David Brian
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (November 2011) |
David Brian | |
|---|---|
 Brian in 1954 | |
| Born | Brian James Davis August 5, 1914 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 15, 1993 (aged 78) |
| Education | City College of New York |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1935–1974 1983–1984 |
| Spouse(s) | Bonita Fiedler (19??–1948; divorced) |
Brian James Davis (August 5, 1914 – July 15, 1993), better known as David Brian, was an American actor.[1] He is best known for his role in Intruder in the Dust (1949), for which he received critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination. Brian's other notable film roles were in The Damned Don't Cry (1950), This Woman Is Dangerous (1952), Springfield Rifle (1952), Dawn at Socorro (1954), and The High and the Mighty (1954).
On February 8, 1960, Brian was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.
Early years
Brian was born Brian Davis in New York City.[2] After school at City College, he found work as a doorman, then entered show business with a song-and-dance routine in vaudeville and in night clubs. He did a wartime stint with the United States Coast Guard during World War II and returned to acting on the New York stage after the war.[citation needed]
Film
Persuaded by Joan Crawford to try his hand at film acting,[citation needed] Brian joined her in Hollywood and, in 1949, signed a contract with Warner Bros. The New York City native appeared in such films as Flamingo Road (1949) and The Damned Don't Cry! (1950) with Joan Crawford, and Beyond the Forest (1949) with Bette Davis. He also had a role in the film Springfield Rifle (1952), which starred Gary Cooper, and in the John Wayne movie The High and the Mighty (1954) as Ken Childs.
Brian was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role in Intruder in the Dust (1949).[3]
Television
In the 1950s and 1960s, Brian was active in television with guest roles in dozens of shows ranging from dramatic to comedic, from Rawhide to I Dream of Jeannie. In 1954 and 1955, he portrayed the lead character on the TV show Mr. District Attorney.[4]
Brian guest starred in an episode of the series Laramie (episode "Protective Custody", 1963) as Walt Douglas, an official of the stage line. In the Star Trek episode "Patterns of Force" (1968), he portrays John Gill, a figurehead führer.
Brian has a star in the television section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.[5]
Personal life
Brian was married to Bonita Fiedler; they divorced in 1948.[4] In 1950, she filed a paternity suit against him, seeking his support for a son born to her. The suit claimed that Brian had admitted to being the baby's father. Brian's attorney, on the other hand, said that Brian did not think he was the child's father. At the time of the suit, Brian was married to Adrian Booth, an actress[6] known as Lorna Gray.[2] On August 11, 1951, a jury found in Brian's favor after another man testified to having been intimate with the mother "several times during the year before the child was born".[7]
Brian's marriage to Booth also had legal problems. In 1949, columnist Jimmie Fidler reported that Booth's "recent marriage to actor David Brian has been set aside by an L.A. judge because of illegalities in his divorce from a former mate".[8]
Death
Brian died July 15, 1993, of heart disease and cancer in Sherman Oaks, California.[2]
Partial filmography
- G Men (1935 reissue, new prologue) – The Chief – 1949 Reissue Scenes (uncredited)
- Flamingo Road (1949) – Dan Reynolds
- Intruder in the Dust (1949) – John Gavin Stevens
- Beyond the Forest (1949) – Neil Latimer
- The Damned Don't Cry (1950) – George Castleman / Joe Caveny
- The Great Jewel Robber (1950) – Gerard Graham Dennis
- Breakthrough (1950) – Capt. Tom Hale
- Inside Straight (1951) – Rip MacCool
- Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison (1951) – Mark Benson
- Fort Worth (1951) – Blair Lunsford
- This Woman Is Dangerous (1952) – Matt Jackson
- Springfield Rifle (1952) – Austin McCool
- Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) – Alfred Harper
- A Perilous Journey (1953) – Monty Breed
- Ambush at Tomahawk Gap (1953) – Egan
- The High and the Mighty (1954) – Ken Childs
- Dawn at Socorro (1954) – Dick Braden
- Timberjack (1955) – Croft Brunner
- No Place to Hide (1955) – Dr. Dobson
- Fury at Gunsight Pass (1956) – Whitey Turner
- The First Travelling Saleslady (1956) – James Carter
- The White Squaw (1956) – Sigrod Swanson
- Accused of Murder (1956) – Police Lt. Roy Hargis
- Ghost of the China Sea (1958) – Martin French
- The Rabbit Trap (1959) – Everett Spellman
- A Pocketful of Miracles (1961) – Governor
- How the West was Won (1962) – Lilith's Attorney
- The Rare Breed (1966) – Ellsworth
- Castle of Evil (1966) – Robert Hawley
- The Destructors (1968) – Hogan
- Childish Things (1969) – Jennings
- The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969) – Had Dixon
- The Seven Minutes (1971) – Cardinal McManus
Television
In 1963, Brian played the Mormon pioneer Jacob Hamblin in the episode "The Peacemaker" of the series Death Valley Days.
- Mr. District Attorney (1954–1955)
- Star Trek: The Original Series (episode: "Patterns of Force", 1968)
- The Immortal (1970)
- Mission Impossible (episode "Movie" S07E07 as Benjamin Dane, 1972)
- I Dream of Jeannie (episode "The Yacht Murder Case, 1965)
- The Untouchables (episode "Testimony Of Evil", 1961)
- The Dakotas (episode "Fargo", 1963)
- The Untouchables (episode "The Saint Louis story", 1960)
References
- ^ "David Brian". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
- ^ a b c Aaker, Everett (2006). Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-6409-8. Pp. 68-70.
- ^ "Golden Globe Awards for 'David Brian'". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
- ^ a b Pace, Eric (July 19, 1993). "David Brian, 82, Actor, Is Dead; Starred in 'Mr. District Attorney'". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
- ^ "David Brian". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ "David Brian Named in Paternity Suit". California, Long Beach. Long Beach Independent. September 7, 1950. p. 14. Retrieved April 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "David Brian Wins Paternity Case". Utah, Ogden. Ogden Standard-Examiner. August 11, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved April 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Fidler, Jimmie (October 2, 1949). "In Hollywood With Jimmie Fidler". Louisiana, Monroe. Monroe Morning World. p. 4. Retrieved April 7, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
