciest things in the show." (Source: Montreal Gazette.com)

Harry on the cancellation of M*A*S*H: "I think it broke all the listening, the tuning in records of 'You doing it,' it was a wonderful show. At the end of the show, we all said farewell to one another. I rode off of my horse, and they all stood up and saluted me which was very unusual, it didn't have that kind of visible respect for the colonel, through the colonel, although it was there, but it wasn't demonstrated formally. It was touching, and it was more than just a film, this was it. So, I mean, what you were doing was really happening, going to happen, because, it was a very profound moment episode. I think we all felt that because it was hard to say goodbye to M*A*S*H. I could've done it for another 10 years, but I think most of the people felt the same way, maybe not Alan. He had other fish to fry. Most of us have gone on to anything after M*A*S*H, with a former tip, I don't think Alan has his. All he's done is nature shows, that's natural." (Source: EmmyTVLegends.org)

Harry who said of Jack Webb, who worked with him on Dragnet very first episode, which Webb's character did psychedelic drugs: "He's been taking them, the pills, all day. He kept saying he wants to get even farther out." (Source: St. Petersburg Times.com)

Harry who said in 1978 of his M*A*S*H co-star, Gary Burghoff, who was thinking about leaving the show: "I'm sure he means it, even though CBS doesn't. And I think it'll be harder to replace him than it was to replace McLean Stevenson, Wayne Rogers or Larry Linville. Gary's character is special. And, also, he's the only true original among us, since he's the only one from M*A*S*H picture. He'll sorely be missed." (Source: St. Petersburg Times.com)

Harry: "I was particularly fond of Dick Boone. I started to direct with him." (Source: Montreal Gazette.com)

Harry who said of Ron Howard: "He's never hired me. I guess I didn't treat him well. He's very good incidentally." (Source: EmmyTVLegends.org)

Harry who said of Alan Alda: "Alan came back to the set like a real basket case. Though he always doesn't fly home to his family in New Jersey on weekends anymore, doesn't go when he's writing. I'd think he'd be exhausted. He must be, I guess." (Source: St. Petersburg Times.com)

Harry who said in 1980 about joining the cast of M*A*S*H, at the beginning of the show's fourth season: "I've always been with a show from the beginning, but this was easier than starting some of those shows from the beginning." (Source: The Daily News.com)

Filmography

To the Shores of Tripoli (1942)

The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe (1942)

Orchestra Wives (1942)

The Omaha Trail (1942)

A Scrap of Paper (1943)

Crash Dive (1943)

The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

Happy Land (1943)

The Eve of St. Mark (1944)

Roger Touhy, Gangster (1944)

Wing and a Prayer (1944)

Gentle Annie (1944)

A Bell for Adano (1945)

State Fair (1945)

From This Day Forward (1946)

Johnny Comes Flying Home (1946)

Dragonwyck (1946)

Somewhere in the Night (1946)

It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog (1946)

Crime Doctor's Man Hunt (1946)

The Gangster (1947)

All My Sons (1948)

The Big Clock (1948)

Race Street (1948)

The Saxon Charm (1948)

Moonrise (1948)

Yellow Sky (1948)

Hello Out There (1949)

Down to the Sea in Ships (1949)

The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949)

Madame Bovary (1949)

Strange Bargain (1949)

Red Light (1949)

Holiday Affair (1949)

Outside the Wall (1950)

The Showdown (1950)

Dark City (1950)

Belle Le Grand (1951)

When I Grow Up (1951)

Appointment with Danger (1951)

The Highwayman (1951)

The Well (1951)

The Blue Veil (1951)

Boots Malone (1952)

Scandal Sheet (1952)

Bend of the River (1952)

My Six Convicts (1952)

High Noon (1952)

What Price Glory? (1952)

Big Jim McLain (1952)

Apache War Smoke (1952)

Toughest Man in Arizona (1952)

Stop, You're Killing Me (1952)

Thunder Bay (1953)

Arena (1953)

Champ for a Day (1953)

Torch Song (1953)

The Glenn Miller Story (1954)

Prisoner of War (1954)

The Forty-Niners (1954)

About Mrs. Leslie (1954)

The Far Country (1955)

Strategic Air Command (1955)

Not as a Stranger (1955)

Pete Kelly's Blues (1955)

The Bottom of the Bottle (1956)

Backlash (1956)

Operation Teahouse (1956)

Unidentified Flying Objects: The True Story of Flying Saucers (1956)

Star in the Dust (1956)

The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)

Under Fire (1957)

It Started with a Kiss (1959)

The Mountain Road (1960)

Inherit the Wind(1960)

Cimarron (1960)

How the West Was Won (1962)

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home (1965)

Frankie and Johnny (1966)

What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966)

The Flim-Flam Man (1967)

Star Spangled Salesman (1968)

Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969)

Viva Max! (1969)

The Barefoot Executive (1971)

Support Your Local Gunfighter! (1971)

Scandalous John (1971)

Snowball Express (1972)

Charley and the Angel (1973)

The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)

The Shootist (1976)

The Cat from Outer Space (1978)

The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979)

The Wild Wild West Revisted (1979)

More Wild Wild West (1980)

The Flight of Dragons (1982)

Dragnet (1987)

The Incident (1990)

Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore (1992)

Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick (1996)

Family Plan (1998)

Crosswalk (1999)

References

^ ^a b Statement by Morgan in interview, Archive of American Television, 20 March 2008. A minute and 28 second into this interview, Morgan states that his mother was born in Sweden and that his father was born in Norway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPncDB3PH_c

^ Muskegon High School Distinguished Graduates^{[dead link]}

^ "Pinewood Lake website retrieved on 2010-09-10". Pinewoodlake.org. 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2011-05-17.

^ Images of America, Trumbull Historical Society, 1997, p. 123

^ http://crntalk.com/thepmshow/robertconrad

^ Los Angeles Times, Metro Section, pg. 4, June 26, 1997

^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6nihqW5ewU