Product Code Database
Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. (January 15, 1913 – March 10, 1998) was an American film, stage and television actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 . He was the father of four children, including the actors Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges. He started his career as a contract performer for Columbia Pictures, appearing in films such as Sahara (1943), A Walk in the Sun (1945), Little Big Horn (1951) and High Noon (1952). On television, he starred in Sea Hunt (1958-1961). By the end of his career, he had re-invented himself and demonstrated a comedic talent in such as Airplane! (1980), Hot Shots! (1991), and Jane Austen's Mafia! (1998). Among other honors, Bridges was a two-time Emmy Award nominee. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 1, 1994.
He appeared on stage in Suzanna and the Elders (1940). In Hollywood he had an uncredited role in Northwest Passage (1940).
He could be seen in The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance (1941), They Dare Not Love (1941), Doctor's Alibi (1941), Blue Clay (1941), Our Wife (1941), and I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Island (1941). In Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) Bridges is the pilot of the plane in the "heaven" scene.
Bridges later reflected,
He left Columbia Pictures during World War II to enlist in the United States Coast Guard. Following his discharge, he returned to acting. In later years, he was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, did several public service announcements for the organization, and was made an honorary commodore. Bridges' Sea Hunt character Mike Nelson was also portrayed as a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and sometimes appeared in uniform. Bridges' sons, actors Beau and Jeff, also served in the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve. "Lloyd Bridges". U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
Bridges had some support roles in independent films, A Walk in the Sun (1945), and Abilene Town (1946). He was in Paramount's Miss Susie Slagle's (1946) and Walter Wanger's Canyon Passage (1947). In 1947 he appeared in a small role in Cecil B. DeMille's film Unconquered.
Bridges was in a Western at Universal directed by George Sherman, Red Canyon (1949), and a short at MGM, Mr. Whitney Had a Notion (1949). He had a good role in Home of the Brave (1949). At Universal he was Howard Duff's friend in Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949), again for Sherman.
Bridges had the star role in Trapped (1949) directed by Richard Fleischer for Eagle Lion and Rocketship X-M (1950) for Lippert Pictures. He had supporting roles in Colt .45 (1951), The White Tower (1951), and The Sound of Fury (1950) (directed by Cy Endfield).
Bridges made his TV debut in 1951 with "Man's First Debt" in The Bigelow Theatre. He had starring roles in the films The Fighting Seventh (1951), Three Steps North (1951), and Richer Than the Earth (1951).
On TV he did "Rise Up and Walk" for Robert Montgomery Presents (1952) and "International Incident" for Studio One in Hollywood (1952) (the latter directed by Franklin J. Schaffner). Bridges had a supporting role in High Noon (1952).
Bridges guest starred on Suspense ("Her Last Adventure") and Schlitz Playhouse ("This Plane for Hire"), and had support roles in Plymouth Adventure (1952) and The Sabre and the Arrow (1953). Bridges returned to leads in The Tall Texan (1953) for Lippert Pictures.
Bridges was in "The Long Way Home" for Goodyear Playhouse (1953), and appeared in The Kid from Left Field (1953) and City of Bad Men (1953) for Fox. He travelled to the UK to star in The Limping Man (1953) for Cy Endfield. He returned to Broadway in Dead Pigeon (1953–54), which had a short run.
He had the lead in a horse movie, Prince of the Blue Grass (1954) and returned to England to make Third Party Risk (1954) for Hammer Films.
In Hollywood Bridges supported Joel McCrea in Wichita (1955) and had the lead in Roger Corman's low-budget Apache Woman (1955).
Bridges gained attention in 1956 for his emotional performance on the live anthology program The Alcoa Hour, in an episode titled "Tragedy in a Temporary Town" written by Reginald Rose and directed by Sidney Lumet. During the performance, Bridges inadvertently used profanity while Ad libitum. Although the slip of the tongue generated hundreds of complaints, the episode won a Robert E. Sherwood Television Award, with Bridges' slip being defended even by some members of the clergy. Bridges received an Emmy Award nomination for the role.
Bridges did "The Regulators" for Studio 57 (1956), "They Never Forget" for The United States Steel Hour (1957), "Ride the Wild Mare" for The Alcoa Hour (1957), "Man on the Outside" for Studio 57 (1957), "The Sound of Silence", "Figures in Clay" and "The Disappearance of Amanda Hale" for Climax!, "Heritage of Anger" (1956) and "Clash by Night" (1957) for Playhouse 90, the latter with Kim Stanley. Bridges also made several episodes of Zane Grey Theatre including "Time of Decision" (1957) and "Wire" (1958).
