# John Alderson (actor)

John Bramwell Alderson (10 April 1916 – 4 August 2006) was an English actor noted for playing the lead in the 1957–58 syndicated western television series, Boots and Saddles, which ran for thirty-eight episodes in a single season, and many supporting roles in films in a career spanning almost forty years, from 1951 to 1990.
Alderson was cast as the rugged trail guide Hugh Glass, an historical figure, in the 1966 episode "Hugh Glass Meets the Bear" of the syndicated series, Death Valley Days. Others in the episode were Morgan Woodward as Thomas Fitzpatrick, Victor French as Louis Baptiste and Tris Coffin.

## Biography

Alderson was born to a mining family in the village of Horden, County Durham, England. After a brief teenage career at the colliery he opted to instead join the Royal Artillery, rising to the rank of Major. Upon leaving the services he married a United States citizen and immigrated to the US, where he began his acting career.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1951 | The Highwayman | British Soldier | Uncredited |
| 1951 | The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel | German Sergeant / Hospital Staffer | Uncredited |
| 1952 | Plymouth Adventure | Salterne | Uncredited |
| 1952 | Against All Flags | Jonathan Harris | |
| 1953 | The Desert Rats | Corporal | Uncredited |
| 1953 | Julius Caesar | Citizen of Rome | Uncredited |
| 1953 | South Sea Woman | Fitzroy - Baritone | |
| 1954 | Knock on Wood | English Bobby | Uncredited |
| 1954 | Casanova's Big Night | Outside Guard | Uncredited |
| 1954 | Living It Up | Yankee Catcher | Uncredited |
| 1954 | King Richard and the Crusaders | Mob Leader | Uncredited |
| 1955 | Violent Saturday | Amish Farmer on Train | Uncredited |
| 1955 | Moonfleet | Greening | |
| 1955 | The Scarlet Coat | Mr. Durkin | |
| 1955 | To Catch a Thief | Detective at the Costume Ball | Uncredited |
| 1955 | Target Zero | Corporal Devon Enoch | |
| 1957 | Spoilers of the Forest | Big Jack Milna | |
| 1957 | Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend | Clyde Walters | |
| 1957 | Something of Value | Policeman | Uncredited |
| 1957 | The Last Stagecoach West | Angus MacKendrick | |
| 1957 | Don't Go Near the Water | Lieutenant Commander Diplock | |
| 1958 | The Young Lions | Corporal Kraus | Uncredited |
| 1958 | Wolf Larsen | Johnson | |
| 1959 | No Name on the Bullet | Chaffee | |
| 1960 | The Barbarians | Carthaginean Officer | |
| 1961 | Romanoff and Juliet | Randle Wix | |
| 1963 | The Hook | Crewman Svenson | |
| 1963 | Donovan's Reef | Officer | Uncredited |
| 1963 | Cleopatra | Roman Officer | Uncredited |
| 1964 | My Fair Lady | Jamie - Doolittle's crony | Uncredited |
| 1965 | Strange Bedfellows | Truck Driver | Uncredited |
| 1965 | The War Lord | Holbracht | |
| 1966 | I Deal in Danger | Gorleck | |
| 1967 | Double Trouble | Iceman | |
| 1968 | Hellfighters | Jim Hatch | |
| 1970 | The Molly Maguires | Jenkins | |
| 1970 | You Can't Win 'Em All | U.S. Army Major | |
| 1971 | The Deserter | O'Toole | |
| 1972 | Top of the Heap | Captain Walsh | |
| 1972 | Fear Is the Key | Tanner | Uncredited |
| 1974 | Blazing Saddles | Gum Chewer | Uncredited |
| 1974 | The Klansman | Vernon Hodo | |
| 1976 | The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox | Trent | |
| 1977 | Valentino | Cop | |
| 1977 | Candleshoe | Jenkins | |
| 1978 | The Cat from Outer Space | Mr. Smith | |
| 1978 | The Wild Geese | Randy | |
| 1979 | Sunnyside | Jack Flynn | |
| 1981 | Ragtime | Waldo's Aide No. 1 | |
| 1982 | Evil Under the Sun | Police Sergeant | |
| 1986 | The American Way | Colonel Sanders | |
| 1987 | The Beiderbecke Tapes | Tracy | |
| 1990 | Young Guns II | Guano Miner | (final film role) |

### Selected television appearances

* Gunsmoke (1955) - Nash
* Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956) (Season 1 Episode 31: "The Gentleman From America") - Attendant
* Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958) (Season 3 Episode 34: "The Crocodile Case") - Inspector Karsiak
* Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (1958-1959, Episodes: "The Swamp Fox" and "Texas John Slaughter") - Sergeant Duncan MacGregor / Sergeant McDonald
* Yancy Derringer (1958) - Marble Fingers
* Black Saddle (1959) - Big Sam Davis
* Lawman (1959) - Jack Brace
* Border Patrol (1959) - Curley
* Colt .45 (1959) - Captain
* Hudson's Bay (1959) - Boggs
* Adventures in Paradise (1960-1961) - Sean Casey / Darcy / Palsson / Harry Pine
* Follow the Sun (1961) - Mervin Taggert
* Have Gun – Will Travel (1958-1962) - Rusty Doggett / Max Clay
* Maverick (1959-1962) - Simon Girty / Captain Bly / Zindler / Ben Chapman
* Tales of Wells Fargo (1960-1962) - Gage / Clay Arvin
* Bronco (1962) - Francis Randolph
* Going My Way (1963) - Mr. Larkin
* Gunsmoke (1955-1963) - Canby / Ab Laster / Nash
* Arrest and Trial (1963) - Bartender
* The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1964) (Season 2 Episode 18: "Final Escape") - The 3rd Guard
* Combat! (1964) - (Season 2 Episodes 25 & 26: What Are the Bugles Blowing For Parts 1 and 2) Sergeant Rawlings
* The Rogues (1965) - Bill
* Bonanza (1961-1966) - Hugh Gwylnedd / Montague
* Blue Light (1966) - Gorlek / Gorleck
* Doctor Who (1966, in the serial The Gunfighters) - Wyatt Earp
* Death Valley Days (1964-1966) - John Tunstall / Hank Butterford / Hugh Glass / Joe Meek / Big Mac
* ‘’Time Tunnel’’ (1966 TV series) - Season 1 Episode 16 - The Revenge of Robin Hood as Little John
* The Wild Wild West (1967) - Clive Marchmount
* The Guns of Will Sonnett (1968) - Sheriff
* Mission: Impossible (1970) - Follet
* The Persuaders! (1971) - Kyle Sandor
* Rod Serling's Night Gallery (1972) - Granger (segment "Lindemann's Catch")
* Philip Marlowe, Private Eye (1983) - Gaff Talley
In 1966, the first four episodes of Blue Light were edited together to create the theatrical film I Deal in Danger. Alderson's Blue Light appearance was included in the film.
* England
* Los Angeles
* California
* Film
* Television