Chester Conlan Carter (born October 3, 1934) is a former film and television actor best known for the role of "Doc," featured in sixty-six episodes of the Rick Jason and Vic Morrow ABC World War II television series Combat! (1962–1967). In 1964, Carter was nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor" on the Combat! episode "The Hostages." From 1960-1962, Carter appeared as C.E. Carruthers, the assistant to the attorney Abraham Lincoln Jones, portrayed by James Whitmore (1921–2009), in ABC's legal drama, The Law and Mr. Jones.Carter was born in Center Ridge, an unincorporated community in Conway County in north central Arkansas, but he was reared on a farm near Matthews in New Madrid County in the far southeastern "Boot" of Missouri. He graduated from Matthews High School and was the state champion in the pole vault in 1951-1952. He was also named to the all-state track team. From 1952-1954, he attended Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau on an athletic scholarship. He then served in the United States Air Force from 1954–1956 and acquired an interest in flying.In 1956, he relocated to San Francisco, California, to study with Mara Alexander Gilbert of the Bay City Actor's Lab. For three years, he concentrated on musical comedy and appeared in more than ten productions before he relocated to North Hollywood. His first television appearances were in 1959-1960 on the Four Star westerns, Johnny Ringo with Don Durant, The Westerner with Brian Keith, and the parent program, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater. At the age of twenty-six, Carter acquired the secondary role on Four Star's The Law and Mr. Jones with Whitmore and Janet De Gore.In 1963, he joined Combat! at the start of its second season, having also appeared as a guest star in the first season of the program as a corporal in the episode "Hill 256." In 1964, the same year as his Emmy nomination, Carter obtained his first film role in the comedy, Quick Before It Melts, in which he portrayed an uncouth radio operator in Antarctica.After Combat!, he appeared in the 1973 feature film White Lightning with Burt Reynolds as well as on many television programs. He guest starred in 1961 on NBC's Outlaws as Perry Brathwaite in the segment "The Brathwaite Brothers". He also appeared in Clint Eastwood's Rawhide, in Don Durant's Johnny Ringo, and on five occasions on James Arness's Gunsmoke, all on CBS. He was featured three times on ABC's The Big Valley with Barbara Stanwyck and twice on the network's The Rifleman with Chuck Connors. He also guest starred twice on NBC's Bonanza and The Virginian with James Drury and on CBS's crime dramas Barnaby Jones with Buddy Ebsen and Mannix with Mike Connors. He also appeared as an ensign in the 1963 episode The Thirty-Fathom Grave of CBS's The Twilight Zone.One of Carter's more unusual roles was in 1970 as L. Frank Baum, the creator of The Wizard of Oz, on the episode "The Wizard of Aberdeen" on the syndicated series Death Valley Days. Other appearances were on ABC's Alias Smith and Jones, NBC's The Wide Country with Earl Holliman and Dr. Kildare with Richard Chamberlain, and CBS's The Dukes of Hazzard. He also appeared in an uncredited role in The Hellstrom Chronicle. His last television appearance was as Police Chief Ed Train in a 1986 episode of ABC's MacGyver adventure series starring Richard Dean Anderson.After he acquired his commercial pilot's license, Carter left acting. He lives in the resort community of Branson in southwestern Missouri. He formerly resided in Naples, Florida, where he piloted business executives around the United States in their own private aircraft. He had also been a corporate pilot. On December 21, 1957, he married the former Patrician Ann Musser (born 1937). Carter is currently married to the former Betty Carol Murphy (born 1935). He is a brother of actor John Carter (born 1927).
While attending Matthews High School, he became Missouri State champion in the Pole Vault (1951-1952) and was named to the All-State Track Team. In college, he was conference Pole Vault champion.
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Before becoming a regular on Combat! (1962), Conlan played an MP Corporal in the first-season episode, "Hill 256".
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Dukes of Hazzard
1982
TV Series
The Truck Dispatcher
Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice
1982
TV Movie
Pier Officer
Dixie Dynamite
1976
Mr. Cyrus the Auctioneer
Barnaby Jones
1973-1976
TV Series
Ed Chandler / Roger Gosset
Shazam!
1975
TV Series
Bob Rose
Bronk
1975
TV Series
Meeker
White Lightning
1973
Deputy
The Sixth Sense
1972
TV Series
Mack Burton
Mannix
1969-1972
TV Series
Ben Kohler / Randall
Ironside
1972
TV Series
Roy Pope, Jr.
Alias Smith and Jones
1971
TV Series
Breen
Lassie
1970
TV Series
Dr. Hank Christian / Dr. Christian
Death Valley Days
1962-1970
TV Series
Lyman Frank Baum / Sylvester
Then Came Bronson
1969
TV Series
Lorrison
The Big Valley
1968-1969
TV Series
Elmer / Wilt Shanks / Jud Crowley
The Virginian
1963-1969
TV Series
Jory Kinkaid / Lennie Carewe
Gunsmoke
1960-1969
TV Series
Logan Dagget / Bodiddly / Ben / ...
Something for a Lonely Man
1968
TV Movie
Doc Gillespie
The Outsider
1968
TV Series
Warren Vail
Bonanza
1964-1968
TV Series
Clay Taylor / Tip
The Wild Wild West
1967
TV Series
Halvorsen
Combat!
1963-1967
TV Series
Doc / M.P. Corporal / German soldier
Profiles in Courage
1965
TV Series
Robert Johnson
Quick Before It Melts
1964
Orville Bayleaf
Destry
1964
TV Series
Al
The Beverly Hillbillies
1964
TV Series
Dub Crick
Dr. Kildare
1963
TV Series
Intern
The Rifleman
1962-1963
TV Series
Haslam Jackman / Haslim Jackman
Wide Country
1963
TV Series
Tex Bannerman
The Lloyd Bridges Show
1962-1963
TV Series
Grossberger / Billy Jo Twaddle
Stoney Burke
1963
TV Series
Trig Duncan
The Twilight Zone
1963
TV Series
Ensign Marmer
The Law and Mr. Jones
1960-1962
TV Series
C.E. Carruthers
Rawhide
1962
TV Series
Baines
Follow the Sun
1962
TV Series
Sentry
Outlaws
1961
TV Series
Perry Brathwaite
Zane Grey Theater
1960-1961
TV Series
McKenzie / Confederate Veteran
The Westerner
1960
TV Series
Mead
Johnny Ringo
1960
TV Series
Chad
MacGyver
1986
TV Series
Police Chief Ed Train
The Love Boat
1984
TV Series
Picard
The Greatest American Hero
1983
TV Series
Ranch Hand
Missing Children: A Mother's Story
1982
TV Movie
Reverend Hamner
Quincy M.E.
1982
TV Series
Marty Bonham
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Hellstrom Chronicle
1971
Documentary special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Hellstrom Chronicle
1971
Documentary
Farmer (uncredited)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1964
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor