Bert Freed
Known for Acting · 127 credits
- Born
- 1919-11-03
- Died
- 1994-08-02
- Place of birth
- The Bronx, New York USA
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Bert Freed (November 3, 1919 — August 2, 1994) was a prolific American character actor, voice over actor, and the first actor to portray "Detective Columbo" on television.
Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, Freed began acting while attending Penn State University, and made his Broadway debut in 1942. Following World War II Army service in the European Theatre, he appeared in the Broadway musical The Day Before Spring in 1945 and dozens of television shows between 1947 and 1985. His film debut occurred, oddly enough, in a musical Carnegie Hall (1947). A prominent role was as the villainous Ryker in the television series Shane, in which Freed added a unique touch of realism by beginning the show clean-shaven and growing a beard from one week to the next, never shaving again through the season.
Freed played Columbo in a live 1960 episode of the "Chevy Mystery Theatre" seven years before Peter Falk played the role. Thomas Mitchell also played the part on stage prior to Falk's version, which is probably where many of the eccentric Columbo traits originated; only a few were visible in Freed's straightforward interpretation, although the character as played by Freed is recognizably Columbo.
He appeared (sometimes more than once) in television shows such as The Rifleman, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Big Valley,The Virginian, Mannix, Barnaby Jones, Charlie's Angels, Then Came Bronson, Run For Your Life, Get Smart, The Lucy Show, Hogan's Heroes, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, Perry Mason, Combat!, Petticoat Junction, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Route 66, Ironside, The Green Hornet, The Munsters, and many, many more. He directed one episode of T.H.E. Cat.
Known For
TV Shows (73)
Perry Mason
1957
as Ken Woodman / Harry Parker / Carl Holman / Joe Marshall
The Rifleman
1958
Ironside
1967
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
Mannix
1967
Get Smart
1965
as Badeff
The Virginian
1962
as Milo Henderson / Jason Ainsworth
Mission: Impossible
1966
as Leon Chandler / Gen. Brenner
Petticoat Junction
1963
as Detective Horton
Knight Rider
1982
as Anthony Solan
Hogan's Heroes
1965
as Maj. Bernsdorf
Charlie's Angels
1976
as Stambler
Peter Gunn
1958
Dr. Kildare
1961
as Dr. Donald White / Director
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
as Al Rago
The Lucy Show
1962
as Miller
Run for Your Life
1965
as Sheriff Parsons
Studio One
1948
as Chick / Malone / Mike Jannis / Lt. Burke
Combat!
1962
as Sgt. Weber
Route 66
1960
Cannon
1971
The Big Valley
1965
as Judge Ben Coulter / Henry Marvin / Homer Roberts
Gunsmoke
1955
as Al Clovis / Chris Thornton
Barnaby Jones
1973
as Det. Capt. Ben Wyatt
The High Chaparral
1967
as Telford Burris
Ben Casey
1961
The Outer Limits
1963
as Joe Hayden
The Fall Guy
1981
The Rookies
1972
77 Sunset Strip
1958
McCloud
1970
as Packy Keefe
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Capt. Harvey Ellison / Cooper
The Munsters
1964
The Partridge Family
1970
as Mr. Sharp
The Millionaire
1955
as M / Sgt. Matthew Brogan
Johnny Staccato
1959
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
Adventures in Paradise
1959
as Michael Dannora
Vega$
1978
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959
The Detectives
1959
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
Police Story
1973
The Mod Squad
1968
Mr. Novak
1963
as Lorimer
Startime
1959
as Couver
Lancer
1968
Tarzan
1966
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1974
as Capt. Akins
Arrest and Trial
1963
Riverboat
1959
as Kester
The Green Hornet
1966
as Police Sgt. Bert Clark
Cain's Hundred
1961
as Dave Reed
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
The Loner
1965
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
as Lieutenant
Tightrope
1959
Law of the Plainsman
1959
as Benson
The Thin Man
1957
The Outsider
1968
Movies (54)
Paths of Glory
1957
as Sgt. Boulanger
Hang 'em High
1968
as Schmidt
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
1962
as Ben Golden
Madigan
1968
as Chief of Detectives Hap Lynch
Nevada Smith
1966
as Quince
Love and the Midnight Auto Supply
1977
as Mayor John Randolph
Norma Rae
1979
as Sam Dakin
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
1952
as American Soldier (uncredited)
Where the Sidewalk Ends
1950
as Det. Sgt. Paul Klein
There Was a Crooked Man...
