david_janssen.jpgDAVID JANSSEN
Information from IMDb
Date of birth
27 March 1931
Naponee, Nebraska, USA
Date of death
13 February 1980
Malibu, California, USA. (heart attack)
Birth name
David Harold Meyer
Height
6' (1.83 m)
Spouse
Dani Crayne (1975 - 13 February 1980) (his death)
Ellie Graham (1958 - 1973) (divorced)
Trivia
Born at 10:00am-CST
His mother and both of his sisters appeared as extras in "The Fugitive" (1963).
He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, only about a block away from the Chinese Theater. When it was placed there, it was in front of David's favorite ice cream shops as a child. The star dedication was on his mother's birthday.
Twisted his right knee in 1948 while pole vaulting for reporters from the Hollywood Citizen News.
Brother of Teri Janssen and Jill Janssen
His last role was in the film Inchon (1981). When the film was edited for general release, his entire part was deleted.
Mother, Bernice Dalton Janssen
Personal Quotes
"TV is my sleeping pill."
Mini biography
David Janssen was born (in Nebraska in 1931) to be a TV star. The Janssen family settled in Hollywood when he was a teenager and he attended Fairfax High School, where he developed an interest in acting. His film debut was a bit part in It's a Pleasure (1945), and at the age of 18 signed a contract with 20th Century-Fox. However, the studio dropped him after allegedly becoming disenchanted with his odd hairline and big prominent ears. Janssen had better luck at Universal, where he signed on in the early 1950s and became a supporting player in 32 films before appearing on TV as the star of "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" (1957). He resumed his movie career in 1961, a year after the series ended. His biggest success came from his lead in the series "The Fugitive" (1963), playing the haunted, hunted Dr. Richard Kimble, on the run for a murder he didn't commit. After the series ended, Janssen launched himself into a grueling schedule by appearing in lead and supporting roles in movies, but he had better luck with made-for-TV-movie roles and a short-lived series, "O'Hara, U.S. Treasury" (1971). He had another hit series with the cult favorite "Harry O" (1974). Janssen continued appearing in lead roles in nearly 20 made-for-TV-movies during the 1970s as well as other TV projects. He died in 1980 from a sudden heart attack at his Malibu home at the age of 49. Unfounded speculation holds that Janssen succumbed to alcoholism, a problem that plagued him most of his adult life. There were even unfounded rumors about drug use. However, a much more reasonable explanation for David Janssen's sudden demise is that this intense, dedicated, determined actor simply worked himself to death.
IMDb mini-biography by Matt Patay
Filmography
Actor
1. Inchon (1981) (scenes deleted) .... David Feld
2. City in Fear (1980) (TV) .... Vince Perrino
3. High Ice (1980) (TV) .... Glencoe MacDonald
4. The Golden Gate Murders (1979) (TV) .... Det. Sgt. Paul Silver
... aka Specter on the Bridge (USA: theatrical title)
5. S.O.S. Titanic (1979) (TV) .... John Jacob Astor
6. "Biography" (1979) TV Series .... Host
7. "The Word" (1978) (mini) TV Series .... Steve Randall
8. "Centennial" (1978) (mini) TV Series .... Paul Garrett/Narrator
9. Nowhere to Run (1978) (TV) .... Harry Adams
... aka Winner Take All
10. Superdome (1978) (TV) .... Mike Shelley
11. Sono stato un agente C.I.A. (1978) .... Lester Horton
... aka Covert Action (USA)
... aka Mystiki apostoli stin Ellada (Greece)
... aka Spy Kill (Canada: English title)
12. Golden Rendezvous (1977) .... Charles Conway
... aka Nuclear Terror (USA: TV title)
13. "Police Story"
- Pressure Point (1977) TV Episode .... Sgt. Joe Wilson
14. A Sensitive, Passionate Man (1977) (TV) .... Michael Delaney
15. Warhead (1977) .... Tony Stevens