He supported Rory Calhoun in Ride Out for Revenge (1957) and did "A Time to Cry" on The Frank Sinatra Show (1958) and had one of his best ever cinema roles in The Goddess (1958) based on a script by Paddy Chayefsky based on the life of Marilyn Monroe; Bridges played a sportsman based on Joe di Maggio opposite Kim Stanley. He directed "Piano to Thunder Springs" for Target (1958).
Bridges did "Lepke" (1959) for Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1960), "Ransom" (1960) (directed by Budd Boetticher) and "Image of a Drawn Sword" (1961) for Zane Grey Theatre. He did a TV movie The Valley of Decision (1960), "Death of the Temple Bay" for The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1961), "Who Killed Julie Greer?" (1961) for The Dick Powell Theatre, "The Fortress" (1961) for Alcoa Premiere (with Fred Astaire), and "The Two of Us" (1962) for Checkmate. He also did a special Marineland Carnival (1962).
Bridges followed it with "A Hero for Our Times" for Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963), "Wild Bill Hickok – the Legend and the Man" for The Great Adventure (1964), "Cannibal Plants, They Eat You Alive" for The Eleventh Hour (1964) and "Exit from a Plane in Flight" for Theater of Stars (1965).
Producer Gene Roddenberry offered Bridges a starring role on what became .Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman (2016). The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years. Thomas Dunne Books, ISBN 1250065844 Bridges declined, saying he got along well with Roddenberry on a personal level but had no desire to work in science fiction. The part went to Jeffrey Hunter for the pilot episode The Cage and ultimately to William Shatner for the first incarnation of the television series.
Bridges returned to features with Around the World Under the Sea (1966). He guest starred in "Fakeout" for (1966), and did a TV movie A Case of Libel (1968).
Bridges starred in some action films, Daring Game (1968) and Attack on the Iron Coast (1968), the latter for Ivan Tors. He did "The People Next Door" for CBS Playhouse (1968).
Bridges starred in some TV movies, The Silent Gun (1969), and Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969). He had a support role in The Happy Ending (1969) directed by Richard Brooks.
Bridges returned to Broadway as a replacement for the lead in Cactus Flower (1967).
Bridges had a (then) rare comedy role on Here's Lucy with "Lucy's Big Break" (1972). He continued in TV movies: Haunts of the Very Rich (1972), Trouble Comes to Town (1973), Crime Club (1973), Running Wild (1973), Death Race (1973), The Whirlwind (1974, with son Beau), and Stowaway to the Moon (1975).
Bridges played significant roles in several mini-series, including Roots, and How the West Was Won. He returned to TV movies: The Force of Evil (1978), Telethon (1978), The Great Wallendas (1978) and The Critical List (1978).
Bridges had a guest part in "The Living Legend" for Battlestar Galactica (1978) and went to Australia to make Shimmering Light (1978) with Beau. He had a support part in The Fifth Musketeer (1979) starring Beau and was in Disaster on the Coastliner (1979), Bear Island (1979) and This Year's Blonde (1980) (as Johnny Hyde)
Bridges reprised his Airplane! role in (1982)
Bridges starred in a short-lived series Paper Dolls (1984). For TV he appeared in Alice in Wonderland (1985), Dress Gray (1986), and North and South, Book II (1986).
He was in Weekend Warriors (1986), The Thanksgiving Promise (1986) for Disney, and The Wild Pair (1987) starring and directed by Beau. Bridges appeared with Jeff in (1987) and was in She Was Marked for Murder (1988), for TV.
Bridges had notable supporting roles in the features Winter People (1989) and Cousins (1989). He was in the TV movie Cross of Fire (1989).
Bridges was in (1990) then reprised his comedy career with a supporting role in Hot Shots! (1991). He starred in a TV movie In the Nick of Time (1992) and was in Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992), Devlin (1992), and Mr. Bluesman (1993) before reprising his old role in Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993).
Bridges did Secret Sins of the Father (1994) with son Beau (who directed), and Cinderella ... Frozen in Time (1994). His last regular TV series was Harts of the West (1993–1994).
