Born: October 27, 1911 – Died: January 29, 1986
A towering figure in American television and cinema, Leif Erickson etched a permanent mark with his deep voice and commanding presence. Originating from Alameda, California, his entry into the world was marked by the bustling innovation of the early 20th century. The son of a blue-collar family, Erickson's parents were the bedrock of his values, instilling in him a work ethic that would define his career. His journey from the sunny shores of California to the bright lights of Hollywood is a tale of talent meeting opportunity.
Early Life and Career
Erickson's early years were rooted in the West Coast's growing cultural landscape. His formal education details are scant, but it was the school of life that gave him his real education, preparing him for a robust career in entertainment. His entry into show business was as unassuming as his upbringing—initial roles were modest, with his first significant gig arriving in 1951.
It wasn't long before he landed a part that would set his course in the industry—starring in "Show Boat" the same year, which paved the way for more significant roles. Yet, it was his role as Big John Cannon in "The High Chaparral" (1967) that turned him into a household name, endearing him to audiences across the nation and sealing his fate as a star.
Throughout his career, Erickson's mantelpiece grew heavy with awards, celebrating performances that resonated with critics and viewers alike. His personal life was as full as his professional one, with notable relationships including marriages to Annie Ruth Diamond, Margaret Hayes, and Frances Farmer. His life off-screen was marked by diverse interests, though he stayed clear of the scandals that so often shadow Hollywood stardom. His legacy in the film industry is not just in the roles he played but in the authenticity he brought to his characters.
Erickson's impact on Hollywood is undisputed. As an icon of the Western genre and a pioneer in television acting, his work continues to influence actors and entertain audiences, ensuring his star will never fade.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Fantasy Island (TV Series) | Father Prine |
| 1983 | Savage in the Orient (TV Movie) | Major |
| 1980 | Wild Times (TV Mini Series) | John Tyree |
| 1979 | The Rockford Files (TV Series) | Carl Colton 'C.C.' Calloway |
| 1978 | Project U.F.O. (TV Series) | Frederick Carlson |
| 1977 | Hunter (TV Series) | Maitland |
| 1977 | Twilight's Last Gleaming | Ralph Whittaker - CIA Director |
| 1977 | The Fantastic Journey (TV Series) | Ben Wallace |
| 1976 | The Quest (TV Series) | Jerrico Franklin |
| 1975 | Winterhawk | Guthrie |
| 1975 | Medical Story (TV Series) | Dr. Taussig |
| 1975 | Abduction | Mr. Prescott |
| 1975 | Force Five (TV Movie) | Cal Newkirk |
| 1974 | Cannon (TV Series) | Kowalski |
| 1974 | Mannix (TV Series) | B. J. Yarborough |
| 1974 | Harry O (TV Series) | Admiral Tannehill |
| 1974 | Medical Center (TV Series) | Ben |
| 1974 | The Evil Touch (TV Series) | Reverend Vincent |
| 1974 | Ironside (TV Series) | Preston Lakes |
| 1973 | The Magician (TV Series) | Nicholas Olson |
| 1973 | The Rookies (TV Series) | Ben Fuller |
| 1973 | The Six Million Dollar Man: The Solid Gold Kidnapping (TV Movie) | William Henry Cameron |
| 1973 | The Streets of San Francisco (TV Series) | Fr. Henry Driscoll |
| 1971–1973 | Night Gallery (TV Series) | Charlie Wheatland | Director (segment "The Academy") |
