American character actor specializing in villainous roles. Born in White Plains, New York to Herman E. and Franceska Lauter, he was raised in Denver, Colorado. Although it has been suggested that he appeared briefly in a couple of films during the Thirties, his real movie career began in 1946. He came to be a familiar presence in low-budget films, serials, and television programs in the 1950s, though he only once really came close to stardom, as one of the leads in the television series "Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955)". Most of his career was spent as a serviceable second lead or heavy, though he continued to play bit parts in larger pictures. The son of an artist, he devoted much of his energy late in life to his own painting and running an art gallery. He died in 1990.
Known For
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
(1971)
General Winthrop
Batman
(1966)
Mr. Merrick (uncredited)
The Day the Earth Stood Still
(1951)
Lieutenant in Charge of Landing Site
White Heat
(1949)
Man with Microphone in Car (uncredited)
Lonely Are the Brave
(1962)
Deputy in Canyon
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
(1956)
Cutting - Generator Technician (uncredited)
It Came from Beneath the Sea
(1955)
Deputy Bill Nash
Rancho Notorious
(1952)
Deputy at Gunsight (uncredited)
A Foreign Affair
(1948)
Corporal (uncredited)
The Satan Bug
(1965)
Fake SDI Agent
The Big Heat
(1953)
Hank O'Connell (uncredited)
Moonrise
(1948)
No Way Out
(1950)
Orderly (uncredited)
I Was a Male War Bride
(1949)
Naval Lt. Perkins (uncredited)
The Last Hurrah
(1958)
Votes Tallyman (uncredited)
Twelve O'Clock High
(1949)
Radio officer
Full Filmography
Acting
The Magnificent Rogue
(1946)
Boy Model
Incident
(1948)
Bill Manning
The Gay Intruders
(1948)
Male Secretary
Moonrise
(1948)
A Foreign Affair
(1948)
Corporal (uncredited)
Jungle Patrol
(1948)
Lt. Derby
Without Honor
(1949)
Ambulance Attendant
Twelve O'Clock High
(1949)
Radio officer
Alimony
(1949)
Doctor
Bandit King of Texas
(1949)
Trem Turner
The Great Dan Patch
(1949)
Bud Ransome
White Heat
(1949)
Man with Microphone in Car (uncredited)
Tucson
(1949)
George Reeves Jr.
Frontier Investigator
(1949)
Rocky's Brother
Prince of the Plains
(1949)
Tom Owens
I Was a Male War Bride
(1949)
Naval Lt. Perkins (uncredited)
The Price of Freedom
(1949)
Man in restaurant (uncredited)
Zamba
(1949)
Jim
Experiment Alcatraz
(1950)
Richard 'Dick' McKenna
Flying Disc Man from Mars
(1950)
Drake
The Showdown
(1950)
Cowhand (uncredited)
The Flying Missile
(1950)
Army Base Information Desk Clerk
711 Ocean Drive
(1950)
Flirty Man at Bar (uncredited)
Bunco Squad
(1950)
James Worth (uncredited)
No Way Out
(1950)
Orderly (uncredited)
The Great Jewel Robber
(1950)
Reporter (uncredited)
Blue Grass of Kentucky
(1950)
Dick Wentworth
When Willie Comes Marching Home
(1950)
Aide (uncredited)
Valley of Fire
(1951)
Tod Rawlings
Whirlwind
(1951)
Wade Trimble
Hills of Utah
(1951)
Henchman Evan Fox
According to Mrs. Hoyle
(1951)
Gordon Warren
The Kid from Amarillo
(1951)
Tom Mallory
Silver City Bonanza
(1951)
Pete Horne
Thunder in God's Country
(1951)
Marshal Tim Gallery
The Day the Earth Stood Still
