Richard Hanley Jaeckel (October 10, 1926 – June 14, 1997) was an American actor of film and television. Jaeckel became a highly respected and in-demand character actor in his career, which spanned six decades. He was honored with an Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1971 adaptation of Ken Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion.
We're [he and his wife] not part of the Hollywood social scene. And we don't entertain much. We went through all that early in the going and I found that we just spent a lot of money doing absolutely nothing.
2
I've put 50 years in movies and my wife and I have traveled all over the world. I've been very lucky.
3
[on being diagnosed with melanoma cancer] I know people are pulling for me to beat this thing, but let them have a glass at the bar for me and let it go at that.
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Fact
1
He was a mail courier on the 20th Century-Fox studio lot in 1943 when a casting agent spotted him and signed him for a part in Guadalcanal Diary (1943).
2
Met actor Robert Blake while they were filming Town Without Pity (1961) and they became good friends, remaining close until the day Jaeckel died. Blake once said that Jaeckel was the only guy he had ever met who was "crazier than me".
3
In November of 1948, while he and his wife were in San Francisco, his oldest son, then 14 months old, fell into the family swimming pool and nearly drowned. His uncle, John Marches, happened to come into the backyard and find the baby.
4
In the early 1970s he and his wife owned a German Shepherd named "Cruncher". Cruncher was the name of a character he played on the Mike Connors series Tightrope (1959).
Has been in three different projects about outlaw Billy the Kid. In 1954 he played Billy the Kid in an episode of Stories of the Century (1954). In 1970 he appeared in Chisum (1970) as Jess Evans, a former sidekick of Billy the Kid, and then in 1973 he appeared in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) as Sheriff Kip McKinney, who assists in capturing the infamous outlaw.
7
Jaeckel had the distinction of being cast as an "irregular" supporting player in films alongside the likes of Paul Newman, Burt Lancaster and Glenn Ford.
8
According to Robert Osborne in "Academy Awards 1972 Oscar Annual," Jaeckel got the role in Sometimes a Great Notion (1970) when Paul Newman ran into him at Malibu Beach. Jaeckel was relaxing and swimming with his family and friends, and as Newman watched him playing with his own children, he thought that Jaeckel would be just right to play his brother in the film. Newman subsequently stood up for casting Jaeckel at later conferences with studio management, and he got the part, and an Oscar nomination.
9
Was forced to file bankruptcy in early 1994 due to a $1.7-million debt, and eventually he lost his home in Brentwood, CA, and most of his possessions. He later moved into the Motion Picture and Television Retirement Center in Woodland Hills, a retirement home for actors and other motion picture people, where he stayed for the next three years until his death in June of 1997.
10
His wife, Antoinette, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease shortly before his death.
11
Although Jaeckel was battling cancer, director Joe Dante had originally hoped that he would be able to return to work and provide the voice of Link Static for his project Small Soldiers (1998). This film reunited Jaeckel's fellow cast members from The Dirty Dozen (1967). Jaeckel died from his cancer before shooting began.
12
His son, Barry, is a former touring PGA golfer.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lawman
1961
TV Series
Al Janaker
The Tall Man
1961
TV Series
Denver
The Untouchables
1960
TV Series
Hans Eberhardt
Flaming Star
1960
Angus Pierce
The Rebel
1960
TV Series
Traskel / Deputy Roader
77 Sunset Strip
1960
TV Series
Bob Bent
Tales of Wells Fargo
1960
TV Series
Len Lassiter
The Gallant Hours
1960
Lt. Cmdr. Roy Webb
Platinum High School
1960
Hack Marlow
Zane Grey Theater
1960
TV Series
Tod Mulvey
Tightrope
1959
TV Series
Cruncher
Alcoa Theatre
1958-1959
TV Series
Spencer
Naked City
1959
TV Series
Lance
Trackdown
1959
TV Series
Frank Wilson
The Texan
1959
TV Series
Clint Gleason
Behind Closed Doors
1959
TV Series
Von Kellwitz
Cimarron City
1958
TV Series
Webb Martin
Flight
1958
TV Series
When Hell Broke Loose
1958
Karl
The Silent Service
1957-1958
TV Series
Smith / Steve
The Gun Runners
1958
Buzurki
The Millionaire
1955-1958
TV Series
John Hawley / Joey Saxon
The Naked and the Dead
1958
Gallagher
Panic!
1957-1958
TV Series
Lieutenant Wilson / Steve Bridges
The Lineup
1958
Sandy McLain
Cowboy
1958
Paul Curtis
The Gray Ghost
1958
TV Series
Wire Service
1957
TV Series
Kidnapper
Matinee Theatre
1955-1957
TV Series
Hubert Laurie
3:10 to Yuma
1957
Charlie Prince
Playhouse 90
1957
TV Series
Sgt. Luke Mertz
Crossroads
1957
TV Series
Mort Claffey
Navy Log
1957
TV Series
Lt. Gilbert Bradshaw
Studio 57
1957
TV Series
West Point
1956-1957
TV Series
Col. Bellman / Cadet Leo Tanner
Schlitz Playhouse
1957
TV Series
The 20th Century-Fox Hour
1956
TV Series
Ed Miller
Attack
1956
Pvt. Snowden
Climax!
