Quantum Leap Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Roddy McDowall  appeared on the series as Edward St John V, a former head programmer at Project Quantum Leap who appears in the episode, "A Leap For Lisa". Roddy, a former child actor and veteran actor of six decades, was also a gifted photographer as well. As an actor, Roddy was perhaps best known for his roles in the Planet of the Apes film series, How Green Was My Valley, My Friend Flicka and Lassie Come Home.

Life and career[]

Born in London to Thomas Andrew McDowall (1896-1978) and his wife Winsfriede L. Corcoran (1899-1965), Roddy McDowall had already been in several British films when his family moved to the United States "at the end of 1940" (Roddy McDowall interview on YouTube), to escape the war.[1] His big break came when he was cast in 1941's How Green Was My Valley[2], an emotional drama directed by John Ford. McDowall was the cast in 1943's My Friend Flicka.[3] He then appeared with the the then-unknown child actor Elizabeth Taylor in 1943's Lassie Come Home. (Watch the original trailer here on Youtube.) It is during this time that he and Taylor became close lifelong friends.

Roddy was cast again with Elizabeth Taylor in 1944's The White Cliffs of Dover.[4] Roddy lived in the Los Angeles-area with his parents, graduating from University High School in Santa Monica. Roddy had some good films while a child, but as he became older, his career dived into the B-movies where it stalled. He was only appearing in truly awful schlock. It was time for a change.

Death[]

Roddy died on March 22, 1999, at his home in the Studio City district of Los Angeles of lung cancer. "It was very peaceful," said Dennis Osborne, a screenwriter friend who had cared for the actor in his final months. "It was just as he wanted it. It was exactly the way he planned." Though he was cremated through the Neptune Society Columbarium, his ashes were not distributed in the Pacific Ocean as had been widely reported at the time.

Legacy/posthumous works[]

Roddy became an accomplished photographers and published several books of his photographs of famous people. Roddy McDowall died of lung cancer at his home in Studio City, California. He was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea.

Roddy has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6632 Hollywood Blvd, and there is an honorary rose garden "at the Woodland Hills grounds of the Motion Picture & Television Fund" (xmoppet.org) with a statue of him in-costume as Caesar from the Planet of the Apes. His sister Virginia, slightly older than he, survived him, but died Dec 2006.

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
1938 Murder in the Family Peter Osborne
1938 John Halifax Boy
1939 Poison Pen Choir Boy Uncredited
1940 His Brother's Keeper Boy
1940 Dead Man's Shoes Boy
1940 Just William Ginger
1940 Saloon Bar Boy
1941 You Will Remember Young Bob Slater
1941 Man Hunt Vaner
1941 This England Hugo
1941 How Green Was My Valley Huw Morgan
1941 Confirm or Deny Albert Perkins
1942 Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake Young Benjamin Blake
1942 On the Sunny Side Hugh Aylesworth
1942 The Pied Piper Ronnie Cavanaugh
1943 My Friend Flicka Ken McLaughlin
1943 Lassie Come Home Joe Carraclough
1944 The White Cliffs of Dover Young John Ashwood
1944 The Keys of the Kingdom Young Francis Chisholm
1945 Thunderhead Ken McLaughlin
1945 Molly and Me Jimmy Graham
1946 Holiday in Mexico Stanley Owen
1948 Rocky Chris Hammond
1948 Macbeth Malcolm
1948 Kidnapped David Balfour
1949 Tuna Clipper Alec MacLennan
1949 Black Midnight Scott Jordan
1950 Big Timber Jimmy
1950 Killer Shark Ted
1952 The Steel Fist Eric Kardin
1958 The Big Country Hannassey Watchman Uncredited
1960 The Subterraneans Yuri Gilgoric
1960 Midnight Lace Malcolm Stanley
1962 The Longest Day Pvt. Morris
1963 Cleopatra Octavian
1964 Shock Treatment Martin Ashley
1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told Matthew
1965 That Darn Cat! Gregory Benson
1965 The Third Day Oliver Parsons
1965 The Loved One D.J. Jr.
1965 Inside Daisy Clover Walter Baines
1966 Lord Love a Duck Alan Musgrave
1966 The Defector Agent Adams
1967 The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin Bullwhip Griffin
1967 The Cool Ones Tony Krum
1967 It! Arthur Pimm
1968 Planet of the Apes Cornelius
1968 5 Card Stud Nick Evers
1969 Midas Run Wister
1969 Hello Down There Nate Ashbury
1969 Angel Santoro
1971 Pretty Maids All in a Row Proffer
1971 Escape from the Planet of the Apes Cornelius
1971 Terror in the Sky Ralph Baird
1971 Bedknobs and Broomsticks Rowan Jelk
1972 Conquest of the Planet of the Apes Caesar
1972 The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean Frank Gass
1972 The Poseidon Adventure Acres
1973 Arnold Robert
1973 The Legend of Hell House Benjamin Franklin Fischer
1973 Battle for the Planet of the Apes Caesar
1974 Dirty Mary Crazy Larry Grocery Store Manager
1975 Funny Lady Bobby
1976 Mean Johnny Barrows Tony Da Vince
1976 Embryo Frank Riley
1977 Sixth and Main Skateboard
1978 Laserblast Dr. Mellon
1978 The Cat from Outer Space Mr. Stallwood
1978 Circle of Iron White Robe
1978 The Thief of Baghdad Hasan
1979 Scavenger Hunt Jenkins
1979 Nutcracker Fantasy Franz/Fritz [5]
1979 The Black Hole V.I.N.CENT. Voice
1981 Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen Gillespie
1982 Evil Under the Sun Rex Brewster
1982 Class of 1984 Terry Corrigan
1985 Fright Night Peter Vincent
1986 GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords Nuggit Voice
1987 Dead of Winter Mr. Murray
1987 Overboard Andrew
1988 Doin' Time on Planet Earth Minister
1988 Fright Night Part 2 Peter Vincent
1989 The Big Picture Judge
1989 Cutting Class Mr. Dante
1990 Shakma Sorenson
1991 Timmy's Gift: A Precious Moments Christmas Narrator Voice
1991 Going Under Secretary Neighbor
1992 Double Trouble Philip Chamberlain
1993 The Evil Inside Me Pauly
1994 Mirror Dr. Lasky
1995 The Grass Harp Amos Legrand
1995 The Alien Within Dr. Henry Lazarus
1995 Last Summer in the Hamptons Thomas
1995 Star Hunter Riecher
1996 It's My Party Damian Knowles
1997 The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo King Murphy
1998 Something to Believe In Gambler
1998 A Bug's Life Mr. Soil Voice[5]

