Walter Sande
Walter Sande was an American character actor, known for numerous supporting film and television roles.
Films
Born in Denver, Colorado, he was one of those stern, heavyset character actors in Hollywood no person could recognize by name. Sande showed an early interest in music as a youth and by his college years managed to start his own band. This led to a job as musical director for 20th Century-Fox's theater chain, which, in turn, led him to acting in films beginning in 1937. Usually providing atmospheric bits with no billing, he made an initial impression in serial cliffhangers as a third-string heavy with the popular The Green Hornet Strikes Again! and Sky Raiders.
His first top featured role, however, would come with The Iron Claw as Jack "Flash" Strong, a photographer who, uncharacteristically for Walter, served as a comic sidekick to our serial hero. He also had a role in another serial as Red Pennington, the amusing sidekick to Don Winslow of the Navy. He repeated his role again in Don Winslow of the Coast Guard, the successful sequel.
The Pennington role would spark a long and steady career in movies, usually a step or two behind Hollywood's elite, in To Have and Have Not, in Along Came Jones, The Blue Dahlia, Dark City and Bad Day at Black Rock, among hundreds of others. A regular authoritative presence in such classic sci-fi films as Red Planet Mars, The War of the Worlds and Invaders from Mars, he also had a recurring featured part in the 1940s Boston Blackie film series playing Detective Matthews alongside Chester Morris, former thief-turned-crime hero.
Television
A primary support player during the "Golden Age" of television, Sande worked on nearly every popular western and crime show available in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including Johnny Ringo. In 1949, he played Sheriff Taylor in the three-part The Lone Ranger television premiere, as he helped the masked man and Tonto capture the Butch Cavendish gang. He made 15 appearances on Dragnet, starring Jack Webb, usually portraying Chief of Detectives Thad Brown or some other high-ranking LAPD officer. In 1960, he made a guest appearance on Perry Mason as circus co-owner and murder victim Judson Curtis in "The Case of the Clumsy Clown." In 1965, he appeared in the Lost in Space episode "Return from Outer Space" as Sheriff Baxendale.
He had a regular series role on the syndicated The Adventures of Tugboat Annie as Captain Horatio Bullwinkle, Annie's rival, and a recurring one as Lars "Papa" Holstrum, on The Farmer's Daughter. He guest starred on the syndicated adventure series Rescue 8, starring Jim Davis and Lang Jeffries; in David Janssen's CBS crime drama Richard Diamond, Private Detective; on the ABC western series The Rebel, starring Nick Adams; on the CBS military sitcom/drama Hennesey with Jackie Cooper; on the ABC/Warner Brothers western series The Alaskans, starring Roger Moore, and in an episode of the NBC 1960s western series Redigo, starring Richard Egan, and in a 1966 episode of Lassie as store owner Tom of Pine Lake. In 1963 he appeared as
Ralph Hayden on the TV western The Rifleman in the episode titled "The Guest." In 1970 he appeared as Graham on the TV western The Virginian in the episode titled "The Mysterious Mr. Tate."
Death
Sande died of a heart attack at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois in 1972, at the age of 65.
Selected filmography
Films
The Goldwyn Follies as Westinghouse – Third Auditioning Singer Arson Gang Busters as OscarLadies in Distress as DuncanSmashing the Rackets as Hospital Interne Army Girl as Soldier Tenth Avenue Kid as Detective FaberMr. Doodle Kicks Off as Himself – Student Band Leader The Mad Miss Manton as Jim – Investigator for Peter The Great Waltz as Revolutionary The Mysterious Miss X as Taxi Cab Driver The Great Man Votes as Radio Newscaster in Montage Blondie Meets the Boss as 2nd Mailman Missing Daughters as Snoop Good Girls Go to Paris as Railroad Ticket Agent The Man They Could Not Hang as Reporter at Typewriter Those High Grey Walls as Convict A Woman Is the Judge as Reporter Eternally Yours as Ralph, Gloria's Husband Scandal Sheet as HurleyMr. Smith Goes to Washington as Newspaperman with Pipe Beware Spooks! as Policeman Sued for Libel as Court Clerk Blondie Brings Up Baby as Policeman The Amazing Mr. Williams as Police Stenographer Music in My Heart as Process Server Convicted Woman as Cop Millionaire Playboy as Worried Pedestrian Men Without Souls as First ReporterYou Can't Fool Your Wife as Mr. Gillespie, Jr.Pop Always Pays as Insurance Investigator Angels Over Broadway as Lunch Wagon Counterman So You Won't Talk as Cop Sandy Gets Her Man as Fireman Arizona as Lieutenant Chapin Flight Command as Officer on Downed Seaplane The Green Hornet Strikes Again! as Thug Boss at Gold Star Warehouse Kitty Foyle as Trumpeter Meet Boston Blackie as Officer at Amusement Park Footsteps in the Dark as Sailor at Burlesque Theater Sky Raiders as Irene's Pilot-Henchman Citizen Kane as Reporter at Xanadu Adventure in Washington as Elevator Operator Blondie in Society as Pincus' Dog Handler Sweetheart of the Campus as Football Player Sergeant