In 1959, Jaeckel played Frank Wilson in the series Trackdown.

Richard Jaeckel (born R. Hanley Jaeckel; October 10, 1926 – June 14, 1997) was an American actor. A veteran character player whose career spanned six decades, Jaeckel appeared in nearly 200 film and television roles between 1943 and 1994, and was best known for his "tough guy" roles in Westerns and war films. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Sometimes a Great Notion (1971).

Early life Jaeckel was born October 10, 1926, in Long Beach, New York, the son of Richard Jaeckel and Millicent Hanley. His father was active in the family's fur business, and his mother was a stage actress. His birth name was R. Hanley Jaeckel, with only the initial rather than a first name.

He attended The Harvey School and other private schools. The family lived in New York until 1934, when they moved to Los Angeles, where his father operated a branch of the family business. He graduated from Hollywood High School.

Career

Jaeckel got his start in the film business at the age of 17 while he was employed as a mailboy at 20th Century Fox studios in Hollywood. A casting director auditioned him for a role in the 1943 film Guadalcanal Diary; Jaeckel won the role and settled into a lengthy career in supporting parts.

He served in the United States Merchant Marine from 1944 to 1946, then starred in two of the most remembered war films of 1949: Battleground and Sands of Iwo Jima with John Wayne. One of Jaeckel's shortest film roles was in The Gunfighter, in which his character is killed by Gregory Peck's character in the opening scene. He played the role of Turk, the roomer's boyfriend, in the Academy Award-winning 1952 film Come Back, Little Sheba, with Shirley Booth, Burt Lancaster, and Terry Moore.

In 1960, he appeared as Angus Pierce in the Western, Flaming Star, starring Elvis Presley. He played Lee Marvin's able second-in-command, Sgt. Bowren, in the 1967 film The Dirty Dozen for director Robert Aldrich, and reprised the role in the 1985 sequel, The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission. Jaeckel appeared in several other Aldrich films, including Big Leaguer (1953), Attack (1956), Ulzana's Raid (1972), and Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977).

He guest-starred in many television programs. He was cast as a boxer in a 1954 episode of Reed Hadley's CBS legal drama, The Public Defender. Also in 1954, Jaeckel portrayed Billy the Kid in an episode of the syndicated Western anthology series, Stories of the Century, with Jim Davis as the fictitious Southwest Railroad detective Matt Clark. Seven years later, Jaeckel played "Denver" in "The Grudge Fight" episode of the NBC Western series The Tall Man.

In 1957, he appeared as Mort Claffey in two episodes, "Paratroop Padre" and "The Light," of the syndicated religion anthology series, Crossroads. That same year, he portrayed Lieutenant Bradshaw in episode "War of the Whale Boats" of the military drama, Navy Log. In 1956-57, he appeared in three episodes of another military drama, The West Point Story.

In 1955 and 1958, Jaeckel appeared in different roles on two episodes of CBS's fantasy drama The Millionaire. In 1958, Jaeckel guest-starred as Webb Martin in the episode "The Bloodline" of NBC's Western series Cimarron City. That same year, he appeared in the syndicated drama of the American Civil War, Gray Ghost in the episode entitled "The Hero". In 1959, he was cast as Clint Gleason in the episode "The Man Behind the Star" of CBS's The Texan Western series, starring Rory Calhoun.

In 1960, Jaeckel appeared twice on Nick Adams's ABC Western series, The Rebel, as Marshal Roader in "The Rattler" and as Clyde Traskel in "Run, Killer, Run".

During the 1961-62 season, Jaeckel had a starring role (with John Derek and Chill Wills) on CBS' Frontier Circus, an adventure drama about a one-ring circus traveling the American West during the 1880's. Jaeckel's character Tony Gentry served as an advance location scout for the circus in addition to assisting John Derek's circus manager Ben Travis. Jaeckel appeared in all 26 episodes with featured player roles in several episodes, most notably "Karina" opposite Elizabeth Montgomery.

