Richard Bakalyan

Richard Bakalyan (January 29, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor who started his career playing juvenile delinquents in his first several films.

Richard Bakalyan
Born(1931-01-29)January 29, 1931
Watertown, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedFebruary 27, 2015(2015-02-27) (aged 84)
Elmira, New York, U.S.
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Other namesDick Bakalyan
OccupationActor
Years active1954–2008
Spouse(s)
Betty Lee Bauman
​
​
(m. 1952; died 1967)​

Early life

Richard Bakalyan was born on January 29, 1931, in Watertown, Massachusetts, the son of Armenian-born William Nishan Bakalyan and Canadian (from Nova Scotia) Elsie Florence (née Fancy) Bakalyan. He had two brothers.[1] His father died in 1939, when Richard was 8.[2]

Growing up in a tough neighborhood, Bakalyan learned boxing to defend himself in street fights.[1] He served a year's probation at age 15 for unknown crimes.[3]

Bakalyan served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War.[4] After four years of service, he was honorably discharged with the rank of staff sergeant.[1]

Career

Film

Early in his career he was cast as thugs, outlaws, and in military action films, like The Delinquents (1957), The Bonnie Parker Story (1958), and Up Periscope (1959).[5] During the filming of 1958's juvenile-gang drama The Cool and the Crazy, he and fellow actor Dick Jones were arrested for vagrancy for real on-location in Kansas City. They were standing on the corner between takes in "JD" outfits and the police thought that they were actual gang members. It took several hours for the film crew to explain to the police what was going on and get them released from jail.

By the mid-1960s, as he grew out of these roles, he became something of a comic heavy, often cast in family Disney films though still known in dramas. Some of his Disney projects included Never a Dull Moment (1968), The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), The Strongest Man in the World (1975), Return from Witch Mountain (1978),[1] and voice-efforts in The Fox and the Hound (1981), as 'Dinky' the finch bird.[2][6]

Bakalyan had an uncredited role in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) as the good thief on the cross. He appeared in several of Frank Sinatra's movies during the 1960s, such as Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), None but the Brave (1965), and Von Ryan's Express (1965), becoming lifelong friends with the Sinatra family.[2] While filming Pressure Point in 1962, he met co-star Bobby Darin, who later became one of Bakalyan's closest friends.[1][7] It's reported Bakalyan was one of the last friends to see Darin, before his early death from heart disease, in 1973.[8] Bakalyan played Detective Loach in Roman Polanski's 1974 film Chinatown opposite Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.[1]

Television

Bakalyan has also appeared on numerous television shows from the 1950s through the 2000s.[1] Early small screen performances came in Panic!, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Hawaiian Eye and The Untouchables. In 1966, he played Sgt. Piper on the World War II drama Combat! in the 4th season episode" Gitty". Later he appeared in a variety of shows, including Batman, Mannix, Love, American Style, Kojak, The Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels, Hill Street Blues, Emergency! (1977 S6-E15), where he starred as Charley a fire apparatus mechanic and the NBC comedy series My Name Is Earl, which was his last screen effort in October 2008.[9]

In 1968, Bakalyan was featured in "Way Down Cellar," a two-part story on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color.[10] He was a regular on Dean Martin Presents: The Bobby Darin Amusement Company (1972) and The Bobby Darin Show (1973).[1][2]

Personal life

Bakalyan was married to Betty Lee Bauman from 1952 until her death in 1967.[11]

A prolific character actor, Bakalyan was profiled in the book Names You Never Remember, With Faces You Never Forget by Justin Humphreys.[1]

