Leo Vincent Gordon (December 2, 1922 - December 26, 2000) was an American film and television character actor as well as a screenplay writer and novelist. During more than forty years in film and television, he was frequently cast as a supporting actor playing brutish bad guys.
| Full Name | Leo Gordon |
| Net Worth | $600,000 |
| Date Of Birth | December 2, 1922 |
| Died | December 26, 2000, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Death Cause | Heart attack |
| Place Of Birth | New York City, New York, USA |
| Height | 1.88 m |
| Profession | Screenwriter, Novelist, Character Actor |
| Education | American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Lynn Cartwright |
| Children | Tara Gordon |
| Nicknames | Leo Gordon, Gordon, Leo |
| IMDB |
| Movies | Hondo, Riot in Cell Block 11, My Name Is Nobody, Tobruk, Gun Fury, McLintock!, The Intruder, Maverick, The Night of the Grizzly, Attack of the Giant Leeches, The Haunted Palace, The Wasp Woman, Black Patch, The Terror, The Cry Baby Killer, Kings of the Sun, Baby Face Nelson, Tarzan Goes to India, Ch... |
| TV Shows | The Case of the Dangerous Robin, Circus Boy, Enos |
| Star Sign | Sagittarius |
| # | Quote |
|---|
| 1 | [about working with John Wayne in Hondo (1953), in which Gordon played a villain who gets killed by Wayne] In the scene . . . where he kills me down by the stream, I reach for my gun and he shoots me. I buckled up and pitched forward. Wayne hollered, "Cut! Cut!", even though John Farrow was directing. Wayne says to me, "What was that? When you get hit in the gut with a slug you go flying backwards". I pulled up my shirt to show him where I'd really been shot in the gut [by police while being arrested for armed robbery many years previously]: "Yeah? I got hit point blank and I went forward". |
| 2 | [on whether he prefers screenwriting or acting] Writing is more rewarding than acting, but look at my face. Nobody believes I'm a writer. I should be 5' 8", 142 pounds, wear patches on my elbows and horn-rimmed glasses and smoke a pipe. That's a writer. |
| 3 | [on the "benefits" of playing so many heavies] You get more recognition. After all, I look like a heavy. I'm 6' 2", 200 pounds. Got a craggy-ass face. I was walking down the street in Morocco when a little kid steps out of the alley and looks at me. He runs a few feet ahead of me--turns around and looks again--he puts his hands down like he's drawing two pistols. He goes, "Bip, bip, bip!' Y'know? Like he's shooting. You figure, "Here you are, a world away from anything you're familiar with, and some little kid in an alley in Morocco recognizes you?" Once, coming down the street in Madrid with my wife, a car slides up and these guys jump out. They were a couple of photographers from the Spanish press. They spent the whole afternoon with us. |
| 4 | Westerns are fundamental . . . the morality play. There's a good guy and a bad guy. You know which is which. You don't have to go into the psyche to find out his parents were abusive . . . [the heavy is] the guy people remember. You get more recognition. |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| McLintock! | 1963 | Jones |
| Temple Houston | 1963 | TV Series | Charles Grimm |
| The Haunted Palace | 1963 | Edgar Weeden / Ezra Weeden |
| The Rifleman | 1958-1963 | TV Series | Stack Wade / Abe Jordan |
| The Andy Griffith Show | 1963 | TV Series | Luke Comstock |
| Ripcord | 1962 | TV Series |
| Cheyenne | 1955-1962 | TV Series | Dan Gibson / Greg Kirby / Lou Santell / ... |
| Empire | 1962 | TV Series | Jake |
| Tarzan Goes to India | 1962 | Bryce, Head Engineer |
| The Intruder | 1962 | Sam Griffin |
| Bronco | 1959-1962 | TV Series | Nero Hollister / Barnaby Spence |
| The Nun and the Sergeant | 1962 | Dockman |
