View source for Leif Erickson (actor)

{{short description|American actor (1911–1986)}}
{{about|the actor|the 11th-century Viking explorer|Leif Erikson|the politician|Leif Erickson (politician)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Leif Erickson
| image              = Leif Erickson in Blonde Savage.jpg
| caption            = Erickson in ''[[Blonde Savage]]'' (1947)
| birth_name         = William Wycliffe Anderson 
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1911|10|27}}
| birth_place        = [[Alameda, California]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1986|1|29|1911|10|27|mf=y}}
| death_place        = [[Pensacola, Florida]], U.S.
| occupation         = Actor
| yearsactive        = 1933–1984
| spouse             = {{Plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Frances Farmer]]|1936|1942|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Margaret Hayes]]|1942|1942|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Ann Diamond|1945}}
}}
| children           = 2
| module             =  {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| allegiance   = {{Flagu|United States|1912|size=23px}}
| branch       = {{flag|United States Navy|1864|size=23px}}
| serviceyears = 1941–45
| rank         = {{Dodseal|USNE9|25}} [[Chief petty officer (United States)|Chief petty officer]]
| awards        =  {{ plainlist |
* [[File:Purple Heart ribbon.svg|border|23px]] [[Purple Heart]]
* [[File:Combat Action Ribbon.svg|border|23px]] [[Combat Action Ribbon]]
}}
}}
}}
'''Leif Erickson''' (born '''William Wycliffe Anderson'''; October 27, 1911 – January 29, 1986) was an American stage, film, and television actor.

==Early life==
Erickson was born in [[Alameda, California]],<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[United Press International]] |date=January 31, 1986 |title=Leif Erickson Is Dead; A Movie and TV Actor |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/31/obituaries/leif-erickson-is-dead-a-movie-and-tv-actor.html |access-date=December 25, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> near San Francisco. He worked as a soloist in a band as vocalist and trombone player, performed in [[Max Reinhardt]]'s productions, and then gained a small amount of stage experience in a comedy [[vaudeville]] act.

==Military service==
Erickson enlisted in the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] during [[World War II]]. Rising to the rank of [[Chief Petty Officer]] in the [[Naval Aviation Photographic Unit]], he served as a [[War photography|military photographer]], shooting film in combat zones, and as an instructor.{{Citation needed |date=September 2023}} He was shot down twice in the [[Pacific War|Pacific]], and received two [[Purple Heart]]s.<ref name=leifnavy>{{cite web |title=The Day Leif Erickson Faced Death |website=The High Chaparral |url=http://www.thehighchaparral.com/articles1b.htm |access-date=September 23, 2011}}</ref>  Erickson was in the unit that filmed and photographed the [[Surrender of Japan|Japanese surrender]] aboard the {{USS|Missouri|BB-63|6}} in [[Tokyo Bay]] on September 2, 1945.

==Acting career==
[[File:Group-Theatre-1938.jpg|thumb|Leif Erickson and Frances Farmer (front row, from left) with members of the [[Group Theatre (New York)|Group Theatre]] in 1938]]
Erickson's first films were two 1933 band films with [[Betty Grable]] before starting a string of [[Buster Crabbe]] Western films based on [[Zane Grey]] novels. He went on to appear in films such as ''[[The Snake Pit]]''; '' [[Sorry, Wrong Number]]''; ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd]]''; ''[[Invaders from Mars (1953 film)|Invaders from Mars]]''; ''[[On the Waterfront]]''; ''[[A Gathering of Eagles]]''; ''[[Roustabout (film)|Roustabout]]''; ''[[The Carpetbaggers (film)|The Carpetbaggers]]''; and ''[[Mirage (1965 film)|Mirage]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/personDetails/19377?pg.1.page=2&pg.1.pageSize=25 |title=Profile |website=[[Blockbuster (retailer)|Blockbuster]] |access-date=June 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002233244/http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/personDetails/19377?pg.1.page=2&pg.1.pageSize=25 |archive-date=October 2, 2013 }}</ref>

