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Lyle Bettger

Lyle Bettger

Acting

February 13, 1915 – September 24, 2003 (died at 88)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Male
29 Movies
36 TV Shows

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lyle S. Bettger (February 13, 1915 – September 24, 2003) was a character actor known most for his Hollywood roles from the 1950s, typically portraying villains. He is perhaps most recognisable as the wrathfully jealous elephant handler Klaus from the Oscar winning film The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lyle was the son of Frank Bettger, who was an infielder for the St Louis Cardinals. An enthusiastic fan of cinema, Lyle left school in his late teens with the ambition of becoming an actor. Bettger graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. His theatrical debut was in Brother Rat at the Biltmore Theatre in New York City in 1936. After a period languishing in small-time theatre he landed the lead role in the Broadway production of The Flying Gerardos in 1940. When Paramount sent a talent scout to see the show, Bettger was signed on a three-year contract. Bettger's movie career began when he was cast as the lead in the film noir No Man of Her Own (1950). He soon became a regular on the set of Westerns such as Denver and Rio Grande (1952), The Great Sioux Uprising (1953), Drums Across the River (1954), The Lone Ranger (1956) and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). Lyle developed a reputation for playing the bad guy and excelled in villainous roles such as the menacing Joe Beacom in Union Station (1950) and the cold-blooded Nazi Chief Officer Kirchner in The Sea Chase (1955). Bettger also made many appearances in dramatic roles on television, starring in the 1957 series The Court of Last Resort as well as guesting on Hawaii Five-O, Rawhide, The Rifleman, Bonanza and The Time Tunnel. Lyle was married to Mary Rolfe (1940–1996) until her death. They had three children: Lyle Jr., Frank and Paula. He was also survived by a sister, Lee Morgan. Lyle Bettger died on September 24, 2003 in San Luis Obispo County, California. Description above from the Wikipedia article Lyle Bettger, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

1957 7.0

as Ike Clanton

Age 42 (now 88)
All I Desire
All I Desire

All I Desire

1953 7.0

as Dutch Heineman

Age 38 (now 88)
The Greatest Show on Earth
The Greatest Show on Earth

The Greatest Show on Earth

1952 6.4

as Klaus

Age 37 (now 88)
Union Station
Union Station

Union Station

1950 6.5

as Joe Beacom

Age 35 (now 88)
Return of the Gunfighter
Return of the Gunfighter

Return of the Gunfighter

1967 6.1

as Clay Sutton

Age 52 (now 88)
Destry
Destry

Destry

1954 6.2

as Phil Decker

Age 39 (now 88)
No Man of Her Own
No Man of Her Own

No Man of Her Own

1950 6.9

as Stephen Morley

Age 35 (now 88)
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger

1956 6.3

as Reece Kilgore

Age 41 (now 88)
The Sea Chase
The Sea Chase

The Sea Chase

1955 6.2

as Chief Officer Kirchner

Age 40 (now 88)
Drums Across the River
Drums Across the River

Drums Across the River

1954 5.8

as Frank Walker

Age 39 (now 88)
Johnny Reno
Johnny Reno

Johnny Reno

1966 6.5

as Jess Yates

Age 51 (now 88)
Carnival Story
Carnival Story

Carnival Story

1954 4.8

as Frank Colloni

Age 39 (now 88)
Nevada Smith
Nevada Smith

Nevada Smith

1966 6.7

as Jack Rudabough

Age 51 (now 88)
Forbidden
Forbidden

Forbidden

1953 6.3

as Justin Keit

Age 38 (now 88)
Denver and Rio Grande
Denver and Rio Grande

Denver and Rio Grande

1952 5.6

as Johnny Buff

Age 37 (now 88)
Impasse
Impasse

Impasse

1969 4.8

as Hansen

Age 54 (now 88)