Norman Alden
Born: 1924-09-13 in Forth Worth, Texas, USA
Died: 2012-07-27
Known For: Acting
Biography
Norman Alden, born Norman Adelberg on September 13, 1924, was an American character actor who entertained audiences for nearly 50 years with his diverse and memorable performances. Standing at a height of 5 feet 11 inches (1.80m), he possessed a presence that could be both commanding and warm, depending on the role. Alden discovered his passion for acting while attending Texas Christian University, where he participated in on-campus theater productions. After serving in the United States Army during World War II, he pursued a career in acting, landing his first television appearance in 1957 on The 20th Century Fox Hour. Throughout his career, Alden amassed an impressive filmography, appearing in dozens of television shows and films. He became known for a wide range of roles, showcasing his versatility and adaptability. Some of his most notable performances include Kranix and Arblus in The Transformers: The Movie (1986), Dr. Linstrom in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977), the voice of Kay in The Sword in the Stone (1963), and guest appearances in popular shows like Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, and The Twilight Zone. Alden continued to work steadily until his retirement in 2006. He left behind a legacy of diverse and memorable performances, proving his talent as a true character actor.
Filmography
2009
- Looking Back to the Future as Self
2006
- Looking Back at the Future as Himself
2002
- Night of the Wolf as Carl Casey
2001
- K-PAX as Babbling Man
1998
- Patch Adams as Truck Driver
1996
1995
- JAG as Mr. Platt
1994
- Ed Wood as Cameraman Bill
1992
1989
- Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders as Chief of Police
- Roller Blade Warriors: Taken by Force as Bartender
- Cutting Class as Officer Fondulac
1988
- They Live as Foreman
- Lady Mobster as Sal Borolo
- TV 101 as Ralphie
- Man Against the Mob as Capt. Necker
1987
- 21 Jump Street
- Off the Mark as Coach Elam
- Destination: America as Tom Beller
1986
- The Transformers: The Movie as Kranix (voice)
- Sledge Hammer! as Roscoe
- Sunday Drive as Norman
- The Hogan Family
1985
- Back to the Future as Lou
- Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story as Ray Arcel
- California Girls as Mr. Pegem
1984
- Murder, She Wrote as Mercer Hawthorne
- Hunter as Jerry Walsh
1983
- The A-Team as Ed Maloney
- Hardcastle and McCormick
- Webster
1982
- Cagney & Lacey as Dan Cobbin
- Matt Houston
- Silver Spoons
- Victor/Victoria as Man in Hotel with Shoes (uncredited)
- Desperate Lives as Coach
1981
- Falcon Crest as Det. Bitterman
- Hill Street Blues as Art Eastland
- The Fall Guy
- Code Red as Robert Melton
- Nero Wolfe
1980
- Borderline as Willie Lambert
- Cloud Dancer as Dr. Putman
- Back to the Planet of the Apes as Zako
- Enos
- Stone
- Flamingo Road as Pete
1979
- The Facts of Life
- Trapper John, M.D.
- Samurai as Lt. Al DeNisco
- California Fever
- No Other Love as Les Hollister
1978
- Dallas as Senator Orloff
- Vega$
- Ring of Passion as Max Machon
1977
- The Love Boat as Ralph
- Eight Is Enough
- Semi-Tough as Coach Alvin Parks
- What Really Happened to the Class of '65?
- I Never Promised You a Rose Garden as McPherson
- The All-New Super Friends Hour
- Hunter
- Young Dan'l Boone
1976
- Charlie's Angels as Louis Fluellen
- Quincy, M.E.
- Alice
- Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman as Coach Leroy Fedders
- Electra Woman and Dyna Girl as Professor Frank Heflin
1975
- Starsky & Hutch
- One Day at a Time
- Switch as Barney
- Bronk
- Fay as Al Cassidy
1974
- The Rockford Files as Roland Eddy
- Terror on the 40th Floor as Capt. Parker
- Planet of the Apes
- The Manhunter
- Cry Panic as Doc Potter
- Devlin
1973
- Kojak as Foster
- Barnaby Jones as Timmer
- Super Friends
1972
- The Rookies
- The Streets of San Francisco
- Kansas City Bomber as Horrible Hank Hopkins
- Ben as Policeman
- Stand Up and Be Counted as Businessman
- Where Does It Hurt? as Katzen
- Two for the Money ... (Producer's Assistant)
- Kung Fu as Sheriff Crossman
1971
- Cannon
- McMillan & Wife as Randy Baine
- The Trackers as Pete Dilworth
- Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law as Henry Grover
- Cannon as Mitchell
1970
- Tora! Tora! Tora! as Major Truman Landon
- The Psychiatrist: God Bless the Children as Sheriff Glenn
- Dan August as Benjamin Marsh
1969
- Love, American Style as Paul
- Medical Center
- The Great Bank Robbery as The Great Gregory - Balloonist
- The Pigeon as Carl
- To Rome with Love
- All the Loving Couples as Mitch Burnett
1968
- Adam-12 as Sgt. Hardwick
- Hawaii Five-O as Cameron
- Chubasco as Frenchy
- The Mod Squad
- Killers Three as Guthrie
- The Devil's Brigade as MP Lieutenant
- Fever Heat as Herbert Hupgrove
1967
- Mannix
- The Guns of Will Sonnett
- First to Fight as Sergeant Schmidtmer
- Good Times as Warren
- Rango
- The Danny Thomas Hour as Marshak
1966
- Batman as Henchman #1
- Family Affair
- The Wild Angels as Medic
- Run, Buddy, Run
1965
- Hogan's Heroes as Sergeant Krebs
- The Big Valley as Jeff Bowden
- The F.B.I. as Norman Frome
- Andy as Andy Chadakis
- Honey West as Ben Fancher
- Red Line 7000 as Pat
1964
- Bedtime Story as Dubin
- The Patsy as Bully at the Gym
- Man's Favorite Sport? as John Screaming Eagle
- The Cara Williams Show
1963
- Burke's Law as Mark Hodges
- The Sword in the Stone as Kay (voice)
- My Favorite Martian as Detective Harris
- The Nutty Professor as Football Player
- The Dakotas
- The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters as Broken Mouth
- Temple Houston as Carlton Owens
1962
- Combat! as Pfc. Cooper
- Saints and Sinners as Frank Donelli
1961
- Dr. Kildare as Bernie (uncredited)
- Ben Casey
- Operation Bottleneck as Cpl. Lester 'Merc' Davenport
- Cain's Hundred as Fred Jackson
- Portrait of a Mobster as Bo Wetzel
- Everglades
- Secret of Deep Harbor as Barney Haines
1960
- The Andy Griffith Show as Tom Strongbow
- My Three Sons
- The Walking Target as Sam Russo
1959
- Bonanza as Teller
- The Untouchables as Barry Carlton
- Mr. Lucky as Mitch
- The Lawless Years
- Hennesey
- Philip Marlowe
- Not for Hire
1958
- The Rifleman as Duff
- Lawman as Charley - Townsman
- The Texan as Ryan
- 77 Sunset Strip as Rene
- The Power of the Resurrection as Gate Guard
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
- Man with a Camera
1957
- Perry Mason as Darrel Reed
- Leave It to Beaver as Water Dept. Worker
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective as Ben Regan
- The Thin Man
- Panic!
1955
- Gunsmoke as Purlie Loftus
- The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp as Johnny Ringo
- The 20th Century Fox Hour as Frank Fallom
1954
1950
- The Jack Benny Program as Man with iron bar