Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Bert Freed (November 3, 1919 — August 2, 1994) was a prolific American character actor, voice over actor, and the first actor to portray "Detective Columbo" on television. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, Freed began acting while attending Penn State University, and made his Broadway debut in 1942. Following World War II Army service in the European Theatre, he appeared in the Broadway musical The Day Before Spring in 1945 and dozens of television shows between 1947 and 1985. His film debut occurred, oddly enough, in a musical Carnegie Hall (1947). A prominent role was as the villainous Ryker in the television series Shane, in which Freed added a unique touch of realism by beginning the show clean-shaven and growing a beard from one week to the next, never shaving again through the season. Freed played Columbo in a live 1960 episode of the "Chevy Mystery Theatre" seven years before Peter Falk played the role. Thomas Mitchell also played the part on stage prior to Falk's version, which is probably where many of the eccentric Columbo traits originated; only a few were visible in Freed's straightforward interpretation, although the c…
Movies & TV Shows
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Paths of Glory (1957) — Sgt. Boulanger
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Knight Rider (1982) — Anthony Solan
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What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) — Ben Golden
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Hang 'em High (1968) — Schmidt
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The Munsters (1964)
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Get Smart (1965) — Badeff
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Mission: Impossible (1966) — Leon Chandler
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Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) — Capt. Harvey Ellison
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Charlie's Angels (1976) — Stambler
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Invaders from Mars (1953) — Police Chief A.C. Barrows
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Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) — Det. Sgt. Paul Klein
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Norma Rae (1979) — Sam Dakin
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Nevada Smith (1966) — Quince
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Hogan's Heroes (1965) — Maj. Bernsdorf
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The Desperate Hours (1955) — Tom Winston
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The Fall Guy (1981)
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Detective Story (1951) — Det. Dakis
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The Outer Limits (1963) — Joe Hayden
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There Was a Crooked Man... (1970) — Skinner
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Perry Mason (1957) — Ken Woodman
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Combat! (1962) — Sgt. Weber
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Gunsmoke (1955) — Al Clovis
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No Way Out (1950) — Rocky Miller (uncredited)
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The Streets of San Francisco (1972)
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The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) — American Soldier (uncredited)
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Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) — Capt. Akins
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Madigan (1968) — Chief of Detectives Hap Lynch
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The Green Hornet (1966) — Police Sgt. Bert Clark
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Boomerang! (1947) — Herron, a Man in Alley Mob
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Billy Jack (1971) — Mr. Stuart Posner
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Ironside (1967)
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Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964) — Sheriff
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The Long, Long Trailer (1954) — Foreman
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The Big Valley (1965) — Judge Ben Coulter
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Mannix (1967)
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McCloud (1970) — Packy Keefe
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The Lucy Show (1962) — Miller
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The Rifleman (1958)
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Halls of Montezuma (1951) — Slattery
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Fate Is the Hunter (1964) — Dillon