Gilman Rankin
Rankin in Frontier Doctor, 1958
Born
Gilman Warren Rankin[1]

(1911-04-17)April 17, 1911
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedOctober 31, 1993(1993-10-31) (aged 82)
Orange County, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Film and television actor
Years active1949–1976

Gilman Warren Rankin (April 17, 1911 – October 31, 1993) was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing Deputy Charlie Riggs in the first season of the American western television series Tombstone Territory,[2] and for playing Woodsy Niles in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy.[3]

Life and career

Rankin was born in Boston, Massachusetts.[4] He began his career in 1949, first appearing in the film Bride of Vengeance, where he played the uncredited role of a scout.[1] He continued his career mainly appearing in film and television programs for which he played the role of Deputy Charlie Riggs in the western television series Tombstone Territory,[5] in which Rankin only appeared in its first season.[1]

Later in his career, Rankin appeared in television programs including Gunsmoke,[4] The Adventures of Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Two Faces West, Tales of Wells Fargo, Riverboat,[4] State Trooper, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, My Three Sons, Perry Mason and Shotgun Slade. He also appeared in films such as, Midnight Cowboy,[6] Fort Algiers, Roar of the Crowd, The Greatest Show on Earth, Ghost Town and Black Patch.[1] Rankin's last credit was in the film Assault on Precinct 13.[4]

Rankin died in October 1993 in Orange County, California, at the age of 82.[1][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Aaker, Everett (1997). Television Western Players of the Fifties: A Biographical Encyclopedia of All Regular Cast Members in Western Series, 1949-1959. McFarland. p. 434. ISBN 9780786402847 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Sheriff Becomes Target For Outlaw Guns". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. December 29, 1957. p. 74. Retrieved November 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Closed access icon
  3. ^ "New western". The Windsor Star. Windsor, Ontario, Canada. September 14, 1968. p. 42. Retrieved November 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Closed access icon
  4. ^ a b c d e Kotar, S.L.; Gessler, J.E. (December 2009). Riverboat: The Evolution of a Television Series, 1959-1961. BearManor Media. p. 220. ISBN 9781593935054 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Brode, Douglas (January 1, 2010). Shooting Stars of the Small Screen: Encyclopedia of TV Western Actors, 1946–Present. University of Texas Press. p. 92. ISBN 9780292783317 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "Joins Cast". The Ottawa Journal. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. September 13, 1968. p. 10. Retrieved November 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Closed access icon

External links

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