Acting
Simon Oakland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 – August 29, 1983) was an American actor of stage, screen, and television. During his career, Oakland performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and made-for-television movies between 1951 and 1983. His most notable big-screen roles were in Psycho (1960), West Side Story (1961), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968), The Hunting Party (1971), and Chato's Land (1972). On television, he was a regular on the cult classic horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975), and the military drama Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976-1978). Early life and career Oakland was born in Brooklyn, New York, the eldest of the three sons of immigrant Jewish parents, Jacob Weiss and Ethel Oaklander, born in Romania and the Russian Empire respectively. His father was a plasterer and builder. While he later claimed in media interviews to have been born in 1922 (a date repeated in his New York Times obituary), Social Security and vital records indicate he was born Simon Weiss in 1915; his stage name was derived from his mother's maiden name, Oaklander. Film and television In 1955, Oakland made his film debut, albeit uncredited, as an Indiana state trooper in The Desperate Hours. He appeared in two films released in 1958: as Mavrayek in The Brothers Karamazov and as journalist Edward Montgomery in I Want to Live! Oakland's notable performance in I Want to Live! led to his playing a long series of tough-guys, either as authority figures or villains or a mix of both. He appeared in Psycho as the psychiatrist who, at the end of the film, explains Norman Bates's multiple personality disorder. He appeared in the films West Side Story, The Sand Pebbles, and Bullitt. He made two guest appearances as murder victims on CBS's Perry Mason. He appeared in the syndicated crime drama, Decoy, starring Beverly Garland. Oakland appeared once on the CBS Western Dundee and the Culhane and once on the series Sheriff of Cochise. He was also a regular, in a comedic supporting role, as General Thomas Moore, on NBC's Baa Baa Black Sheep, starring Robert Conrad. He appeared in two episodes of the original The Twilight Zone TV series (“The Rip Van Winkle Caper” and “The Thirty-Fathom Grave”) and in The Outer Limits as the alien birdman in "Second Chance". In 1974 and 1975, he was a series regular on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, playing newspaper editor Tony Vincenzo. (He had previously played the same character in two made-for-television movies. Personal life Oakland was married to Lois Lorraine Porta. The couple had one daughter, Barbara. Death Oakland continued working up to the year of his death. His last credited acting appearance was in the episode "Living and Presumed Dead" on the CBS television series Tucker's Witch. That episode aired three months before Oakland's death from colon cancer in Cathedral City, California, on August 29, 1983, the day after his 68th birthday. CLR
Filmography
Tucker's Witch
Series · 1982
Vega$
Series · 1978
David Cassidy: Man Under Cover
Series · 1978
Evening in Byzantium
Series · 1978
Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy
Film · 1977
Lou Grant
Series · 1977
CHiPs
Series · 1977
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
Series · 1977
CHiPs
Series · 1977
The Flying Misfits
Film · 1976
Crackle of Death
Film · 1976
Demon and the Mummy
Film · 1976
Quincy, M.E.
Series · 1976
Charlie's Angels
Series · 1976
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Series · 1976
Quincy, M.E.
Series · 1976
Please Call It Murder
Film · 1975
Switch
Series · 1975
Ellery Queen
Series · 1975
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Series · 1974
The Rockford Files
Series · 1974
The Rockford Files
Series · 1974
Emperor of the North
Film · 1973
The Night Strangler
Film · 1973
Toma
Film · 1973
Happy Mother's Day, Love George
Film · 1973
Key West
Film · 1973
Kojak
Series · 1973
Police Story
Series · 1973
The Starlost
Series · 1973
Toma
Series · 1973
Chato's Land
Film · 1972
The Night Stalker
Film · 1972
The Hunting Party
Film · 1971
Scandalous John
Film · 1971
Crosscurrent
Film · 1971
Young Dr. Kildare
Series · 1971
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Film · 1970
The Young Lawyers
Series · 1970
Hawaii Five-O
Series · 1969
Medical Center
Series · 1969
Hawaii Five-O
Series · 1969
Hawaii Five-O
Series · 1969
Hawaii Five-O
Series · 1969
Hawaii Five-O
Series · 1969
Bullitt
Film · 1968
Chubasco
Film · 1968
Alexander The Great
Film · 1968
The Mod Squad
Series · 1968
The Outsider
Series · 1968
The Name of the Game
Series · 1968
Tony Rome
Film · 1967
Ironside
Series · 1967
Cimarron Strip
Series · 1967
Judd, for the Defense
Series · 1967
Captain Nice
Series · 1967
Ironside
Series · 1967
Ironside
Series · 1967
Good Morning World
Series · 1967
The Sand Pebbles
Film · 1966
The Plainsman
Film · 1966
Mission: Impossible
Series · 1966
Felony Squad
Series · 1966
Tarzan
Series · 1966
The Satan Bug
Film · 1965
The F.B.I.
Series · 1965
Get Smart
Series · 1965
The Big Valley
Series · 1965
The Wild Wild West
Series · 1965
Ready for the People
Film · 1964
Daniel Boone
Series · 1964
Profiles in Courage
Series · 1964
The Rogues
Series · 1964
Profiles in Courage
Series · 1964
Daniel Boone
Series · 1964
Daniel Boone
Series · 1964
Wall of Noise
Film · 1963
The Raiders
Film · 1963
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Series · 1963
Mr. Novak
Series · 1963
The Bill Dana Show
Series · 1963
The Outer Limits
Series · 1963
My Favorite Martian
Series · 1963
Third of a Man
Film · 1962
Follow That Dream
Film · 1962
Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man
Film · 1962
Saints and Sinners
Series · 1962
Combat!
Series · 1962
The Virginian
Series · 1962
Stoney Burke
Series · 1962
Combat!
Series · 1962
The Virginian
Series · 1962
West Side Story
Film · 1961
Cain's Hundred
Series · 1961
Bus Stop
Series · 1961
Ben Casey
Series · 1961
The New Breed
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
The Defenders
Series · 1961
Psycho
Film · 1960
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond
Film · 1960
Murder, Inc.
Film · 1960
Who Was That Lady?
Film · 1960
Route 66
Series · 1960
Outlaws
Series · 1960
Special for Women
Series · 1960
The Twilight Zone
Series · 1959
The Twilight Zone
Series · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
Men Into Space
Series · 1959
Adventures in Paradise
Series · 1959
The Alaskans
Series · 1959
Black Saddle
Series · 1959
The Detectives
Series · 1959
Tightrope
Series · 1959
Adventures in Paradise
Series · 1959
Adventures in Paradise
Series · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
Bonanza
Series · 1959
Deadline
Series · 1959
Bonanza
Series · 1959
Bonanza
Series · 1959
The Untouchables
Series · 1959
Adventures in Paradise
Series · 1959
I Want to Live!
Film · 1958
The Brothers Karamazov
Film · 1958
77 Sunset Strip
Series · 1958
Naked City
Series · 1958
Bronco
Series · 1958
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
Series · 1957
Decoy
Series · 1957
Decoy
Series · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Series · 1956
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Series · 1956
The Desperate Hours
Film · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
Red Light
Film · 1949
Suspense
Series · 1949