Brian Keith

Brian Keith Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: November 14, 1921

Death Date: June 24, 1997

Birth Place: Bayonne, New Jersey

Spouses: Frances Helm

Parents: Robert Keith

A handsome, burly character actor with a distinctive, gruff voice, Brian Keith established a reputation early in his career with tough guy roles. He was so effective at playing various shady types in Westerns and crime thrillers, it was to his credit as a performer that he was also able to portray characters of warmth and humor with equal aplomb.

After some stage work, Keith earned secondary assignments in genre pictures as either he-men or villains, but leading roles would come mostly later in his career when he was hired by the Walt Disney Company. After the huge success of "The Parent Trap" (1961) helped to give him a softer image, Keith was cast on "Family Affair" (CBS, 1966-71) as a bachelor forced by circumstance to take care of a teenager and a pair of young children.

While it generally did not offer him many challenges, Keith projected warmth and approachability on the series and "Uncle Bill" was one of his best loved characters. The actor claimed that he did not have any particular goal in mind for his career and accepted what was available to him. Nonetheless, Keith was offered a good variety of parts over his career and made an impression whether he was playing a loving parental figure or essaying colorful characters in fare like "The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!" (1966) and "The Wind and the Lion" (1975).

Brian Keith was born Robert Alba Keith on Nov. 14, 1921 in Bayonne, NJ to parents well acquainted with the entertainment industry. Father Robert Keith was a veteran character actor recognizable from films like "The Wild One" (1954) and "Written on the Wind" (1956), while his mother, Helena Shipman, was a veteran of the stage who also worked on radio.

After his parents divorced, Keith was raised primarily by Shipman and decided to continue the family tradition. However, his plans were put on hold by military service during World War II. Following his stint as an aerial gunner in the Marine Corps, Keith set about establishing himself as an actor. He had already appeared onscreen as a toddler in a handful of silent films during the 1920s and went on to small, unbilled parts in some late 1940s and early 1950s features.

Most of his initial postwar credits, however, came via guest appearances on television programs like "Suspense" (CBS, 1949-1954) and "Tales of Tomorrow" (ABC, 1951-53). He made his stage debut in "Heyday" (1946) and gained additional exposure on Broadway as a cast member of the comedy smash "Mister Roberts" (1948-51), which featured his father among the lead players. He also had roles in the much shorter-lived Broadway productions of "Darkness at Noon" (1951) and "Out West of Eighth" (1951).

Keith finally landed a sizeable movie gig in the Charlton Heston Western "Arrowhead" (1953), which began a run for him in various action-adventures as well as film noir thrillers like "5 Against the House" (1955) and the cult favorite "Nightfall" (1957). His rugged demeanor and ability to project menace made Keith an ideal choice for villains, but he also won the opportunity to play a hero on his own TV series.

"Crusader" (CBS, 1955-56) cast Keith as a freelance journalist who helped those in need, particularly anyone wishing to flee from Communist countries. Now forgotten, the half-hour series lasted just over a year. In 1960, Keith starred in "Ten Who Dared" (1960), his first role in a Walt Disney production. While the picture was not one of the company's better offerings, Keith's performance was well received and he starred in a handful of subsequent Disney productions, including their big Hayley Mills hit, "The Parent Trap" (1961).

The Disney work also provided him with the image change necessary to be cast on the sitcom "Family Affair" (CBS, 1966-1971), which bore more than a passing resemblance to "The Parent Trap." Keith played Bill Davis, a well-off New York City bachelor raising his late brother's three children, aided by a staunch English butler. Both men take some time to get used to their new responsibilities, but aside from weekly conflicts easily resolved within each half-hour episode, everyone gets along. Keith's Uncle Bill entered the pantheon of great TV dads and it ended up being one of his signature parts.

The program's shooting arrangement allowed Keith to get all of his scenes for the season done in only two months, making him available for movie roles and extended vacations during the remainder of the year. While not as well remembered as similar programs like "The Brady Bunch" (ABC, 1969-1974), "Family Affair" was a fairly big success in its time and enjoyed a second life in syndication throughout the 1970s. The assignment provided Keith with three Emmy nominations and many chances to display humor and charm, which he did consistently even though the material was formulaic. During his time off from the show, Keith continued to work on the big screen in fare like the Steve McQueen Western "Nevada Smith" (1966), John Huston's offbeat drama "Reflections in a Golden Eye" (1967), and the comedies "The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!" (1966), "With Six You Get Eggroll" (1968), and "Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?" (1970).

He was a standout in one of his best roles as President Teddy Roosevelt in John Milius' adventure epic "The Wind and the Lion" (1975) and impressed as an aging stuntman in the Burt Reynolds hit "Hooper" (1978). Keith also made a final, latter day return to Broadway in "Da" (1978-1980) when original lead Barnard Hughes exited the production.

