Bert Freed

Bert Freed

Known for: Acting
Biography: 1919-11-03
Deathday: 1994-08-02 (74 years old)

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Biography

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  


Bert Freed (November 3, 1919 — August 2, 1994) was a prolific American character actor, voice over actor, and the first actor to portray "Detective Columbo" on television.


Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, Freed began acting while attending Penn State University, and made his Broadway debut in 1942. Following World War II Army service in the European Theatre, he appeared in the Broadway musical The Day Before Spring in 1945 and dozens of television shows between 1947 and 1985. His film debut occurred, oddly enough, in a musical Carnegie Hall (1947). A prominent role was as the villainous Ryker in the television series Shane, in which Freed added a unique touch of realism by beginning the show clean-shaven and growing a beard from one week to the next, never shaving again through the season.


Freed played Columbo in a live 1960 episode of the "Chevy Mystery Theatre" seven years before Peter Falk played the role. Thomas Mitchell also played the part on stage prior to Falk's version, which is probably where many of the eccentric Columbo traits originated; only a few were visible in Freed's straightforward interpretation, although the character as played by Freed is recognizably Columbo.


He appeared (sometimes more than once) in television shows such as The Rifleman, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Big Valley,The Virginian, Mannix, Barnaby Jones, Charlie's Angels, Then Came Bronson, Run For Your Life, Get Smart, The Lucy Show, Hogan's Heroes, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, Perry Mason, Combat!, Petticoat Junction, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Route 66, Ironside, The Green Hornet, The Munsters, and many, many more. He directed one episode of T.H.E. Cat.


Freed appeared as a racist club owner in No Way Out (1950), a gangster in Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950), a Marine private in Halls of Montezuma (1951 film), an Army sergeant in Take the High Ground! (1953), the Police Chief in Invaders From Mars (1953), Sgt. Boulanger in Paths of Glory (1957), the hangman in Hang 'Em High (1968), Max's father in Wild in the Streets (1968), as Chief of Detectives in Madigan (1968), a homosexual prison guard in There Was a Crooked Man... (1970) and Bernard's father in Billy Jack (1971) in which he got "whumped" on the side of the face by Billy Jack's right foot "just for the hell of it."


He retired from acting in 1986, and died of a heart attack in Canada in 1994 while on a fishing trip with his son.


Description above from the Wikipedia article Bert Freed,  licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Filmography

all 123

TV Shows 71

Movies 52

Director 2

Anthony Solan
Knight Rider

Knight Rider (1982)

TV
7.1
The Fall Guy

The Fall Guy (1981)

TV
Carlo
Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase

Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase (1981)

Movie
Bishop
Skag

Skag (1980)

Movie
Sam Dakin
Norma Rae

Norma Rae (1979)

Movie
6
Jack
Barracuda

Barracuda (1978)

Movie
Vega$

Vega$ (1978)

TV
Dr. Sawyer
Till Death

Till Death (1978)

Movie
Dr. Julius Korein
In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan

In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan (1977)

Movie
Mayor John Randolph
Love and the Midnight Auto Supply

Love and the Midnight Auto Supply (1977)

Movie
Stambler
Charlie's Angels

Charlie's Angels (1976)

TV
6.33
Det. Ross
Death Scream

Death Scream (1975)

Movie
Bronk

Bronk (1975)

TV
Kolchak: The Night Stalker

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974)

TV
5.33
Paper Moon

Paper Moon (1974)

TV
Edwin Stanton / Sec. Edwin Stanton
Lincoln

Lincoln (1974)

TV
Marchand, A Businessman
Incident at Vichy

Incident at Vichy (1973)

Movie
Police Story

Police Story (1973)

TV
Det. Capt. Ben Wyatt
Barnaby Jones

Barnaby Jones (1973)

TV
4.75
The Streets of San Francisco

The Streets of San Francisco (1972)

TV
6.86
The Rookies

The Rookies (1972)

TV
The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense (1972)

TV
Cannon

Cannon (1971)

TV
6
Doc Kincaid
Evel Knievel

Evel Knievel (1971)

Movie
Mr. Stuart Posner
Billy Jack

Billy Jack (1971)

Movie
4.38
Skinner
There Was a Crooked Man...

