Actor. He is best remembered for his recurring portrayal of the hotel clerk Howie Uzzell on the sitcom "Gunsmoke". After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, he settled in San Francisco, California, and began his career as a radio performer whose first professional work consisted of voicing the title character on the 1948 edition of "The Adventures of Ellery Queen". While performing on the radio serial "Defense Attorney", he was befriended by his co-star Mercedes McCambridge, whom later befriended him. Impressed by his articulate voice, professionalism, and charming manners, she arranged for him to begin a career in the film and television industry via her connections among the major studios and he made his debut in a supporting role on the television show "Apartment 4A". From there, he would go on to flourish as a notable character actor appearing in over 60 features; often typecast as husbands, fathers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, sidekicks, best friends, cowboys, sheriffs, policemen, detectives, reporters, clergymen, curmudgeons, landlords, neighbors, newscasters, retail clerks, managers, gunsmiths, aristocrats, foremen, bartenders, eccentrics, historical figures, and patriarchs. He appeared in such feature films as "Time Table" (1956), "The Black Whip" (1957), "Cattle Empire" (1958), "Hot Car Girl" (1958), "Something's Happened to Dexter" (1969), "The Barefoot Executive" (1971), "Shampoo" (1975), "The Bad News Bears" (1976), "Brigham" (1977), "The Swarm" (1978), and "Halloween II" (1981). During the advent of television, he flourished as a household name appearing in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Gang Busters," "Space Patrol," "Treasury Men in Action," "The Man Behind the Badge," "Dragnet," "The Adventures of Charlie Chan," "How to Marry a Millionaire," "Perry Mason," "Union Pacific," "The Third Man," "Black Saddle," "Hotel de Paree," "Zane Grey Theatre," "The Twilight Zone," "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," "The Untouchables," "Family Affair," "Land of the Giants," "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," "The Brady Bunch," "Mannix," "Adam-12," "Blind Ambition," "CHiPs," "Barnaby Jones," "Code Red," and "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century". During his career, he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, had been a vocal coach for the Pasadena Playhouse, was an active member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, had been a regular parishioner of the Catholic church, served as a chairman for his local charters of the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, was the celebrity spokesman for Papermate, and he was married to fellow actresses Maxine Born from 1939 to 1949 and Lois Hayes from 1950 to 1984 (his first union ended in divorce and his second union ended upon his death and produced two children). In 1982, he retired from acting and spent the final years of his life being a regular attendee at autograph conventions, was a generous benefactor for several state parks and libraries, and was a prominent global traveler, until his death from the complications of meningitis.