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Don Porter

Don Porter

Known for: Acting

Born 24/09/1912
Died 1997-02-11
Place of birth Miami, Oklahoma, USA

Donald "Don" Porter (September 24, 1912 –February 11, 1997) was an American actor who appeared in a number of films since the 1940s, including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron. On television, he portrayed the widowed father of 15-year-old Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field) in the 1965 ABC sitcom Gidget. Besides his work in film and television, Porter was active on stage, as he acted in more than 200 plays, including The Front Page, Plaza Suite, and Any Wednesday. He appeared in various films in the 1940s before landing the role of Peter Sands, the boss of Susan Camille MacNamara (Ann Sothern), on the 1950s sitcom Private Secretary. A retooled version of the series appeared later, titled The Ann Sothern Show. It featured many of the same actors, including Porter as hotel manager James Devery in the venue of a fashionable New York City hotel. He later guest starred on episodes of Green Acres, Love, American Style, The Mod Squad, Barnaby Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O, Three's Company (on which he played Jack Tripper's uncle), and Switch.

Filmography

Dallas Series ★ 6,8

Dallas

Matt Devlin

1978

The Love Boat Series ★ 6,3

The Love Boat

Slade Summerhill

1977

Hawaii Five-O Series ★ 7,2

Hawaii Five-O

Jonathan Cavel

1968

Hawaii Five-O Series ★ 7,2

Hawaii Five-O

Alex Kelsey

1968

Love, American Style Series ★ 6,1

Love, American Style

1969

Matlock Series ★ 7,1

Matlock

Erskine Tate

1986

The Six Million Dollar Man Series ★ 7,3

The Six Million Dollar Man

Dr. Stanley Bacon

1974

Hotel Series ★ 6,8

Hotel

Jonathan Corry

1982

Green Acres Series ★ 7,2

Green Acres

1965

The F.B.I. Series ★ 5,6

The F.B.I.

Mason Hammond

1965

Barnaby Jones Series ★ 7,0

Barnaby Jones

Jeremy Markham

1973

Three's Company Series ★ 7,6

Three's Company

1977

The Rookies Series ★ 6,9

The Rookies

1972

Here's Lucy Series ★ 6,7

Here's Lucy

Ken Richards

1968

Vega$ Series ★ 7,0

Vega$

1978

Switch Series ★ 6,7

Switch

Paul Lorimer

1975

Switch Series ★ 6,7

Switch

Salvensen

1975

The Bionic Woman Series ★ 7,0

The Bionic Woman

1976

The Mod Squad Series ★ 6,1

The Mod Squad

1968

Ellery Queen Series ★ 7,5

Ellery Queen

1975

Judd, for the Defense Series ★ 7,7

Judd, for the Defense

1967

The Paper Chase Series ★ 7,6

The Paper Chase

1978

Gidget Series ★ 6,8

Gidget

Professor Russell Lawrence

1965

Series ★ 8,0

Vacation Playhouse

Battersea, The Housekeeper

1963

City of Angels Series ★ 5,6

City of Angels

1976

Private Secretary Series ★ 6,0

Private Secretary

1953

Tropic of Desire Film ★ 6,4

Tropic of Desire

Commodore Phillips

1979

40 Carats Film ★ 5,7

40 Carats

Mr. Latham

1973

Mame Film ★ 6,0

Mame

Mr. Upson

1974

Archer Series ★ 7,0

Archer

1975

The Savage Film ★ 6,3

The Savage

Running Dog

1952

The Candidate Film ★ 6,5

The Candidate

Senator Crocker Jarmon

1972

Night Monster Film ★ 6,3

Night Monster

Dick Baldwin

1942

Our Miss Brooks Film ★ 6,6

Our Miss Brooks

Lawrence Nolan

1956

Desk Set Film ★ 7,0

Desk Set

Don the Elevator Operator (uncredited)

