Don Gordon, Top-Notch Character Actor and Pal of Steve McQueen, Dies at 90
He was not on the list.
The Emmy nominee played the cop Delgetti in 'Bullitt' and an inmate in 'Papillon' and appeared twice on 'The Twilight Zone.'
Don Gordon, the busy character who appeared opposite his buddy Steve McQueen in Bullitt, Papillon and The Towering Inferno, has died. He was 90.
A specialist in playing tough, hard-nosed characters, Gordon died April 24 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his wife of 37 years, Denise, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was diagnosed with cancer just five days before his death, she said.
Gordon appeared in scores of TV episodes during his career, including two installments of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone: He portrayed a prize fighter in "The Four of Us Are Dying" in 1960 and was a thug who discovers he can trade his bad attributes for good ones in "The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross" in 1964.
Gordon received an Emmy nomination in 1963 for a one-shot dramatic role on The Defenders and three years later portrayed the sinister Richard Jensen, who menaced Lee Grant's Stella, on the second season of the primetime soap opera Peyton Place.
Gordon and McQueen were neighbors in L.A.'s Laurel Canyon, and McQueen used to drive past Gordon's home in his pickup truck. They soon became friends, and McQueen gave Gordon work on a 1959 episode of his CBS Western, Wanted: Dead or Alive.
Gordon then played the cop Delgetti, the partner to McQueen's detective character, in Bullitt (1968), the inmate Julot in Papillon (1973) and a fire captain in The Towering Inferno (1974).
McQueen had cancer and died of a heart attack after surgery to remove tumors in November 1980. He was 50.
"I think he enjoyed my company. I don't know," Gordon said in a 2005 interview. "And also, a lot of people would kiss up to him and everything. I didn't. He was just my friend, and I told the truth about whatever he asked about. … I never lied to him; he never lied to me."
Gordon spoke about his pal in the documentary Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool (2005).
Born in Los Angeles on Nov. 13, 1926, Gordon made his first onscreen appearance in Twelve O'Clock High (1949), appeared with Dennis Hopper in The Last Movie (1971) and Out of the Blue (1980) and toiled in the early 1970s action flicks Fuzz, Slaughter and The Mack.
He also wrote the screenplay and starred as a cynical boxer in The Lollipop Cover (1965).
Gordon's well-stocked TV résumé includes work on Space Patrol, Climax!, 77 Sunset Strip, Johnny Staccato, The Blue Angels, The Outer Limits, The Untouchables, The F.B.I., Mannix, The Streets of San Francisco, Hart to Hart, T.J. Hooker, Remington Steele (as a character named Anthony Delgetti in a nod to Bullitt) and Diagnosis Murder.
In addition to his wife (she and Gordon were together for 45 years), survivors include his daughter Gabrielle.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to his favorite charity, the Lange Foundation, dedicated to animal rescue, care and placement.