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1951 Family Theatre Private Huntington (The Professor) Episode: "Hill Number One: A Story of Faith and Inspiration"
1960 The Twilight Zone Sam Conrad Episode: "People Are Alike All Over"
1960 The Tempest Ariel Television film
1961 Naked City Donnie Benton Episode: "The Fault in Our Stars"
1964 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour George, Gerald Musgrove 2 episodes
1964 Combat! Murfree Episode: "The Long Walk"
1964 Kraft Suspense Theatre Robert "Professor" Benson Episode: "The Wine-Dark Sea"
1965 Ben Casey Dwight Franklin Episode: "When I am grown to Man's Estate"
1966 12 O'Clock High Technical Sergeant Willets Episode: "Angel Babe"
1966 Batman Bookworm 2 episodes
1966 Run for Your Life Gyula Bognar Episode: "Don't Count on Tomorrow"
1967 The Cricket on the Hearth Cricket Crocket Voice, television film[5]
1967 The Invaders Lloyd Lindstrom Episode: "The Experiment"
1968 The Legend of Robin Hood Prince John Episode dated 18 February 1968
1969 Journey to the Unknown Rollo Verdew Episode: "The Killing Bottle"
1969 It Takes a Thief Roger Episode: "Boom at the Top"
1969 Night Gallery Jeremy Evans Segment: "The Cemetery"
1969 The Name of the Game Philip Saxon Episode: "The White Birch"
1970 The Name of the Game Early McCorley Episode: "Why I Blew Up Dakota"
1971 Terror in the Sky Dr. Ralph Baird Television film
1971 A Taste of Evil Dr. Michael Lomas Television film
1971 What's a Nice Girl Like You...? Albert Soames Television film
1972 Columbo Roger Stanford Episode: "Short Fuse"
1972 The Rookies: Dirge for Sunday Fenner Episode: "Dirge for Sunday"
1972 Mission: Impossible Leo Ostro Episode: "The Puppet"
1973–1974 The Carol Burnett Show Himself – Guest
1973 Barnaby Jones Stanley Lambert Episode: "See Some Evil... Do Some Evil"
1973 Miracle on 34th Street Dr. Sawyer 1973 remake, television film
1973 McMillan & Wife Jamie McMillan Episode: "Death of a Monster... Birth of a Legend"
1974 Planet of the Apes Galen 14 episodes
1974 The Elevator Marvin Ellis Television film
1976 Ellery Queen The Amazing Armitage Episode: "The Adventure of the Black Falcon"
1976 Flood! Mr. Franklin Television film
1976 Mowgli's Brothers Narrator, Mowgli, Shere Khan, Baloo, Bagheera, Tabaqui Voice, television short
1977 The Feather and Father Gang Vincent Stoddard Episode: "The Mayan Connection"
1977 The Rhinemann Exchange Bobby Ballard 3 episodes
1977 The Fantastic Journey Dr. Jonathan Willoway 8 episodes
1977 Wonder Woman Henry Roberts, Professor Arthur Chapman 2 episodes
1978 The Immigrants Mark Levy Television film
1978 The Thief of Baghdad Hasan Television film
1979 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Governor Saroyan Episode: "Planet of the Slave Girls"
1979 $weepstake$ Theodore Episode: "Billy, Wally and Ludmilla, and Theodore"
1979 Supertrain Talcott Episode: "The Green Lady"
1979 Fantasy Island Gary Pointer 1 episode
1979 Hart to Hart Dr. Peterson Episode: "Hart to Hart"
1979 The Love Boat Fred Beery Episode: "Second Chance/Don't Push Me/Like Father, Like Son"
1979 Mork & Mindy Chuck the Robot Voice, episode: "Dr. Morkenstein"
1980 The Martian Chronicles Father Stone 3 episodes
1980 The Memory of Eva Ryker MacFarland Television film
1980 The Return of the King Samwise Gamgee Voice, television film
1980–1981 Fantasy Island Mephistopheles 2 episodes
