William Schallert Movies and Career Information

William Joseph Schallert (born July 6, 1922) is an American actor who has appeared in many films and in such television series as The Smurfs, The Rat Patrol, Gunsmoke, The Patty Duke Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Waltons, Bonanza, Leave It to Beaver, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Love American Style, and Get Smart. Schallert was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Elza Emily (née Baumgarten) and Edwin Francis Schallert, a drama editor. Schallert has appeared in supporting roles on numerous television programs since the early 1950s. He has also appeared in several movies, including The Man from Planet X (1951) with Robert Clarke, The Tarnished Angels (1958) with Robert Stack, Blue Denim (1959) with Brandon De Wilde, In the Heat of the Night (1967) with Rod Steiger, The Jerk (1979) with Steve Martin, Speedway (1968) with Elvis Presley, and Innerspace (1987), in which he played Martin Short's doctor. He also played (uncredited) an ambulance attendant in the early minutes of the 1950s sci-fi classic, Them! (1954). He appeared three times as Major Karl Richmond on NBC's Steve Canyon, starring Dean Fredericks in the title role. He is a founding member of the Circle Players