Simon Oakland (August 28, 1915 â€" August 29, 1983) was an American
actor of stage, screen, and television. During his career, Oakland
performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and
made-for-television movies between 1951 and 1983.[better source
needed] His most notable big-screen roles were in Psycho (1960), West
Side Story (1961), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1969), The
Hunting Party (1971) and Chato's Land (1972).Oakland was born in the
Brooklyn borough of New York City, the eldest of the three sons of
Jacob Weiss and Ethel Oaklander. His father was a plasterer and
builder. While he later claimed in media interviews to have been born
in 1922 (a date repeated in his New York Times obituary), Social
Security and vital records indicate he was born Simon Weiss in 1915;
his stage name was likely derived from his mother's maiden name,
Oaklander.[Note 1]He began his performing arts career as a musician
(he was a violinist, an avocation he would pursue during his entire
career as an actor). Oakland began his acting career in the late
1940s. He enjoyed a series of Broadway hits, including Light Up the
Sky, The Shrike and Inherit the Wind, and theater was one of his
lasting passions. He was a concert violinist until the 1940s.In 1955
Oakland made his film debut, though uncredited, as an Indiana state
trooper in The Desperate Hours. He next appeared in two films released
in 1958: as the character Mavrayek in The Brothers Karamazov and then
in the role of Edward Montgomery in I Want to Live!  The character
Montgomery was a real-life journalist, who had reported on the
California murder trial and 1955 execution of Barbara Graham, played
by Susan Hayward in the film. Oakland's portrayal of the journalist as
a "tough, but compassionate" personality resulted in the actor's often
being typecast in his subsequent roles in both films and on
television.
actor of stage, screen, and television. During his career, Oakland
performed primarily on television, appearing in over 130 series and
made-for-television movies between 1951 and 1983.[better source
needed] His most notable big-screen roles were in Psycho (1960), West
Side Story (1961), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1969), The
Hunting Party (1971) and Chato's Land (1972).Oakland was born in the
Brooklyn borough of New York City, the eldest of the three sons of
Jacob Weiss and Ethel Oaklander. His father was a plasterer and
builder. While he later claimed in media interviews to have been born
in 1922 (a date repeated in his New York Times obituary), Social
Security and vital records indicate he was born Simon Weiss in 1915;
his stage name was likely derived from his mother's maiden name,
Oaklander.[Note 1]He began his performing arts career as a musician
(he was a violinist, an avocation he would pursue during his entire
career as an actor). Oakland began his acting career in the late
1940s. He enjoyed a series of Broadway hits, including Light Up the
Sky, The Shrike and Inherit the Wind, and theater was one of his
lasting passions. He was a concert violinist until the 1940s.In 1955
Oakland made his film debut, though uncredited, as an Indiana state
trooper in The Desperate Hours. He next appeared in two films released
in 1958: as the character Mavrayek in The Brothers Karamazov and then
in the role of Edward Montgomery in I Want to Live!  The character
Montgomery was a real-life journalist, who had reported on the
California murder trial and 1955 execution of Barbara Graham, played
by Susan Hayward in the film. Oakland's portrayal of the journalist as
a "tough, but compassionate" personality resulted in the actor's often
being typecast in his subsequent roles in both films and on
television.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.