Don Keefer
Encyclopedia
Donald "Don" H. Keefer is a retired American
actor
known for the versatility of his roles. He was born in Highspire
in Dauphin County
near Harrisburg
, Pennsylvania
. Keefer's first role was as Bernard in the 1951 film
, Death of a Salesman
, based on the Arthur Miller
play. His longest-lasting roles were in ten episodes each of the CBS series, Gunsmoke
, starring James Arness
, and Angel
, a 1960-1961 sitcom
featuring French-American actress Annie Fargé
.
, The Philco Television Playhouse
, the United States Steel Hour, Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond, and The DuPont Show with June Allyson
. In 1957, Keefer appeared as McNair in the episode "Ito of Attu" of ABC
Navy Log
. That same year, he appeared with David Janssen
as the character "Reagan" in "Big Score" of the CBS series, Richard Diamond, Private Detective
. In 1958, he appeared as Ed Locke in the episode "Wild Green Yonder" of the syndicated
crime drama State Trooper
, starring Rod Cameron
. In 1959, Keefer appeared as John Alastair in the episode "Death Is a Red Rose" of the Craig Stevens
NBC crime drama Peter Gunn
. Keefer was cast three times on CBS's anthology, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
, as Dr. Elkins in "The Indestructible Mr. Weems" (1957), as Pete Williams in "The Percentage" (1958), and as a tax clerk in "The Kiss-Off" (1961).
Keefer appeared in more than a dozen other western series:
(born 1919), a veteran of the original I Love Lucy
series. Marshall Thompson
(1925–1992) played Johnny Smith, a young architect
and the husband of Fargé's Angel Smith character. Keefer's Angel roles include:
Keefer appeared in other sitcoms, including:
series Star Trek
. Earlier, he was cast in three episodes of CBS's The Twilight Zone
: as Dan Hollis in "It's a Good Life
" (1961), as Spiereto in "Passage on the Lady Anne" (1963), and Fred Danziger in "From Agnes - With Love" (1964).
His other drama roles include:
Keefer's last role was as a beggar at a courthouse
in the 1997 film Liar Liar
.
. At the time of her death, the Keefers were living in Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley
of Los Angeles County
, California
. There are three Keefer sons, Donald McLeod, John H., and Thomas James.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
known for the versatility of his roles. He was born in Highspire
Highspire, Pennsylvania
Highspire is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,720 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.The American actor Don Keefer was born in Highspire in 1916....
in Dauphin County
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
near Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Keefer's first role was as Bernard in the 1951 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman (1951 film)
Death of a Salesman is a 1951 film adapted from the play of the same name by Arthur Miller. It was directed by László Benedek and written for the screen by Stanley Roberts. It received numerous nominations for awards, and won several of them, including four Golden Globe Awards and the Volpi Cup...
, based on the Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
play. His longest-lasting roles were in ten episodes each of the CBS series, Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, starring James Arness
James Arness
James King Arness was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon in the television series Gunsmoke for 20 years...
, and Angel
Angel (1960 TV series)
Angel is an American sitcom that aired for one season on CBS during the 1960–1961 season. The series was created and executive produced by Jess Oppenheimer, and stars Annie Fargé as the title character.-Synopsis:...
, a 1960-1961 sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
featuring French-American actress Annie Fargé
Annie Fargé
Annie Fargue was a French-born actress named "most promising new star in a situation comedy" in 1961 when she co-starred with Marshall Thompson, Doris Singleton, and Don Keefer in CBS's Angel....
.
Early roles
Keefer appeared in dozens of television series, including the early anthologies, Fireside Theatre, Armstrong Circle TheatreArmstrong Circle Theatre
Armstrong Circle Theatre is an American anthology drama television series which ran from 1950 to 1957 on NBC, and then until 1963 on CBS. It alternated weekly with The U.S. Steel Hour.-Synopsis:...
