# James Callahan (actor)

James Thomas Callahan (October 4, 1930 – August 3, 2007) was an American film and television actor who appeared in more than 120 films and television programs between 1959 and 2007. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal from 1987 to 1990 of Walter Powell on the syndicated sitcom Charles in Charge, starring Scott Baio.

## Early years

One of three children, Callahan was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to William and Elenora Callahan on October 4, 1930. After his service in the United States Army from 1951 to 1953, he worked for the United States Postal Service. While attending school in the Midwest, he discovered acting and on the advice of a teacher, he enrolled at the University of Washington in Seattle He studied drama and graduated in the late 1950s.

## Career

Callahan played a doomed soldier/journalist in the M*A*S*H episode "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet". He also had recurring roles in three 1960s series, as Danny Adams in ABC's Wendy and Me, with a cast including George Burns, Connie Stevens, Ron Harper, and J. Pat O'Malley, as Lieutenant O'Connell on NBC's 13-episode war drama, Convoy, with John Gavin and John Larch, and as the governor's press secretary in The Governor and J.J., which starred Dan Dailey and Julie Sommars. He appeared in "The Twilight Zone" S5 E12 "Ninety Years Without Slumbering" which aired 12/18/1963. Callahan portrayed a small role in Barnaby Jones in an episode titled "Counterfall" (02/04/1975).

## Personal life

Callahan did not marry until he was sixty-three, when he wed Peggy Cannon in 1994. They were married until his death in 2007.