There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)

Movie
Fletcher
Breakout

Breakout (1970)

Movie
Board of Military Judges
The Andersonville Trial

The Andersonville Trial (1970)

Movie
McCloud

McCloud (1970)

TV
7
Editor Carson
Then Came Bronson

Then Came Bronson (1969)

Movie
Lancer

Lancer (1968)

TV
The Mod Squad

The Mod Squad (1968)

TV
6
The Outsider

The Outsider (1968)

TV
Max Jacob Flatow Sr.
Wild in the Streets

Wild in the Streets (1968)

Movie
Schmidt
Hang 'em High

Hang 'em High (1968)

Movie
4
Chief of Detectives Hap Lynch
Madigan

Madigan (1968)

Movie
Police Lieutenant
P.J.

P.J. (1968)

Movie
Mannix

Mannix (1967)

TV
6.38
Telford Burris
The High Chaparral

The High Chaparral (1967)

TV
6
The Guns of Will Sonnett

The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967)

TV
Ironside

Ironside (1967)

TV
6
Police Captain
The Swinger

The Swinger (1966)

Movie
Leon Chandler
Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible (1966)

TV
6.33
Director
T.H.E. Cat

T.H.E. Cat (1966)

TV
Rufe Ryker
Shane

Shane (1966)

TV
Police Sgt. Bert Clark
The Green Hornet

The Green Hornet (1966)

TV
Tarzan

Tarzan (1966)

TV
6
Quince
Nevada Smith

Nevada Smith (1966)

Movie
Get Smart

Get Smart (1965)

TV
6.3
The Loner

The Loner (1965)

TV
Maj. Bernsdorf
Hogan's Heroes

Hogan's Heroes (1965)

TV
Homer Roberts / Judge Ben Coulter / Henry Marvin
The Big Valley

The Big Valley (1965)

TV
6.2
Sheriff Parsons
Run for Your Life

Run for Your Life (1965)

TV
Dillon
Fate Is the Hunter

Fate Is the Hunter (1964)

Movie
Sheriff
Invitation to a Gunfighter

Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964)

Movie
The Munsters

The Munsters (1964)

TV
6.11
Frank Josephson
Shock Treatment

Shock Treatment (1964)

Movie
Sheriff Buck Wheeler
Twilight of Honor

Twilight of Honor (1963)

Movie
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)

TV
Detective Horton
Petticoat Junction

Petticoat Junction (1963)

TV
6
Lorimer
Mr. Novak

Mr. Novak (1963)

TV
Joe Hayden
The Outer Limits

The Outer Limits (1963)

TV
7.4
Arrest and Trial

Arrest and Trial (1963)

TV
The Dakotas

The Dakotas (1963)

TV
Ben Golden
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Movie
Sgt. Weber
Combat!

Combat! (1962)

TV
6
Miller
The Lucy Show

The Lucy Show (1962)

TV
Jason Ainsworth / Milo Henderson
The Virginian

The Virginian (1962)

TV
Ben Casey

Ben Casey (1961)

TV
4.75
Target: The Corruptors!

Target: The Corruptors! (1961)

TV
Director / Dr. Donald White
Dr. Kildare

Dr. Kildare (1961)

TV
6
Dave Reed
Cain's Hundred

Cain's Hundred (1961)

TV
Route 66

Route 66 (1960)

TV
Bartender
The Subterraneans

The Subterraneans (1960)

Movie
Attorney Adler
Why Must I Die

Why Must I Die (1960)

Movie
Lt. Columbo
The Chevy Mystery Show

The Chevy Mystery Show (1960)

TV
Lt. Jenkins
The Gazebo

The Gazebo (1960)

Movie
The Detectives

The Detectives (1959)