Actor (134 credits)
1993 Diagnosis Murder (TV Series)
Gus Benedict
- Vanishing Act: Part 2 (1993) ... Gus Benedict
1991 The Borrower
Charles Krieger
1990 The Exorcist III
Ryan
1989 Skin Deep
Curt
1987 Code Name Vengeance
Harry Applegate
1987 Ohara (TV Series)
John Zito
- Y' Wanna Live Forever? (1987) ... John Zito
1987 Lethal Weapon
Cop #2
1987 MacGyver (TV Series)
Frank Bonner
- Family Matter (1987) ... Frank Bonner (as Donald Gordon)
1985-1986 Remington Steele (TV Series)
Anthony Delgetti / Dancer / Vincent Nash
- Santa Claus Is Coming to Steele (1986) ... Anthony Delgetti / Dancer
- Dancer, Prancer, Donner and Steele (1985) ... Anthony Delgetti / Dancer
- Springtime for Steele (1985) ... Vincent Nash
1986 Airwolf (TV Series)
Sergeant Colvetti
- Desperate Monday (1986) ... Sergeant Colvetti
1982-1985 Knight Rider (TV Series)
Randy Cavanaugh / Police Lt. Dickerson
- Knight by a Nose (1985) ... Randy Cavanaugh
- The Final Verdict (1982) ... Police Lt. Dickerson
1984 Cover Up (TV Series)
Brandon
- A Subtle Seduction (1984) ... Brandon
1982-1984 Simon & Simon (TV Series)
Mr. Lee - Assassin / Knapp
- Deep Cover (1984) ... Mr. Lee - Assassin
- The Last Time I Saw Michael (1982) ... Knapp
1983-1984 T.J. Hooker (TV Series)
Mickey Tavelli / Frank D'Costa
- Target: Hooker (1984) ... Mickey Tavelli
- Requiem for a Cop (1983) ... Frank D'Costa
1983 Automan (TV Series)
Leonard Martin
- Staying Alive While Running a High Flashdance Fever (1983) ... Leonard Martin
1983 The Love Boat (TV Series)
Frank Fenimore
- Dee Dee's Dilemma/Julie's Blind Date/The Prize Winner (1983) ... Frank Fenimore
1983 The Dukes of Hazzard (TV Series)
Scanlon
- Enos's Last Chance (1983) ... Scanlon
1983 Confessions of a Married Man (TV Movie)
Bill Parker
1983 The Powers of Matthew Star (TV Series)
Lloyd Stickland
- The Racer's Edge (1983) ... Lloyd Stickland
1982 Matt Houston (TV Series)
Sam Gleason
- Shark Bait (1982) ... Sam Gleason
1982 The Beast Within
Judge Curwin
1982 Strike Force (TV Series)
Bukowski
- Internal Affairs (1982) ... Bukowski
1981 The Final Conflict
Harvey Dean
1980 Hart to Hart (TV Series)
Lt. Gifford
- Murder, Murder on the Wall (1980) ... Lt. Gifford
1980 Out of the Blue
Charlie
1980 The Contender (TV Mini Series)
Harry
- Pilot (1980) ... Harry
1980 Paris (TV Series)
Jimmy Baron
- The Price Is Right (1980) ... Jimmy Baron
1979 Vega$ (TV Series)
Willie
- Kill Dan Tanna! (1979) ... Willie
1978 Sparrow (TV Movie)
Charles medwick
1977-1978 Lucan (TV Series)
Prentiss
- Thunder God Gold (1978) ... Prentiss
- The Creature Beyond the Door (1978) ... Prentiss
- Brother Wolf (1978) ... Prentiss
- Nightmare (1978) ... Prentiss
- Pariah (1978) ... Prentiss
Show all 10 episodes
1977 Starsky and Hutch (TV Series)
Lt. Alec Corday
- Death in a Different Place (1977) ... Lt. Alec Corday
1976 Spencer's Pilots (TV Series)
Hank
- The Sailplane (1976) ... Hank
1976 Barnaby Jones (TV Series)
Carl Everett / Paul Tessler
- The Fatal Dive (1976) ... Carl Everett / Paul Tessler
1975-1976 Switch (TV Series)
Mickey Costello / Deputy Graylow
- The Things That Belong to Mickey Costello (1976) ... Mickey Costello
- The Man Who Couldn't Lose (1975) ... Deputy Graylow
1976 Delvecchio (TV Series)
Det. Bill Travis
- Board of Rights (1976) ... Det. Bill Travis
1976 Charlie's Angels (TV Series)
Gene Wells
- Hellride (1976) ... Gene Wells
1976 Street Killing (TV Movie)
Sgt. Bud Schiffman
1976 Bronk (TV Series)
Ybarra
- The Ordeal (1976) ... Ybarra
1975-1976 The Streets of San Francisco (TV Series)
Joey Latham / Tony Fabrieze
- Superstar (1976) ... Joey Latham
- Labyrinth (1975) ... Tony Fabrieze
1976 The Bionic Woman (TV Series)
Glen Morgan
- A Thing of the Past (1976) ... Glen Morgan
1975 Matt Helm (TV Series)
Joe Brennan
- Double Jeopardy (1975) ... Joe Brennan
1971-1975 Cannon (TV Series)
Dave Tillis / Joe
- The Wrong Medicine (1975) ... Dave Tillis
- Death Chain (1971) ... Joe
1974 The Towering Inferno
Kappy
1974 Columbo (TV Series)
Alvin Deschler
- Negative Reaction (1974) ... Alvin Deschler
1974 The Education of Sonny Carson
Pigliani
1974 Mannix (TV Series)
Frank Marr
- The Ragged Edge (1974) ... Frank Marr
1974 The Magician (TV Series)
Larry Ford
- The Illusion of the Cat's Eye (1974) ... Larry Ford
1967-1974 The F.B.I. (TV Series)
Claude Flood / Sid Alpert / Stuart Walker Tilden / ...
