Yale Summers obit

Yale Summers dies at 78

'Daktari' actor served SAG in multiple capacities 

He was not on the list.

Yale Summers, an actor who co-starred in jungle adventure series “Daktari” before becoming heavily involved in the activities of the Screen Actors Guild by producing the guild’s awards show, among other things, died Sunday, May 6, in Beverly Hills after a long battle with COPD. He was 78.

Summers was the second male lead on CBS’ “Daktari,” which followed the activities of veterinarian Marsh Tracy, played by Marshall Thompson, in a remote area of Africa. The series ran from 1966-68.

Summers spent the 1964-65 season playing Dr. Bob Ayres on ABC daytime soap “General Hospital,” and he was Rodney Harrington No. 2 on “Return to Peyton Place” from 1972-74. The actor also guested on a variety of shows ranging from “The Donna Reed Show,” “My Favorite Martian” and “The Outer Limits” in the early 1960s to “My Three Sons,” “Fantasy Island” and “Quincy.”

Summers was a founding member and chair of the SAG Awards Committee, and in that capacity was one of the producers of the Screen Actors Guild Awards from the kudocast’s founding in 1995 until its 15th anniversary in 2009.

He served on the guild’s national board director and the national executive committee for many years and had been national recording secretary and national treasurer at different times. Summers was also a SAG Producers Pension and Health Plans trustee and a SAG Foundation board member.

Former SAG president Ed Asner said: “Yale was a good man and a good friend who was totally dedicated to his belief in the union. He was completely unbiased and never took sides. He had a purist vision of how the guild should be run and wasn’t swayed by the influence of special interest groups. He put the best interest of the guild and union first. I’m deeply sorry for his passing.”

Summers was also a member of AFTRA, for which he served on both the Los Angeles local board and national board of directors.

The actor received SAG’s Ralph Morgan Award, presented for service to the guild, in 2008.

Summers was born in Manhattan, graduated with honors with a degree in business from Cornell U. in 1955 and served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Summers is survived by his wife, Suzie Summers; two children; and two grandchildren.

 

Actor

$pent (1999)

$pent

4.5

Max's Father (uncredited)

1999

 

Joanna Cassidy, Mark Harmon, and John Bennett Perry in 240-Robert (1979)

240-Robert

7.3

TV Series

Mr. Kline

1979

1 episode

 

Jack Klugman in Quincy, M.E. (1976)

Quincy, M.E.

7.3

TV Series

Coroner

1979

2 episodes

 

This Is the Life (1952)

This Is the Life

6.8

TV Series

Marshall Forsythe

Ryan Sloane

Dr. Ted Hines

1970–1978

3 episodes

 

Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize in Fantasy Island (1977)

Fantasy Island

6.6

TV Series

Philip

1978

1 episode

 

If You Loved Me

Don

1978

 

The Return of Captain Nemo (1978)

The Return of Captain Nemo

4.8

TV Movie

Sirak

1978

 

Eddie Albert and Robert Wagner in Switch (1975)

Switch

7.1

TV Series

Porter Collins

1977

1 episode

 

Emergency! (1972)

Emergency!

7.9

TV Series

Manager

1976

1 episode

 

The Blue Knight (1975)

The Blue Knight

6.8

TV Series

Room Clerk

1975

1 episode

 

Big Rose: Double Trouble (1974)

Big Rose: Double Trouble

6.0

TV Movie

James Mayhew

1974

 

Return to Peyton Place (1972)

Return to Peyton Place

7.9

TV Series

Rodney Harringto #2

Rodney Harrington

1972–1973

3 episodes

 

My Three Sons (1960)

My Three Sons

7.1

TV Series

Bill Miller

Phil Rankin

Young Man ...