TV
Michael Dannora
Adventures in Paradise

Adventures in Paradise (1959)

TV
Bourbon Street Beat

Bourbon Street Beat (1959)

TV
Benson
Law of the Plainsman

Law of the Plainsman (1959)

TV
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959)

TV
6
Lieutenant
The DuPont Show with June Allyson

The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959)

TV
Kester
Riverboat

Riverboat (1959)

TV
Police Sgt. Joe Gillen / Police Sgt. Joe Gillin
Johnny Staccato

Johnny Staccato (1959)

TV
Tightrope

Tightrope (1959)

TV
77 Sunset Strip

77 Sunset Strip (1958)

TV
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)

TV
The Rifleman

The Rifleman (1958)

TV
6.67
Sokolovsky
The Plot to Kill Stalin

The Plot to Kill Stalin (1958)

Movie
Peter Gunn

Peter Gunn (1958)

TV
6
Lester Brackman
The Goddess

The Goddess (1958)

Movie
Sgt. Boulanger
Paths of Glory

Paths of Glory (1957)

Movie
3.88
Lieutenant Rosenberg
Decoy

Decoy (1957)

TV
Harry Parker / Ken Woodman / Joe Marshall / Carl Holman
Perry Mason

Perry Mason (1957)

TV
4.33
The Thin Man

The Thin Man (1957)

TV
Dayton Colonel
Unidentified Flying Objects: The True Story of Flying Saucers

Unidentified Flying Objects: The True Story of Flying Saucers (1956)

Movie
Tom Winston
The Desperate Hours

The Desperate Hours (1955)

Movie
Capt. Harvey Ellison / Cooper
Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)

TV
4.75
Al Clovis / Chris Thornton
Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke (1955)

TV
6
Abe Irwin
The Cobweb

The Cobweb (1955)

Movie
M / Sgt. Matthew Brogan
The Millionaire

The Millionaire (1955)

TV
Chick
The Strike

The Strike (1954)

Movie
Lt. (jg) Andrew Szymanski
Men of the Fighting Lady

Men of the Fighting Lady (1954)

Movie
Foreman
The Long, Long Trailer

The Long, Long Trailer (1954)

Movie
Sgt. Vince Opperman
Take the High Ground!

Take the High Ground! (1953)

Movie
Police Chief A.C. Barrows
Invaders from Mars

Invaders from Mars (1953)

Movie
7
Kozad
Tangier Incident

Tangier Incident (1953)

Movie
Mitch Green / Armstrong
General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater (1953)

TV
Emil Jablons
The Atomic City

The Atomic City (1952)

Movie
Pete Johnson
Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)

TV
8.33
Sgt. Randall
Red Mountain

Red Mountain (1951)

Movie
Det. Dakis
Detective Story

Detective Story (1951)

Movie
Smitty (plainclothesman)
The Company She Keeps

The Company She Keeps (1951)

Movie
Slattery
Halls of Montezuma

Halls of Montezuma (1951)

Movie
Rocky Miller - Beaver Canal Resident (uncredited)
No Way Out

No Way Out (1950)

Movie
Det. Paul Klein
Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)

Movie
Steve Marshak (uncredited)
711 Ocean Drive

711 Ocean Drive (1950)

Movie
Dutch (Third New York Henchman)
Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town

Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950)

Movie
Emmy's Husband
Key to the City

Key to the City (1950)

Movie
Lt. Burke / Chick / Malone / Mike Jannis
Studio One

Studio One (1948)

TV
Al Rago
The Philco Television Playhouse

The Philco Television Playhouse (1948)

TV
Herron, a Man in Alley Mob
Boomerang!

Boomerang! (1947)

Movie

Ratings

Average 6.48
Based on 696 Thousand movie and tv ratings over time
1947
1958
1963
1959
1982
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Bert FreedBert Freed

Information

Known For
Acting

Gender
Male

Birthday
1919-11-03

Deathday
1994-08-02 (74 years old)

Birth Place
The Bronx, United States of America

Citizenships
United States of America


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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