1970
as Skinner
Invaders from Mars
1953
as Police Chief A.C. Barrows
The Desperate Hours
1955
as Tom Winston
The Gazebo
1959
as Joe Jenkins
Skag
1980
as Bishop
The Cobweb
1955
as Abe Irwin
Detective Story
1951
as Det. Dakis
Men of the Fighting Lady
1954
as Lt. (jg) Andrew Szymanski
Red Mountain
1951
as Sgt. Randall
Invitation to a Gunfighter
1964
as Sheriff
The Company She Keeps
1951
as Smitty
Fate Is the Hunter
1964
as Dillon
No Way Out
1950
as Rocky Miller (uncredited)
The Long, Long Trailer
1954
as Foreman
The Swinger
1966
as Police Captain
Take the High Ground!
1953
as Sgt. Vince Opperman
The Andersonville Trial
1970
as Board of Military Judges
Halls of Montezuma
1951
as Slattery
P.J.
1968
as Police Lieutenant
In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan
1977
as Dr. Julius Korein
The Subterraneans
1960
as Bartender
Shock Treatment
1964
as Frank Josephson
Death Scream
1975
as Det. Ross
Incident at Vichy
1973
as Marchand, A Businessman
The Goddess
1958
as Lester Brackman
The Plot to Kill Stalin
1958
as Sokolovsky
Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town
1950
as Dutch (Third New York Henchman)
Wild in the Streets
1968
as Max Jacob Flatow, Sr.
Billy Jack
1971
as Mr. Stuart Posner
Twilight of Honor
1963
as Sheriff Buck Wheeler
Key to the City
1950
as Emmy's Husband
Are You My Mother?
1986
as Bert
Then Came Bronson
1969
as Editor Carson
Evel Knievel
1971
as Doc Kincaid
The Atomic City
1952
as Emil Jablons
Boomerang!
1947
as Herron, a Man in Alley Mob
Barracuda
1978
as Jack
Why Must I Die
1960
as Adler
Tangier Incident
1953
as Kozad
Breakout
1970
as Fletcher
Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase
1981
as Carlo
The Strike
1954
as Chick
Till Death
1978
as Dr. Sawyer
711 Ocean Drive
1950
as Steve Marshak (uncredited)
Unidentified Flying Objects: The True Story of Flying Saucers
1956
as Dayton Colonel
About Bert Freed
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Bert Freed (November 3, 1919 — August 2, 1994) was a prolific American character actor, voice over actor, and the first actor to portray "Detective Columbo" on television. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, Freed began acting while attending Penn State University, and made his Broadway debut in 1942. Following World War II Army service in the European Theatre, he appeared in the Broadway musical The Day Before Spring in 1945 and dozens of television shows between 1947 and 1985. His film debut occurr… With 127 credits spanning from 1947 to 1986, Bert Freed has appeared in 54 films and 73 TV shows.
Fans searching for Bert Freed movies, Bert Freed filmography, or the latest projects starring Bert Freed can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Bert Freed Movies
- Paths of Glory (1957) — as Sgt. Boulanger
- Hang 'em High (1968) — as Schmidt
- What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) — as Ben Golden
- Madigan (1968) — as Chief of Detectives Hap Lynch
- Nevada Smith (1966) — as Quince
Where to Watch Bert Freed Films
Most Bert Freed movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Bert Freed, check our movies catalogue and browse page.