Introduction
Richard Eastham (born Dickinson Swift Eastham; June 22, 1916 – July 10, 2005) was an American actor of stage, film, and television, a concert singer known for his deep baritone voice, and an inventor.
Early years
Eastham's birth name was chosen in honor of Miss Helen Dickinson Swift, one of his mother's college classmates. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest K. Eastham, and he attended Soldan High School.
Career
On Broadway, Eastham was understudy for Ezio Pinza in South Pacific, eventually replacing Pinza on stage. His performance was so well received that he was made the male lead for a two-year national tour of the musical. His other Broadway plays included Medea and Call Me Madam. Eastham and co-star Janet Blair, in their original roles, headed another tour of South Pacific in 1965.
Prompted by his playing of a guitar in The Sound of Music, Eastham invented a device for stringing a guitar, with 31,000 of them sold in the first three weeks that they were available.
Personal life
Eastham married Betty Jean Van Allen, who was his high school classmate.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1954 | There's No Business Like Show Business | Lew Harris | |
| 1957 | Man on Fire | Bryan Seward | |
| 1960 | Toby Tyler; or, Ten Weeks with a Circus | Colonel Sam Castle | |
| 1965 | That Darn Cat! | Supervisor Newton | |
| 1966 | Not with My Wife, You Don't! | General Milt Walters | |
| 1966 | Murderers' Row | Dr. Norman Solaris | |
| 1973 | Tom Sawyer | Doc Robinson | |
| 1973 | Battle for the Planet of the Apes | Mutant Captain | |
| 1974 | McQ | Walter Forrester | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1957-1958 | Tombstone Territory | Harris Claibourne / Narrator | 91 episodes |
| 1967-1973 | Bonanza | Tom Yardley / Stanton | 2 episodes |
| 1976-1977 | Wonder Woman | General Phil Blankenship | 13 episodes |