Ray Middleton

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Ray Middleton
Born	February 8, 1907(1907-02-08) Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died	April 10, 1984 (aged 77) Panorama City, California, United States

Raymond Earl Middleton, Jr. (February 8, 1907 – April 10, 1984) , known and billed as Ray Middleton, was an American character actor.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Middleton was the first actor to play Superman in public, which he did at the 1939 World's Fair. During the early 1940s, he appeared in the movies Gangs of Chicago, the original Hurricane Smith (playing the title role), and Lady for a Night, which starred Joan Blondell and John Wayne. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, appearing in the Air Forces show Winged Victory. In 1946, he co-starred with Ethel Merman in the original Broadway production of Annie Get Your Gun.

In television, Middleton's appearances included The Ed Sullivan Show (once as a guest host), the Colgate Comedy Hour, and Chrysler's Shower of Stars in the 1950s. He co-starred with Phil Silvers and Lee Remick in a 1967 TV adaptation of Damn Yankees!.

During the 1970s, Middleton appeared in the TV movie Hec Ramsey as a judge, in the musical movie 1776, as Colonel Thomas McKean, and in the first TV adaptation of Helter Skelter as rancher George Spahn. He also voiced the character Pepperino in the cartoon Tubby the Tuba.

Middleton's last appearances were as Cardinal Reardon in an episode of M*A*S*H ("Blood Brothers", featuring Patrick Swayze), and as grandfather Huey Rush in the comedy Too Close for Comfort.

Middleton died in Panorama City, California at the age of 77.

[edit] External links

• Ray Middleton at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
NAME	Middleton, Ray
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Actor
DATE OF BIRTH	1907-2-8
PLACE OF BIRTH	Chicago, Illinois, United States
DATE OF DEATH	1984-4-10
PLACE OF DEATH	Panorama City, California, United States