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Booth Colman
Colman in Man with a Camera (1959)
Born	(1923-03-08)March 8, 1923 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Died	December 15, 2014(2014-12-15) (aged 91) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Washington University of Michigan
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1952–2008
Website	boothcolman.com

Booth Colman (March 8, 1923 – December 15, 2014) was an American film, television and stage actor. In his later years he played older authority figures, such as doctors and lawyers. Colman appeared in films since 1952, when he debuted (uncredited) in The Big Sky directed by Howard Hawks.

Life and career

Colman was born in Portland, Oregon. As a child actor in local productions, he became active in local radio. He studied Oriental language at the University of Washington and University of Michigan. During World War II, he enlisted in the United States Army on May 12, 1943, and attended language training at the University of Michigan from 1943 to 1944. After language training, he worked in New York City and was discharged from the army in 1944 at Fort Dix, New Jersey. While in New York, he began a long career in Broadway theater, first appearing in a production of Irwin Shaw's war drama The Assassin. He was soon invited to join Maurice Evans' acting company, where he continued to act on stage, and later in films. His other Broadway credits include Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (1950), Tonight at 8:30 (1948), and Hamlet (1945).

He appeared dozens of times on prime-time television dramas and comedies. In 1964, he appeared in two full episodes of Perry Mason, one as a doctor in police investigations and the other as a prosecuting attorney. Other televisions appearances include My Three Sons (1962), Frasier, Gilligan's Island, McCloud and The Monkees. Films include Them! (1954), The Silver Chalice (1954), Moonfleet (1955), My Gun Is Quick (1957), Wild on the Beach (1965), Maryjane (1968), The Lawyer (1970), Scandalous John (1971), Time Travelers (1976), Norma Rae (1979) and Intolerable Cruelty (2003). In 1983, he portrayed the kindly scientist, Professor Hector Jerrold, in the ABC daytime melodrama General Hospital.

In 1974, Colman played the role of Dr. Zaius in the popular short-lived TV series, Planet of the Apes; the role made famous on the big screen by his former teacher, Maurice Evans. In the six episodes in which he appeared, he wore the original costume Evans used in Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

Colman played Scrooge over 600 times on stage in A Christmas Carol at the Meadow Brook Theatre in the Detroit area.

Death

He died in his sleep in Los Angeles at the age of 91 on December 15, 2014.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

1. University of Michigan Official Publication, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, volume 47, number 40, October 2, 1945, "Part XXII Register of Students 1943-1944", page 73. Note, listed as "Cohn, Robert Sanford".
2. ^ High Council - An Interview with Booth Colman, by Jeff Krueger - 'Simian Scrolls' #12
3. "Index Record for Cohn, Robert S", military service number 39331977, Fold3 by Ancestry.com website.
4. ^ "The Official Booth Colman Website". www.boothcolman.com.
5. "Booth Colman". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on November 2, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
6. Dagan, Carmel (December 21, 2014). "Actor Booth Colman Dies at 91". Variety. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
7. Bloom, David (December 21, 2014). "Actor Booth Colman Dies At 91". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
8. Hawksley, Rupert (December 22, 2014). "Booth Colman dies aged 91". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved December 22, 2014.

External links

• Official website
• Booth Colman at IMDb
• Booth Colman at the Internet Broadway Database
• Obituary - Los Angeles Times

• 1923 births
• 2014 deaths
• American male stage actors
• American male film actors
• American male television actors
• University of Michigan alumni
• 20th-century American male actors
• Male actors from Portland, Oregon
• University of Washington alumni
• 21st-century American male actors
• United States Army soldiers