Actor. He is probably best remembered for his portrayal of 'Marshal Micah Torrance' in the ABC Western television program "The Rifleman," with Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford, that aired from September 1958 until April 1963. During his film career that spanned six decades from 1925 until 1981 he appeared in over 100 films and dozens of television shows. Born Peter Paul Fix in Dobbs Ferry, New York, his parents emigrated from Germany in the 1870s and his father became a brewmaster. He served in the US Navy during World War I and then began his acting career in local stage production in New York. He moved to Hollywood, California in the 1920s and worked in early films such as "The First Kiss" (1928), "Lucky Star" (1929) and "Ladies Love Brutes" (1930), and became a regular performer for the film's director, Frank Borzage, on eight other occasions. His other notable film credits include the cult classic "The Bad Seed" (1956, with Nancy Kelly and William Hopper), "The Sea Chase" (1955, with John Wayne and Lana Turner) "Giant" (1956, with Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean), "To Kill a Mockingbird' (1962, with Gregory Peck), "The Sons of Katie Elder" (1965, with John Wayne and Dean Martin), "El Dorado" (1966, with John Wayne and Robert Mitchum), "Night of the Lepus" (1972, with Stuart Whitman and Janet Leigh), "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973, with James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, and Jason Robards), and "Cahill U.S. Marshal" (1973, with John Wayne and George Kennedy). His many television credits include "Colt .45," "Zane Grey Theater," "The Texan," "The Restless Gun," "Riverboat," "Dante," "The Adventures of Superman," "Northwest Passage," "Star Trek" (the 2nd pilot series), "Perry Mason," "Kentucky Jones," "The Twilight Zone," "The F.B.I.," "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," "The Time Tunnel," "The Wild Wild West," "Daniel Boone," "Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law," "The Rockford Files," "The Six Million Dollar Man, and "Battlestar Galactica." He was married to actress Beverly Pratt from 1949 until her death in 1979 and was the father-in-law of actor Harry Carey, Jr. He died of renal failure in Los Angeles, California at the age of 82.
Actor. He is probably best remembered for his portrayal of 'Marshal Micah Torrance' in the ABC Western television program "The Rifleman," with Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford, that aired from September 1958 until April 1963. During his film career that spanned six decades from 1925 until 1981 he appeared in over 100 films and dozens of television shows. Born Peter Paul Fix in Dobbs Ferry, New York, his parents emigrated from Germany in the 1870s and his father became a brewmaster. He served in the US Navy during World War I and then began his acting career in local stage production in New York. He moved to Hollywood, California in the 1920s and worked in early films such as "The First Kiss" (1928), "Lucky Star" (1929) and "Ladies Love Brutes" (1930), and became a regular performer for the film's director, Frank Borzage, on eight other occasions. His other notable film credits include the cult classic "The Bad Seed" (1956, with Nancy Kelly and William Hopper), "The Sea Chase" (1955, with John Wayne and Lana Turner) "Giant" (1956, with Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean), "To Kill a Mockingbird' (1962, with Gregory Peck), "The Sons of Katie Elder" (1965, with John Wayne and Dean Martin), "El Dorado" (1966, with John Wayne and Robert Mitchum), "Night of the Lepus" (1972, with Stuart Whitman and Janet Leigh), "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973, with James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, and Jason Robards), and "Cahill U.S. Marshal" (1973, with John Wayne and George Kennedy). His many television credits include "Colt .45," "Zane Grey Theater," "The Texan," "The Restless Gun," "Riverboat," "Dante," "The Adventures of Superman," "Northwest Passage," "Star Trek" (the 2nd pilot series), "Perry Mason," "Kentucky Jones," "The Twilight Zone," "The F.B.I.," "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," "The Time Tunnel," "The Wild Wild West," "Daniel Boone," "Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law," "The Rockford Files," "The Six Million Dollar Man, and "Battlestar Galactica." He was married to actress Beverly Pratt from 1949 until her death in 1979 and was the father-in-law of actor Harry Carey, Jr. He died of renal failure in Los Angeles, California at the age of 82.
Bio by: William Bjornstad
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