William Talman (actor)
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| William Talman | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 4, 1915 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | August 30, 1968 (aged 53) Encino, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Film, television actor |
 |
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William Whitney Talman Jr. (February 4, 1915 – August 30, 1968) was an American television and movie actor most notably remembered as the Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger in the long-running series Perry Mason.
Talman was born in Detroit, Michigan to Ada Barber and William Whitney Talman, a vice president of an electronics company. His maternal grandparents, Catherine Gandy and James Wells Barber, were immigrants from England.[1]
Aside from his role in Perry Mason, he guest-starred in television series. He appeared in a first season episode of The Invaders, Quantity: Unknown. This would be his last on-screen acting role.[2]
Originally Talman auditioned for the title role of Perry Mason and Raymond Burr for Hamilton Burger. However, Perry Mason creator and author Erle Stanley Gardner was present and demanded the actors switch parts. Burr was then given the title role and Talman the role of Burger.
William Talman was actually fired from Perry Mason for a short period. For some unknown reason a party he'd been a guest at had been raided by Hollywood police. Even though Talman was not charged with anything, he was fired because of a so-called violation of a "morals" clause in his contract—producers were afraid this incident would damage the show's image. However, Raymond Burr and the rest of the cast demanded the network rehire Talman, which they ultimately did. But the incident somewhat damaged Talman's career—other than Perry Mason he worked very infrequently as an actor from then on.
[edit] Anti-smoking advocacy and death
Talman is also known for being the first actor in Hollywood to film an anti-smoking commercial for the American Cancer Society. A lifelong heavy smoker, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and knew he was dying when he filmed the commercial. The short film began with the words, "Before I die I want to do what I can to leave a world free of cancer for my six children ... ". Talman requested that the commercial not be aired until after his death.
He had made another such commercial, which opened with his voice-over and a picture of his home, followed by filmed shots of his wife and kids, then himself "With a friend you might recognize," Raymond Burr. He then said, "You know, I didn't mind losing those courtroom battles, but I'm in a battle now I don't want to lose at all. Because if I lose it it means losing my wife and those kids you just saw. I've got lung cancer...If you don't smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, quit! Don't be a loser." This classic ad is available on the Internet.[3]
Four weeks after filming the second ad, Talman succumbed to lung cancer on August 30, 1968 at the age of 53. He was interred in Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.