After "Family Affair" left the air, there were several attempts to launch him in new programs, beginning with the comedy "The Brian Keith Show" (NBC, 1972-74). He took an extended vacation from the big screen when he and Daniel Hugh Kelly assumed the title roles on "Hardcastle and McCormick" (ABC, 1983-86). While not as successful as some other Stephen J. Cannell productions from that time, the action series managed a trio of seasons.

Keith again tried to establish himself in a sitcom, but "Pursuit of Happiness" (ABC, 1987), "Heartland" (CBS, 1989), and "Walter & Emily" (NBC, 1991-92) were all gone before airing even a dozen episodes. Aside from supporting parts in a handful of theatrical features like "Death Before Dishonor" (1987) and "Young Guns" (1988), Keith mostly did television guest spots from that point onward, as well as some voice work on animated programs like "Spider-Man" (Fox, 1994-98).

After having previously played Roosevelt, Keith reunited with Milius for the cable feature "Rough Riders" (TNT, 1997), in which he played a second president, William McKinley. Alas, tragedy followed not long after that picture wrapped when Keith's daughter, Daisy, committed suicide at a young age in the spring of 1997. That heartbreak, coupled with his deteriorating health - emphysema and lung cancer, brought about by years of heavy smoking - prompted Keith to fatally shoot himself on June 24, 1997.

The actor's final film, the comedy "Follow Your Heart" (1999), went direct-to-video well after his death. In recognition of his television career, Keith was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008.

By John Charles

Credits

Zoo Gang

Actor
Show
2007

Follow Your Heart

Actor
Roddy Thompson
Movie
1998

Rough Riders

Actor
Show
1997

Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story

Actor
Cardinal
Movie
1996

Picture Windows

Actor
Show
1995

The Monroes

Guest Star
Show
1995

The Marshal

Guest Star
Series
1995

CybillStream

Guest Star
Series
1995

The Return of Hunter: Everyone Walks in L.A.

Actor
Pete Morgan
Movie
1995

Wind Dancer

Actor
Truman Richards
Movie
1995

National Lampoon's Favorite Deadly Sins

Actor
'Noble Hart' / Himself
Movie
1995

Touched by an AngelStream

Guest Star
Series
1994

Burke's Law

Guest Star
Norman Hope
Show
1994

The Secrets of Lake Success

Actor
Show
1993

Walker, Texas RangerStream

Guest Star
Series
1993

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStream

Guest Star
Mullibok
Series
1993
91%

The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the DrawStream

Actor
Miniseries
1991

The CommishStream

Guest Star
Phil "Iceman" Greene/Lou Parslow
Series
1991

Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson

Actor
Frank Wellman Sr.
Movie
1989

Welcome Home

Actor
Harry Robins
Movie
1989

Lady in a Corner

Actor
David Henderson
Movie
1989

Young GunsStream

Actor
Buckshot Roberts
Movie
1988
41%

Pursuit of Happiness

Actor
Prof. Roland G. Duncan
Show
1987

Death Before Dishonor

Actor
Col. Halloran
Movie
1987

The Alamo: 13 Days to GloryStream

Actor
Col. Davy Crockett
Movie
1987

The B.R.A.T. Patrol

Actor
Gen. Newmeyer
Movie
1986

Vengeance sans compromis

Actor
Movie
1986

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Caleb McCallum
Series
1984

Hardcastle and McCormickStream

Actor
Judge Milton "Hardcase" Hardcastle
Series
1983

Hardcastle & McCormick

Actor
Judge Milton C. Hardcastle
Movie
1983

Cry for the Strangers

Actor
Chief Whalen
Movie
1982

World War III

Actor
Secretary General Gorny
Movie
1982

Sharky's Machine

Actor
Papa
Movie
1981

Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen

Actor
Police Chief Baxter
Movie
1981

The Mountain Men

Actor
Henry Frapp
Movie
1980

The Silent Lovers

Actor
Mauritz Stiller
Movie
1980

Power

Actor
Charles Kandell
Movie
1980

MeteorStream

Actor
Dr. Dubov
Movie
1979
5%

The Seekers

Actor
Elijah Weatherby
Movie
1979

CentennialStream

Actor
Sheriff Axel Dumire
Miniseries
1978

Hooper

Actor
Jocko
Movie
1978

How the West Was WonStream

Guest Star
Series
1977

In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan

Actor
Joe Quinlan
Movie
1977

The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer

Actor
Defense Attorney
Movie
1977

NickelodeonStream

Actor
H.H. Cobb
Movie
1976
7%

Joe Panther

Actor
Capt. Harper
Movie
1976

The Quest: The Longest DriveStream

Actor
Tank Logan
Movie
1976

The Loneliest Runner

Actor
Arnold Curtis
Movie
1976

Archer

Actor
Lew Archer
Show
1975

The Yakuza

Actor
George Tanner
Movie
1975

The Wind and the Lion

Actor
Theodore Roosevelt
Movie
1975

Second Chance

Actor
Geoff Smith
Movie
1972

The Bull of the West

Actor
Johnny Wade
Movie
1972

Scandalous John

Actor
John McCanless
Movie
1971

Something Big

Actor
Col. Morgan
Movie
1971

Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?

