Tyler McVey

Early years

(William) Tyler McVey was born February 14, 1912, in Bay City, Michigan, to William David McVey and his wife Jessie Arvilla Tyler. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was one year old and his father allowed his maternal grandparents to raise him. He gained early acting experience in amateur productions in his hometown.

Career

His first screen role, uncredited, came at the age of 39 in 1951, when he portrayed Brady in The Day the Earth Stood Still. He was uncredited in two 1953 military films, From Here to Eternity as Major Stern and in Mission over Korea as Colonel Colton.

He made one of his first television appearances in a 1953 episode of Four Star Playhouse. During the 1950s, McVey guest starred in episodes of The Restless Gun, Dragnet, The Lone Ranger, I Love Lucy, Tales of Wells Fargo, Sheriff of Cochise, Colt .45 (as Col. Ben Williams in the 1960 episode "Absent Without Leave"), Bourbon Street Beat, Hallmark Hall of Fame, My Friend Flicka, Highway Patrol, It's a Great Life, Annie Oakley, and The Man and the Challenge. From 1953 to 1956, he guest starred on the CBS educational series You Are There, narrated by Walter Cronkite.

From 1959 to 1960, McVey portrayed Major General Norgath in the CBS series Men into Space. In 1964, McVey was cast as General Hardesty in the political thriller film Seven Days in May. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, McVey continued guest starring in episodic television, including roles on National Velvet, My Three Sons, The Rebel, The Everglades, Bat Masterson, Death Valley Days, Checkmate, Redigo, Ripcord, The Wild, Wild West, The F.B.I., Bonanza, Ironside, Ellery Queen, and Eight Is Enough. His last roles were in 1985 and 1986 as different ministers in two episodes of Highway to Heaven.

McVey also acted on radio programs, including Gene Autry's Melody Ranch, Glamour Manor, and One Man's Family.

Other professional activities

In the 1960s, McVey was president of the Los Angeles, California, local of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, later served as national President. He was a founding member of the AFTRA/SAG Credit Union.

Personal life and death

McVey was married three times; he first married Lorraine Budge in 1937. After their divorce, he married Rita Ann Stickelmaier in 1950 before divorcing in 1970. McVey married Esther Geddes the following year. On July 4, 2003, McVey died of leukemia in Rancho Mirage, California.