Wendell Burton obit

Wendell Burton, Who Starred With Liza Minnelli in ‘The Sterile Cuckoo,’ Dies at 69

He also played Charlie Brown on TV and toured with Eve Arden in 'Butterflies Are Free.' 

He was not on the list.

Wendell Burton, who starred with Liza Minnelli in the 1969 film The Sterile Cuckoo, a tale about two college kids in love, has died. He was 69.

Burton died Tuesday at his home in Houston after a 3 1/2-year battle with brain cancer, his daughter, actress Haven Burton, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Burton also starred as America’s lovable loser in the 1973 NBC/Hallmark Hall of Fame special You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. That was adapted from the stage, and Burton had played Charlie in a San Francisco production while he was a college student in the area.

In Paramount’s The Sterile Cuckoo, which marked the directorial debut of Alan J. Pakula, Burton portrayed Jerry Payne, who meets the eccentric Mary Ann “Pookie” Adams (Minnelli). Both are freshmen at nearby colleges in upstate New York and fall in love for the first time.

Minnelli, who has a memorable telephone scene in the movie in which she implores her boyfriend to remain with her, received an Oscar nomination for best actress in her first starring role for the big screen.

After The Sterile Cuckoo, Burton played the blind man opposite Eve Arden as his controlling mother in a national production of the Broadway hit Butterflies Are Free and starred in the prison-set MGM release Fortune and Men’s Eyes (1971).

Also in the ‘70s, Burton starred in the romantic comedy Goodnight Jackie (1974); had guest-starring turns on such series as Young Dr. Kildare, Medical Center, Room 222, Kung Fu, Love American Style and The Rookies; and appeared opposite William Shatner in the 1973 ABC telefilm Go Ask Alice.

Burton later had roles in the 1981 miniseries East of Eden and in the 1986 Burt Reynolds film Heat.

He went on to work in ad sales for the Christian Broadcasting Network/Family Channel, help launch a TV station in Houston and work with the Joel Osteen Ministries. Burton also recorded four albums of faith-based music.

His daughter, Haven, provided the voice of Serena on English-language TV versions of Pokemon and appeared on Broadway in Rent, Shrek the Musical and Kinky Boots.

Survivors also include his wife, Linda; son, Adam; grandson, Hudson; and son-in-law, Denny.

 

Actor

Square One Television (1987)

Square One Television

Bernie Woodward

TV Series

1988

1 episode

 

Joe Howard and Beverly Leech in Mathnet (1987)

Mathnet

Bernie Woodward

TV Series

1988

1 episode

 

Burt Reynolds and Peter MacNicol in Heat (1986)

Heat

Osgood

1986

 

Peter and the Magic Seeds

(voice)

Short

1981

 

East of Eden (1981)

East of Eden

Tom Hamilton (as Wendel Burton)

TV Mini Series

1981

3 episodes

 

Insight (1960)

Insight

Cy WaldenDirector

TV Series

1974–1977

2 episodes

 

Medical Story (1975)

Medical Story

Joe Bick

TV Movie

1975

 

Journey from Darkness (1975)

Journey from Darkness

Mike

TV Movie

1975

 

Goodnight Jackie (1974)

Goodnight Jackie

Robbie

1974

 

The Red Badge of Courage (1974)

The Red Badge of Courage

Pvt. Wilson

TV Movie

1974

 

Kate Jackson, Georg Stanford Brown, Sam Melville, and Michael Ontkean in The Rookies (1972)

The Rookies

Larry West

TV Series

1974

1 episode

 

Dick Van Dyke, Marty Brill, Nancy Dussault, Fannie Flagg, Hope Lange, and Angela Powell in The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971)

The New Dick Van Dyke Show

Lucas Preston

TV Series

1973

1 episode

 

Kung Fu (1972)

Kung Fu

Martin Crossman

TV Series

1973

1 episode

 

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1985)

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown

TV Movie

1973

 

Go Ask Alice (1973)

Go Ask Alice

Joel Clements

TV Movie

1973

 

Michael Constantine, Lloyd Haynes, Denise Nicholas, and Karen Valentine in Room 222 (1969)

Room 222

Gary Webster (as Wendel Burton)

TV Series

1973

1 episode

 

Love, American Style (1969)

Love, American Style

Leo Brubaker (segment "Love and the Face Bow")

TV Series

1973

1 episode

 

Mark Jenkins and Stephen Manley in Young Dr. Kildare (1972)

Young Dr. Kildare

Joe

TV Series

1972

1 episode

 

Bruce Lee and James Franciscus in Longstreet (1971)

Longstreet

Russ Larsen

TV Series

1972

1 episode

 

James Daly in Medical Center (1969)

Medical Center

Bill HowlandJerry

TV Series

1970–1972

2 episodes

 

Murder Once Removed (1971)

Murder Once Removed

Fred Kramer

TV Movie

1971

 

Fortune and Men's Eyes (1971)

Fortune and Men's Eyes

Smitty

1971

 

The Sterile Cuckoo (1969)

The Sterile Cuckoo

Jerry Payne

1969

 

The Gypsy Moths (1969)

The Gypsy Moths

Man in Strip Club Ordering a Drink (uncredited)

1969

 

Don Knotts and Barbara Rhoades in The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968)

The Shakiest Gun in the West

Cowboy in Saloon (uncredited)

1968