John Crawford (actor)


John Crawford was an American actor. He appeared in a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone, called "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim", and in several Gunsmoke episodes. He had a key role in the 1975 film Night Moves, a crime thriller starring Gene Hackman. He also played the mayor of San Francisco in 1976's The Enforcer, the third Dirty Harry film featuring Clint Eastwood, as well as the Chief Engineer in Irwin Allen's classic 1972 box-office smash and disaster-film epic The Poseidon Adventure.

Life and career

Crawford was born in Colfax, Washington, and studied at the School of Drama at the University of Washington. In films from the 1940s, Crawford appeared in bit parts for many years before playing leads in several films in the United Kingdom in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
In 1960 in the UK, he appeared in Danger Man in the episode entitled "The Girl in the Pink Pajamas" as Dr. Keller.
When he returned to the United States, he played supporting roles in several films but was more prolific on TV in character roles, in scores of series such as State Trooper, Gunsmoke, The Twilight Zone, Combat!, The Fugitive, Harry O, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Wheels, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Incredible Hulk, The Time Tunnel, Mannix, Lost in Space, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Hogan's Heroes, The Rockford Files and most notably as Sheriff Ep Bridges on CBS' The Waltons.
Crawford co-wrote the screenplay of the film The Ballad of Cable Hogue, directed by Sam Peckinpah. In addition to appearing with James Arness in 14 episodes of Gunsmoke, he was in two episodes of Arness' subsequent western series How the West Was Won and in two episodes of Arness' subsequent police detective series McClain's Law.
His other notable silver screen turns include the investigating State Trooper in I Saw What You Did, the Chief Engineer in The Poseidon Adventure, Callahan in The Towering Inferno, and as Brian Deering in The Boogens.

Death

Crawford died from a stroke eight days past his 90th birthday. According to Variety, he died in Newbury Park, California and was survived by his longtime companion and former wife, Ann Wakefield.

Selected filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1944ThoroughbredsUncredited
1945The Phantom of 42nd StreetJohn Carraby
1946Without ReservationsSoldierUncredited
1946The Time of Their LivesDandy at PartyUncredited
1948G-Men Never ForgetDuke, Dictaphone Boobytrap ThugSerial; Ch. 5; Uncredited
1948Dangers of the Canadian MountedDanton, Henchman
1948Sons of AdventureGeorge Norton, Cameraman
1948Adventures of Frank and Jesse JamesAmos Ramsey
1949Ghost of ZorroMulvaneySerial; Ch. 3, 4
1949The James Brothers of MissouriMr. CarsonUncredited
1949Radar Patrol vs. Spy KingSandsSerial; Chs. 7-8
1950Chain LightningRadio OperatorUncredited
1950The Invisible MonsterHarris
1950The Asphalt JungleReporterUncredited
1950Mystery StreetReporterUncredited
1950Lonely Heart BanditsStevedore
1950Union StationHackettUncredited
1950A Life of Her OwnPhotographerUncredited
1950Right CrossPhotographerUncredited
1950Cyrano de BergeracCadet
1951Cuban FireballPhotographerUncredited
1951Raton PassSam
1951I Was A Communist for the FBIFBI Agent McGowanUncredited
1951Hollywood Story1st DetectiveUncredited
1951Show BoatHotel ClerkUncredited
1951The Red Badge of CourageSoldierUncredited
1951HoneychileMarvin McKay
1951Man in the SaddleIsham RiderUncredited
1951Northwest TerritoryLeBeau
1952The Greatest Show on EarthJack, Circus AttendantUncredited
1952ScaramoucheVignonUncredited
1952Actor's and SinMovie HeroSegment "Woman of Sin"
1952Zombies of the StratosphereRoth
1952Blackhawk: Fearless Champion of FreedomChuck
1952Old Oklahoma PlainsChuck Ramsey
1952The RingCop in DinerUncredited
1952Son of Geronimo: Apache AvengerAce DevlinSerial; Chs. 1-9
1952Invasion U.S.A.Man in BarUncredited
1952Stop, You're Killing MeState TrooperUncredited
1953Star of TexasTexas Ranger Stockton
1953Marshal of Cedar RockChris Peters, Henchman
1953SalomeGuardUncredited
1953Serpent of the NileCaptain Domitius
1953Rebel CityJoe Spencer
1953Mission Over KoreaTech SergeantUncredited
1953Conquest of CochiseCapt. BillUncredited
1953The Great Adventures of Captain KiddCapt. KiddChs. 1-13
1953The Big HeatAl, Bannion's Brother-in-LawUncredited
1953Slaves of BabylonAvil, Belshazzar's Chief Soldier
1953Prisoners of the CasbahGuardUncredited
1953Three Sailors and a GirlShore PatrolmanUncredited
1953Man CrazyFarmer
1954Trader Tom of the China SeasBill Gaines
1954The Battle of Rogue RiverCapt. Richard Hillman
1954Jesse James vs. the DaltonsGang MemberUncredited
1954Captain Kidd and the Slave GirlBonnett
1958The KeyAmerican Captain
1958Blind SpotDoctor
1958Orders to KillMaj. Kimball
1958Intent to KillBoyd
1958Floods of FearJack Murphy
1959John Paul JonesGeorge Washington
1959Solomon and ShebaJoab
1960Hell Is a CityDon Starling
1960I Aim at the StarsDr. BoscoWhite Sands, New Mexico
1960Piccadilly Third StopJoe Preedy
1960The Man Who Was NobodySouth Africa Smith
1960ExodusCaptain Hank Schlosberg
1961The ImpersonatorSgt. Jimmy Bradford
1961The Long ShadowKelly
1962The 300 SpartansAgathon the Spartan Spy
1962The Longest DayCol. CaffeyUncredited
1963Come Fly with MeCo-Pilot
1963Captain SindbadAram
1963Jason and the ArgonautsPolydeucesUncredited
1963The VictorsU.S. Army Captain at rest area
1964The Americanization of EmilyChief Petty Officer Paul Adams
1965The Greatest Story Ever ToldAlexander
1965I Saw What You DidState Trooper
1966Duel at DiabloClay Dean
1967Return of the GunfighterButch Cassidy
1967The Galileo SevenStar Trek Episode
1969The RavineCaptain Keller
1971J. W. CoopRancher
1972–1981The WaltonsSheriff Ep BridgesTV Series
1972Napoleon and SamanthaDesk Sergeant
1972Trouble ManSergeant Koeppler
1972The Poseidon AdventureChief Engineer
1973The Severed ArmDoctor Ray Sanders
1974The Towering InfernoCallahan
1975Night MovesTom Iverson
1976The EnforcerThe Mayor
1977Outlaw BluesBuzz Cavenaugh
1979TiltMickey
1979Hollywood KnightJosh
1979DreamerRiverboat Captain
1979The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides AgainCaptain Sherick
1981Elvis and the Beauty QueenVernon Presley
1981The BoogensBrian Deering
1981The Other Victim
1981McClain's LawSalvi
1984Yak's Best RideDirector
1989Grave SecretsHomer