Actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the staunch Sheriff Miller in the television series "Lassie". After attaining his theatrical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, he relocated to New York City, New York, and began his career on the stage appearing in lead roles in such productions as "Brother Rat," "As Husbands Go," "John Brown," "Boy Meets Girl," and "What a Life." A personal friend of director George Abbott, he began a newfound career in the film industry beginning with his first film appearance in "Road House" (1948) and for the next 30 years he went on to succeed as a familiar character actor; one of which who was often typecast as either a husband, father, playboy, wealthy bachelor, society figure, doctor, lawyer, hero, villain, cowboy, politician, eccentric, best friend, kindly neighbor, clergyman, blue-collared man, retail clerk, banker, policeman, mailman, aristocrat, or, in his later years, patriarch. He appeared in such motion pictures as "The Wonderful Urge" (1948), "White Heat" (1949), "Thieves Highway" (1949), "Johnny Stool Pigeon" (1949), "Whirlpool" (1950), "Where The Sidewalk Ends" (1950), "A Lady Without a Passport" (1950), "Dial 1119" (1950), "The Killer That Stalked New York" (1950), "Follow the Sun" (1951), "Home Town Story" (1951), "The Guy Who Came Back" (1951), "Saturday's Hero" (1951), "Deadline - U.S.A." (1952), "Carbine Williams" (1952), "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), "Carrie" (1952), "Don't Bother to Knock" (1952), "Remains to Be Seen" (1953), "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" (1953), "I Love Melvin" (1953), "Overland Pacific" (1954), "East of Eden" (1955), "Blackboard Jungle" (1955), "Strange Lady in Town" (1955), "The Spoilers" (1955), "Carousel" (1956), "The Rawhide Years" (1956), "Last of the Badmen" (1957), "Raintree County" (1957), "My Man Godfrey" (1957), "Day of the Bad Man" (1958), "The Left Handed Gun" (1958), "Ask Any Girl" (1959), "Cast a Long Shadow" (1959), "Ocean's 11" (1960), "Where the Boys Are" (1960), "State Fair" (1962), "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" (1962), "Tammy and the Doctor" (1963), "Sex and the Single Girl" (1964), "Robin and the 7 Hoods" (1964), "Harlow" (1965), "Once a Thief" (1965), "Lord Love a Duck" (1966), "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (1967), "The Split" (1968), "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" (1969), "Skin Game" (1971), "Empire of the North" (1973), and "Pete's Dragon" (1977). With the advent of television, he flourished as a household name appearing in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Fireside Theater," "The Lone Ranger," "I Married Joan," "The Loretta Young Show," "City Detective," "General Electric Theater," "Gunsmoke," "The George Burns and Gracie Allan Show," "December Bride," "Circus Boy," "Cheyenne," "The Millionaire," "Telephone Time," "The Gray Ghost," "Maverick," "Tales of Wells Fargo," "How to Marry a Millionaire," "State Trooper," "Perry Mason," "Mike Hammer," "Union Pacific," "The Texan," "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "The Real McCoys," "Jefferson Drum," "The Rifleman," "Overland Trail," "Bonanza," "Riverboat," "Hennessy," "Bat Masterson," "The Tall Man," "Coronado 9," "Hawaiian Eye," "Adventures in Paradise," "The Untouchables," "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," "Mister Ed," "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Going My Way," "The Twilight Zone," "Temple Houston, "Channing," "Daniel Boone," "A Man Called Shenandoah," "Mona McCluskey," "Lost in Space," "Cimarron Strip," "Green Acres," "Here's Lucy," "Lancer," "The Mod Squad," "The Big Valley," "Little House on the Prairie," "Kung Fu," and "Barbary Coast." During his career, he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, was an active parishioner of the Hollywood United Methodist Church, was active with the California State Republican Committee, presided as a chairman for his local charters of The American Red Cross and The American Cancer Society, and was married to fellow actresses Alice Frost and Barbara Slater (his union with Frost ended in divorce and the later with Slater ended upon his death). Following his 1997 retirement, he spent the final years of his life dividing time between his homes in California and Arizona and was often seen performing several recreational activities within the prestigious Los Angeles Country Club.