Summary
Jason Evers (born Herbert Everberg[1] or Herbert Everin;[2] January 2, 1922 – March 13, 2005) was an American actor. He was the star of the 1963 ABC television drama Channing.
Jason Evers | |
|---|---|
 Evers in the Broadway play Angel in the Pawnshop (1951) | |
| Born | January 2, 1922 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 13, 2005 (aged 83) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Herbert Evers Herb Evers |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1943–1990 |
| Spouses | Shirley Ballard
(m. 1953; div. 1966)Diana James
(m. 1974; div. 1975) |
Early life edit
Evers was born either as Herbert Everberg[1] or Herbert Everin[2] in New York City; he attended DeWitt Clinton High School there.[3] His parents' names are recorded [where?] as William Everin (1894–1972) and Hilda (Weiserbs) Everin (1902–1995) and he had a younger sister, Lucille (1929–2015).
After leaving high school early to join the United States Army,[4][note 1][3] Evers was so inspired by stars such as John Wayne (with whom he would later appear in The Green Berets) that he decided to try acting.[5]
Career edit
Roles on Broadway led to Hollywood, where his first recurring role was on the 1960 NBC Western television series Wrangler.[6]: 1198 On June 30, 1960, Evers appeared on NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford.[7] He was cast for an episode of the ABC western series The Rebel ("Miz Purdy", 1961), appearing as George Tess. Evers made three guest appearances on Perry Mason, including the role of murder victim Stuart Benton in "The Case of the Difficult Detour" (1961), and defendant Roy Galen in "The Case of the Latent Lover" (1964). In "The Case of the Posthumous Painter" (also 1961), he played the defendant's brother.[1]
In the 1963–64 season, Evers starred as 41-year-old Professor Jason Howe in the 26-episode ABC drama series Channing, based on life on a college campus.[6] His most enduring role derived from the 1959 B-movie classic The Brain That Wouldn't Die, which was not released until 1962.[8][9]
From 1967 to 1969, he appeared sporadically as James Sonnett, the missing son sought by the Walter Brennan character, Will Sonnett, in ABC's The Guns of Will Sonnett.[10]
Evers and Kathie Browne featured in the 1968 Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Wink of an Eye". That same year, he also appeared in the films The Green Berets, P.J. and A Man Called Gannon, and also appeared in sci-fi films such as The Illustrated Man (1969) and Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971).[1]
Evers continued to appear in films and television, in such series as The Rockford Files, having guest-starred with Bruce Lee in the Green Hornet episode "Eat, Drink and be Dead" (1966), but they were of an increasingly minor nature. Evers also appeared as a race-car driver and a romantic interest of Doris Martin in The Doris Day Show in 1970. His later films included A Piece of the Action (1977), Claws (1977), and Barracuda (1978), and his final film appearance was in 1990 in Basket Case 2.[1]
Personal life edit
On December 24, 1953, Evers married actress Shirley Ballard; they divorced in September 1966. In 1974, he married Diana James, and they divorced in May 1975.[11]
Death edit
Evers died of heart failure in Los Angeles on March 13, 2005, aged 83.[4]
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Guadalcanal Diary | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Greenwich Village | Young Man | Uncredited |
| 1944 | Three Is a Family | Naval Officer | Uncredited |
| 1960 | Pretty Boy Floyd | Sheriff Blackie Faulkner | |
| 1962 | The Brain That Wouldn't Die | Dr. Bill Cortner | |
| 1962 | House of Women | Dr. F.M. Conrad | |
| 1966 | Dawn of Victory | Jesus | Short |
| 1968 | P.J. | Jason Grenoble | |
| 1968 | A Man Called Gannon | Mills | |
| 1968 | The Green Berets | Capt. Coleman | |
| 1969 | The Illustrated Man | Simmons | |
| 1971 | Escape from the Planet of the Apes | E-2 | |
| 1977 | A Piece of the Action | Ty Shorter | |
| 1977 | Claws | Jason Monroe | |
| 1979 | Barracuda | Dr. Elliot Snow | |
| 1985 | The Stuff | Stuff Character | |
| 1990 | Basket Case 2 | Lou the Editor | (final film role) |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | NBC Presents | Episode: "Anything But Love" | |
| 1949 | Kraft Television Theatre | Episode: "A Young Man's Fancy" | |
| 1949 | Colgate Theatre | Episode: "Old Flame" | |
| 1949–1950 | The Philco Television Playhouse | Paris | 2 episodes |
| 1950 | Believe It or Not! | Episode: "Murder in Diamonds" | |
