Leif Erickson (actor)

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This article is about the actor. For the 11th-century Viking explorer, see Leif Erikson. For the politician, see Leif Erickson (politician).

Leif Erickson
Erickson in Blonde Savage (1947)
Born
William Wycliffe Anderson

(1911-10-27)October 27, 1911
Alameda, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 29, 1986(1986-01-29) (aged 74)
Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1933–1984
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1936; div. 1942)​
​
​
(m. 1942; div. 1942)​
Ann Diamond
​
(m. 1945)​
Children2
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service1941–45
Rank Chief petty officer
Awards

Leif Erickson (born William Wycliffe Anderson; October 27, 1911 – January 29, 1986) was an American stage, film, and television actor.

Early life[edit]

Erickson was born in Alameda, California,[1] near San Francisco. He worked as a soloist in a band as vocalist and trombone player, performed in Max Reinhardt's productions, and then gained a small amount of stage experience in a comedy vaudeville act.

Military service[edit]

Erickson enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Rising to the rank of Chief Petty Officer in the Naval Aviation Photographic Unit, he served as a military photographer, shooting film in combat zones, and as an instructor.[citation needed] He was shot down twice in the Pacific, and received two Purple Hearts.[2] Erickson was in the unit that filmed and photographed the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

Acting career[edit]

Erickson (left) alongside Yaphet Kotto in The High Chaparral, perhaps his best-known television role

Erickson's first films were two 1933 band films with Betty Grable before starting a string of Buster Crabbe Western films based on Zane Grey novels. He went on to appear in films such as The Snake Pit; Sorry, Wrong Number; Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd; Invaders from Mars; On the Waterfront; A Gathering of Eagles; Roustabout; The Carpetbaggers; and Mirage.[3]

One of his more notable roles was as Deborah Kerr's macho husband in the stage and film versions of Tea and Sympathy. He appeared with Greta Garbo, as her brother, in Conquest (1937). He played the role of Pete, the vindictive boat engineer, in the 1951 remake of the famed musical Show Boat. His final appearance in a feature film was in Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977).

Erickson and Linda Cristal in The High Chaparral

Erickson appeared frequently on television; he was cast as Dr. Hillyer in "Consider Her Ways" (1964) and as Paul White in "The Monkey's Paw—A Retelling" (1965) on CBS's The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. He is probably best known, however, for The High Chaparral, which aired on NBC from 1967 until 1971. He portrayed a rancher, Big John Cannon, determined to establish a cattle empire in the Arizona Territory while keeping peace with the Apache. Erickson guest-starred in several television series, including Rawhide; Bonanza (two episodes, 1961–1965); as Aaron Burr in Daniel Boone (two episodes, 1964–1970); Gunsmoke; Marcus Welby, M.D.; Medical Center; Longstreet; Cannon; The Rifleman; The Rockford Files; The Rookies; Night Gallery; and the 1977 series Hunter. His final role was in an episode of Fantasy Island in 1984.

Death[edit]

Erickson died of cancer in Pensacola, Florida, on January 29, 1986, aged 74.[4]

Selected filmography[edit]

Leif Erickson and Frances Farmer (front row, from left) with members of the Group Theatre in 1938

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1958 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Wayne Phillips Season 3 Episode 19: "The Equalizer"
1961 Rawhide Frank Travis S3:E19, "Incident Near Gloomy River"
1963 Hazel Zachary King S3:E11, "The Vanishing Hero"
1963 Arrest and Trial Mort Vallos Episode 7: "Whose Little Girl Are You?"
1964 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Dr. Hellyer Season 3 Episode 11: "Consider Her Ways"
1965 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Paul White Season 3 Episode 26: "The Monkey's Paw - A Retelling"
1965 Daniel Boone (TV series) Aaron Burr S2:E7, "The Aaron Burr Story"
1967-1971 The High Chaparral Big John Cannon 98 episodes
1973 The Streets of San Francisco Fr. Henry Driscoll S2:E3, "For the Love of God"

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Leif Erickson Is Dead; A Movie and TV Actor". The New York Times. United Press International. January 31, 1986. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  2. ^ "The Day Leif Erickson Faced Death". The High Chaparral. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  3. ^ "Profile". Blockbuster. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  4. ^ "Profile". The High Chaparral. Retrieved June 25, 2013.

External links[edit]

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