Known For
Acting
Known Credits
124
Gender
Male
Birthday
December 2, 1906 (119 years old)
Place of Birth
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Donald Woods (born Ralph Lewis Zink, December 2, 1906 – March 5, 1998) was a Canadian-American film and television actor whose career in Hollywood spanned six decades.
Born in Brandon, Manitoba, Woods moved with his family to California and was raised in Burbank. A son of William and Margaret Zink, Presbyterians of German descent. His younger brother, Clarence Russell Zink, also became an actor (Russ Conway).
Woods graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and made his film debut in 1928. His screen career was spent mostly in B movies, for example as lawyer Perry Mason in the 1937 film The Case of the Stuttering Bishop. He also occasionally played major roles in bigger feature films like A Tale of Two Cities (1935), Anthony Adverse (1936), Watch on the Rhine (1943), The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1944), and Roughly Speaking (1945).
Of considerable importance to his acting career were several seasons as leading man with the Elitch Gardens Theatre Company in Denver, Colorado, where he performed in 1932, 1933, 1939, 1941, 1947, and 1948.
In the early days of television, Woods starred as the title character in the 1951 syndicated TV series Craig Kennedy, Criminologist, and he was the host of Damon Runyon Theater on CBS-TV. He played himself on the dramatic series Hotel Cosmopolitan, also on CBS, and he was one of three hosts of The Orchid Award on ABC-TV. He portrayed Walter Manning on Portia Faces Life on CBS.
He also appeared in such anthology series as The Philco Television Playhouse, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents, The United States Steel Hour, Crossroads, and General Electric Theater. On April 11, 1961, Woods appeared as "Profesor Landfield" in the episode "Two for the Gallows" on NBC's Laramie western series. Series character Slim Sherman (John Smith) is hired under false pretenses to take Landfield into the Badlands to seek gold. Landfield, however, is really Morgan Bennett, a member of the former Henry Plummer gang who has escaped from prison. Slim has no idea that Lanfield is seeking the loot that his gang had hidden away. Series character Jess Harper (Robert Fuller), Pete Dixon, played by Warren Oates, and Pete's younger brother soon come to Slim's aid. The title stems from the talk that the undisciplined Dixon brothers might eventually wind up on a hangman's noose.
Woods later was a regular in the role of John Brent on the short-lived series Tammy and made guest appearances on Bat Masterson, Wagon Train, Ben Casey, 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Stoney Burke, Bourbon Street Beat, Bonanza, Coronet Blue, Ironside, Alias Smith and Jones, The Wild Wild West and Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, among many others before retiring from acting in 1976.
Besides his film career, he also worked as a successful real estate broker in Palm Springs where he lived with his wife, childhood sweetheart Josephine Van der Horck. They were married from 1933 until his death and had two children, Linda and Conrad. He was interred at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cathedral City, California.
| 1973 | Police Storyas | |
| 1972 | The Sandy Duncan Showas | |
| 1971 | Alias Smith and Jonesas | |
| 1969 | True Gritas "Barlow" | |
| 1969 | Istanbul Expressas Shepherd | |
| 1968 | A Time to Singas Vernon Carter | |
| 1967 | Hondoas | |
| 1967 | Tammy and the Millionaireas John Brent | |
| 1967 | Ironsideas | |
| 1966 | Dimension 5as Kane | |
| 1966 | Felony Squadas | |
| 1966 | Moment to Momentas Mr. Singer | |
| 1965 | Tammyas John Brent | |
| 1965 | The Wild Wild Westas | |
| 1964 | Kissin' Cousinsas General Alvin Donford | |
| 1963 | Arrest and Trialas Chet Hayes | |
| 1962 | Stoney Burkeas | |
| 1962 | Sam Benedictas | |
| 1961 | Five Minutes to Liveas Kenneth Wilson | |
| 1961 | Ben Caseyas | |
| 1960 | Thrilleras Dr. John Carmody | |
| 1960 | 13 Ghostsas Cyrus Zorba | |
| 1960 | I'll Give My Lifeas | |
| 1959 | Bourbon Street Beatas | |
| 1959 | The Rebelas Sam Moss | |
| 1959 | Men Into Spaceas | |
| 1959 | Tightropeas | |
| 1958 | 77 Sunset Stripas | |
| 1958 | Bat Mastersonas Roger Purcell | |
| 1957 | Wagon Trainas Philip Ayers | |
| 1957 | Hotel Cosmopolitanas | |
| 1955 | A Wind from the Southas Robert | |