... aka Prisoner in the Middle
16. Two-Minute Warning (1976) .... Steve
17. Mayday at 40,000 Feet! (1976) (TV) .... Captain Pete Douglas
18. Stalk the Wild Child (1976) (TV) .... Dr. James Hazard
19. The Swiss Conspiracy (1976) .... David Christopher
... aka Per Saldo Mord (West Germany)
20. Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough (1975) .... Tom Colt
... aka Once Is Not Enough
21. "Harry O" .... Harry Orwell (1974-1976)
- Double Jeopardy (1975) TV Episode .... Harry Orwell
- Sound of Trumpets (1975) TV Episode .... Harry Orwell
- The Confetti People (1975) TV Episode .... Harry Orwell
- Forty Reasons to Kill: Part 2 (1974) TV Episode .... Harry Orwell
- Ballinger's Choice (1974) TV Episode .... Harry Orwell
22. Fer-de-Lance (1974) (TV) .... Russ Bogan
... aka Death Dive (UK: theatrical title)
... aka Operation Serpent (video title)
23. Smile, Jenny, You're Dead (1974) (TV) .... Harry Orwell
... aka Don't Call the Police (USA: new title)
... aka Harry-O
24. Pioneer Woman (1973) (TV) .... Robert Douglas
... aka Pioneers
25. Hijack (1973) (TV) .... Jake Wilkinson
26. "Cannon"
- He Who Digs a Grave (1973) TV Episode .... Ian Kirk
27. Harry O: Such Dust As Dreams Are Made On (1973) .... Harry Orwell
28. Birds of Prey (1973) (TV) .... Harry Walker
29. Moon of the Wolf (1972) (TV) .... Sheriff Aaron Whitaker
30. The Longest Night (1972) (TV) .... Alan Chambers
31. "O'Hara, U.S. Treasury" (1971) TV Series .... Jim O'Hara
32. O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (1971) (TV) .... James O'Hara
... aka O'Hara, U.S. Treasury: Operation Cobra (USA)
33. Night Chase (1970) (TV) .... Adrian Vico
... aka L.A. Cab (USA: video title)
... aka The Man in the Back Seat
34. Macho Callahan (1970) .... Diego Callahan
35. Generation (1969) .... Jim Bolton
... aka A Time for Caring
... aka A Time for Giving (UK)
36. Marooned (1969) .... Ted Dougherty
... aka Space Travelers (USA: reissue title)
37. Where It's at (1969) .... A.C. Smith
38. The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968/I) .... George Faber
39. The Green Berets (1968) .... George Beckworth
40. "The Fugitive" .... Dr. Richard Kimble
- The Judgment: Part 2 (1967) TV Episode .... Dr. Richard Kimble
- The Judgment: Part 1 (1967) TV Episode .... Dr. Richard Kimble
- The Shattered Silence (1967) TV Episode .... Dr. Richard Kimble
- The Walls of Night (1967) TV Episode .... Dr. Richard Kimble
- Dossier on a Diplomat (1967) TV Episode .... Dr. Richard Kimble
(115 more)
41. Warning Shot (1967) .... Sgt. Tom Valens
42. My Six Loves (1963) .... Marty Bliss
43. "Naked City"
- On the Battlefront, Every Minute Is Important (1963) TV Episode .... Carl Ashland
- A Wednesday Night Story (1961) TV Episode .... Blair Cameron
44. "The Dick Powell Show"
... aka The Dick Powell Theatre (USA: new title)
- Thunder in a Forgotten Town (1963) TV Episode .... Kenneth 'Ken' Morgan
45. "The Eleventh Hour"
- Make Me a Place (1962) TV Episode .... Hal Kincaid
46. "Route 66"
- One Tiger to a Hill (1962) TV Episode .... Karno
47. "Kraft Mystery Theater"
- Two Counts of Murder (1962) TV Episode
48. Belle Sommers (1962) (TV)
49. "Cain's Hundred"
- Inside Track (1962) TV Episode .... Dan Mullin
50. "Checkmate"
- Ride a Wild Horse (1962) TV Episode .... Len Kobalsky
51. "Follow the Sun"
- A Ghost in Her Gazebo (1962) TV Episode .... Johnny Sadowsky
- A Choice of Weapons (1962) TV Episode .... Johnny Sadowsky
52. "General Electric Theater"
... aka G.E. Theater (USA: informal short title)
- Shadow of a Hero (1962) TV Episode .... Pat Howard
53. "Target: The Corruptors"
- The Middle Man (1962) TV Episode .... Robbie Wilson
54. "Thriller"
... aka Boris Karloff's Thriller
- The Storm (1962) TV Episode .... Man
55. "Adventures in Paradise"
- Show Me a Hero (1961) TV Episode .... Scotty Bell
56. Man-Trap (1961) .... Vince Biskay
