Donald Elson obit

 Actor Donald Elson Has Died

He was not on the list.

Donald Elson was raised in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, just a "whoop and a holler" from Hollywood. He was a young college student at the outbreak of WWII. After serving in the Air Force, he attended the Columbia Radio School of Broadcasting on the GI Bill and pursued a career as a radio announcer at stations in Texas and Oklahoma before returning to college. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA degree in Theatre Arts in 1949 and headed to New York. Elson became a successful Broadway actor, appearing in "Inherit The Wind," "Desire Under the Elms," "Peter Pan," "Threepenny Opera" and numerous off-Broadway productions. He returned to Hollywood in the early 1960s, "saddling up" in a string of Film and TV Westerns.

His skill and craftsmanship have enabled him to portray a wide variety of characters. Why is that craggy face so "gol'durn" familiar? Because we've seen it a thousand times in movies, television series, anthologies and Movies of the Week as well as countless television commercials.

Has appeared in more than 200 TV commercials from 1980-2022.

In 2004/05 he and wife Valerie Elson produced a successful interview/variety show for Adelphia public access television in Los Angeles.

In 2014 he was interviewed for Marco Capalbo's documentary, "Three Penny Opera.".

In 1980, Donald's friend, actress Shelley Winters, asked him to photograph some of her personal items for publication in her autobiography "SHELLEY Also Known As Shirley." He is given photographic credit on page 511 of the book... and received an autographed copy of the book's first edition. The inscription reads: "To Don, a great friend and photographer. Love, Shelley. PS: For Annette (Donalds wife) - who's always there when needed.".

Donald and his wife, Valerie, were residents at the Motion Picture Television Fund (MPTF) in Woodland Hills, California.

Actor

David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel in Bones (2005)

Bones

7.8

TV Series

Old Man

2008

1 episode

 

Eva Mendes in Live! (2007)

Live!

5.8

Oxygen Tank Guy

2007

 

Patricia Richardson and Rosa Blasi in Strong Medicine (2000)

Strong Medicine

6.7

TV Series

Harold

2003

1 episode

 

Donald Elson in Max Bigg's Big Break (2002)

Max Bigg's Big Break

Short

Max Bigg

2002

 

61* (2001)

61*

7.7

TV Movie

Older Man

2001

 

Rubén Blades, Andre Braugher, Eric Dane, Russell Hornsby, Ravi Kapoor, Sophie Keller, Hamish Linklater, and Rhona Mitra in Gideon's Crossing (2000)

Gideon's Crossing

7.6

TV Series

Elderly Man

2000

1 episode

 

Sharon Stone, Vanessa Redgrave, Ellen DeGeneres, Chloë Sevigny, and Michelle Williams in If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)

If These Walls Could Talk 2

6.9

TV Movie

Sam (segment "1961")

2000

 

Robert Downey Jr. in Chaplin (1992)

Chaplin

7.5

Prop Man

1992

 

Birch Street Gym

6.2

Short

Chess Player (as Don Elson)

1991

 

Angela Lansbury in Murder, She Wrote (1984)

Murder, She Wrote

7.2

TV Series

Bookstore Owner

1984

1 episode

 

Zach Galligan and Howie Mandel in Gremlins (1984)

Gremlins

7.3

Man on Street (as Don Elson)

1984

 

Ace Diamond Private Eye (1983)

Ace Diamond Private Eye

TV Movie

The Prima Dona Actor

1983

 

Melissa Sue Anderson, Melissa Gilbert, Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Richard Bull, Sidney Greenbush, Jonathan Gilbert, Rachel Lindsay Greenbush, and Katherine MacGregor in Little House on the Prairie (1974)

Little House on the Prairie

7.5

TV Series

Farmer #2

Fred

1978–1982

5 episodes

 

Mojado Power (1981)

Mojado Power

6.3

Millonario

1981

 

Stone (1979)

Stone

6.9

TV Series

Heathcliff

1980

1 episode

 

Doris Roberts, Donna Pescow, and Debralee Scott in Angie (1979)

Angie

7.1

TV Series

Man with Broom (as Don Elson)

1979

1 episode

 

The Van (1977)

The Van

4.5

Mr. Hump

1977

 

The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976)

The Great Texas Dynamite Chase

5.9

Mr. Smith (as Don Ellson)

1976

 

Sixpack Annie (1975)

Sixpack Annie

4.2

Mr. Piker

1975

 

David McCallum in The Invisible Man (1975)

The Invisible Man

6.6

TV Series

Compositor

1975

1 episode

 