| Tales of Wells Fargo | 1957-1961 | TV Series | Frank Lambert / Adam Kemper / Nick Breese |
| Whispering Smith | 1961 | TV Series | Bigley |
| The Roaring 20's | 1961 | TV Series | Damian |
| Lawman | 1961 | TV Series | Bull Nickerson |
| The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | 1961 | TV Series | Miggles Hannegan |
| Have Gun - Will Travel | 1957-1961 | TV Series | Moley / Harkness / Bert Talman / ... |
| The Brothers Brannagan | 1961 | TV Series | Burt Hanna |
| Coronado 9 | 1961 | TV Series | Kyte |
| Checkmate | 1960 | TV Series | Harry Briggs |
| Route 66 | 1960 | TV Series | Bernie Duncan |
| Dan Raven | 1960 | TV Series | Regis |
| Outlaws | 1960 | TV Series | Hutch |
| Bat Masterson | 1958-1960 | TV Series | Red Eric Peterson / Joe Quince |
| Mr. Lucky | 1960 | TV Series | Killer |
| The Alaskans | 1960 | TV Series | Tracy |
| Noose for a Gunman | 1960 | Link Roy |
| Tombstone Territory | 1957-1960 | TV Series | Ben Jensen / Pete Carter |
| The Untouchables | 1960 | TV Series | Pops Gantry / Whitey |
| Law of the Plainsman | 1960 | TV Series | Rand |
| Tightrope | 1960 | TV Series | Charlie Carson |
| The Deputy | 1960 | TV Series | Evan Sloate |
| Laramie | 1960 | TV Series | Rafe |
| Five Fingers | 1959 | TV Series | Lenska |
| The Jayhawkers! | 1959 | Jake Barton |
| Lock Up | 1959 | TV Series | Ed Sparks |
| The Big Operator | 1959 | Danny Sacanzi |
| Man Without a Gun | 1959 | TV Series | Matt Bercie |
| Perry Mason | 1959 | TV Series | Charles Duncan |
| Maverick | 1957-1959 | TV Series | Big Mike McComb / Mike McComb |
| 26 Men | 1958-1959 | TV Series | Sal Dupino / Stockton |
| Fury | 1959 | TV Series | Fred Berry |
| Tales of the Texas Rangers | 1958 | TV Series | Joe Brock |
| Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | 1958 | TV Series | Bill - Outlaw / Bill |
| Yancy Derringer | 1958 | TV Series | Lance Carter |
| Escort West | 1958 | Trooper Vogel |
| The Rough Riders | 1958 | TV Series | Maj. Adams |
| Frontier Doctor | 1958 | TV Series | Zip Wyatt |
| Apache Territory | 1958 | Zimmerman |
| Ride a Crooked Trail | 1958 | Sam Mason |
| The Cry Baby Killer | 1958 | Man in Crowd (uncredited) |
| Goodyear Theatre | 1958 | TV Series |
| Quantrill's Raiders | 1958 | Quantrill |
| Target | 1958 | TV Series | Joe Burns |
| The Notorious Mr. Monks | 1958 | Chip Klamp |
| State Trooper | 1956-1958 | TV Series | Dan Quirk / Ed Munger |
| Sea Hunt | 1958 | TV Series | Panicky Miner |
| Official Detective | 1958 | TV Series | Joe Kirk |
| Casey Jones | 1957 | TV Series | Deputy Marshal Martin Croy |
| Baby Face Nelson | 1957 | John Dillinger |
| The Tall Stranger | 1957 | Stark |
| The Walter Winchell File | 1957 | TV Series | Robinson |
| Black Patch | 1957 | Hank Danner |
| You Are There | 1957 | TV Series |
| Man in the Shadow | 1957/I | Chet Huneker |
| Lure of the Swamp | 1957 | Steggins, Insurance Investigator |
| The Restless Breed | 1957 | Cherokee |
| Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre | 1956-1957 | TV Series | Tim Thatcher / Joe Bendito |
| Soldiers of Fortune | 1957 | TV Series | Buck / Zimmer |
| Broken Arrow | 1956 | TV Series | Will Carr |
| 7th Cavalry | 1956 | Vogel |
| Navy Log | 1956 | TV Series | Smokey |
| Zane Grey Theater | 1956 | TV Series | Jed Scott |
| Circus Boy | 1956 | TV Series | Hank Miller |
| The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial | 1956 | TV Series |
| Screen Directors Playhouse | 1956 | TV Series | Tom Martin |
| Johnny Concho | 1956 | Mason |
| Sneak Preview | 1956 | TV Series |
| Great Day in the Morning | 1956 | Zeff Masterson |
| Crusader | 1956 | TV Series |
| The Man Who Knew Too Much | 1956 | Chauffeur (uncredited) |
| Chevron Hall of Stars | 1956 | TV Series | Gibbons |
