He was the first actor to ever make such a commercial. Feedback time. Perry Mason, a CBS television legal drama. I lost my self-esteem when I lost my job, she said. Before leaving for his national assignment, Talman tied the knot for the first time, marrying actress Lynne Carter. If you enjoy the monthly content in Hour Detroit, Like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter for more frequent updates. IMHO all the male stars were gay: William Talman, William Hopper was a flamer, and Ray Collins (fondly referred to as Lt. Fagg in our gay household). On March 12, 1960, Perry Mason fans watched Hamilton Burger lose yet again in an episode called The Case of the Singing Skirt. The following day Friday the 13th Talman was one of eight people arrested during a sensational raid in Hollywood. Actor William Talman (1915-1968) is probably most familiar as Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger, from the long-running TV series Perry Mason. Talman earned $65,000, much less than the shows star but still a healthy figure for the time. | Photo: Getty Images. Is William Talman still alive? He was going to cut me in. Raymond Burr, the burly, impassive actor who played the defense lawyer Perry Mason and the police detective Robert T. Ironside on television, died on Sunday at his ranch in Dry Creek Valley, near Healdsburg, Calif. His wife is Margaret Larkin Flanigan (5 November1961 - 30 August1968)( his death)( 2 children), Barbara Read (May 1952 - 23 August1960)( divorced)( 2 children), Lynne Carter (14 September1942 - 8 May1952)( divorced)( 1 child). Although he was from a rich and affluent background, Talman was determined to excel in Hollywood, and this left his family disappointed, and as a result, he bore the burdens of catering for himself. His first picture was Red, Hot and Blue (1949), in which he played gangster Bunny Harris. At one point in his life he played semi-professional baseball. He wanted me to say the wrong thing, cross em up and win the case, Talman said. After the "Perry . A heavy smoker for most of his life, he was angered by a newspaper article he read about actors being afraid to make anti-smoking messages for fear of losing opportunities to make lucrative cigarette commercials. Public school. He spent six weeks in Vietnam entertaining the troops and worked with Doris Day in The Ballad of Josie, a comedy Western. . Horrible. He looked like he had one foot in the grave. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Other movie and television roles soon followed. William Hopper and Paul Drake. He had little money to start off with, but his friends from his theatre days proved helpful as they helped him settle in and cope with the little work he got in those struggling months. . Chris Tallman - Biography. If you do smoke, quit!, With that Talman gave a quick wink and said, Dont be a loser., Everyone present marveled at Talmans courage and concentration. Talman returned to Broadway after the war. The N. Curson apartment, part of a building supposedly built by Charlie Chaplin, was rented by ad exec Richard Reibold. The actor was aware of his grave condition as he battled lung cancer from years of smoking. . Actor. As fictional prosecutor Hamilton Burger, Detroit-born actor William Talman had lost case after case to defense attorney Raymond Burr during nine seasons of Perry Mason. It was just a remarkable performance. Adds Tim Talman: People who saw the ad were blown away. Raymond Burr Died at 76 in 1993 with Partner of 33 Years by His Side Who Got His Entire Estate. According to the Mirror-News account, Mr. and Mrs. Hespelt were fraternizing with Miss DeWitt. Talman, who had borrowed another students car to take a girl from Smith College out on a double date, was forced off the road by a bus. Although invited back the next year, he never returned.Talman began his acting career on Broadway in the early 1940s. Don't be a loser." Four weeks after filming the second ad, Talman died on August 30, 1968, at the age of 53, and was buried in the George Washington Section, 2nd Terrace, at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. Besides Talman, the group consisted of Reibold, Talmans friend, James H. (Jimmie) Baker, Peter and Suzanne Hespelt, and three women, in their twenties or thirties: a Mrs. Peggy Louise Flannigan, a Mrs. Willie Donovan, and all-around bad girl, Miss Lola DeWitt. They were the only ones still alive from the original cast. Fans of the courtroom drama begged for the hapless prosecutor to win just one case, with a professional gambler once approaching Talman about the possibility of springing a surprise courtroom victory. Birthday February 4 and Born on 1915. Mason is known to have lost, in some form or manner, three casesThe Case of the Terrified Typist, The Case of the Witless Witness, and The Case of the Deadly Verdict. Talman was an accomplished screenwriter and stage and screen actor, and appeared in numerous roles on television as a character actor from the mid-'50s until his death from lung cancer in August of 1968.He was born William Whitney Talman Jr. on February 4, 1915, in Detroit, Michigan, the first son of William Talman Sr. and Ada B. Talman. Meanwhile, Perry Mason continued to outwit Burger. 