National skeet champion at age 16; member of all-American team

Screen debut, "First Love", in which he gave screen star Deanna Durbin her first screen kiss

Appeared as a Polish flying ace in "To Be or Not To Be"

Film career interrupted during WWII when he served with US Air Force

TV debut on live programs: "Lux Video Theatre", "Ford Theatre", "Producers Showcase" during the early 1950s

Had leading role in "The Bullfighter and the Lady"

Delivered a strong supporting turn as a pilot in "The High and the Mighty"

Played the destective investigating the case in a TV version of "Laura" (CBS)

Received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for "Written on the Wind", directed by Douglas Sirk

Co-starred in the SIrk-directed "The Tarnished Angels"

Formed Langford Productions

Had title role in the biopic "John Paul Jones"

Co-produced and starred as Eliot Ness in the ABC crime drama "The Untouchables"; won Best Actor Emmy in 1960

Again played detective investigating the case in an ABC remake of "Laura"

Starred in the NBC crime drama "The Name of the Game"

Played title role in "The Honorable Sam Houston" (ABC)

Returned to series TV in "Most Wanted" (ABC)

Demonstrated comic flair in the spoof "Airplane!"

Played the lead in the ABC series "Strike Force"

Co-starred in teh ABC miniseries "Hollywood Wives"

Served as host for "Unsolved Mysteries" (NBC); began as occasional specials before becoming a weekly series

Last on camera feature role (to date) "Joe Versus the Volcano"

Reprised most famous role in the NBC TV-movie "The Return of Eliot Ness"

Resumed hosting duties of "Unsolved Mysteries" when it switched networks to CBS