Richard Bakalyan

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Richard Bakalyan
Richard Bakalyan in Pressure Point trailer.jpg
Bakalyan in Pressure Point (1962)
Born(1931-01-29)January 29, 1931
DiedFebruary 27, 2015(2015-02-27) (aged 84)
Resting place Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills
Other namesDick Bakalyan
OccupationActor
Years active1954–2008
Spouse
Elizabeth Lee "Betty" Baumann
(m. 1952;died 1967)

Richard Bakalyan (January 29, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor who started his career playing juvenile delinquents in his first several films.

Contents

Early life

Richard Bakalyan was born on January 29, 1931, in Watertown, Massachusetts, the son of Armenian-born William Nishan Bakalyan and Elsie Florence (née Fancy) Bakalyan, a Canadian from Nova Scotia. He had two brothers. [1] His father died in 1939, when Richard was 8. [2]

Growing up in a tough neighborhood, Bakalyan learned boxing to defend himself in street fights. [1] He served a year's probation at age 15 for unknown crimes. [3]

Bakalyan served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. [4] After four years of service, he was honorably discharged with the rank of staff sergeant. [1]

Career

Film

Early in his career he was cast as thugs, outlaws, and in military action films, like The Delinquents (1957), The Bonnie Parker Story (1958), and Up Periscope (1959). [5] During the filming of 1958's juvenile-gang drama The Cool and the Crazy , he and fellow actor Dick Jones were arrested for vagrancy for real on-location in Kansas City. They were standing on the corner between takes in "JD" outfits and the police thought that they were actual gang members. It took several hours for the film crew to explain to the police what was going on and get them released from jail.

By the mid-1960s, as he grew out of these roles, he became something of a comic heavy, often cast in family Disney films though still known in dramas. Some of his Disney projects included Never a Dull Moment (1968), The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), The Strongest Man in the World (1975), Return from Witch Mountain (1978), [1] and voice-efforts in The Fox and the Hound (1981), as 'Dinky' the finch bird. [2] [6]

Bakalyan had an uncredited role in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) as the good thief on the cross. He appeared in several of Frank Sinatra's movies during the 1960s, such as Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), None but the Brave (1965), and Von Ryan's Express (1965), becoming lifelong friends with the Sinatra family. [2] While filming Pressure Point in 1962, he met co-star Bobby Darin, who later became one of Bakalyan's closest friends. [1] [7] It's reported Bakalyan was one of the last friends to see Darin, before his early death from heart disease, in 1973. [8] Bakalyan played Detective Loach in Roman Polanski's 1974 film Chinatown opposite Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. [1]

Television

Bakalyan and Peter Brown in Lawman (1961) Peter Brown Lawman 1961.JPG
Bakalyan and Peter Brown in Lawman (1961)

Bakalyan has also appeared on numerous television shows from the 1950s through the 2000s. [1] Early small screen performances came in Panic! , The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp , The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis , Hawaiian Eye and The Untouchables . In 1966, he played Sgt. Piper on the World War II drama Combat! in the 4th season episode" Gitty". Later he appeared in a variety of shows, including Batman , Ellery Queen , Mannix , Love, American Style , Kojak , The Bionic Woman , Charlie's Angels , Hill Street Blues , Emergency! (1977 S6-E15), where he starred as Charley a fire apparatus mechanic, and the NBC comedy series My Name Is Earl , which was his last screen effort in October 2008. [9]

In 1968, Bakalyan was featured in "Way Down Cellar," a two-part story on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color . [10] He was a regular on Dean Martin Presents: The Bobby Darin Amusement Company (1972) and The Bobby Darin Show (1973). [1] [2]

Personal life

Bakalyan was married to Elizabeth Baumann from 1952 until her death in 1967. [11]

A prolific character actor, Bakalyan was profiled in the book Names You Never Remember, With Faces You Never Forget by Justin Humphreys. [1]

