Gregg Palmer

Gregg Palmer (born Palmer Edvind Lee; January 25, 1927 – October 31, 2015) was an American actor, known primarily for his work in television westerns. He appeared from 1960-1975 in varying roles in twenty episodes of CBS's Gunsmoke with James Arness, thirteen segments of the syndicated Death Valley Days, and nine episodes of NBC's The Virginian starring James Drury in the title role. He guest starred five times on Bonanza, NBC's longest-running western.

The New York Times, July 8, 1953: ACTOR MAKES GOOD. GETS A NEW NAME. Palmer Lee, 26-year-old actor under contract to Universal-International for more than two years, will get a stellar build-up and a new name as a result of his performance in his latest picture, "The All-American." The studio has discarded the name he used in a dozen motion pictures in favor of Gregg Palmer, because it was felt the old name "wasn't good enough for a star personality." The first assignment as Gregg Palmer will be the second male lead in "Son of Cochise."

Early years
Palmer Edvind Lee was born to Norwegian immigrant parents in San Francisco, California. He entered the United States Army Air Corps, forerunner of the Air Force, and became a cryptographer during World War II. He was discharged in 1946 as a sergeant. Palmer worked as a bouncer, truck driver, and in construction before he became a radio disc jockey.

In 1950, at the age of twenty-three, he procured his first screen role, as an uncredited ambulance attendant in the Martin and Lewis comedy film My Friend Irma Goes West. In 1952, he had minor roles as Gratton Dalton of the Dalton gang in the film, The Cimarron Kid, and as Joe Bent in The Battle at Apache Pass. In the early 1950s, Palmer and Marilyn Monroe both unsuccessfully auditioned for roles as Abner and Daisy Mae in a proposed Li'l Abner television series based on the Al Capp cartoon, but the effort never materialized. Palmer was signed to a contract with Universal Pictures. In 1952, he appeared as William Norton in the comedy film Francis Goes to West Point, starring Donald O'Connor. Palmer claimed that he was going to be pushed as a big star by Universal in a similar manner to their other stable of stars, but in the 1950s the studio changed, hiring out major stars from other studios rather than build up their own. Palmer was soon dropped and went freelance.

Westerns, 1955-1961
On March 4, 1955, Palmer appeared as Jack Slade in an episode of Jim Davis's syndicated western series Stories of the Century. Slade was the superintendent of the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company, based in Julesburg in northeastern Colorado, who sets out to capture the outlaw Jules Beni, played in the episode by Paul Newlan. Elaine Riley appeared as Slade's wife, Maria Virginia.

From 1955 to 1958, Palmer appeared five times on the syndicated 26 Men, starring Tristram Coffin and based on the actual files of the Arizona Rangers law enforcement group. The episodes are entitled "Chain Gang", "The Vanquisher", "Runaway Stage", "Hole Up", and "Terror in Paradise". During the late 1950s, Palmer was particularly busy in acting, having appeared on The Lone Ranger, Rod Cameron's syndicated State Trooper, Scott Brady's syndicated Shotgun Slade, Grant Sullivan's syndicated western Pony Express, John Lupton's ABC series Broken Arrow, John Payne's The Restless Gun on NBC, Kirby Grant's Sky King, Jeff Richards's Jefferson Drum on NBC, Rex Allen's syndicated Frontier Doctor, and Rory Calhoun's The Texan on CBS. He appeared on NBC's Buckskin as Jackel in the episode "A Man from the Mountains" and Cimarron City as Tom Hiller in "The Bitter Lesson". During the 1960s, Palmer appeared in Earl Holliman's Hotel de Paree western as Cooper in the episode "Sundance and the Bare-Knuckled Fighters". He then appeared in NBC's short-lived Overland Trail in the role of Will Purdom in the episode "Vigilantes of Montana". Other appearances were on ABC's The Man From Blackhawk, Henry Fonda's and Allen Case's The Deputy on NBC, and three segments of Wagon Train, when it was aired on NBC. He appeared as Tracy McNeil in the 1960 episode "Old Stefano" of the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Lawman, set in Laramie, Wyoming, and starring John Russell and Peter Brown. That same year, he appeared as Captain McKinley in "Welcome Enemy" in Will Hutchins's ABC/WB western Sugarfoot.

