Knight Time Recreation

Presents


Actor Don Knight


This page is dedicated to the memory of Actor Don Knight.

Don Knight was a man of many talents. Besides Acting on Stage, in Television and Movies, he was also an Ordained Minister (serving both the Congregational and Methodist churches) He was also a dialectician Known best as a "character actor,"  he was taken from us suddenly on August 18, 1997 after suffering a stroke earlier that month.

He also happened to be my Father, a fact that I am very proud of.

This page is an ongoing dedication to a man that taught me more than he ever knew, or realized he had.

I hope to provide some background, information, trivia, and photos. I am still actively seeking additional information, pictures etc. Any donation of photos, stories, memorabilia will be gladly accepted. Any questions or comments regarding the page can be directed to:  Knightrec [at] Knightrec [dot] Net.

I plan to add a Guestbook and with permission of those involved images from Fans! Dad was a ham, we all know that.


Don Knight was born on February 16, 1933 in Manchester England. After a short stint in the British Army, he left England for Canada. He studied at Sir George Williams University in Montreal and later at the Wesley Seminary in Washington DC.  He held degrees in English, Philosophy, Theology, and Drama.

Don was the Pastor at several churches over the years (From New Haven NY, Trappe MD, to MANY in Southern California) most of this while playing various roles on stage and screen.

In 1965 Don and his family moved from Maryland to Southern California. He quickly landed roles on "It takes a Thief", "Time Tunnel", "Voyage to the bottom of the Sea", "Combat", and "Hogan's Heroes". Don continued to act throughout his lifetime.

Don was twice married. Karin was the love of his life and was with him at the time of his passing.

I have discovered several internet sites that are providing incorrect information regarding Don Knight's career. Don Knight did NOT begin his career in theater 1942, he would have been nine years old at the time. Nor was he the Cinematographer for the film "Tunnelvision." (1976)  Sorry, perhaps that was another Don Knight. Most likely the Cinematographer Don Knight that lived on our same street in the 70's.  Us kids had a blast in Hawaii!


Don Knight appeared in television and movies over 100 times. He often came back either as a semi-regular  or even after having been "killed off", would come back later as a new character. His stage career was just as impressive.

A growing list is included below. (#) indicates the number of times that he came back. (S/R) indicates that he was a Semi-Regular. (R) indicates Regular in all episodes. (TV) is Movie made for TV. (M) is released as a Motion Picture. (E) Emmy nomination. The rest you will no doubt recognize as television series. (character names or episodes are listed if available) While conducting this research, I discovered that some resources list by straight Episode number, while others list by year on air, then Episode number. Either may be listed. The dates shown are air dates as listed by, and confirmed through several sources.

This list is constantly updated as episode and character names become available. Multiple appearances are grouped together starting with the first appearance regardless of other years.

1960's

Combat: (2) "The Raider" Episode 4.16 December 28, 1965 Appeared as "German Sergeant" / "The Masquers" Episode 5.21 February 14, 1967 Appeared as "The British Soldier"

Time Tunnel: (TV Pilot) "Rendezvous with Yesterday" Episode 1.1 September 9, 1966 Appeared as "First Officer Grainger"

Run for Your Life: (3) "The Savage Machines" Episode 1.29 May 2, 1966 Appeared as "Freddie" /  "The Borders of Barbarism" Episode 2.3 September 26, 1966 Appeared as "Bartender" / "Trip to the Far Side" Episode 3.5 October 11, 1967 Appeared as "Tim O'Rourke"

Hogan's Heroes:  "Information Please" Episode 2.15 December 23, 1966 Appeared as "RAF Captain"

Munster Go Home: (M) 1966 Uncredited

Rat Patrol: "The Exhibit 'A' Raid" Episode 1.22 February 6, 1967 Appeared as "Captain Seitel"

To Kill a Dragon: (M) 1967 Appeared as "Ian"

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: "The Heat Monster" Episode 3.17 January 15, 1967 Appeared as "Sven Larson"

The Hell with Heroes: (M) 1968 Appeared as "Pepper"

The Guns of Will Sonnett: "The Sins of the Father" Episode 1.24 1968 Appeared as "Caleb Galt"

Tarzan: "Rendezvous for Revenge" Episode 2.24 March 22, 1968 Appeared as "Odgers"

The Outsider: "As Cold as Ashes" Episode 1.5 October 16, 1968 Appeared as "Matthew Garson"

It Takes a Thief:   (S/R) (3) "A Matter of Royal Larceny"  Episode 15 April 23, 1968 / "A Matter of Grey Matter (1)" Episode 32 February 4, 1969 / "A Matter of Grey Matter (2)" Episode 33 February 11, 1969  Appeared as "Bertie Turner" in all episodes