The Honorable Sam Houston

TV Movie

1975

 

James Arness, Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone, and Dennis Weaver in Gunsmoke (1955)

Gunsmoke

8.1

TV Series

Farmer Buey

Brown

1973

2 episodes

 

Thumb Tripping (1972)

Thumb Tripping

5.5

Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)

1972

 

Raymond Burr and Barbara Sigel in Ironside (1967)

Ironside

6.9

TV Series

Bomber

1971

1 episode

 

Brian Keith, Michele Carey, and Rick Lenz in Scandalous John (1971)

Scandalous John

5.8

(uncredited)

1971

 

Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)

Escape from the Planet of the Apes

6.3

Curator

1971

 

The Bill Cosby Show (1969)

The Bill Cosby Show

6.2

TV Series

Male Teacher #4 (as Don Elson)

1971

1 episode

 

Dreams of Glass (1970)

Dreams of Glass

5.9

Timothy

1970

 

The Lady, or the Tiger?

7.0

Short

(as Don Elson)

1969

 

Bonanza (1959)

Bonanza

7.3

TV Series

Clerk

Mr. Lang

Ed Wharton

1964–1969

3 episodes

 

Lee Majors, Barbara Stanwyck, Linda Evans, Peter Breck, and Richard Long in The Big Valley (1965)

The Big Valley

7.6

TV Series

Bartender (as Don Elson)

1968

1 episode

 

Adam West and Burt Ward in Batman (1966)

Batman

7.5

TV Series

Bank Manager

1967

1 episode

 

Shane (1966)

Shane

7.1

TV Series

Amos (as Don Elson)

1966

1 episode

 

Ann-Margret, Steve McQueen, and Tuesday Weld in The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

The Cincinnati Kid

7.2

Bit Part (uncredited)

1965

 

The Legend of Jimmy Blue Eyes (1965)

The Legend of Jimmy Blue Eyes

7.4

Short

The Devil

1965

 

My Three Sons (1960)

My Three Sons

7.1

TV Series

Dr. Hastings

1963

1 episode

 

Alfred Hitchcock in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962)

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

8.5

TV Series

The Mailman

1963

1 episode

 

The only authorized DVD edition of all episodes in  Season One.

The Rifleman

8.3

TV Series

Aaron

Printer

1959–1962

2 episodes

 

Dale Robertson in Tales of Wells Fargo (1957)

Tales of Wells Fargo

7.9

TV Series

J.C. Clegg

Crony #1

Mr. Drake

1959–1962

3 episodes

 

Thriller (1960)

Thriller

8.2

TV Series

Clemins

1961

1 episode

 

Death Valley Days (1952)

Death Valley Days

7.5

TV Series

Deputy

Townsman

1960–1961

2 episodes

 

Shirley Temple in Shirley Temple's Storybook (1958)

Shirley Temple's Storybook

7.4

TV Series

Pirate

1961

1 episode

 

Inherit the Wind (1960)

Inherit the Wind

8.1

Bollinger (uncredited)

1960

 

Lawman (1958)

Lawman

8.1

TV Series

Express Office Proprietor Oliver

Oliver

1959–1960

2 episodes

 

Alfred Hitchcock in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

8.5

TV Series

Clerk of the Court

1960

1 episode

 

Sugarfoot (1957)

Sugarfoot

7.4

TV Series

Storekeeper

Baines

1959

2 episodes

 

Jody McCrea and Joel McCrea in Wichita Town (1959)

Wichita Town

7.5

TV Series

Fred Walker

1959

1 episode

 

Don Durant and Mark Goddard in Johnny Ringo (1959)

Johnny Ringo

7.0

TV Series

Posse Member (uncredited)

1959

1 episode

 

Tina Louise, Burl Ives, and Robert Ryan in Day of the Outlaw (1959)

Day of the Outlaw

7.3

Vic

1959

 

How to Make a Monster (1958)

How to Make a Monster

5.5

Police Coroner (uncredited)

1958

 

Dorothy Malone and Mark Stevens in Jack Slade (1953)

Jack Slade

6.5

Mr. Ward (uncredited)

1953

 

Debbie Reynolds and Bobby Van in The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953)

The Affairs of Dobie Gillis

6.1

Advisor (uncredited)

1953

 

Marlon Brando, John Gielgud, Deborah Kerr, James Mason, Greer Garson, Louis Calhern, and Edmond O'Brien in Julius Caesar (1953)

Julius Caesar

7.2

Citizen of Rome

1953