Tony Burton

Anthony Mabron "Tony" Burton (March 23, 1937 – February 25, 2016) was an American actor, boxer, and football player. He was known for his role as Tony "Duke" Evers in the Rocky films.[2]
== Early life ==
Burton was born in Flint, Michigan.[3] He had a younger sister named Loretta.[4]A Flint Northern High School graduate,[5] he was a Michigan Golden Gloves heavyweight boxing champion and two-time all-state football player. At Northern, he played halfback.[5] In 1954, he scored 13 touchdowns and led his team in scoring. Many of his scoring runs were of 50 yards or more. He gained 820 yards rushing that year, and one of his runs was for 95 yards. That same year, he was selected to the first teams of the All City and All Valley teams as a halfback. He was also chosen as an All State honorable mention. He was the team's co-captain and Most Valuable Player. Burton led his team in yards gained and receiving yards. In one game against Grand Rapids Catholic, he gained 213 total yards. At Northern, Burton was also the leading baseball pitcher, pitching the team to the city championship title.
== Career ==
=== Boxing ===
Burton's boxing career included the Flint Golden Gloves light heavyweightchampionship in 1955 and 1957.[3][5] Burton won the State Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight Championship in 1957 and lost in the Chicago Tournament of Champions semi-finals. He fought as a professional boxer in 1958 and 1959. During that time he was knocked out by knockout artist, Lamar Clark, who holds the record for most consecutive knockouts at 44.[6]
=== Prison ===
Life after boxing, minus any marketable skills or a high school diploma, proved a poor formula for success, and before long, Burton wound up in prison, doing three and a half years for robbery at the California Institution for Men in Chino, California.[5] In the end, it proved a valuable experience as Burton recounted to NEA's Frank Sanello in March 1988:
“	Prison for me was productive because I got my high school diploma and a degree from the University of California. But most important, I got myself together and found out who I was and how I could proceed without destroying myself.	”
More specifically, one of the skills acquired at Chino landed Burton his wife, Rae, whom he met on a TV repair house call. Moreover, a workshop in the prison, that used psychodrama as a form of therapy, pointed Burton towards his acting career, when an emotional breakthrough achieved by one of his partners in an acting exercise dramatically demonstrated theater's potential power.[7]
=== Acting ===
After prison, Burton started getting work with small theater companies in and around Los Angeles, garnering favorable notices early on.[8][9]
A life member of the Actors Studio,[10] Burton numbers among his many credits a co-starring role in Frank's Place and parts in films, such as Stir Crazy and The Toy. He also appeared as Wells, one of the prisoners trapped in the besieged police station in John Carpenter's 1976 Howard Hawks-inspired action film, Assault on Precinct 13. He later starred in the Rocky films as a trainer to Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). He appeared in an episode of Gibbsville in 1976. Burton also appeared in The Shining, House Party 2, and Hook.[11] He had guest appearances in Kojak, The Rockford Files, CHiPs, Twin Peaks, and The A-Team.[11]
== Personal life ==
Burton resided in California for 30 years.[5] He attended Immanuel Baptist Church in Highland, California.[12] He was married to Aurelain (Rae) from 1980 until his death.[13] The couple had two sons, one of whom, Martin, died of a heart attack at the age of 43 on May 8, 2014.[5] They also had two daughters, Juanita and Christal.[12][14][12]
Burton was a talented chess player.[15] Stanley Kubrick was defeated by him on the set of The Shining, in which Burton played Larry Durkin, the garage owner. Speaking with Kubrick biographer Vincent LoBrutto, Burton recalled his first day on the set:
“	My contract was for a week. I just had two short scenes in the movie. I stayed for six weeks because Stanley and I were playing chess... Stanley was a stronger player than I but I was strong enough to give him sufficient struggle to where he enjoyed it. I beat him in the first or second game we played, and then I didn't win any more after that, but it was always a tight struggle. That's what he loved; I guess there was no one else around that played strong.[16]	”
=== Recognition ===
In 1993, Burton was inducted into the Greater Flint Afro-American Hall of Fame.[17]
=== Death ===
Burton had been frequently hospitalized for the last year of his life, according to his sister.[3] On February 25, 2016, he died at the age of 78, from complications of pneumonia at a hospital in Menifee, California.[4][18]
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1974	The Black Godfather 	Sonny Spyder Brown 	A blaxploitation film, directed and written by John Evans.[19]
1976	The River Niger 	Black Policeman 	
1976	Trackdown 	Zelds 	Crime drama exploitation film, directed by Richard T. Heffron.[20][21]
1976	The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings	Issac 	A comedic sports film, directed by John Badham.[22]
1976	Assault on Precinct 13 	Wells 	Action thriller film written, directed, scored, and edited by John Carpenter.[23]
1976	Rocky 	Tony "Duke" Evers 	Sports drama film, directed by John G. Avildsen, and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone.[24]
1977	Heroes 	Chef 	Drama film, directed by Jeremy Kagan.[25]
1978	Blackjack 	Charles 	Crime drama film, written and directed by John Evans.[26]
1979	Rocky II 	Tony "Duke" Evers 	
* Written and directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone.
