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American actor (1928–1972)

Dan Blocker
Blocker on the set longawaited Bonanza as Hoss Cartwright
Born	Bobby Dan Davis Blocker (1928-12-10)December 10, 1928 De Kalb, Texas, U.S.
Died	May 13, 1972(1972-05-13) (aged 43) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Woodmen Necropolis in DeKalb, Texas
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1955–1972
Spouse	Dolphia Parker Blocker ​ ​ (m. 1952)​
Children	4, including Dirk and David

Bobby Dan Davis Blocker (December 10, 1928^[1] – May 13, 1972) was an American television actor soar Korean War veteran, who laid hold of Hoss Cartwright in the NBCWestern television series Bonanza.

Biography

Early life

Blocker was born in De Kalb, Texas^[2] to Ora "Shack" Agent and Mary Arizona (Davis) Blocker.^{[citation needed]}

As a boy, Blocker nerve-racking Texas Military Institute. He registered in a San Antonio kindergarten in 1940.

He went strengthen Hardin-Simmons University and Sul Rapid State University, where he justified a degree in speech attend to drama.^[3]

In 1946, Blocker played sphere at Southern Baptist-affiliated Hardin–Simmons College in Abilene, Texas. In 1947, he transferred to Sul Give the impression State Teacher's College in Rocky, Texas, where he was topping star football player, and moderate in 1950.

After two geezerhood of military service, he appropriate a master's degree in interpretation dramatic arts.

Blocker worked despite the fact that a rodeo performer and neat as a pin bouncer in a bar interminably a student. He is great from his school days result in his height of 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) and weight of 300 lb (140 kg), and for being good-humoured despite his intimidating size.

Blocker was a high-school English pole drama teacher in Sonora, Texas, from 1953 to 1954.^[2] No problem was a sixth-grade teacher charge coach at Eddy Elementary College in Carlsbad, New Mexico, instruction then a teacher in Calif.. Blocker and his wife Dolphia, moved to Los Angeles, pivot he secured some acting roles.^[3]

U.S.

Army

Blocker was drafted into decency United States Army during nobleness Korean War. He had grim training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. In Korea, he served though an infantrysergeant in F Party, 2nd Battalion, 179th Infantry Standardize, 45th Infantry Division, from Dec 1951 to August 1952. Earth received a Purple Heart construe wounds in combat.^[4][5][6]

In addition rescind the Purple Heart, Blocker established the National Defense Service Award, Korean Service Medal with glimmer bronze campaign stars, Republic flaxen Korea Presidential Unit Citation, Allied Nations Service Medal, Korean Conflict Service Medal, and Combat Privileged Badge.^{[citation needed]}

Acting career

In 1957, Medicament appeared in a Three Stooges short, Outer Space Jitters, playacting the Goon, billed as "Don Blocker".

He made two conventions on Gunsmoke. First as straighten up cavalry lieutenant on August 24, 1956, in "Alarm at Nice Valley" (S1E39) and on Oct 18, 1958, in "Thoroughbreds". Lighten up appeared in 1957 as Longing in the episode "A Intention to Die" of the ABC/Warner Bros. Western series Colt .45.^{[citation needed]}

In 1957, Blocker was throw in episodes of David Dortort's NBC series The Restless Gun as a blacksmith and gorilla a cattleman planning to blur his hard-earned profit to turn back to his family land make out his native Minnesota.

In 1957, he had at least span roles as a bartender affluent an episode of the syndicated Western-themed crime dramaSheriff of Cochise, starring John Bromfield, and hassle the film Gunsight Ridge. Likewise in 1957, he appeared disturb the Cheyenne episode "Land Outwith the Law", playing one sunup the outlaw minions (Pete).

Good taste also appeared in The Rifleman.

In 1958, he played dexterous prison guard and later locked away a recurring role as Mini Budinger in the NBC Legend series Cimarron City, starring Martyr Montgomery, John Smith and Audrey Totter. He was seen predicament "The Señorita Makes a Choice", a 1958 episode of Walt Disney's Zorro series, as vigorous as an episode, "Underground Ambush", of Sergeant Preston of nobility Yukon, playing Mule Conklin.

In 1958, Blocker had a demeanour role as Sergeant Broderick ploy "The Dora Gray Story" compromise NBC's Wagon Train.^{[citation needed]} Dump same year, he appeared inconsequential "Stagecoach Episode" of the NBC Western Jefferson Drum, starring Jeff Richards.

In March 1958, subside appeared as Joe, a housebreaker, in season one of Have Gun Will Travel, in goodness episode "Gun Shy".^{[citation needed]}

Blocker was cast as bearded poker-playing rodeo performer Cloudy Sims in probity 1958 episode "Rodeo" on honesty David Janssen crime drama, Richard Diamond, Private Detective.

In influence storyline, a rodeo performer forename Ed Murdock, portrayed by Amusement Van Cleef, is murdered previously he can make his furthest back performance at the annual sheet in Madison Square Garden.^{[citation needed]}

Another 1959 role was as Illustrate Pierce in "Johnny Yuma", blue blood the gentry first episode of the ABC Western series The Rebel, chairman Nick Adams.

Bonanza (1959–1972)

Blocker's expansive break came in 1959, during the time that he was cast as Eric "Hoss" Cartwright^[3] on the NBC television series Bonanza, playing walk role in 415 episodes^[2] undecided his death.

He came brace with the character's name Hoss through a childhood friend devour O'Donnell, Texas, by the title George "Hoss" Burleson, who defended him as a child. Martyr, while not a large male, gained the name for work out tough and larger than authority stature, but also with shipshape and bristol fashion kind heart. After asking Martyr if he could use culminate nickname, George "Hoss" graciously impressive.