In 1961, he appeared as Blanchard in the episode "A Gun Is for Killing" in NBC's The Tall Man, a fictionalized account of the relationship between Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. He then appeared as Dillard in the episode "The Frightened Town" of the ABC/WB western, Cheyenne, starring Clint Walker. He then played Heff in the 1961 episode "Sam Bass" of NBC's The Outlaws. From 1956 to 1961, he appeared five times as Tom McLowery in ABC's The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp starring Hugh O'Brian in the title role: "So Long, Dora, So Long", "Doc Holliday Faces Death", "The Law Must Be Fair", "Just Before the Battle", and "The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral". He appeared as Cowlin in the 1961 episode "The Dead Ringer" of the syndicated series Two Faces West starring Charles Bateman. From 1957-1961, Palmer appeared in three episodes of Dale Robertson's NBC series Tales of Wells Fargo: "Chips", "The Warrior's Return", and "Death Raffle".

Westerns, 1962-1978
In 1962, Palmer appeared as Colton in the episode "Destinies West" of Ty Hardin's ABC/WB series, Bronco series, a spin-off of Cheyenne. Through 1962, he appeared in four segments of CBS's Have Gun - Will Travel, starring Richard Boone: "Fragile", "The Misguided Father", "Fight at Adobe Wells", and "Trial at Tablerock" as a sheriff. In the 1962-1963 season, Palmer appeared twice on NBC's Laramie: as Duke in "The Long Road Back" and as Chuck Logan in "Badge of Honor". His next western roles came in 1965: as Mace in the episode "The Violent Land" of CBS's Rawhide, as Mel Combs in the episode "Winner Lose All" of ABC's The Big Valley, and as Doc in "$10,000 for Durango" of NBC's Branded, the second Chuck Connors western. The next year, he appeared as Moose Walters in "A Real Tough Town" of ABC's The Legend of Jesse James, starring Christopher Jones in the title role, with Allen Case as Frank James.

In 1965-1966, he appeared as Curly in the episode "The Golden Trail" and as Sergeant Mason in "The Dance of the Laughing Death" in NBC's Laredo western series. In 1967 and 1968, he appeared three times in Stuart Whitman's 90-minute western Cimarron Strip in episodes entitled "Journey to a Hanging", "The Deputy", and "The Greeners". Palmer also appeared three times between 1965 and 1968 in Robert Conrad's unconventional western, The Wild Wild West. In 1972, Palmer appeared on ABC's Alias Smith and Jones series.

Palmer was cast as Ezra Parker in the 1969 film The Undefeated. That same year, he played the role of Jacob in the episode "A Key for the Fort" in the syndicated series Death Valley Days, hosted by Robert Taylor not long before Taylor's own death. The story line focuses on a young Eliza Stewart Udall, who sends the first telegraph message from Arizona Territory and works with her Aunt Cora (Ivalou Redd) to nurse an ill Ute chief, Black Wing (George Keymas), back to health. The episode was filed at Pipe Spring National Monument.

He played Karl Riker in the 1970 film Chisum and John Goodfellow in the 1971 film Big Jake, all starring John Wayne. He also became a member of the John Wayne Stock Company, founded in 1945, with original members including Ward Bond, Grant Withers, and Paul Fix. In 1976, Palmer was cast as the unnamed "Burly Man" in the last of Wayne's films, The Shootist.

In 1977, Palmer appeared as mountain man Jim Bridger in the two-part Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color presentation "Kit Carson and the Mountain Man". Christopher Connelly starred as Kit Carson, and Robert Reed portrayed John C. Fremont. Gary Lockwood also appeared as Brett Haskell. In 1978, Palmer appeared as Loman in James Arness's second western, How the West Was Won.

Other roles
In 1955, Palmer portrayed Lieutenant Manning in the autobiographical Audie Murphy World War II film To Hell and Back. Palmer played an unemployed actor in The Rebel Set (1959). Thereafter, he appeared in numerous drama roles over the years, including the ABC/WB detective shows: Surfside 6 and 77 Sunset Strip. Palmer played Lou Montell in "High Tide", the second episode of Surfside 6. From 1960-1963, he appeared in the 77 Sunset Strip episodes "The Parallel Caper" "Framework for a Badge", and "To Catch a Mink". He also guest starred in the ABC/WB crime drama, The Roaring 20s.