## Death

In February 2007, Callahan was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Six months later, on August 3, 2007, Callahan died at his home in Fallbrook, California at age 76.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1959 | The Californians | James McFadden | Episode: "The Fur Story" |
| 1959 | Steve Canyon | Lt. Hageman | Episode: "Operation Firebee" |
| 1959 | Battle of the Coral Sea | Australian Prisoner | Uncredited |
| 1959 | Man on a String | C.B.I. Agent | Uncredited |
| 1960 | Bourbon Street Beat | Detective | Episode: "Twice Betrayed" |
| 1960 | Dennis the Menace | Officer Holt | Episode: "Dennis Runs Away" |
| 1960 | Manhunt | Willie | Episode: "A Rose for Willie" |
| 1960 | Two Faces West | Cleve | Episode: "Prognosis: Death" |
| 1960 | The Walking Target | Al Kramer | |
| 1961 | National Velvet | Johnny | Episode: "The Bridegroom" |
| 1961 | The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor | Phil | Episode: "Hit and Miss" |
| 1961 | The Jim Backus Show | Lou | 2 episodes |
| 1962 | Perry Mason | Bookkeeper Fred Carlyle | Episode: "The Case of the Shapely Shadow" |
| 1962 | Route 66 | Smudge | Episode: "City of Wheels" |
| 1962 | Have Gun - Will Travel | Albert Eubanks | Episode: "Don't Shoot the Piano Player" |
| 1962 | All Fall Down | Gas Station Attendant | Uncredited |
| 1962 | Experiment in Terror | FBI Agent | Uncredited |
| 1962 | G.E. True | Detective Floyd Wright | Episode: "Hercule Poirot" |
| 1962 | Saints and Sinners | Edgar | Episode: "Judgement in Jazz Alley" |
| 1962 | The Untouchables | Miles Henning | Episode: "The Economist" |
| 1962 | Stoney Burke | Bert | Episode: "Spin a Golden Web" |
| 1962-1964 | Dr. Kildare | Dr. Yates Atkinson | 6 episodes |
| 1963 | Combat! | Reischer | Episode: "The Squad" |
| 1963 | Empire | Redford | Episode: "A House in Order" |
| 1963 | Grindl | Mike | Episode: "Grindl and the Counterfeiters" |
| 1963 | The Eleventh Hour | Matt Hopewell | Episode: "I Feel Like a Rutabaga" |
| 1963 | The Twilight Zone | Doug Kirk | Episode: "Ninety Years Without Slumbering" |
| 1963 | The Lieutenant | Markley | Episode: "Fall from a White Horse" |
| 1964 | My Favorite Martian | Jack | Episode: "Unidentified Flying Uncle Martin" |
| 1964-1965 | Wendy and Me | Danny Adams | 34 episodes |
| 1965 | Convoy | Lt. Dick O'Connell | TV series |
| 1965 | Profiles in Courage | Barnes | Episode: "General Alexander William Doniphan", with Peter Lawford as Doniphan |
| 1966 | The Fugitive | Joe Donovan / Russ Haynes | 2 episodes |
| 1966 | The Time Tunnel | Navy Ensign Beard | Episode: "One Way To The Moon" |
| 1967 | Mosby's Marauders | Sam Chapman | |
| 1967 | The Invaders | Dr. Harry Mills / Ed Gidney | 2 episodes |
| 1967 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color | Sam Chapman | Episodes: "Willie and the Yank: The Mosby Raiders" and "Willie and the Yank: The Deserter" |
| 1968 | A Man Called Gannon | Bo | |
| 1969 | Adam-12 | Miles Wellman | Episode: "Log 92: Tell Him He Pushed a Little Too Hard" |
| 1969-1970 | The Governor & J.J. | George Callison | 3 episodes |
| 1970 | Tropic of Cancer | Fillmore | |
| 1971 | Cade's County | Llewellyn Burton | Episode: "Safe Deposit" |
| 1972 | Lady Sings the Blues | Reg Hanley | |
| 1972 | Love, American Style | Jim | Episodes: "Love and the Confession" |
| 1973 | Love, American Style | Malcolm | Episodes: "Love and the Hand Maiden" |
| 1973 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Allen Lawrence | Episode: "A More Exciting Case" |
| 1973 | M*A*S*H | Cpl. Tommy Gillis | Episode: "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet" |
| 1973 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Sheriff Wyndham | Episode: "The Mystery of Dracula's Castle" |
| 1974 | The Missiles of October | Dave Powers | TV movie |
| 1975 | Cannon | Police Lieutenant | Episode: "The Victim" |
| 1976 | The Practice | Jim | Episode: "Molly and Jim" |
| 1976 | Holmes & Yoyo | Weston | Episode “Dental Dynamiter” |
| 1977 | Outlaw Blues | Garland Dupree | |
| 1977 | The Rockford Files | Leslie Hartman | Episode: "New Life, Old Dragons" |
| 1977 | The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries | Haggarty | 2 episodes |
| 1978 | Black Sheep Squadron | Col. Maurice Parker | Episode: "Sheep in the Limelight" |
| 1978-1979 | The Runaways | Sgt. Hal Grady | 13 episodes |
| 1980 | The Ropers | Tom Cummins | Episode: "Old Flames" |
| 1980 | Cloud Dancer | Walt Lawson | |
| 1980-1982 | Benson | Dr. Phillips | 2 episodes |
| 1980-1982 | Quincy, M.E. | Adrian Mercer / Larry Bridges | 2 episodes |
| 1981 | Bosom Buddies | Dr. Leonard Bob | Episode: "What Price Glory?" |
| 1981 | Inchon | General Almond | |
| 1981 | CBS Children's Mystery Theatre | Walter Ames | Episode: The Haunting of Harrington House |
| 1981-1982 | Alice | Vinnie | 2 episodes |
| 1982 | Knight Rider | Cheriff Bruckner | Episode: "Good Day at White Rock" |
| 1983 | Little House on the Prairie: A Look Back to Yesterday | Doctor Houser | TV movie |
| 1983 | Remington Steele | Emmett DeVore | Episode: "Steele's Gold" |
| 1983 | Too Close for Comfort | Marvin Rowe | Episode: "Out to Lunch" |
| 1984 | The A-Team | Captain Fallone | Episode: "The Island" |
| 1984 | The Burning Bed | Berlin Hughes | TV movie |
| 1985 | Knight Rider | Jeff Barnes | Episode: "Circus Knights" |
| 1985 | A Bunny's Tale | Phil | TV movie |
| 1985 | Copacabana (musical) | Dennis Riley | TV Musical |
| 1986 | Highway to Heaven | Jack Brent | Episode: "Children's Children" |
| 1986 | Growing Pains | Uncle Bob | Episode: "Extra Lap" |
| 1987-1990 | Charles in Charge | Walter Powell | Seasons 2 through 5 |
| 1992 | The Golden Girls | Malcolm Gordon | Episode: "Goodbye, Mr. Gordon" |
| 1992 | Hero | Police Chief | |
| 1993 | Return of the Living Dead 3 | Colonel Peck | |
| 1994 | Mei zhen | Mr. Platt | |
| 1995 | Return to Two Moon Junction | Mr. Bowman | |
| 1995 | Midnight Man | Chief Massey | |
| 1995 | A Norman Rockwell Christmas Story | Samuel Cavanaugh | TV movie |
| 1996 | Caroline in the City | Mayor Paisley | Episode: "Caroline and the Twenty-Eight-Pound Walleye" |
| 1996 | Promised Land | Warren Dempsey | Episode: "Christmas" |
| 1997 | ER | Oliver | Episode: "Something New" |
| 1999 | Every Dog Has Its Day | Father Quinn | |
| 1999 | The Practice | Trevor Wayne | Episode: "Oz" |
| 2000 | ER | Mr. Bristol | Episode: "Homecoming" |
| 2001 | Extreme Honor | Randolph Brascoe | |
| 2005 | Medium | Jury Foreman | Episode: "Judge, Jury and Executioner" |
| 2006 | Wild Hearts | Arliss - Mayor of Hope | Hallmark TV movie |
| 2006 | 7th Heaven | Father Mulligan | Episode: "And More Secrets" |
| 2006 | The Standard | Principal Watson | |
| 2007 | Born | Albert Martino | (final film role) |
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