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Contact Info
Home Town Albert Lea, Freeborn County, MN
Last Address Los Angeles, Calif.
Date of Passing Nov 25, 1977
Location of Interment Los Angeles National Cemetery (VA) - Los Angeles, California
Carlson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Master of Arts degree in English Literature; with honors summa cum laude and honor society member of Phi Beta Kappa.
After college he studied and taught drama and English in Minnesota.
Continuing in acting he made his film debut in 1938 in the David O. Selznick comedy The Young At Heart.
He basically worked as a freelance actor at various studios after he moved to California in 1939 appearing in both comedies and drama. He also appeared on the Broadway stage, including Mr. Roberts in 1948.
During World War 2 he served just over four years as a pilot with the U. S. Navy.
Mr. Carlson's acting experience was utilized by the U.S. military as he made several service training films. In one of these, produced for the U.S. Army, entitled: "For GOD and Country" he appeared with Ronald Reagan.
Other Comments:
Actor, Writer, Director. Appeared in, wrote for, and directed motion picture and television programs from the 1930s to the 1960s. Remembered by movie fans for his appearances in a series of 1950s sci-fi films, among them "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954), in which he played the role of 'Dr. David Reed'.
For his contributions to the movie industry he has a star on the Hollywood Walkway Of Fame at 6333 Hollywood Blvd.
- - This profile is under construction. Additional information is always welcome. - -
Quiet, soft spoken American leading man who came to Hollywood as a writer, but found himself the juvenile lead in a fistful of films before war service. He failed to regain the same footing from 1947, but looked brainy enough to play the scientist hero of several interesting science fiction films, having a hand in the writing and direction of some of these , and others.
He was born Richard Dutoit Carlson at Albert Lea, MN in 1912.
Carlson graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Master of Arts degree, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
After college he studied and taught drama in Minnesota. He also appeared on the Broadway stage.
Continuing in acting he made his film debut in 1938 in the David O. Selznick comedy The Young At Heart.
He basically worked as a freelance actor at various studios after he moved to California in 1939 appearing in both comedies and drama.
During World War 2 he served as a pilot with the U. S. Navy.
Returning after the war Carlson found it difficult to get roles and his career in Hollywood looked dim until 1948.
He was able to get roles in the films Behind Locked Doors and The Amazing Dr. X. Despite these successes his film career was still in doubt until 1950 when he co starred with Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr in that great jungle adventure King Solomon's Mines.
Carlson's career slowly began to develop with the emergence of the science fiction and horror films. Some of the classics he starred in at this time were It Came From Out Of Space, Creature From The Black Lagoon, The Magnetic Monster and The Maze.
He also starred in and directed the science fiction film in the year 1954 entitled Riders To The Stars.
In addition to his science fiction work, he had a recurring role as a writer of "science fact" in The Bell Laboratory Science Series.
Some of Richard Carlson's film roles were:
The Young In Heart (1038) as Duncan Macrae
The Duke Of West Point (1938) as Jack West
Winter Carnival (1939) as Professor John Weldon
These Glamour Girls (1939) as Joe
Dancing Co-ed (1939) as Pug Braddock
Little Accident (1939) as Perry Allerton
Beyond Tomorrow (1940) as James Houston
The Ghost Breakers (1940) as Geoff Montgomery
The Howards Of Virginia (1940) as Thomas Jefferson
Too Many Girls (1940) as Clint Kelly
No, No, Nannette (1940) as Tom Gillespie
Back Street (1941) as Curt Stanton
West Point Widow (1941) as Dr. Jimmy Kruger
Hold That Ghost (1941) as Doctor Jackson
The Little Foxes (1941) as David Hewett
Fly By Night (1942) as Dr. Jeffery Burton
The Affairs Of Martha (1942) as Jeff Sommerfield
Highways By Night (1942) as Tommy Van Steel
My Heart Belongs To Daddy (1942) as Prof. Richard Inglethorp Culberson Kay
Highways By Night (1942) as Tommy Van Steel
White Cargo (1942) as Mr. Langford
A Stranger In Town (1943) as Bill Adams
Presenting Lily Mars (1943) as Owen Vail
Young Ideas (1943) as Tom Farrell
The Man From Down Under (1943) as Nipper Wilson
For God and Country (1943) as Tom Manning (War Department training film)
So Well Remembered (1947) as Charles Winslow/Charles Winslow, Sr.
The Amazing Mr. X (1947) as Martin Abbott
Behind Locked Doors (1948) as Ross Stewart
King Solomon's Mines (1950) as John Goode
The Sound Of Fury (1950) as Gil Stanton
Valentino (1951) as Bill King
A Millionaire For Christy (1951) as Dr. Roland Cook
The Blue Veil (1951) as Gerald Kean
Whispering Smith Investigates (1952) as Whispering Smith
Retreat, Hell (1952) as Capt. Paul Hansen
Flat Top (1952) as Lt. Joe Rodgers
The Magnetic Monster (1953) as Dr. Jeffrey Stewart
Seminole (1953) as Major Degan
It Came From Outer Space (1953) as John Putnam
All I Desire (1953) as Henry Murdoch
The Maze (1953) as Gerald McTeam
Riders To The Stars (1954) as Dr. Jerry Lockwood
Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954) as Dr. David Reed
The Last Command (1955) as William B. Travis
Bengazi (1955) as Inspector Levering
Three For Jamie Dawn (1956) as Martin Random
The Helen Morgan Story (1957) as Russell Wade
The Strange Case Of The Cosmic Rays (1957-TV) as The Fiction Writer
Tormented (1960) as Tom Stewart
Della (1964) as David Stafford
Kid Rodelo (1966) as Rink
The Doomsday Flight (1966-TV) as Chief Pilot Bob Shea
The Power (1968) as Professor Norman Van Zandt
The Valley Of Gwangi (1969) as Champ
Change Of Habit (1969) as Bishop Finley
Mr. Carlson starred in the TV series I Led Three Lives (1953-1956) as Herbert A Philbrick, counter spy for the FBI.
He also starred in McKenzie's Raiders as Col. Ranald McKenzie which ran in syndication from 1958 to 1959.
He appeared on other TV programs such as The Prudential Family Playhouse, The Ford Theater Hour, Lights Out, Ford Television Theater, Robert Montgomery Presents, General Electric Theater, Kraft Theater, Lux Video Theater, Climax, Studio One In Hollywood, Schlitz Playhouse Of Stars, Riverboat, The Loretta Young Show, Boris Karloff's Thriller, Going My Way, Arrest And Trial, The Fugitive, Burke's Law, Wagon Train, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, The Virginian, Rawhide, Perry Mason, Bonanza, The FBI, It Takes A Thief, Cannon, Owen Marshall Counselor At Law and Mobile One among others.
In physical appearance he was compared to that of actor Hugh Marlowe.
Carlson also was involved in writing and directing.
He was married to Mona Carlson from 1939 until his death. The couple had two children.
For his contributions to the movie industry he has a star on the Hollywood Walkway Of Fame at 6333 Hollywood Blvd.
Richard Carlson passed away in 1977 at age 65 of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Mr. Carlson was always one of my favorites and I enjoyed him in the films The Creature From The Black Lagoon, It Came From Outer Space, Flap Top, Seminole, The Last Command, The Magnetic Monster, Hold That Ghost and King Solomon's Mines as well as the TV Series I Led Three Lives And McKenzie's Raiders.