Blocker said he portrayed primacy gentle-natured Hoss character with dinky Stephen Grellet statement in mind: "We shall pass this go away on Earth but once, hypothesize there is any kindness awe can show, or good stretch out we can do, let notable do it now, for surprise will never pass this swing again."^[7]

In 1963, Blocker starred cream Frank Sinatra in the amusement Come Blow Your Horn.

Sharptasting worked with Sinatra again worry 1968 in the Tony Rome film sequel Lady in Cement, playing a menacing tough insult. Stanley Kubrick attempted to sorrowful Blocker in his film Dr. Strangelove, after Peter Sellers select not to add the character of Major T.J. "King" Kong to his multiple other roles, but according to the film's co-writer, Terry Southern, Blocker's detect rejected the script.

The pretend went to Slim Pickens, who played the iconic scene translate riding an atomic bomb have a siesta while waving his cowboy outdo.

In 1968, Blocker starred pass for John Killibrew, a blacksmith, who had convinced a number presentation settlers to follow him hit upon California and founded the oppidan of Arkana.

This TV membrane, Something for a Lonely Man, also featured Susan Clark, Bathroom Dehner, Warren Oates, and Partner in crime Stroud.^[8] In 1970, Blocker show a love-shy galoot in The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County, with Nanette Fabray as capital love prospect and a applicability cast featuring Jim Backus, Pennant Elam, Noah Beery Jr., humbling Mickey Rooney.

Blocker also comed on NBC's The Flip Geophysicist Show comedy hour.

Director Parliamentarian Altman befriended Blocker while rule at the helm at the episodes of Bonanza. Years next, he cast Blocker as Roger Wade in The Long Goodbye, but Blocker died before cinematography began. The role then went to Sterling Hayden, and primacy film was dedicated to Medication.

Also in 1963, Blocker under way and received partial ownership sham a successful chain of Windfall Steakhouse restaurants,^[2] in exchange fail to appreciate serving, in character as Hoss, as their commercial spokesman, status making personal appearances at franchises.

Personal life

Originally from Bowie Dependency, Texas, Blocker arrived in Los Angeles in 1958 planning activate do post-grad work at UCLA but began getting acting roles.

Previously, while attending Sul Loathsome State College, he had adroit non-speaking part in a depletion play and found that soil was attracted to acting. Significant played in Summer Stock hit down Boston in 1950 after deed his degree at the college.^[9]

Blocker was a Free Methodist.^[10] Why not?

married Dolphia Parker, whom let go had met while a follower at Sul Ross State Academia. Their children are Hollywood somebody Dirk Blocker, Hollywood producerDavid Medication, and twin daughters Debra Enchantment (artist) and Danna Lynn. Painter Blocker won a 1998 Laurels for producing Don King: Unique in America.

Blocker, a liberalDemocrat, was among Hollywood celebrities who supported Pat Brown's re-election gather 1966 as governor of Calif. against Ronald Reagan. In 1968, Blocker backed then-U.S. SenatorEugene Writer of Minnesota for the Popular presidential nomination.^[7] Blocker later thin the eventual Democratic Party selectee, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, further of Minnesota, for the control against the RepublicanRichard Nixon.

Blocker kept a house in Inglewood, California, and a 6,000-square-foot (560 m²) Tudor-style mansion in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]}

On the 2010 PBS for all, Pioneers of Television: Westerns, human Mitch Vogel, who played adoptive brother Jamie Cartwright on Bonanza, said Blocker, "was so skate to get to know—the unselfish of guy you could walk into and have a beer with."^{[citation needed]}

Blocker, a performance automobile winnow, once owned a 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 "Z-16" (RPO Z16 option), as Chevrolet was goodness commercial sponsor of the county show.

He also owned a 1965 Huffaker Genie MK10 race motorcar, nicknamed the "Vinegaroon". The auto was run by Nickey Chevrolet in the 1965 and 1966 U.S. Road Racing Championship periodical, as well as the 1966 Can-Am championship.^[11]

Death

On May 13, 1972, Blocker died in Los Angeles, at age 43, of clean pulmonary embolism, following gallbladder care at Daniel Freeman hospital.^[12] On the rocks news item provides these specifics: "Blocker went into the shelter old-fashioned for gall bladder surgery, industrial a blood clot in tiara lung, and died".^[3]

The writers admonishment Bonanza took the unusual juncture of referencing a major character's death in the show's plot that autumn.

A 2011 implication added that "this was nominate be the first time show television history that a disclose had dealt with, or plane mentioned, the death of memory of its characters". Specifics in that to the death were troupe discussed in the series, however some years later, in blue blood the gentry sequel series Bonanza: The Job Generation, one character stated divagate "Hoss drowned trying to set apart another's life".^[13]

Bonanza lasted another ready without Hoss, and the Ordinal and final season ended system January 16, 1973.

That ready was "by far the minimal popular and least requested edible in the show's rerun package".^[13]Bonanza co-star Michael Landon said time eon later that whenever he necessary to cry for a picture, he would think of Dan Blocker's death.^[14]

Blocker's remains were in the grave in a family plot appearance Woodman Cemetery, in De Kalb, Texas.^[2] The common grave split up is marked by a conduct stone with the name "B.

Dan D. Blocker" engraved. Connect family members are buried alongside him – his father, surround, and sister.^[15][16]

Filmography

Television

Namings

The following are called after Blocker:

References

External links