Richard Derr
Born(1917-06-15)June 15, 1917
Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedMay 8, 1992(1992-05-08) (aged 74)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
OccupationActor

Richard Derr (June 15, 1917 – May 8, 1992) was an American actor who worked on stage, screen, and television, performing in both starring and supporting roles.[1]

Early years

Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania,[1] Derr graduated from Norristown High School in 1933. While he worked as a bank clerk, he acted with a little theater group in Norristown.[2]

Stage

A life member of The Actors Studio,[3] Derr landed the majority of his leading roles on stage.[1] In 1955, he sang in the lead role in the Broadway musical Plain and Fancy. His other Broadway credits include Dial M for Murder (1952), Invitation to a March (1960), Maybe Tuesday (1957), A Phoenix Too Frequent (1949), and The Closing Door (1949).[4]

Film

On the silver screen, Derr was primarily a character actor.[1] He had a starring role in George Pal's 1951 science fiction film from Paramount Pictures, When Worlds Collide. Derr later starred in the Invisible Avenger (1958), a film based on the radio show and pulp magazine character The Shadow. The character also served as the basis for two television pilot episodes, neither of which was developed into a series.[5]

Television

In the 1950s, most of Derr's work was done on television. On November 21, 1950, he co-starred in "The Perfect Type" on Armstrong Circle Theatre.[6] In 1959, he was the host of Fanfare, a summer dramatic anthology series on NBC-TV.[7]

In 1965, he played the role of Dr. Dwyer in the three-part serial, "The Adventures of Gallegher," on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, and later made appearances in Barnaby Jones, in two episodes of Star Trek, and in the 1976 miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man Book II.

Military service

Derr served in the Army Transport Service for three years during World War II.[8]

Real estate

Derr had a license as a real estate broker. He was an associate of the Beverly Hills Realty Company and a member of the Beverly Hills Realty Board.[2]

Death

On May 8, 1992, at the age of 75, Derr died of pancreatic cancer in Santa Monica, California.[9]

Partial filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1969Star Trek: The Original SeriesAdmiral FitzgeraldS3:E16, "Mark of Gideon"

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Richard Derr, 74, A Longtime Actor On Stage and Film". The New York Times. May 15, 1992. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Richard Derr Papers 1929-1983". Arizona Archives Online. Arizona State University. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  3. ↑ Garfield, David (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 278. ISBN 0-02-542650-8.
  4. ↑ "("Richard Derr" search results)". Playbill Vault. Playbill. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  5. ↑ Shimeld, Thomas J. (2005). Walter B. Gibson and The Shadow. McFarland. p. 86. ISBN 9780786490059. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  6. ↑ "Television Highlights of the Week". The Boston Globe. November 19, 1950. p. 20-A. Retrieved May 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 457. ISBN 9780307483201. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  8. ↑ "Hollywood Actor Visiting Brother". The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, the Evening News. Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre. December 21, 1946. p. 4. Retrieved May 25, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ↑ Willis, John (2000). Screen World 1993: Comprehensive Pictorial and Statistical Record of the 1992 Movie Season. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 264. ISBN 9781557831750. Retrieved 25 May 2017.


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