Woodrow "Woody" Lewis Chambliss (October 14, 1914 in Bowie, Texas â€"
January 8, 1981 in Ojai, California) was an American character actor
who appeared in both feature films and television. He is probably best
known for his appearances as several characters in the TV hit
Gunsmoke, where he eventually settled into the recurring role of
storekeeper Mr. Lathrop. He was sometimes credited as Woody
Chambliss.Originally from Bowie, Texas, Chambliss was the son of Mr.
and Mrs. L. B. Chambliss, who had a farm outside Brownfield, Texas. He
attended public schools in Brownsville and Baylor University, where
his first contact with drama occurred as a prompter with the Baylor
Little Theater. In 1938 traveled to Dartington Hall, Dartington,
England as a drama exchange student. He remained in England to act in
Michael Chekhov's theatre company, which led to his Broadway debut in
a 1939 Chekhov production of The Possessed. The cast also included his
wife, Erika Kapralik, and actor Ford Rainey, but the play only ran for
fourteen performances on Broadway.During World War II, he worked at
the Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme naval base in
Port Hueneme, California. After the war, he, Rainey and others from
the Chekhov company established the High Valley Players, a touring
repertory troupe that for four years performed in and around Ojai,
California. Chambliss went on to become the manager of the Senior
Canyon Mutual Water Company prior to resuming his theater career. In
addition to his work on Gunsmoke, where he eventually settled into the
recurring role of storekeeper Mr. Lathrop, he also had a recurring
roles as riverboat Captain Tom of the "Sultana" on the TV show Yancy
Derringer. He also appeared in two 1958 episodes of Perry Mason: as
Phil Reese in "The Case of the Fugitive Nurse," and Fred Haley in "The
Case of the Lucky Loser." In 1965, he appeared on The Andy Griffith
Show in the episode, "Aunt Bee's Invisible Beau", as their
butter-and-egg-man. He and wife Erika also appeared together as
grandparents in the 1978 TV movie Forever. He also played the role of
Zadok Walton, cousin to grandpa Walton, on a Season 8 episode of "The
Waltons."He died on January 8, 1981, in Ojai of colon cancer.
January 8, 1981 in Ojai, California) was an American character actor
who appeared in both feature films and television. He is probably best
known for his appearances as several characters in the TV hit
Gunsmoke, where he eventually settled into the recurring role of
storekeeper Mr. Lathrop. He was sometimes credited as Woody
Chambliss.Originally from Bowie, Texas, Chambliss was the son of Mr.
and Mrs. L. B. Chambliss, who had a farm outside Brownfield, Texas. He
attended public schools in Brownsville and Baylor University, where
his first contact with drama occurred as a prompter with the Baylor
Little Theater. In 1938 traveled to Dartington Hall, Dartington,
England as a drama exchange student. He remained in England to act in
Michael Chekhov's theatre company, which led to his Broadway debut in
a 1939 Chekhov production of The Possessed. The cast also included his
wife, Erika Kapralik, and actor Ford Rainey, but the play only ran for
fourteen performances on Broadway.During World War II, he worked at
the Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme naval base in
Port Hueneme, California. After the war, he, Rainey and others from
the Chekhov company established the High Valley Players, a touring
repertory troupe that for four years performed in and around Ojai,
California. Chambliss went on to become the manager of the Senior
Canyon Mutual Water Company prior to resuming his theater career. In
addition to his work on Gunsmoke, where he eventually settled into the
recurring role of storekeeper Mr. Lathrop, he also had a recurring
roles as riverboat Captain Tom of the "Sultana" on the TV show Yancy
Derringer. He also appeared in two 1958 episodes of Perry Mason: as
Phil Reese in "The Case of the Fugitive Nurse," and Fred Haley in "The
Case of the Lucky Loser." In 1965, he appeared on The Andy Griffith
Show in the episode, "Aunt Bee's Invisible Beau", as their
butter-and-egg-man. He and wife Erika also appeared together as
grandparents in the 1978 TV movie Forever. He also played the role of
Zadok Walton, cousin to grandpa Walton, on a Season 8 episode of "The
Waltons."He died on January 8, 1981, in Ojai of colon cancer.
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