Terry Becker obit

Terry Becker, Actor on 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,' Dies at 93

He was not on the list.

He also appeared in a memorable episode of 'The Twilight Zone' and directed for such series as 'Room 222,' 'The Brady Bunch' and 'M*A*S*H'

Terry Becker, who starred on TV’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and played a condemned man in a memorable episode of The Twilight Zone, has died. He was 93.

Becker, who also directed and produced episodes of the ABC series Room 222, died Dec. 30 in the Los Angeles area, his family announced.

Becker portrayed Chief Petty Officer Francis Ethelbert Sharkey on 71 episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Starring Richard Basehart and based on Irwin Allen’s 1961 adventure film, it aired on ABC from 1964-68.

He joined the show in the second season after Henry Kulky, who played Chief Petty Officer Curly Jones on the series, died of a heart attack in February 1965.

In the 1964 Twilight Zone episode, “I Am the Night — Color Me Black,” Becker portrayed Jagger, a man found guilty of murder — wrongfully— who is set to be hanged that morning at sunrise. The sun never comes up, but he’s executed anyway; the town later learns that the sky has stayed black in other places of hate around the world.

Becker was an associate producer on Room 222, a high-school set series that starred Lloyd Haynes as a history teacher and Michael Constantine (who also was in Becker’s Twilight Zone episode) as a principal. He directed several episodes as well.

A native of New York, Becker started out as an actor and appeared in Starlight Theatre, Gunsmoke, The Millionaire, The Asphalt Jungle and Combat! and starred in the 1960 crime drama Code of Silence.

He mainly worked behind the camera after Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and directed for such series as Mod Squad, Love, American Style, The Brady Bunch, Mission: Impossible and M*A*S*H and produced telefilms.

He also partnered in a production company with actor Carroll O’Connor in the 1970s.

Survivors include his wife, Erlinda, children Joseph and Anna, grandchildren Savannah, Jack and James and brother Sidney.

Partial filmography as actor

    Danger (1951-1952, TV Series) .... Lou

    Short Short Dramas (1953, TV Series)

    Teacher's Pet (1958) .... Mr. Appino (uncredited)

    The Fiend Who Walked the West (1958) .... Lew Lane (uncredited)

    Compulsion (1959) .... Benson, Angry Reporter (uncredited)

    Wanted Dead or Alive (1960, TV Series) .... Deputy Fred Kimball (billed as Adam Becker)

    Perry Mason (1958-1960, TV Series) .... Everett Ransome / Philip Larkin

    Code of Silence (1960) .... Mike Story

    The Asphalt Jungle (1961, TV Series) .... Ira Fallon

    Sea Hunt (1961, TV Series) .... Putnam's Agent / Alcott - Newspaper Reporter

    The Twilight Zone (1964, TV Series, Episode: "I Am the Night Color Me Black") .... Jagger

    Rawhide (1959-1964, TV Series) .... Burt / Seth Warner

    Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1965-1968, TV Series, Main Character) .... Chief Francis Ethelbert Sharkey

    The Writer (2004) .... Dr. Norman Solomon

    Neighborhood Watch (2005) .... Judd Sowell

    Finishing the Game (2007) .... Breeze's Dad

    In Case of Emergency (2007, TV Series Episode: "Disorder in the Court") .... Judge

    Infection: The Invasion Begins (2010) .... Grandpa Sy (final film role)

Partial filmography as producer-director

    The Thirsty Dead, motion picture, producer-director, 1974

    Bronk, executive producer TV series 1975-76 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072481/fullcredits)

    Hallmark Hall of Fame The Last Hurrah, TV movie, executive producer, 1977 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076296/fullcredits#cast)

    Bender, TV series, executive producer, 1979 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1854424/fullcredits#cast)

    Riding for the Pony Express, TV movie, producer, 1980 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135945/fullcredits#cast)

    Archie Bunker's Place, TV series, 1979-83 O'Connor-Becker Company (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078562/companycredits)

    Savage in the Orient, TV movie- TV series pilot, executive producer 1983 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0204615/fullcredits#cast

    Blade in Hong Kong, TV movie, producer, 1985 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088817/fullcredits

    Room 222, associate producer 26 episodes 1969-70 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063948/combined

    Room 222, TV series, director 8 episodes 1969-71 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063948/combined

    The Courtship of Eddie's Father, TV series, director,1970

    The Mod Squad, TV series, director,1970

    Love, American Style, TV series, director,1970–72

    The Brady Bunch, TV series, director,1971

    Mission: Impossible, TV series, director, 1970–72

    M*A*S*H,TV series, director 1972