The Big Valley: (2) "In Silent Battle" Episode 4.1 September 23, 1968 Appeared as "Sgt. Sean McQuade" /  "The Other Face of Justice" Episode 4.22 March 31, 1969 Appeared as "Sam Jester"

The Virginian: (2) "The Mustangers" Episode 7.11 December 4, 1968 Appeared as "Cal Hobson" / "A King's Ransom" Episode 8.21 February 25, 1970 Appeared as "Henry"

Hawaii 5-0:  (8)(E)  "The Ways of Love" Episode 7 November 21, 1968 Appeared as "Dan Larson" / "V for Vashon: The Son; The Father; The Patriarch" Episodes 105, 106, 107 November 14 | 21| 28, 1972 Appeared as "Dylan Heyward"/ "Flash of Color Flash of Death" Episode 129 November 6, 1973 Appeared as "Jeffrey Hobbs" / "Ring of Life" Episode 162 February 4, 1975 Appeared as "Nichols"/ "The Bells Toll at Noon" Episode 203 January 6, 1977 Appeared as "Paul Thaylor" / "The Kahuna" Episode 269 December 18, 1979 Appeared as "George Lamb"

Bonanza:   (3)(E) "Five Candles" Episode 325 March 2, 1969 Appeared as "Toby Bristol" / "Blind Hunch" Episode 398 November 21, 1971 Appeared as "Clayton"  /  "The Bucket Dog" Episode 426 December 19, 1972 Appeared as "Tim Riley"

1970's

Too Late the Hero: AKA Suicide Run: (M) 1970 Appeared as "Private Connolly"

The Hawaiians: AKA: Master of the Islands: (M)  1970 Appeared as "Milton Overpeck"

The Immortal: (series) (R) 1970- 1971 Appeared as "Fletcher"

Mannix: "Harlequin’s Gold" Episode 67 January 31 1970, Appeared as Paul Gantry/Patrick Gray

Mission Impossible: "Lover's Knot" Episode 4.21 February 22, 1970 Appeared as "Tim Rorke"

Bracken's World: Episode 1.24 March 13, 1970 Appeared as "Monty Brooks"

Lancer: "Life Line" Episode 2.25 May 19, 1970 Appeared as "McGovern"

The Ice Palace: (TV) 1971

Bewitched: "Samantha and the Loch Ness Monster" Episode 231 September 29, 1971 Appeared as "Robbie"

Escape of the Birdmen: AKA: The Birdmen (TV) 1971 Appeared as "Focus Flaherty"

Something Big: (M) 1971 Appeared as "Tommy McBride"

Banyon: "The Clay Clarinet" Episode 1.6 1972 Appeared as "Rick Madden"

Night Gallery:  "The Caterpillar" Episode 2.60 March 1, 1972 Appeared as "Tommy Robinson"

Columbo:  "Etude in Black" Episode 2.1 September 17, 1972 Appeared as "Mike Alexander" / "Dagger of the Mind" Episode 2.4 November 26, 1972 Appeared as "Voice only" (Uncredited appearance) Stagehand outside dressing room

McCloud: "The Barefoot Stewardess Caper" Episode 3.2 December 3, 1972 Apperared as "Brain Stone"

Ghost Story: "Spare Parts" Episode 1.20 February 23, 1973 Appeared as "Dr. Phillip Pritchard"

Kung Fu: "A Praying Mantis Kills" Episode 1.12 March 22, 1973 Appeared as "Darrow"

Banacek:  "The Three Million Dollar Piracy" Episode 2.3 November 21, 1973 Appeared as "Isaac Porter"

Murdock's Gang: (TV)  1973 Appeared as "Glenn Dixon"

Trader Horn: (M)  1973 Appeared as "Colonel Sinclair"

Hitched, AKA Westward the Wagon: (TV) 1973 Appeared as "Reese"

Hog Wild: (TV) 1974 Appeared as "Red"

Shaft: "The Capricorn Murders" Episode 1.6 January 29, 1974 Appeared as "J.L. Teague"

Kojak: (2) "Before the Devil Knows" Episode 1.17 February 27, 1974 Appeared as "John Hagen" /  "Both Sides of the Law" Episode 3.24 March 7, 1976 Appeared as "Pourette"

Cannon: "Triangle of Terror" Episode 71 March 13, 1974 Appeared as "Walter Lavelle"

Little House on the Prairie: (E)  "The 100 mile Walk" Episode 1.3 September 25, 1974 Appeared as "Jack Peters" (TRIVIA! Don was cast in a role for a second show two years later. On the first day of production he was paid, then fired. Even Michael Landon agreed that the first role made such and impact that no one would "accept" his coming back. For those that remember 100 mile, it was one of the few times someone died a violent death on the show. Show #2 was "The Runaway Caboose." I still have the script.)

