Lyle Bettger
Highest Rated: 100% All I Desire (1953)
Lowest Rated: 50% The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
Birthday: Feb 13, 1915
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Being the son of a baseball star (St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Frank Bettger) didn't curb Lyle Bettger's acting ambitions for a moment. He had his eyes on the entertainment industry from a young age, shining in the Dramatics Club at the Haverford School, an esteemed prep school for boys in Pennsylvania. He attended college for a few years, but left to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. After graduating in 1937, Bettger took stage roles with touring companies and local theater groups for what he called "10 indifferent years in the theater." The film production company Paramount stepped up with a three-year contract just as he was considering throwing in the towel. After he spent a decade appearing in mostly comedies, Paramount made the seemingly odd decision to place him in the role of a villain opposite Barbara Stanwyck in "No Man of Her Own," a dark drama about intimidation and betrayal. From this point on, Bettger was rarely granted the opportunity to play anything but cruel and intimidating characters. Off camera, however, he was quite affable, well-liked among his colleagues, and relished every moment with his longtime wife and three children.
Photos
Lyle Bettger
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
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No Score Yet |
|
Impasse | Hansen (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet |
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Return of the Gunfighter | Clay Sutton (Character) | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet |
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The Fastest Guitar Alive | Charlie (Character) | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet |
|
Johnny Reno | Mayor Jess Yates (Character) | - | 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Town Tamer | Lee Ring (Character) | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet |
|
Guns of the Timberland | Clay Bell (Character) | - | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gunfight at Sandoval | Unknown (Character) | - | 1959 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | End of a Gun | Marshal Mark Strett (Character) | - | 1957 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Showdown at Abilene | Dave Mosely (Character) | - | 1956 |
90% |
|
The Lone Ranger | Reece Kilgore (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet |
|
Destry | Phil Decker (Character) | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Sea Chase | Chief Officer Kirchner (Character) | - | 1955 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Drums Across the River | Frank Walker (Character) | - | 1954 |
No Score Yet |
|
Carnival Story | Frank Colloni (Character) | - | 1954 |
100% |
|
All I Desire | Dutch Heinemann (Character) | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Great Sioux Uprising | Stephen Cook (Character) | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Vanquished | Roger Hale (Character) | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Forbidden | Justin Keit (Character) | - | 1953 |
50% |
|
The Greatest Show on Earth | Klaus (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hurricane Smith | Clobb (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet |
|
Denver & Rio Grande | Johnny Buff (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dear Brat | Mr. Baxter (Character) | - | 1951 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The First Legion | Dr. Peter Morrell (Character) | - | 1951 |
No Score Yet |
|
Union Station | Joe Beacom (Character) | - | 1950 |
No Score Yet |
|
No Man of Her Own | Steve Morley (Character) | - | 1950 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Barnaby Jones | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Police Story | Commander Tully (Character) | 1973 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mannix | Julian Mallory (Guest Star) | 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cimarron Strip | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bonanza | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1962 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Man Called Shenandoah | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mr. Novak | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Combat! | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gunsmoke | Ed Polk (Guest Star) | 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rawhide | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961 1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Grindl | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Laramie | John McCambridge (Guest Star) | 1959 1961-1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Rifleman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1959 1962 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tales of Wells Fargo | LaPorte (Guest Star) | 1957-1958 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Tall Man | Vince Ober (Guest Star) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Law and Mr. Jones | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Deputy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Law of the Plainsman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1959 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Zane Grey Theatre | Unknown (Character) | 1958-1959 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Wagon Train | Joe Trumbell (Guest Star) | 1958 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Showcase 39 | Unknown (Character) | 1957 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The 20th Century-Fox Hour | Unknown (Character) | 1957 |