, The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse, a live television anthology series sponsored by Philco, was telecast from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the NBC series was seen on Sundays from 9:00pm to 10:00pm...
, the United States Steel Hour, Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond, and The DuPont Show with June Allyson
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
The DuPont Show with June Allyson is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959 to April 3, 1961 with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961...
. In 1957, Keefer appeared as McNair in the episode "Ito of Attu" of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
Navy Log
Navy Log
Navy Log is an American anthology series that initially aired on CBS. The series featured over 70 regular guests and told about the greatest survival war stories in the history of the United States Navy. This series premiered on September 20, 1955. The following year, it was moved to ABC, where it...
. That same year, he appeared with David Janssen
David Janssen
David Janssen was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Kimble in the television series The Fugitive , the starring role in the 1950s hit detective series Richard Diamond, Private Detective , and as Harry Orwell on Harry O.In 1996 TV Guide...
as the character "Reagan" in "Big Score" of the CBS series, Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Richard Diamond, Private Detective is an American detective drama which aired on radio from 1949 to 1953, and on television from 1957 to 1960.-Radio:...
. In 1958, he appeared as Ed Locke in the episode "Wild Green Yonder" of the syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
crime drama State Trooper
State Trooper (TV series)
State Trooper is a half-hour television crime drama set in the 1950s American West, starring Rod Cameron as Rod Blake, an officer of the Nevada State Troopers. The series aired 104 episodes in syndication from September 25, 1956, to June 25, 1959...
, starring Rod Cameron
Rod Cameron
Rod Cameron was a Canadian-born movie actor whose career extended from the 1930s to the 1970s. He appeared in horror, war, action and science fiction movies, but is best remembered for his many Westerns....
. In 1959, Keefer appeared as John Alastair in the episode "Death Is a Red Rose" of the Craig Stevens
Craig Stevens (actor)
Craig Stevens was an American motion picture and television actor.-Early and personal life:Born Gail Shikles, Jr., in Liberty, Missouri, his father was a high school teacher....
NBC crime drama Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn
Peter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...
. Keefer was cast three times on CBS's anthology, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
, as Dr. Elkins in "The Indestructible Mr. Weems" (1957), as Pete Williams in "The Percentage" (1958), and as a tax clerk in "The Kiss-Off" (1961).
Western roles
Keefer's Gunsmoke appearances included three half-hour episodes and seven full hour broadcasts which aired from 1957-1973:- "Wrong Man" (13 April 1957) - as the character Sam Rickers
- "Bad Sheriff" (7 January 1961) - Chet
- "Coventry" (17 March 1962) - Rankin
- "Quint-Cident" (27 April 1963) - Nally
- "The Pariah" (17 April 1965) - Newspaper editor
- "Taps for Old Jeb" (16 October 1965) - Milty Sims
- "Champion of the World" (24 December 1966) - Wally
- "Gentry's Law" (12 October 1970) - Floyd Babcock
- "Waste: Part 1" (27 September 1971) - Drunk
- "Kitty's Love Affair" (22 October 1973) - Turner
Keefer appeared in more than a dozen other western series:
- Wagon TrainWagon TrainWagon Train is an American Western series that ran on NBC from 1957–62 and then on ABC from 1962–65...
in "The Tom Tuckett Story" (NBC, 1960) - Hotel de PareeHotel de PareeHotel de Paree is a Western television series that aired on the CBS Friday schedule from October 2, 1959, until June 3, 1960, under the alternate sponsorship of Liggett & Myers and Kellogg's....
as Red Porterfield in "Sundance and the Barren Soil" (CBS, 1960) - RawhideRawhide (TV series)Rawhide is an American Western series that aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes...
as Hames in "Incident of the Druid Curse" (CBS, 1960) - Have Gun - Will Travel, three episodes (CBS, 1957–1960)
- Whispering SmithWhispering Smith (TV series)Whispering Smith is a short-lived American Western series that aired on NBC. Based on a 1948 movie, the series stars Audie Murphy as Tom "Whispering" Smith, a police detective in Denver, Colorado...
