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Don Stroud

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Don Stroud
Stroud in the trailer for Coogan's Bluff (1968).
Born
Donald Lee Stroud

(1943-09-01) September 1, 1943 (age 81)
Honolulu, Hawaii
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Actor
  • musician
  • surfer
Years active1967–present
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Spouses
Teri Sullivan
​
(m. 1994)​
Linda Hayes
​
(m. 1982⁠–⁠1992)​
Sally Ann Stroud
​
​
(m. 1973⁠–⁠1979)​
Parents
  • Clarence Stroud (father)
  • Ann McCormack (mother)

Donald Lee Stroud (born September 1, 1943)[1][2] is an American actor, musician,[3] and surfer. Stroud has appeared in over 100 films and 200 television shows.[4] He portrayed Disabled Stunt Driver Carl in Dukes Of Hazzard Season 2, Ep. 24 and 25 "Carnival of Thrills." 1980.

Early years

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Stroud is the son of vaudeville actor Clarence Stroud (of "The Stroud Twins" team) and singer Ann McCormack. He was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, by his mother and stepfather, Paul Livermore.[1][2][4]

At the age of 16, Stroud earned a black belt in the Hawaiian martial art of Kajukenbo.[2][5]

Stroud began surfing at the age of 3.[1]: 242  As a surfer, he taught surfing while he was still in high school. In 1960 at the age of 17, Stroud won the Mākaha Junior Championship, and placed fourth overall in the Duke Kahanamoku International event.[2][4]

While working at the Kahala Hilton beach as a lifeguard, producers hired Stroud to double for Troy Donahue's surfing sequences at Waikiki Beach for an episode of Hawaiian Eye. Afterwards, Donahue asked Stroud to move to Los Angeles to become an actor, while also serving as Donahue's fight double and bodyguard.[2] After jobs parking cars, bouncing, and eventually managing at the Whisky A Go-Go in Hollywood, he received advice on getting a start as an actor from Sidney Poitier, who frequented the club. Poitier set Stroud up with Dick Clayton, who was also an agent for such actors as James Dean, Michael Douglas, Al Pacino and Burt Reynolds, among others.[4]

Career

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1970 saw Roger Corman film Richthofen & Brown at Lynn Garrison's aviation facility in Ireland. Don Stroud starred in the production

At 6'2", and around 200 pounds, Stroud often portrayed villains and tough guys.[2][4]

Stroud's Hollywood film debut was a role in Games (1967) as Norman. That same year, he appeared in The Ballad of Josie (1967) as Bratsch.

In 1968, he signed with Universal Pictures on a five-film contract, and he took a role in Madigan that same year. Stroud also appeared with Clint Eastwood in two films, Coogan's Bluff (1968) and Joe Kidd (1972).[1][4]

Stroud co-starred in two Roger Corman films, Bloody Mama (1970) and Von Richthofen and Brown (1971). In the latter, he played Roy Brown opposite John Phillip Law's Baron von Richthofen.[4] Corman used Lynn Garrison's Irish aviation facility. Garrison taught Stroud the rudiments of flying so that he could manage to take off and land the aircraft, making some of the footage more realistic.

Stroud and Robert Conrad performed in the speedboat chase through Fort Lauderdale in the film Murph the Surf (1975). In the film, he starred in the role of real-life jewel thief Jack Murphy. Conrad and Stroud also had a martial arts fight in Sudden Death (1977). Stroud would have another fight with Park Jong-soo in Search and Destroy (1979).[2]

He starred in the horror/thriller Death Weekend (1976) (aka The House By the Lake), and had a supporting role in the cult horror film The Amityville Horror (1979) as Father Bolen. Other films in the genre include The Killer Inside Me (1976), and Sweet Sixteen (1983).[4]

In The Buddy Holly Story (1978), he co-starred as the late musician's drummer, while actually playing the drums live in front of two or three thousand kids brought in by buses, recording the soundtrack directly using 24-track recording trucks at the venue.[1]

In James Bond he played a villain in the film Licence to Kill (1989).

On television, his debut came in 1967 in the Barry Sullivan NBC western series The Road West as Nino. Being under contract at Universal, Stroud appeared in Barnaby Jones, Cannon, Charlie's Angels, Ironside, Hawaii Five-O, Marcus Welby, M.D., Starsky & Hutch, and The Streets of San Francisco, among others. Stroud had many other guest appearances, including The Fall Guy,[2] Gunsmoke, Hotel, and The Virginian. He had a reoccurring role as Mike Varrick in the miniseries Mrs. Columbo[6] (1979-1980) which starred Kate Mulgrew.[4]

He played Captain Pat Chambers in Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and The New Mike Hammer with Stacy Keach. In the television pilot movie Gidget's Summer Reunion[7] (1985) he played The Great Kahuna, and also revised the role in series The New Gidget (1986). He also has roles in Nash Bridges (1996–2001) and Pensacola: Wings of Gold (1996–2000).[4]

In 2011, he made a brief appearance in the new Hawaii Five-0. Stroud played a bartender in the second season's fourth episode, "Mea Makamae" (meaning "Treasure" in Hawaiian).

