Paul Birch (actor)
Encyclopedia
Paul Birch was an American actor
of stage and film.
Birch was born Paul Smith in Atmore, Alabama
. He was a veteran of 39 movies, 50 stage dramas and a number of television shows including the Hallmark Hall of Fame
(1951). In the late 1950s he starred, along with William Campbell
, in the syndicated Canadian series Cannonball
(1958), a half-hour drama/adventure show about truckers. He was the original "Marlboro Man
" in TV commercials and played both Union General Ulysses S. Grant
and Confederate General Robert E. Lee
in several historical plays.
He started out as the first of the original members of the Pasadena Playhouse
and his stage work included The Caine Mutiny
. He also had a recurring role as Captain Carpenter, the boss of Lt. Phillip Gerard in The Fugitive
starring David Janssen
. He starred in some low-budget science-fiction films in the 1950s, including The Beast with a Million Eyes
(1955), Day the World Ended
(1955), Not of This Earth
(1957) and the cult classic Queen of Outer Space
(1958). Birch also had small roles in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
(1963), and Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
(1967).
First marriage, daughter Cindy Luke. 5 grandkids, BJ, Steve, Ned, Matt, Cricket.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
of stage and film.
Birch was born Paul Smith in Atmore, Alabama
Atmore, Alabama
Atmore is a city in Escambia County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 7,676. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 7,530. The city was named for Mr. C.P. Atmore....
. He was a veteran of 39 movies, 50 stage dramas and a number of television shows including the Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
(1951). In the late 1950s he starred, along with William Campbell
William Campbell (film actor)
William Campbell was an American actor who appeared in supporting roles in major film productions and also starred in several low-budget B-movies, including two cult horror films.-Career:...
, in the syndicated Canadian series Cannonball
Cannonball (TV series)
Cannonball was a 1958 Normandie Productions and ITC Entertainment co-production half-hour family drama series. Filmed in Canada but starring two American actors, the series followed the adventures of Mike Malone and Jerry Austin as they drove trucks across the US and Canada.The series would appear...
(1958), a half-hour drama/adventure show about truckers. He was the original "Marlboro Man
Marlboro Man
The Marlboro Man is a figure used in tobacco advertising campaign for Marlboro cigarettes. In the United States, where the campaign originated, it was used from 1954 to 1999. The Marlboro Man was first conceived by Leo Burnett in 1954. The image involves a rugged cowboy or cowboys, in nature with...
" in TV commercials and played both Union General Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
and Confederate General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
in several historical plays.
He started out as the first of the original members of the Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
and his stage work included The Caine Mutiny
The Caine Mutiny
The Caine Mutiny is a 1952 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Herman Wouk. The novel grew out of Wouk's personal experiences aboard a destroyer-minesweeper in the Pacific in World War II and deals with, among other things, the moral and ethical decisions made at sea by the captains of ships...
. He also had a recurring role as Captain Carpenter, the boss of Lt. Phillip Gerard in The Fugitive
The 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...
starring 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...
. He starred in some low-budget science-fiction films in the 1950s, including The Beast with a Million Eyes
The Beast with a Million Eyes
The Beast with a Million Eyes is a science-fiction movie about an alien capable to see through the eyes of the many creatures he takes control of. It was produced and directed by David Kramarsky, although some sources say that it was co-directed by Lou Place and co-produced by Roger Corman and...
(1955), Day the World Ended
Day the World Ended
Day the World Ended was the fourth film directed by Roger Corman. Rick is a heroic scientist who, among others, must face off against a mutant monster after an atomic war destroys human civilization...
(1955), Not of This Earth
Not of This Earth (1957 film)
Not of This Earth is a 67-minute, 1957 American black-and-white science fiction film written by Charles B. Griffith and Mark Hanna. It was produced and directed by Roger Corman for Los Altos Productions and distributed by Allied Artists Pictures Corporation....
(1957) and the cult classic Queen of Outer Space
Queen of Outer Space
Queen of Outer Space is a 1958 American CinemaScope science fiction feature film starring Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eric Fleming, and Laurie Mitchell in a tale about a revolt against a cruel Venusian queen. The screenplay by Charles Beaumont was based on an outline supplied by Ben Hecht...
(1958). Birch also had small roles in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 in stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers...
(1963), and Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round is a 1966 crime film written and directed by Bernard Girard, starring James Coburn and featuring Camilla Sparv, Aldo Ray, Nina Wayne, Todd Armstrong, Robert Webber and Rose Marie.-Plot:...
(1967).
Family
He was married twice and was survived by his second wife, Betsy (Ross), and their three children, Don, Jennifer and Michael.First marriage, daughter Cindy Luke. 5 grandkids, BJ, Steve, Ned, Matt, Cricket.