Actor
Officer Michael M. Nace
Movie
1970

The McKenzie Break

Actor
Capt. Jack Connor
Movie
1970

Gaily, Gaily

Actor
Sullivan
Movie
1969

Krakatoa, East of Java

Actor
Harry Connerly
Movie
1969

Sześcioro to już tłum

Actor
Movie
1968

With Six You Get EggrollStream

Actor
Jake Iverson
Movie
1968

Reflections in a Golden EyeStream

Actor
Lt. Col. Morris Langdon
Movie
1967
55%

Family AffairStream

Actor
Bill Davis
Series
1966

Way... Way Out

Actor
Gen. "Howling Bull" Hallenby
Movie
1966

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are ComingStream

Actor
Police Chief Link Mattocks
Movie
1966
86%

The Rare BreedStream

Actor
Alexander Bowen
Movie
1966
29%

Tenderfoot

Actor
Mose Carson
Movie
1966

Nevada Smith

Actor
Jonas Cord
Movie
1966

The Hallelujah TrailStream

Actor
Frank Wallingham
Movie
1965
33%

The Pleasure Seekers

Actor
Paul Barton
Movie
1964

Bristle Face

Actor
Lue Swank
Movie
1964

The Raiders

Actor
John G. McElroy/Narrator
Movie
1964

Those Calloways

Actor
Cam Calloway
Movie
1964

A Tiger Walks

Actor
Sheriff Pete Williams
Movie
1964

Jacky et Poil dur

Actor
Movie
1964

The FugitiveStream

Guest Star
Edward Welles
Series
1963

Savage Sam

Actor
Uncle Beck Coates
Movie
1963

Johnny Shiloh

Actor
Sergeant Gabe Trotter
Movie
1963

Alfred Hitchcock HourStream

Actor
Series
1962

The VirginianStream

Guest Star
Johnny Wade
Series
1962

The Deadly CompanionsStream

Actor
Yellowleg
Movie
1962
86%

Moon Pilot

Actor
Maj. Gen. John M. Vanneman
Movie
1962

Target: The Corruptors

Guest Star
Show
1961

Dr. Kildare

Guest Star
Series
1961

The Parent TrapStream

Actor
Mitch Evers
Movie
1961
90%

The WesternerStream

Actor
Series
1960

Ten Who Dared

Actor
William "Bill" Dunn
Movie
1960

The Untouchables

Guest Star
Series
1959

LaramieStream

Guest Star
Whit Malone
Series
1959

RawhideStream

Guest Star
Series
1959

The Young PhiladelphiansStream

Actor
Mike Flanagan
Movie
1959
71%

77 Sunset Strip

Guest Star
Sgt. Patrick Cohan
Series
1958

Fort DobbsStream

Actor
Clett
Movie
1958

Villa

Actor
Bill Harmon
Movie
1958

Violent Road

Actor
Mitch Barton
Movie
1958

Sierra Baron

Actor
Jack McCracken
Movie
1958

Appointment With a Shadow

Actor
Lt. Spencer
Movie
1958

Desert Hell

Actor
Capt. Robert Edwards
Movie
1958

Wagon TrainStream

Guest Star
Series
1957

Run of the ArrowStream

Actor
Capt. Clark
Movie
1957

Dino

Actor
Larry Sheridan
Movie
1957

Chicago Confidential

Actor
Dist. Atty. Jim Fremont
Movie
1957

Hell Canyon Outlaws

Actor
Movie
1957

Zane Grey Theater

Actor
Series
1956

Storm Center

Actor
Paul Duncan
Movie
1956

Nightfall

Actor
John
Movie
1956

Alfred Hitchcock PresentsStream

Actor
Herbert Morrison
Series
1955

The Violent MenStream

Actor
Cole Wilkison
Movie
1955

Tight SpotStream

Actor
Vince Striker
Movie
1955
67%

5 Against the House

Actor
Brick
Movie
1955

The Bamboo Prison

Actor
Cpl. Brady
Movie
1955

Climax!

Actor
Series
1954

The Elgin Hour

Actor
Show
1954

Studio 57

Actor
Show
1954

Alaska Seas

Actor
Jim Kimmerly
Movie
1954

Jivaro

Actor
Tony
Movie
1954

The United States Steel Hour

Actor
Bonnell
Show
1953

ArrowheadStream

Actor
Capt. Bill North
Movie
1953

Showcase 39

Actor
Show
1952

Tales of TomorrowStream

Actor
Series
1951

Fourteen Hours

Actor
Extra (uncredited)
Movie
1951
63%

SuspenseStream

Actor
Series
1949