John Karlen obit

John Karlen, Actor on 'Dark Shadows' and 'Cagney & Lacey,' Dies at 86

He was not on the list.

The Emmy winner and Broadway veteran played Willie Loomis on the soap opera and Tyne Daly's husband on the CBS cop show.

John Karlen, the Emmy-winning actor known for his work on the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows and the CBS police drama Cagney & Lacey, has died. He was 86.

Karlen died Wednesday of congestive heart failure while in hospice care in Burbank, according to Shadowgram, a Dark Shadows newsletter.

After several turns on Broadway and on television, Karlen in 1967 was hired by the new ABC daytime serial Dark Shadows to play the trashy, soon-to-be tortured Willie Loomis, replacing James Hall, who had left abruptly after five episodes.

His character arrives in the town of Collinsport, breaks into the Collins family mausoleum and unwittingly releases the vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid), who had spent the past 200 years in a coffin. He's attacked, drained of blood and becomes Barnabas' servant.

Karlen remained on the series through its 1971 conclusion, playing other characters along the way. He also portrayed Loomis in the 1970 feature House of Dark Shadows and the novelist Alex Jenkins in the 1971 film Night of Dark Shadows.

"You could really wring out your emotions, you could really go the limit, you could do big things on that show, which is fun for an actor," Karlen said in an undated interview. "If you're telling Barnabas, 'You can't suck all of this woman's blood out of her body,' it's fantasy, it's crazy, but you go with it."

In a similar spooky vein, Karlen starred as one-half of a newlywed couple who encounter strange things at a deserted hotel in Belgium in the sexploitation film Daughters of Darkness (1971).

For Cagney and Lacey, Karlen received an Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for three straight years (1985-87) and won in 1986 for his work as the understanding and sensitive Harvey Lacey, the husband of Tyne Daly's NYPD detective Mary Beth Lacey. While she was solving crimes, he stayed at home with their two boys and later their baby daughter.

Karlen had turned down a role on Broadway in Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs to take the part.

"We were still looking for the rent when this series came along," he said in a 1987 interview with the Chicago Tribune. "The secret of Harvey Lacey is that he's liked. Harvey being shuffled into the background doesn't bother me. As long as I get my two or three scenes, I'm happy. And I always get them.

"You see, this is a great deal. It's excellent money, and I only work one or two days a week. You don't feel overworked. It's no burnout. You feel like a lightly run horse. You feel like your best work is still in you."

Karlen returned as Harvey for four Cagney & Lacey telefilms in 1994, 1995 and 1996.

Born John Adam Karlewicz on May 28, 1933, in Brooklyn, Karlen served in the Korean War and studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. He made his Broadway debut in 1960 in Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth, directed by Elia Kazan, taking over the part of Tom Junior played by Rip Torn.

Karlen then understudied in Invitation to a March, starring Jane Fonda, and appeared in three more Broadway plays through 1965. Meanwhile, he was working on such TV programs as Naked City, The Detectives, Stoney Burke, the soap opera The Doctors and East Side/West Side.

Karlen came to Los Angeles in the early '70s and became a frequent TV guest star, with stints on Mannix, Medical Center, Hawaii Five-O, Police Story, The Waltons, All in the Family, Kojak, The Rockford Files, Barnaby Jones, Hill Street Blues (as a character named Loomis), Mad About You (as the father of Helen Hunt's character) and Murder, She Wrote.

His big-screen résumé also included A Small Town in Texas (1976), Pennies From Heaven (1981) and Racing With the Moon (1984).

Survivors include his son, Adam, and ex-wife, Betty.