(1951)
Lieutenant in Charge of Landing Site
Roadblock
(1951)
Saunders (uncredited)
The Racket
(1951)
Officer Mosley (uncredited)
Flying Leathernecks
(1951)
Apache Country
(1952)
Dave Kilrain
Yukon Gold
(1952)
Ace Morgan
The Steel Fist
(1952)
Franz
Talk About a Stranger
(1952)
Clarence, Bookkeeper
Sea Tiger
(1952)
Randall, alias Jon Edmum
This Woman Is Dangerous
(1952)
Trooper (Uncredited)
Rancho Notorious
(1952)
Deputy at Gunsight (uncredited)
Prince of Pirates
(1953)
Jan
The Big Heat
(1953)
Hank O'Connell (uncredited)
Fighting Lawman
(1953)
Outlaw Al Clark - aka Al Deacons
The Marshal's Daughter
(1953)
Russ Mason
Topeka
(1953)
Mack Wilson
Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders
(1953)
Constable Clark
Crime Wave
(1953)
Roadblock Officer (uncredited)
Return to Treasure Island
(1954)
Parker
Manhunt in Space
(1954)
Atlasan
The Forty-Niners
(1954)
Gambler
Crash of Moons
(1954)
Atlasan
Silver Needle in the Sky
(1954)
Atlasan
Trader Tom of the China Seas
(1954)
Tom Rogers
The Gypsy Moon
(1954)
Atlasan
Yankee Pasha
(1954)
Dick Bailey
Dragonfly Squadron
(1954)
Capt. Vedders
Dragnet
(1954)
Officer Greeley
Creature with the Atom Brain
(1955)
Reporter #1
It Came from Beneath the Sea
(1955)
Deputy Bill Nash
The Crooked Web
(1955)
Sgt. Mike Jancoweizc
Outlaw Treasure
(1955)
Jesse James
King of the Carnival
(1955)
Bert King
Dig That Uranium
(1955)
Haskell, the boss
Timber Country Trouble
(1955)
Webb, the lumberjack
Lord of the Jungle
(1955)
Pilot
At Gunpoint
(1955)
Federal Marshal
Apache Ambush
(1955)
The Werewolf
(1956)
Deputy Ben Clovey
Blonde Bait
(1956)
State Department Security Chief
Miami Exposé
(1956)
The Women of Pitcairn Island
(1956)
Ben Fish
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
(1956)
Cutting - Generator Technician (uncredited)
Death in Small Doses
(1957)
Steve Hummel / Mr. Brown
The Badge of Marshal Brennan
(1957)
Dr. Hale
Hellcats of the Navy
(1957)
Lt. (j.g.) Wes Barton
Raiders of Old California
(1957)
Scott Johnson
Girl on the Run
(1958)
Drunk
The Cry Baby Killer
(1958)
Police Lt. Porter
The Toughest Gun in Tombstone
(1958)
Joe Barger
Tarzan's Fight for Life
(1958)
Dr. Ken Warwick
Missile Monsters
(1958)
Drake
The Last Hurrah
(1958)
Votes Tallyman (uncredited)
A Date with Death
(1959)
Lt. George Caddell
The Gunfight at Dodge City
(1959)
City Marshal Ed Masterson
The Louisiana Hussy
(1959)
Clay Lanier
Buffalo Gun
(1961)
Vin
Fury River
(1961)
Posse from Hell
(1961)
Russell
The Wild Westerners
(1962)
Jud Gotch
Lonely Are the Brave
(1962)
Deputy in Canyon
The Satan Bug
(1965)
Fake SDI Agent
Convict Stage
(1965)
Ben Lattimore
Fort Courageous
(1965)
Joe
Ambush Bay
(1966)
Cpl. Alvin Ross
Batman
(1966)
Mr. Merrick (uncredited)
For Pete's Sake
(1966)
Tarzan's Jungle Rebellion
(1967)
Josh Miller
Fort Utah
(1967)
Britches
More Dead than Alive
(1969)
Doctor
Barquero
(1970)
Steele
The Todd Killings
(1971)
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
(1971)
General Winthrop
Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring
(1971)
House Party Guest (uncredited)
Superbeast
(1972)
Stewart Victor
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
(1979)
Self