Dolph Sweet
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Dolph Sweet (July 18, 1920 - May 8, 1985) was born in New York, New York and was credited with nearly 60 television and film roles as well as several roles in stage productions before his death from cancer in 1985.
Born Adolphus Jean Sweet, his father was an auto mechanic and his first ambition was playing football. In 1939 he attended the University of Alabama; however, he was called away from his education for a tour of duty in World War II with the US Army Air Force. In World War II he was shot down over Germany and spent two years as a POW.
After the war, he played semi-pro football and boxed as he worked on a masters degree from Columbia University. He went on to head up the drama department at Barnard College. Shortly after, he made his Broadway debut in Rhinoceros which starred Zero Mostel.
His first major film role was in the motion picture The Young Doctors in 1961. He went on to make numerous guest appearances in films and on television through the 1960s, including roles on The Defenders, The Edge of Night and Dark Shadows. In his personal life he had now married and had a son. This marriage would end in divorce before the mid-1970's and he would remarry once more before his passing.
Through the 1970s, he saw a large increase in the demand for his services, landing roles in films such as Colossus: The Forbin Project, The Out-of-Towners, The Lords of Flatbush, The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training and Heaven Can Wait. In addition to film roles, he also had guest starring roles on Little House on the Prairie and Mrs. Columbo.
He was well known for his role as Gil McGowan on the soap opera Another World (1972-1977).
In the 1980's, Sweet kept on working at a very steady pace landing roles in such films as Reds and had more guest slots on popular programs of the time such as Hill Street Blues and Hart to Hart. But it was his role as Carl Kanisky on the sitcom Gimme a Break! that many remember him for. While filming the series, he died of cancer at the age of 64.
