Forrest Tucker
Acting • Born 1919-02-12 – Died 1986-10-25
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Forrest Meredith Tucker (February 12, 1919 – October 25, 1986) was an American actor in both movies and television who appeared in nearly a hundred films. Tucker described himself as a farm boy. He was born in Plainfield, Indiana, on February 12, 1919, a son of Forrest A. Tucker and his wife, Doris Heringlake. His mother has been described as an alcoholic. Tucker began his performing career at age 14 at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, pushing the big wicker tourist chairs by day and singing "Throw Money" at night. After his family moved to Washington, D.C., Tucker attracted the attention of Jimmy Lake, the owner of the Old Gaiety Burlesque Theater, by winning its Saturday night amateur contest on consecutive weeks. After his second win, Tucker was hired there at full time as Master of Ceremonies, but left when it was soon discovered that he was underage. He graduated from Washington-Lee High School, Arlington, Virginia, near Washington, D.C., in 1938, and, joining the United States Cavalry, was stationed at Fort Myer in Arlington County, Virginia, but discharged for, once again, being underage. He returned to work at the Old Gaiety after his 18th birthday. When Lake's theatre closed for the summer in 1939, Tucker was helped by a wealthy mentor to travel to California and try to break into film acting. He made a successful screen test, and began auditioning for movie roles. In his own estimation, Tucker was in the mold of large "ugly guys" such as Wallace Beery, Ward Bond and Victor McLaglen, rather than a matinee idol. His debut was as a powerfully built farmer who clashes with the hero in The Westerner (1940), which starred Gary Cooper. Like many other movie actors at the time, Tucker enlisted in the United States Army during World War II; he earned a commission as a second lieutenant. Tucker married four times: Sandra Jolley (1919–1986) in 1940, divorced in 1950, daughter of the character actor I. Stanford Jolley (who also died of emphysema) and the sister of the Academy Award-winning art director Stan Jolley. They had a daughter, Pamela "Brooke" Tucker. Marilyn Johnson on March 28, 1950 (died on July 19, 1960). Marilyn Fisk on October 23, 1961. They had a daughter, Cindy Tucker, and son, Forrest Sean Tucker. Sheila Forbes on April 15, 1986. Tucker, who had battled lung cancer for more than a year, as well as having a series of minor illnesses, collapsed and was hospitalized, for the second time in a week, on his way to the ceremony for his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 21, 1986. He died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital on October 25, 1986, a few months after the theatrical release of Thunder Run and Outtakes. He was interred in Forest Lawn–Hollywood Hills Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills. CLR
Filmography
147 credits
Rage at Dawn
Movie • 1955
Frank Reno
Barquero
Movie • 1970
Mountain Phil
Keeper of the Flame
Movie • 1943
Geoff Midford
My Sister Eileen
Movie • 1942
Sandhog (uncredited)
Hoodlum Empire
Movie • 1952
Charles A. 'Charley' Pignatalli
Jarrett
Movie • 1973
Rev. Vocal Simpson
The Spirit of Stanford
Movie • 1942
Buzz Costello (uncredited)
The Night They Raided Minsky's
Movie • 1968
Trim Houlihan
The Westerner
Movie • 1940
Wade Harper
Coroner Creek
Movie • 1948
Ernie Combs
Pony Express
Movie • 1953
James Butler aka Wild Bill Hickok
The Crawling Eye
Movie • 1958
Alan Brooks
Never Say Goodbye
Movie • 1946
Fenwick Lonkowski
The Abominable Snowman
Movie • 1957
Tom Friend
Auntie Mame
Movie • 1958
Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside
Chisum
Movie • 1970
Lawrence Murphy
The Nevadan
Movie • 1950
Tom Tanner
Finger Man
Movie • 1955
Dutch Becker
Crosswinds
Movie • 1951
'Jumbo' Johnson
Sands of Iwo Jima
Movie • 1950
PFC Al J. Thomas
Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title
Movie • 1966
Romantic Diner Customer (uncredited)
The Yearling
Movie • 1946
Lem Forrester
Timestalkers
Movie • 1987
Texas John Cody
Thunder Run
Movie • 1985
Charlie Morrison
The Strange World of Planet X
Movie • 1958
Gil Graham
Gunfighters
Movie • 1947
Ben Orcutt
The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West
Movie • 1976
Wagonmaster Callahan
Final Chapter: Walking Tall
Movie • 1977
Carl
Fort Massacre
Movie • 1958
McGurney
Bugles in the Afternoon
Movie • 1952
Donavan
Submarine Raider
Movie • 1942
Pulaski
Montana Belle
Movie • 1952
Mac
The Deerslayer
Movie • 1957
Harry March
A Real American Hero
Movie • 1978
Carl Pusser
The Incredible Rocky Mountain Race
Movie • 1977
Mike Fink
Cancel My Reservation
Movie • 1972
Reese
