A barrel-chested, bull-necked presence on stage, film and TV, the tough-minded character actor was born Adolphus Jean Sweet in New York City on July 18, 1920, the son of an auto mechanic. He initially attended the University of Alabama in 1939, but his studies were interrupted by WWII Air Force duty. As a navigator of B-24s, he was shot down ...
Was a navigator on B-24 "Liberator" bomber aircraft. Was a 2nd Lieutenant assigned to the 44th Bomb Group. Shot down on 1 August 1943 during Operation "Tidal Wave," the first major mission flown against Axis oil refineries at Ploseti, Romania. Sweet was captured and held POW in Italy until 1944.
2
Was the artist-in-residence at the University of New Hampshire's drama department in the 1977-1978 school year.
3
Was a prisoner of war in a German camp during World War II.
4
Died while still a cast member of Gimme a Break! (1981). The show wrote his death into the script and continued to air for two more years.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Gimme a Break!
1981-1985
TV Series
Chief Carl Kanisky / Carl Kanisky
Reds
1981
Big Bill Haywood
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
1981
TV Movie
Waldrop
The Two Lives of Carol Letner
1981
TV Movie
Lieutenant Ron Vance
Hill Street Blues
1981
TV Series
Lt. Emil Schneider
I'm a Big Girl Now
1981
TV Series
The Acorn People
1981
TV Movie
Donald Bradshaw
Hart to Hart
1981
TV Series
Ed Perkis
Enos
1980
TV Series
Doc
Below the Belt
1980
LeRoi
When the Whistle Blows
1980
TV Series
Norm Jenkins
Gideon's Trumpet
1980
TV Movie
Charlie
Hagen
1980
TV Series
Captain
Stone
1980
TV Series
Paris
1980
TV Series
James 'Red' McTigue
Aunt Mary
1979
TV Movie
Amos Jones
Act of Violence
1979
TV Movie
Detective O'Brien
Marciano
1979
TV Movie
Si Menchlemann
Flesh & Blood
1979
TV Movie
Thompson
Rendezvous Hotel
1979
TV Movie
Harvey Greenwood
The Wanderers
1979
Chubby Galasso
Studs Lonigan
1979
TV Mini-Series
Father Gilhooley
Mrs. Columbo
1979
TV Series
Sergeant Boone
Angie
1979
TV Series
The Sheriff
The Amazing Spider-Man
1979
TV Series
Ben Sorgenson
Kaz
1979
TV Series
Little House on the Prairie
1978
TV Series
Swaggart
Taxi
1978
TV Series
Mr. Caruthers
Heaven Can Wait
1978
Head Coach
Go Tell the Spartans
1978
Gen. Harnitz
Deathmoon
1978
TV Movie
Lt. Russ Cort
What Really Happened to the Class of '65?
1978
TV Series
Captain Mullins
King
1978
TV Mini-Series
J. Edgar Hoover
Which Way Is Up?
1977
The Boss
A Killing Affair
1977
TV Movie
Scotty Neilson
Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid
1977
TV Movie
George
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
1977
Mr. Manning
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
1974
Police Capt. Costello (voice, uncredited)
Amazing Grace
1974
Mayor Scott
The Lords of Flatbush
1974
Mr. Rosiello
The Migrants
1974
TV Movie
Sheriff
Cops and Robbers
1973
George
Fear Is the Key
1972
Jablonsky
Sisters
1972
Detective Kelly
The New Centurions
1972
Sgt. Runyon
Between Time and Timbuktu
1972
TV Movie
General
The Telephone Book
1971
Obscene-Caller
The Out of Towners
1970
Police Sergeant
Colossus: The Forbin Project
1970
Missile Commander
Somerset
1970
TV Series
Gerald Davis #2 (1971) (temporary substitute for Walter Matthews)
The Lost Man
1969
Police Captain
N.Y.P.D.
1968
TV Series
Finian's Rainbow
1968
Sheriff
The Swimmer
1968
Henry Biswanger
A Lovely Way to Die
1968
Captain Haver
The Edge of Night
1967
TV Series
Harry Constable
The Desperate Hours
1967
TV Movie
Jesse Bard
You're a Big Boy Now
1966
Patrolman Francis Graf
Hawk
1966
TV Series
Cab Dispatcher
Dark Shadows
1966
TV Series
Ezra Hern
The Trials of O'Brien
1965-1966
TV Series
Sgt. Garrison / Garrison / Lt. Garrison
The Doctors and the Nurses
1963-1965
TV Series
Detective Roberts / Detective Al Roberts / 2nd Detective