- Deadly Ambition (1974) ... Sid Alpert
- Dark Christmas (1972) ... Stuart Walker Tilden
- Tug-of-War (1969) ... Aaron Taylor
- The Cober List (1969) ... Terrence Cober
- By Force and Violence: Part 2 (1967) ... Claude Flood
Show all 6 episodes
1974 The Rookies (TV Series)
Steven Caras
- Something Less Than a Man (1974) ... Steven Caras
1974 Banacek (TV Series)
Buck Powell
- Rocket to Oblivion (1974) ... Buck Powell
1973 Papillon
Julot
1973 Toma (TV Series)
Alex Keever
- Stakeout (1973) ... Alex Keever
1973 The Mack
Hank
1973 Search (TV Series)
Alex Nevin
- The Clayton Lewis Document (1973) ... Alex Nevin
1972 The Return of Charlie Chan (TV Movie)
Lambert
1972 Slaughter
Harry
1972 Fuzz
Anthony La Bresca
1972 Z.P.G.
George
1971 Monty Nash (TV Series)
Garcia / Jason Manning
- Death Squad (1971) ... Garcia
- The Long Ride (1971) ... Jason Manning
1971 The Last Movie
Neville Robey
1970 Cannon for Cordoba
Jackson Harkness
1970 WUSA
Bogdanovich
1970 The Gamblers
Rooney
1968 Bullitt
Delgetti
1968 The Name of the Game (TV Series)
Art Panadero
- Collectors' Edition (1968) ... Art Panadero
1968 The Felony Squad (TV Series)
Mace Baker
- Epitaph for a Cop (1968) ... Mace Baker
1968 Of Mice and Men (TV Movie)
Curly
1960-1967 Insight (TV Series)
Father Borelli / Greg
- With a Long Gray Beard (1967)
- The Urchin (1964) ... Father Borelli
- Diary of a Beatnik (1960) ... Greg
1967 Ready and Willing (TV Movie)
1967 The Invaders (TV Series)
Charlie Gilman
- The Trial (1967) ... Charlie Gilman
1967 The Wild Wild West (TV Series)
Gen. Titus Trask
- The Night of the Cadre (1967) ... Gen. Titus Trask
1966 12 O'Clock High (TV Series)
Capt. Dominic Dejohn / Capt. Ernie Bradovich
- The Fighter Pilot (1966) ... Capt. Dominic Dejohn
- The Survivor (1966) ... Capt. Ernie Bradovich
1966 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (TV Series)
Stan Kowalski
- Deadly Waters (1966) ... Stan Kowalski
1966 Shane (TV Series)
Johnny Wake
- The Wild Geese (1966) ... Johnny Wake
1966 Peyton Place (TV Series)
Richard Jensen
- Episode #2.84 (1966) ... Richard Jensen
- Episode #2.83 (1966) ... Richard Jensen
- Episode #2.82 (1966) ... Richard Jensen
- Episode #2.81 (1966) ... Richard Jensen
- Episode #2.80 (1966) ... Richard Jensen
1965 The Lollipop Cover
Nick Bartaloni
1965 Combat! (TV Series)
Pvt. Stevens
- Crossfire (1965) ... Pvt. Stevens
1964-1965 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (TV Series)
Harry Edmunds / Detective Brook / Seymour Hythe
- Kicks (1965) ... Detective Brook
- Memorandum for a Spy: Part 2 (1965) ... Harry Edmunds
- Memorandum for a Spy: Part 1 (1965) ... Harry Edmunds
- The Game with Glass Pieces (1964) ... Seymour Hythe
1965 Kraft Suspense Theatre (TV Series)
Millard Severin
- Connery's Hands (1965) ... Millard Severin
1965 Memorandum for a Spy (TV Movie)
Harry Edminds
1964 The Fugitive (TV Series)
Deputy Sheriff Morgan Fallon
- Tug of War (1964) ... Deputy Sheriff Morgan Fallon
1964 The Outer Limits (TV Series)
Dr. Dave Crowell / GIA Agent Luis D. Spain
- Second Chance (1964) ... Dr. Dave Crowell
- The Invisibles (1964) ... GIA Agent Luis D. Spain
1960-1964 The Twilight Zone (TV Series)
Salvadore Ross / Andy Marshak
- The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross (1964) ... Salvadore Ross
- The Four of Us Are Dying (1960) ... Andy Marshak
1963 Channing (TV Series)
Mario Saccone
- A Window on the War (1963) ... Mario Saccone
1963 The Doctors and the Nurses (TV Series)
Lenny Styles
- No Score (1963) ... Lenny Styles
1963 The Lloyd Bridges Show (TV Series)
Raul
- Without Wheat, There Is No Bread (1963) ... Raul
1963 The Eleventh Hour (TV Series)
Billy Host
- A Medicine Man in This Day and Age? (1963) ... Billy Host
1963 Empire (TV Series)
Quinn Serrato
- Nobody Dies on Saturday (1963) ... Quinn Serrato
1961-1963 The Untouchables (TV Series)
John Cropsie / Bick Cassandros / Frank Gruder / ...
- One Last Killing (1963) ... John Cropsie
- The Ginnie Littlesmith Story (1962) ... Bick Cassandros
- Fall Guy (1962) ... Frank Gruder
- Tunnel of Horrors (1961) ... Johnny Selkirk
1962 The Defenders (TV Series)
Joey Tassili
- Madman: Part 2 (1962) ... Joey Tassili
- Madman: Part 1 (1962) ... Joey Tassili
1961 Target: The Corruptors! (TV Series)
Benji
- The Poppy Vendor (1961) ... Benji
1960-1961 The Blue Angels (TV Series)
Lt. Hank Bertelli
- The Sticking Season (1961) ... Lt. Hank Bertelli
- Pacific Monterey Story (1961) ... Lt. Hank Bertelli
- Second Best (1961) ... Lt. Hank Bertelli
- The Blue Leaders (1961) ... Lt. Hank Bertelli
- The Duster (1961) ... Lt. Hank Bertelli
Show all 33 episodes
1960 The Deputy (TV Series)
Queed - Foreman
- The X Game (1960) ... Queed - Foreman
1958-1960 Playhouse 90 (TV Series)
Pete / Bobo Borotta
- Alas, Babylon (1960) ... Pete
- Seven Against the Wall (1958) ... Bobo Borotta
1959-1960 Hawaiian Eye (TV Series)
Mickey Grill / Cliff Johnson
- Kim Quixote (1960) ... Mickey Grill
- Cloud Over Koala (1959) ... Cliff Johnson
1959-1960 Wanted: Dead or Alive (TV Series)
Buff Cole / Morley Teton
- A House Divided (1960) ... Buff Cole
- The Corner (1959) ... Morley Teton
1960 Man with a Camera (TV Series)
Colonel
- Kangaroo Court (1960) ... Colonel
1959 Mr. Lucky (TV Series)
Turkey Thomas
- Little Miss Wow (1959) ... Turkey Thomas
1959 Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series)
Rudy Stickney
- Dead Weight (1959) ... Rudy Stickney
1959 U.S. Marshal (TV Series)
Rile
- Ghost Town (1959) ... Rile
1959 Johnny Staccato (TV Series)
