Howard Morton

{{for|Helen Macfarlane (1818-1860), the feminist Chartist journalist who wrote under the name Howard Morton|Helen Macfarlane}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Howard Morton

| image = Howard_Morton_in_I_Dream_of_Jeannie_1967.jpg

| caption = Howard Morton in I Dream of Jeannie 1967

| birth_name = Howard Leroy Morton

| birth_date = {{birth date|1925|5|15}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|1997|5|11|1925|5|15}}

| resting_place = California

| yearsactive = 1959–1991

}}

Howard Leroy Morton (May 15, 1925 – May 11, 1997) was an American actor.

Career

Morton was best known for playing dim-witted police officer Ralph Waldo Simpson on Gimme a Break! for five seasons (1981–86). He appeared in many TV supporting roles on sitcoms including The Bill Cosby Show, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, I Dream of Jeannie, Good Times, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and Brian Henley in My Favorite Martian. He also played Grandpa in The Munsters Today from 1988 to 1991.{{cite news| title=Howard Morton| newspaper=Variety| url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/people-news/howard-morton-1116678214/| date=May 21, 1997| accessdate=August 21, 2018}}

Morton made a number of appearances on game shows, including Super Password and Pyramid. He also appeared in many feature films, making his debut in The Mechanic (1972) and appeared on stage in productions of Auntie Mame, Morning's at Seven, and Fancy Meeting You Again.

Morton never married nor had any children.

Born in New York City, Morton moved to Hollywood in 1960 to pursue his acting career.

He died of complications of a stroke on May 11, 1997, at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, just four days shy of his 72nd birthday. A memorial service was held at the North Hollywood Church of Religious Science.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
class="wikitable"
1969	The Bill Cosby Show	Lou Welk	Episode: "Lullaby and Goodnight"
1972	The Mechanic	Car Polish Man
1972	The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean	Photographist
1973	Scorpio	Heck Thomas
1974	Rhinoceros	Doctor
1976	One Day at a Time (1975 TV series)	Hal Butterfield	Episodes: "The Runaways (Parts 2, 3 & 4)"
1978	Diff'rent Strokes	Headmaster	Episode: "The Prep School"
1981-1986	Gimme a Break!	Officer Ralph Waldo Simpson
1988-1991	The Munsters Today	"Grandpa" Vladimir Dracula