Death

Bakalyan died suddenly of a stroke on February 27, 2015, at the Arnot Ogden Medical Center, in Elmira, New York, aged 84. [12]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1954 Attila
1957 The Delinquents Eddy
1957 The Delicate Delinquent Artie
1957 Dino Chuck
1957 The Brothers Rico Vic Tucci
1957 Hear Me Good Hermie
1958 The Cool and the Crazy Jackie Barzan
1958 Juvenile Jungle Tic-Tac
1958 The Bonnie Parker Story Duke Jefferson
1958 Hot Car Girl Walter 'Duke' Willis
1959 Paratroop Command Charlie
1959 Up Periscope Seaman Peck
1959 -30- Carl Thompson
1961 The Errand Boy Jason, Anastasia's Director
1962 Panic in Year Zero! Carl
1962 Pressure Point Jimmy
1962 Follow That Dream Sheriff
1963 Operation Bikini Seaman HillerUncredited
1964 Robin and the 7 Hoods Robbo's Hood #1
1964 The Patsy Boy at Spring HopUncredited
1965 None but the Brave Cpl. Ruffino
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Good Thief on CrossUncredited
1965 Donald's Fire Survival Plan Common Sense (voice)Short film
1965 Von Ryan's Express Corporal Giannini
1966 Follow Me, Boys! UmpireUncredited
1967 The St. Valentine's Day Massacre John Scalise
1968 Never a Dull Moment Bobby Macoon
1969 It's Tough to Be a Bird M.C. Bird (voice)Short film
1969 The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Chillie Walsh
1972 Now You See Him, Now You Don't Cookie
1973 Charley and the Angel Buggs
1974 Chinatown Detective Loach
1975 The Strongest Man in the World Cookie
1976 The Shaggy D.A. Freddie
1978 Return from Witch Mountain Eddie
1979Understanding Alcohol Use and AbuseEmotion (voice)Short film
1979 H.O.T.S. Charlie Ingels
1980 The Man with Bogart's Face Lt. Bumbera
1981 The Fox and the Hound Dinky (voice)
1984 Blame It on the Night Manzini
1994Confessions of a HitmanUncle Dino
2000The Mask MakerMask MakerShort film
2001DischordDet. Dunbarton
2006 Art School Confidential Cranky Guard

