Don Porter

Don Porter

b. 1912 — d. 1997 (aged 85) Miami, Oklahoma, USA
Actor Director

Donald "Don" Porter was an American actor who appeared in a number of films in the 1940s, including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron. On television, he portrayed the widowed father of 15-year-old Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field) in the 1965 ABC sitcom Gidget. Besides his work in film and television, Porter was active on stage, as he acted in more than 200 plays, including The Front Page, Plaza Suite, and Any Wednesday. He appeared in various films in the 1940s before landing the role of Peter Sands, the boss of Susan Camille MacNamara (Ann Sothern), on the 1950s sitcom Private Secretary. A retooled version of the series appeared later, titled The Ann Sothern Show. It featured many of the same actors, including Porter as hotel manager James Devery in the venue of a fashionable New York City hotel. He later guest starred on episodes of Green Acres, Love, American Style, The Mod Squad, Barnaby Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O, Three's Company (on which he played Jack Tripper's uncle), and Switch.

Known For

Filmography

Butterflies in Heat
🎞️
★ 4.0
Butterflies in Heat
1986 Actor
Commodore Phillips
All Together Now
🎞️
★ 4.9
All Together Now
1984 Actor
Grandpa Ed Parker
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall
🎞️
★ 5.6
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall
1980 Actor
Judge Oliver Haynes
The Last Song
🎞️
★ 6.1
The Last Song
1980 Actor
Philip Brockhurst
🎬
🎞️
Interview with Pontius Pilate
1980 Actor
Theodore Michael
The President's Mistress
🎞️
★ 4.8
The President's Mistress
1978 Actor
Craig
🎬
🎞️
★ 6.2
Frankie & Annette: The Second Time Around
1978 Actor
Dean Burroughs
🎬
📺
★ 7.2
What's Up Doc
1978 Actor
Urban Wyatt
Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A.
🎞️
★ 5.9
Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A.
1977 Actor
Caufield
White Line Fever
🎞️
★ 6.1
White Line Fever
1975 Actor
Cutler
The Legend of Lizzie Borden
🎞️
★ 7.4
The Legend of Lizzie Borden
1975 Actor
George Robinson
A Woman for All Men
🎞️
★ 5.1
A Woman for All Men
1975 Actor
Barney
Last Hours Before Morning
🎞️
★ 5.5
Last Hours Before Morning
1975 Actor
Mr. Pace
Mame
🎞️
★ 5.9
Mame
1974 Actor
Mr. Claude Upson
Happy Anniversary and Goodbye
🎞️
★ 5.5
Happy Anniversary and Goodbye
1974 Actor
Ed \Mad Dog\ Murphy
The Morning After
🎞️
★ 7.8
The Morning After
1974 Actor
Rudy King
Murder or Mercy
🎞️
★ 6.5
Murder or Mercy
1974 Actor
Henry Balin
The Norliss Tapes
🎞️
★ 6.2
The Norliss Tapes
1973 Actor
Sanford T. Evans
40 Carats
🎞️
★ 6.4
40 Carats
1973 Actor
Mr. Latham
🎬
🎞️
★ 8.7
The Fuzz Brothers
1973 Actor
Flowers
The Candidate
🎞️
★ 7.0
The Candidate
1972 Actor
Senator Crocker Jarmon
Live a Little, Love a Little
🎞️
★ 5.7
Live a Little, Love a Little
1968 Actor
Mike Lansdown
Gidget
📺
★ 6.9
Gidget
1965 Actor Director
Professor Russell Lawrence
Youngblood Hawke
🎞️
★ 6.1
Youngblood Hawke
1964 Actor
Ferdie Lax
🎬
🎞️
★ 7.5
I Love My Doctor
1962 Actor
Dr. James Barkley
Bachelor in Paradise
🎞️
★ 6.3
Bachelor in Paradise
1961 Actor
Thomas W. Jynson
The Ann Sothern Show
📺
★ 7.8
The Ann Sothern Show
1958 Actor
James Devery
Our Miss Brooks
🎞️
★ 6.5
Our Miss Brooks
1956 Actor
Lawrence Nolan
Private Secretary
📺
★ 7.9
Private Secretary
1953 Actor
Peter Sands
The Turning Point
🎞️
★ 6.8
The Turning Point
1952 Actor
Joe Silbray
The Savage
🎞️
★ 6.0
The Savage
1952 Actor
Running Dog
Cripple Creek
🎞️
★ 5.8
Cripple Creek
1952 Actor
Denver Jones
Because You're Mine
🎞️
★ 5.9
Because You're Mine
1952 Actor
Capt. Burton Nordell Loring
711 Ocean Drive
🎞️
★ 6.8
711 Ocean Drive
1950 Actor
Larry Mason
My Friend Irma Goes West
🎞️
★ 5.9
My Friend Irma Goes West
1950 Actor
Mr. Brent
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
🎞️
★ 6.7
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
1950 Actor
Myron Brynk
Buck Privates Come Home
🎞️
★ 6.8
Buck Privates Come Home
1947 Actor
Captain Christie
She-Wolf of London
🎞️
★ 5.3
She-Wolf of London
1946 Actor
Barry Lanfield
Cuban Pete
🎞️
★ 5.8
Cuban Pete
1946 Actor
Roberts
Danger Woman
🎞️
★ 5.3
Danger Woman
1946 Actor
Prof. Claude Ruppert
Wild Beauty
🎞️
Wild Beauty
1946 Actor
Dr. Dave Morrow
How to Fly the B-26 Airplane
🎞️
★ 5.6
How to Fly the B-26 Airplane
1944 Actor
Captain Dick Blake
Keep 'Em Slugging
🎞️
★ 6.4
Keep 'Em Slugging
1943 Actor
Jerry
Reconnaissance Pilot
🎞️
★ 7.9
Reconnaissance Pilot
1943 Actor
Camera Instructor
Who Done It?
🎞️
★ 7.3
Who Done It?
1942 Actor
Art Fraser
Night Monster
🎞️
★ 6.1
Night Monster
1942 Actor
Dick Baldwin
Eyes of the Underworld
🎞️
★ 6.0
Eyes of the Underworld
1942 Actor
Edward Jason
Madame Spy
🎞️
★ 6.0
Madame Spy
1942 Actor
David Bannister
Keeping Fit
🎞️
★ 6.0
Keeping Fit
1942 Actor
Don - Co-worker
Top Sergeant
🎞️
★ 5.4
Top Sergeant
1942 Actor
Al Bennett