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Anthony Eisley (January 19, 1925 – January 29, 2003) was an American actor best known as one of the detective leads, Tracy Steele, in the ABC/Warner Brothers television series Hawaiian Eye. Early in his career, he was credited as Fred Eisley Fred Eisley, aka Anthony Eisley at IBDB and later was sometimes billed as Tony Eisley.
Following service in the United States Navy, he took drama classes at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
Eisley's big break was being discovered in a Pasadena production of Who Was That Lady?, where he was signed to a contract with Warner Bros. In the days of Tab Hunter, Ty Hardin, and Rock Hudson, Warner Bros. did not want a leading man with the name of "Fred" so they changed his first name to "Anthony". In 1959, Eisley played Carter Henry (as Fred Eisley), The Young Philadelphians (1959).
When a Los Angeles Times television critic attacked Hawaiian Eye, Eisley penned a reply that was printed in the critic's column on December 7, 1960: "I too would like to see more food for thought on television. I have children whose viewpoints will be largely affected in certain areas by their many hours gazing at the one-eyed monster. But our world is solemn enough as it is. I'd hate to limit them -- or myself -- to a leisure-time diet devoid of laughter, adventure and romance."
During his Warner Brothers period, Eisley appeared in one episode of Jack Webb's Pete Kelly's Blues (1959) and in Portrait of a Mobster (1961).
Eisley declared at the Project Prayer rally that the United States was facing "an ideological crisis. Movie stars and the stars of the entertainment world will tell you what you can do about it. Everything will be from the heart." Eisley was joined at the event by Walter Brennan, on whose series The Real McCoys he had once been a guest star, Rhonda Fleming, Lloyd Nolan, Dale Evans, Pat Boone, and Gloria Swanson. Eisley added that John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Roy Rogers, Mary Pickford, Jane Russell, Ginger Rogers, and Pat Buttram would also have attended the rally if their schedules had not been in conflict.
Syndicated columnist Drew Pearson claimed in his "Washington Merry-Go-Round" column that Project Prayer had "backstage ties" to the anti-Communist John Birch Society. Pearson noted that the principal author of the prayer decisions, Chief Justice Earl Warren, was a Republican former Governor of California and that most mainline denominations had endorsed the Court's rulings.
Eisley co-starred as character Clint Braden, suitor to the Nancy Kovack character of Nellie Bly, in the 1966 film Frankie and Johnny. He also played Ben Mitchell in the 1968 musical film Star!.
He appeared six times in the 1967-1970 revival of Dragnet; in one segment he played a corrupt policeman and once he played an attempted murderer. During the eight-year run of ABC's The F.B.I., Eisley made 17 appearances as Special Agent in Charge Chet Randolph.
Eisley was a guest as a villain in an episode of The Wild Wild West, with his former Hawaiian Eye co-star Robert Conrad and reunited with Conrad for A Man Called Sloane.
In 1970, he guest-starred in an episode of The Silent Force. In 1973, he appeared as Ross Nelson, newscaster at Mary's Channel 8 competition, in the Season 4 episode "WJM Tries Harder" on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He had appeared with Mary Tyler Moore years before in "The Lady and the Tiger and the Lawyer," a 1964 episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show.
He starred in David L. Hewitt's Journey to the Center of Time (1967), The Mighty Gorga (1969), and The Tormentors (1971) as well as Al Adamson's Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) and Ted V. Mikels's The Doll Squad (1975). He appeared in other dubious delights such as Oliver Drake's They Ran for Their Lives (1968) and The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals (1969), The Killers (1971) alongside Cameron Mitchell, Monstroid (1980) and Fred Olen Ray's Deep Space (1988).
Political views
Eisley supported Barry Goldwater in the 1964 United States presidential election.
Later career
Non-Hollywood American films
Eisley appeared as a Soviet agent in an Armed Forces training film Espionage Target: You made in 1964. In 1965, Eisley was cast as an attorney in an anti-pornography institutional film entitled "Printed Poison"; produced by the "Citizens For Decency" movement.
Feature films
His most memorable role in film was as Griff in The Naked Kiss (1964), Sam Fuller's controversial attack on alleged American small town hypocrisy.
Television
Eisley guest-starred in an episode of the ABC religious drama series Going My Way and in the title role of The Outer Limits episode The Brain of Colonel Barham. He appeared three times on CBS's Perry Mason during the final three seasons of that series. In his second guest appearance in 1964 he played murder victim Vince Rome in "The Case of the Missing Button." In the same year he appeared albeit briefly in a strong Series 3 episode of Combat!, “The Gift Of Hope”.
Schlock
Eisley became known as a cult Kitsch star for his appearances in One Way Wahine (1965), Antonio Margheriti's Eurospy film Lightning Bolt (1966) and The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966).
Personal life
He was married to Judith Rogers Tubbs from March 1, 1951 until her death on January 9, 1994. The couple had four children: musician David Glen Eisley, the father of India Eisley; actor and stuntman Jonathan Erickson Eisley; Nan R. Eisley, an assistant to Lawrence Kasdan; and Amanda Eisley.
Death
Anthony Eisley died of heart failure on January 29, 2003, in Woodland Hills, California, at the age of 78.
Filmography
Uncredited Uncredited Episode: "The Trial" Season 3, Episode 13; "Joe Foss, Devilbird"; credited as "Fred Eisley" Uncredited Leading role Supporting role Season 3, Episode 16; "The Lady and the Tiger and the Lawyer" Uncredited Military training film Season 8, Episode 15; "You Can Lead a Horse to Water" Season 4, Episode 16; "WJM Tries Harder" (final film role)
External links
Categories: 1925 Births, 2003 Deaths, 20th-century American Male Actors, American Christians, American Male Film Actors, American Male Television Actors, Burials At Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Anthony, Male Actors From Philadelphia, Male Actors From Los Angeles, New Right, Pennsylvania Republicans, University Of Miami Alumni, Warner Bros. Contract Players
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