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1955Luke and the TenderfootBill BanglesEpisode: "The Boston Kid"
1957 Official Detective Bob WolfeEpisode: "The Blind Man"
1957 The Lineup Episode: "The 17643 Case"
1957 Casey Jones JackieEpisode: "Way Station"
1957–1958 The Walter Winchell File Yutch / Sid2 episodes
1958 Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer LouEpisode: "Dead Men Don't Dream"
1958 Panic! Carl2 episodes
1958 The Silent Service Torpedoman Pasqual Mignon / Motor Machinist Mate George J. McKnight2 episodes
1958 Bat Masterson Sam TellerEpisode: "Double Trouble in Trinidad"
1959 The D.A.'s Man DunnEpisode: "The Mob Versus O'Hara"
1959 The Lawless Years Eddie Safranik / Buggsy2 episodes
1959 U.S. Marshal Joe SavageEpisode: "Trigger Happy"
1959 Hotel de Paree RobEpisode: "A Rope Is for Hanging"
1959 The Deputy Billy the KidEpisode: "The Big Four"
1959 Peter Gunn Chino AmaloEpisode: "Kidnap"
1959 Hennesey Harry BensonEpisode: "Hennesey Meets Mrs. Horatio Grief"
1959 Tightrope! LoomisEpisode: "Cold Kill"
1959 Bold Venture Johnny RegisEpisode: "Blue Moon"
1959–1961 The Rebel Bart Vogan / Calley Kid3 episodes
1960 Wanted Dead or Alive Harry QuintEpisode: "Angela"
1960 Johnny Ringo Lee RaffertyEpisode: "The Raffertys"
1960 Mr. Lucky SpiderEpisode: "Big Squeeze"
1960 Lock-Up Spook ChambersEpisode: "Society Matron"
1960 Dan Raven DarnellEpisode: "The Satchel Man"
1960 The Tall Man Tiger EyeEpisode: "Tiger Eye"
1960–1963 The Untouchables Cully / Lucky / Benno / Monk / Prisoner / Joe Courtney6 episodes
1961 The DuPont Show with June Allyson LieutenantEpisode: "End of a Mission"
1961 Checkmate CabbieEpisode: "The Human Touch"
1961 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Sergeant Wyncoup2 episodes
1961 Miami Undercover Zip LoganEpisode: "Auto Motive"
1961 Holiday Lodge Bobo ManningEpisode: "Never Hit a Stranger"
1961 Lawman Eggers - Bank RobberEpisode: "Trojan Horse"
1961 Straightaway MikeEpisode: "The Heist"
1961Las Vegas BeatLt. Bernard McFeetyTelevision film
1962 The New Breed Episode: "To Sell Another Human Being"
1962 Dr. Kildare YountEpisode: "The Burning Sky"
1962 The Dick Powell Show Justin Wolf / Bartender2 episodes
1962–1966 Combat! Sgt. Piper / Sgt. Wolfson2 episodes
1963 Hawaiian Eye Spence MerrillEpisode: "The Long Way Home"
1963 Laramie Mel DolemanEpisode: "Broken Honor"
1963 Wagon Train MusclesEpisode: "The Sam Pulaski Story"
1964 Channing RobertoEpisode: "Memory of a Firing Squad"
1964 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre CharlieEpisode: "Two Is the Number"
1964 Ben Casey Abner GoetzEpisode: "For a Just Man Falleth Seven Times"
1965 Wendy and Me PeteEpisode: "The Wendy Mob"
1965 No Time for Sergeants Stanley SwackheimerEpisode: "Whortleberry Roots for Everyone"
1965 Vacation Playhouse Episode: "Luke and the Tenderfoot"
1965 Branded Roy BarlowEpisode: "The Richest Man in Boot Hill"
1966 Mister Roberts JoeEpisode: "Black and Blue Market"
1966 The Monroes GracEpisode: "Night of the Wolf"
1966 The Tammy Grimes Show TonyEpisode: "How to Steal a Girl Even If It's Only Me"
1966–1968 Batman Verdigris / C. B. / Arbutus / Fouad Sphinx6 episodes
1966–1969 Gunsmoke Billy Holland / Teems2 episodes
1967 The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. BrutusEpisode: "The Phi Beta Killer Affair"
1967 Hondo Cole YoungerEpisode: "Hondo and the Judas"
1967 Cimarron Strip Colly SimsEpisode: "Nobody"
1967–1972 Mannix Eberle / Vincent's Thug / Frank Quigley3 episodes
1967–1978 The Wonderful World of Disney Ernie Nelson / Charlie / Shortie / Jocko / Narrator (voice)8 episodes
1968 Garrison's Gorillas Cpl. Robert WadeEpisode: "War Games"
1968 The Mod Squad FullerEpisode: "The Price of Terror"
1968 Felony Squad Gus LeveringEpisode: "The Distant Shore"
1970 The Partridge Family SkeeEpisode: "Danny and the Mob"
1971 Love, American Style BurglarSegment: "Love and the Hiccups"
1972The Bobby Darin Amusement Co.Himself7 episodes
1973The Bobby Darin ShowHimself / Carmine11 episodes
1974 Chase MandukeEpisode: "Eighty-Six Proof TNT"
1974 The Manhunter Johnny FuscoEpisode: "Jackknife"
1974–1975 Cannon Dieter / Andy Norlan2 episodes
1975 Kolchak: The Night Stalker The 1st KillerEpisode: "The Trevi Collection"
1975 Kojak ProctorEpisode: "Be Careful What You Pray For"
1975–1977 Emergency! Charlie / Charley / Dewey3 episodes
1976The Whiz Kid and the Carnival CaperErnie NelsonTelevision film
1976 Ellery Queen Knucks O'NeillEpisode: "The Adventure of the Sunday Punch"
1976Woman of the YearPinkey BarbikiTelevision film
1976 Viva Valdez MorettiEpisode: "The Apprentice"
1976 Monster Squad ToilEpisode: "Ultra Witch"
1976 Switch Sgt. KingmanEpisode: "Quicker Than the Eye"
1976 Holmes & Yoyo PhillipsEpisode: "The Hostages"
1977 The Streets of San Francisco GimpyEpisode: "Hang Tough"
1977 Most Wanted Fred ConroyEpisode: "Ms. Murder"
1977 The Bionic Woman Gino TalvinEpisode: "Once a Thief"
1977 Pine Canyon Is Burning Charlie EdisonTelevision film
1977BuncoHenry DurandTelevision film
1977–1978 Barnaby Jones Winchell / Harry Layton2 episodes
1978 The Rockford Files PorterEpisode: "The Gang at Don's Drive-In"
1978–1981 Vegas Bernie / Freddie 'Fingers' / Bronson / Marvin Hale5 episodes
1978–1981 Charlie's Angels Artie Weaver / Eddie Feducci / Thad Roper3 episodes
1980 CHiPs O'HareEpisode: "The Strippers"
1980 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo Mr. CrawfordEpisode: "The Haunting of Orly Manor"
1980 The Love Boat BenEpisode: "Celebration/Captain Papa/Honeymoon Pressure"
1981Border PalsLittle EddieTelevision film
1981 Fantasy Island JamesEpisode: "The Lady and the Monster/The Last Cowboy"
1981–1984 The Fall Guy Walt / Red Eye2 episodes
1982 Herbie, the Love Bug Detective O'BrienEpisode: "Herbie the Best Man"
1983 Cagney & Lacey John TravisEpisode: "Jane Doe #37"
1983 Shooting Stars SnuffyTelevision film
1984 Matt Houston JimmyEpisode: "The High Fashion Murders"
1984 Hill Street Blues FlahertyEpisode: "Fuched Again"
1985 Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story Frank JacobsTelevision film
1986 Hardcastle and McCormick Paul PerryEpisode: "When I Look Back on All the Things"
1987 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Meatball BonfelliEpisode: "The Khrushchev List"
1987 Sledge Hammer! Clive WinstonEpisode: "Hammer Hits the Rock"
1987–1988 Hunter Kenny Dunstan3 episodes
1987–1990 Matlock Mickey Callahan / Bobby Devine2 episodes
1995 Hudson Street Frank RampertEpisode: "Crime, Per Se"
1995–1996 Baywatch Nights Bookie / Informant / Peebles Runkin2 episodes
1998 JAG Harold GreenEpisode: "Yesterday's Heroes"
1998 Millennium AbumEpisode: "Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me"
2004 Las Vegas 'Fast Tommy' PoloneEpisode: "Always Faithful"
2004 Cold Case Wendell FoytEpisode: "The House"
2008 My Name Is Earl Mr. WallaceEpisode: "Quit Your Snitchin'"