1956
TV Series
Hordan
Front Row Center
1956
TV Series
Mitch Mullin
Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre
1955
TV Series
The Kid
Apache Ambush
1955
Lee Parker
Luke and the Tenderfoot
1955
TV Series
Sandy Burke
Producers' Showcase
1955
TV Series
Ruby
The Violent Men
1955
Wade Matlock
Kraft Theatre
1954
TV Series
The Ford Television Theatre
1954
TV Series
Joe Thompson
The Elgin Hour
1954
TV Series
Virgil Gaddis
Goodyear Playhouse
1954
TV Series
Billy
Public Defender
1954
TV Series
Jimmy Morse / Davey Davis
The Shanghai Story
1954
'Knuckles' Greer
The United States Steel Hour
1954
TV Series
Vinnie Harold
Stories of the Century
1954
TV Series
William H. Bonney alias Billy the Kid
Sea of Lost Ships
1953
Ensign H.G. 'Hap' O'Malley
Four Star Playhouse
1953
TV Series
Stanley Warren
Big Leaguer
1953
Bobby Bronson
Come Back, Little Sheba
1952
Turk Fisher
Hoodlum Empire
1952
Ted Dawson
My Son John
1952
Chuck Jefferson
The Sea Hornet
1951
Johnny Radford
The Bigelow Theatre
1951
TV Series
Fighting Coast Guard
1951
Tony Jessup
Wyoming Mail
1950
Nate
The Gunfighter
1950
Eddie
Sands of Iwo Jima
1949
Pfc. Frank Flynn
Battleground
1949
Bettis
City Across the River
1949
Bull
Jungle Patrol
1948
Lt. Dick Carter
Wing and a Prayer
1944
Beezy Bessemer
Guadalcanal Diary
1943
Pvt. Johnny ('Chicken') Anderson
Baywatch
1991-1994
TV Series
Ben Edwards
Martial Outlaw
1993
Video
Mr. White
China Beach
1991
TV Series
Dad Winslow
The King of the Kickboxers
1990
Captain O'Day
Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection
1990
John Page - DEA Agent
Ghetto Blaster
1989
Mike Henry
Panic at Malibu Pier
1989
TV Movie
Al Gibson
Supercarrier
1988
TV Series
Master Chief Sam Rivers
Murder, She Wrote
1987
TV Series
Dr. Leon Chatsworth
Spenser: For Hire
1985-1987
TV Series
Lt. Martin Quirk
Black Moon Rising
1986
Earl Windom
The Fix
1985
Charles Dale
The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission
1985
TV Movie
MP Sgt. Clyde Bowren
Cover Up
1985
TV Series
Joe Stanton
Starman
1984
George Fox
Goma-2
1984
Martin
Masquerade
1984
TV Series
The Love Boat
1984
TV Series
Frank Bannon
The Awakening of Candra
1983
TV Movie
Robert Harrison
Dallas
1983
TV Series
A.D.A. Percy Meredith
At Ease
1983
TV Series
Maj. Hawkins
Fantasy Island
1983
TV Series
Kodiak
Matt Houston
1983
TV Series
Kip Williams
Airplane II: The Sequel
1982
Controller #2 (as Richard H. Jaeckel)
Blood Song
1982
Frank Hauser
Cold River
1982
Mike Allison
King's Crossing
1982
TV Series
Josh McCall
McClain's Law
1982
TV Series
...All the Marbles
1981
Bill Dudley (Reno referee)
Little House on the Prairie
1976-1981
TV Series
Irv Hartwig / Murphy
Charlie's Angels
1980
TV Series
Bud Fischer
Herbie Goes Bananas
1980
Shepard
Reward
1980
TV Movie
Capt. Randolph
Insight
1972-1980
TV Series
Henry Burke
The $5.20 an Hour Dream
1980
TV Movie
Albert Kleinschmidt
Lou Grant
1979
TV Series
Dan Staley
Delta Fox
1979
Santana
Pacific Inferno
1979
Dealer
Salvage 1
1979
TV Series
Jack Klinger
The Dark
1979
Det. Dave Mooney
Mr. No Legs
1979
Chuck
Champions: A Love Story
1979
TV Movie
Peter Scoggin, Jr.
