Bert Freed
Known for Acting · 126 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 (72)
Perry Mason
1957
as Ken Woodman / Harry Parker / Carl Holman / Joe Marshall
Mannix
1967
Ironside
1967
The Rifleman
1958
Charlie's Angels
1976
as Stambler
Hogan's Heroes
1965
as Maj. Bernsdorf
Knight Rider
1982
as Anthony Solan
Petticoat Junction
1963
as Detective Horton
Mission: Impossible
1966
as Leon Chandler / Gen. Brenner
Get Smart
1965
as Badeff
The Philco Television Playhouse
1948
as Al Rago
The Virginian
1962
as Milo Henderson / Jason Ainsworth
Dr. Kildare
1961
as Dr. Donald White / Director
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
Ben Casey
1961
Studio One
1948
as Chick / Malone / Mike Jannis / Lt. Burke
Cannon
1971
Run for Your Life
1965
as Sheriff Parsons
Combat!
1962
as Sgt. Weber
The Lucy Show
1962
as Miller
The Big Valley
1965
as Judge Ben Coulter / Henry Marvin / Homer Roberts
Barnaby Jones
1973
as Det. Capt. Ben Wyatt
Route 66
1960
The High Chaparral
1967
as Telford Burris
Peter Gunn
1958
The Rookies
1972
Gunsmoke
1955
as Al Clovis / Chris Thornton
The Outer Limits
1963
as Joe Hayden
77 Sunset Strip
1958
The Fall Guy
1981
The Munsters
1964
McCloud
1970
as Packy Keefe
Adventures in Paradise
1959
as Michael Dannora
The Streets of San Francisco
1972
Vega$
1978
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Capt. Harvey Ellison / Cooper
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959
The Detectives
1959
The Partridge Family
1970
as Mr. Sharp
The Millionaire
1955
as M / Sgt. Matthew Brogan
Lancer
1968
The Mod Squad
1968
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
Tarzan
1966
Police Story
1973
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1974
as Capt. Akins
Riverboat
1959
as Kester
Startime
1959
as Couver
Mr. Novak
1963
as Lorimer
Arrest and Trial
1963
Cain's Hundred
1961
as Dave Reed
Tightrope
1959
The Green Hornet
1966
as Police Sgt. Bert Clark
Bronk
1975
Law of the Plainsman
1959
as Benson
Decoy
1957
as Lieutenant Rosenberg
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
as Lieutenant
The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967
Target: The Corruptors!
1961
The Outsider
1968
Movies (54)
Paths of Glory
1957
as Sgt. Boulanger
Hang 'em High
1968
as Schmidt
Nevada Smith
1966
as Quince
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
1962
as Ben Golden
Norma Rae
1979
as Sam Dakin
There Was a Crooked Man...
1970
as Skinner
The Gazebo
1959
as Joe Jenkins
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
1952
as American Soldier (uncredited)
Boomerang!
1947
as Herron, a Man in Alley Mob
Shock Treatment
1964
as Frank Josephson
The Desperate Hours
1955
as Tom Winston
The Subterraneans
1960
as Bartender
Detective Story
1951
as Det. Dakis
Where the Sidewalk Ends
1950
as Det. Sgt. Paul Klein
The Swinger
1966
as Police Captain
Invaders from Mars
1953
as Police Chief A.C. Barrows
P.J.
1968
as Police Lieutenant
Halls of Montezuma
1951
as Slattery
Fate Is the Hunter
1964
as Dillon
Madigan
1968
as Chief of Detectives Hap Lynch
No Way Out
1950
as Rocky Miller (uncredited)
Death Scream
1975
as Det. Ross
Twilight of Honor
1963
as Sheriff Buck Wheeler
Red Mountain
1951
as Sgt. Randall
Skag
1980
as Bishop
711 Ocean Drive
1950
as Steve Marshak (uncredited)
Invitation to a Gunfighter
1964
as Sheriff
The Goddess
1958
as Lester Brackman
The Cobweb
1955
as Abe Irwin
Men of the Fighting Lady
1954
as Lt. (jg) Andrew Szymanski
Key to the City
1950
as Emmy's Husband
The Long, Long Trailer
1954
as Foreman
The Atomic City
1952
as Emil Jablons
The Company She Keeps
1951
as Smitty
Billy Jack
1971
as Mr. Stuart Posner
The Andersonville Trial
1970
as Board of Military Judges
In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan
1977
as Dr. Julius Korein
Evel Knievel
1971
as Doc Kincaid
Wild in the Streets
1968
as Max Jacob Flatow, Sr.
Incident at Vichy
1973
as Marchand, A Businessman
Barracuda
1978
as Jack
The Plot to Kill Stalin
1958
as Sokolovsky
Love and the Midnight Auto Supply
1977
as Mayor John Randolph
Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase
1981
as Carlo
Why Must I Die
1960
as Adler
Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town
1950
as Dutch (Third New York Henchman)
Breakout
1970
as Fletcher
Then Came Bronson
1969
as Editor Carson
Take the High Ground!
1953
as Sgt. Vince Opperman
Till Death
1978
as Dr. Sawyer
Tangier Incident
1953
as Kozad
The Strike
1954
as Chick
Unidentified Flying Objects: The True Story of Flying Saucers
1956
as Dayton Colonel
Are You My Mother?
1986
as Bert
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 126 credits spanning from 1947 to 1986, Bert Freed has appeared in 54 films and 72 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
- Nevada Smith (1966) — as Quince
- What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) — as Ben Golden
- Norma Rae (1979) — as Sam Dakin
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.