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Humphreys 2006, Dick Bakalyan.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Nahigian, Frank (August 2, 2010). "Dick Bakalyan: Dinky the Hood". Armenian Mirror-Spectator . Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  3. McGee, Mark Thomas; Robertson, R. J. (1982). The J. D. Films: Juvenile Delinquency in the Movies. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. iv. ISBN   0899500382.
  4. Lentz III, Harris (April 2015). "Obituaries". Classic Images (478): 50–56.
  5. Barnes, Mike (February 28, 2015). "Richard Bakalyan, Tough Guy Character Actor and a Cop in 'Chinatown,' Dies at 84". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  6. Canby, Vincent (July 10, 1981). "OLD STYLE DISNEY". The New York Times . Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  7. Evanier, David (2010). Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin. Albany, New York: SUNY Press. p. 225. ISBN   978-1-4384-3458-2.
  8. Evanier 2010, p. 241.
  9. Lentz III, Harris M. (2016). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2015. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 17. ISBN   978-0-7864-7667-1.
  10. "(TV listing)". The Argus. The Argus. January 6, 1968. p. 7. Retrieved April 21, 2015 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  11. "Dick Bakalyan, Character Actor Who Appeared in 'Chinatown,' Dies at 84". Variety . March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  12. "Richard Bakalyan Obituary". Star-Gazette. Legacy.com. March 1, 2015.

Further reading