Bridges supported son Jeff in a big budget action film Blown Away (1994). He did "Sandkings" (1995) for The Outer Limits (1995) with Beau, The Other Woman (1995), Nothing Lasts Forever (1995), and The Deliverance of Elaine (1996) and did voice work on Peter and the Wolf (1995). He had a semi-regular part on Second Noah (1996).
He received a second Emmy Award nomination four decades after the first when he was nominated in 1998 for his role as Izzy Mandelbaum on Seinfeld.
Bridges served on the advisory board of the Los Angeles Student Film Institute.
Bridges also guest starred on Ned and Stacey.
Bridges' last roles were in Mafia! (1998) and Meeting Daddy (2000).
Bridges' last film, Jane Austen's Mafia!, which came out the year of his death, bears a dedication to him.
In 2011, Bridges was posthumously named as one of six recipients that year of the Lone Sailor Award, which honors former Coast Guard servicemen who forged successful careers as civilians. His sons Jeff and Beau also received the same award that year.
Sea Hunt (1958–1961)
Bridges gained wide recognition as Mike Nelson, the main character in the television series Sea Hunt, created by Ivan Tors, which ran in syndication from 1958 to 1961. He also wrote a book with a co-author about skin-diving entitled Mask and Flippers.
The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962–1963)
Bridges starred in the eponymous CBS anthology series The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962–1963) (produced by Aaron Spelling) which included appearances by his sons Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges.
The Loner
Bridges starred in the western series The Loner, which lasted one season from 1965 to 1966 and was created and often written by Rod Serling. The Loner earned solid reviews but was cancelled due to low ratings and a perception the show was too realistic or mature for audiences who expected escapist action from westerns.
Telemovies
Bridges was in heavy demand for TV movies such as The Love War (1970), Lost Flight (1970), Do You Take This Stranger? (1971), A Tattered Web (1971), and The Deadly Dream (1971). He starred in a short lived series San Francisco International Airport (1970/71) and had a support role in a feature, To Find a Man (1972).
Joe Forrester
Bridges starred in a short-lived Police Story spin-off Joe Forrester (1975–76).
Airplane! and 1980s
Bridges appeared in Airplane! (1980), a critically and commercially successful spoof of disaster films. He appeared in a number of mini series such as East of Eden (1981), The Blue and the Gray (1982) and George Washington (1984). He guest starred on shows such as The Love Boat (1981), Loving (1983), and Matt Houston (1983) and continued to make TV movies like Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice (1982), Grace Kelly (1983) and Grandpa, Will You Run with Me? (1983).
1990s
Bridges starred in a short-lived series, Capital News (1990), for ABC. In 1990, he had a supporting role in Joe Versus the Volcano, and portrayed Harry Helmsley in the made-for-television movie, Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean.
Personal life
Bridges met his wife, Dorothy Bridges (1915-2009), (née Simpson), in his fraternity; they married in 1938 in New York City. They had four children: actors Beau Bridges (born in 1941) and Jeff Bridges (born in 1949); a daughter, Lucinda Louise Bridges (born in October 1953); Superior Pics: Beau Bridges Profile Retrieved 2012-05-28 and another son, Garrett Myles Bridges, who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome on August 3, 1948. Actor Jordan Bridges is Beau's son and Lloyd's grandson. Dorothy and Lloyd exchanged vows again for their 50th wedding anniversary.
Death
On March 10, 1998, Bridges died of natural causes at the age of 85.
Tributes
An episode ("The Burning") in the final Seinfeld season (1998) was dedicated to the memory of Lloyd Bridges. He had played the character of Izzy Mandelbaum in the episodes "The English Patient" in 1997 and "The Blood" later the same year.