as Dr. Johnson in "The Deadliest Weapon" (NBC, 1961) - The DakotasThe Dakotas (TV series)The Dakotas is an American Western television series starring Larry Ward and featuring Jack Elam broadcast by ABC during 1963. The short-lived show is a spin-off of Cheyenne,...
as a minister in "Feud at Snake River" (ABC, 1963) - Dundee and the CulhaneDundee and the CulhaneDundee and the Culhane is a Western television series starring John Mills and Sean Garrison that aired on the CBS television network from September 7 to December 13, 1967....
as Johnson in "The Dead Man's Brief" (CBS, 1967) - Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color as John Prentice in two episodes of the Gallegher miniseriesMiniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
. Roger MobleyRoger MobleyRoger L. Mobley in Evansville, Indiana, is a former child actor in film and television, working primarily for Walt Disney Productions during the late 1950s and early 1960s...
played the part of Gallegher. (NBC, 1967) - The Iron Horse as Blake in "Sister Death" (ABC, 1967)
- The OutcastsThe Outcasts (TV series)The Outcasts is a short-lived Western genre television series, appearing on ABC in the 1968-69 season. The series co-starred Don Murray and Otis Young, and is probably most notable for being the first television Western with a Black co-star and the first bi-racial Western action...
in "The Man from Bennington" (ABC, 1968) - Cimarron StripCimarron StripCimarron Strip is an American Western television series that aired on CBS from September 1967 to March 1968. Starring Stuart Whitman as Marshal Jim Crown, the series was produced by the creators of Gunsmoke...
as Bolt in "The Judgment" (CBS, 1968) - The Guns of Will SonnettThe Guns of Will SonnettThe Guns of Will Sonnett is a Western television series set in the 1870s which ran on the ABC television network from 1967 to 1969. The series was the first production collaboration between Aaron Spelling and Danny Thomas, who would later go on to produce one of ABC's most-memorable hits, The Mod...
in two episodes (ABC, 1968–1969) - The VirginianThe Virginian (TV series)The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
in three episodes (NBC, 1966–1969) - The High ChaparralThe High ChaparralThe High Chaparral is a Western-themed television series starring Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell which aired on NBC from 1967 to 1971. The show was created by David Dortort, who had previously created the hit Bonanza for the network...
as a telegrapher in "Spokes" (NBC, 1970) - Alias Smith and JonesAlias Smith and JonesAlias Smith and Jones is an American Western series that originally aired on ABC from 1971 to 1973. It stars Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Jedediah "Kid" Curry, a pair of Western cousin outlaws trying to reform...
as Dr. Hiram Wilson in "The Man Who Murdered Himself" (ABC, 1971) - Nichols in "The Specialists" (NBC, 1971)
- BonanzaBonanzaBonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
as Billy Harris in "The Running Man" and as Tobias Temple in "The Rattlesnake Brigade" (NBC, 1971) - Kung FuKung Fu (TV series)Kung Fu is an American television series that starred David Carradine. It was created by Ed Spielman, directed and produced by Jerry Thorpe, and developed by Herman Miller, who was also a writer for, and co-producer of, the series...
in two episodes (ABC, 1974 and 1975)
Angel and other comedies
On Angel, Keefer portrayed the neighbor "George", husband of "Susie", a character played by Doris SingletonDoris Singleton
Doris Singleton is an American actress perhaps best remembered as Lucy Ricardo's frenemy, Carolyn Appleby, on I Love Lucy.-Career:...
(born 1919), a veteran of the original I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
series. Marshall Thompson
Marshall Thompson
Marshall Thompson was an American film and television actor.He was born James Marshall Thompson in Peoria, Illinois. In 1943 Thompson, known for his boy-next-door good looks, was signed by Universal Pictures...
