| Resting place Hawaii Role Actor Occupation Actor Parents John Merton | Years active 1940-1973 Siblings Bob LaVarre Name Lane Bradford | |
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| Full Name John Myrtland Le Varre Jr. Born August 29, 1922 (1922-08-29) Yonkers, New York, U.S. Died June 7, 1973, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Spouse Joan Irene Velin (m. 1952–1965), Mary Catherine Schrock Bradford (m. ?–1973) Movies Zombies of the Stratosphere, Don Daredevil Rides Ag, The Invisible Monster, Man with the Steel Whip, The Slender Thread Similar People John Merton, Lewis D Collins, Ray Taylor, William Witney, Lesley Selander | ||
Pak T-20 Champ. Oaklane Bradford 4.mp4
Lane Bradford (August 29, 1922 – June 6, 1973) was an American actor, who appeared in over 250 films and television series between 1940 and 1973, specializing in supporting "tough-guy" roles predominantly in Westerns but also in more contemporary crime dramas such as Dragnet, The Fugitive, and Hawaii Five-O.
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Early life
Lane Bradford, whose birthname was John Myrtland Le Varre, Jr., was born in 1922 in Yonkers, New York, the son of American actor John Merton. Merton himself also had an extensive acting career between 1927 and 1959, performing almost exclusively in films, although he appeared as well in some early television series. Bradford was also the brother of actor Robert Lavarre.
Career
Bradford appeared in many television series and "B" western movies. On stage, he co-starred in Desperadoes' Outpost (1952), The Great Sioux Uprising (1953), and Apache Warrior (1957).
In the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, Bradford guest-starred on nearly all of the Western series broadcast on American television during that period. He was cast on the ABC/Warner Brothers series, Colt .45 as Pete Jesup in the 1959 episode "The Devil's Godson". He also appeared on Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger (fifteen times), Buffalo Bill Jr. (six times), Laredo (five times), The Cisco Kid, Tales of the Texas Rangers (twice), Jefferson Drum, Johnny Ringo, Maverick, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (five times), Lassie (TV series) (1965), The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (six times), Cheyenne (seven times), Wagon Train (eight times), The High Chaparral (twice), The Restless Gun (four times), Bonanza (fourteen times), Gunsmoke (thirteen times), The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, Storefront Lawyers, and Ripcord.
Bradford guest-starred on the religion anthology series Crossroads. He made two appearances on CBS's Perry Mason, including the role of Detective Arnold Buck in the 1962 episode "The Case of the Absent Artist."
His last television appearance was in 1973 on an episode of the CBS private-detective series Cannon, with William Conrad. The episode, titled "Press Pass to the Slammer", aired that year on March 13, just three months before Bradford's death.
Death
In early June 1973, Bradford suddenly collapsed while boating in Hawaii. Rushed to Kaiser Memorial Hospital in Honolulu, the 50-year-old actor died at that facility four days later of a cerebral hemorrhage. Although most biographical profiles of Bradford cite his death date as June 7, 1973, that date is actually incorrect. His official death certificate, which was issued by Kaiser Memorial Hospital, documents that he died on June 6, 1973. In accordance with Bradford's wishes, the Oahu Cemetery Association administered the cremation of his remains.