Rockne Tarkington
Rockne Tarkington in The Andy Griffith Show 1967
Born
William Rockne Tarkington, Jr.

(1931-05-14)May 14, 1931
Junction City, Kansas, United States
DiedApril 5, 2015(2015-04-05) (aged 83)
Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActor
Years active1963–1995
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1968; div. 1970)​
Websitewww.example.com

William Rockne Tarkington, Jr. (May 14, 1931 – April 5, 2015) was an American stage, film and television actor.[1]

Career

Born in Junction City, Kansas, Tarkington began his career as a stage actor, and made the transition to television with guest appearances in episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Kraft Suspense Theatre, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Casey, Mission: Impossible, Bewitched, and many others. Tarkington was also the first credited black actor to appear on The Andy Griffith Show.[2]

Tarkington made recurring appearances on Tarzan (as Young Chief / Ramahit / Ahmid / Rao) and starred as Elihu Morgan on Danger Island on Hanna-Barbera's Banana Splits Adventure Hour. He also played "Too Mean" Malone on the 1983–84 season of Matt Houston and made appearances in episodes of Bearcats!, MacGyver, Baretta and other shows in the 1970s and 1980s.[3]

As a film actor, Tarkington played the title role in the blaxploitation picture Black Samson (1974), and co-starred with Richard X. Slattery in The No Mercy Man (1973) and Zebra Force (1976). He also appeared in films such as Soldier in the Rain (1963), Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion (1965), The Great White Hope (1970), Beware! The Blob (1972), Melinda (1972), The Baltimore Bullet (1980), National Lampoon's Movie Madness (1983), The Ice Pirates (1984), Uphill All the Way (1986) and Death Before Dishonor (1987), and had parts in many television films.

Tarkington was the first choice to play the part of Williams in Enter the Dragon (1973), but just before the start of filming he was replaced by Jim Kelly.

Personal life

Tarkington lived in Los Angeles for the majority of his career where he was married to fellow screen actor Joan Blackman from July 1968 to October 1970.[4] In the 1990s he returned home to Kansas when his mother became ill. He eventually became a Mormon after seeing a television commercial for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[2]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1963 Soldier in the Rain First Sergeant William Booth
1965 Major Dundee Jefferson Uncredited
1965 Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion Juma
1965 Tell Me in the Sunlight Rocky
1968 PJ Cato Uncredited
1969 The Dream of Hamish Mose Hamish Mose
1970 The Great White Hope Rudy
1972 Beware! The Blob Deputy Williams
1972 Melinda "Tank"
1973 The No Mercy Man Prophet
1973 Enter the Dragon Williams Unexpected Exit,Replaced by Jim Kelly
1974 Home Grown Hank
1974 Black Samson Samson
1974 Black Starlet Ben
1976 The Zebra Force Earl Lovington
1977 The Great Gundown Sutton
1980 The Baltimore Bullet Gunner
1982 National Lampoon's Movie Madness Black Cop – 'Municipalians'
1982 Showdown at Eagle Gap "Enterprise" Jackson
1984 The Ice Pirates "Patch"
1986 Uphill All the Way Leon
1987 Death Before Dishonor "Jihad"
1988 Under the Gun Leon
1989 Fists of Steel Rijar
1994 Wyatt Earp Stable Hand
1994 The Desperate Trail Packo
1995 Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart Bartender

Fernsehen

Year Title Role Notes
1963 Alfred Hitchcock Presents The Police Officer 1 episode
1964 Kraft Suspense Theatre Henry 1 episode
1964 The Great Adventure Cpl. Banks 1 episode
1964–1966 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Domestic Mr. Morgan 2 episode
1965–1966 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Poet / Sgt. Fanning 2 episode
1966 Bewitched Tommy Carter 1 episode
1966 Ben Casey 1 episode
1966 Daktari 1 episode
1966–1967 Tarzan Young Chief / Ramahit / Ahmid / Rao 8 episode
1967 The Andy Griffith Show Flip Conroy 1 episode
1967 Mission: Impossible Paul Giroux 1 episode
1967 Cowboy in Africa Jacob 1 episode
1968 The High Chaparral Sergeant Washburn 1 episode
1968–1969 Danger Island Elihu Morgan 26 episode
1968–1970 The Banana Splits Elihu Morgan 10 episode
1970 Marcus Welby, M.D. Frank Davidson 1 episode
1971 Bearcats! Lukas 1 episode
1973 Assignment Vienna Alan Roberts 1 episode
1974–1976 Police Story Ripley / Stuckley / Andrew Carver / Leonard Gardner 4 episode
1976 City of Angels George 1 episode
1976 Big John, Little John Magiconi 1 episode
1977 Days of Our Lives Kenny's Friend 4 episode
1978 Baretta Captain Johnson 1 episode
1978 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Morrison Television film
1979 Charleston Reverend Duchamp Television film
1979 The Ordeal of Patty Hearst Death Row Television film
1979 Disaster on the Coastliner Television film
1980 Tenspeed and Brown Shoe Mucker 1 episode
1980 Roughnecks Lenny Booker Television film
1981 The Intruder Within Mark Television film
1982 Gavilan Joe 1 episode
1982–1984 Matt Houston Malone / Too Mean Malone / 'Too Mean' Malone 7 episode
1983 Women of San Quentin Big William Television film
1985 Hollywood Beat 1 episode
1985 Handsome Harry's Tank Television film
1986 The Redd Foxx Show Earl 1 episode
1987 MacGyver Jules 1 episode
1988 Ohara Randall 1 episode
1992 Lucky Luke Harp 1 episode

References

  1. ↑ "RIP Rockne Tarkington". Westernboothill.blogspot.co.uk. September 30, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Act Well Thy Part". Portraits. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Rockne Tarkington". tv.com. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Joan Blackman". Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
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