Simon Oakland
Acting
Born: August 28, 1915 · New York City, New York, USA
Died: August 29, 1983 (aged 68)
Highest Rated
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television. During his career, Oakland performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and made-for-television movies between 1951 and 1983. His most notable big-screen roles were in Psycho (1960), West Side Story (1961), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968), The Hunting Party (1971), and Chato's Land (1972). On television, he was a regular on the cult classic horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975), and the military drama Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976-1978). Early life and career Oakland was born in Brooklyn, New York, the eldest of the three sons of immigrant Jewish parents, Jacob Weiss and Ethel Oaklander, born in Romania and the Russian Empire respectively. His father was a plasterer and builder. While he later claimed in media interviews to have been born in 1922 (a date repeated in his New York Times obituary), Social Security and vital records indicate he was born Simon Weiss in 1915; his stage name was derived from his mother's maiden name, Oaklander. Film and television In 1955, Oakland made his film debut, albeit uncredited, as an Indiana state trooper in The Desperate Hours. He appeared in two films released in 1958: as Mavrayek in The Brothers Karamazov and as journalist Edward Montgomery in I Want to Live! Oakland's notable performance in I Want to Live! led to his playing a long series of tough-guys, either as authority figures or villains or a mix of both. He appeared in Psycho as the psychiatrist who, at the end of the film, explains Norman Bates's multiple personality disorder. He appeared in the films West Side Story, The Sand Pebbles, and Bullitt. He made two guest appearances as murder victims on CBS's Perry Mason. He appeared in the syndicated crime drama, Decoy, starring Beverly Garland. Oakland appeared once on the CBS Western Dundee and the Culhane and once on the series Sheriff of Cochise. He was also a regular, in a comedic supporting role, as General Thomas Moore, on NBC's Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring Robert Conrad. He appeared in two episodes of the original The Twilight Zone TV series (“The Rip Van Winkle Caper” and “The Thirty-Fathom Grave”) and in The Outer Limits as the alien birdman in "Second Chance". In 1974 and 1975, he was a series regular on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, playing newspaper editor Tony Vincenzo. (He had previously played the same character in two made-for-television movies. Personal life Oakland was married to Lois Lorraine Porta. The couple had one daughter, Barbara. Death Oakland continued working up to the year of his death. His last credited acting appearance was in the episode "Living and Presumed Dead" on the CBS television series Tucker's Witch. That episode aired three months before Oakland's death from colon cancer in Cathedral City, California, on August 29, 1983, the day after his 68th birthday. CLR
Known for
Psycho
1960
West Side Story
1961
Bullitt
1968
The Twilight Zone
1959
Bonanza
1959
Get Smart
1965
Mission: Impossible
1966
The Sand Pebbles
1966
Charlie's Angels
1976
The Desperate Hours
1955
Chato's Land
1972
The Outer Limits
1963
Photos (3)
Movies (38)
Psycho
Fred Richman
Bullitt
Captain Sam Bennett
West Side Story
Schrank
Chato's Land
Jubal Hooker
The Night Stalker
Tony Vincenzo
Emperor of the North
Policeman
The Satan Bug
Tasserly
The Sand Pebbles
Stawski
The Desperate Hours
State Trooper (uncredited)
The Brothers Karamazov
Mavrayek
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Dr. Conrad Fuller
The Hunting Party
Matthew Gunn
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond
Lt. Moody
I Want to Live!
Edward S. 'Ed' Montgomery
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
Joe Boulton
Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy
Delaney
The Flying Misfits
Brig. Gen. Thomas Moore
Crackle of Death
Tony Vincenzo
Follow That Dream
Nick
The Plainsman
Chief Black Kettle
Tony Rome
Rudy Kosterman
Who Was That Lady?
Belka
The Night Strangler
Tony Vincenzo
Wall of Noise
Johnny Papadakis
Murder, Inc.
