Donald Hood Keefer (August 18, 1916 – September 7, 2014) was an American actor known for his versatility in performing comedic, as well as highly dramatic, roles. In an acting career that spanned more than 50 years, he appeared in hundreds of stage, film, and television productions. He was a founding member of The Actors Studio,[2] and he performed in both the original Broadway play and 1951 film versions of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. His longest-lasting roles on television were in 10 episodes each of Gunsmoke and Angel.
Early life and career
Born in Highspire, Pennsylvania in August 1916, Donald Keefer was the youngest of three sons of Edna (née Hood) and John E. Keefer, who worked as a butcher.[3] When he was in his early twenties, "Don" moved to New York City, where he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, graduating from that prestigious acting school in 1939. That same year, at the New York World's Fair, he performed various roles on stage in excerpts of works by William Shakespeare.[4] During the 1940s, Keefer found work as supporting characters in Broadway plays such as Junior Miss and Othello. He also began studying method acting in Manhattan as an early member of The Actors Studio.[5] In this period, he gained some early experience and performed in the new medium of television. In 1947, Keefer appeared in a televised presentation of Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night and in an episode of the anthology seriesKraft Television Theatre. The next year, he performed again on Kraft Theatre in an episode titled "The Silver Cord".
By 1949, Keefer was back on Broadway as a cast member in the acclaimed production of Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman, directed by Elia Kazan. Keefer's exposure in that play led to his first movie role, reprising his performance as Bernard in the 1951 film version of Death of a Salesman.[5] He soon appeared in other films, including The Girl in White (1952), The Caine Mutiny (1954), Six Bridges to Cross (1955), Away All Boats (1956), and Hellcats of the Navy (1957). Increasingly, however, Keefer in the 1950s began focusing on performing on the "small screen", accepting more roles in a wide variety of television series.
Later films and television
Keefer appeared in dozens of television series. He also had small roles in some feature films, including Woody Allen's Sleeper. In 1966, he played the character Irving Christiansen in the movie The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming. He also had a small role in Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone prequel “Time Element” in 1958, starring William Benedix, Darryl Hickman and Martin Balsam. Keefer gave a moving performance as Dan in The Twilight Zone S3 E8 "It's a Good Life" (1961), whose birthday party turns fatal when he opposes six year old Anthony, played by Billy Mumy.
Personal life
On May 7, 1950, Keefer married the actress Catherine McLeod, and the couple remained married for 47 years, until her death on May 11, 1997.[citation needed]
In 1957, Don played husband to Catherine on an episode of Gunsmoke titled “Wrong Man” (S2E29), his character being a homesteader turned cowardly killer and abusive husband who she finally leaves.
At the time of Catherine's death (following his retirement in acting), the Keefers were living in Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County, California.[6] The three Keefer sons are Donald McLeod, John H., and Thomas James.[7] Keefer died at the age of 98 on September 7, 2014.[8]
On Angel, Keefer portrayed the neighbor "George", husband of "Susie", a character played by Doris Singleton, a veteran of the original I Love Lucy series. Marshall Thompson (1925–1992) played Johnny Smith, a young architect and the husband of Fargé's Angel Smith character. Keefer's Angel roles include:
"Goodbye Young Lovers"
"Voting Can Be Fun" (13 October 1960)
"Angel's Temper" (10 November 1960)
"The Valedictorian" (15 December 1960)
"The Dowry" (19 January 1961)
"The Joint Bank Account" (2 February 1961)
"Call Me Mother" (9 February 1961)
"Phone Fun" (22 March 1961)
"Unpopular Mechanics" (19 April 1961)
"The Trailer" (10 May 1961)
The following are a selection of other sitcoms in which Keefer performed
The Waltons as Arnie Shimerdy in "The Go-Getter" (CBS, 1977)
Barnaby Jones as Mr. Greening in "Programmed for Killing" (1974), as Dave Blevins in "Silent Vendetta" (1976), as Professor Albertson in "The Killer on Campus" (1977), and Tully Kupper in "Target for a Wedding" (CBS, 1979)
^Garfield, David (1980). "Birth of The Actors Studio: 1947–1950". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 52. ISBN0-02-542650-8. Also [in Lewis' class were] Henry Barnard, Jay Barney, John Becher, Philip Bourneuf, Joan Chandler, Peter Cookson, Stephen Elliott, Robert Emhardt, Joy Geffen, William Hansen, Will Hare, Jane Hoffman, George Keane, Don Keefer, George Matthews, Peggy Meredith, Ty Perry, Margaret Phillips, David Pressman, William Prince, Elliot Reid, Frances Reid, Kurt Richards, Elizabeth Ross, Thelma Schnee, Joshua Shelley, Fed Stewart, John Straub, Michael Strong, John Sylvester, Julie Warren, Mary Welch, Lois Wheeler, and William Woodson.
^Yardley, William (2014). "Don Keefer, 98; had role in classic 'Twilight Zone'". The Boston Globe, September 28, 2014; updated reprint from The New York Times. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
^Yardley, The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
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