1981 The Million Dollar Face Derek Kenyon Television film
1982–1983 Tales of the Gold Monkey Bon Chance Louie 20 episodes
1984 The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood Prince John Television film
1985 Hollywood Wives Jason Swankle 3 episodes
1985 Alice in Wonderland March Hare Television film
1985–1989 Murder Gordon Fairchild, Dr. Alger Kenyon 2 episodes
1985 Bridges to Cross Norman Parks Episode: "Memories of Molly"
1987–1989 Matlock Don Mosher, Christopher Hoyt 2 episodes
1987 The Wind in the Willows Ratty Voice, television film
1988 Remo Williams: The Prophecy Chuin Television film
1989 Around the World in 80 Days McBaines 3 episodes
1991 The Pirates of Dark Water Niddler Voice, 5 episodes
1991 An Inconvenient Woman Cyril Rathbone 2 episodes
1991 Timmy's Gift: A Precious Moments Christmas Narrator Voice
1992 The Legend of Prince Valiant King Frederick Voice, episode: "The Battle of Greystone"
1992 Quantum Leap Edward St. John V Episode: "A Leap for Lisa"
1992 Darkwing Duck Sir Quackmire Mallard Voice, episode: "Inherit the Wimp"
1992–1994 Batman: The Animated Series Jervis Tetch / The Mad Hatter Voice, 4 episodes[5]
1992 Camp Candy Voice, episode: "When it Rains… it Snows"
1993 2 Stupid Dogs Chameleon Voice, episode: "Chameleon"
1993 SWAT Kats Lenny Ringtail, Madkat Voice, episode: "Enter the Madkat"
1994 Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is Jeremy Sennet Television film
1994 Red Planet Headmaster Marcus Howe Voice, 3 episodes
1994 The Tick Breadmaster Voice, 6 episodes
1996 Tracey Takes On... Rex Gaydon Episode: "Nostalgia"
1996 Gargoyles Proteus Voice, episode: "The New Olympians"[5]
1996 Duckman Akers Voice, episode: "Apocalypse Not"
1996 Pinky and the Brain Snowball Voice, 6 episodes[5]
1996 Dead Man's Island Trevor Dunnaway Television film
1996 Unlikely Angel Saint Peter Television film
1998 The New Batman Adventures Jervis Tetch / The Mad Hatter Voice, 2 episodes[5]
1998 Superman: The Animated Series Voice, episode: "Knight Time"
1998 Behind the Planet of the Apes Narrator Television documentary
1999 Godzilla: The Series Dr. Hugh Trevor Voice, episode: "DeadLoch"; posthumous role

Stage[]

  • No Time for Sergeants (1955)
  • Good as Gold (1957)
  • Compulsion (1957)
  • Handful of Fire (1958)
  • Look After Lulu (1959)

Radio appearances[]

Year Program Episode/source
1943 Lux Radio Theatre My Friend Flicka[6]
1947 Suspense One Way Street[7]
1948 The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen Rocky Iii and the Dead Mans Chest[8]
1952 Family Theater A Lullaby for Christmas[9]

Further reading[]

  • Virginia McDowall (his sister) on YouTube (last third of this video by the Musgrave Foundation)

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. here
  2. How Green Was My Valley at County Historian.com
  3. 35 second Clip of My Friend Flicka at YouTube
  4. The White Cliffs of Dover film trailer on YouTube
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Roddy McDowall (visual voices guide). Behind The Voice Actors. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  6. "Lux Theatre Guest", Harrisburg Telegraph, 5 June 1943, p. 17.  Template:Open access
  7. Suspense – One Way Street.
  8. "Radio Echos", 11 February 1948. 
  9. "Better Radio Programs for the Week", The Decatur Daily Review, 14 December 1952, p. 54. 

External links[]

Advertisement