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Donald Woods

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
124

Gender
Male

Birthday
December 2, 1906 (119 years old)

Place of Birth
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

Donald Woods

Biography

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.

Known For

Acting

1973Police Storyas
1972The Sandy Duncan Showas
1971Alias Smith and Jonesas
1969True Gritas "Barlow"
1969Istanbul Expressas Shepherd
1968A Time to Singas Vernon Carter
1967Hondoas
1967Tammy and the Millionaireas John Brent
1967Ironsideas
1966Dimension 5as Kane
1966Felony Squadas
1966Moment to Momentas Mr. Singer
1965Tammyas John Brent
1965The Wild Wild Westas
1964Kissin' Cousinsas General Alvin Donford
1963Arrest and Trialas Chet Hayes
1962Stoney Burkeas
1962Sam Benedictas
1961Five Minutes to Liveas Kenneth Wilson
1961Ben Caseyas
1960Thrilleras Dr. John Carmody
196013 Ghostsas Cyrus Zorba
1960I'll Give My Lifeas
1959Bourbon Street Beatas
1959The Rebelas Sam Moss
1959Men Into Spaceas
1959Tightropeas
195877 Sunset Stripas
1958Bat Mastersonas Roger Purcell
1957Wagon Trainas Philip Ayers
1957Hotel Cosmopolitanas
1955A Wind from the Southas Robert
1955Damon Runyon Theateras
1955The Millionaireas Cobb Marley
1954Lassieas
1954Portia Faces Lifeas
1954Inner Sanctumas
1953The United States Steel Houras
1953The Beast from 20,000 Fathomsas Capt. Jackson
1953Born to the Saddleas Matt Daggett
1953General Electric Theateras
1953General Electric Theateras Norman Frost Bennett
1953The Studebaker Storyas John Mohler Studebaker
1952Tall, Dark and Deadas Craig Kennedy
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Starsas Kirby Sinclair
1951All That I Haveas Pastor William Goodwin
1951Craig Kennedy, Criminologistas Craig Kennedy
1950Mr. Musicas Tippy Carpenter
1950The Lost Volcanoas Paul Gordon
1950Johnny One-Eyeas Vet
1950Robert Montgomery Presentsas
1949Barbary Pirateas Maj. Tom Blake
1949Free For Allas Roger Abernathy
1949Scene of the Crimeas Bob Herkimer
1949Lights Outas
1949Daughter of the Westas Commissioner Ralph C. Connors
1948The Philco Television Playhouseas
1947The Return of Rin Tin Tinas Father Matthew
1947Stepchildas Ken Bullock
1947Bells of San Fernandoas Michael 'Gringo' O'Brien
1946The Time, The Place and The Girlas Martin Drew
1946Never Say Goodbyeas Rex DeVallon
1946Goodbye, Weedsas Henry
1946Night and Dayas Ward Blackburn
1945Star in the Nightas Hitchhiker
1945Wonder Manas Monte Rossen
1945Roughly Speakingas Rodney Crane
1944Hollywood Canteenas Self
1944Enemy of Womenas Dr. Hans Traeger, MD
1944The Bridge of San Luis Reyas Brother Juniper
1943Hi'ya, Sailoras Bob Jackson
1943So's Your Uncleas Steve Curtis aka Uncle John
1943Watch on the Rhineas David Farrelly
1943Corregidoras Dr. Michael
1942The Gay Sistersas Penn Sutherland Gaylord
1942March On, America!as Francis Scott Key (archive footage) (uncredited)
1942Thru Different Eyesas Ted Farnsworth
1941I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Islandas Joel Grant / Joseph Elmer
1941Bachelor Daddyas Edward Smith
1941Sky Raidersas Captain Bob Dayton
1940Mexican Spitfire Out Westas Dennis 'Denny' Lindsay
1940Young America Fliesas John Woodward
1940Love, Honor and Oh-Baby!as Brian McGrath
1940If I Had My Wayas Fred Johnson
1940Forgotten Girlsas Dan Donahue
1940City of Chanceas Steve Walker
1940Mexican Spitfireas Dennis Lindsay
1939Heritage of the Desertas John Abbott
1939The Girl from Mexicoas Dennis Lindsay
1939Beauty for the Askingas Jeffrey Martin
1938Danger on the Airas Benjamin Butts
1938Romance on the Runas Barry Drake
1938The Black Dollas Nick Halstead
1937Big Town Girlas Mark Tracey
1937Charlie Chan on Broadwayas Speed Patten, Reporter New York Bulletin
1937Talent Scoutas Steve Stewart
1937The Case of the Stuttering Bishopas Perry Mason
1937Sea Devilsas Steve Webb
1937Once a Doctoras Steven Brace
1936Breakdowns of 1936as Self
1936Isle of Furyas Eric Blake
1936Anthony Adverseas Vincent Nolte
1936A Son Comes Homeas Denny
1936The Song of a Nationas Francis Scott Key
1936The White Angelas Charles Cooper
1936The Making of a Great Motion Pictureas
1936Road Gangas James 'Jim' Larrabie
1936The Story of Louis Pasteuras Dr. Jean Martel
1935A Dream Comes Trueas Himself (uncredited)
1935A Tale of Two Citiesas Charles Darnay
1935Things You Never See on the Screenas Self
1935Frisco Kidas Charles Ford
1935Strandedas John Wesley
1935The Case of the Curious Brideas Carl
1935The Florentine Daggeras Juan Cesare
1934Sweet Adelineas Sid Barnett
1934She Was a Ladyas Tommy Traill
1934Charlie Chan's Courageas Bob Crawford
1934Fog Over Friscoas Tony Sterling
1934Merry Wives of Renoas Frank
1934Hollywood Newsreelas Himself
1934As the Earth Turnsas Stan
1928Motorboat Mamasas Yacht Club Patron
1928Motorboat Mamasas Yacht Club Patron (uncredited)

Production