| 1951 | Studio One | Scott Magruder | 2 episodes |
| 1951 | Armstrong Circle Theatre | Episode: "Day Dreams" | |
| 1955 | Omnibus | Paris | Episode: "Iliad" |
| 1955–1959 | The Phil Silvers Show | Lieutenant / Interviewer / Capt. Kyler / Lt. Kissel | 9 episodes |
| 1959 | True Story | Clifford Lowe | Episode dated 10 October 1959 |
| 1959 | New York Confidential | Honig | Episode: "Crossed Eyed Camera" |
| 1959 | Deadline | Larry | Episode: "Suspicion of Murder" |
| 1960 | Wrangler | Pitcairn | 6 episodes |
| 1960–1961 | Cheyenne | Andy Clark / Carl Tower | 2 episodes |
| 1961 | Hong Kong | Bradley Gardner | Episode: "Suitable for Framing" |
| 1961 | The Rebel | George Tess | Episode: "Miz Purdy" |
| 1961 | Lawman | Shag Warner | Episode: "Blind Hate" |
| 1961 | Surfside 6 | Don Canfield | Episode: "Count Seven!" |
| 1961 | 77 Sunset Strip | Waco Tate | Episode: "The Desert Spa Caper" |
| 1961 | Bronco | Henry Riley | Episode: "Prince of Darkness" |
| 1961 | Tallahassee 7000 | Ed Morse | Episode: "Man Bait" |
| 1961–1962 | Laramie | Hank Emory / Carl Sanford / Hanson | 3 episodes |
| 1961–1964 | Perry Mason | Roy Galen / Clint Robert Miller / Stuart Benton | 3 episodes
Episode: "The Case of the Latent Lover" / Episode: "The Case of the Posthumous Painter" / Episode: "The Case of the Difficult Detour" |
| 1961–1967 | Bonanza | Tom Blackwell / J.D. Lambert | 2 episodes |
| 1962 | Bus Stop | Tony Stratton | Episode: "Cry to Heaven" |
| 1962 | Adventures in Paradise | Rick Leyton | Episode: "Please Believe Me" |
| 1962 | Tales of Wells Fargo | Tom Kelly | Episode: "Remember the Yazoo" |
| 1962 | Frontier Circus | Judd Halleck | Episode: "The Good Fight" |
| 1962 | The Defenders | Steve Janos | Episode: "The Bigamist" |
| 1962–1963 | Alcoa Premiere | Professor Joseph Howe | 2 episodes |
| 1962–1964 | Gunsmoke | Charlie Ross / Collie / Ben Harden | 3 episodes |
| 1963–1964 | Channing | Professor Joseph Howe | 26 episodes |
| 1965 | Branded | Father Jason Durant | Episode: "The Test" |
| 1965 | Death Valley Days | Dan Hardy | Episode: "Birthright" |
| 1965–1966 | The F.B.I. | Captain Thomas / Allen Bennett | 2 episodes |
| 1965–1968 | The Big Valley | George Akers / Colter | 2 episodes |
| 1966 | T.H.E. Cat | Father Francis Langland | Episode: "To Kill a Priest" |
| 1966 | The Virginian | Sheriff Harry Lundy | Episode: "An Echo of Thunder" |
| 1966 | The Green Hornet | Dirk | Episode: "Eat, Drink, and Be Dead" |
| 1966 | Combat! | Pvt. Jim Culley | Episode: "The Outsider" |
| 1967 | The Road West | Divvy Peters | Episode: "The Insider" |
| 1967 | The Invaders | Maj. Dan Keller | Episode: "Condition: Red" |
| 1967 | Three for Danger | Kirk | Television film |
| 1967 | Tarzan | Ramon | 2 episodes |
| 1967 | Run for Your Life | Garret Hamilton | Episode: "Fly by Night" |
| 1967–1968 | Felony Squad | William Reardon / Eliot Rogers | 2 episodes |
| 1967–1968 | The Wild Wild West | Commander Beech / Christopher Kohner | 2 episodes |
| 1967–1969 | The Guns of Will Sonnett | James 'Jim' Sonnett | 13 episodes |
| 1968 | Judd, for the Defense | Alec Spinner | Episode: "No Law Against Murder" |
| 1968 | Star Trek | Rael | S3:E11, "Wink of an Eye" |
| 1968 | It Takes a Thief | Aubrey Lathum | Episode: "Glass Riddle" |
| 1968–1973 | Mannix | Dana Royal / Josh Martin / Ross / Charles Egan / Assassin | 5 episodes |
| 1969 | The Mod Squad | Sheriff | Episode: "The Uptight Town" |
| 1969 | The Bold Ones: The New Doctors | Dr. Ralph Simpson | Episode: "What's the Price of a Pair of Eyes?" |
| 1969 | The Young Lawyers | Michael Cannon | Episode: "The Young Lawyers" |
| 1969–1973 | Mission: Impossible | Colonel Oleg Kemmer/Ben Nelson / Carl Deetrich / Ray Dunson / Walter Townsend | 4 episodes
Episode: "The Question" / Episode: "Blind" / Episode: "Double Circle" / Episode: "The Mind of Stefan Miklos" |
| 1969–1979 | Hawaii Five-O | Lieutenant Dexter / Wallis / Charles Irwin | 3 episodes
Episode" "Good Help Is Hard to Find" / Episode: "Cloth of Gold" / Episode: "All the King's Horses" |
| 1970 | The Doris Day Show | David Cowley | Episode: "The Feminist" |
| 1970 | Medical Center | Ken Palmer | Episode: "Scream of Silence" |
| 1970–1975 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Dick Shearer | 2 episodes |
| 1971 | Dan August | Walter Boyd | Episode: "Circle of Lies" |
| 1971–1974 | Cannon | Hollinger / Lt. Jim Farragut / Edgar Bruce / Art Miller | 4 episodes |
| 1973 | Banacek | Roger Sloan | Episode: "The Two Million Clams of Cap'n Jack" |
