Lyle Bettger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lyle S. Bettger (February 13, 1915 – September 24, 2003) was a character actor known most for his Hollywood roles from the 1950s, typically portraying villains. He is perhaps most recognisable as the wrathfully jealous elephant handler Klaus from the Oscar winning film The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lyle was the son of Frank Bettger, who was an infielder for the St Louis Cardinals. An enthusiastic fan of cinema, Lyle left school in his late teens with the ambition of becoming an actor. Bettger graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. His theatrical debut was in Brother Rat at the Biltmore Theatre in New York City in 1936. After a period languishing in small-time theatre he landed the lead role in the Broadway production of The Flying Gerardos in 1940. When Paramount sent a talent scout to see the show, Bettger was signed on a three-year contract. Bettger's movie career began when he was cast as the lead in the film noir No Man of Her Own (1950). He soon became a regular on the set of Westerns such as Denver and Rio Grande (1952), The Great Sioux Uprising (1953), Drums Across the River (1954), The Lone Ranger (1956) and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). Lyle developed a reputation for playing the bad guy and excelled in villainous roles such as the menacing Joe Beacom in Union Station (1950) and the cold-blooded Nazi Chief Officer Kirchner in The Sea Chase (1955). Bettger also made many appearances in dramatic roles on television, starring in the 1957 series The Court of Last Resort as well as guesting on Hawaii Five-O, Rawhide, The Rifleman, Bonanza and The Time Tunnel. Lyle was married to Mary Rolfe (1940–1996) until her death. They had three children: Lyle Jr., Frank and Paula. He was also survived by a sister, Lee Morgan. Lyle Bettger died on September 24, 2003 in San Luis Obispo County, California. Description above from the Wikipedia article Lyle Bettger, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
La Classe américaine
as Famous Man (archive footage) (uncredited)
La Classe américaine
as Famous Man (archive footage) (uncredited)
M Station: Hawaii
as Adm. Lincoln
M Station: Hawaii
as Adm. Lincoln
The Hawaiians
as Janders
The Hawaiians
as Janders
Impasse
as Hansen
Impasse
as Hansen
The Fastest Guitar Alive
as Charlie
The Fastest Guitar Alive
as Charlie
Return of the Gunfighter
as Clay Sutton
Return of the Gunfighter
as Clay Sutton
Nevada Smith
as Jack Rudabough
Nevada Smith
as Jack Rudabough
Johnny Reno
as Jess Yates
Johnny Reno
as Jess Yates
Town Tamer
as Lee Ring
Town Tamer
as Lee Ring
Guns of the Timberland
as Clay Bell
Guns of the Timberland
as Clay Bell
Gundown at Sandoval
as Al Barko
Gundown at Sandoval
as Al Barko
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
as Ike Clanton
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
as Ike Clanton
Showdown at Abilene
as Dave Mosely
Showdown at Abilene
as Dave Mosely
The Lone Ranger
as Reece Kilgore
The Lone Ranger
as Reece Kilgore
The Sea Chase
as Chief Officer Kirchner
The Sea Chase
as Chief Officer Kirchner
Destry
as Phil Decker
Destry
as Phil Decker
Drums Across the River
as Frank Walker
Drums Across the River
as Frank Walker
Carnival Story
as Frank Colloni
Carnival Story
as Frank Colloni
Forbidden
as Justin Keit
Forbidden
as Justin Keit
The Great Sioux Uprising
as Stephen Cook
The Great Sioux Uprising
as Stephen Cook
All I Desire
as Dutch Heineman
All I Desire
as Dutch Heineman
The Vanquished
as Roger Hale
The Vanquished
as Roger Hale
Hurricane Smith
as Clobb
Hurricane Smith
as Clobb
Denver and Rio Grande
as Johnny Buff
Denver and Rio Grande
as Johnny Buff
The Greatest Show on Earth
as Klaus
The Greatest Show on Earth
as Klaus
Dear Brat
as Baxter
Dear Brat
as Baxter
The First Legion
as Dr. Peter Morrell
The First Legion
as Dr. Peter Morrell
Union Station
as Joe Beacom
Union Station
as Joe Beacom
No Man of Her Own
as Stephen Morley
No Man of Her Own
as Stephen Morley