Personal life

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Lynn Garrison, Don Stroud crash September 16, 1970 SV4.C Stampe

On September 16, 1970, during a low-level sequence flying a two-seat SV.4C Stampe biplane across Lake Weston, a duck flew through the propeller's arc, striking the pilot Garrison in the face, knocking him unconscious. The aircraft flew into five power lines, snap rolled and plunged inverted into Ireland's large Liffey River. Stroud rescued the unconscious Garrison, treading water until rescue crews found them almost an hour later. Stroud was unhurt, but Garrison required 60 stitches to close a head wound.[2][4]

Sometime in 1989 or 1990, on the street in Greenwich Village, New York City, Stroud tried to help a man who was being mugged. During the confrontation, Stroud was stabbed several times, suffering partial paralysis in the face, and losing the use of one eye. The mugging victim fled.[1]: 242 

Filmography

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A partial filmography follows.

Film

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Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1966 The Virginian Cate "The Long Way Home"
1967 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre[1] Greg Travis "Wipout"
1967 Ironside[1] Bains "An Inside Job"
1967 The Road West[1] Nino "Eleven Miles to Eden"
1967 Run for Your Life[1] Jim Hammack "Fly by Night"
1967 The Virginian Frank Hollis "Paid in Full"
1968 Ironside[1] Albee "Split Second to an Epitaph" (parts 1 & 2)
1968 The Virginian Rafe Judson / Wally McCullough "Image of an Outlaw"
1970 Hawaii Five-O Nick Pierson "The Late John Louisiana"
1971 Dan August Nicky Episode: "The Meal Ticket"
1971 McMillan & Wife Billy Benton Episode: “Death Is a Seven Point Favorite”
1973 Cannon Marty Brand "Come Watch Me Die"
1973 Hawaii Five-O Tally Green "The Flip Side Is Death"
1974 Barnaby Jones[1] Chuck Summers "Programmed for Killing"
1974 Gunsmoke Pete Murphy "Jesse"
1974 The Elevator Pete Howarth TV movie
1974 Gunsmoke Foss "Town in Chains"
1974 Police Woman Frank Asher "Warning: All Wives"
1976 Hawaii Five-O Nathan Purdy "Target - A Cop"
1978 Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold Sullie Toulours TV movie
1981 The Fall Guy Randy Soames "Colts Angels"
1983 Matt Houston Dirk Bronson "Get Houston"
1983 Matt Houston Cord Cody "Heritage"
1983 The A-Team Deke Watkins "A Nice Place to Visit"
1984 Mike Hammer Captain Pat Chambers
1985 The A-Team Walter Tyler "Knights of the Road"
1985 Gidget's Summer Reunion The Great Kahuna TV movie
1985 Hunter Sheriff Johnson "The Biggest Man in Town"
1985 Murder, She Wrote Carey Drayson "Murder Takes The Bus"
1986 The New Gidget The Great Kahuna 4 episodes (1986-1987)
1987 The Law & Harry McGraw Rudy Udovic "Old Heroes Never Lie"
1989 The New Dragnet Captain Lussen 52 episodes (1989-1990)
1991 Quantum Leap Coach "Play Ball"
1993 In the Heat of the Night Ron Griff "Even Nice People"
1993 Renegade Kattrain "Windy City Blues"
1994 Babylon 5 Caliban "TKO"
1995 The Alien Within Louis TV movie
1996 Babylon 5 Boggs "Ceremonies of Light and Dark"
1998 National Lampoon's Men in White[1]: 242  Old Bob TV movie

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Paul, Louis (November 29, 2014). Tales from the Cult Film Trenches: Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. McFarland. p. 239. ISBN 9780786484027. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Freese, Gene Scott (April 4, 2014). Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s–1970s: A Biographical Dictionary (2 ed.). McFarland. p. 1986. ISBN 9781476614700. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  3. ^ Wedman, Les (February 5, 1969). "Don Stroud ...stands on own talents". The Vancouver Sun. p. 14. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "To Smile and Play the Villain: An Interview with Actor Don Stroud". The Terror Trap. January 2001. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  5. ^ Bishop, John. "An Interview with Adriano D. Emperado". Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  6. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2007: F-L. McFarland. p. 811. ISBN 9780786433056. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  7. ^ Pardi, Robert J.; Scheuer, Steven H. (1987). Movies on TV, 1988-1989. Bantam Books. p. 301. ISBN 9780553268515. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
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