Films

Film Year             Title       Role       Notes

1970      House of Dark Shadows                 Willie Loomis    

1971      Daughters of Darkness   Stefan  

1971      Night of Dark Shadows   Alex Jenkins       

1976      A Small Town in Texas    Deputy Lenny Lutz          

1978      Killer's Delight   Danny  

1981      Pennies from Heaven     The Detective   

1984      Racing with the Moon    Mr. Nash             

1984      Impulse                Bob Russell        

1984      Gimme an 'F'      Bucky Berkshire               

1986      Native Son          Max      

1991      The Dark Wind Jake West           

1993      Surf Ninjas          Mac      

2016      The Job Interview            The Applicant     Short film

Television

Television Year Title       Role       Notes

1949      The Big Story      Andy Franks        "Theory and Practice"

1957      Kraft Television Theatre                Young man          "Heroes Walk on Sand"

1959      Naked City          Chuck    "The Manhole"

1959      Armstrong Circle Theatre              Pfc. James Cook                "Thunder Over Berlin"

1962      The Detectives Frankie "Strangers in the House"

1962      The Gallant Men               Lieutenant Tyrell              "Signals for an End Run"

1963      Stoney Burke     Mickey "Job"

1963      Hallmark Hall of Fame    Ned        "The Patriots"

1964      East Side/West Side        Billy        "One Drink at a Time"

1964      Brenner                Ben Laney           "Laney's Boy"

1966      Hawk     John Polanski     "The Longleat Chronicles"

1967      N.Y.P.D.                Gary Doyle          "Murder for Infinity"

1967      Love Is a Many Splendored Thing              Jock Porter         

1968      Hidden Faces     Sharkey Primrose            

1967–71               Dark Shadows    Willie Loomis

Carl Collins

William H Loomis

Desmond Collins

Kendrick Young 182 episodes

1970      Another World Casey   

1972      Night of Terror Pete Manning    TV movie

1972      The Sixth Sense                 Ed           "Through a Flame Darkly"

1972      The Mod Squad                 Johnny Wexford               "Belinda, End of Little Miss Bubble Gum"

1973      Shirts and Skins                 Herbie Bush        TV movie

1973      The Magician     Jim Russel            "The Vanishing Lady"

1973      Egan      Jack/Ida Deveaux             TV movie

1973      Wide World Mystery      Otto Roget          "Frankenstein: Part 1"

1973      Medical Center Frank Crane        "Judgment"

1973      Police Story        Detective #1       "Slow Boy"

1973      Kojak     Pinky     "Web of Death"

1974      The Invasion of Carol Enders       David Hastings   TV movie

1974      Wide World Mystery      Frank Linwood   "Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest"

1974      Shazam!               Nick Roberts       "Thou Shalt Not Kill"

1974      Doc Elliot             Vincent Parker   "The Pharmacist"

1974      Melvin Purvis: G-Man     Tony Anthony Redecci   TV movie

1975      Medical Center Danny Taggert   "No Hiding Place"

1975      Mannix                 Hood #1               "Quartet for a Blunt Instrument"

1975      Delancey Street: The Crisis Within             Richard Copell   TV movie

1975      Trilogy of Terror                Mr. Anmar          TV movie

1975      The Kansas City Massacre             Sam Cowley        TV movie

1975      Police Story        Rush      "Incident in the Kill Zone"

1975      Joe Forrester                      "The Witness"

1975      Mobile One        Mickey Scanlon                 "The Boxer"

1975      The Streets of San Francisco        Vernon "Poisoned Snow"

1976      The Picture of Dorian Gray           Alan Campbell   TV movie

1976      The Streets of San Francisco        Nat Reeves         "No Minor Vices"

1976      Serpico Eddie Hibbard    "Rapid Fire"

1976      The Waltons       Rev. Ezekiel L. Henshaw                "The Baptism"

1976      Hawaii Five-O    Harris    "Anatomy of a Bribe"

1977      Police Story        Shep      "Prime Rib"

1977      Charlie's Angels                 Leonard Chaffey               "Angel Baby"

1977      The Feather and Father Gang      Benton "Welcome Home, Vince"

1977      ABC Weekend Special    Bill Leggett          "My Dear Uncle Sherlock"

1977      Hunter Power plant worker        "Bluebird Is Back"

1977      All in the Family                Leo         "Mike Goes Skiing"

1977      Most Wanted     Red Murphy       "The White Collar Killer"

1978      Kojak     Hicks      "The Captain's Brother's Wife"

1978      Barnaby Jones   Johnny Alban     "A Frame for Murder"

