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John Pickard (American actor)

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John M. Pickard
Pickard in an episode of The Public Defender (1955)
Born
John M. Pickard

(1913-06-25)June 25, 1913
Lascassas, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedAugust 4, 1993(1993-08-04) (aged 80)
Rutherford County, Tennessee, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1936–1987
SpouseAnn M. Pickard
Children1

John M. Pickard (June 25, 1913 – August 4, 1993)[1] was an American actor who appeared primarily in television Westerns.

Early life

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Pickard was born in Lascassas in Rutherford County, near Murfreesboro in Middle Tennessee. He graduated from the Nashville Conservatory in Nashville, Tennessee. His first acting roles were small parts in films, mostly uncredited, beginning in 1936 as a dueling soldier in the picture Mary of Scotland, based on the 16th century queen, Mary of Scotland.[citation needed]

Career

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Pickard returned to acting after the war and appeared in supporting roles in scores of Westerns and action dramas before landing the starring role in the syndicated television series, Boots and Saddles, set in an Arizona fort in the late 19th century. His second film role,[clarification needed] also uncredited, came in John Wayne's Wake of the Red Witch (1948).

Pickard's first television guest-starring roles were in crime dramas in 1951 and 1952, respectively -- Racket Squad, with Reed Hadley, and Boston Blackie. In 1954, he guest starred on the legal drama, The Public Defender, again with Reed Hadley. He was also cast on the syndicated Western anthology series, Stories of the Century, with Jim Davis, and later on Davis' other series, Rescue 8, based on stories of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Pickard appeared on Hopalong Cassidy and in 1956 on the CBS children's Western My Friend Flicka. That same year he was cast in another anthology series, Navy Log, and in an episode of Jack Webb's NBC series, Dragnet. He appeared in a 1956 episode of the TV series The Lone Ranger entitled "Trouble at Tylerville" and in 1957 in the final episode "Outlaws in Grease Paint".

From 1957 to 1958, he filled the lead role of Captain Shank Adams on Boots and Saddles, with episodes set in the Arizona Territory on a United States Army fort. Afterwards, Pickard guest starred in many more Westerns including the role of the gunfighter Johnny Ringo on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, starring Hugh O'Brian as Wyatt Earp.[2] Pickard also appeared as Derr in the series Official Detective 1958 episode "The Policeman's Gun".[citation needed]

Other appearances were on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, Yancy Derringer, Wagon Train, Johnny Ringo, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Texan, The Rebel, Laramie, The Rifleman, Empire, Rawhide, The Wild Wild West, and The Virginian. From 1960 to 1975, he appeared in twelve episodes of the long-running CBS Western, Gunsmoke, with James Arness, who in 1955 had beaten out Pickard for the series lead as Marshal Matt Dillon.

In 1959, Pickard was cast, uncredited, as a Mississippi River pirate in the episode "The Unwilling" of the NBC Western series, Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin and Burt Reynolds. In the story line, businessman Dan Simpson, played by Eddie Albert, attempts to open a general store in the American West despite a raid from river pirates who stole from him $20,000 in merchandise. Debra Paget is cast in this episode as Lela Russell, and Russell Johnson, as Darius.[citation needed]

In 1961, Pickard had brief recurring role of Sergeant Major Murdock in the short-lived CBS Western Gunslinger, starring Tony Young.

In addition to roles in Westerns, Pickard also guest starred in several dramatic series. He made four appearances on Perry Mason, all as law-enforcement officials. Other television series' include Lassie, The Twilight Zone S5 E12 "Ninety Years Without Slumbering" 1963, Ben Casey, Ironside, Mission: Impossible, and Cannon.

In 1969, he appeared as Frank Ross in another John Wayne film, True Grit. Pickard's final on-screen appearances was in a 1987 episode of the CBS detective series, Simon and Simon.

Death

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On August 4, 1993, Pickard, at the age of 80, was killed by a bull on the family farm in Rutherford County, Tennessee. He was survived by his wife, Ann M. Pickard, and one adult child, three grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. His interment was at his family cemetery in Lascassas.[3]

Selected filmography

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Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1959 Rawhide Clint Crowley S1:E10, "Incident of the Golden Calf"
1960 Rawhide Father Owens S2:E15, "Incident of the Devil and His Due"
1960 Rawhide Mattson S3:E1, "Incident at Rojo Canyon"
1961 Rawhide Sheriff S4:E1, "Rio Salado"
1962 Rawhide Sheriff S4:E29, "The Devil and the Deep Blue"
1963 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour 1st Fireman Season 1 Episode 19: "To Catch a Butterfly"
1963 Rawhide Sheriff S5:E31, "Abilene"
1963 Rawhide Sheriff S6:E6, "Incident at Farragut Pass"
1964 Rawhide Sheriff S6:E24, "Incident of the Odyssey"
1964 Rawhide Marshal Morgan S7:E1, "The Race"
1965 Rawhide Sam Parks S7:E15, "Josh"
1965 Rawhide Sheriff S7:E24, "The Empty Sleeve"

References

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  1. ^ "Social Security Death Index". ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  2. ^ "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  3. ^ Beck, Ken. "True Grit Remake Touches Home in Lascassas". Rutherford County Tennessee Historical Society. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
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