George N. Neise
Neise in They Raid by Night (1942)
Born(1917-02-16)February 16, 1917
Chicago, Illinois, US
DiedApril 14, 1996(1996-04-14) (aged 79)
Los Angeles, California, US
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin
OccupationActor
Years active1942–1978
Spouse(s)Danielle Gentile
Lorna Thayer
Children5

George N. Neise (February 16, 1917 – April 14, 1996) was an American character actor. He made over 120 film and television appearances between 1942 and 1978.

Early years

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Neise was the son of Edwin Neise and Bertha Hagen.[1] He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, where he studied finance.[2]

Career

Neise began his career playing soldiers in war-themed films.[note 1][2]

Beginning in 1937, Neise acted in radio in Chicago, playing a variety of roles in programs. He acted in stock theater with the Peninsula Players in the summers of 1938 and 1939.[2] His Broadway credits include Grandma's Diary (1948).[3]

Neise served for four-and-a-half years as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.[2] After that, he became an in-demand character actor, playing everything from Greek kings to angry bosses to airline pilots.

He may be best remembered for the dual role as the patronizing pharmacist Ralph Dimsal and powerful Ancient Greek king, Odius in the Three Stooges feature The Three Stooges Meet Hercules. He also appeared as Martian Ogg and an unnamed airline pilot in the trio's next feature The Three Stooges in Orbit.

Neise played Nat Wyndham on the television Western Wichita Town (1959-1960).[4] His other TV appearances in Westerns were The Lone Ranger, Death Valley Days, Cheyenne, Zorro, Have Gun–Will Travel, The Rifleman, Maverick and as the wanted man in the episode of Robert Culp's TV series, Trackdown, which essentially became the pilot episode of Wanted: Dead or Alive.

Neise played in television dramas such as Perry Mason, in which he made five appearances. Because of the dishonest character roles he played, he was the murder victim in four of the episodes: Albert Tydings in the 1957 episode, "The Case of the Baited Hook," Wilfred Borden in the 1959 episode "The Case of the Calendar Girl," Morley Theilman in the 1962 episode "The Case of the Shapely Shadow," and Stacey Garnett in the 1965 episode "The Case of the Golden Girls." Neise continued being cast as a 'heavy', appearing as a safe cracker in Official Detective TV series episode The Blind Man in 1957. He also appeared on sitcoms such as The Dick Van Dyke Show, Green Acres, The Andy Griffith Show, Mister Ed, The Addams Family, Gilligan's Island, Hogan's Heroes, Adam-12, and Get Smart.

Death

Neise died from cancer at his home in Hollywood on April 14, 1996, at age 79.[1] His surviving family included three children, Richard, Edward George, and Gregory from his second wife, Danielle Gentile as well as daughters Adrienne ("Bonnie") and Nikki from his first wife, Lorna Thayer. [note 2][1]

Selected filmography

Notes

  1. ↑ An article in the September 19, 1948, issue of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle says, "Mr. Neise began his career in 1937 in Chicago's radio world ..."
  2. ↑ Neise's entry in the book Television Western Players, 1960–1975: A Biographical Dictionary says, "He was survived by his wife Edy and two daughters Adrienne and Nikki from his earlier marriage to actress Lorna Thayer."

References

  1. 1 2 3 Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960–1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. p. 318. ISBN 9781476628561. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "'Grandma's Diary' Keeps Neise Safe From Counting House". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. September 19, 1948. p. 29. Retrieved September 16, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ↑ "("George Neise" search results)". Playbill Vault. Playbill. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  4. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 1176. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
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