* Sequel to the 1976 film Rocky.[27]
1980	The Shining 	Larry Durkin 	Psychological horror film, produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick.[28]
1980	The Hunter 	Garbageman #2 	Thriller film, directed by Buzz Kulik.[29]
1980	Stir Crazy 	Guy Who Punches Big Mean 	
* Comedy film, directed by Sidney Poitier.
* Uncredited.[30]
1980	Inside Moves 	Lucius 	
* Drama film, directed by Richard Donner[31]
* Based on the book of the same name by Todd Walton.[32]
1982	Rocky III 	Tony "Duke" Evers 	
* Third installment in the Rocky film series.
* Sports-drama film, written and directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone.[33]
1982	The Toy 	Stanley 	Uncredited
1985	Beyond Reason 	Dangerman 	An independent film, written and directed by, and starring Telly Savalas.[34]
1985	Rocky IV 	Tony "Duke" Evers 	
* Fourth installment in the Rocky film series.
* Sports film, written and directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone.[35]
1986	Armed and Dangerous 	Cappy 	Action-crime comedy film, directed by Mark L. Lester.[36]
1990	Side Out 	Louie 	Directed by Peter Israelson.[37]
1990	Rocky V 	Tony "Duke" Evers 	
* Fifth film in the Rocky series.
* Sports drama film, written by Sylvester Stallone.[38]
1991	House Party 2 	Mr. Lee 	Sequel to the 1990 film House Party, directed by Doug McHenry and George Jackson.[39]
1991	Hook 	Bill Jukes 	Fantasy adventure film, directed by Steven Spielberg.[40]
1992	Mission of Justice 	Cedric Williams 	
1995	Fatal Choice 	Columbus 	
1996	Black Rose of Harlem 	Turner 	
1997	Flipping 	Chuckie, 2-2 Card Club Manager	
1997	Me and the Gods 	 	
2001	Knockout 	Segent Hawkins 	
2003	Shade 	Fedora 	Neo-noir crime drama film, directed and written by Damian Nieman.[41]
2006	Rocky Balboa 	Tony "Duke" Evers 	
* Also known as Rocky VI.
* Sports drama film, written and directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone.[42]
2007	Hack! 	Sheriff Stoker 	Horror film, directed and written by Matt Flynn.[43]
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1974 	Kojak 	Eddie Ellis 	Episode: "The Betrayal" (Season 2: Episode 14)
1975 	The Invisible Man 	3rd Prisoner 	Episode: "Go Directly To Jail" (Season 1: Episode 7)
1975 	Baretta 	Teak 	Episode: "Count the Days I'm Gone" (Season 2: Episode 12)
1976 	Harry O 	Peter Macklin 	Episode: "Ruby" (Season 2: Episode 20)
1976 	Future Cop 	Terrorist #2 	Episode: "Future Cop (Pilot)" (Season 1: Episode 1)
1976 	Gemini Man 	Biggie Moore 	
* Episode: "8, 9, 10...You're Dead" (Season 1: Episode 9)
* Unaired
1976 	Good Times 	Aide 	Episode: "Evans Versus Davis" (Season 4: Episode 6)
1976 	Gibbsville 	Guest 	Episode: "All the Young Girls" (Season 1: Episode 5)
1977 	Switch 	Joey 	Episode: "The Snitch" (Season 2: Episode 14)
1977 	The Six Million Dollar Man 	Manager 	Episode: "The Infiltrators" (Season 4: Episode 18)
1977 	Sanford and Son 	Guard 	Episode: "Fred the Activist" (Season 6: Episode 21)
1977 	The Rockford Files 	Joe Moran 	Episode: "Second Chance" (Season 4: Episode 4)
1978 	The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries 	Gilmore Lee 	Episode: "The Lady on Thursday at Ten"
1978 	C.P.O. Sharkey 	Scotty 	Episode: "Tell It to the Marines" (Season 2: Episode 15)
1979 	The Incredible Hulk 	Taylor George 	Episode: "Like a Brother" (Season 2: Episode 14)
1980 	Tenspeed and Brown Shoe 	Skeeter McClintock 	Episode: "Savage Says 'There's No Free Lunch'" (Season 1: Episode 3)
1981 	Fitz and Bones 	Sid 	Episode: "Terror at Newsline 3 (Pilot)" (Season 1: Episode 1)