| 1972 | Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) | Dr. Justin Garvey |
| 1972 | Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (TV Series) | Matt |
| 1972 | Mod Squad (TV Series) | Lt. Jerry Price |
| 1972 | The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (TV Movie) | Amos Wetherall |
| 1972 | The Family Rico (TV Movie) | Mike Lamont |
| 1972 | The New Healers (TV Movie) | Dr. Victor Briggs |
| 1972 | The Sixth Sense (TV Series) | Dr. Philip Ford |
| 1971 | Longstreet (TV Series) | Harold Kemp |
| 1971 | The Deadly Dream (TV Movie) | Dr. Harold Malcolm |
| 1971 | Terror in the Sky (TV Movie) | Marty Treleavan |
| 1971 | Man and Boy | Mossman |
| 1967–1971 | The High Chaparral (TV Series) | Big John Cannon |
| 1971 | The Name of the Game (TV Series) | King |
| 1970 | Paris 7000 (TV Series) | Lawrence Lockner |
| 1968 | Insight (TV Series) | Governor |
| 1967 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) | Virgil Powell |
| 1965–1966 | Daniel Boone (TV Series) | Bill Sedley | Aaron Burr |
| 1965–1966 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (TV Series) | Ben Stafford | St. Cloud |
| 1966 | Branded (TV Series) | Roy Beckwith |
| 1964–1965 | The Virginian (TV Series) | Bill King | Charlie Ryan | Peterson |
| 1961–1965 | Bonanza (TV Series) | Tom Caine | Josh Tatum |
| 1965 | A Man Called Shenandoah (TV Series) | Sheriff Dan Grier |
| 1965 | Mirage | Major Crawford |
| 1965 | I Saw What You Did | Dave Mannering |
| 1964–1965 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV Series) | Paul White | Doctor Hellyer |
| 1965 | Kraft Suspense Theatre (TV Series) | General |
| 1964 | Burke's Law (TV Series) | Jason Hayes |
| 1964 | Roustabout | Joe Lean |
| 1964 | The Carpetbaggers | Jonas Cord Sr. |
| 1964 | Grindl (TV Series) | Karl Stauffer |
| 1963–1964 | The Great Adventure (TV Series) | President Grover Cleveland | Abel Parrish |
| 1964 | Strait-Jacket | Bill Cutler |
| 1964 | The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV Series) | Sugar Bob Devlin |
| 1963 | Hazel (TV Series) | Zachary King |
| 1963 | Wagon Train (TV Series) | Eli Bancroft |
| 1963 | Arrest and Trial (TV Series) | Henry Vallos |
| 1963 | A Gathering of Eagles | Gen. Hewitt |
| 1963 | Alcoa Premiere (TV Series) | Mr. Green |
| 1963 | The New Loretta Young Show (TV Series) | Bascomb T. Beebe |
| 1962 | Shootout at Big Sag | Sam Barbee |
| 1962 | The New Breed (TV Series) | Dr. Eric Thor |
| 1959–1961 | Rawhide (TV Series) | Frank Travis | Jeremiah Walsh |
| 1957–1960 | Playhouse 90 (TV Series) | William Dean Howells | James Mayberry | Paul Henderson ... |
| 1958–1960 | Zane Grey Theatre (TV Series) | Cash Wilson | Jim Lewis |
| 1959 | Hotel de Paree (TV Series) | O.K. Lassiter |
| 1959 | The DuPont Show with June Allyson (TV Series) | Andrew Middleton (as Lief Erickson) |
| 1958 | Once Upon a Horse... | Granville 'Granny' Dix |
| 1958 | The Rifleman (TV Series) | Jim Lewis |
| 1958 | Colgate Theatre (TV Series) | Paul Harper |
| 1956–1958 | The Millionaire (TV Series) | Norman Conover | Brian Hendricks |
| 1958 | Twilight for the Gods | Harry Hutton |
| 1958 | Matinee Theatre (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1958 | General Electric Theater (TV Series) | Man |
| 1958 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) | Wayne Phillips |
| 1957 | Kiss Them For Me | Eddie Turnbill |
| 1955–1957 | Climax! (TV Series) | Richard Moore | Doug Randell | Richard Carmichael ... |
| 1957 | The Vintage | Louis Morel |
