Woodrow Chambliss
Years active1946–1981
Birth nameWoodrow Lewis Chambliss
Birth dateOctober 14, 1914
Birth placeBowie, Texas, U.S.
Death dateJanuary 8, 1981 (aged 66)
Death placeOjai, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Other namesWoody Chambliss
SpouseErika Kapralik

Lewis Woodrow Chambliss (October 14, 1914[1] – January 8, 1981) was an American character actor who appeared in both feature films and television. He is perhaps best known for his appearances as several characters in the TV hit Gunsmoke, where he eventually settled into the recurring role of storekeeper Mr. Lathrop.

Early life

Chambliss was born on October 14, 1914, in Bowie, Texas.[2] He was the son of Lorenzo Dow “L.D.” and Lucinda “Lula Mae” Mae (Thornton) Chambliss,[citation needed] who had a farm outside Brownfield, Texas. He attended public schools in Brownfield and Baylor University, where his first contact with drama occurred as a prompter with the Baylor Little Theater.[3] Intending to be a lawyer, Chambliss attended Baylor's law school, but a dramatics teacher at the university influenced him to change his major to theater arts.[2]

Career

After Chambliss left Baylor, he worked as a technician apprentice for a stock theater company in Milford Connecticut.[4] Receiving a scholarship in the summer of 1937 enabled him to go to Bath, England, as a drama exchange student and study with Michael Chekhov. He became a member of the Checkov Theater company[2] at Darlington Hall, Devonshire, and returned to the United States when the group moved because of the threat of war.[4] A Bath newspaper described Chambliss's portrayal of a grandfather in a production of the 1937 Summer Drama School at Citizen House, Bath, as "a performance of outstanding merit, quite worthy of the professional stage".[5]

He made his Broadway debut in a 1939 Chekhov production of The Possessed.[6] The cast also included his wife, Erika Kapralik, and actor Ford Rainey, but the play only ran for fourteen performances on Broadway.[citation needed]

During World War II, he worked at the Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme naval base in Port Hueneme, California.[citation needed] After the war, he and others from the Chekhov company established a repertory troupe that for four years performed in the Happy Valley Theater in Ojai, California. Chambliss went on to become the manager of the Senior Canyon Mutual Water Company prior to resuming his theater career.[2]

Chambliss made his first on-screen appearance in 1946, in an uncredited role in Jean Negulesco's Three Strangers, followed by several uncredited roles in films such as 3:10 to Yuma and Zero Hour!. In 1965, he received a supporting role in Wild Seed, directed by Brian G. Hutton and starring Michael Parks. He appeared in the post-apocalyptic Sci-fi drama Glen and Randa in 1971, notable for its "X" rating from MPAA at the time of release.[7] He continued appearing in film throughout the 1970s, with roles in Greaser's Palace, Cry for Me, Billy, The Devil's Rain and the jukebox musical comedy Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

In addition to his work on Gunsmoke, where he eventually settled into the recurring role of storekeeper Mr. Lathrop, he also had a recurring role as riverboat Captain Tom of the "Sultana" on the TV show Yancy Derringer.

He also appeared in two 1958 episodes of Perry Mason: as Phil Reese in "The Case of the Fugitive Nurse," and Fred Haley in "The Case of the Lucky Loser." In 1960, he appeared in Gene Barry's TV Western series Bat Masterson as town undertaker Mr. O’Malley (S2E20). In 1965, he appeared on The Andy Griffith Show in the episode, "Aunt Bee's Invisible Beau", as their butter-and-egg-man.[8] He and wife Erika also appeared together as grandparents in the 1978 TV movie Forever. He also played the role of Zadok Walton, cousin to Grandpa Walton, on a Season 8 episode of The Waltons.