Filmography
1936 Dancing Feet Young Man Joseph Santley uncredited 1936 Freshman Love College Boy William McGann uncredited 1937 Lost Horizon Uniformed Soldier / Officer Frank Capra uncredited 1941 I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Island Rene uncredited 1941 Harmon of Michigan Ozzie Charles Barton 1941 Harvard, Here I Come! Liarry Lew Landers uncredited 1941 Here Comes Mr. Jordan Co-pilot of Plane #22 Alexander Hall uncredited 1941 Honolulu Lu Desk Clerk Charles Barton uncredited 1941 Our Wife Taxi Driver John M. Stahl uncredited 1941 Sing for Your Supper Doc Charles Barton uncredited 1941 The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance Johnny Baker Sidney Salkow 1941 The Medico of Painted Springs Cowhand Lambert Hillyer uncredited 1941 The Royal Mounted Patrol Hap Andrews Lambert Hillyer 1941 The Son of Davy Crockett Sammy Lambert Hillyer uncredited 1941 They Dare Not Love Blonde Officer James Whale uncredited 1941 Three Girls About Town Reporter Leigh Jason uncredited 1941 Two Latins from Manhattan Tommy Curtis Charles Barton 1941 You Belong to Me Ski Patrol Wesley Ruggles uncredited 1942 Stand By All Networks Slim Terry Lew Landers uncredited 1942 Submarine Raider Submarine Engine Seaman voice, uncredited 1942 A Man's World Brown Charles Barton 1942 Alias Boston Blackie Bus Driver Lew Landers uncredited 1942 Atlantic Convoy Bert Lew Landers 1942 Blondie Goes to College Ben Dixon 1942 Cadets on Parade Reporter Lew Landers uncredited 1942 Canal Zone Recruit Baldwin Lew Landers 1942 Counter-Espionage Waiter Edward Dmytryk uncredited 1942 Daring Young Man Hans Muller Frank R. Strayer 1942 Flight Lieutenant Cadet William 'Bill' Robinson Sidney Salkow uncredited 1942 North of the Rockies Constable McDowell Lambert Hillyer 1942 Pardon My Gun Henchman uncredited 1942 Riders of the Northland Alex William Berke 1942 Shut My Big Mouth Skinny Charles Barton 1942 Sweetheart of the Fleet Sailor Charles Barton 1942 The Great Glover 1942 The Spirit of Stanford Don Farrell Charles Barton uncredited 1942 The Talk of the Town Donald Forrester George Stevens uncredited 1942 The Wife Takes a Flyer German Sergeant Richard Wallace uncredited 1942 Tramp, Tramp, Tramp Guard Charles Barton uncredited 1942 Underground Agent Chemist Michael Gordon uncredited 1942 West of Tombstone Martin Howard Bretherton uncredited 1943 A Rookie's Cookie 1943 City Without Men Coast Guard Helmsman Sidney Salkow uncredited 1943 Commandos Strike at Dawn Young German Soldier John Farrow uncredited 1943 Crime Doctor's Strangest Case Jimmy Trotter Eugene Forde 1943 Destroyer 2nd Fireman William A. Seiter uncredited 1943 Hail to the Rangers Dave Kerlin William Berke 1943 His Wedding Scare Train Conductor Charlie, Susie's 1st Husband short 1943 One Dangerous Night Airline Gate Attendant Michael Gordon uncredited 1943 Passport to Suez Fritz Andre de Toth 1943 Sahara Fred Clarkson Zoltán Korda 1943 The Heat's On Andy Walker Gregory Ratoff 1943 There's Something About a Soldier Alfred E. Green 1943 They Stooge to Conga Telephone Customer #2 Del Lord short (uncredited) 1944 Riding West Larry uncredited 1944 Louisiana Hayride Montague Price Charles Barton 1944 Once Upon a Time Aviator Captain Alexander Hall uncredited 1944 Saddle Leather Law Paul Edwards Benjamin H. Kline 1944 She's a Soldier Too Charles Jones William Castle 1944 The Master Race Frank Herbert Biberman 1945 A Walk in the Sun Sgt. Ward Lewis Milestone 1945 Secret Agent X-9 Phil Corrigan Ray Taylor Secret Agent X-9 1945 Strange Confession Dave John Hoffman 1946 Abilene Town Henry Dreiser Edwin L. Marin 1946 Canyon Passage Johnny Steele Jacques Tourneur 1946 Miss Susie Slagle's Silas Holmes John Berry 1947 Ramrod Red Cates Andre de Toth 1947 The Trouble with Women Avery Wilson Sidney Lanfield 1947 Thunderbolt! Pilot voice 1947 Unconquered Lt. Hutchins Cecil B. DeMille 1948 16 Fathoms Deep Ray Douglas Irving Allen 1948 Moonrise Jerry Sykes Frank Borzage 1948 Secret Service