Donald Woods (actor)
Encyclopedia
Donald Woods was a Canadian-born American film and television actor whose career spanned six decades.
Born Ralph L. Zink in Brandon, Manitoba
, Woods moved with his family to California
and was raised in Burbank
. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley
and made his film debut in 1928. His screen career was spent mostly in B movie
s, although he occasionally scored a role in a prestige feature film
like Anthony Adverse
(1936), Watch on the Rhine
(1943), and The Bridge of San Luis Rey
(1944).
Of most importance to his acting career were several seasons as Leading Man with the Elitch Gardens Theatre Company in Denver, Colorado,
In the early days of television, Woods appeared in Craig Kennedy, Criminologist
, and such anthology series as The Philco Television Playhouse
, Armstrong Circle Theatre
, Robert Montgomery Presents
, The United States Steel Hour
, and General Electric Theater
. He later was a regular on the short-lived series Tammy
and made guest appearances on Bat Masterson
, Wagon Train
, Ben Casey
, 77 Sunset Strip
, Hawaiian Eye
, Stoney Burke
, Bonanza
, Coronet Blue
, Ironside
, Alias Smith and Jones
, and Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
, among many others.
Woods retired from acting in 1976 and become a successful real estate
broker in Palm Springs
, where he lived with his wife, childhood sweetheart Josephine Van der Horck. They were married from 1933 until his death, and had two children, Linda and Conrad.
Born Ralph L. Zink in Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
, Woods moved with his family to 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...
and was raised in Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and made his film debut in 1928. His screen career was spent mostly in B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
s, although he occasionally scored a role in a prestige feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
like Anthony Adverse
Anthony Adverse
Anthony Adverse is a 1936 American drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney is based on the sprawling 1,224-page novel of the same title by Hervey Allen.-Plot:...
(1936), Watch on the Rhine
Watch on the Rhine
Watch on the Rhine is a 1943 American drama film directed by Herman Shumlin. The screenplay by Dashiell Hammett is based on the 1941 play of the same title by Lillian Hellman.-Plot:...
(1943), and The Bridge of San Luis Rey
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
The Bridge of San Luis Rey is American author Thornton Wilder's second novel, first published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim. It tells the story of several interrelated people who die in the collapse of an Inca rope-fiber suspension bridge in Peru, and the events that lead up to their being on the...
(1944).
Of most importance to his acting career were several seasons as Leading Man with the Elitch Gardens Theatre Company in Denver, Colorado,
In the early days of television, Woods appeared in Craig Kennedy, Criminologist
Craig Kennedy
Professor Craig Kennedy is a character created by Arthur B. Reeve.Kennedy is a scientist detective at Columbia University similar to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Thorndyke...
, and such anthology series as 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...
, Armstrong Circle Theatre
Armstrong 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:...
, Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950 until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its seven-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example,...
, The United States Steel Hour
The United States Steel Hour
The United States Steel Hour is an anthology series which brought hour-long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation....
, and General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald W. Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.-Radio:...
. He later was a regular on the short-lived series Tammy
Tammy (TV series)
Tammy is an American sitcom, starring Debbie Watson in the title role. Produced by Universal City Studios, 26 color half-hour episodes were aired on ABC from September 17, 1965 to March 11, 1966....
and made guest appearances on Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson (TV series)
Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which showed a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal/gambler/dandy Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry and the half-hour black and white shows ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961...
, Wagon Train
Wagon Train
Wagon Train is an American Western series that ran on NBC from 1957–62 and then on ABC from 1962–65...
, Ben Casey
Ben Casey
Ben Casey is an American medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, *, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Neurosurgeon Joseph...
, 77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
, Hawaiian Eye
Hawaiian Eye
Hawaiian Eye is an American television series that ran from October 1959 to September 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company television network.-Premise:...
, Stoney Burke
Stoney Burke
Stoney Burke is a California street performer and actor.Burke performs political comedy on college campuses, most notably at the University of California, Berkeley near Sather Gate. Burke routinely engages crowds throughout the day using conservative Republican perspectives as his primary satire...
, Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza 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...
, Coronet Blue
Coronet Blue
Coronet Blue is an American TV series that ran on CBS from May 29, 1967, to September 4, 1967.It starred Frank Converse as Michael Alden, an amnesiac in search of his identity. Brian Bedford costarred...
, Ironside
Ironside (TV series)
Ironside is a Universal television series which ran on NBC from September 14, 1967 to January 16, 1975. The show starred Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside. The character's debut was in a TV-movie on March 28, 1967. The original title of the show in the...
, Alias Smith and Jones
Alias Smith and Jones
Alias 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...
, and Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law is an American legal drama, jointly created by David Victor and former law professor Jerry McNeely, that starred actor Arthur Hill. The series was broadcast on ABC from 1971 to 1974...
, among many others.
Woods retired from acting in 1976 and become a successful real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
broker in Palm Springs
Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a desert city in CaliforniaPalm Springs may also refer to:* Palm Springs, Florida* Palm Springs, Hong Kong, a residential development in Yuen Long, Hong Kong* Coachella Valley, also known as the Palm Springs area...
, where he lived with his wife, childhood sweetheart Josephine Van der Horck. They were married from 1933 until his death, and had two children, Linda and Conrad.
Partial filmography
- Charlie Chan's CourageCharlie Chan's CourageCharlie Chan's Courage is the fifth film in which Warner Oland played detective Charlie Chan. It is a remake of the 1927 silent film The Chinese Parrot; both are considered lost films.-Plot:Chan is hired to transport a pearl necklace...
(1934) - Fog Over FriscoFog Over FriscoFog Over Frisco is a 1934 American drama film directed by William Dieterle. The screenplay by Robert N. Lee and Eugene Solow was based on the short story The Five Fragments by George Dyer.-Plot:...