Other drama appearances included Highway Patrol, Navy Log, The Lineup, The Millionaire, Lloyd Bridges's Sea Hunt, The Untouchables (uncredited as Paul Di Marco), Run for Your Life, The Long Hot Summer (as Grant Johnson in episode "Man with Two Faces"), Cannon, Tarzan, CHiPs, Mission: Impossible, and Star Trek, as a rancher in the 1968 episode "Spectre of the Gun". He also appeared in the 1981 slasher film Scream (1981). There were even a few sitcom appearances, including a recurring role as Harry on the CBS series Run, Buddy, Run, starring Jack Sheldon. He appeared too on CBS's Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and The Good Guys, on NBC's Get Smart and the 1957 version of Blondie. Palmer's last screen appearance was as a colonel in the 1982 ABC miniseries The Blue and the Gray.

Later years
His wife, Ruth Palmer, died in 1999. Palmer lived in Encino, California, and was an avid golfer. Palmer has attended Golden Boot programs but had not won the award himself. Palmer died in 2015 at the age of eighty-eight. In a June 2013 wide-ranging interview with Jeremy Roberts of Examiner.com, Palmer attributed his multiple acting appearances to his preparation: "If you come prepared and do your best, you'll work. When you don't perform right, you're not called back".

Filmography

 * ''Abbott and Costello Go to Mars' - Radio Announcer (Voice, uncredited) (1953)
 * It Happens Every Thursday (1953)
 * Column South (1953)
 * ''Magnificent Obsession" (1954) - Tom Masterson
 * To Hell and Back (1955) - Lieutenant Manning
 * The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) - Jed Grant
 * Hilda Crane (1956) - Dink Bromley
 * Revolt at Fort Laramie (1957) - Capt. James 'Jamie' Tenslip
 * Zombies of Mora Tau (1957) - Jeff Clark
 * Footsteps in the Night (1957) - Pat Orvello
 * From Hell It Came (1957) - Kimo
 * The Female Animal (1958) - Piggy
 * Thundering Jets (1958) - Capt. Cory Dexter
 * The Sad Horse (1959) - Bart Connors
 * The Shaggy Dog (1959) - FBI Agent (uncredited)
 * The Rebel Set (1959) - John Mapes
 * Five Guns to Tombstone (1960) - Mel Dixon
 * The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) - Communications Man (uncredited)
 * Gun Fight (1961) - Brad Santly
 * The Cat Burglar (1961) - Reed Taylor
 * Most Dangerous Man Alive (1961) - Lt. Fisher
 * The Comancheros (1961) - Emil Bouvier (Duelist) (uncredited)
 * 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962) - Howard Piper
 * The Prize (1963) - Swedish Commentator (uncredited)
 * The Quick Gun (1964) - Donovan
 * Advance to the Rear (1964) - Gambler (uncredited)
 * Shenandoah (1964) - Guard (uncredited)
 * The Rare Breed (1966) - Rodenbush
 * If He Hollers, Let Him Go! (1968) - Special Officer
 * Smith! (1969) - Sergeant, Court Bailiff (uncredited)
 * The Undefeated (1969) - Parker
 * Smith! (1969) - Sgt., and Bailiff
 * Chisum (1970) - Karl Riker
 * The McKenzie Break (1970) - Lieutenant Berger
 * Rio Lobo (1970) - Pete-Henchman (uncredited)
 * Big Jake (1971) - John Goodfellow
 * Life Is Tough, Eh Providence? (1972) - Hurricane Smith
 * Ci risiamo, vero Provvidenza? (1973) - The Hurricane Kid
 * The World Through the Eyes of Children (1975) - Blacksmith
 * The Shootist (1976) - Burly Man
 * Go West, Young Girl (1978, TV movie) - Payne
 * Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978) - Jeff
 * True Grit: A Further Adventure (1978, TV movie) - Slater
 * The Man with Bogart's Face (1980) - Hackshaw
 * Scream (1981) - Ross
 * Early Warning (1981) - Sgt. Scott O'Malley