| 1955 | Damon Runyon Theateras | |
| 1955 | The Millionaireas Cobb Marley | |
| 1954 | Lassieas | |
| 1954 | Portia Faces Lifeas | |
| 1954 | Inner Sanctumas | |
| 1953 | The United States Steel Houras | |
| 1953 | The Beast from 20,000 Fathomsas Capt. Jackson | |
| 1953 | Born to the Saddleas Matt Daggett | |
| 1953 | General Electric Theateras | |
| 1953 | General Electric Theateras Norman Frost Bennett | |
| 1953 | The Studebaker Storyas John Mohler Studebaker | |
| 1952 | Tall, Dark and Deadas Craig Kennedy | |
| 1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas Kirby Sinclair | |
| 1951 | All That I Haveas Pastor William Goodwin | |
| 1951 | Craig Kennedy, Criminologistas Craig Kennedy | |
| 1950 | Mr. Musicas Tippy Carpenter | |
| 1950 | The Lost Volcanoas Paul Gordon | |
| 1950 | Johnny One-Eyeas Vet | |
| 1950 | Robert Montgomery Presentsas | |
| 1949 | Barbary Pirateas Maj. Tom Blake | |
| 1949 | Free For Allas Roger Abernathy | |
| 1949 | Scene of the Crimeas Bob Herkimer | |
| 1949 | Lights Outas | |
| 1949 | Daughter of the Westas Commissioner Ralph C. Connors | |
| 1948 | The Philco Television Playhouseas | |
| 1947 | The Return of Rin Tin Tinas Father Matthew | |
| 1947 | Stepchildas Ken Bullock | |
| 1947 | Bells of San Fernandoas Michael 'Gringo' O'Brien | |
| 1946 | The Time, The Place and The Girlas Martin Drew | |
| 1946 | Never Say Goodbyeas Rex DeVallon | |
| 1946 | Goodbye, Weedsas Henry | |
| 1946 | Night and Dayas Ward Blackburn | |
| 1945 | Star in the Nightas Hitchhiker | |
| 1945 | Wonder Manas Monte Rossen | |
| 1945 | Roughly Speakingas Rodney Crane | |
| 1944 | Hollywood Canteenas Self | |
| 1944 | Enemy of Womenas Dr. Hans Traeger, MD | |
| 1944 | The Bridge of San Luis Reyas Brother Juniper | |
| 1943 | Hi'ya, Sailoras Bob Jackson | |
| 1943 | So's Your Uncleas Steve Curtis aka Uncle John | |
| 1943 | Watch on the Rhineas David Farrelly | |
| 1943 | Corregidoras Dr. Michael | |
| 1942 | The Gay Sistersas Penn Sutherland Gaylord | |
| 1942 | March On, America!as Francis Scott Key (archive footage) (uncredited) | |
| 1942 | Thru Different Eyesas Ted Farnsworth | |
| 1941 | I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Islandas Joel Grant / Joseph Elmer | |
| 1941 | Bachelor Daddyas Edward Smith | |
| 1941 | Sky Raidersas Captain Bob Dayton | |
| 1940 | Mexican Spitfire Out Westas Dennis 'Denny' Lindsay | |
| 1940 | Young America Fliesas John Woodward | |
| 1940 | Love, Honor and Oh-Baby!as Brian McGrath | |
| 1940 | If I Had My Wayas Fred Johnson | |
| 1940 | Forgotten Girlsas Dan Donahue | |
| 1940 | City of Chanceas Steve Walker | |
| 1940 | Mexican Spitfireas Dennis Lindsay | |
| 1939 | Heritage of the Desertas John Abbott | |
| 1939 | The Girl from Mexicoas Dennis Lindsay | |
| 1939 | Beauty for the Askingas Jeffrey Martin | |
| 1938 | Danger on the Airas Benjamin Butts | |
| 1938 | Romance on the Runas Barry Drake | |
| 1938 | The Black Dollas Nick Halstead | |
| 1937 | Big Town Girlas Mark Tracey | |
| 1937 | Charlie Chan on Broadwayas Speed Patten, Reporter New York Bulletin | |
| 1937 | Talent Scoutas Steve Stewart | |
| 1937 | The Case of the Stuttering Bishopas Perry Mason | |
| 1937 | Sea Devilsas Steve Webb | |
| 1937 | Once a Doctoras Steven Brace | |
| 1936 | Breakdowns of 1936as Self | |
| 1936 | Isle of Furyas Eric Blake | |
| 1936 | Anthony Adverseas Vincent Nolte | |
| 1936 | A Son Comes Homeas Denny | |
| 1936 | The Song of a Nationas Francis Scott Key | |
| 1936 | The White Angelas Charles Cooper | |
| 1936 | The Making of a Great Motion Pictureas | |
| 1936 | Road Gangas James 'Jim' Larrabie | |
| 1936 | The Story of Louis Pasteuras Dr. Jean Martel | |
| 1935 | A Dream Comes Trueas Himself (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | A Tale of Two Citiesas Charles Darnay | |
| 1935 | Things You Never See on the Screenas Self | |
| 1935 | Frisco Kidas Charles Ford | |
| 1935 | Strandedas John Wesley | |
| 1935 | The Case of the Curious Brideas Carl | |
| 1935 | The Florentine Daggeras Juan Cesare | |
| 1934 | Sweet Adelineas Sid Barnett | |
| 1934 | She Was a Ladyas Tommy Traill | |
| 1934 | Charlie Chan's Courageas Bob Crawford | |
| 1934 | Fog Over Friscoas Tony Sterling | |
| 1934 | Merry Wives of Renoas Frank | |
| 1934 | Hollywood Newsreelas Himself | |
| 1934 | As the Earth Turnsas Stan | |
| 1928 | Motorboat Mamasas Yacht Club Patron | |
| 1928 | Motorboat Mamasas Yacht Club Patron (uncredited) |