Charles Leonard Aidman (January 21, 1925 – November 7, 1993) was an American stage, film and television actor.

Early life Aidman was born in Frankfort, Indiana,TV's M*A*S*H: The Ultimate Guide Book the son of George E. and Etta (Kwitny) Aidman. Aidman graduated from Frankfort High School and attended DePauw University prior to serving as a gunnery officer in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, he returned to his home state and graduated from Indiana University.

Career

Aidman guest-starred on NBC's The Virginian in the episode "The Devil's Children" and twice on the NBC Western series The Californians. He also appeared twice on Richard Diamond, Private Detective. He portrayed a bounty hunter on ABC's Western series Black Saddle. He was cast in CBS's fantasy drama The Twilight Zone in the episodes "And When the Sky Was Opened" and "Little Girl Lost". He also guest-starred on other Western series, including the ABC/Warner Bros. series Colt .45; ABC's The Rebel; CBS's Gunsmoke (in 5 episodes); NBC's Riverboat (as Frank Paxton in the episode "The Fight at New Canal"); NBC's The Americans; CBS's Trackdown (as Len Starbuck in "The Samaritan"); and CBS's Johnny Ringo (as Jeffrey Blake in "The Stranger").

Aidman guest starred on the NBC children's Western Fury, in episodes of the ABC/WB crime drama Bourbon Street Beat, and in the syndicated aviation adventure series Whirlybirds. He appeared in 1959 and 1960 in different roles on three episodes of the syndicated crime drama U.S. Marshal. In 1960, Aidman made a guest appearance on the CBS courtroom drama Perry Mason (as Arthur Siddons in "The Case of the Gallant Grafter"). Aidman also guest starred in a 1961 episode of the Western TV series Bonanza (as Jim Applegate in "The Rival").

In 1961, in the Peter Gunn episode "Witness in the Window", Aidman hires Peter Gunn to investigate a woman who is blackmailing him over alleged sexual improprieties that he denies. In the NBC Western series The Tall Man, in the episode "Shadow of the Past", Aidman was cast as Ben Wiley, the father of Sue Wiley, the latest girlfriend of Billy the Kid.

In 1962 and 1963, he made two appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Also in 1963, Aidman was cast as George Ellsworth, an official with the United States Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, in the three-part episode "Security Risk" of the CBS anthology series GE True. He also played a sex-education teacher in the episode of Slattery's People "Do the Ignorant Sleep in Pure White Sheets"? Also in 1963, Aidman adapted Spoon River Anthology by poet Edgar Lee Masters into a theater production. It is a production that is still performed.

In 1965, he played a teacher in a sixth-season episode of The Andy Griffith Show. He appeared on the NBC Western series The Road West in its 1966 episode "The Lean Years". That same year, Aidman played scientist Dr. Hollis, who turns into a werewolf in an episode of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He also guest-starred on CBS's The Wild Wild West during the series's fourth season in a recurring role as Jeremy Pike, one of Jim West's substitute sidekicks. In 1968, he appeared in ABC's The Invaders as research scientist Julian Reed, in the episode "The Pit". In 1970, Aidman appeared in Hawaii Five-O as Dr. Royce, and in 1973 Aidman played in the episode "Seance" in Emergency!.

In 1974, he introduced the character Louis Willis (later known as Tom Willis), father-in-law-to-be of Lionel Jefferson, in the February 1974 episode of CBS's All in the Family "Lionel's Engagement". In 1977, Aidman played the father of Elmer Dobkins in an episode of Little House on the Prairie. Aidman appeared in an episode of the police drama Nakia. Also in 1977, in "The Grim Reaper" episode of M*A*S*H, he portrayed Colonel Bloodworth, a callous, sadistic commander who takes pleasure in predicting casualties and reducing his troops to statistics. From 1985 to 1987, Aidman was the narrator of the revival of The Twilight Zone series (until he was replaced by Robin Ward).

His film roles include Pork Chop Hill (1959), War Hunt (1962), Hour of the Gun (1967), Countdown (1968), Angel, Angel, Down We Go (1969), Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969), Adam at 6 A.M. (1970), Kotch (1971), Dirty Little Billy (1972), Deliver Us from Evil (1973), Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977), Zoot Suit (1981), Uncommon Valor (1983) and Innerspace (1987), his final feature-film appearance.

Personal life and death Aidman was married to model Frances Garman. In November 1993, he died of cancer in Beverly Hills, California. He is interred in the Room of Prayer at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory

Select Filmography Year Title Role Notes1956 The Wrong Man Jail Medical Attendant Uncredited role1959 Pork Chop Hill Lieutenant Harrold 1959One Step BeyondCarl ArcherS1 E6, "Epilogue"1961 Gunsmoke Dack S6 E23, About Chester1962 War Hunt Captain Wallace Pratt The Dick Van Dyke Show Glen Jameson 1967 Countdown Gus Hour of the Gun Horace Sullivan 1969 Angel, Angel, Down We Go Willy Steele Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here Judge Benby 1970 Adam at 6 A.M. Mr. Hopper 1971 Kotch Gerald Kotcher 1972 The Rookies Arnold Sanders 1972 Dirty Little Billy Ben Antrim 1973 Deliver Us from Evil Arnold Fleming 1977 Twilight's Last Gleaming Bernstein 1978 The House of the Dead Detective Malcolm Toliver Also known as Alien Zone1981 Zoot Suit George Shibley 1982 The American Adventure Father Voice role1983 Uncommon Valor Senator Hastings Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse Narrator Voice role1984 From Disney, with LoveDisney's Salute to Mom1987 Innerspace Speaker At Banquet

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