Personal life and death

He was married to Romanian actress Erika Kapralik (September 6, 1911 – May 14, 1992 in Ojai, California). They had three children. He died on January 8, 1981, in Ojai of colon cancer.[9]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1946Three StrangersMan in PubUncredited[10]
19573:10 to YumaBlacksmithUncredited[11]
1957Zero Hour!ReporterUncredited[12]
1964Invitation to a GunfighterTownsmanUncredited[13]
1965Wild SeedMr. Simms[14]
1966The ChaseSalesmanUncredited[12]
1970The Wild CountryDakota[15]
1971Glen and RandaSidney Miller[16]
1972Greaser's PalaceFather[17]
1972Cry for Me, BillyProspector[18]
1973ScorpioUncredited[12]
1975The Devil's RainJohn[19]
1978Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club BandOld Sgt. Pepper[12]
1980Cloud DancerCurtis Pitts[20]
1981Second-Hand HeartsDeaf AttendantPosthumous release[21]
1983Reckless (aka Reckless and in Love)Posthumous release[22]
Television
YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1957The Gale Storm ShowEpisode: "The Blarney Stone"[12]
1957–1975GunsmokeVarious roles38 episodes[9]
1957–1961Have Gun – Will TravelHotel ClerkEpisode: The Colonel and the Lady"[23]
McCormackEpisode: "Blind Circle"[24]
1957TrackdownHorsetraderEpisode: "End of an Outlaw" (uncredited)[12]
1957SugarfootBoswell NewsomEpisode: "Misfire"[12]
1958Playhouse 90PeteEpisode: "The Last Man"[12]
1958Perry MasonPhilip ConnorsEpisode: "The Case of the Fugitive Nurse"[25]
Fred HaleyEpisode: "The Case of The Lucky Loser"[26]
1958–1959Yancy DerringerCaptain Tom9 episodes[27]
1960–1964Death Valley DaysJudge BristolEpisode: "Shadows on the Window"[12]
Stage DriverEpisode: "The Vintage Years" (uncredited)[12]
Episode: "The Last Stagecoach Robbery"[12]
1960Bat MastersonO'MalleyEpisode: "Six Feet of Gold"[28]
1961The UntouchablesBurtEpisode: "The Big Train: Part 2"[12]
1961LassieHank LoomisEpisode: "The Trip"[29]
1961My Three SonsEdgar LoosEpisode: "Deadline"[30]
1965The Andy Griffith ShowOrville HendricksEpisode: "Aunt Bee's Invisible Beau"[8]
Harlan RobinsonEpisode: "The Church Organ"[31]
1966The Wild Wild WestBill WingoEpisode: "The Night of the Flying Pie Plate"[12]
1967Cimarron StripOliver WheelwrightEpisode: "The Beast That Walks Like a Man"[12]
1969Then Came BronsonAbner HotchmanEpisode: "The Circle of Time"[12]
1970The VirginianMacIntoshEpisode: "Experiment in New Life"[12]
1971Bearcats!Mayor EvansEpisode: "The Feathered Serpent"[12]
1973Doc ElliotKelseyEpisode: "And All Ye Need to Know"[12]
1974Dirty SallyDoc CarterEpisode: "I Never Saw the Pacific"[12]
1974–1976The Six Million Dollar ManPopEpisode: "The Midas Touch"[32]
Mr. SavannahEpisode: "The Bionic Boy"[12]
1975DisneylandDakotaEpisode: "Wild Country: Part 2"[12]
1975Three for the RoadEpisode: "The Trail of Bigfoot"[12]
1976Police WomanMartin ShawEpisode: "Night of the Full Moon"[33]
1977Logan's RunLab Tech OneEpisode: "Man Out of Time"[12]
1978–1979How the West Was WonMr. McGreevyEpisode: "Buffalo Story"[9]
Episode: "Cattle Drive" (uncredited)[9]
Episode: "Brothers"[9]
CitizenEpisode: "Hillary"[9]
1980The WaltonsZadok WaltonEpisode: "The Remembrance"[9]
Television film
YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1970Cutter's TrailThompson[34]
1972The Great Man's WhiskersPaddleford[35]
1972FootstepsMinister[36]
1972GargoylesUncle Willie[37]
1973Class of '63Dr. Pillard[38]
1973The Red PonyOrville Frye[39]
1974The Autobiography of Miss Jane PittmanFreedom InvestigatorUncredited[12]
1974The Stranger Who Looks Like MePaul[40]
1975Huckleberry FinnAuctioneer[41]
1975Perilous VoyageUncredited[42]
1977There's Always RoomMcRaven[43]
1978ForeverGrandfather[44]
1978Lassie: The New BeginningVictor Turkey[45]
1979Better Late Than NeverWoody[20]
1981Murder in TexasOilmanPosthumous broadcast[46]
1981Through the Magic Pyramid (aka The Time Crystal)Stable MasterPosthumous broadcast[47]