| 1957 | Istanbul | Charlie Boyle |
| 1956 | Tea and Sympathy | Bill Reynolds |
| 1956 | The Fastest Gun Alive | Lou Glover |
| 1956 | Star in the Dust | George Ballard |
| 1956 | Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) | Jim Torrance |
| 1954 | *On the Waterfront* | Glover |
| 1954 | Inner Sanctum (TV Series) | Seton |
| 1953 | Paris Model | Edgar Blevins |
| 1953 | Captain Scarface | Sam (as Lief Erickson) |
| 1953 | Fort Algiers | Kalmani |
| 1953 | Invaders from Mars | Mr. George MacLean |
| 1953 | A Perilous Journey | Richards |
| 1953 | Trouble Along the Way | Father Provincial |
| 1953 | Born to the Saddle | Bob Marshall |
| 1951–1953 | Family Theatre (TV Series) | Pilate |
| 1953 | Never Wave at a WAC | Sgt. Norbert 'Noisy' Jackson |
| 1952 | Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd | Morgan |
| 1952 | My Wife's Best Friend | Nicholas Reed |
| 1952 | The Unexpected (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1952 | Schlitz Playhouse (TV Series) | Sam Sargent | Dan |
| 1952 | Carbine Williams | Feder |
| 1952 | With a Song in My Heart | General (uncredited) |
| 1952 | Sailor Beware | Cmdr. Lane |
| 1952 | The Cimarron Kid | Marshal John Sutton |
| 1951 | Personal Appearance Theater (TV Series) | Unknown |
| 1951 | Reunion in Reno | B. Frederick Linaker |
| 1951 | The Tall Target | Stranger |
| 1951 | Show Boat | Pete (as Lief Erickson) |
| 1951 | Fourteen Hours | Bit Part (uncredited) |
| 1950 | Dallas | U.S. Marshal Martin Weatherby |
| 1950 | Three Secrets | Bill Chase |
| 1950 | The Showdown | 'Big' Mart Stores |
| 1950 | Stella | Fred Anderson Jr. |
| 1950 | Love That Brute | Elmdale Military Academy Captain (uncredited) |
| 1950 | Mother Didn't Tell Me | Dr. Bruce Gordon |
| 1949 | Your Show Time (TV Series) | Jean Valjean |
| 1949 | The Lady Gambles | Tony |
| 1949 | Johnny Stool Pigeon | Pringle |
| 1948 | Miss Tatlock's Millions | Dr. Mason |
| 1948 | Joan of Arc | Dunois - Bastard of Orleans |
| 1948 | The Snake Pit | Gordon |
| 1948 | The Gay Intruders | Dr. Harold Matson |
| 1948 | Sorry, Wrong Number | Fred Lord |
| 1947 | The Gangster | Beaumont |
| 1947 | Blonde Savage | Steve Blake |
| 1942 | Arabian Nights | Kamar (as Leif Erikson) |
| 1942 | Night Monster | Laurie (as Leif Erikson) |
| 1942 | Pardon My Sarong | Whaba (as Leif Erikson) |
| 1942 | Eagle Squadron | Johnny M. Coe |
| 1942 | Are Husbands Necessary? | Bill Stone |
| 1942 | The Fleet's In | Jake |
| 1941 | H.M. Pulham, Esq. | Rodney 'Bo-Jo' Brown (as Leif Erikson) |
| 1941 | The Blonde from Singapore | Terry Prescott |
| 1941 | Nothing But the Truth | Van |
| 1939 | ...One Third of a Nation... | Peter Cortlant (as Leif Erikson) |
| 1938 | Ride a Crooked Mile | Johnny Simpkins |
| 1938 | The Big Broadcast of 1938 | Bob Hayes (as Leif Erikson) |
| 1937 | Thrill of a Lifetime | Howard 'Howdy' Nelson |
| 1937 | Conquest | Paul Lachinski (as Leif Erikson) |
| 1937 | Waikiki Wedding | Dr. Victor Quimby (as Leif Erikson) |
| 1936 | College Holiday | Dick Winters |
| 1936 | Girl of the Ozarks | Tom Bolton (as Leif Erikson) |
| 1936 | Desert Gold | Glenn Kasedon (as Glenn Erikson) |
| 1936 | Drift Fence | Curley Prentiss (as Glenn Erikson) |
| 1935 | Nevada | Bill Ide (as Glen Erickson) |
| 1935 | Wanderer of the Wasteland | Lawrence (as Glenn Erickson) |
| 1933 | Air Tonic (Short) | Glenn Erickson - Band Singer (as Glenn Erickson) |
| 1933 | The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi | Band Singer with Ted Fio Rito |
