Judson Pratt

Judson Pratt (December 6, 1916 – February 9, 2002) was an American character actor. Pratt began his professional career on stage in the 1940s. From the 1950s to 1980, he appeared in over 100 film and television roles.
Pratt retired from acting in 1980. He died in February 2002.

Early life and career

Pratt was born in Hingham, Massachusetts. In 1941, he made his Broadway debut in the play Popsy. The play closed after two days. In 1950, Pratt made his television debut on Armstrong Circle Theatre. Throughout the rest of the decade, he had guest roles on numerous television shows including Shadow of the Cloak, Have Gun – Will Travel, Kraft Television Theatre, Westinghouse Studio One, Men of Annapolis, The Web, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, General Electric Theater, The Donna Reed Show, and Riverboat.

In 1951, Pratt made his film debut in an uncredited role in the 1953 Alfred Hitchcock film I Confess. In 1956, he co-starred in The Toy Tiger, starring Jeff Chandler, Outside the Law, and Somebody Up There Likes Me. From 1958 to 1959, Pratt had a recurring role on the syndicated Western series Union Pacific.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Pratt became a staple on television with appearances on a variety of series. In 1966 he appeared on the only color episode of Perry Mason, "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist," as theater director Tom Loman. Other television appearances include Father Knows Best, Hotel de Paree, The Man from Blackhawk, Overland Trail, The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Kondike, Bronco, Saints and Sinners, The Iron Horse, That Girl, Circle of Fear, S.W.A.T., Charlie's Angels, and The Quest.

He also made multiple appearances on Western series including This Man Dawson, Cain's Hundred, Laramie, Outlaws, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Death Valley Days, Slattery's People, Daniel Boone, The Virginian,and Bonanza. Pratt also had multiple roles on dramas and comedies including Bracken's World, Mayberry RFD, Kojak, Disney's Wonderful World, and Police Story.

In addition to his extensive work in television, Pratt also had roles in numerous film during the 1960s including The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960), Kid Galahad (1962), starring Elvis Presley, The Ugly American (1963), with Marlon Brando, Cheyenne Autumn (1964), and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969). In the 1970s, Pratt had roles in The Barefoot Executive (1971), Futureworld (1976), Vigilante Force, starring Kris Kristofferson and Jan-Michael Vincent. Pratt's final film role was in the 1978 drama film F.I.S.T., starring Sylvester Stallone. In the film, Pratt portrayed Stallone's character's attorney. Pratt made his final on-screen appearance a 1980 episode of Quincy, M.E..

Personal life

On May 21, 1950, Pratt married Broadway actress Roberta Jonay. The couple had two sons. They remained married until Jonay's death from cancer in April 1976. On February 9, 2002, Pratt died at the age of 85.

Stage career

Selected filmography