Then between 1967 and 1969, Betz played defense attorney Clinton Judd in ABC's courtroom drama Judd, for the Defense, winning an Emmy Award in 1969 for his work on that series. He won an Emmy for his role in the CBS‐TV series, “Judd for the Defense,” which was on the air from 1967 through 1969. He often played in small theaters after working a 10‐hour day on television series. In June 1952 he married actress Lois Harmon with whom he had a son, Richard. Started the mattress on fire and killed him. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1921, Betz was the oldest of four children—two sons and two daughters—of Carl W. and Mary Leona Betz. Following graduation, he worked as a radio announcer. On this day in 1978, actor Carl Betz, who played the husband/father on TV s Donna Reed Show, lost his battle with lung cancer at age 56. He died seven weeks later, on January 18, 1978. [12], In 1977, Betz was diagnosed with terminal and inoperable lung cancer. [13] His remains were cremated. In June 1952 he married actress Lois Harmon with whom he had a son, Richard. [citation needed], After the war, Betz returned to Carnegie Tech and earned a degree in drama. Antoine Betz, a marine biologist, and Gerri Betz, the president of a real estate and land development company, resided here with two of their six children. ", Episode: "The Case of the Spurious Spouse", This page was last edited on 22 December 2020, at 04:25. Tucker writes that women's lib supporters of the 1970s targeted the Donna Stone character as an unrealistic portrait of a modern woman and a stereotype of the impossibly perfect wife and mother. In 1977, Betz was diagnosed with terminal and inoperable lung cancer. Los Angeles, California, USA; Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. He would leave New York frequently to perform in summer and winter stock companies in the East and South. He kept his diagnosis private so he could keep working. Lebanon High School in 1939, he won a scholarship to Duquesne University. [9] He also made many guest appearances on a variety of popular television shows such as Mission: Impossible, The Mod Squad, Love, American Style, and Starsky & Hutch. [1][2], Growing up in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Crafton and Mt. High-priced Houston lawyer Clinton Judd, and his assistant Ben Caldwell, take cases throughout the U.S. Slithered and slunk, from: How The Grinch Stole Christmas! After World War II, he returned to Pittsburgh and, following graduation from Carnegie Institute, worked as radio announcer and disk jockey before moving to New York. By eliminating haircuts we managed to keep ourselves in shaving cream, clean shirts and beer.”. The actor then made seven movies, six of them in 1953: “The President's Lady,” “Powder River,” “Inferno,” “Vickie,” “Dangerous Crossing” and “City of Bad Men.” The seventh, made in 1966, was “Spinout.”, Moving to television, he played in both nighttime and daytime shows. He died seven weeks later, on January 18, 1978 and was cremated. Victoria Ruvolo, whose face was shattered when a teenager tossed a 20-pound frozen turkey through the windshield of her car in 2004 but who then insisted on mercy in his sentencing, died … After The Donna Reed Show was cancelled, Betz returned to television roles and stage work. Jeff Stone introduced the sentimental hit song "My Dad" in a 1962 episode, specifically singing the tune to Betz. He was 56 years old at the time of his death. In December 1963, Betz married Gloria Stone Martin, sister of actress Nita Talbot. He and Gloria remained together for 15 years, until Carl's death. [7] The series, which premiered on ABC in September 1967, was praised by critics but struggled in the ratings. She did express interest in a television reunion for the Stone family at one point, but the concept was discarded after Carl Betz's death in 1978. Betz continued working in summer and winter stock companies and also worked for a while as a doorman at Radio City Music Hall.[5]. Carl Lawrence Betz (March 9, 1921 – January 18, 1978) was an American stage, film and television actor.. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Betz participated in childhood theatricals and later worked in summer stock.He graduated from Mt. Following graduation, he worked as a radio announcer. His second wife Gloria was sister to actress Nita Talbot. 19212, ; Maintained by Find A Grave Cremated, Location of ashes is unknown. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. He had a son named Richard with his first wife Lois Harmon. She is best known for playing Mary in It’s a Wonderful Life. Carl died on September 21, and the news of his passing was confirmed via an Instagram post from La Cubana, the restaurant he had opened in New York City just a few months earlier. He appeared in “Playhouse 90,” the “Alcoa Hour,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “The Millionaire,” “Gunsmoke,” and “Love of Life.”. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. In recent years, he appeared in gueststar shots on such television shows as “Starsky and Hutch.” Recently, he toured the East with a one‐man play about General Douglas MacArthur, “I Shall Return.” His last stage appearance was another one‐man show, “In My Time,” an anthology of 20th‐century prose and poetry. [5] Shortly after ABC canceled the series in 1969, Betz won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series for his work on the series. Other films included From Here to Eternity, The Far Horizons, and The Benny Goodman Story. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for Carl Betz (9 Mar 1921–18 Jan 1978), Find a Grave Memorial no. There was a slight nod to 'The Donna Reed Show' when former sitcom dad Carl Betz guest starred. After graduation, he worked as a radio announcer and disk jockey before moving to New York City. Carl Betz, the stage, film and television actor who was best known for his portrayal of the father in television's “The Donna Reed Show” and as the lawyer in “Judd for the Defense,” died … One of his last roles was as General Douglas MacArthur in the one-man stage play I Shall Return. — Hal Erickson, Rovi The show revolves around the home and school problems of a middle-class American family in the late 1950s and early 1960s. 141546485, citing Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery, McMurray, Washington County, Pennsylvania, USA ; … Betz finally received above-the-title billing in the weekly courtroom series Judd for the Defense (1967-1969), for which he won an Emmy.