Martin Milner obit

Martin Milner, Star of Cop Drama Adam-12, Dead at 83

He was not on the list.

Martin Milner, a veteran actor known for work on TV dramas such as Adam-12 and Route 66, has died, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department confirms to PEOPLE. Milner died at his home in L.A. Sunday at the age of 83.

Milner made his big-screen debut in 1947's Life With Father, in which he played John Day, son to William Powell's fiery patriarch Clarence Day. He went on to appear in John Wayne's Sands of Iwo Jima in 1949 and Operation Pacific in 1951, before transitioning to TV with several appearances in the classic police procedural Dragnet beginning in 1952.

In 1960, he rose to greater prominence as the star of Route 66, which lasted for four seasons on CBS and centered on two young men traveling the United States in a Chevrolet Corvette in search of adventure.

But Milner is best remembered for his turn as seasoned LAPD officer Pete Molloy in Adam-12, which ran from 1968 to 75 on NBC. The show was praised as depicting police work in a more realistic manner than previous series, and Milner's performance inspired generations of future police officers – including LAPD Police Chief Charlie Beck.

"Adam-12 and Martin Milner embodied the spirit of the LAPD to millions of viewers," Beck said in a statement Monday. "His depiction of a professional and tough yet compassionate cop led thousands of men and women applying to become LAPD officers, including me. Godspeed Martin, you will live forever in our hearts."

In 1995, Milner told PEOPLE he was happy to leave the limelight behind after largely retiring from acting.

"I was never a celebrity – just a working actor," Milner said, adding his passions were "family and fishing, in that order."

Milner is survived by his wife, Judith Bess "Judy" Jones, a former singer and actress whom he married in 1957; daughter Molly, and sons Stuart and Andrew. His daughter Amy died of acute myeloid leukemia in 2004.



Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes

1947 Life with Father John Day

1948 The Wreck of the Hesperus Nathaniel

1949 The Green Promise Joe - 4H Club Member Uncredited

1949 Sands of Iwo Jima Pvt. Mike McHugh

1950 Louisa Bob Stewart

1950 Our Very Own Bert

1951 Halls of Montezuma Whitney

1951 Operation Pacific Ens. Caldwell

1951 Fighting Coast Guard Al Prescott

1951 I Want You George Kress Jr.

1952 The Captive City Phil Harding

1952 Belles on Their Toes Al Lynch Uncredited

1952 My Wife's Best Friend Buddy Chamberlain

1952 Springfield Rifle Pvt. Olie Larsen

1952 Battle Zone Corp. Andy Sayer

1952 Torpedo Alley Undetermined Role Unconfirmed / Uncredited

1953 Last of the Comanches Billy Creel

1953 Destination Gobi Elwood Halsey

1954 Dial M for Murder Policeman Outside Wendice Flat Uncredited

1955 The Long Gray Line Jim O'Carberry Uncredited

1955 Mister Roberts Shore Patrol Officer

1955 Francis in the Navy W.T. 'Rick' Rickson

1955 Pete Kelly's Blues Joey Firestone

1956 On the Threshold of Space Lt. Mort Glenn

1956 Navy Wife

1956 Screaming Eagles Pvt. Corliss

1956 Pillars of the Sky Waco

1957 Man Afraid Shep Hamilton

1957 Desk Set Bit Part Uncredited

1957 Gunfight at the O.K. Corral James Earp

1957 Sweet Smell of Success Steve Dallas Credited as Marty Milner

1958 Too Much, Too Soon Lincoln Forrester

1958 Marjorie Morningstar Wally Wronkin

1959 Compulsion Sid Brooks

1960 The Private Lives of Adam and Eve Ad Simms / Adam

1960 13 Ghosts Benjamen Rush

1960 Sex Kittens Go to College George Barton Associate producer

1965 Zebra in the Kitchen Dr. Del Hartwood

1966 Ski Fever Brian Davis

1967 Valley of the Dolls Mel Anderson

1968 Three Guns for Texas Const. Clendon MacMillan

1975 The Swiss Family Robinson Karl Robinson

1998 Route 66: Return to the Road with Martin Milner Himself Video Documentary





Television

Year Title Role Notes

1950 The Lone Ranger Dick McHenry "Pay Dirt"

1950–1951 The Stu Erwin Show Drexel Potter 8 episodes

1951 The Bigelow Theatre T.K.O. Episode: "T.K.O."

1952–1955 Dragnet Stephen Banner 6 episodes

1953–1957 The Life of Riley Bruce

Don Marshall 4 episodes

1954–1955 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Various roles 2 episodes

