Don Porter
Acting
1912-09-24 · Miami, Oklahoma, USA
Donald "Don" Porter (September 24, 1912 –February 11, 1997) was an American actor who appeared in a number of films since 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.
Filmography
Matlock
1986 · Series
Hotel
1982 · Series
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall
1980 · Movie
The Last Song
1980 · Movie
The Murder That Wouldn't Die
1980 · Movie
Interview with Pontius Pilate
1980 · Movie
Tropic of Desire
1979 · Movie
Vega$
1978 · Series
The Paper Chase
1978 · Series
Dallas
1978 · Series
The President's Mistress
1978 · Movie
Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A.
1977 · Movie
The Love Boat
1977 · Series
Three's Company
1977 · Series
City of Angels
1976 · Series
The Bionic Woman
1976 · Series
Ellery Queen
1975 · Series
Switch
1975 · Series
A Woman for All Men
1975 · Movie
White Line Fever
1975 · Movie
Last Hours Before Morning
1975 · Movie
The Legend of Lizzie Borden
1975 · Movie
Archer
1975 · Series
Happy Anniversary and Goodbye
1974 · Movie
Murder or Mercy
1974 · Movie
Mame
1974 · Movie
The Morning After
1974 · Movie
The Six Million Dollar Man
1974 · Series
40 Carats
1973 · Movie
The Norliss Tapes
1973 · Movie
Barnaby Jones
1973 · Series
The Rookies
1972 · Series
The Candidate
1972 · Movie
Love, American Style
1969 · Series
Live a Little, Love a Little
1968 · Movie
The Mod Squad
1968 · Series
Here's Lucy
1968 · Series
Hawaii Five-O
1968 · Series
Judd, for the Defense
1967 · Series
The F.B.I.
1965 · Series
Green Acres
1965 · Series
Gidget
1965 · Series
Youngblood Hawke
1964 · Movie
Gidget Goes to Rome
1963 · Movie
Vacation Playhouse
1963 · Series
Bachelor in Paradise
1961 · Movie
Desk Set
1957 · Movie
Our Miss Brooks
1956 · Movie
Private Secretary
1953 · Series
Because You're Mine
1952 · Movie
The Savage
1952 · Movie
The Turning Point
1952 · Movie
Cripple Creek
1952 · Movie
The Fallbrook Story
1952 · Movie
The Racket
1951 · Movie
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
1950 · Movie
711 Ocean Drive
1950 · Movie
My Friend Irma Goes West
1950 · Movie
Buck Privates Come Home
1947 · Movie
Wild Beauty
1946 · Movie
Danger Woman
1946 · Movie
Cuban Pete
1946 · Movie
She-Wolf of London
1946 · Movie
Resisting Enemy Interrogation
1944 · Movie
How to Fly the B-26 Airplane
1944 · Movie
Keep 'Em Slugging
1943 · Movie
Reconnaissance Pilot
1943 · Movie
Madame Spy
1942 · Movie
Who Done It?
1942 · Movie
Night Monster
1942 · Movie
Eyes of the Underworld
1942 · Movie
Eagle Squadron
1942 · Movie
Top Sergeant
1942 · Movie
Mystery of the White Room
1939 · Movie