Centennial
1978
TV Mini-Series
Sgt. Lykes
Go West, Young Girl
1978
TV Movie
Billy
Black Sheep Squadron
1978
TV Series
Major John Duncan
Big Hawaii
1977
TV Series
Cal Seward
Carter Country
1977
TV Series
Bill Peterson
Speedtrap
1977
Billy
Kingston: Confidential
1977
TV Series
The Fantastic Journey
1977
TV Series
York
Day of the Animals
1977
Professor MacGregor
Twilight's Last Gleaming
1977
Capt. Stanford Towne
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
1974-1977
TV Series
Ed Kern / Jack Hughes
Kit Carson and the Mountain Men
1977
TV Movie
Ed Kern
The Oregon Trail
1977
TV Series
Gemini Man
1976
TV Mini-Series
Nik Radinski
McCloud
1976
TV Series
Sheriff Matheson
Mako: The Jaws of Death
1976
Sonny Stein
Jigsaw John
1976
TV Series
Sheriff
Grizzly
1976
Arthur Scott
Baretta
1976
TV Series
Downing
Joe Forrester
1976
TV Series
Ellery Queen
1975
TV Series
Nick McVey
The Kill
1975
Ming
Walking Tall Part II
1975
Stud Pardee
Cannon
1975
TV Series
Cy Carter
The Drowning Pool
1975
Franks
The Last Day
1975
TV Movie
Grat Dalton
Gunsmoke
1963-1975
TV Series
Pence Fraley / Larkin / Sean O'Ryan
Petrocelli
1974
TV Series
Sergeant Sanford
Lucas Tanner
1974
TV Series
Coach Ed Scoley
Police Story
1974
TV Series
Sergeant Wilson
Movin' On
1974
TV Series
Red Wallace
Born Innocent
1974
TV Movie
Mr. Parker
Chosen Survivors
1974
Major Gordon Ellis
Firehouse
1974
TV Series
Hank Myers
The F.B.I.
1971-1974
TV Series
Devlin / Sgt. Sam Ryker
The Outfit
1973
Kimmie Cherney
Shaft
1973
TV Series
Det. Sgt. Lew Turner
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
1973
Sheriff Kip McKinney
Partners in Crime
1973
TV Movie
Frank Jordan
The Red Pony
1973
TV Movie
James Creighton
Firehouse
1973
TV Movie
Hank Myers
Banyon
1972
TV Series
Lt. Pete McNeil
Ironside
1972
TV Series
Caesar
Ulzana's Raid
1972
Sergeant
Emergency!
1972
TV Series
Defense Attorney
Mission: Impossible
1971
TV Series
Edward Trask
O'Hara, U.S. Treasury
1971
TV Series
Barth
The Deadly Dream
1971
TV Movie
Delgreve
Sometimes a Great Notion
1970
Joe Ben Stamper
Chisum
1970
Jess Evans
Stoney
1969
Dirk
Latitude Zero
1969
Perry Lawton
The Green Slime
1968
Commander Vince Elliott
The Name of the Game
1968
TV Series
Malchek
The Devil's Brigade
1968
Pvt. Omar Greco
Bonanza
1964-1967
TV Series
Dibbs / Mitch Devlin
The Dirty Dozen
1967
Sgt. Bowren
The Wild Wild West
1966-1967
TV Series
Sergeant Stryker / Christopher Cable
The Time Tunnel
1967
TV Series
Sgt. Mueller
Once Before I Die
1966
Lt. Custer
Perry Mason
1963-1966
TV Series
Mike Woods / Willie
Town Tamer
1965
Deputy Johnny Honsinger
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1963-1965
TV Series
Milt Woodman / Boxer / Tom
Nightmare in the Sun
1965
Motorcyclist
The 26th Cavalry
1965
Suspense
1964
TV Series
The New Phil Silvers Show
1964
TV Series
Danny
The Outer Limits
1964
TV Series
Capt. Mike Doweling
The Virginian
1964
TV Series
Pat Wade
Temple Houston
1964
TV Series
Coley
Combat!
1963
TV Series
Sgt. Buxman
4 for Texas
1963
Pete Mancini
The Young and the Brave
1963
Cpl. John Estway
The Dakotas
1963
TV Series
Cal Storm
Wagon Train
1961-1963
TV Series
Bud Piper / Barker
Have Gun - Will Travel
1962
TV Series
John Tyree
Frontier Circus
1961-1962
TV Series
Tony Gentry
Town Without Pity
1961
Cpl. Birdwell "Birdie" Scott
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1961
TV Series
The Mechanic
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
100 Years of the Hollywood Western
1994
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Making of 'Sands of Iwo Jima'
1993
Video documentary short
Himself
The 44th Annual Academy Awards
1972
TV Special
Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Operation Dirty Dozen
1967
Short documentary
Himself (uncredited)
Here's Hollywood
1962
TV Series
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
How the West Was Lost
2008
TV Movie documentary
Sheriff Kip McKinney (uncredited)
Go West, Young Man!
2003
Documentary
Himself (uncredited)
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills: America's Most Heart-Pounding Movies