(1934) - Frisco KidFrisco KidFrisco Kid is a 1935 film starring James Cagney and directed by Lloyd Bacon.-Cast:*James Cagney as Bat Morgan*Margaret Lindsay as Jean Barrat*Ricardo Cortez as Paul Morra*Lili Damita as Belle*Donald Woods as Charles Ford...
(1935) - The Case of the Curious BrideThe Case of the Curious BrideThe Case of the Curious Bride is a 1935 mystery film, the second in a series starring Warren William as Perry Mason. The story is based on the novel of the same name by Erle Stanley Gardner.-Plot:...
(1935) - The Story of Louis PasteurThe Story of Louis PasteurThe Story of Louis Pasteur is a 1936 American biographical film. It starred Paul Muni as the renowned scientist. It was written by Toni Pollastre and Sheridan Gibney, and Edward Chodorov , and directed by William Dieterle....
(1935) - A Tale of Two CitiesA Tale of Two Cities (1935 film)A Tale of Two Cities is a 1935 film based upon Charles Dickens' 1859 historical novel, A Tale of Two Cities. The film stars Ronald Colman as Sydney Carton, Donald Woods and Elizabeth Allan. The supporting players include Basil Rathbone, Blanche Yurka, and Edna Mae Oliver. It was directed by Jack...
(1935) - Road GangRoad GangRoad Gang is a film released in 1936, showing economic and social injustice due to political corruption.It was directed by Louis King, written by Dalton Trumbo, produced by Bryan Foy, and stars Donald Woods and Kay Linaker....
(1936) - Anthony AdverseAnthony AdverseAnthony Adverse is a 1936 American drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney is based on the sprawling 1,224-page novel of the same title by Hervey Allen.-Plot:...
(1936) - The White AngelThe White Angel (1936 film)The White Angel is a 1936 American historical drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Kay Francis, Ian Hunter, Donald Woods and Nigel Bruce...
(1936) - The Case of the Stuttering BishopThe Case of the Stuttering BishopThe Case of the Stuttering Bishop is a 1937 drama film directed by William Clemens. It stars Donald Woods as Perry Mason, and Ann Dvorak as his secretary. Edward McWade plays the role of stuttering Bishop William Mallory...
(1937) - Beauty for the AskingBeauty for the AskingBeauty for the Asking is a 1939 film drama produced by RKO Pictures, and starring Lucille Ball and Patrick Knowles.It tells the story of Jean Russell , who becomes romantically involved with a wealthy married man who later spurns her...
(1939) - The Gay SistersThe Gay SistersThe Gay Sisters is a 1942 American drama film directed by Irving Rapper, and starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Donald Crisp, Gig Young and Nancy Coleman. The Warner Bros. motion picture was based on a novel by Stephen Longstreet....
(1942) - CorregidorCorregidor (1943 film)Corregidor is an American war film directed by William Nigh and starring Otto Kruger, Elissa Landi, and Donald Woods. The film is set in December 1941 through May 1942 during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines.-Cast:...
(1943) - Watch on the RhineWatch on the RhineWatch on the Rhine is a 1943 American drama film directed by Herman Shumlin. The screenplay by Dashiell Hammett is based on the 1941 play of the same title by Lillian Hellman.-Plot:...
(1943) - The Bridge of San Luis ReyThe Bridge of San Luis ReyThe Bridge of San Luis Rey is American author Thornton Wilder's second novel, first published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim. It tells the story of several interrelated people who die in the collapse of an Inca rope-fiber suspension bridge in Peru, and the events that lead up to their being on the...
(1944) - Wonder ManWonder Man (film)Wonder Man is a 1945 film starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo. It is based on a short story by Arthur Sheekman, adapted for the screen by a staff of writers led by Jack Jevne and Eddie Moran, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and directed by H. Bruce Humberstone...
(1945) - Star in the NightStar in the NightStar in the Night is a 1945 short drama film directed by Don Siegel. It was Siegel's debut film. The film won an Academy Award in 1946 for Best Short Subject .-Cast:* J...
(1945) - Night and Day (1946)
- Never Say GoodbyeNever Say Goodbye (1946 film)Never Say Goodbye is a 1946 romantic comedy film about a divorcing couple and the daughter who works to bring them back together.-Cast:* Errol Flynn as Phil Gayley* Eleanor Parker as Ellen Gayley* Lucile Watson as Mrs. Hamilton* S. Z...
(1946) - Scene of the CrimeScene of the Crime (1949 film)Scene of the Crime is a 1949 film noir starring Van Johnson as a Los Angeles police detective.-Plot:Detective Mike Conovan investigates when a former partner is found murdered and carrying $1,000 in cash....
(1949) - The Beast from 20,000 FathomsThe Beast from 20,000 FathomsThe Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is a 1953 science fiction film directed by Eugène Lourié and stars Paul Christian, Paula Raymond and Cecil Kellaway with visual effects by Ray Harryhausen. The film is about an atomic bomb test in the Arctic Circle that unfreezes a hibernating fictional dinosaur, a...
(1953) - 13 Ghosts13 Ghosts13 Ghosts is a 1960 horror film directed by William Castle and written by Robb White. To the dismay of some of the cast members, Castle gave top billing to 12-year-old Charles Herbert. It was remade in 2001 under the title of Thirteen Ghosts, directed by Steve Beck.-Plot:When occultist uncle Dr...
(1960) - Kissin' CousinsKissin' CousinsKissin' Cousins is a 1964 musical film comedy starring Elvis Presley in two roles, one as an American soldier, the other a hillbilly. The screenplay was nominated in the category of best written American musical by the Writers Guild of America...
(1964) - True Grit (1969)