Planned to study law at the University of Chicago until public speaking and debating classes turned him to acting

Joined a little theater group while working in Washington DC on summer vacation

Professional stage debut, "At Mrs. Beam's" with Frances Farmer and Mildred Natwick in summer stock at Mt. Kisco, NY

Spent two years in the original Broadway production of "Golden Boy"

Moved to California

Signed by 20th Century-Fox after being spotted by a talent scout in William Saroyan's one-act play, "Hello, Out There", in a Santa Barbara stock company

Feature acting debut (as Henry Morgan), "To the Shores of Tripoli"

Prominently featured as Henry Fonda's traveling companion in the Western drama "The Ox-Bow Incident"

First of six films with director Anthony Mann, "Bend of the River"

Debut as a TV series regular, played cranky neighbor Pete Porter on the popular sitcom "December Bride"

Garnered first Emmy nomination, Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for "December Bride" for 1958/59

Last film with director Mann, "Cimarron"

Starred as Pete Porter in the sitcom spinoff, "Pete and Gladys"

Appeared as a "repertory" member on "The Richard Boone Show", an ambitious dramatic anthology series

Played a regular on the family comedy-drama "Kentucky Jones"

Co-starred as Officer Bill Gannon opposite Jack Webb in the 1967 revival of "Dragnet"

Directed episodes of the Jack Webb-produced "Adam-12"

Returned to features after an eight-year absence to reprise the role of Bill Gannon, now a captain, for the feature spoof of "Dragnet" starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks

TV-movie debut, "But I Don't Want to Get Married!"

Co-starred with Robert Conrad in the short-lived legal drama, "The D.A." (Also directed episodes)

Narrated and played a recurring role on the Western detective series "Hec Ramsey" (also directed episodes)

Did an acclaimed guest spot as a crazed general on the hit comedy-drama series "M*A*S*H", the third season opener episode entitled "The General Flipped at Dawn"

Joined "M*A*S*H" as Colonel Sherman Potter (also directed episodes)

TV miniseries debut, "The Bastard"

Appeared in "Roots: The Next Generation", the sequel to the landmark miniseries

Perfectly cast as President Harry S. Truman on the docudrama miniseries "Backstairs at the White House"

Nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for a "M*A*S*H" episode entitled "Stars and Stripe" (broadcast 12/17/79)

Starred as Dr. Sherman Potter on the sequel series "AfterMASH"

Co-starred as the recovering con man father of magician-detective Hal Linden on "Blacke's Magic"

Co-starred as Judge Stoddard Bell with Walter Matthau and Susan Blakely in the telefilm "Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore", a sequel to the 1990 CBS TV-movie "The Incident"

Reprised the role of Judge Bell and reteamed with Matthau for the TV-movie sequel "The Family Secret: Incident in a Small Town"

Charged by his wife with spousal abuse