1957

Eagle Squadron Film ★ 7,0

Eagle Squadron

Ramsey

1942

Cuban Pete Film ★ 6,0

Cuban Pete

Roberts

1946

711 Ocean Drive Film ★ 6,4

711 Ocean Drive

Larry Mason

1950

White Line Fever Film ★ 6,0

White Line Fever

Cutler

1975

Live a Little, Love a Little Film ★ 5,6

Live a Little, Love a Little

Mike Lansdown

1968

The Racket Film ★ 6,3

The Racket

R. G. Connolly

1951

Buck Privates Come Home Film ★ 6,4

Buck Privates Come Home

Capt. Christie

1947

The Turning Point Film ★ 6,3

The Turning Point

Joe Silbray

1952

She-Wolf of London Film ★ 5,6

She-Wolf of London

Barry Lanfield

1946

My Friend Irma Goes West Film ★ 6,2

My Friend Irma Goes West

Mr. Brent

1950

The Last Song Film ★ 8,0

The Last Song

Philip Brockhurst

1980

Resisting Enemy Interrogation Film ★ 6,6

Resisting Enemy Interrogation

Lt. Frank L. Williams, Jr. - American Co-pilot

1944

Gidget Goes to Rome Film ★ 5,0

Gidget Goes to Rome

Russell Lawrence

1963

Youngblood Hawke Film ★ 6,3

Youngblood Hawke

Ferdie Lax

1964

Cripple Creek Film ★ 6,0

Cripple Creek

Denver Jones

1952

Because You're Mine Film ★ 6,8

Because You're Mine

Captain Burton Nordell Loring

1952

Who Done It? Film ★ 6,9

Who Done It?

'Murder at Midnight' program manager

1942

Keep 'Em Slugging Film ★ 5,8

Keep 'Em Slugging

Jerry

1943

The Ghosts of Buxley Hall Film ★ 6,5

The Ghosts of Buxley Hall

Judge Oliver Haynes

1980

The President's Mistress Film ★ 6,8

The President's Mistress

Craig

1978

Bachelor in Paradise Film ★ 6,3

Bachelor in Paradise

Thomas W. Jynson

1961

The Murder That Wouldn't Die Film ★ 4,3

The Murder That Wouldn't Die

Gen. Rocky Jensen

1980

Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone Film ★ 7,0

Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone

Myron Brynk

1950

A Woman for All Men Film ★ 4,9

A Woman for All Men

Barney

1975

Happy Anniversary and Goodbye Film ★ 5,2

Happy Anniversary and Goodbye

Ed Murphy

1974

Madame Spy Film ★ 6,5

Madame Spy

David Bannister

1942

The Morning After Film ★ 6,7

The Morning After

Rudy King

1974

Mystery of the White Room Film ★ 9,0

Mystery of the White Room

Dr. Donald Fox

1939

The Legend of Lizzie Borden Film ★ 6,9

The Legend of Lizzie Borden

George Robinson

1975

Reconnaissance Pilot Film ★ 7,0

Reconnaissance Pilot

Camera Instructor

1943

The Norliss Tapes Film ★ 6,2

The Norliss Tapes

Sanford T. Evans

1973

Last Hours Before Morning Film ★ 4,5

Last Hours Before Morning

Mr. Pace

1975

Eyes of the Underworld Film ★ 5,6

Eyes of the Underworld

Edward Jason

1942

Film

Interview with Pontius Pilate

Theodore Michael

1980

The Fallbrook Story Film

The Fallbrook Story

Narrator

1952

Top Sergeant Film ★ 6,5

Top Sergeant

Al Bennett

1942

Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. Film ★ 6,3

Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A.

Caufield

1977

Wild Beauty Film ★ 8,0

Wild Beauty

Dr. Dave Morrow

1946

Danger Woman Film ★ 8,0

Danger Woman

Professor Claude Ruppert

1946

How to Fly the B-26 Airplane Film ★ 9,0

How to Fly the B-26 Airplane

Captain Dick

1944

Murder or Mercy Film ★ 10,0

Murder or Mercy

Henry Balin

1974