Death

Richard Bakalyan died suddenly of a stroke on February 27, 2015, at the Arnot Ogden Medical Center, in Elmira, New York, aged 84.[12]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1954 Attila
1957 The Delinquents Eddy
1957 The Delicate Delinquent Artie
1957 Dino Chuck
1957 The Brothers Rico Vic Tucci
1957 Hear Me Good Hermie
1958 The Cool and the Crazy Jackie Barzan
1958 Juvenile Jungle Tic-Tac
1958 The Bonnie Parker Story Duke Jefferson
1958 Hot Car Girl Walter 'Duke' Willis
1959 Paratroop Command Charlie
1959 Up Periscope Seaman Peck
1959 -30- Carl Thompson
1961 The Errand Boy Jason, Anastasia's Director
1962 Panic in Year Zero! Carl
1962 Pressure Point Jimmy
1962 Follow that dream (1962 film) Sheriff
1963 Operation Bikini Seaman Hiller Uncredited
1964 Robin and the 7 Hoods Robbo's Hood #1
1964 The Patsy Boy at Spring Hop Uncredited
1965 None but the Brave Cpl. Ruffino
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Good Thief on Cross Uncredited
1965 Donald's Fire Survival Plan Common Sense (voice) Short film
1965 Von Ryan's Express Corporal Giannini
1966 Follow Me, Boys! Umpire Uncredited
1967 The St. Valentine's Day Massacre John Scalise
1968 Never a Dull Moment Bobby Macoon
1969 It's Tough to Be a Bird M.C. Bird (voice) Short film
1969 The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Chillie Walsh
1972 Now You See Him, Now You Don't Cookie
1973 Charley and the Angel Buggs
1974 Chinatown Detective Loach
1975 The Strongest Man in the World Cookie
1976 The Shaggy D.A. Freddie
1978 Return from Witch Mountain Eddie
1979 Understanding Alcohol Use and Abuse Emotion (voice) Short film
1979 H.O.T.S. Charlie Ingels
1980 The Man with Bogart's Face Lt. Bumbera
1981 The Fox and the Hound Dinky (voice)
1984 Blame It on the Night Manzini
1994 Confessions of a Hitman Uncle Dino
2000 The Mask Maker Mask Maker Short film
2001 Dischord Det. Dunbarton
2006 Art School Confidential Cranky Guard