York as Sergeant on March Parachute Battalion as Medical OfficerThe Iron Claw as Jack 'Flash' StrongMystery Ship as Sailor Down in San Diego as Sergeant Navy Blues as Marine Military Policeman Great Guns as Blue Army Soldier Capturing Stan and Ollie Secrets of the Lone Wolf as Squad Car Officer Sing for Your Supper as Irv Confessions of Boston Blackie as Detective MathewsSealed Lips as Investigator Gene BlakeFreckles Comes Home as "Muggsy" Dolan, aka Jack LeachDon Winslow of the Navy as Lt. Red PenningtonBlue, White and Perfect as Sailor Carson The Bugle Sounds as Headquarters Sergeant Jail House Blues as Fudge To the Shores of Tripoli as Pharmacist's Mate Two Yanks in Trinidad as Soldier Alias Boston Blackie as Detective MathewsTramp, Tramp, Tramp! as Guard Who Is Hope Schuyler? as Chauffeur Sweetheart of the Fleet as Daffy DillTortilla Flat as Cannery Foreman Wings for the Eagle as Lockheed Worker Getting Parts Priorities on Parade as Bus Driver Timber as SandyA-Haunting We Will Go as Expressman Berlin Correspondent as Red – Reporter Iceland as Marine The War Against Mrs. Hadley as War Department Desk Clerk My Sister Eileen as Jackson – Policeman Highways by Night as Lippy Hogan Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood as Detective Sergeant Mathews Commandos Strike at Dawn as Otto – German Soldier Air Force as Joe – Mechanic at Clark Field Reveille with Beverly as Pvt. Puckett aka CanvassbackThe Purple V as Otto HornerSalute for Three as Sailor After Midnight with Boston Blackie as Det. Sgt. Mathews Slightly Dangerous as Reporter He Hired the Boss as Marine Don Winslow of the Coast Guard as Lt. 'Red' PenningtonTaxi, Mister as Police Detective They Came to Blow Up America as Coast Guard Desk Chief Corvette K-225 as EvansSon of Dracula as Mac, Deputy The Chance of a Lifetime as Detective Sgt. Matthews Gung Ho! as McBrideA Guy Named Joe as Sande – Mess Sergeant This Is the Life as Joe Henry Aldrich's Little Secret as Newspaper Reporter I Love a Soldier as Sgt. Lionel 'Stiff' BanksThe Singing Sheriff as ButchTo Have and Have Not as JohnsonAlong Came Jones as Ira WaggonerWhat Next, Corporal Hargrove? as Maj. KingbyThe Daltons Ride Again as WilkinsThe Spider as Det. Lt. Walter CastleThe Blue Dahlia as HeathNo Leave, No Love as SledgehammerNocturne as HalbersonThe Red House as Don Brent The Woman on the Beach as Otto WerneckeWild Harvest as LongChristmas Eve as Mario's HoodKiller McCoy as Bill ThorneThe Prince of Thieves as Little John Perilous Waters as FranklinHalf Past Midnight as Det. Lt. MacDonaldWallflower as Police Officer Blonde Ice as Hack DoyleMiss Mink of 1949 as Sean O'MulvaneyBad Boy as Texas Oil Man Tucson as George ReevesCanadian Pacific as Mike BranniganRim of the Canyon as Jake FargoJoe Palooka in the Counterpunch as AustinStrange Bargain as Sgt. CordDakota Lil as Butch CassidyThe Kid from Texas as CroweA Woman of Distinction as Charlie – Motorcycle Cop 711 Ocean Drive as Auto Repair Mechanic Dark City as SwedeThe Du Pont Story as Tom CooperCall Me Mister as Military Policeman #106 Payment on Demand as SwansonRawhide as Flowers A Place in the Sun as Art Jansen – George's AttorneyFort Worth as Deputy WallerThe Basketball Fix as Nat BeckerWarpath as Sgt. ParkerTomorrow Is Another Day as SheriffThe Racket as Precinct Sgt. Jim DelaneyRed Mountain as BenjieI Want You as Ned IversonMutiny as Mr. Stone, USN Red Planet Mars as Admiral Bill CareyThe Duel at Silver Creek as Pete FargoThe Steel Trap as Customs InspectorBomba and the Jungle Girl as Mr. WardThe Legend of the Lone Ranger as Sheriff TaylorThe War of the Worlds as Sheriff Bogany Invaders from Mars as Police Desk Sgt. Finlay Powder River as Sam HarrisThe Great Sioux Uprising as Joe BairdThe Kid from Left Field as BarnesA Blueprint for Murder as Dist. Atty. John J. Henderson Overland Pacific as Mr. DennisonApache as Lt. Col. BeckBad Day at Black Rock as SamWichita as Clint WallaceTexas Lady as Whit SturdyAnything Goes as Alex ToddThe Maverick Queen as Sheriff WilsonCanyon River as MaddoxGun Brothers as Yellowstone KellyDrango as Dr. BlairThe Iron Sheriff as Marshal EllisonJohnny Tremain as Paul RevereLast Train from Gun Hill as Sheriff BartlettOklahoma Territory as Marshal Pete RosslynNoose for a Gunman as Marshal Tom EvansThe Gallant Hours as Capt. Horace KeysSunrise at Campobello as Capt. SkinnerThe Quick Gun as Tom MorrisonYoung Dillinger as JudgeI'll Take Sweden as BjorkThe Navy vs. the Night Monsters as Dr. Arthur BeechamDeath of a Gunfighter as Paul HammondCold Turkey as Tobacco Executive
Television
Public Prosecutor as Lt. EvansThe Lone Ranger Four Star Playhouse Zane Grey Theatre The Adventures of Tugboat Annie as Captain Horatio BullwinkleTales of Wells Fargo Wanted Dead or Alive - featured in 1 episode as Pat GarrettLaramie )Maverick as Sheriff ColemanDeath Valley Days Gunsmoke The Dick Powell Theatre as Al CooperBonanza Lost in Space as Sheriff George BaxendaleThat Girl as Max Cochran - appeared a year later in a reworked version of the pilot episodeLassie as store owner TomThe Wild Wild West as Colonel CrockettRango as SheriffBewitched as GiddingsThe Doris Day Show Michael O'Hara the Fourth as John Parsons