Among Erickson's more notable roles were as [[Deborah Kerr]]'s macho husband in the stage and film versions of ''[[Tea and Sympathy (play)|Tea and Sympathy]]'' and as [[Greta Garbo]]'s brother in ''[[Conquest (1937 film)|Conquest]]'' (1937). He also played the role of Pete, the vindictive boat engineer, in the 1951 [[Show Boat (1951 film)|remake]] of the famed musical ''[[Show Boat]]''. His final appearance in a feature film was in  ''[[Twilight's Last Gleaming]]'' (1977).

Erickson appeared frequently on television; he was cast as Dr. Hillyer in "[[Consider Her Ways]]" (1964) and as Paul White in "The Monkey's Paw—A Retelling" (1965) on CBS's ''[[The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]]''.  He is probably best known, however,  for ''[[The High Chaparral]]'', which aired on [[NBC]] from 1967 until 1971. He portrayed a rancher, Big John Cannon, determined to establish a cattle empire in the [[Arizona Territory]] while keeping peace with the Apache. Erickson guest-starred in several television series, including ''[[Colgate Theatre (1958 TV series)|Colgate Theatre]]'', ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]''; ''[[Bonanza]]'' (two episodes, 1961–1965); as Aaron Burr in ''[[Daniel Boone]]'' (two episodes, 1964–1970); ''[[Gunsmoke]]''; ''[[Marcus Welby, M.D.]]''; ''[[Medical Center (TV series)|Medical Center]]''; ''[[Longstreet (TV series)|Longstreet]]''; ''[[Cannon (TV series)|Cannon]]''; ''[[The Rifleman]]''; ''[[The Rockford Files]]''; ''[[The Rookies]]''; ''[[Night Gallery]]''; and the 1977 series ''[[Hunter (1977 TV series)|Hunter]]''. His final role was in an episode of ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' in 1984.

==Death==
Erickson died of cancer in [[Pensacola, Florida]], on January 29, 1986, aged 74.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehighchaparral.com/filmogerickson.htm |title=Profile |website=The High Chaparral |access-date=June 25, 2013}}</ref>

