Rockne Tarkington obit

 

Actor Rockne Tarkington has died

He was not on the list.

Born in Junction City, Kansas, Tarkington began his career as a stage actor, and made the transition to television with guest appearances in episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Kraft Suspense Theatre, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Casey, Mission: Impossible, Bewitched, and many others. Tarkington was also the first credited black actor to appear on The Andy Griffith Show, and the only African American on the show to ever have a speaking part.

Tarkington made recurring appearances on Tarzan (as Tao) and starred as Elihu Morgan on Danger Island on Hanna-Barbera's Banana Splits Adventure Hour. He also played "Too Mean" Malone on the 1983–84 season of Matt Houston and made appearances in episodes of Bearcats!, MacGyver, Baretta and other shows in the 1970s and 1980s.

As a film actor, Tarkington played the title role in the blaxploitation picture Black Samson (1974), and co-starred with Richard X. Slattery in The No Mercy Man (1973) and Zebra Force (1976). He also appeared in films such as Soldier in the Rain (1963), Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion (1965), The Great White Hope (1970), Beware! The Blob (1972), Melinda (1972), The Baltimore Bullet (1980), National Lampoon's Movie Madness (1983), The Ice Pirates (1984), Uphill All the Way (1986) and Death Before Dishonor (1987), and had parts in many television films.

Tarkington was the first choice to play the part of Williams in Enter the Dragon (1973), but just before the start of filming he was replaced by Jim Kelly.

Tarkington lived in Los Angeles for the majority of his career where he was married to fellow screen actor Joan Blackman from July 1968 to October 1970. In the 1990s he returned home to Kansas when his mother became ill. He eventually became a Mormon after seeing a television commercial for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Tarkington is the only African-American actor ever to have a speaking role on The Andy Griffith Show. He appeared in one episode as Opie's piano-playing football coach.

Filmography

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1963      Soldier in the Rain            Sgt. William Booth          

1965      Major Dundee   Jefferson             Uncredited

1965      Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion     Juma     

1965      Tell Me in the Sunlight   Rocky   

1968      PJ            Cato       Uncredited

1969      The Dream of Hamish Mose        Hamish Mose    

1970      The Great White Hope   Rudy     

1972      Beware! The Blob             Deputy Williams              

1972      Melinda                Tank     

1973      The No Mercy Man          Prophet               

1974      Home Grown     Hank     

1974      Black Samson     Samson               

1974      Black Starlet       Ben       

1976      Zebra Force                       

1977      The Great Gundown       Sutton  

1978      Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry      Morrison             

1980      The Baltimore Bullet       Gunner                

1982      National Lampoon's Movie Madness       Black Cop – 'Municipalians'         

1982      Showdown at Eagle Gap                Enterprise Jackson          

1984      The Ice Pirates   Patch    

1986      Uphill All the Way            Leon     

1987      Death Before Dishonor Jihad     

1988      Under the Gun Leon     

1989      Fists of Steel       Rijar      

1994      Wyatt Earp          Stable Hand