In 1963, Jaeckel played Willie the murderer in "The Case of the Lover's Leap" on CBS's Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr. That same year he was among the guest stars on the short-lived ABC/Warner Brothers Western series, The Dakotas and in "The Predators" episode of Have Gun – Will Travel, Season 6 (1962). Also in 1963, Jaeckel, speaking in German, played the role of Wehrmacht Sgt. Buxman in the Combat! TV series episode "Gideon's Army." Finally in that year, he guest starred in the TV Western Series Gunsmoke in the S8E27 episode "Two of a Kind", playing Irish immigrant mine owner O'Ryan, who was feuding with his partner. Jaeckel appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Presents "Incident in a Small Jail" (1961) as well as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour episodes, "Low Clouds and Coastal Fog" (1963), "Death of a Cop (1963), and "Off Season" (1965). In 1964, Jaeckel appeared as Danny in the episode "Keep Cool" of The New Phil Silvers Show and as Mitch Devlin in an episode of Bonanza, ″Between Heaven and Earth″.

In 1966, Jaeckel made a second guest appearance on Perry Mason as Mike Woods in the episode "The Case of the Bogus Buccaneers". That same year, he also co-starred as Christopher Cable in an episode – "The Night of the Grand Emir" – of The Wild Wild West. Also that year he played "Percy Farley", part of a bank robbing gang in a rare two part episode called "The Raid" on Gunsmoke. He guest-starred in 1967 as Dibbs in the episode "Night of Reckoning" on Bonanza.

Jaeckel's most famous film appearances of the 1950s are in 3:10 to Yuma (1957) and The Naked and the Dead (1958). His film career achieved its greatest success in the period 1967 to 1975, in such features as The Dirty Dozen (1967), The Devil's Brigade (1968), Chisum (1970), Sometimes a Great Notion (1971) (for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), Ulzana's Raid (1972), Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), The Outfit (1973), The Drowning Pool (1975), and Walking Tall Part 2 (1975). Chisum was a John Wayne vehicle in which Jaeckel, Christopher George and Andrew Prine all co-starred in prominent supporting roles. The three would re-team six years later in Grizzly (1976) (an amiable Jaws ripoff reset in the forest) and Jaeckel and George would team again in another "nature strikes back" story, Day of the Animals (1977). In 1976, he starred in the B movie Mako: The Jaws of Death.

In 1975, he starred as the title character on the episode "Larkin" on Gunsmoke (S20E17). In 1977, Jaeckel appeared with Donna Mills, Bill Bixby, and William Shatner in the last episode, entitled "The Scarlet Ribbon", of NBC's Western series The Oregon Trail, starring Rod Taylor and Andrew Stevens. The following year he played Sergeant Lykes in the epic TV miniseries Centennial. He had a recurring role in the short-lived Andy Griffith vehicle Salvage 1 (1979).

The later films in his career included a major role in John Carpenter's 1984 film Starman as an NSA agent hunting an alien life form played by Jeff Bridges as well as in the action films Black Moon Rising with Tommy Lee Jones and Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection with Chuck Norris. In his later years, Jaeckel was known to television audiences as Lt. Ben Edwards on Baywatch from seasons 2-4. He also played Al Gibson in the Baywatch Pilot. He also co-starred on Robert Urich's ABC series Spenser: For Hire in the role of Lieutenant Martin Quirk.

Personal life On May 29, 1947, Jaeckel married Antoinette Helen Marches in Tijuana. They had two sons, professional golfer Barry Jaeckel and Richard.

Death Jaeckel died of cancer at the age of 70 in 1997 at the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.

