Murray Hamilton
Known for: Acting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Murray Hamilton (March 24, 1923 – September 1, 1986) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as Mayor Larry Vaughn in the 1975 film "Jaws" and its sequels, "Jaws 2" and "Jaws: The Revenge". Hamilton also starred in several other well-known films such as "The Graduate", "The Hustler" and "The Amityville Horror". He had a long career in both film and TV and appeared in over 70 films and TV series. Early life Hamilton was born in Washington, North Carolina. He displayed an early interest in performing during his days at Washington High School just before America's entry into World War II. Bad hearing kept him from enlisting, so he moved to New York City as a 19-year-old to find a career on stage. Career In an early role, he performed on stage with Henry Fonda in the wartime story Mister Roberts as a replacement for David Wayne, playing Ensign Pulver. In 1960, he was onstage again with Fonda in Critic's Choice; Howard Taubman of The New York Times called him "properly obnoxious as the director". Hamilton was teamed once more with Fonda in 1968 for the drama film The Boston Strangler. Hamilton's best-known performance is as Larry Vaughn, the mayor of Amity, in the Steven Spielberg thriller Jaws (1975). Hamilton reprised the role in the sequel, Jaws 2 in 1978. He had agreed to reprise the role again in Jaws: The Revenge, but died in 1986, before production began. He was just 63 years old. Hamilton complained in a newspaper article about being typecast, stating "After I was first cast as a heavy on The Untouchables, I couldn't ever persuade them [producers] that I could also do something else." While comic roles were rare for Hamilton during his Hollywood career, he had one opposite Andy Griffith in the 1958 military comedy No Time for Sergeants, as well as an appearance in Steven Spielberg's raucous comedy 1941, released in 1979. He also appeared in a comedic guest spot on Mama's Family in the second-season episode "Mama Cries Uncle" as Uncle Roy. He was more often cast in dramatic works, such as the science-fiction drama Seconds (1966), which starred Rock Hudson. In his most high-profile performances, Hamilton appeared with Paul Newman in The Hustler (1961), playing Findley, a wealthy billiards player who gambles for high stakes, and with Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate (1967) as Mr. Robinson, husband of the seductress Mrs. Robinson. In 1975, Hamilton appeared again with Newman in The Drowning Pool. He also worked with Robert Redford in a pair of films, The Way We Were (1973) and Brubaker (1980). In early 1982 he appeared as a judge presiding over an impromptu court case on an episode of Bret Maverick. Death Hamilton died of lung cancer at age 63, and is interred at Oakdale Cemetery in his native Washington, North Carolina. He and his wife, Terri DeMarco Hamilton (of The DeMarco Sisters), had a son, David. CLR
Filmography
Series
Perry Mason
John Davis 'Johnny' Hale
1957
Series
Murder, She Wrote
Bud Michaels
1984
Series
The Fugitive
Mel Starling
1963
Series
The Fugitive
Joe Steelman
1963
Series
Alice
1976
Series
Mission: Impossible
1966
Series
The Twilight Zone
Mr. Death
1959
Series
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
Series
The Golden Girls
Big Daddy
1985
Film
Jaws
Vaughn
1975
Series
Dr. Kildare
Dr. Haldore Mattern
1961
Series
Dr. Kildare
Lt. Dan Hargrave
1961
Series
Cannon
1971
Series
Gunsmoke
Jake Buley
1955
Series
Gunsmoke
Webb Cutter
1955
Series
Gunsmoke
Calhoun
1955
Series
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
Series
The F.B.I.
Mike Kessler
1965
Series
The F.B.I.
Emory Hale
1965
Series
The F.B.I.
Richard Mills
1965
Series
The F.B.I.
Doug McElroy
1965
Series
Studio One
Joe Bristol
1948
Series
Naked City
D.A. Thomas Stevenson
1958
Series
Naked City
Matt Orman
1958
Series
Night Gallery
1970
Series
Route 66
1960
Series
The Defenders
Miles Morgan
1961
Series
The Defenders
D.A. Sid Morgan
1961
Series
The Defenders
District Attorney
1961
Series
The Defenders
Bryan Phelps
1961
Series
The Defenders
Tark Bennett
1961
Series
Barnaby Jones
Clete Belford
1973
Series
Medical Center
1969
Series
Medical Center
Robert Jennings
1969
Series
Run for Your Life
Dr. Raphael
1965
Series
The Invaders
Lewis Dunhill
1967
Series
Suspense
Snow Pearson
1949
Series
Kraft Suspense Theatre
Capt. Appleton
1963
Series
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Marsh
1955
Series
McCloud
1970
Series
Kojak
Harry Harmon
1973
Series
Matt Houston
1982
Series
The Millionaire
Chris Daniels
1955
Series
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
Series
The Real McCoys
1957
Series
McMillan & Wife
1971
Series
Mama's Family
1983
Film
The Graduate
Mr. Robinson
1967
Series
Police Story
1973
Series
Ellery Queen
1975
Series
Judd, for the Defense
1967
Film
Jaws 2
Mayor Larry Vaughn
1978
Series
B. J. and the Bear
Rutherford T. Grant
1979
Lux Video Theatre
1950
Series
Inner Sanctum
1954
Series
Cover Up
1984
Series
Rich Man, Poor Man
Sid Gossett
1976
Series
Target: The Corruptors!
