Don Porter
Biography
Donald "Don" Porter (September 24, 1912 –February 11, 1997) was an American actor who appeared in a number of films since the 1940s, including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron. On television, he portrayed the widowed father of 15-year-old Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field) in the 1965 ABC sitcom Gidget. Besides his work in film and television, Porter was active on stage, as he acted in more than 200 plays, including The Front Page, Plaza Suite, and Any Wednesday. He appeared in various films in the 1940s before landing the role of Peter Sands, the boss of Susan Camille MacNamara (Ann Sothern), on the 1950s sitcom Private Secretary. A retooled version of the series appeared later, titled The Ann Sothern Show. It featured many of the same actors, including Porter as hotel manager James Devery in the venue of a fashionable New York City hotel. He later guest starred on episodes of Green Acres, Love, American Style, The Mod Squad, Barnaby Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O, Three's Company (on which he played Jack Tripper's uncle), and Switch.
Known For

Dallas

The Love Boat

Hawaii Five-O

Hawaii Five-O

Love, American Style

The Six Million Dollar Man

Matlock

The Rookies
All Movies (49)
- The Ghosts of Buxley Hall1980 · as Judge Oliver Haynes
- The Last Song1980 · as Philip Brockhurst
- The Murder That Wouldn't Die1980 · as Gen. Rocky Jensen
- Interview with Pontius Pilate1980 · as Theodore Michael
- Tropic of Desire1979 · as Commodore Phillips
- The President's Mistress1978 · as Craig
- Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A.1977 · as Caufield
- A Woman for All Men1975 · as Barney
- White Line Fever1975 · as Cutler
- Last Hours Before Morning1975 · as Mr. Pace
- The Legend of Lizzie Borden1975 · as George Robinson
- Happy Anniversary and Goodbye1974 · as Ed Murphy
- Murder or Mercy1974 · as Henry Balin
- Mame1974 · as Mr. Upson
- The Morning After1974 · as Rudy King
- 40 Carats1973 · as Mr. Latham
- The Norliss Tapes1973 · as Sanford T. Evans
- The Candidate1972 · as Senator Crocker Jarmon
- Live a Little, Love a Little1968 · as Mike Lansdown
- Youngblood Hawke1964 · as Ferdie Lax
- Gidget Goes to Rome1963 · as Russell Lawrence
- Bachelor in Paradise1961 · as Thomas W. Jynson
- Desk Set1957 · as Don the Elevator Operator (uncredited)
- Our Miss Brooks1956 · as Lawrence Nolan
- Because You're Mine1952 · as Captain Burton Nordell Loring
- The Savage1952 · as Running Dog
- The Turning Point1952 · as Joe Silbray
- Cripple Creek1952 · as Denver Jones
- The Fallbrook Story1952 · as Narrator
- The Racket1951 · as R. G. Connolly
- Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone1950 · as Myron Brynk
- 711 Ocean Drive1950 · as Larry Mason
- My Friend Irma Goes West1950 · as Mr. Brent
- Buck Privates Come Home1947 · as Capt. Christie
- Wild Beauty1946 · as Dr. Dave Morrow
- Danger Woman1946 · as Professor Claude Ruppert
- Cuban Pete1946 · as Roberts
- She-Wolf of London1946 · as Barry Lanfield
- Resisting Enemy Interrogation1944 · as Lt. Frank L. Williams, Jr. - American Co-pilot
- How to Fly the B-26 Airplane1944 · as Captain Dick
- Keep 'Em Slugging1943 · as Jerry
- Reconnaissance Pilot1943 · as Camera Instructor
- Madame Spy1942 · as David Bannister
- Who Done It?1942 · as 'Murder at Midnight' program manager
- Night Monster1942 · as Dick Baldwin
- Eyes of the Underworld1942 · as Edward Jason
- Eagle Squadron1942 · as Ramsey
- Top Sergeant1942 · as Al Bennett
- Mystery of the White Room1939 · as Dr. Donald Fox
All TV Shows (27)
- Matlock1986 · as Erskine Tate
- Hotel1982 · as Jonathan Corry
- Vega$1978
- The Paper Chase1978
- Dallas1978 · as Matt Devlin
- The Love Boat1977 · as Slade Summerhill
- Three's Company1977
- City of Angels1976
- The Bionic Woman1976
- Ellery Queen1975
- Switch1975 · as Paul Lorimer
- Switch1975 · as Salvensen
- Archer1975
- The Six Million Dollar Man1974 · as Dr. Stanley Bacon
- Barnaby Jones1973 · as Jeremy Markham
- The Rookies1972
- Love, American Style1969
- The Mod Squad1968
- Here's Lucy1968 · as Ken Richards
- Hawaii Five-O1968 · as Jonathan Cavel
- Hawaii Five-O1968 · as Alex Kelsey
- Judd, for the Defense1967
- The F.B.I.1965 · as Mason Hammond
- Green Acres1965
- Gidget1965 · as Professor Russell Lawrence
- Vacation Playhouse1963 · as Battersea, The Housekeeper
- Private Secretary1953