1955 The Great Gildersleeve Brick Episode: "Water Commissioner's Water Color"

1956 NBC Matinee Theater Various roles 2 episodes

1956 TV Reader's Digest US Army Recruit Episode: "The Old, Old Story"

1956 The Charles Farrell Show Episode: "Love and Kisses"

1956 Telephone Time Episode: "The Churchill Club"

1956 Science Fiction Theatre Britt Episode: "Three Minute Mile"

1956 Crossroads Charles Mitchell 2 episodes

1956 Navy Log Monk Jacob "Incident at Formosa"

1956–1957 The West Point Story Various roles 2 episodes

1958 Wagon Train Matt Trumbell Episode: "The Sally Potter Story"

1958–1959 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Various roles 2 episodes

1958–1959 The Millionaire Various roles 2 episodes

1959 Rawhide Johnny Doan Episode: "Incident with an Executioner"

1959 Playhouse 90 Episode: "Judgment at Nuremberg"

1959 Steve Canyon Sgt. Ernest Bigelow Episode: "Operation Firebee"

1959 Hotel de Paree Pat Williams Episode: "Vein of Ore"

1959 U.S. Marshal Deputy Bob Baxter Episode: "Trigger Happy"

1960 The Twilight Zone Paul Grinstead Episode: "Mirror Image"

1960–1964 Route 66 Tod Stiles 116 episodes

1965 Memorandum for a Spy Television film

1965 Starr, First Baseman Joe Starr Television film

1965 Slattery's People State Representative Scott Fleming Episode: "Question: What's a Requiem for a Loser?"

1965 Gidget Kahuna Episode: "The Great Kahuna"

1965 Laredo Clendon MacMillan Episode: "Yahoo"

1965–1966 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Various roles 3 episodes

1965–1966 The Virginian Various roles 2 episodes

1966 A Man Called Shenandoah Neal Henderson Episode: "Requiem for the Second"

1966 12 O'Clock High Maj. Dimscek Episode: "Six Feet Under"

1967 The Rat Patrol Sgt. Roberts Episode: "The Wild Goose Raid"

1967 Run for Your Life Various roles 2 episodes

1967 Felony Squad Thomas Glynn Episode: "Hit and Run, Run, Run"

1967 Insight Sherm Episode: "Fat Hands and a Diamond Ring"

1968 Land's End Eric Television film

1968 Dragnet Officer Pete Malloy Episode: "Internal Affairs: DR-20"

1968–1975 Adam-12 Officer Pete Malloy 174 episodes

1971 Columbo Jim Ferris Episode: "Murder by the Book"

1971 The D.A. Officer Pete Malloy Episode: "The People vs. Saydo"

1972 Hollywood Squares Himself Celebrity Guest Star

1972–1976 Emergency! Officer Pete Malloy 3 episodes

1973 Runaway! John Shedd Television film

1974 Hurricane Maj. Hymie Stoddard Television film

1975–1976 The Swiss Family Robinson Karl Robinson 20 episodes

1976 Flood! Paul Burke Television film

1977 SST: Death Flight Lyle Kingman Television film

1977 Police Story Grady Dolin Episode: "Stigma"

1978 Black Beauty Tom Gray Miniseries

1978 Little Mo Wilbur Folsom Television film

1979 Crisis in Mid-Air Dr. Denvers Television film

1979 The Last Convertible Sergeant Dabric Miniseries

1979 Password Plus Himself Game Show Contestant / Celebrity Guest Star

1979 The Seekers Philip Kent Television film

1980 The Littlest Hobo Don Porter Episode: "Sailing Away"

1981 Fantasy Island Various roles 2 episodes

1981 The Ordeal of Bill Carney Peter Belton Television movie

1984 Masquerade Episode: "Winnings"

1985 Airwolf Arthur Barnes Episode: "Severance Pay"

1985–1996 Murder, She Wrote Various roles 5 episodes

1988 MacGyver Coach Turk Donner Episode: "Thin Ice"

1989 Nashville Beat Captain Brian O'Neal Television movie

1990 MacGyver James MacGyver Episode: "Passages"

1992 Life Goes On Harris Cassidy 5 episodes

1994 RoboCop: The Series Russell Murphy 2 episodes

1997 Diagnosis: Murder Detective Halloran Episode: "Murder Blues", (final appearance)