William whitney talman iii biography of william
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The commercial that began airing in the fall of featured a face familiar to millions of television viewers. As fictional prosecutor Hamilton Burger, Detroit-born actor William Talman had lost case after case to defense attorney Raymond Burr during nine seasons of Perry Mason. Now, Talman was reaching from beyond the grave to issue a startling firsthand warning about the lethal effects of smoking.
Donald Hillman produced the landmark commercial, the first anti-smoking spot to feature a celebrity — and a dead one at that. The American Cancer Society “decided to do this film,” he explained at the time, “because it presented a unique opportunity for the society to dramatically and realistically portray to the American TV audience the beliefs and feelings of a man soon to be a victim of his own smoking habits.” Besides, Hillman continued, Talman was “all the more effective because he had previously been established as a loser.”
Loser? Jim Caldwell considers Talman a savior. Stuck at
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William Talman
William Whitney Talman, Jr. (February 4, – August 30, ) was an American television and movie actor, who played Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger in the long-running series Perry Mason.
Family and education
Talman was born in Detroit, Michigan to Ada Barber and William Whitney Talman, a vice president of an electronics company. His maternal grandparents, Catherine Gandy and James Wells Barber, were immigrants from England.
Talman founded the drama club at the Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He continued to act at Dartmouth College and the University of Michigan. After college he worked in summer stock and at an iron foundry, paper mills, boat yards, and as an automobile salesman.
Talman served for 30 months in the United States Army in the Pacific in World War II, beginning his service as a private on February 4, at Camp Upton in Yaphank, (Long Island) New York. He was ultimately commissioned a major during the war.
Acting career
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William Talman | |
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| File:Hitchhiker William Talman in The Hitch-Hiker () | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Whitney Talman, Jr. ()February 4, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | August 30, () (aged&#;53) Encino, California, U.S. |
| Spouse |
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| Occupation | Film and television actor |
William Whitney Talman, Jr. (February 4, &#;&#;&#;August 30, ) was an American television and movie actor, best known for playing Los Angeles District Attorney Hamilton Burger in the long-running series Perry Mason.
Family and education[]
William Talman was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Ada Barber and William Whitney Talman, a vice president of an electronics company. His maternal grandparents, Catherine Gandy and James Wells Barber, were immigrants from England.[1]
Talman founded the teaterpjäs club at the Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He continued to act at Dartmouth Co