| 1973 | Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law | Barrington | Episode: "Once a Lion" |
| 1973 | The Rookies | Ben Tabnor | Episode: "Sound of Silence" |
| 1973–1976 | The Streets of San Francisco | Ben Rush / Johnny Harmon | 2 episodes
Episode: "Underground" / Episode: "The Set-Up" |
| 1974 | The Wide World of Mystery | Martin Forester | Episode: "Shadow of Fear" |
| 1974 | Ironside | Ted Kelly | Episode: "Class of '40" |
| 1974 | Police Story | Sergeant Arnold | Episode: "Country Boy" |
| 1974 | Hec Ramsey | Pete Jonas | Episode: "Scar Tissue" |
| 1974 | Fer-de-Lance | Commander Kirk | Television film |
| 1974 | The Manhunter | Episode: "The Doomsday Gang" | |
| 1974 | Kodiak | Darcy | Episode: "The Hunters" |
| 1974–1976 | Barnaby Jones | Herb Dorset / Gil Turner | 2 episodes |
| 1975 | Caribe | Ed Robbins | Episode: "Vanished" |
| 1975 | Matt Helm | Alan Grant | Episode: "Scavenger's Paradise" |
| 1976 | Switch | Capt. Topping | Episode: "Come Die with Me" |
| 1976 | McMillan & Wife | Roland Merrill | Episode: "All Bets Off" |
| 1977 | The Fantastic Journey | Atar | 2 episodes |
| 1977 | Most Wanted | Duncan Taylor | Episode: "The Insider" |
| 1977 | Quincy, M.E. | Dr. Peter James | Episode: "Valleyview" |
| 1977 | The Bionic Woman | Radnik | Episode: "Rodeo" |
| 1977–1978 | The Rockford Files | Brad Davies / Paul Silvan | 2 episodes |
| 1978 | Charlie's Angels | Larry Fallon | Episode: "The Sandcastle Murders" |
| 1978 | Emergency! | Justin Manning | Episode: "Survival on Charter #220" |
| 1978 | Happy Days | H.R. Buchanan | 3 episodes |
| 1978 | CHiPs | Fred Gesslin | Episode: "Supercycle" |
| 1979 | The Runaways | Randolph | Episode: "Screams in the Night" |
| 1980 | Vegas | Lloyd Kohler | Episode: "A Deadly Victim" |
| 1981 | Hart to Hart | Harrison | Episode: "Ex-Wives Can Be Murder" |
| 1981 | Fantasy Island | Ben | Episode: "Chorus Girl/Surrogate Father" |
| 1981 | Golden Gate | Harry Stillwell | Television film |
| 1982–1983 | The Fall Guy | Frank Forester / Gordon | 2 episodes |
| 1982–1984 | Knight Rider | Edward Grant / Herb Bremen | 2 episodes |
| 1983 | Small & Frye | Mr. Ackly | Episode: "Endangered Detectives" |
| 1984 | T. J. Hooker | Warren Avery | Episode: "Hot Property" |
| 1984 | Glitter | David | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1984 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Jerry Perrine | Episode: "Charity Begins at Home" |
| 1985 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Larson | Episode: "The Haunting of J.D. Hogg" |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Dr. Marshall MacGill | Episode: "My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean" |
| 1986 | The A-Team | Bart Taggart | Episode: "Mission of Peace" |
| 1987 | Matlock | Dr. Jim Lord | Episode: "The Gift" |
Notes edit
- ^ An article published in the July 15, 1960, issue of the Lake Charles American Press says, "Jason Evers left school ... preferring to give himself more time to see acting ..." It goes on to say that he joined the U.S. Army after acting in a Broadway production.
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f Lentz III, Harris M. (2008). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2005: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-7864-2489-4.
- ^ a b c "Herbert Everin".
- ^ a b "Jason Evers Was Veteran Actor at 17". Lake Charles American-Press. Louisiana, Lake Charles. July 15, 1960. p. 12. Retrieved November 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Jason Evers, 83; Actor Known for 'The Brain That Wouldn't Die', Los Angeles Times; accessed January 16, 2016.
- ^ "Overview for Jason Evers". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
- ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ "The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show". ctva.biz. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
- ^ Thompson, Nathaniel. "The Brain That Wouldn't Die". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
- ^ Packer, Sharon (2014). Neuroscience in Science Fiction Films. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-7864-7234-5.
- ^ Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland & Company. p. 231. ISBN 9781476625997. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960–1975: A Biographical Dictionary. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. pp. 160–161. ISBN 978-1-4766-6250-3.
External links edit
- Jason Evers at IMDb
- Jason Evers at the Internet Broadway Database (as Herbert Evers)
- Jason Evers at Memory Alpha
- Jason Evers at Find A Grave