
William Schallert
Department: Acting
Biography
William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016) was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years. He is known for his roles on Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957–1959), Death Valley Days (1955–1962), and The Patty Duke Show (1963–1966). Schallert was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Edwin Francis Schallert, a longtime drama critic for the Los Angeles Times, and Elza Emily Schallert (née Baumgarten), a magazine writer and radio host. He began acting while a student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) but left to become an Army Air Corps fighter pilot in World War II. He returned to UCLA after the war and graduated in 1946. After graduating from UCLA, Schallert began his acting career in the theater. He appeared in several productions at the Circle Theatre in Los Angeles, including a staging of W. Somerset Maugham's Rain in 1948, which was directed by Charlie Chaplin. Schallert made his television debut in 1951, and he quickly became a familiar face on the small screen. He appeared in numerous guest roles on shows such as The Adventures of Superman, The Twilight Zone, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. He also had recurring roles on The Patty Duke Show, The Nancy Drew Mysteries, and The Torkelsons. In addition to his work on television, Schallert also appeared in several films, including The Bridges of Toko-Ri (1954), The Apartment (1960), and The Sting (1973). Schallert died in Pacific Palisades, California, in 2016, at the age of 93. He was survived by his wife, Leah Waggner, and their four children.
Known For

Will Penny
1967

In the Heat of the Night
1967

Cry Terror!
1958

Shield for Murder
1954

Teachers
1984

Hour of the Gun
1967

The Incredible Shrinking Man
1957

Sam Whiskey
1969

Matinee
1993

Hoodlum Empire
1952

Black Tuesday
1954

Charley Varrick
1973

Torpedo Run
1958

Riot in Cell Block 11
1954

Sweetzer
2007

Tail Gunner Joe
1977

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
1969

Rose of Cimarron
1952

Colossus: The Forbin Project
1970

Friendly Persuasion
1956

Lonely are the Brave
1962

The Stableboy's Christmas
1978

The Tarnished Angels
1957

Gremlins
1984

Green Lantern: First Flight
2009

To Dance with Olivia
1997

The High and the Mighty
1954

Written on the Wind
1956

Flat Top
1952

The Man from Planet X
1951

Hangar 18
1980

Captive Women
1952

The Tattered Dress
1957

Remember When
1974

The Lone Ranger
1956

Grace Kelly
1983

Port Sinister
1953

Harvey
1996

Lonely Heart Bandits
1950

Under the Influence
1986

Man on Fire
1957

Top of the World
1955

Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway
1976

Confessions of the D.A. Man
1978

Through Naked Eyes
1983

Escape
1971

Bannerline
1951

Paradise Alley
1962

Philbert (Three's a Crowd)
1963

Paula
1952

Singin' in the Rain
1952

The Monolith Monsters
1957

Tunnel Vision
1976

Twilight Zone: The Movie
1983

Gog
1954

The Second Civil War
1997

Doomsday Chronicles
1979

Hijack!
1973

Day of the Outlaw
1959

Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen
2004

Storm Over Tibet
1952

Smoke Signal
1955

Mrs. Lambert Remembers Love
1991

The Patty Duke Show: Still Rockin' in Brooklyn Heights
1999

Man in the Shadow
1957

Innerspace
1987

Shake, Rattle and Rock!
1994

Speedway
1968

Monster Madness: Mutants, Space Invaders, and Drive-Ins
2014

The Gallant Hours
1960

Mighty Joe Young
1949

Them!
1954

The Raid
1954

The Gallant Hours
1960

The People Against O'Hara
1951

The Beat Generation
1959

Tobor the Great
1954

Ike
1979

Some Came Running
1958

The Hired Man
1957

Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists!
2021

Pillow Talk
1959

Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
1953

Down Three Dark Streets
1954

Gunslinger
1956

The Jazz Singer
1953

The Reckless Moment
1949

The Smurfs: 'Tis the Season to Be Smurfy
1987

Blue Denim
1959

Amazons
1984

The Jerk
1979

Promise Him Anything
1975

Massacre at Sand Creek
1956

Raw Edge
1956

Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis
1988

The Strongest Man in the World
1975

Man on a String
1972

The Incident
1990

The Red Badge of Courage
1951

Legends of the Super Heroes
1979

Sword of Venus
1953

A Century of Science Fiction
1996

Doctor Jim
1947

House Party 2
1991

Held Hostage: The Sis and Jerry Levin Story
1991

Sex, Shock & Censorship in the 90's
1993

Hell's Horizon
1955

Beethoven's 2nd
1993

The Girl in the Kremlin
1957

Shotgun Wedding
1963

Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl
1954

Partners in Crime
1973

Death Sentence
1974

Bobby Ware Is Missing
1955

Gidget's Summer Reunion