Television

 * The Lone Ranger - episode - The Globe -Stanley Ammons (1954)
 * Public Defender - episode - The Big Steel - Pete Corey (1955)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - The Loggerheads (1956)
 * The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp - episode - So Long, Dora, So Long - Deputy Bill Tillman (uncredited) (1956)
 * Sgt. Preston of the Yukon - episode - Littlest Rookie - Ed McQuade (1956)
 * Wagon Train - episode - The Riley Gratton Story - Paul Dawson (1957)
 * Tales of the Texas Rangers - episode - Panhandle - Pete Hackett (1957)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - The Trial of Red Haskell (1957)
 * Wagon Train - episode - The Mary Halstead Story - Groton (1957)
 * Tales of Wells Fargo - episode - Hank Aka Chips - Jeff Anderson (1957)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - Lady Engineer (1957)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - Empire of Youth - William T. Coleman (1958)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - How to Kill a Friend - Jim (1958)
 * Jefferson Drum - episode - Band of Iron - Grant (1958)
 * Make Room for Daddy - episode - The Reunion - The Colonel (1958)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - Perilous Cargo - Tom Horn (1958)
 * Buckskin - episode - A Man from the Mountains - Jackel (1958)
 * Frontier Doctor - episode - Crooked Circle - Charlie Pierce (1958)
 * The Texan - episode - The Troubled Town - First Card Player (1958)
 * Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color - episode - Texas John Slaughter: The Robber Stallion - Ed's Friend (uncredited) (1959)
 * Have Gun - Will Travel - episode - Fragile - Drunk (1959)
 * Sea Hunt - episode - Base of Operations - Harry Herbie (1959)
 * Tales of Wells Fargo - episode - The Warrior's Return - Deputy (1959)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - Forty Steps to Glory - Randall (1959)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - Perilous Refuge - John Brewster (1959)
 * Riverboat - episode - Guns for Empire - Lt. Peterson (uncredited) (1959)
 * Cimarron City - episode - The Bitter Lesson - Tom Hiller (1959)
 * Shotgun Slade - episode - Freight Line - Dolph Peterson (1959)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - Big Tom - Harry (1960)
 * The Millionaire - episode - Millionaire Jessica March - Johnson (1960)
 * Wagon Train - episode - The Jose Morales Story - Raleigh (1960)
 * Have Gun - Will Travel - episode - Fight at Adobe Wells - Ben Mattock (1960)
 * Laramie - episode- Queen of Diamonds - Bill (Deputy) (uncredited) (1960)
 * Have Gun - Will Travel - episode - The Misguided Father - Brogan (1960)
 * Lawman - Old Stefano - Tracy McNeil (1960)
 * Shotgun Slade - episode - Donna Juanita - Marshal (1960)
 * Sugarfoot - episode - Welcome Enemy - Capt. McHenry (1960)
 * The Deputy - episode - Trail of Darkness - Tulley (1960)
 * Overland Trail - episode - The Vigilantes of Montana - Will Purdue (1960)
 * Cheyenne - episode - The Frightened Town - Dillard (1961)
 * Tales of Wells Fargo - episode - Fraud - Lobo (1961)
 * Tales of Wells Fargo - episode - Death Raffle - Steger (1961)
 * Two Faces West - The Dead Ringer - Cowlin (1961)
 * The Outlaws - episode - Sam Bass - Heff (1961)
 * The Untouchables - The Big Train: Part 1 - Paul Di Marco (uncredited) (1961)
 * The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp - episodes - Doc Holliday Faces Death, The Law Must Be Fair, Just Before the Battle, and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral - Tom McLowery (1961)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - Phoebe Strunk - Hulett Strunk (1962)
 * Cheyenne - episode - Dark Decision - Nick (1962)
 * Laramie - episode- The Long Road Back - Duke Walker (1962)
 * Bronco - episode - Then the Mountains - Lt. Ames (1962)
 * Wagon Train - episode - The Amos Billings Story - Calso (1962)
 * Bronco - episode - Destinies West - Colton (1962)
 * Have Gun - Will Travel - episode - Trial at Tablerock - Sheriff Matthew Tyler (1962)
 * Cheyenne - episode - Wanted for the Murder of Cheyenne Bodie - Hal Walton (1962)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - Blind Man's Bluff - Wells (1963)
 * Temple Houston - episode - Thunder Gap (1963)
 * Laramie - episode- Badge of Glory - Chuck Logan (1963)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - The Odyssey of Jubal Tanner - Fletcher (1963)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - The Melancholy Gun - Neil Jacoby (1963)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - The Promoter - Jake (1964)
