From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television.
During his career, Oakland performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and made-for-television movies between 1951 and 1983. His most notable big-screen roles were in Psycho (1960), West Side Story (1961), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968), The Hunting Party (1971), and Chato's Land (1972). On television, he was a regular on the cult classic horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975), and the military drama Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976-1978).
Early life and career
Oakland was born in Brooklyn, New York, the eldest of the three sons of immigrant Jewish parents, Jacob Weiss and Ethel Oaklander, born in Romania and the Russian Empire respectively. His father was a plasterer and builder. While he later claimed in media interviews to have been born in 1922 (a date repeated in his New York Times obituary), Social Security and vital records indicate he was born Simon Weiss in 1915; his stage name was derived from his mother's maiden name, Oaklander.
Film and television
In 1955, Oakland made his film debut, albeit uncredited, as an Indiana state trooper in The Desperate Hours. He appeared in two films released in 1958: as Mavrayek in The Brothers Karamazov and as journalist Edward Montgomery in I Want to Live!
Oakland's notable performance in I Want to Live! led to his playing a long series of tough-guys, either as authority figures or villains or a mix of both. He appeared in Psycho as the psychiatrist who, at the end of the film, explains Norman Bates's multiple personality disorder. He appeared in the films West Side Story, The Sand Pebbles, and Bullitt.
He made two guest appearances as murder victims on CBS's Perry Mason. He appeared in the syndicated crime drama, Decoy, starring Beverly Garland. Oakland appeared once on the CBS Western Dundee and the Culhane and once on the series Sheriff of Cochise. He was also a regular, in a comedic supporting role, as General Thomas Moore, on NBC's Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring Robert Conrad. He appeared in two episodes of the original The Twilight Zone TV series (“The Rip Van Winkle Caper” and “The Thirty-Fathom Grave”) and in The Outer Limits as the alien birdman in "Second Chance". In 1974 and 1975, he was a series regular on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, playing newspaper editor Tony Vincenzo. (He had previously played the same character in two made-for-television movies.
Personal life
Oakland was married to Lois Lorraine Porta. The couple had one daughter, Barbara.
Death
Oakland continued working up to the year of his death. His last credited acting appearance was in the episode "Living and Presumed Dead" on the CBS television series Tucker's Witch. That episode aired three months before Oakland's death from colon cancer in Cathedral City, California, on August 29, 1983, the day after his 68th birthday. CLR
as Sgt. Abrams(11 eps)
as Walter Klein(2 eps)
as Delaney
as Bruno(2 eps)
as Senator Reeves(1 ep)
as Sergeant Cates(2 eps)
as Brig. Gen. Thomas Moore
as Thomas Moore(36 eps)
as Tony Vincenzo
as Tony Vincenzo
as Sam(1 ep)
as Mickey Costigan
as Tony Vincenzo(20 eps)
as Vern St. Cloud(3 eps)
as Beppy Conigliaro(1 ep)
as Gen. Tom Luker
as Tom Donnelly(1 ep)
as Inspector Spooner(22 eps)
as Dr. Asgard(1 ep)
as Sheriff Roy
as Policeman
as Lieutenant Spooner
as Tony Vincenzo
as Jubal Hooker
as Tony Vincenzo
as Capt. E. J. Goodlad
as Attorney(24 eps)
as Matthew Gunn
as Barton Whittaker
as Dr. Conrad Fuller
as Benny Kalua(1 ep)
as Shako(1 ep)
as Frank Epstein(1 ep)
as Marty Mauritany(1 ep)
as Mendoza(1 ep)
as Captain Sam Bennett
as Luis Fierro(1 ep)
as Laurindo
as Attalos
as Rudy Kosterman
as Harry Lewis(1 ep)
as Ted Berringer, Sr.(1 ep)
as Elton Ferris(1 ep)
as Stawski
as Jack Wellman(1 ep)
as Chief Black Kettle
as Nikos Kapralos(1 ep)
as Cowboy(1 ep)
as Diamond Dave Desmond(1 ep)
as Adam Howard(1 ep)
as Tasserly
as Captain Bogart(1 ep)
as Perry Fuller(1 ep)
as Murray Brock
as Dull Knife(1 ep)
as General James Wilkerson(1 ep)
as Bickford(1 ep)
as Absalom MacBride(1 ep)
as Sgt. Austin Tremaine
as Frederic Sterne(1 ep)
as Lt. Murphy(1 ep)
as Carl Green(1 ep)
as Empyrian(1 ep)
as Johnny Papadakis
as Sgt. Tom Akers(2 eps)
as Pvt. Clawson(1 ep)
as Bob Coulter(1 ep)
as Charles Sanders(1 ep)
as Alberto Bianco(1 ep)
as Joe Boulton
as Doon
as Nick
as Schrank
as Felix Pascal(1 ep)
as Walter Hayes(1 ep)
as District Attorney Gardella(1 ep)
as District Attorney(2 eps)
as Assistant District Attorney Murphy(1 ep)
as The Father(1 ep)
as William Tobin
as Fred Richman
as Belka
as Lt. Moody
as Russ Bogan(1 ep)
as Martin Quirk(1 ep)
as John Briggs(1 ep)
as McGraw(1 ep)
as Red Mulligan(1 ep)
as De Cruz(1 ep)
as Captain Beecham(1 ep)
as Lyons(1 ep)
as Frank Scott / Mel Barnes(1 ep)
as William Poole(1 ep)
as Judge Seth Tabor(1 ep)
as Grat Mowery(1 ep)
as Bolivar Jagger(1 ep)
as Sheriff Blaine(1 ep)
as Edward S. 'Ed' Montgomery
as Duke(1 ep)
as Mavrayek
as Lieutenant(1 ep)
as Sgt. Steve Necclo(1 ep)
as Howard Walters(1 ep)
as Capt. Mike Caldwell(1 ep)
as Corporal Townsend(1 ep)
as Jesse Harp(1 ep)
as State Trooper (uncredited)
as Enoch Mills(1 ep)
as Jim Nation(1 ep)
as Miguel(1 ep)
as Carl Mandee(1 ep)
as Director(1 ep)
as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