1985

Forbidden Area
1956

Circle of the Day
1957

The Trial of the Catonsville Nine
1972

Alcatraz Express
1961

St. Elsewhere
1982

Medium
2005

The Andy Griffith Show
1960

Magnum, P.I.
1980

Son of the Beach
2000

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959

How I Met Your Mother
2005

Star Trek
1966

77 Sunset Strip
1958

Little House on the Prairie
1974

The F.B.I.
1965

Desperate Housewives
2004

The Bionic Woman
1976

Matlock
1986

Simon & Simon
1981

The Twilight Zone
1985

Hawaii Five-O
1968

My Name Is Earl
2005

That Girl
1966

The Lucy Show
1962

Highway to Heaven
1984

Marcus Welby, M.D.
1969

Land of the Giants
1968

Room 222
1969

Scarecrow and Mrs. King
1983

Hotel
1982

The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977

The Mod Squad
1968

Quantum Leap
1989

The Angry Beavers
1997

Gunsmoke
1955

All's Fair
1976

Perry Mason
1957

Combat!
1962

Bewitched
1964

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
2005

The Zeta Project
2001

Melrose Place
1992

General Electric Theater
1953

Lassie
1954

Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951

The Twilight Zone
1959

Ironside
1967

The Waltons
1972

Sea Hunt
1958

ER
1994

Leave It to Beaver
1957

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955

Pistols 'n' Petticoats
1966

87th Precinct
1961

Philip Marlowe
1959

The Nancy Walker Show
1976

The Wild Wild West
1965

Rawhide
1959

Funny Face
1971

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957

The New Gidget
1986

Police Story
1973

Switch
1975

Family Law
1999

The Virginian
1962

Thriller
1960

Peter Gunn
1958

Lux Video Theatre
1950

Matt Houston
1982

The Patty Duke Show
1963

One Step Beyond
1959

Climax!
1954

Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957

Black Saddle
1959

The Debbie Reynolds Show
1969

Here Come the Brides
1968

The Man and the City
1971

Judd for the Defense
1967

Matinee Theater
1955

The Adventures of Jim Bowie
1956

Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
1955

Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958

Lock-Up
1959

The Rifleman
1958

The Rebel
1959

Lawman
1958

Sugarfoot
1957

Bat Masterson
1958

The Rat Patrol
1966

Ellery Queen
1975

The Texan
1958

The New Breed
1961

Wichita Town
1959

The Whistler
1954

The Manhunter
1974

CBS Playhouse
1966

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

Stoney Burke
1962

Johnny Ringo
1959

Death Valley Days
1952

Dr. Kildare
1961

Coronado 9
1960

The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959

Grandpa Goes to Washington
1978

Letter to Loretta
1953

Mr. & Mrs. North
1952

The Deep End
2010

War and Remembrance
1988

CHiPs
1977

Maverick
1957

North and South
1985

True Blood
2008

One Step Beyond
1959

Legends of the Superheroes
1979

The Ford Television Theatre
1952

Surfside 6
1960

Dr. Kildare
1961

Rawhide
1959

Rawhide
1959

The F.B.I.
1965

Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

Gunsmoke
1955

The Six Million Dollar Man
1974

Lux Video Theatre
1950

Lux Video Theatre
1950

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
1956

Lux Video Theatre
1950

Four Star Playhouse
1952

Four Star Playhouse
1952

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
1950

Ensign O'Toole
1962

77 Sunset Strip
1958

Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958

Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958

Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958

Hawaii Five-O
1968

Bag of Bones
2011

Perry Mason
1957

Perry Mason
1957

Bat Masterson
1958

Johnny Ringo
1959

Kung Fu
1972

A Year in the Life
1987

The Wild Wild West
1965

Lou Grant
1977

Steve Canyon
1958

The Wild Wild West
1965

Dinosaurs
1991

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
1993

What's New, Scooby-Doo?
2002

What's New, Scooby-Doo?
2002

The Torkelsons
1991

Banacek
1972

The Lloyd Bridges Show
1962

Mission: Impossible
1966

Murphy Brown
1988

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993

True Blood
2008

Blind Ambition
1979

Dream On
1990

Stagecoach West
1960

Little Women
1978

Cross of Fire
1989

The Good Life
1994

Coach
1989

Death Valley Days
1952

Harvey
1999

The Dick Van Dyke Show
1961

Hazel
1961

Pacific Blue
1996

The Guns of Will Sonnett
1967

Sam Benedict
1962

The Untouchables
1959

Lou Grant
1977

The Rifleman
1958

Wagon Train
1957

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957

Close to Home
2005

Little House on the Prairie
1974

Delphi Bureau
1972

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
1993

The Partridge Family
1970

Ike
1979

Gunslinger
1961

The Duck Factory
1984

Rebel Highway
1994

Get Smart
1965

Get Smart
1965

Barnaby Jones
1973