Victor French Movies and Career Information

Victor Edwin French (December 4, 1934 - June 15, 1989) was an American actor and director. Born in Santa Barbara, California, French began his television career as a stuntman in mostly westerns and anthology shows. He guest starred in some thirty-nine television series, including the episode "The Noose" of the syndicated series Two Faces West; his fellow guest star on the segment was veteran western star L.Q. Jones. French appeared on Gunsmoke twenty-three times, often playing a crook, whether dangerous or bumbling. On October 25, 1971, he portrayed a cold-hearted gunman named "Trafton", who while robbing the communion vessels in a Roman Catholic church murders a priest. As the clergyman lies dying, he forgives his killer, a development which dogs Trafton, who holds human beings in low regard, for the entire episode until he is shot to death by Marshal Matt Dillon. French guest starred in another episode, titled "Matt's Love Story", in which Matt Dillon falls in love with a character played by Michael Learned. This episode would then lead to the story line in the 1990 made for TV movie, Gunsmoke: The Last Apache in which Matt rejoins with Learned's character "Mike" and he finds out