Partial filmography

Film +YearTitleRole1943Guadalcanal Diary Pvt. Johnny ('Chicken') Anderson1944Wing and a Prayer Beezy Bessemer1948Jungle PatrolLt. Dick Carter1949City Across the River BullBattleground BettisSands of Iwo Jima PFC. Frank Flynn1950The Gunfighter EddieWyoming MailNate1951Fighting Coast Guard Tony JessupThe Sea Hornet Johnny Radford1952My Son JohnChuck JeffersonHoodlum Empire Ted DawsonCome Back, Little ShebaTurk Fisher1953Big LeaguerBobby BronsonSea of Lost ShipsEnsign H.G. 'Hap' O'Malley1954The Shanghai Story'Knuckles' Greer1955Apache AmbushLee ParkerThe Violent MenWade Matlock1956Attack! Pvt. Snowden19573:10 to Yuma Charlie Prince1958CowboyPaul CurtisThe LineupSandy MacLainThe Naked and the DeadGallagherThe Gun Runners BuzurkiWhen Hell Broke LooseKarl1960Platinum High SchoolHack MarlowThe Gallant HoursLCDR. Roy WebbFlaming Star Angus Pierce1961Town Without PityCorporal Birdwell "Birdie" Scott1963The Young and The Brave Corporal John Estway4 for TexasPete Mancini1965Nightmare in the SunMotorcyclistTown TamerDeputy Johnny Honsinger1966Once Before I Die Lt. Custer1967The Dirty Dozen Sgt. Clyde Bowren1968The Devil's Brigade Pvt. Omar GrecoThe Green Slime Commander Vince Elliott1969Latitude Zero Perry Lawton1970Chisum Jesse Evans1971Sometimes a Great NotionJoe Ben Stamper1972Ulzana's RaidThe Sergeant1973Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid Sheriff Kip McKinneyThe Outfit Kimmie Cherney1974Chosen SurvivorsMajor Gordon Ellis1975The Drowning Pool FranksWalking Tall Part 2 Stud Pardee1976GrizzlyArthur ScottMako: The Jaws of Death Sonny Stein1977Twilight's Last GleamingCpt. Stanford TowneDay of the Animals Prof. MacGregorSpeedtrapBilly1978Mr. No Legs Chuck1979The Dark Det. Dave MooneyDelta FoxSantana1980Herbie Goes Bananas Shepard1981...All the MarblesBill Dudley1982Blood SongFrank HauserAirplane II: The Sequel Controller1984Starman George Fox1986Black Moon RisingEarl Windom1990Delta Force 2: The Colombian ConnectionDEA Agent John PageThe King of the KickboxersCpt. O'Day1993Martial Outlaw Mr. White

Television +YearTitleRoleNotes 1957-1958 The Silent Service Steve / Capt. Chester Smith 2 episodes196077 Sunset StripBob BentEpisode: "The Office Caper"The RebelTraskel/Deputy Roader2 episodesThe UntouchablesHans EberhardtEpisode: "The Otto Frick Story"1961The Tall ManDenverEpisode: "The Grudge Fight"LawmanAl JanakerEpisode: "Blue Boss and Willie Shay"Alfred Hitchcock Presents The Suspect / MechanicEpisode: "Incident in a Small Jail"1961–1963Wagon TrainBarker, Bud Piper2 episodes1962Have Gun – Will TravelJohn TyreeEpisode: "The Predators"1963–1965The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Various3 episodes1963–1966Perry MasonWillie, Mike Woods2 episodes1963–1975GunsmokeO'Ryan, Clay Larkin4 episodes1964The Outer LimitsCaptain Mike DowelingEpisode: "Specimen: Unknown"The VirginianPat WadeEpisode: "A Matter of Destiny"1966–1967Bonanza Mitch Devlin, Dibbs2 episodesThe Wild Wild WestSgt. Stryker, Christopher Cable1971The Deadly Dream DelgreveTV movieMission ImpossibleEdward TraskEpisode: "Run for the Money"1971–1974The F.B.I.Sgt. Sam Ryker, James Devlin2 episodes1972Emergency!Defense AttorneyEpisode: "Kids"IronsideCaesarEpisode: "The Countdown"1975CannonCry CarterEpisode: "The Wrong Medicine"1976–1981Little House on the Prairie Murphy, Irv Hartwig3 episodes1976BarettaDowningEpisode: "Aggie"1978Black Sheep Squadron Maj. John DuncanEpisode: "Iceman"1979Salvage 1 Jack KlingerMain cast; Season 11980Charlie's AngelsBid FisherEpisode: "Island Angels"1983Fantasy IslandKodiakSegment: "Operation Breakout"DallasA.D.A. Percy Meredith2 episodes1984The Love BoatFrank BannonSegment: "The Buck Stops Here"Masquerade William TuckerEpisode: "Spanish Gambit"1985The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission Sgt. Clyde BowrenTV movie1985–1987Spenser: For HireLt. Martin Quirk47 episodes1987Murder, She WroteDr. Leon ChatsworthEpisode: "The Way to Dusty Death"1991–1994BaywatchBen Edwards28 episodes

Awards and nominations +AwardYearCategoryWorkResultAcademy Award1972Best Supporting ActorSometimes a Great NotionGolden Boot Award1992

References