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1955 Luke and the Tenderfoot Bill Bangles Episode: "The Boston Kid"
1957 Official Detective Bob Wolfe Episode: "The Blind Man"
1957 The Lineup Episode: "The 17643 Case"
1957 Casey Jones Jackie Episode: "Way Station"
1957–1958 The Walter Winchell File Yutch / Sid 2 episodes
1958 Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Lou Episode: "Dead Men Don't Dream"
1958 Panic! Carl 2 episodes
1958 The Silent Service Torpedoman Pasqual Mignon / Motor Machinist Mate George J. McKnight 2 episodes
1958 Bat Masterson Sam Teller Episode: "Double Trouble in Trinidad"
1959 The D.A.'s Man Dunn Episode: "The Mob Versus O'Hara"
1959 The Lawless Years Eddie Safranik / Buggsy 2 episodes
1959 U.S. Marshal Joe Savage Episode: "Trigger Happy"
1959 Hotel de Paree Rob Episode: "A Rope Is for Hanging"
1959 The Deputy Billy the Kid Episode: "The Big Four"
1959 Peter Gunn Chino Amalo Episode: "Kidnap"
1959 Hennesey Harry Benson Episode: "Hennesey Meets Mrs. Horatio Grief"
1959 Tightrope! Loomis Episode: "Cold Kill"
1959 Bold Venture Johnny Regis Episode: "Blue Moon"
1959–1961 The Rebel Bart Vogan / Calley Kid 3 episodes
1960 Wanted Dead or Alive Harry Quint Episode: "Angela"
1960 Johnny Ringo Lee Rafferty Episode: "The Raffertys"
1960 Mr. Lucky Spider Episode: "Big Squeeze"
1960 Lock-Up Spook Chambers Episode: "Society Matron"
1960 Dan Raven Darnell Episode: "The Satchel Man"
1960 The Tall Man Tiger Eye Episode: "Tiger Eye"
1960–1963 The Untouchables Cully / Lucky / Benno / Monk / Prisoner / Joe Courtney 6 episodes
1961 The DuPont Show with June Allyson Lieutenant Episode: "End of a Mission"
1961 Checkmate Cabbie Episode: "The Human Touch"
1961 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Sergeant Wyncoup 2 episodes
1961 Miami Undercover Zip Logan Episode: "Auto Motive"
1961 Holiday Lodge Bobo Manning Episode: "Never Hit a Stranger"
1961 Lawman Eggers - Bank Robber Episode: "Trojan Horse"
1961 Straightaway Mike Episode: "The Heist"
1961 Las Vegas Beat Lt. Bernard McFeety Television film
1962 The New Breed Episode: "To Sell Another Human Being"
1962 Dr. Kildare Yount Episode: "The Burning Sky"
1962 The Dick Powell Show Justin Wolf / Bartender 2 episodes
1962–1966 Combat! Sgt. Piper / Sgt. Wolfson 2 episodes
1963 Hawaiian Eye Spence Merrill Episode: "The Long Way Home"
1963 Laramie Mel Doleman Episode: "Broken Honor"
1963 Wagon Train Muscles Episode: "The Sam Pulaski Story"
1964 Channing Roberto Episode: "Memory of a Firing Squad"
1964 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Charlie Episode: "Two Is the Number"
1964 Ben Casey Abner Goetz Episode: "For a Just Man Falleth Seven Times"
1965 Wendy and Me Pete Episode: "The Wendy Mob"
1965 No Time for Sergeants Stanley Swackheimer Episode: "Whortleberry Roots for Everyone"
1965 Vacation Playhouse Episode: "Luke and the Tenderfoot"
1965 Branded Roy Barlow Episode: "The Richest Man in Boot Hill"
1966 Mister Roberts Joe Episode: "Black and Blue Market"
1966 The Monroes Grac Episode: "Night of the Wolf"
1966 The Tammy Grimes Show Tony Episode: "How to Steal a Girl Even If It's Only Me"
1966–1968 Batman Verdigris / C. B. / Arbutus / Fouad Sphinx 6 episodes
1966–1969 Gunsmoke Billy Holland / Teems 2 episodes
1967 The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. Brutus Episode: "The Phi Beta Killer Affair"
1967 Hondo Cole Younger Episode: "Hondo and the Judas"
1967 Cimarron Strip Colly Sims Episode: "Nobody"
1967–1972 Mannix Eberle / Vincent's Thug / Frank Quigley 3 episodes
1967–1978 The Wonderful World of Disney Ernie Nelson / Charlie / Shortie / Jocko / Narrator (voice) 8 episodes
1968 Garrison's Gorillas Cpl. Robert Wade Episode: "War Games"
1968 The Mod Squad Fuller Episode: "The Price of Terror"
1968 Felony Squad Gus Levering Episode: "The Distant Shore"
1970 The Partridge Family Skee Episode: "Danny and the Mob"
1971 Love, American Style Burglar Segment: "Love and the Hiccups"
1972 The Bobby Darin Amusement Co. Himself 7 episodes
1973 The Bobby Darin Show Himself / Carmine 11 episodes
1974 Chase Manduke Episode: "Eighty-Six Proof TNT"
1974 The Manhunter Johnny Fusco Episode: "Jackknife"
1974–1975 Cannon Dieter / Andy Norlan 2 episodes
1975 Kolchak: The Night Stalker The 1st Killer Episode: "The Trevi Collection"
1975 Kojak Proctor Episode: "Be Careful What You Pray For"
1975–1977 Emergency! Charlie / Charley / Dewey 3 episodes
1976 The Whiz Kid and the Carnival Caper Ernie Nelson Television film
1976 Ellery Queen Knucks O'Neill Episode: "The Adventure of the Sunday Punch"
1976 Woman of the Year Pinkey Barbiki Television film
1976 Viva Valdez Moretti Episode: "The Apprentice"
1976 Monster Squad Toil Episode: "Ultra Witch"
1976 Switch Sgt. Kingman Episode: "Quicker Than the Eye"
1976 Holmes & Yoyo Phillips Episode: "The Hostages"
1977 The Streets of San Francisco Gimpy Episode: "Hang Tough"
1977 Most Wanted Fred Conroy Episode: "Ms. Murder"
1977 The Bionic Woman Gino Talvin Episode: "Once a Thief"
1977 Pine Canyon Is Burning Charlie Edison Television film
1977 Bunco Henry Durand Television film
1977–1978 Barnaby Jones Winchell / Harry Layton 2 episodes
1978 The Rockford Files Porter Episode: "The Gang at Don's Drive-In"
1978–1981 Vegas Bernie / Freddie 'Fingers' / Bronson / Marvin Hale 5 episodes
1978–1981 Charlie's Angels Artie Weaver / Eddie Feducci / Thad Roper 3 episodes
1980 CHiPs O'Hare Episode: "The Strippers"
1980 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo Mr. Crawford Episode: "The Haunting of Orly Manor"
1980 The Love Boat Ben Episode: "Celebration/Captain Papa/Honeymoon Pressure"
1981 Border Pals Little Eddie Television film
1981 Fantasy Island James Episode: "The Lady and the Monster/The Last Cowboy"
1981–1984 The Fall Guy Walt / Red Eye 2 episodes
1982 Herbie, the Love Bug Detective O'Brien Episode: "Herbie the Best Man"
1983 Cagney & Lacey John Travis Episode: "Jane Doe #37"
1983 Shooting Stars Snuffy Television film
1984 Matt Houston Jimmy Episode: "The High Fashion Murders"
1984 Hill Street Blues Flaherty Episode: "Fuched Again"
1985 Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story Frank Jacobs Television film
1986 Hardcastle and McCormick Paul Perry Episode: "When I Look Back on All the Things"
1987 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Meatball Bonfelli Episode: "The Khrushchev List"
1987 Sledge Hammer! Clive Winston Episode: "Hammer Hits the Rock"
1987–1988 Hunter Kenny Dunstan 3 episodes
1987–1990 Matlock Mickey Callahan / Bobby Devine 2 episodes
1995 Hudson Street Frank Rampert Episode: "Crime, Per Se"
1995–1996 Baywatch Nights Bookie / Informant / Peebles Runkin 2 episodes
1998 JAG Harold Green Episode: "Yesterday's Heroes"
1998 Millennium Abum Episode: "Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me"
2004 Las Vegas 'Fast Tommy' Polone Episode: "Always Faithful"
2004 Cold Case Wendell Foyt Episode: "The House"
2008 My Name Is Earl Mr. Wallace Episode: "Quit Your Snitchin'"

