Posted on 10/13/2023 12:59:45 PM PDT by Borges
Actor Mark Goddard, known as Major Don West on all 84 episodes of the classic TV series "Lost in Space," has died at 87.
His wife, Evelyn, wrote on social media, "I’m so sorry to tell you that my wonderful husband passed away on October 10th. Several days after celebrating his 87th birthday [on July 24], he was hospitalized with pneumonia. We were hopeful when he was transferred to a rehabilitation center, but then doctors discovered he was in the final stages of pulmonary fibrosis for which there is no cure."
"He received excellent care at the beautiful Pat Roche Hospice Home," she went on, "and was able to die peacefully and with dignity. His children and I had the chance to express our love and say our goodbyes. I’ll never know how I deserved to spend 33 years with such a loving, gentle, handsome man who made me laugh so often."
Goddard's "Lost in Space" co-star, former child actor Billy Mumy, wrote, "R.I.P. to Mark Goddard. A truly beloved friend and brother to me for 59 years. I knew this was coming for the past few months. Shortly after a great phone chat he and I had on his 87th birthday in late July, I became aware that I would most likely never see or speak with him again. The last words we exchanged were 'I love you.'"
Goddard, born in Lowell, Massachusetts, was a star athlete in high school, but went into acting in the late '50s. In 1959, he made his TV debut as a regular on the series "Johnny Ringo" (1959-1960).
Other early credits include "The Joan Crawford Show" (1959), "The DuPont Show with June Allyson" (1960), and "Zane Grey Theatre" (1960).
After "Johnny Ringo," he played Chris Ballard on "The Detectives" from 1960-1962, appeared on his mentor Chuck Connors' series "The Rifleman" twice (1969 & 1962), and made guest appearances on many of the top shows of the era: "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1964), "Gunsmoke" (1964), "Perry Mason" (1963 & 1965), "The Fugitive" (1965), and as a regular on "Many Happy Returns" (1964-1965).
And the castaways should have killed Gilligan.
The actor playing the carrot also was Serano Jones in Star Trek “The Trouble With Tribbles”.
I loved the band America. I still have several of their albums. They had some beautiful songs that were never played on the radio as was typical. 2 of my favorites were “Old man Took” and “Amber Cascades”.
I seriously doubt if there ever was an actor who didn’t want to be in a Western. One of the best was when Little Joe from the Ponderosa was shanghaied by the Chinese, lol. I think everyone of them had been shot several times in the past.
He was also Barnes of Barnes and Barnes (Cemetery girls). Met him at a Dr. Demento live show.
I never made it to the last episode. They lost me at the introduction of the chimp with the big papier mache cranium.
The series needed him as a heel.
................................
Dr. Smith did seem a little light in the loafers.
Dr Smith Died in 2002, married to his wife Gertrude since 1938. One son. Child of Jewish immigrants. He had a degree in Pharmacy.
Now, I have Fish Heads playing in my head.
Roly pollie fish heads?
Now we need the Robot saying: 'Danger, Americans! Marxism running Wild!! Danger!!!'
That was the plan.
The tv ethics rules for what you could do/show back then did factor in to the stories they could make. Language, realistic injuries, serious subjects, adult situations. Lots of stuff off limits when this show was being made.
I seriously doubt if there ever was an actor who didn’t want to be in a Western.
ELO - Wild West Hero
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8Qn7xOG8nk
Eat them up, yum!
Thank you, Dr. Demento.
Harris and Don Adams were both on the short lived Bill Dana Show while he did his Jose Jimenez schtick. The show got cancelled and one of them immediately took on Dr. Smith and the other became Maxwell Smart.
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