Return of the Big Cat: (TV) 1974 Appeared as "J.C."

Sidecar Racers: (M) Appeared as "Race Announcer" (Voice-over, was not actually in the movie)

The Apple Dumpling Gang: (M) 1975 Appeared as "John Wintle"

Barnaby Jones: "A Taste of Murder" Episode 4.43 December 4 1975 Appeared as "Bertram Fisher"

Swiss Family Robinson:  Episode 1.12 1975 Appeared as "Harper"

Bert D'Angelo Superstar: "What kind of cop are you?" Episode 1.10 June 12, 1976

Treasure of Matecumbe: (M) 1976  Appeared as "Skaggs"

Code Name: Diamond Head: (TV Pilot)  1977 Appeared as "H.K. Muldoon"

The Fantastic Journey: (TV Pilot) "Vortex" 1977 Appeared as "Paget"

Switch: "Thirty Thousand Witnesses" Episode 3.9 December 26, 1977 Appeared as "Rob Evans"

Charlie's Angels: (2) "Mother Goose is Running for His Life" Episode 44 February 15, 1978 Appeared as "Jack Orwell"  / "Island Angels" Episode 5.5 December 14, 1980 Appeared as "Frederick Ober"

Buffalo Soldiers: (TV) 1979  Appeared as "a Renegade"

80's and later

The Kids Who Knew Too Much: (TV) 1980 Appeared as "Prescott"

The Secret War of Jackie's Girls: (TV) 1980

Father Murphy: "(88) Keys to Happiness" November, 1981 Appeared as "Toby"  

Swamp Thing: (M)  1982 Appeared as "Ritter"

Bring 'em Back Alive: "There's One Born Every Minute" Episode 3 October 5, 1982 Appeared as "Dingo Larson"

Voyagers: "Merry Christmas Bogg" Episode 1.11 December 19, 1982 Appeared as "Colonel"

Small and Frye: "Endangered Detectives" Episode 1.2 March 14, 1983 Appeared as "Paulie"

The Powers of Matthew Star: "Road Rebels" Episode 1.20 March 25,1983 Appeared as "Simonson"

Manimal: (TV Pilot) "Manimal" Episode 1 September 30, 1983 Appeared as "Jonathan Chase Sr."

A-Team:  (2) "The Only Church in Town" 2.3 October 11, 1983, #2 is another lost episode

Automan: "Club Ten" Episode 13 April 9, 1984 Appeared as " Inspector Mercer"

Magnum PI:  "Luther Gillis" Episode 90 December 6, 1984

General Hospital:  (S/R)

International Airport:  (TV)  1985 Appeared as "Jarvis"

The Canterville Ghost: (TV) 1985 Appeared as "Mr. Smythe"

Divorce Court (You mean they were staged?): "Lindsay Vs. Lindsay" July 11, 1985 Appeared as "Phillip Lindsay"

Falcon Crest: "The Cataclysm" Episode 5.29 / 127 April 1986 Appeared as "Harold Wilkins"

Days of Our Lives:  (S/R) 1987 Appeared as "Geoffrey Fitzwater" (engaged to Lavina Peach - Pamela Kosh)

Me & Mrs. C: "Last Rights" (part 1) Episode 2.5 May 9, 1987 Appeared as "Mortimer"

Houston Knights: "Love Hurts" Episode 2.19 April 26, 1988

The People Next Door: "I Do, I Do" Episode 1.1 September 18, 1989 Appeared as "The Voice in the Mirror"

Father Dowling Mysteries: "The Substitute Sister Mystery" Episode 3.12 January 10, 1991 Appeared as "Heckler"

Dark Justice: "Blast From the Past" Episode 2.20 February 12, 1991

Murder She Wrote: "The Wind Around the Tower" Episode 9.4 November 1, 1992 Appeared as "John Finnegan"

I will go on public record and say that Angela Lansbury is an absolute Goddess!

It was no coincidence that "older actors" magically appeared on "Murder She Wrote" after not appearing anywhere. SAG and AFTRA had and may still have rules where medical insurance is concerned so to cut to the chase, you must work within a given time frame under SAG of AFTRA or it stops. Angela would hire and find roles for those in need even if it meant a script re-write. CBE Angela, you are a rare soul.


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