(1925–1992) played Johnny Smith, a young architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and the husband of Fargé's Angel Smith character. Keefer's Angel roles include:
- "Goodbye Young Lovers"
- "Voting Can Be Fun" (13 October 1960)
- "Angel's Temper" (10 November 1960)
- "The Valedictorian" (15 December 1960)
- "The Dowry" (19 January 1961)
- "The Joint Bank Account" (2 February 1961)
- "Call Me Mother" (9 February 1961)
- "Phone Fun" (22 March 1961)
- "Unpopular Mechanics" (19 April 1961)
- "The Trailer" (10 May 1961)
Keefer appeared in other sitcoms, including:
- The Real McCoysThe Real McCoysThe Real McCoys is an American situation comedy co-produced by Danny Thomas' "Marterto Productions", in association with Walter Brennan and Irving Pincus's "Westgate" company...
as Harry Porter in "The Peacemakers" (CBS, 1963) - My Favorite MartianMy Favorite MartianMy Favorite Martian is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963 to May 1, 1966 for 107 episodes...
, two episodes (CBS, 1964) - The MunstersThe MunstersThe Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
(CBS, 1965) - The Jack Benny ProgramThe Jack Benny ProgramThe Jack Benny Program, starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th-century American comedy.-Cast:*Jack Benny - Himself...
(NBC, 1965) - The Farmer's DaughterThe Farmer's Daughter (TV series)The Farmer's Daughter is an American situation comedy series that was produced by Screen Gems Television and aired on ABC from September 20, 1963 to April 22, 1966. It was sponsored by Lark cigarettes and Clairol for whom the two leading stars often appeared at show's end promoting the products...
(ABC, 1966) - Petticoat JunctionPetticoat JunctionPetticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
(CBS, 1966) - The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming as Irving Christiansen (film, 1966)
- BewitchedBewitchedBewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
(ABC, 1966) - That GirlThat GirlThat Girl is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971. It stars Marlo Thomas as the title character, Ann Marie, an aspiring actress, who had moved from her hometown of Brewster, New York to make it big in New York City...
(ABC, 1966) - Love on a RooftopLove on a RooftopLove on a Rooftop is an American sitcom about a newlywed couple, Dave and Julie Willis, and their humorous struggles to survive in San Francisco on Dave's apprentice architect's salary of $85.37 a week...
in "My Father, the TV Star" (ABC, 1967) - The Andy Griffith ShowThe Andy Griffith ShowThe Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
, two episodes (CBS, 1967 and 1968) - The Good Guys (CBS, 1969)
- Green AcresGreen AcresGreen Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
(CBS, 1970) - AliceAlice (TV series)Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to July 2, 1985 on CBS. The series was based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The show stars Linda Lavin in the title role, a widow who moves with her young son to start her life over again, and finds a job...
(CBS, 1984) - Lucy and Desi: Before the Laughter as Grandfather Ball in television movieTelevision movieA television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
(CBS, 1991)
Dramatic episodes
Keefer appeared as Cromwell in the 1968 episode "Assignment: Earth" of the NBC science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
. Earlier, he was cast in three episodes of CBS's The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
: as Dan Hollis in "It's a Good Life
It's a Good Life (The Twilight Zone)
"It's a Good Life" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It is based on a 1953 short story of the same name by Jerome Bixby.-Synopsis:...
" (1961), as Spiereto in "Passage on the Lady Anne" (1963), and Fred Danziger in "From Agnes - With Love" (1964).
His other drama roles include:
- Appointment with AdventureAppointment with AdventureAppointment with Adventure is a half-hour adventure/dramatic anthology television series broadcast live on CBS from 1955-1956. The program has no host. It aired at 10 p.m...
("The Royal Treatment" episode of the CBS anthology series, 1955) - Going My WayGoing My Way (TV series)Going My Way is an American comedy-drama series starring dancer and actor Gene Kelly. Based on the 1944 film of the same name starring Bing Crosby, the series aired on ABC with new episodes from October 3, 1962 to April 24, 1963. The program was Kelly's first and only attempt at a weekly television...