1961
Film
The Amityville Horror
Father Ryan
1979
Film
1941
Claude Crumn
1979
Series
Men Into Space
1959
Film
The Hustler
Findley
1961
Series
Wire Service
Ed Holley
1956
Series
Wire Service
Frank Lunt
1956
Series
The Eleventh Hour
1962
Series
Bret Maverick
1981
Film
The Way We Were
Brooks Carpenter
1973
Series
Hawkins
Frank Guilfoyle
1973
Film
Anatomy of a Murder
Alphonse "Al" Paquette
1959
Series
Blacke's Magic
1986
Film
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
Self
2025
Film
Brubaker
Deach
1980
Series
Letter to Loretta
Mike Finn
1953
Film
Seconds
Charlie Evans
1966
Film
Damnation Alley
Gen. Landers
1977
Series
Vanished
Nick McCann
1971
Film
The Drowning Pool
Kilbourne
1975
Film
The Boston Strangler
Det. Frank McAfee
1968
Series
Hallmark Hall of Fame
E.K. Hornbeck
1951
Series
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Sgt. Leonard Borth
1951
Series
The DuPont Show of the Week
Bob Fay
1961
Film
Tall Story
Coach Sandy Hardy
1960
Film
Houseboat
Capt. Alan Wilson
1958
Love and Marriage
Steve Baker
1959
Series
Hail to the Chief
Senator Sam Cotton
1985
Film
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium
Fred Ferguson
1969
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Film
The Spirit of St. Louis
Bud Gurney
1957
Film
Hysterical
The Mayor
1982
Film
The Cardinal
Lafe
1963
Film
Mazes and Monsters
Lt. John Martini
1982
Needles and Pins
1973
Film
Summer Girl
Jack Reardon
1983
Film
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Self (archive footage)
1987
Series
The Man Who Never Was
Jack Forbes
1966
Film
The Brotherhood
Jim Egan
1968
Film
The FBI Story
Sam Crandall
1959
Film
Song of the Open Road
Crop Corps Kid (uncredited)
1944
Film
Darby's Rangers
Sims Delancey
1958
Film
Too Scared to Scream
Jack Oberman
1984
Film
Incident on a Dark Street
Edmund Schilling
1973
Film
Jeanne Eagels
Chick O'Hara
1957
Film
Papa's Delicate Condition
Mr. Harvey
1963
Film
The Last Days of Patton
Gen. Hobart "Hap" Gay
1986
Escape to Sonoita
Marsh
1960
Film
The Failing of Raymond
Sgt. Manzak
1971
Film
Whoops Apocalypse
Jack 'Kill the Commies' Preston (Former US President)
1986
Film
13 Frightened Girls
Wally Sanders
1963
Film
An American Dream
Arthur Kabot
1966
Film
Toward the Unknown
Maj. Bromo Lee
1956
Film
No Time for Sergeants
Irving S. Blanchard
1958
Film
Bright Victory
Pete Hamilton
1951
Film
No Way to Treat a Lady
Inspector Haines
1968
Film
Something for the Boys
Soldier (uncredited)
1944
Film
The Girl He Left Behind
Sgt. Clyde
1956
Film
A Last Cry for Help
Ralph Muir
1979
Film
Too Much, Too Soon
Charlie Snow
1958
Film
The Whistle at Eaton Falls
Al Webster
1951
Film
All the Way Home
Joel Lynch
1981
Film
Murdock's Gang
Harold Talbot
1973
Film
Casey's Shadow
Tom Patterson
1978
Film
Sergeant Ryker
Capt. Appleton
1968
Film
After the Fall
Mickey
1974
Film
Cannon
Virgil Holley
1971
Film
A Tattered Web
Sgt. Joe Marcus
1971
Film
Murder at the World Series
Harvey Murkison
1977
Film
Deadly Harvest
Sheriff Bill Jessup
1972
Film
Reckless Age
Member of Soldier Quartet
1944
Film
Killer on Board
Dr. Ned Folger
1977
Film
Inherit the Wind
E.K. Hornbeck
1965
The Farmer's Daughter
Nordick
1962
Film
Danger Has Two Faces
Colonel Jack Forbes
1968
Film
Donovan's Kid
Henry Carpenter
1979
Film
The Harness
Roy Kern
1971
Film
Swan Song
Jack McCauley
1980
Film
A Bell for Adano
Sgt. Leonard Borth
1967
Film
The Big Slide
Chick Tolliver
1956