1965–1972

4 episodes

 

Herschel Bernardi and Sue Ane Langdon in Arnie (1970)

Arnie

7.1

TV Series

Dougie Pritchett

1972

1 episode

 

Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James in McMillan & Wife (1971)

McMillan & Wife

7.2

TV Series

George Fairborn

1971

1 episode

 

O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (1971)

O'Hara, U.S. Treasury

7.4

TV Series

Fresno Agent

1971

1 episode

 

"The Smith Family" Janet Blair, Henry Fonda, Darleen Carr, Ron Howard, Michael-James Wixted

The Smith Family

6.7

TV Series

Mr. Bowers

1971

1 episode

 

Stefan Arngrim, Gary Conway, Kurt Kasznar, Deanna Lund, Don Marshall, Don Matheson, and Heather Young in Land of the Giants (1968)

Land of the Giants

7.1

TV Series

Andre

1970

1 episode

 

The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (1969)

The Bold Ones: The New Doctors

6.9

TV Series

Walter Emmons

1969

1 episode

 

Daktari (1966)

Daktari

7.0

TV Series

Jack Dane

1966–1968

74 episodes

 

Finola Hughes, Maurice Benard, Genie Francis, Nancy Lee Grahn, Rebecca Herbst, and Laura Wright in General Hospital (1963)

General Hospital

6.6

TV Series

Dr. Bob Ayres

1965

5 episodes

 

Susan Brown and Michael T. Mikler in The Young Marrieds (1964)

The Young Marrieds

8.3

TV Series

Dr. Bob Ayres

1965

2 episodes

 

12 O'Clock High (1964)

12 O'Clock High

8.1

TV Series

Lt. Charley Vale

1964

1 episode

 

Karen (1964)

Karen

8.1

TV Series

Hoot Dubbins

1964

1 episode

 

Inger Stevens and William Windom in The Farmer's Daughter (1963)

The Farmer's Daughter

7.5

TV Series

Paul Layton

1964

1 episode

 

The Outer Limits (1963)

The Outer Limits

8.2

TV Series

Buddy Lyman

1964

1 episode

 

My Favorite Martian (1963)

My Favorite Martian

7.2

TV Series

Intern

1964

1 episode

 

Gary Lockwood in The Lieutenant (1963)

The Lieutenant

8.3

TV Series

Lt. Barry Everest

1963

2 episodes

 

The New Phil Silvers Show (1963)

The New Phil Silvers Show

7.1

TV Series

1963

1 episode

 

Channing (1963)

Channing

7.3

TV Series

Fraternity President

1963

1 episode

 

Shelley Fabares, Donna Reed, Carl Betz, and Paul Petersen in The Donna Reed Show (1958)

The Donna Reed Show

7.4

TV Series

Howard

1963

2 episodes

 

Abel Fernandez, Nicholas Georgiade, Paul Picerni, and Robert Stack in The Untouchables (1959)

The Untouchables

8.0

TV Series

Student (uncredited)

1963

1 episode

 

Cheyenne (1955)

Cheyenne

8.0

TV Series

Lieutenant Jackson

1962

1 episode

 

William Windom in The Gallant Men (1962)

The Gallant Men

7.9

TV Series

Young Officer (uncredited)

1962

1 episode

 

Robert Young in Window on Main Street (1961)

Window on Main Street

7.5

TV Series

Fred

1962

1 episode

 

The Dick Powell Theatre (1961)

The Dick Powell Theatre

7.4

TV Series

Jeff

1962

1 episode

 

John Davis Chandler and Leonardo Cimino in Mad Dog Coll (1961)

Mad Dog Coll

5.4

Gambler (uncredited)

1961

 

Producer

15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2009)

15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

5.7

TV Special

producer

2009

 

14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2008)

14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

6.6

TV Special

SAG producer

2008

 

13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2007)

13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

6.1

TV Special

SAG producer

2007

 

12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2006)

12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

7.6

TV Special

producer: SAG

2006

 

James Garner in 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2005)

11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

6.3

TV Special

producer: SAG

2005

 

10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004)

10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

6.9

TV Special

producer: SAG

2004

 

Daniel Day-Lewis in 9th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2003)

9th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

6.6

TV Special

producer: SAG

2003

 

8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2002)

8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

4.7

TV Special

producer: SAG

2002

 

David Boreanaz in Angel (1999)

7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

6.2

TV Special

producer: SAG

2001

 

6th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2000)

6th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

3.9

TV Special

producer: SAG

2000

 

5th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (1999)

5th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

3.5

TV Special

producer: SAG

1999

 

4th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (1998)

4th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

5.8

TV Special

producer: SAG

1998

 

3rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

7.1

TV Special

producer: SAG

1997

 

2nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (1996)

2nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

5.2

TV Special

producer: SAG

1996

 

1st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

3.9

TV Special

producer: SAG

1995