==Selected filmography==
{{div col}}
* ''The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi'' (1933) as Band Singer with Ted Fio Rito
* ''[[Wanderer of the Wasteland (1935 film)|Wanderer of the Wasteland]]'' (1935) as Lawrence
* ''[[Nevada (1935 film)|Nevada]]'' (1935) as Bill Ide
* ''[[Drift Fence]]'' (1936) as Curley Prentiss
* ''[[Desert Gold (1936 film)|Desert Gold]]'' (1936) as Glenn Kasedon
* ''[[Girl of the Ozarks]]'' (1936) as Tom Bolton
* ''[[College Holiday]]'' (1936) as Dick Winters
* ''[[Waikiki Wedding]]'' (1937) as Dr. Victor Quimby
* ''[[Conquest (1937 film)|Conquest]]'' (1937) as Paul Lachinski
* ''[[Thrill of a Lifetime (film)|Thrill of a Lifetime]]'' (1937) as Howard 'Howdy' Nelson
* ''[[The Big Broadcast of 1938]]'' (1938) as Bob Hayes
* ''[[Ride a Crooked Mile]]'' (1938) as Johnny Simpkins
* ''[[...One Third of a Nation...]]'' (1939) as Peter Cortlant
* ''[[Nothing but the Truth (1941 film)|Nothing but the Truth]]'' (1941) as Tommy Van Dusen
* ''[[The Blonde from Singapore]]'' (1941) as Terry Prescott
* ''[[H. M. Pulham, Esq.]]'' (1941) as Rodney 'Bo-Jo' Brown
* ''[[The Fleet's In]]'' (1942) as Jake
* ''[[Are Husbands Necessary? (1942 film)|Are Husbands Necessary?]]'' (1942) as Bill Stone
* ''[[Eagle Squadron (film)|Eagle Squadron]]'' (1942) as Johnny M. Coe
* ''[[Pardon My Sarong]]'' (1942) as Whaba
* ''[[Night Monster]]'' (1942) as Laurie
* ''[[Arabian Nights (1942 film)|Arabian Nights]]'' (1942) as Kamar
* ''[[Blonde Savage]]'' (1947) as Steve Blake
* ''[[The Gangster (1947 film)|The Gangster]]'' (1947) as Beaumont
* ''[[Sorry, Wrong Number]]'' (1948) as Fred Lord
* ''[[The Gay Intruders]]'' (1948) as Dr. Harold Matson
* ''[[The Snake Pit]]'' (1948) as Gordon
* ''[[Joan of Arc (1948 film)|Joan of Arc]]'' (1948) as Dunois, Bastard of Orleans
* ''[[Miss Tatlock's Millions]]'' (1948) as Dr. Mason
* ''[[The Lady Gambles]]'' (1949) as Tony
* ''[[Johnny Stool Pigeon]]'' (1949) as Pringle
* ''[[Mother Didn't Tell Me]]'' (1950) as Dr. Bruce Gordon
* ''[[Love That Brute]]'' (1950) as Elmdale Military Academy Captain (uncredited)
* ''[[Stella (1950 film)|Stella]]'' (1950) as Fred Anderson Jr.
* ''[[The Showdown (1950 film)|The Showdown]]'' (1950) as Big Mart
* ''[[Three Secrets]]'' (1950) as Bill Chase
* ''[[Dallas (film)|Dallas]]'' (1950) as U.S. Marshal Martin Weatherby
* ''[[Fourteen Hours]]'' (1951) as Bit Part (uncredited)
* ''[[Show Boat (1951 film)|Show Boat]]'' (1951) as Pete
* ''[[The Tall Target]]'' (1951) as Stranger
* ''[[Reunion in Reno]]'' (1951) as B. Frederick Linaker
* ''[[The Cimarron Kid]]'' (1952) as Marshal John Sutton
* ''[[Sailor Beware (1952 film)|Sailor Beware]]'' (1952) as Commander Lane
* ''[[With a Song in My Heart (film)|With a Song in My Heart]]'' (1952) as General (uncredited)
* ''[[Carbine Williams]]'' (1952) as Feder
* ''[[My Wife's Best Friend]]'' (1952) as Nicholas Reed
* ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd]]'' (1952) as Morgan
* ''[[Never Wave at a WAC]]'' (1953) as Sergeant Norbert 'Noisy' Jackson
* ''[[Born to the Saddle]]'' (1953) as Bob Marshall
* ''[[Trouble Along the Way]]'' (1953) as Father Provincial aka Ed
* ''Trial at Tara'' (1953) as King Laera
* ''[[A Perilous Journey]]'' (1953) as Richards
* ''[[Invaders from Mars (1953 film)|Invaders from Mars]]'' (1953) as Mr. George MacLean
* ''[[Fort Algiers]]'' (1953) as Kalmani
* ''[[Captain Scarface]]'' (1953) as Sam
* ''[[Paris Model]]'' (1953) as Edgar Blevins
* ''[[On the Waterfront]]'' (1954) as Glover, Lead Investigator for Crime Commission
* ''[[Star in the Dust]]'' (1956) as George Ballard
* ''[[The Fastest Gun Alive]]'' (1956) as Lou Glover
* ''[[Tea and Sympathy (film)|Tea and Sympathy]]'' (1956) as Bill Reynolds
* ''[[Istanbul (film)|Istanbul]]'' (1957) as Charlie Boyle
* ''[[The Vintage]]'' (1957) as Louis Morel
* ''[[Kiss Them for Me (film)|Kiss Them for Me]]'' (1957) as Eddie Turnbill
* ''[[Twilight for the Gods]]'' (1958) as Harry Hutton
* ''[[Once Upon a Horse...]]'' (1958) as Granville 'Granny' Dix
* ''[[Shoot Out at Big Sag]]'' (1962) as Sam Barbee
* ''[[A Gathering of Eagles]]'' (1963) as General Hewitt
* ''[[Strait-Jacket]]'' (1964) as Bill Cutler
* ''[[The Carpetbaggers (film)|The Carpetbaggers]]'' (1964) as Jonas Cord Sr.
* ''[[Roustabout (film)|Roustabout]]'' (1964) as Joe Lean
* ''[[Mirage (1965 film)|Mirage]]'' (1965) as Major Crawford Gilcuddy
* ''[[I Saw What You Did]]'' (1965) as Dave Mannering
* ''[[Man and Boy (1971 film)|Man and Boy]]'' (1971) as Mossman
* ''[[Terror in the Sky]]'' (1971) as Marty Treleavan
* ''[[The Mod Squad]]'' (1972) as Lieutenant Jerry Price
* ''[[Night Gallery]]'' (1973) as Charlie Wheatland
* ''[[Abduction (1975 film)|Abduction]]'' (1975) as Prescott
* ''[[Winterhawk]]'' (1975) as Guthrie
* ''[[Twilight's Last Gleaming]]'' (1977) as Ralph Whittaker - CIA Director
{{div col end}}