| Lux Video Theatre | 1956 | TV Series | Augie |
| Frontier | 1955-1956 | TV Series | Pauk / Brandon / Lou |
| The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin | 1954-1956 | TV Series | Pete Cregar / Garth / Charlie |
| The Steel Jungle | 1956 | Lupo |
| Red Sundown | 1956 | Rod Zellman |
| The Conqueror | 1956 | Tartar Captain |
| Crossroads | 1955 | TV Series | Sgt. Leroy |
| Man with the Gun | 1955 | Ed Pinchot |
| Studio 57 | 1955 | TV Series |
| Tennessee's Partner | 1955 | The Sheriff |
| Robbers' Roost | 1955 | Jeff |
| Soldier of Fortune | 1955 | Big Matt |
| Santa Fe Passage | 1955 | Tuss McLawery |
| Seven Angry Men | 1955 | Martin White |
| Ten Wanted Men | 1955 | Frank Scavo |
| Waterfront | 1955 | TV Series | Alec / Throop |
| The Bamboo Prison | 1954 | Pike |
| Sign of the Pagan | 1954 | Bleda |
| The Yellow Mountain | 1954 | Drake |
| The Egyptian | 1954 | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Stories of the Century | 1954 | TV Series | Bill Doolin |
| Cavalcade of America | 1954 | TV Series |
| Fireside Theatre | 1954 | TV Series |
| Riot in Cell Block 11 | 1954 | Crazy Mike Carnie |
| The Ford Television Theatre | 1953-1954 | TV Series | Leonard |
| Hondo | 1953 | Ed Lowe |
| All the Brothers Were Valiant | 1953 | Peter How |
| Gun Fury | 1953 | Tom 'Jess' Burgess |
| City of Bad Men | 1953 | Russell (uncredited) |
| China Venture | 1953 | Sgt. Hank Janowicz |
| My Hero | 1953 | TV Series | Private Investigator |
| The Blue and White Lamp | 1952 | TV Movie as Leo V. Gordon |
| The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Hollywood Follies | 1994 | TV Movie | Wyatt Earp |
| Maverick | 1994 | Poker Player (as Leo V. Gordon) |
| SeaQuest 2032 | 1994 | TV Series | Smith |
| Mob Boss | 1990 | Video | Don O'Reily |
| Wiseguy | 1990 | TV Series | Charlie Boden |
| Alienator | 1990 | Col. Coburn |
| War and Remembrance | 1989 | TV Mini-Series | Gen. Omar Bradley |
| Saturday the 14th Strikes Back | 1988 | The Evil One (as Leo V. Gordon) |
| Big Top Pee-wee | 1988 | Joe the Blacksmith (as Leo V. Gordon) |
| St. Elsewhere | 1987-1988 | TV Series | Bjorn Johnston |
| Moonlighting | 1987 | TV Series | Warden Cosgrove |
| The Garbage Pail Kids Movie | 1987 | Guard #1 (as Leo V. Gordon) |
| Magnum, P.I. | 1987 | TV Series | Croquet Player |
| The All American Cowboy | 1985 | TV Movie |
| Savage Dawn | 1985 | Sheriff |
| Fame | 1985 | TV Series | Myron Leach |
| The Rousters | 1983 | TV Series | Unhappy Gun Buyer |
| The Rousters | 1983 | TV Movie | Unhappy Gun Buyer |
| Fire and Ice | 1983 | Jarol |
| M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers | 1983 | TV Movie | Officer Horvath |
| The Winds of War | 1983 | TV Mini-Series | General 'Train' Anderson |
| Enos | 1981 | TV Series | Sgt. Kick / Sgt. Theodore Kirk |
| Fantasy Island | 1980-1981 | TV Series | Chief Guard / The Bartender |
| Rage! | 1980 | TV Movie | Cal's Father |
| Tenspeed and Brown Shoe | 1980 | TV Series | Joe Kingman |
| Little House on the Prairie | 1979 | TV Series | Milo Stavroupolis |
| The Dukes of Hazzard | 1979 | TV Series | Devere / Rocky Marlowe |
| The Rockford Files | 1978-1979 | TV Series | Charles Martell / Charlie Martell / Clark Streeter |
| Bog | 1979 | Dr. John Warren |
| Son of Hitler | 1979 | Tuennes |
| The Lucifer Complex | 1978 | Norris (uncredited) |
| Nashville Girl | 1976 | Burt |
| Cannon | 1975 | TV Series | Jack Danvers |
| Far Out Space Nuts | 1975 | TV Series | Head of the Droneks |
| Barbary Coast | 1975 | TV Series | Chief Macdonald Keogh |
| Adam-12 | 1971-1975 | TV Series | Ken Quinnlan / Cleve / Carl Carney / ... |
| The F.B.I. | 1974 | TV Series | Drunk Driver |
| Gunsmoke | 1956-1974 | TV Series | Badger / Job Snelling / Hargis / ... |
| My Name Is Nobody | 1973 | Red |
