Philip Nott Ober (March 23, 1902 – September 13, 1982) was an American screen and stage actor who later retired from performing to be a foreign service diplomat.
Philip Ober | |
|---|---|
 Ober in 1950 | |
| Born | Philip Nott Ober March 23, 1902 Fort Payne, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | September 13, 1982 (aged 80) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Education | Princeton University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1931–1968 |
| Spouses | Phyllis Roper
(m. 1923; div. 1941)Jane Westover (m. 1961) |
| Children | 1 |
Ober is best remembered for his roles in the films From Here to Eternity (1953) and North by Northwest (1959). His other notable credits include The Magnificent Yankee (1950), Broken Lance (1954), Torpedo Run (1958) and The Ugly American (1963).
Early years
editThe son of Frank Ober, he was raised in White Plains, New York. After attending The Peddie School and Princeton University, he worked in advertising before moving into acting.[1] In a 1935 interview, he claimed "I got kicked out of Princeton in sophomore year."[2]
Acting career
editOber often appeared in roles as a straight man in farcical circumstances. He made his debut on stage, playing Tom Faulkner in Technique in 1931.[3] He appeared in Lawrence Riley's Broadway show Personal Appearance (1934) opposite Gladys George.
Ober's film debut came in Chloe, Love Is Calling You (1934).[1]
From 1954 to 1967, he frequently appeared in television series. He appeared in the episode "The Vultures" of Sugarfoot.[citation needed]
Ober was twice cast on I Love Lucy, first playing "Arnold" in episode 5, "The Quiz Show,"[4]: 244 and later portraying the Hollywood producer Dore Schary in episode 119, "Don Juan is Shelved" when Schary decided at the last minute not to play himself.[4] He made five appearances on Perry Mason, including that of defendant Peter Dawson in the 1960 episode, "The Case of the Treacherous Toupee", and the dual role of murder victim Sumner Hodge and his brother Adrian Hodge in the 1964 episode, "The Case of the Tandem _target". He also appeared in one episode of The Twilight Zone ("Spur of the Moment"), co-starring Diana Hyland, and in one episode ("Bankrupt Alibi") of Whirlybirds in which he portrayed a man who convinces his son to take the blame for a hit-and-run accident he committed. He made one guest appearance on the 1961 crime adventure-drama series The Investigators and four on the comedy series Hazel. Also in 1961, he appeared as "General Silas Guild" in the TV Western series Bat Masterson (S3E18 "The Prescott Campaign"). He played Colonel Hoey in "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" S1 E4 episode "I Saw the Whole Thing" in 1962. He had a recurring role as General Wingard Stone in the early episodes of I Dream of Jeannie,[4]: 182 appeared in two episodes of McHale's Navy as tough-as-nails Admiral "Iron Pants" Rafferty, and played the museum curator Dr. Wilkerson in episode 32 of The Munsters, "Mummy Munster," in 1965.[4]: 372
Ober continued to work as an actor in films. He played the United Nations ambassador in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959) whom Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) meets, to clarify who had occupied his mansion. He also played Capt. Dana "Dynamite" Holmes, the neglectful, unsympathetic husband of Karen Holmes (Deborah Kerr), in the film version of From Here to Eternity (1953).
Post-acting career
editHe retired from acting and went into the U.S. diplomatic service, serving as consular agent to the U.S. consul in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.[5]
Personal life
editOber's 2nd-great uncle was American naturalist and writer Frederick A. Ober.[6]
Ober was married to the former Phyllis Roper.[7]
On August 12, 1941, Ober married actress Vivian Vance.[8] They divorced in 1959.
Ober's third marriage was to Jane Westover; they were married from 1961 until Ober's death in 1982.[5]
Death
editAlthough many sources report that Ober died of a heart attack in Mexico City at the age of 80, Associated Press obituaries quote a hospital spokesperson stating Ober died of lung cancer at Santa Monica Hospital in Santa Monica, California, on September 13, 1982.[5] The California Death Index and Social Security Death Index substantiate this information.[9]
Filmography
edit- 1934: Chloe, Love Is Calling You as Jim Strong
- 1938: Little Me
- 1950: The Secret Fury as Gregory Kent
- 1950: Never a Dull Moment as Jed
- 1950: The Magnificent Yankee as Owen Wister / Narrator
- 1951: The Unknown Man as Wayne Kellwin
- 1952: Washington Story as Gilbert Nunnally
- 1952: Come Back, Little Sheba as Ed Anderson
- 1953: The Clown as Ralph Z. Henderson
- 1953: The Girls of Pleasure Island as Colonel Reade
- 1953: Scandal at Scourie as B. G. Belney
- 1953: From Here to Eternity as Captain Dana 'Dynamite' Holmes
- 1954: About Mrs. Leslie as Mort Finley
- 1954: Broken Lance as Van Cleve
- 1956: Calling Terry Conway (TV Movie) as Stan
- 1957: Tammy and the Bachelor as Alfred Bissle
- 1957: Escapade in Japan as Lieutenant Colonel Hargrave
- 1958: The High Cost of Loving as Herb Zorn
- 1958: Ten North Frederick as Lloyd Williams
- 1958: Torpedo Run as Admiral Samuel Setton
- 1959: The Mating Game as Wendell Burnshaw
- 1959: North by Northwest as Lester Townsend
- 1959: Beloved Infidel as John Wheeler
- 1960: Elmer Gantry as Reverend Planck
- 1960: Let No Man Write My Epitaph as Grant Holloway
- 1960: The Facts of Life as Doc Mason
- 1961: Go Naked in the World as Josh Kebner
- 1961: The Crimebusters as Herman Hauzner
- 1963: The Ugly American as Ambassador Sears
- 1964: The Brass Bottle as William Beevor
- 1966: The Ghost and Mr. Chicken as Nicholas Simmons
- 1968: Assignment to Kill as Bohlen (final film role)
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | I Love Lucy | Dore Schary | Season 4 Episode 21: "Don Juan Is Shelved" |
| 1962 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Wilton Stark | Season 7 Episode 21: "Burglar Proof" |
| 1962 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Colonel John Hoey | Season 1 Episode 4: "I Saw the Whole Thing" |
| 1967 | The Monkees | Mr. Weatherwax | Season 1 Episode 30: "Monkees in Manhattan" |
References
edit- ^ a b Edelman, Rob; Kupferberg, Audrey (2013). Meet the Mertzes: The Life Stories of I Love Lucy's Other Couple. St. Martin's Press. p. 108. ISBN 9781466850460. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ "Still Appearing in Person". ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times (1851-2018). 17 November 1935. pp. X3. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ Philip Ober at the Internet Broadway Database
- ^ a b c d Nick at Nite's Classic TV Companion, edited by Tom Hill, copyright 1996 by Viacom International, p. 281: "Phil Ober, who was married to Vivian Vance at the time, makes his second I Love Lucy appearance as Dore Schary... Schary was scheduled to appear as himself but backed out at the last minute."
- ^ a b c "Philip Ober, diplomat and actor, dies". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. Associated Press. 23 September 1982. p. 13. Retrieved 8 April 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. Vol. 54. Clifton, New Jersey: James T. White & Co. 1973. p. 322. ISBN 9780883710005.
- ^ Karol, Michael (2004). Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia. iUniverse. p. 390. ISBN 9780595752133. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ Monush, Barry; Sheridan, James (2011). Lucille Ball FAQ: Everything Left to Know About America's Favorite Redhead. Applause Theatre & Cinema. ISBN 9781557839336. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ "Register". www.ancestry.com.
External links
edit
- Philip Ober at IMDb
- Philip Ober at the Internet Broadway Database