Carl Lawrence Betz (March 9, 1921 â€" January 18, 1978) was an
American stage, film, and television actor. He appeared in a variety
of television series, including the CBS soap opera Love of Life;
however, he is best remembered for playing Donna Reed's television
husband, Dr. Alex Stone, from 1958 to 1966 in the ABC sitcom The Donna
Reed Show. Then between 1967 and 1969, Betz played defense attorney
Clinton Judd in ABC's courtroom drama Judd, for the Defense, winning
an Emmy Award in 1969 for his work on that series.Born in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, in 1921, Betz was the oldest of four childrenâ€"two sons
and two daughtersâ€"of Carl W. and Mary Leona Betz. His father was a
native of Missouri; and according to the federal census of 1930, he
was then the "chief chemist" at a local laboratory and later, by 1940,
for Allegheny County.Growing up in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Crafton
and Mt. Lebanon, Betz began his amateur acting career very early, at
the age of 10, when he formed a theatrical company with six friends
who performed plays in his grandmother's basement. After graduating
from Mt. Lebanon High School in 1939, he won a scholarship to Duquesne
University. During the summer, Betz performed in a Pittsburgh summer
stock theatre company and decided to transfer to Carnegie Mellon
University, then known as Carnegie Tech, in Pittsburgh to study
drama.His education was interrupted in 1942, when he was drafted into
the United States Army. He served in Italy and North Africa during
World War II and eventually became a technical sergeant with the Corps
of Engineers.
American stage, film, and television actor. He appeared in a variety
of television series, including the CBS soap opera Love of Life;
however, he is best remembered for playing Donna Reed's television
husband, Dr. Alex Stone, from 1958 to 1966 in the ABC sitcom The Donna
Reed Show. Then between 1967 and 1969, Betz played defense attorney
Clinton Judd in ABC's courtroom drama Judd, for the Defense, winning
an Emmy Award in 1969 for his work on that series.Born in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, in 1921, Betz was the oldest of four childrenâ€"two sons
and two daughtersâ€"of Carl W. and Mary Leona Betz. His father was a
native of Missouri; and according to the federal census of 1930, he
was then the "chief chemist" at a local laboratory and later, by 1940,
for Allegheny County.Growing up in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Crafton
and Mt. Lebanon, Betz began his amateur acting career very early, at
the age of 10, when he formed a theatrical company with six friends
who performed plays in his grandmother's basement. After graduating
from Mt. Lebanon High School in 1939, he won a scholarship to Duquesne
University. During the summer, Betz performed in a Pittsburgh summer
stock theatre company and decided to transfer to Carnegie Mellon
University, then known as Carnegie Tech, in Pittsburgh to study
drama.His education was interrupted in 1942, when he was drafted into
the United States Army. He served in Italy and North Africa during
World War II and eventually became a technical sergeant with the Corps
of Engineers.
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