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Movie • 1981
Duke
Emergency Landing
Movie • 1941
Jerry Barton
Trouble in the Glen
Movie • 1954
Maj. Jim 'Lance' Lansing
Jubilee Trail
Movie • 1954
John Ives
The Wild Blue Yonder
Movie • 1951
Maj. Tom West
The Big Cat
Movie • 1949
Gil Hawks
Counterplot
Movie • 1959
Brock Miller
The Plunderers
Movie • 1948
Whit Lacey
Blood Feud
Movie • 1983
Lyndon B. Johnson
Warpath
Movie • 1951
Sgt. O'Hara
Stagecoach To Fury
Movie • 1956
Frank Townsend
The Vanishing American
Movie • 1955
Morgan
The Quiet Gun
Movie • 1957
Sheriff Carl Brandon
Renegades
Movie • 1946
Frank Dembrow
Brimstone
Movie • 1949
Sheriff Henry McIntyre
Break in the Circle
Movie • 1955
Baron Keller
The Man Who Dared
Movie • 1946
Larry James
Laughing Anne
Movie • 1953
Jem Farrell
Three Violent People
Movie • 1956
Deputy Commissioner Cable
Flight Nurse
Movie • 1953
Capt. Bill Eaton
Two Guys from Texas
Movie • 1948
'Tex' Bennett
The Big Moment
Movie • 1954
Uri
Oh! Susanna
Movie • 1951
Lt. Col. Unger
Hurricane Smith
Movie • 1952
Dan McGuire
Fighting Coast Guard
Movie • 1951
Bill Rourk
The Wild McCullochs
Movie • 1975
J. J. McCulloch
Talk About a Lady
Movie • 1946
Bart Manners
Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol
Movie • 1972
Harry McMartin
Flaming Feather
Movie • 1952
Lt. Tom Blaine
Dangerous Business
Movie • 1946
Clayton Russell
Gunsmoke in Tucson
Movie • 1958
John Brazos
Rock Island Trail
Movie • 1950
Reed Loomis
Ride the Man Down
Movie • 1952
Sam Danfelser
San Antone
Movie • 1953
Lt. Brian Culver, CSA
California Passage
Movie • 1950
Mike Prescott
Parachute Nurse
Movie • 1942
Lt. Tucker
Shut My Big Mouth
Movie • 1942
Red
Night Freight
Movie • 1955
Mike Peters
Tramp, Tramp, Tramp!
Movie • 1942
Blond Bomber
Counter-Espionage
Movie • 1942
Anton Schugg
Honolulu Lu
Movie • 1941
Barney
Hellfire
Movie • 1949
Marshall Bucky McLean
Canal Zone
Movie • 1942
Recruit Madigan
Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood
Movie • 1942
Whipper
Outtakes
Movie • 1987
Himself
Adventures in Silverado
Movie • 1948
Zeke Butler
The Last Bandit
Movie • 1949
Jim Plummer
Footsteps
Movie • 1972
Bradford Emmons
New Wine
Movie • 1941
Moritz
Paris Follies of 1956
Movie • 1955
Dan Bradley
Rare Breed
Movie • 1984
A Boy Called Nuthin’
Movie • 1967
Turkeyneck
La Classe américaine
Movie • 1993
The Fax Man (archive footage) (uncredited)
Girl in the Woods
Movie • 1958
Steve Cory
Cat Ballou
Movie • 1971
Kid Sheleen
Doc
Movie • 1969
Dr. Jason Fillmore
Ringstealer
Movie • 1984
Narrator
Alice
TV • 1976
Burke's Law
TV • 1963
Cyrus Smuts
The Ghost Busters
TV • 1975
Flo
TV • 1980
F Troop
TV • 1965
Sergeant. Morgan O'Rourke
Little House on the Prairie
TV • 1974
The Bionic Woman
TV • 1976
Kojak
TV • 1973
Det. Paul Zachary
Dusty's Trail
TV • 1973
Wagonmaster Callahan
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Brad McClain
Night Gallery
TV • 1970
Dr. Ernest Stringfellow
The Ed Sullivan Show
TV • 1948
Self
General Electric Theater
TV • 1953
Frank Marlowe
Filthy Rich
TV • 1982
Ironside
TV • 1967
Rawhide
TV • 1959
Dan Carlock
Daniel Boone
TV • 1964
Joe Snag
S.W.A.T.
TV • 1975
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
TV • 1968
Self (uncredited)
The Virginian
TV • 1962
Martin Evers
Lux Video Theatre
TV • 1950
William Patterson
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV • 1951
Steve MacGregor
Climax!
TV • 1954
Chips Murphy
Hondo
TV • 1967
Robert Montgomery Presents
TV • 1950
Bob Slater
Grizzly Adams
TV • 1977
Ernie
Dr. Kildare
TV • 1961
Max Beemis
Channing
TV • 1963
Major Don Landon
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
Sam Zachary
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Adam Benteen
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
John Charron
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Sergeant Holly
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Sgt. Emmett Holly
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Will Donavan
Columbo
TV • 1971
Bo Williamson
Lux Video Theatre
TV • 1950
Ken
Murder, She Wrote
TV • 1984
Tom Cassidy
Bonanza
TV • 1959
Frank Ryan
The Ford Television Theatre
TV • 1952
Red Healey
Wagon Train
TV • 1957
Rex Montana
Ellery Queen
TV • 1975
Clint McGraw
The Mike Douglas Show
TV • 1961
Self
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
Tex
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
Tom Preston
Matt Houston
TV • 1982
Buck Turley
Once an Eagle
TV • 1976
Col. Avery
Medical Center
TV • 1969
Ollie Wayne
Love, American Style
TV • 1969
John
Love, American Style
TV • 1969
Horton
The Merv Griffin Show
TV • 1962
Self
Police Woman
TV • 1974
O'Malley
The World of Hammer
TV • 1994
Self (archive footage)
Alias Smith and Jones
TV • 1971
Deputy Harker Wilkins
The Rebels
TV • 1979
Angus Fletcher