Answer the following question: Facts: - death place: beverly hills , california , u.s. - years active: 1939 & ndash ; 1988 - caption: as gidget '' russell lawrence in the 1965 television series '' - death date: 11 february 1997 - spouse: peggy converse 1944 1997 - birth date: 24 september 1912 - name: don porter - birthname: donald porter - image: don porter gidget 1968.jpg - birth place: miami , oklahoma , u.s. - occupation: actor Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of don porter .
Answer:
donald porter -lrb- september 24 , 1912 -- february 11 , 1997 -rrb- was an american actor who appeared in a number of films in the 1940s , including '' top sergeant '' and '' eagle squadron '' , but is perhaps best known for his role as russell lawrence , the widowed father of 15-year-old frances '' gidget '' lawrence -lrb- sally field -rrb- in the 1965 abc situation comedy '' gidget '' .