Investigator Steve Mallory / Dan Redfern R. G. Springsteen 1949 Calamity Jane and Sam Bass Joel Collins George Sherman 1949 Hideout George Browning Philip Ford 1949 Home of the Brave Finch Mark Robson 1949 Mr. Whitney Had a Notion Eli Whitney short 1949 Red Canyon Virgil Cordt George Sherman 1949 Trapped Tris Stewart Richard Fleischer 1950 Colt .45 Paul Donovan Edwin L. Marin 1950 Rocketship X-M Col. Floyd Graham Kurt Neumann 1950 The Sound of Fury Jerry Slocum Cy Endfield 1950 The White Tower Mr. Hein Ted Tetzlaff 1951 Little Big Horn Capt. Phillip Donlin Charles Marquis Warren 1951 The Whistle at Eaton Falls Brad Adams Robert Siodmak 1951 Three Steps North Frank Keeler W. Lee Wilder 1952 High Noon Deputy Marshal Harvey Pell Fred Zinnemann 1952 Plymouth Adventure Coppin Clarence Brown 1953 City of Bad Men Gar Stanton Harmon Jones 1953 Last of the Comanches Jim Starbuck Andre de Toth 1953 The Kid from Left Field Pete Haines Harmon Jones 1953 The Limping Man Frank Prior Cy Endfield 1953 The Tall Texan Ben Trask Elmo Williams 1954 Pride of the Blue Grass Jim William Beaudine 1954 Third Party Risk Philip Graham Daniel Birt 1955 Apache Woman Rex Moffett Roger Corman 1955 Wichita Gyp Clements Jacques Tourneur 1956 The Rainmaker Noah Curry Joseph Anthony 1956 Wetbacks Jim Benson Hank McCune 1957 Ride Out for Revenge Capt. George Bernard Girard 1958 The Goddess Dutch Seymour John Cromwell 1962 A Pair of Boots Otis / Adam Shepherd / Sen. Guthrie / Jonathan Tatum / Various characters 1962 My Daddy Can Lick Your Daddy 1966 Around the World Under the Sea Dr. Doug Standish Andrew Marton 1966 The World of Inner Space 1967 Wonderful World of Wheels 1968 Attack on the Iron Coast Major Jamie Wilson Paul Wendkos 1968 Daring Game Vic Powers László Benedek 1969 Lost Flight Captain Steve Bannerman Leonard J. Horn 1969 The Happy Ending Sam Richard Brooks 1970 The Love War Kyle George McCowan 1971 The Deadly Dream Dr. Jim Hanley Alf Kjellin 1972 Haunts of the Very Rich Dave Woodrough Paul Wendkos 1972 Scuba 1972 To Find a Man Frank McCarthy Buzz Kulik 1973 Death Race Hans Pimler David Lowell Rich 1973 Running Wild Jeff Methune 1979 Bear Island Smithy Don Sharp 1979 The Fifth Musketeer Aramis Ken Annakin 1980 Airplane! Steve McCroskey 1982 Steve McCroskey Ken Finkleman 1986 The Thanksgiving Promise Stewart Larson Beau Bridges 1986 Weekend Warriors Col. Archer Bert Convy 1987 I Am Joe's Heart Joe's Heart (voice) short 1987 The Wild Pair Col. Heser Beau Bridges 1988 Sen. Homer Ferguson Francis Ford Coppola uncredited 1989 Cousins Vince Joel Schumacher 1989 Winter People William Wright Ted Kotcheff 1990 Joe Versus the Volcano Graynamore John Patrick Shanley 1991 Hot Shots! Adm. Thomas 'Tug' Benson Jim Abrahams 1992 Earth and the American Dream 1992 Honey, I Blew Up the Kid Clifford Sterling Randal Kleiser 1993 Hot Shots! Part Deux Tug Benson Jim Abrahams 1993 Mr. Bluesman Bronski 1994 Blown Away Max O'Bannon with son Jeff Bridges Stephen Hopkins 1995 Peter and the Wolf Grandfather George Daugherty 1998 Jane Austen's Mafia! Vincenzo Cortino Jim Abrahams Released posthumously 2000 Meeting Daddy Mr. Branson Peter Gould filmed in 1997; released posthumously 2002 From Russia to Hollywood: The 100-Year Odyssey of Chekhov and Shdanoff Himself scenes filmed in the 1990s
Television work
Further reading
External links
Categories: 1913 Births, 1998 Deaths, American People Of English Descent, American Male Film Actors, American Male Television Actors, Bridges Family, Hollywood Blacklist, Male Western Film Actors, Male Actors From The San Francisco Bay Area, People From San Leandro, California, People From Eureka, California, United States Coast Guard Officers, University Of California, Los Angeles Alumni, 20th-century American Male Actors, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Officers, United States Coast Guard Personnel Of World War Ii, Military Personnel From California, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Members
|
|