| Marcus Welby, M.D. | 1973 | TV Series | Sgt. Lewis |
| Hec Ramsey | 1973 | TV Series | Shaneley |
| The Streets of San Francisco | 1972 | TV Series | Eddie Suslow |
| Bonnie's Kids | 1972 | Charley |
| Mod Squad | 1971-1972 | TV Series | Keller / Unit Leader |
| The Trackers | 1971 | TV Movie | Higgins |
| O'Hara, U.S. Treasury | 1971 | TV Series | Harry Wilson |
| Alias Smith and Jones | 1971 | TV Series | Ebenezer |
| The Bold Ones: The Lawyers | 1971 | TV Series | Adolph Zinner |
| The Virginian | 1962-1970 | TV Series | Loma Bartender / Big Jim Lafferty / Jack Scratch |
| McCloud | 1970 | TV Series | Officer Shannen |
| You Can't Win 'Em All | 1970 | Bolek |
| The Outcasts | 1969 | TV Series | Mark Fenner |
| Buckskin | 1968 | Travis |
| Bonanza | 1959-1968 | TV Series | Fargo Taylor / Forsythe / Early Thorne |
| The High Chaparral | 1968 | TV Series | Lije Driskill |
| Lassie | 1967 | TV Series | Bob Stokes |
| Hostile Guns | 1967 | Hank Pleasant |
| The St. Valentine's Day Massacre | 1967 | Heitler |
| Devil's Angels | 1967 | Sheriff Henderson |
| Tarzan | 1967 | TV Series | Bull Thomas |
| Mr. Terrific | 1967 | TV Series | Archie Thompson |
| Tobruk | 1967 | Sgt. Krug |
| Rango | 1967 | TV Series |
| Pistols 'n' Petticoats | 1966 | TV Series | Cyrus Breech |
| Laredo | 1965-1966 | TV Series | Wayne Emerson / Moose |
| Beau Geste | 1966 | Krauss |
| The Night of the Grizzly | 1966 | Cass Dowdy |
| Daniel Boone | 1965 | TV Series | Silas Morgan |
| Get Smart | 1965 | TV Series | Grillak |
| 12 O'Clock High | 1965 | TV Series | M / Sgt. Caber McVaigh |
| The Dictator's Guns | 1965 | Morrison |
| The Girls on the Beach | 1965 | Second Waiter (uncredited) |
| Death Valley Days | 1963-1965 | TV Series | Nate Bender |
| Kitten with a Whip | 1964 | Enders |
| Rawhide | 1959-1964 | TV Series | Chris Jenson / Daggett |
| Arrest and Trial | 1964 | TV Series | Fred Kordiak |
| Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | 1963-1964 | TV Series | Jolly Boy / Biggie |
| The Great Adventure | 1964 | TV Series | McCanles |
| Kings of the Sun | 1963 | Hunac Ceel |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| The Wasp Woman | 1995 | TV Movie 1960 screenplay |
| Bravo Two | 1977 | TV Movie writer |
| Adam-12 | 1971-1975 | TV Series written by - 21 episodes |
| Maenak America | 1975 |
| You Can't Win 'Em All | 1970 | written by - as Leo V. Gordon |
| All the Loving Couples | 1969 | novel / screenplay |
| Tobruk | 1967 | written by - as Leo V. Gordon |
| The Bounty Killer | 1965 |
| Bonanza | 1963-1965 | TV Series written by - 2 episodes |
| The Terror | 1963 | screenplay |
| Hawaiian Eye | TV Series story - 1 episode, 1963 writer - 1 episode, 1961 |
| Tower of London | 1962 | as Leo V. Gordon / story - as Leo V, Gordon |
| Lawman | 1962 | TV Series story - 1 episode |
| The Case of the Dangerous Robin | 1960-1961 | TV Series creator - 38 episodes |
| The Cat Burglar | 1961 | written by |
| Sugarfoot | 1961 | TV Series 1 episode |
| Maverick | 1960-1961 | TV Series teleplay - 4 episodes |
| Tombstone Territory | TV Series writer - 6 episodes, 1957 - 1960 written by - 1 episode, 1959 teleplay - 1 episode, 1958 |
| Valley of the Redwoods | 1960 | screenplay |
| The Wasp Woman | 1959 | screenplay |
| Attack of the Giant Leeches | 1959 | original story / screenplay |
| Bat Masterson | 1959 | TV Series written by - 1 episode |
| Escort West | 1958 | writer |
| Hot Car Girl | 1958 | writer |
| The Cry Baby Killer | 1958 | screenplay / story |
| M Squad | 1957 | TV Series teleplay - 1 episode |
| Colt .45 | 1957 | TV Series writer - 1 episode |
| Black Patch | 1957 | written by |
| State Trooper | TV Series story - 1 episode, 1957 teleplay - 1 episode, 1957 |
| Cheyenne | 1956 | TV Series story - 1 episode |