Tap Casper
- The Shop of the Four Winds (1959) ... Tap Casper
1959 Border Patrol (TV Series)
Jack Tyler / Johnny
- In a Deadly Fashion (1959) ... Jack Tyler
- The Party Line (1959) ... Johnny
1959 Cry Tough
Incho
1959 Colt .45 (TV Series)
Turk
- Amnesty (1959) ... Turk
1959 The Millionaire (TV Series)
Paul Rameau
- The Louise Benson Story (1959) ... Paul Rameau
1959 The Rough Riders (TV Series)
- The Plot to Assassinate President Johnson (1959)
1959 77 Sunset Strip (TV Series)
Iron Man Brown
- The Secret of Adam Cain (1959) ... Iron Man Brown
1958 Trackdown (TV Series)
Hector / Morgan
- Guilt (1958) ... Hector
- Chinese Cowboy (1958) ... Morgan
1958 Sugarfoot (TV Series)
Willie Barnes / Ed Rowland
- Brink of Fear (1958) ... Willie Barnes
- Hideout (1958) ... Ed Rowland
1958 Man Without a Gun (TV Series)
- Jailbreak (1958)
1958 The Walter Winchell File (TV Series)
Deek
- The Bargain (1958) ... Deek
1957 Navy Log (TV Series)
Joey Michael
- P.O.W. at Forty Fathoms (1957) ... Joey Michael
1957 Climax! (TV Series)
- Necessary Evil (1957)
1957 Revolt at Fort Laramie
Jean Salignac
1955-1957 Studio One (TV Series)
Al Rossi / Eddie Smith
- Walk Down the Hill (1957) ... Al Rossi
- A Favor for Sam (1956) ... Eddie Smith
- The Missing Men (1955)
1956 The Kaiser Aluminum Hour (TV Series)
Sam
- The Rag Jungle (1956) ... Sam
1956 Frontier (TV Series)
Shuck
- Hostage (1956) ... Shuck
1956 Robert Montgomery Presents (TV Series)
- The Secret (1956)
1956 The Benny Goodman Story
Tough Boy in Gang (uncredited)
1955 Modern Romances (TV Series)
- Episode dated 16 December 1955 (1955)
- Episode dated 15 December 1955 (1955)
- Episode dated 14 December 1955 (1955)
- Episode dated 13 December 1955 (1955)
- Episode dated 12 December 1955 (1955)
Show all 10 episodes
1955 The Best of Broadway (TV Series)
Dolph
- Broadway (1955) ... Dolph
1955 Justice (TV Series)
- Save Me Now (1955)
1953 Mister Peepers (TV Series)
Stokey Wilson
- The Box Lunch Social (1953) ... Stokey Wilson
1953 The Beast from 20, 000 Fathoms
Soldier (uncredited)
1953 The Philco Television Playhouse (TV Series)
Young Man
- Marty (1953) ... Young Man
1953 Law and Order
Bart Durling (uncredited)
1953 The Ford Television Theatre (TV Series)
- To Any Soldier (1953)
1953 Girls in the Night
Irv Kellener
1950-1951 Space Patrol (TV Series)
Vito Krone / Captain Pasko
- The Brothers Krone (1951) ... Vito Krone
- Treachery on Mars (1950) ... Captain Pasko
1951 It's a Big Country: An American Anthology
Mervin (uncredited)
1951 Force of Arms
Sgt. Webber (uncredited)
1951 Let's Go Navy!
Sailor (uncredited)
1951 Halls of Montezuma
Marine (uncredited)
1949 Twelve O'Clock High
First Patient in Base Hospital (uncredited)
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