57. "Frontier Justice"
- They Were Four (1961) TV Episode .... Danny Ensign
- There Were Four (1958) TV Episode .... Danny Ensign
58. Twenty Plus Two (1961) .... Tom Alder
... aka It Started in Tokyo (UK)
59. Ring of Fire (1961) .... Sergeant Steve Walsh
60. King of the Roaring 20's - The Story of Arnold Rothstein (1961) .... Arnold Rothstein
... aka The Big Bankroll (UK)
61. Dondi (1961) .... Dealey
62. "Death Valley Days"
... aka Call of the West (USA: syndication title)
... aka The Pioneers (USA: syndication title)
... aka Trails West (USA: syndication title)
... aka Western Star Theater (USA: syndication title)
- Deadline at Austin (1961) TV Episode .... Dr. Bill Breckenridge
63. Hell to Eternity (1960) .... Bill
64. "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse"
... aka Desilu Playhouse
- Two Counts of Murder (1959) TV Episode .... Ross Ingraham
65. "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" .... Richard Diamond (1957-1960)
... aka Call Mr. D.e
- Matador Murder (1959) TV Episode .... Richard Diamond
- Picture of Fear (1957) TV Episode .... Richard Diamond
66. "Zane Grey Theater"
... aka Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater (USA: complete title)
... aka The Westerners (USA: rerun title)
- Hang the Heart High (1959) TV Episode .... Dix Porter
- Trail to Nowhere (1958) TV Episode .... Seth Larker
- Trial by Fear (1958) TV Episode .... Tod Owen
- There Were Four (1957) TV Episode .... Danny Ensign
67. "The Millionaire"
... aka If You Had a Million
- The David Barrett Story (1958) TV Episode .... David Barrett
- The Regina Wainwright Story (1957) TV Episode .... Peter
68. "Alcoa Theatre"
- Decoy Duck (1958) TV Episode .... Jim McCandless
- Cupid Wore a Badge (1957) TV Episode .... Mike Harper
69. Lafayette Escadrille (1958) .... Duke Sinclaire
... aka C'est la guerre (USA)
... aka Hell Bent for Glory (UK)
... aka With You in My Arms (USA: alternative title)
70. "U.S. Marshal"
- The Turkey Farmers (????) TV Episode .... Arnie Hix
71. "You Are There"
- The End of the Dalton Gang (October 5, 1892) (1957) TV Episode .... Grat Dalton
72. "Conflict"
- The Money (1957) TV Episode
73. Showdown at Abilene (1956) .... Deputy Verne Ward
... aka Gun Shy (USA)
74. The Girl He Left Behind (1956) .... Capt. Genaro
75. Mr. Black Magic (1956) .... M.C.
76. Away All Boats (1956) (uncredited) .... Talker
77. Francis in the Haunted House (1956) .... Police Lieutenant Hopkins
78. The Toy Tiger (1956) .... Larry Tripps
79. "Lux Video Theatre"
... aka Summer Video Theatre (USA: summer title)
- It Started with Eve (1956) TV Episode .... Johnny
- Perilous Deception (1955) TV Episode .... Joe Davies
- It Grows on Trees (1955) TV Episode .... Ralph
80. Never Say Goodbye (1956) .... Dave Heller
81. All That Heaven Allows (1955) (uncredited) .... Freddie Norton
82. The Square Jungle (1955) .... Jack Lindsay
83. To Hell and Back (1955) .... Lt. Lee
84. Cult of the Cobra (1955) .... Rico Nardi
85. Francis in the Navy (1955) .... Lt. Anders
86. The Private War of Major Benson (1955) .... Young Lieutenant
87. Chief Crazy Horse (1955) .... Lieutenant Colin Cartwright
... aka Valley of Fury (UK)
88. Back at the Front (1952) (uncredited) .... Soldier
... aka Willie and Joe Back at the Front (USA: reissue title)
... aka Willie and Joe in Tokyo (UK)
89. Untamed Frontier (1952) (uncredited) .... Young Man in Dance Hall
90. Francis Goes to West Point (1952) .... Cpl. Thomas
91. No Room for the Groom (1952) .... Soldier(scene cut out of release print)
92. Yankee Buccaneer (1952) .... Beckett
... aka Yankee Pasha (USA)
93. Bonzo Goes to College (1952) .... Pawlton football player #10
94. Swamp Fire (1946) (uncredited) .... Emile's eldest son
95. It's a Pleasure (1945) (uncredited) .... Davey/boy referee
Composer
1. A Sensitive, Passionate Man (1977) (TV) (title song)