References
  1. Humphreys 2006, Dick Bakalyan.
  2. Nahigian, Frank (August 2, 2010). "Dick Bakalyan: Dinky the Hood". Armenian Mirror-Spectator. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  3. McGee, Mark Thomas; Robertson, R. J. (1982). The J. D. Films: Juvenile Delinquency in the Movies. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. iv. ISBN 0899500382.
  4. Lentz III, Harris (April 2015). "Obituaries". Classic Images (478): 50–56.
  5. Barnes, Mike (February 28, 2015). "Richard Bakalyan, Tough Guy Character Actor and a Cop in 'Chinatown,' Dies at 84". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  6. Canby, Vincent (July 10, 1981). "OLD STYLE DISNEY". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  7. Evanier, David (2010). Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin. Albany, New York: SUNY Press. p. 225. ISBN 978-1-4384-3458-2.
  8. Evanier 2010, p. 241.
  9. Lentz III, Harris M. (2016). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2015. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-7864-7667-1.
  10. "(TV listing)". The Argus. January 6, 1968. p. 7. Retrieved April 21, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Dick Bakalyan, Character Actor Who Appeared in 'Chinatown,' Dies at 84". Variety. March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  12. "Richard Bakalyan Obituary". Star-Gazette. Legacy.com. March 1, 2015.

Further reading
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