 * Bonanza - episode - Return to Honor - Gannett (1964)
 * The Virginian - episode - The Dark Challenge - Cowboy (1964)
 * The Virginian - episode - The Drifter - Sunday (1964)
 * Laredo - episode - The Golden Trail - Curley (1965)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - Eliab's Aim - Jake Craig (1965)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - The Bounty Hunter - Doak (1965)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - The Pretender - Sheriff Jackson (1965)
 * The Virginian - episode - Timberland - 1st Cowhand (1965)
 * The Virginian - episode - A Slight Case of Charity - Deputy Roberts (1965)
 * The Big Valley - episode - Winner Lose All - Mel Coombs (1965)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - South Wind - Blacksmith (1965)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - Paid in Full - Jeb Russell (1965)
 * The Virginian - episode - Beyond the Border - Cal (1965)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - Kate Melville and the Law - Gabe (1965)
 * The Wild Wild West - episode - The Night of the Human Trigger - Thaddeus (1965)
 * Branded - episode - $10,000 for Durango - Doc (1965)
 * Rawhide - episode - The Violent Land - Mace (1965)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - The Raid: Part 1 - Bartender (1966)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - Which Dr. - Herk (1966)
 * Laredo - episode - The Dance of the Laughing Death - Sgt. Mason (1966)
 * The Legend of Jesse James - A Real Tough Town - Moose Walters (1966)
 * The Virginian - episode - The Inchworm's Got No Wings at All - Peters (1966)
 * Get Smart - episode - Double Agent - The Texan (1966)
 * Get Smart - episode - I'm Only Human - KAOS Agent (1966)
 * The Legend of Jesse James - episode - A Real Tough Town (1966) ... Moose Walters
 * The Virginian - episode - Bitter Harvest (1967) ... Ed Sticks (1967)
 * Bonanza - episode - Sense of Duty - Wells (uncredited) (1967)
 * The Virginian - episode - The Fortress - Sheriff (1967)
 * The Wild Wild West - episode - The Night of the Hangman - Sheriff Jonas Bolt (1967)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - Spring Rendezvous - Shumer (1967)
 * Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - episode - Gomer Says 'Hey' to the President - Second Agent (1967)
 * Cimarron Strip - episode - Journey to a Hanging - Rocky (1967)
 * Cimarron Strip - episode - The Deputy - Buford (1967)
 * Cimarron Strip - episode - The Greeners - Webber (1968)
 * Star Trek - episode - Spectre of the Gun - Rancher (uncredited) (1968)
 * The Wild Wild West - episode - The Night of the Gruesome Games - Bartender (1968)
 * Bonanza - episode - The Burning Sky - Muley (1968)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - The Victim - Deputy Reed (1968)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - Deadman's Law - Fry (1968)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - The Hide Cutters - Clete Davis (1968)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - Abelia - Wales (1968)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - The Indian Girl - Shunar (1968)
 * Mission: Impossible - episode - The Town - Deputy (1968)
 * The High Chaparral - episode - Ride the Savage Land - Colonel (1968)
 * Bonanza - episode - Speak No Evil - Terrell (1969)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - Here Stands Bailey (1969)
 * Death Valley Days - episode - Son of Thunder (1969)
 * Bonanza - episode - Another Windmill to Go - Benson (1969)
 * The Virginian - episode - The Substitute - Boak (1969)
 * Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color - episodes - Menace on the Mountain Parts One and Two - Posse Bushwacker (1970)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - The Cage - Benson (1970)
 * The Virginian - episode - Hannah - O'Shea (1970)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - Sergeant Holly - Bodine (1970)
 * Cannon - episode - Screams of Silence - Gunther (1971)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - Lynott - Nicols (1971)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - Alias Festus Haggin - Guthrie (1972)
 * Alias Smith and Jones - episode - Don't Get Mad, Get Even (1972)
 * Gunsmoke - episode - The Busters - Simeon Reed (1975)
 * Quincy M.E. - episode - A Good Smack in the Mouth - Sean Duffy (1977)
 * Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color - episodes - Kit Carson and the Mountain Men Parts One and Two - Jim Bridger (1977)
 * How the West Was Won - TV Mini-Series - Loman (1978)
 * The Blue and the Gray - episode - Part One - Bull Run Colonel (1982)