References

  1. ^ "WOODY CHAMBLISS OVERVIEW". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  2. ^ Beley, Gene (October 8, 1969). "Ojai's Woodrow Chambliss Eyes Award For 'Bronson' Role Tonight". The Ventura County Star-Free Press. p. D 7. Retrieved January 28, 2025. – via Newspapers.com
  3. ^ "Brownfield Boy Has Leading Role In Broadway Play To Be Presented In October". Lubbock Morning Avalanche. October 5, 1939. p. 1. Archived June 17, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 17, 2020. – via Newspapers.com
  4. ^ "Ex-Baylorite Given Lead In Future Broadway Play". Waco Sunday Tribune-Herald. October 1, 1939. p. 17. Retrieved January 28, 2025. – via Newspapers.com
  5. ^ "Plays on Roof Garden". Bath Weekly Chronicle and Herald. August 28, 1937. p. 10. Retrieved January 28, 2025. – via Newspapers.com
  6. ^ "Woodrow Chambliss". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived June 17, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  7. ^ Canby, Vincent (September 20, 1971). "2 Innocents After The Bomb:Jim McBride's 'Glen and Randa' Arrives X Rating Belies Film's Philosophical Intent". The New York Times. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  8. ^ "The Andy Griffith Show – Season 5, Episode 27 Aunt Bee's Invisible Beau". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  9. ^ "Gunsmoke's Woody Chambliss performed one of his final roles on The Waltons". metv.com. August 5, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  10. ^ "Three Strangers - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  11. ^ "3:10 to Yuma - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  12. ^ "Woodrow Chambliss". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  13. ^ "CAST & CREW INVITATION TO A GUNFIGHTER". mubi.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  14. ^ "CAST & CREW WILD SEED". mubi.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  15. ^ "CAST & CREW THE WILD COUNTRY". mubi.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  16. ^ "Glen and Randa". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  17. ^ Canby, Vincent (August 1, 1972). "'Greaser's Palace'". The New York Times. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  18. ^ "CAST & CREW CRY FOR ME, BILLY". mubi.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  19. ^ "The Devil's Rain - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  20. ^ "WOODROW CHAMBLISS". mubi.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  21. ^ Canby, Vincent (May 8, 1981). "BARBARA HARRIS IN 'SECOND HAND HEARTS'". The New York Times. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  22. ^ "Reckless - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  23. ^ "Have Gun -- Will Travel – Season 1, Episode 11 The Colonel and the Lady". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  24. ^ "Have Gun -- Will Travel – Season 5, Episode 14 Blind Circle". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  25. ^ "Perry Mason – Season 1, Episode 22". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  26. ^ "Perry Mason – Season 2, Episode 2 The Case of the Lucky Loser". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  27. ^ "CAST & CREW YANCY DERRINGER". mubi.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  28. ^ "Bat Masterson – Season 2, Episode 20 Six Feet of Gold". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  29. ^ "Lassie – Season 7, Episode 20 The Trip". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  30. ^ "My Three Sons – Season 1, Episode 23 Deadline". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  31. ^ "The Andy Griffith Show – Season 6, Episode 14 The Church Organ". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  32. ^ "The Six Million Dollar Man – Season 2, Episode 7 The Midas Touch". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  33. ^ "Police Woman – Season 3, Episode 13 Night of the Full Moon". Fandango Media. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  34. ^ "Cutter's Trail - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  35. ^ "THE GREAT MAN'S WHISKERS". TCM. Archived December 15, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  36. ^ "CAST & CREW FOOTSTEPS". mubi.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  37. ^ "Gargoyles - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  38. ^ "CAST & CREW CLASS OF '63". mubi.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  39. ^ "The Red Pony - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  40. ^ "The Stranger Who Looks Like Me - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  41. ^ "Huckleberry Finn - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  42. ^ "Perilous Voyage - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  43. ^ "There's Always Room". en.kinorium.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  44. ^ "Forever - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  45. ^ "Lassie: A New Beginning - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  46. ^ "Murder in Texas - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
  47. ^ "Through the Magic Pyramid - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.