11. months. His first roles were in "Beverly Hills", "Yokel Boy" and "Of Mice and Men. Movie sets, trainers, simulators, fake cities, etc. After the "Perry Mason" show ended in 1966, Talman went on a six-week tour of Vietnam to entertain the troops. After the "Perry Mason" show ended in 1966, Talman went on a six-week tour of Vietnam to entertain the troops. During an interview with "TV Guide" in April of 1963, Talman told writer Richard Gehman that his father made a good deal of money, "enough to send me to school in a limousine each day. The commercial began with Talmans smiling children being introduced one by one as they frolicked outdoors, followed by a shot of his wife, Peggy, who looks after all of us, Talman said in the voiceover. . All performed in the drama club. He entered the army as a private and saw 30 months of service in the Pacific, where he won a commission and eventually was promoted to the rank of major. The question of whether or not actor William Talman is gay has been a topic of debate for many years. "I just couldn't have - I wouldn't have." Hale is now the sole survivor of the original Mason cast that included William Hopper (son of Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper) as detective Paul. While tabloids had a field day, the network quickly fired Talman for violating the morals clause in his contract. The charges were eventually dropped after a trial that was closely followed by the newspapers and sensationalized by the tabloids. After close investigation, it turned out the car was stolen, and Talman was asked to resign from the school, which he did. . If you dont smoke, dont start. January 27, 2017. . The future actor and his two younger brothers, Jim and Tom, grew up in a privileged household that even during the Depression numbered more servants than children. Two of his famous postwar roles were in Joseph M. Hyman's and Bernard Hart's production of "Dear Ruth" in 1946 and Henry Adrian's production of "A Young Man's Fancy" in 1947. [9] The deputies reported finding Talman and seven other defendants variously naked and partly dressed. X-rays showed a mass in his left lung. There is little known about his early life between his birth in Wiltshire (1650) and his appointment as Comptroller of the King's Works in 1689. But after lobbying from Mason producer Gail Patrick, he was eventually hired back. The paper states that both are residents of Toponga, but likely this is a typo for Topanga, an area around Los Angeles. Appears as district attorney Hamilton Burger, with Raymond Burr as lawyer Perry Mason, on a 44 USA commemorative postage stamp in the Early TV Memories issue honoring "Perry Mason" (1957), issued 11 August 2009. If you don't smoke, don't start. Dartmouth invited him back a year later, but he didnt go. He appeared on Broadway in Beverly Hills, Spring Again and A Young Man's Fancy, and toured with the road companies of Yokel Boy and Of Mice and Men.[3]. In 1953, Talman played a sadistic, psychopathic killer in a movie directed by Lupino, the film noir The Hitch-Hiker. ; Character Outlives Actor: Raymond Burr died of . Richard Reibold married Margaret "Peggy" Reibold, who is still alive as of 2023 and still living in the Los Angeles area. Movie. (1955), One Minute to Zero (1952) and Two-Gun Lady (1955). His is a name you're always happy to see in the credits, and he was an . After her husbands death in 1968, Mrs. Talman raised their two young children alone, struggling to make ends meet. Everywhere you looked magazines, billboards, TV you had famous athletes and entertainers and even doctors encouraging people to smoke. Celebrity pitchmen included John Wayne, Gary Cooper, and Steve McQueen (all of whom died of cancer). Although his life was short, he left an enduring legacy through his writing, his acting, his heroism and his never-ending championing of the underdog. Reed would go on to commit suicide later on, which was blamed on her poor health. As fictional prosecutor Hamilton Burger, Detroit-born actor William Talman had lost case after case to defense attorney Raymond Burr during nine seasons of Perry Mason. One of his most famous roles was as Emmett Myers, an escaped killer, and kidnapper in the classic film "The Hitch-Hike" directed by Ida Lupino. After his 1993 death, NBC aired several more episodes with Paul Sorvino or Hal Holbrook playing a defense attorney friend of an out-of-town Mason. It was a Saturday, so unlikely that Talman would be filming any of the Perry Mason shows that day. On June 17, municipal judge Adolph Alexander dismissed the charges of lewd vagrancy against Talman and the others for lack of proof. The short film begins, "Before I die I want to do what I can to leave a world free of cancer for my six children . He also adopted her two children Steve and Debbie, from a previous marriage. William Talman Got Busted For Narcotics and Lewd Vagrancy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Talman_(actor)&oldid=1133457590, This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 22:19. But trouble seemed to follow him around as much off screen as on. He competed in the boxing team of his local church and later tried himself in semi-professional boxing. William Talman was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Ada Barber and William Whitney Talman, a vice president of an electronics company. William Whitney Talman, Jr. (February 4, 1915 - August 30, 1968) was an American television and movie actor, who played Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger in the long-running series Perry Mason. Margaret Larkin Flanigan (5 November1961 - 30 August1968)( his death)( 2 children), Barbara Read (May 1952 - 23 August1960)( divorced)( 2 children), Lynne Carter (14 September1942 - 8 May1952)( divorced)( 1 child). All we know of Mrs. Willie Donovan is that her husband stuck by her, at least until the trial, because we have a news account that says that Mr. Donovan shoved photographers as he was just trying to protect [his] wife.. In December, due largely to a letter-writing campaign orchestrated by Burr, CBS brought Talman back. Later, I asked the writer about the script, Rimer recalls. She was too ashamed to reveal her financial difficulties. Talman said, "Burger doesn't lose. He was appearing in the comedy Spring Again at Henry Millers Theatre when he was drafted into the U.S. Signal Corps. Despite sophisticated public-awareness campaigns, a better understanding