, as Mr. Ewbank in "One Small Unhappy Family" (ABC, 1963) - The FugitiveThe Fugitive (TV series)The Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...
as Ben Haddock in "Where the Action Is" (ABC, 1964) - Slattery's PeopleSlattery's PeopleSlattery's People is a 1964-1965 American television series about local politics starring Richard Crenna as title character James Slattery, a state legislator, co-starring Ed Asner and Tol Avery, and featuring Carroll O'Connor and Warren Oates in a couple of episodes each. James E. Moser was...
as George Farnum in "Question: What Did You Do All Day, Mr. Slattery? (CBS, 1965) - Mission: ImpossibleMission: ImpossibleMission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
as Zubin in "The Trial" (CBS, 1967) - Felony SquadFelony SquadFelony Squad is a half-hour television crime drama originally broadcast on the ABC network from September 12, 1966 to January 31, 1969, a span encompassing seventy-three episodes.-Overview:...
as Harry Jocelyn in "A Most Proper Killing" (ABC, 1967) - The F.B.I., four episodes (ABC, 1966–1971)
- ChaseChase (1973 TV series)Chase is an American television series that aired on the NBC network from September 11, 1973 to August 28, 1974. The show was a production of Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited for Universal Television and marked the first show produced by Stephen J...
in "Vacation for a President" (NBC, 1974) - Marcus Welby, M.D.Marcus Welby, M.D.Marcus Welby, M.D. is an American medical drama television program that aired on ABC from September 23, 1969, to July 29, 1976. It starred Robert Young as a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, and was produced by David Victor and David J. O'Connell...
as Dr. Marvin in "Don't Talk About Darkness" (1972) and as Larry Sabberly in "The Mugging" (ABC, 1974) - S.W.A.T.S.W.A.T. (TV series)----S.W.A.T. is a 1970s American television series about the adventures of the WCPD's Olympic Division Special Weapons And Tactics team operating in an unidentified California city....
as Captain Wallen in "Terror Ship" (ABC, 1975) - The Streets of San FranciscoThe Streets of San FranciscoThe Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros...
as Dr. Mayhill in "Clown of Death" (ABC, 1976) - The WaltonsThe WaltonsThe Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
as Arnie Shimerdy in "The Go-Getter" (CBS, 1977) - Barnaby JonesBarnaby JonesBarnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement...
as Mr. Greening in "Programmed for Killing" (1974), as Dave Blevins in "Silent Vendetta" (1976), as Professor Albertson in "The Killer on Campus" (1977), and Tully Kupper in "Target for a Wedding" (CBS, 1979) - Quincy, M.E.Quincy, M.E.Quincy, M.E., also called Quincy, is a United States television series from Universal Studios that aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC...
, three episodes (NBC, 1979–1982) - Highway to HeavenHighway to HeavenHighway to Heaven is an American television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.- Season 1 :- Season 2 :- Season 3 :- Season 4 :- Season 5 :...
as Dr. Washburn in "For the Love of Larry" (NBC, 1986) - All My ChildrenAll My ChildrenAll My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
as Horace Willoughby (ABC, 1986) - Picket FencesPicket FencesPicket Fences is a 60-minute American television drama about the residents of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States...
as Billy Shauger in "The Snake Lady" (1992) and "Heart of Saturday Night" (CBS, 1995) - Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanLois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action American television series based on the Superman comic books...
as Old Benny Rockland in "Brutal Youth" (ABC, 1996),
Keefer's last role was as a beggar at a courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
in the 1997 film Liar Liar
Liar Liar
Liar Liar is a 1997 American comedy film written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur, directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical...
.
Family
On May 7, 1950, Keefer married the former Catherine McLeod (July 2, 1921—May 11, 1997), formerly of TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. At the time of her death, the Keefers were living in Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. There are three Keefer sons, Donald McLeod, John H., and Thomas James.