1978      Barnaby Jones   Easy Eddie           "The Scapegoat"

1978      The Rockford Files            Leo         "Rosendahl and Gilda Stern Are Dead"

1978      Colorado C.I.      Kessler TV movie

1978      The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Rocky    "The Lady on Thursday at Ten"

1979      The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang               Charlie Powers TV movie

1979      Lou Grant            Ken Navaretti     "Gambling"

1979      Sword of Justice                Jerry Lombardi "Blackjack"

1979      The Return of Mod Squad             Marty    TV movie

1979      Kaz                         "The Battered Bride"

1979      Supertrain           Quinn    "Express to Terror"

1979      Starsky & Hutch                Deputy D.A. Stanton       "Ballad for a Blue Lady"

1979      Quincy, M.E.       Marine Gunnery Sgt. Alistair Adams         "Semper-Fidelis"

1979      Quincy, M.E.       Customs Agent Brice       "Hot Ice"

1979      Vega$    Eddie Stolvak     "The Day the Gambling Stopped"

1980      The Long Days of Summer            Duane Haley       TV movie

1981      Vega$    Geddes                "Out of Sight"

1981      Quincy, M.E.       Customs Agent Brice       "Dear Mummy"

1981      American Dream              Coach Ritter       "American Dream"

1981      Trapper John, M.D.          Marty    "A Case of the Crazies"

1982      Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story          Uncle George     TV movie

1982      King's Crossing Sheriff   "The Home Front"

1982      Hill Street Blues                Loomis, Corrupt South Ferry Cop               "Freedom's Last Stand"

1982      Hill Street Blues                Loomis, Corrupt South Ferry Cop               "The Spy Who Came in from Delgado"

1982      Fame     Detective Kessler             "Tomorrow's Farewell"

1982–88               Cagney & Lacey                 Harvey Lacey      110 episodes

1983      Bay City Blues    Clancy   "Pilot"

1983      Bay City Blues    Clancy   "I Never Swung with My Father"

1983      The Winds of War            Ed PBY Pilot        "Into the Maelstrom"

1983      Miss Lonelyhearts            Reverend Walker             TV movie

1985      Finder of Lost Loves        Doctor Arthur Barwell    "Final Analysis"

1985      Hostage Flight   DiSalvo TV movie

1986      Welcome Home, Bobby                 Geffin   TV movie

1986      The Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer    Chapel TV movie

1987      Downpayment on Murder            Albert    TV movie

1987      The New Mike Hammer                 Adam Simon       "Green Lipstick"

1987      Daddy   Mike Burnette   TV movie

1988      Police Story: Burnout      Capt. Harrison   TV movie

1988      ABC Afterschool Special                 Joe Farrell           "Date Rape"

1989      Snoops Lieutenant Sam Akers     "Mr. Dennis' Neighborhood"

1989      Snoops Lieutenant Sam Akers     "Big Brass Cookie Jar"

1989      Snoops Lieutenant Sam Akers     "Hot Shot"'

1989      Snoops Lieutenant Sam Akers     Episode 1.2

1989      227        Nathan Pollack "Jackée"

1989      Baby Cakes         Al            TV movie

1989      The Cover Girl and the Cop          Lieutenant Wingo            TV movie

1989      Murder, She Wrote         Lt. Martin McGinn            "The Grand Old Lady"'

1990      Nightmare on the 13th Floor       Sgt Madden        TV movie

1991      In a Child's Name              Joe Silvano          TV movie

1991      Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin             Jake Morrison    TV movie

1992      Murder, She Wrote         Patrick MacNair                "To the Last Will I Grapple with Thee"

1992      Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer? The Bambi Bembenek Story     John Garner        TV movie

1993      Without Warning: Terror in the Towers Jack McAllister TV movie

1994      Roseanne: An Unauthorized Biography   Jerry Barr             TV movie

1994      MacShayne: Winner Takes All     Waldo Church    TV movie

1994      Cagney & Lacey: The Return        Harvey Lacey      TV movie

1994      Mad About You                 Gus Stemple       "Giblets for Murray"

1995      Mad About You                 Gus Stemple       "Mad About You" (Parts 1 & 2)

1995      Murder, She Wrote         Superintendent Arthur Joyce      "Nan's Ghost" (Parts 1 & 2)

1995      Cagney & Lacey: Together Again                Harvey Lacey      TV movie

1995      Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling        Harvey Lacey      TV movie

1996      Cagney & Lacey: True Convictions             Harvey Lacey      TV movie