Lyle Bettger
Known for Acting · 54 credits
- Born
- 1915-02-13
- Died
- 2003-09-24
- Place of birth
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Also known as
- Lyle Stathem Bettger
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lyle S. Bettger (February 13, 1915 – September 24, 2003) was a character actor known most for his Hollywood roles from the 1950s, typically portraying villains. He is perhaps most recognisable as the wrathfully jealous elephant handler Klaus from the Oscar winning film The Greatest Show on Earth (1952).
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lyle was the son of Frank Bettger, who was an infielder for the St Louis Cardinals. An enthusiastic fan of cinema, Lyle left school in his late teens with the ambition of becoming an actor.
Bettger graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. His theatrical debut was in Brother Rat at the Biltmore Theatre in New York City in 1936. After a period languishing in small-time theatre he landed the lead role in the Broadway production of The Flying Gerardos in 1940. When Paramount sent a talent scout to see the show, Bettger was signed on a three-year contract.
Bettger's movie career began when he was cast as the lead in the film noir No Man of Her Own (1950). He soon became a regular on the set of Westerns such as Denver and Rio Grande (1952), The Great Sioux Uprising (1953), Drums Across the River (1954), The Lone Ranger (1956) and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). Lyle developed a reputation for playing the bad guy and excelled in villainous roles such as the menacing Joe Beacom in Union Station (1950) and the cold-blooded Nazi Chief Officer Kirchner in The Sea Chase (1955).
Known For
Mannix
1967
The Rifleman
1958
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Otis Klepper / Dr. Sartain / Jonathan Kaye / Malcolm Rhodes / Dr. Fleming / General Dexter / Karl Norton
Combat!
1962
as Capt. Brauer
Daniel Boone
1964
as Lehman Henderson / Joseph Montgomery
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Sheriff Griff Evans / U.S. Marshal John Welker
TV Shows (25)
Mannix
1967
The Rifleman
1958
Hawaii Five-O
1968
as Otis Klepper / Dr. Sartain / Jonathan Kaye / Malcolm Rhodes / Dr. Fleming / General Dexter / Karl Norton
Combat!
1962
as Capt. Brauer
Daniel Boone
1964
as Lehman Henderson / Joseph Montgomery
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956
as Sheriff Griff Evans / U.S. Marshal John Welker
Burke's Law
1963
as Captain Donahue
Rawhide
1959
as Major Victor Darius / Dan Madox / Richard Whiting
Gunsmoke
1955
as Polk
Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963
as Ted Johnson
The Time Tunnel
1966
as Maj. Hoffman
The Deputy
1959
as Aces Thompson
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
Laramie
1959
Police Story
1973
The Tall Man
1960
Mr. Novak
1963
as Brigham
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Joe
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
as Phil Ross
Law of the Plainsman
1959
as Sheriff Max Chaffee
Cimarron Strip
1967
Grindl
1963
Blue Light
1966
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Sheriff Matt Saver / Self - Host
The Court of Last Resort
1957
as Sam Larsen
Movies (29)
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
1957
as Ike Clanton
Nevada Smith
1966
as Jack Rudabough
The Greatest Show on Earth
1952
as Klaus
The Hawaiians
1970
as Janders
La Classe américaine
1993
as Famous Man (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Lone Ranger
1956
as Reece Kilgore
The Sea Chase
1955
as Chief Officer Kirchner
Return of the Gunfighter
1967
as Clay Sutton
Destry
1954
as Phil Decker
Impasse
1969
as Hansen
Union Station
1950
as Joe Beacom
The Vanquished
1953
as Roger Hale
Hurricane Smith
1952
as Clobb
No Man of Her Own
1950
as Stephen Morley
Drums Across the River
1954
as Frank Walker
Dear Brat
1951
as Baxter
Denver and Rio Grande
1952
as Johnny Buff
All I Desire
1953
as Dutch Heineman
Showdown at Abilene
1956
as Dave Mosely
Carnival Story
1954
as Frank Colloni
Town Tamer
1965
as Lee Ring
Johnny Reno
1966
as Jess Yates
Forbidden
1953
as Justin Keit
The Great Sioux Uprising
1953
as Stephen Cook
The First Legion
1951
as Dr. Peter Morrell
Guns of the Timberland
1960
as Clay Bell
Gundown at Sandoval
1959
as Al Barko
M Station: Hawaii
1980
as Adm. Lincoln
The Fastest Guitar Alive
1967
as Charlie
About Lyle Bettger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lyle S. Bettger (February 13, 1915 – September 24, 2003) was a character actor known most for his Hollywood roles from the 1950s, typically portraying villains. He is perhaps most recognisable as the wrathfully jealous elephant handler Klaus from the Oscar winning film The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lyle was the son of Frank Bettger, who was an infielder for the St Louis Cardinals. An enthusiastic fan of cinema, Lyle left school in his late teens with the ambition o… With 54 credits spanning from 1950 to 1993, Lyle Bettger has appeared in 29 films and 25 TV shows.
Fans searching for Lyle Bettger movies, Lyle Bettger filmography, or the latest projects starring Lyle Bettger can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Lyle Bettger Movies
- Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) — as Ike Clanton
- Nevada Smith (1966) — as Jack Rudabough
- The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) — as Klaus
- The Hawaiians (1970) — as Janders
- La Classe américaine (1993) — as Famous Man (archive footage) (uncredited)
Where to Watch Lyle Bettger Films
Most Lyle Bettger 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 Lyle Bettger, check our movies catalogue and browse page.