1981 	The Greatest American Hero 	Curley 	Episode: "Hog Wild" (Season 2: Episode 4)
1981 	CHiPs 	Avrom 	Episode: "Mitchell & Woods" (Season 5: Episode 12)
1981 	Quincy, M.E. 	Starvin' Marvin 	Episode: "Dead Stop" (Season 7: Episode 8)
1982 	The Fall Guy 	Algebra Jones 	Episode: "Ladies On the Ropes" (Season 1: Episode 16)
1982 	Bret Maverick 	Arthur 	Episodes:
* "Faith, Hope And Clarity, part 1" (Season 1: Episode 14)
* "Faith, Hope And Clarity, part 2" (Season 1: Episode 15)
1982 	T.J. Hooker 	Luther Travis 	Episode: "Blind Justice (a.k.a. Blind Watch)" (Season 2: Episode 4)
1984 	The A-Team 	Burke 	Episode: "It's a Desert Out There" (Season 2: Episode 18)
1985 	Moonlighting 	Bartender 	Episode: "Gunfight at the So-So Corral" (Season 1: Episode 3)
1986 	Airwolf 	Moose 	Episode: "Wildfire" (Season 3: Episode 3)
1986 	The Fall Guy 	Eddie Barber 	Episode: "The Bigger They Are" (Season 5: Episode 22)
1987 	Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color	Moustache 	Episode: "You Ruined My Life"
1987–1988	Frank's Place 	Big Arthur 	Contract role
1988 	The Wil Shriner Show 	Himself 	Episode: "March 18, 1988" (Season 1: Episode 120)
1988 	Police Story 	Guest 	Episode: "The Cop Killers" (Season 6: Episode 1)
1989 	Amen 	Officer Anderson 	Episode: "TV or Not TV" (Season 4: Episode 7)
1990 	In the Heat of the Night 	Conrad Baylor 	Episode: "King's Ransom" (Season 3: Episode 10)
1990 	A Different World 	Cap Connors 	Episode: "A Campfire Story" (Season 3: Episode 18)
1990 	Over My Dead Body 	Curly 	Episode: "Dad and Buried" (Season 1: Episode 4)
1991 	Twin Peaks 	Colonel Riley 	Episode: "Episode Nineteen 'The Black Widow'" (Season 2: Episode 12)
1991 	Adam-12 	Guest 	Episode: "The Fighter" (Season 2: Episode 26)
1996 	NYPD Blue 	Floyd "Good News" Gates 	Episode: "Burnin' Love" (Season 3: Episode 11)
1996 	Poltergeist: The Legacy 	Simon Walters 	Episode: "The Inheritance" (Season 1: Episode 19)
1996 	Chicago Hope 	Dr. Joseph Little 	Episode: "Divided Loyalty" (Season 3: Episode 9)
1998 	The Magnificent Seven 	Tennessee Eban 	Episode: "Pilot" (Season 1: Episode 1)
2000 	Dark Knight 	De Montfort 	Episode: "Pilot" (Season 1: Episode 1)
2001 	The Lot 	Jerome Jeter 	Episode: "Nebraska Johnston" (Season 2: Episode 6)
2003 	Mercy Peak 	Norm Somerville 	Episode: "When Ken Met Wendy" (Season 5: Episode 7)
2003 	Exorcism 	Bishop Harris 	Made-for-TV-movie, directed and written by William A. Baker.
2011 	Biography 	Himself/ Tony "Duke" Evers	Episode: "The Rocky Saga: Going the Distance"
=== Video ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1995	Cyber Track 2	Swain	Directed by Richard Pepin.
== Professional boxing record ==
Result	Record	Opponent 	Type 	Round	Time	Date 	Location 	Notes
Loss 	4–3–1 	Lamar Clark 	KO 	4 (6)	 	April 4, 1959 	Polo Grounds, Palm Springs, California 	Jack Dempsey was referee for the bout.
Loss 	4–2–1 	Bobby Sands 	KO 	4 (6)	 	February 21, 1959	Legion Stadium, Hollywood, California 	  
Win 	4–1–1 	Dennis Chaney	KO 	2 (4)	 	June 14, 1958 	Legion Stadium, Hollywood 	  
Win 	3–1–1 	Chuck Wilburn	Decision	4 	 	April 7, 1958 	Bakersfield Dome, Bakersfield, California 	  
Loss 	2–1–1 	Curley Lee 	KO 	4 	 	February 8, 1958 	Legion Stadium, Hollywood 	  
Win 	2–0–1 	Chuck Wilburn	Decision	4 	 	January 30, 1958 	Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California	  
Draw 	1–0–1 	Chuck Wilburn	Decision	4 	 	January 28, 1958 	Arena, San Bernardino, California 	
Win 	1–0 	Bob Smith 	KO 	4 (4)	   	January 4, 1958 	Legion Stadium, Hollywood