Donald Porter (September 24, 1912 â€" February 11, 1997) was an
American actor who appeared in a number of films in the 1940s,
including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron.On television, he played
Peter Sands, the boss of Ann Sothern's character on Private
Secretary,:857 and Russell Lawrence, the widowed father of 15-year-old
Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field) in the 1965 ABC sitcom
Gidget.He was born in Miami, Oklahoma. Porter's obituary in the
Deseret News reported that his career in show business began in
Portland, Oregon after he served in World War II, but lists of his
film credits indicate he began in Hollywood in 1939 and acted
throughout the war years. He appeared as a B26 pilot in a 1944 Army
Air Forces training film, "How to Fly the B26 Airplane" as a savvy
captain who teaches another pilot the tips and tricks of flying the
Martin B26 Maurauder.Besides his work in film and television, Porter
was active on stage, as he acted in more than 200 plays. His Broadway
credits include The Front Page (1968), Plaza Suite (1967), and Any
Wednesday (1963).
American actor who appeared in a number of films in the 1940s,
including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron.On television, he played
Peter Sands, the boss of Ann Sothern's character on Private
Secretary,:857 and Russell Lawrence, the widowed father of 15-year-old
Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field) in the 1965 ABC sitcom
Gidget.He was born in Miami, Oklahoma. Porter's obituary in the
Deseret News reported that his career in show business began in
Portland, Oregon after he served in World War II, but lists of his
film credits indicate he began in Hollywood in 1939 and acted
throughout the war years. He appeared as a B26 pilot in a 1944 Army
Air Forces training film, "How to Fly the B26 Airplane" as a savvy
captain who teaches another pilot the tips and tricks of flying the
Martin B26 Maurauder.Besides his work in film and television, Porter
was active on stage, as he acted in more than 200 plays. His Broadway
credits include The Front Page (1968), Plaza Suite (1967), and Any
Wednesday (1963).
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