William Tobin
Key West
Gen. Tom Luker
Red Light
Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Scandalous John
Barton Whittaker
Toma
Lieutenant Spooner
The Raiders
Sgt. Austin Tremaine
Alexander The Great
Attalos
Happy Mother's Day, Love George
Sheriff Roy
Crosscurrent
Capt. E. J. Goodlad
Please Call It Murder
Mickey Costigan
Demon and the Mummy
Tony Vincenzo
Chubasco
Laurindo
Ready for the People
Murray Brock
Third of a Man
Doon
TV Shows (105)
Perry Mason
Howard Walters · 1 eps
Perry Mason
Capt. Mike Caldwell · 1 eps
Ironside
1 eps
Ironside
Ted Berringer, Sr. · 1 eps
Ironside
Elton Ferris · 1 eps
Hawaii Five-O
Benny Kalua · 1 eps
Hawaii Five-O
Shako · 1 eps
Hawaii Five-O
Frank Epstein · 1 eps
Hawaii Five-O
Marty Mauritany · 1 eps
Hawaii Five-O
Mendoza · 1 eps
Bonanza
Frank Scott / Mel Barnes · 1 eps
Bonanza
William Poole · 1 eps
Bonanza
Judge Seth Tabor · 1 eps
The Rockford Files
Vern St. Cloud · 3 eps
The Rockford Files
Beppy Conigliaro · 1 eps
The Virginian
Bob Coulter · 1 eps
The Virginian
Charles Sanders · 1 eps
The Wild Wild West
Diamond Dave Desmond · 1 eps
The Twilight Zone
De Cruz · 1 eps
The Twilight Zone
1 eps
Have Gun, Will Travel
1 eps
Get Smart
Cowboy · 1 eps
Charlie's Angels
Sgt. Cates · 2 eps
Quincy, M.E.
3 eps
Quincy, M.E.
Senator Reeves · 1 eps
Mission: Impossible
Jack Wellman · 1 eps
The Untouchables
Russ Bogan · 1 eps
Combat!
Sgt. Tom Akers · 2 eps
Combat!
Pvt. Clawson · 1 eps
Rawhide
Bolivar Jagger · 1 eps
Rawhide
Sheriff Blaine · 1 eps
Daniel Boone
Dull Knife · 1 eps
Daniel Boone
General James Wilkerson · 1 eps
Daniel Boone
Bickford · 1 eps
The Name of the Game
Luis Fierro · 1 eps
Tarzan
2 eps
The Big Valley
Adam Howard · 1 eps
Route 66
1 eps
The F.B.I.
Nikos Kapralos · 1 eps
The Outer Limits
Empyrian · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Enoch Mills · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Jim Nation · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Miguel · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Carl Mandee · 1 eps
Naked City
Duke · 1 eps
Ben Casey
1 eps
Lou Grant
1 eps
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Corporal Townsend · 1 eps
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Jesse Harp · 1 eps
The Defenders
District Attorney Gardella · 1 eps
The Defenders
District Attorney · 2 eps
The Defenders
1 eps
The Defenders
Assistant District Attorney Murphy · 1 eps
Medical Center
1 eps
Adventures in Paradise
Martin Quirk · 1 eps
Adventures in Paradise
John Briggs · 1 eps
Adventures in Paradise
McGraw · 1 eps
Adventures in Paradise
Red Mulligan · 1 eps
My Favorite Martian
Lt. Murphy · 1 eps
Kojak
Tom Donnelly · 1 eps
Suspense
1 eps
Police Story
2 eps
77 Sunset Strip
1 eps
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1 eps
Vega$
1 eps
Judd, for the Defense
2 eps
Switch
Sam · 1 eps
The Detectives
1 eps
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Tony Vincenzo · 20 eps
Ellery Queen
1 eps
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Thomas Moore · 36 eps
Stoney Burke
1 eps
Felony Squad
1 eps
Bronco
1 eps
The Mod Squad
1 eps
Mr. Novak
Carl Green · 1 eps
Cimarron Strip
1 eps
Black Saddle
Grat Mowery · 1 eps
CHiPs
1 eps
CHiPs
Bruno · 2 eps
Outlaws
1 eps
The Rogues
Absalom MacBride · 1 eps
The New Breed
Felix Pascal · 1 eps
Decoy
Lieutenant · 1 eps
Decoy
Sgt. Steve Necclo · 1 eps
The Outsider
1 eps
Captain Nice
1 eps
Cain's Hundred
Walter Hayes · 1 eps
Tightrope
1 eps
Bus Stop
1 eps
Men Into Space
1 eps
Good Morning World
Harry Lewis · 1 eps
The Alaskans
1 eps
The Starlost
Dr. Asgard · 1 eps
Toma
Inspector Spooner · 22 eps
Saints and Sinners
Alberto Bianco · 1 eps
Tucker's Witch
1 eps
General Electric Theater
Director · 1 eps
Deadline
Lyons · 1 eps
The Bill Dana Show
1 eps
Special for Women
The Father · 1 eps
Young Dr. Kildare
Attorney · 24 eps
Evening in Byzantium
Walter Klein · 2 eps
The Young Lawyers
1 eps
David Cassidy: Man Under Cover
Sgt. Abrams · 11 eps