Don Porter
Acting
Donald "Don" Porter (September 24, 1912 –February 11, 1997) was an American actor who appeared in a number of films since the 1940s, including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron. On television, he portrayed the widowed father of 15-year-old Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field) in the 1965 ABC sitcom Gidget. Besides his work in film and television, Porter was active on stage, as he acted in more than 200 plays, including The Front Page, Plaza Suite, and Any Wednesday. He appeared in various films in the 1940s before landing the role of Peter Sands, the boss of Susan Camille MacNamara (Ann Sothern), on the 1950s sitcom Private Secretary. A retooled version of the series appeared later, titled The Ann Sothern Show. It featured many of the same actors, including Porter as hotel manager James Devery in the venue of a fashionable New York City hotel. He later guest starred on episodes of Green Acres, Love, American Style, The Mod Squad, Barnaby Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O, Three's Company (on which he played Jack Tripper's uncle), and Switch.
Known for
Acting74
tvMatlock
1986
Erskine Tate
tvHotel
1982
Jonathan Corry
movieThe Ghosts of Buxley Hall
1980
Judge Oliver Haynes
movieThe Last Song
1980
Philip Brockhurst
movieThe Murder That Wouldn't Die
1980
Gen. Rocky Jensen
movieTropic of Desire
1979
Commodore Phillips
tvDallas
1978
Matt Devlin
tvThe Love Boat
1977
Slade Summerhill
tvSwitch
1975
Paul Lorimer / Salvensen
movieThe Legend of Lizzie Borden
1975
George Robinson
movieMurder or Mercy
1974
Henry Balin
movieMame
1974
Mr. Upson
movieThe Morning After
1974
Rudy King
tvThe Six Million Dollar Man
1974
Dr. Stanley Bacon
movie40 Carats
1973
Mr. Latham
movieThe Norliss Tapes
1973
Sanford T. Evans
tvBarnaby Jones
1973
Jeremy Markham
movieThe Candidate
1972
Senator Crocker Jarmon
movieLive a Little, Love a Little
1968
Mike Lansdown
tvHere's Lucy
1968
Ken Richards
tvHawaii Five-O
1968
Jonathan Cavel / Alex Kelsey
tvThe F.B.I.
1965
Mason Hammond
tvGidget
1965
Professor Russell Lawrence
movieYoungblood Hawke
1964
Ferdie Lax
movieGidget Goes to Rome
1963
Russell Lawrence
Vacation Playhouse
1963
Battersea, The Housekeeper
movieBachelor in Paradise
1961
Thomas W. Jynson
movieDesk Set
1957
Don the Elevator Operator (uncredited)
movieOur Miss Brooks
1956
Lawrence Nolan
movieBecause You're Mine
1952
Captain Burton Nordell Loring
movieThe Savage
1952
Running Dog
movieThe Turning Point
1952
Joe Silbray
movieCripple Creek
1952
Denver Jones
movieThe Fallbrook Story
1952
Narrator
movieThe Racket
1951
R. G. Connolly
movieMrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
1950
Myron Brynk
movie711 Ocean Drive
1950
Larry Mason
movieMy Friend Irma Goes West
1950
Mr. Brent
movieBuck Privates Come Home
1947
Capt. Christie
movieWild Beauty
1946
Dr. Dave Morrow
movieDanger Woman
1946
Professor Claude Ruppert
movieCuban Pete
1946
Roberts
movieShe-Wolf of London
1946
Barry Lanfield
movieResisting Enemy Interrogation
1944
Lt. Frank L. Williams, Jr. - American Co-pilot
movieHow to Fly the B-26 Airplane
1944
Captain Dick
movieReconnaissance Pilot
1943
Camera Instructor
movieMadame Spy
1942
David Bannister
movieWho Done It?
1942
'Murder at Midnight' program manager
movieNight Monster
1942
Dick Baldwin
movieEyes of the Underworld
1942
Edward Jason
movieEagle Squadron
1942
Ramsey
movieTop Sergeant
1942
Al Bennett
movieMystery of the White Room
1939
Dr. Donald Fox
Directing1
tvGidget
1965
Director