==Television==
[[File:Leif Erickson Yaphet Kotto The High Chaparral 1968.JPG|thumb|Erickson (left) alongside [[Yaphet Kotto]] in ''The High Chaparral'', perhaps his best-known television role]]
[[File:Leif Erickson Linda Cristal High Chaparral 1970.JPG|thumb|Erickson and [[Linda Cristal]] in ''The High Chaparral'']]
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! width=6%| Year
! width=25%| Title
! width=25%| Role
! class= "unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1958|| ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' || Wayne Phillips || Season 3 Episode 19: "The Equalizer"
|-
|1959|| ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'' || Jeremiah Walsh || S2:E6, "Incident at the Buffalo Smokehouse"
|-
|1961|| ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'' || Frank Travis || S3:E19, "Incident Near Gloomy River"
|-
|1963|| ''[[Hazel (TV series)|Hazel]]'' || Zachary King || S3:E11, "The Vanishing Hero"
|-
|1963|| ''[[Arrest and Trial]]'' || Mort Vallos || Season 1 Episode 7: "Whose Little Girl Are You?"
|-
|1964|| ''[[The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]]'' || Dr. John S. Hellyer || Season 3 Episode 11: "Consider Her Ways"
|-
|1965|| ''[[The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]]'' || Paul White || Season 3 Episode 26: "The Monkey's Paw - A Retelling"
|-
|1965|| ''[[Daniel Boone (1964 TV series)|Daniel Boone]]'' || Aaron Burr || S2:E7, "The Aaron Burr Story"     
|-
|1966|| ''[[Branded (TV series)|Branded]]'' ||Roy Beckwith || S2:E22 "Barbed  Wire"
|-
|1967–1971|| ''[[The High Chaparral]]'' || Big John Cannon || 98 episodes
|-
|1973|| ''[[The Streets of San Francisco]]'' || Fr. Henry Driscoll || S2:E3, "For the Love of God"
|-
|}
{{clear}}
== See also ==
{{Portal bar|Biography|California|Florida|Film|Music|Television|Theatre}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{AFI person | 96850-Leif-Erickson }}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Tcmdb name}}
* {{discogs artist|Leif Erickson}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erickson, Leif}}
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American trombonists]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male trombonists]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Florida]]
[[Category:Male actors from San Francisco]]
[[Category:Male Western (genre) film actors]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Alameda County, California]]
[[Category:Musicians from San Francisco]]
[[Category:Male actors from Alameda, California]]
[[Category:Shot-down aviators]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Navy sailors]]
[[Category:Western (genre) television actors]]