of the physiological nature of nicotine addiction, an array of options to treat the craving for cancer sticks, and a societal crackdown on smoking in public spaces, there clearly is much work to be done. He got into the military as a private and served for 30 months. Baker was big in the music scene and helped out with many charitable organizations, including the Hollywood Motion Picture and Television Museum, which was intended to be located on a 4-acre site behind the Hollywood Bowl but never got past the planning stage. William Talman was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Ada Barber and William Whitney Talman, a vice president of an electronics company. His maternal grandparents, Catherine Gandy and James Wells Barber, were immigrants from England. That sat me right up, let me tell you. Talman is less-known as a truly effective noir actor, especially in the title role in The Hitch-Hiker. William Talman died of cardiac arrest due to complications from lung cancer at West Valley Community Hospital in Encino, California, on August 30, 1968, at the age of 53. 18. days. William Whitney Talman, Jr. (February 4, 1915 - August 30, 1968) was an American television and movie actor, who played Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger in the long-running series Perry Mason. William Whitney Talman Jr., (February 4, 1915 - August 30, 1968) was an American television and movie actor, best known for playing Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger in the television series Perry Mason . It turned out to be his last film. His father was wealthy, having made it big manufacturing yachts and heat-measuring devices. Host of the party and apartment renter, Richard Reibold, 31, was identified by papers as Director of Radio and Television for high-end Beverly Hills advertising agency, Lennen & Newell, which had accounts in the TV and film industry. . Great show. Jan 11, 2022 - Explore Aviva Radbord's board "WILLIAM TALMAN" on Pinterest. William DeWolf Hopper Jr. (January 26, 1915 - March 6, 1970) was an American stage, film, and television actor. . So take some advice about smoking and losing from someone who has been doing both for years. I was shown this article on the subject of getting William Talman's son Tim into the role of Hamilton in . His father was involved with the all-male Players Club of Detroit, which, by 1925, was staging its one-act frolics from a newly built clubhouse on East Jefferson. This marriage also unraveled, the result of Talmans chronic overindulgence. In January 2002, his widow Margaret "Peggy" Louise Talman joined him there, at the time of . Go for Broke! The day before he died, the whole family is gathered around his bed, theres all this gloom and tension, as you can imagine, and he says, Well, at least I wont have to pay her another red cent. He wanted others to feel comfortable., Talmans groundbreaking advocacy encouraged other celebrities to take up the cause. Dr. William T. Talman is a Neurologist in Iowa City, IA. William Whitney Talman Jr. was a third-generation Detroiter whose ancestral line included a member of George Washington's staff during the American Revolution. Talman came from a wealthy background. In 1951 his wife sued him for divorce, citing extreme cruelty. Talman was hardly alone in his nicotine addiction. Talman is remembered as an affable man with a wry sense of humor and a live-and-let-live attitude that instantly put strangers at ease. By the early 1960s, Burr had won two Emmy Awards and was commanding an annual salary of $1 million. Actor William Talman (1915-1968) is probably most familiar as Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger, from the long-running TV series Perry Mason. At the end of the episode, after Pike was cleared by Mason, Burger said, "You know, I think I won this case. Anti-smoking ads were just starting to hit the airwaves, Tim Talman recalls. This was the first of the celebrity "don't smoke" appeals. The late actor was born on February 4, 1915, in Detroit, Michigan as the eldest son of his parents. Talman decided bravely to make an anti-smoking commercial for the American Cancer Society, a move that was considered bold for an actor of that era. He was 54 years old and had. A lifelong heavy smoker, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and knew he was dying when he filmed the commercial. Before he left, Talman was promoted to the rank of a major. Although his life was short, he left an enduring legacy through his writing, his acting, his heroism and his never-ending championing of the underdog. In 1953, Talman played a sadistic, psychopathic killer in a film noir The Hitch-Hiker. Prior to his death, Talman wrote feature films. After his discharge, he returned to Broadway, getting roles in the postwar productions of Dear Ruth and A Young Mans Fancy. ",William Talman died of cardiac arrest due to complications from lung cancer at West Valley Community Hospital in Encino, California, on August 30, 1968, at the age of 53. Jim Caldwell, scared straight as a youngster, figures that if William Talmans final role saved just a single life his own then the eternal loser went out with a winning performance. Public school. He first appeared on the big screen as gangster Bunny Harris in Red, Hot and Blue, a 1949 musical comedy starring Betty Hutton and Victor Mature. He was encouraged to resign, Jim Talman says. If you do smoke, quit! Although invited back the next year, he never returned. Near the end of his life, Talman did something that, while common nowadays, was an extraordinarily courageous thing for an actor to do at that time. Net Worth Net Worth 2020 Undisclosed Salary 2020 $65,000 Family Members Upcoming Birthday Currently, William Talman is 107 years, 10 months and 25 days old. 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