Robert Dowdell

{{Infobox person

| name = Robert Dowdell

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1932|3|10}}

| birth_place = Park Ridge, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|1|23|1932|3|10}}

| death_place = Coldwater, Michigan, U.S.

| alma_mater = Wesleyan University
University of Chicago

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1956–1995

| spouse = {{marriage|Sheila Connolly|1965|1979|end=div}}

}}

Robert Dowdell (March 10, 1932 – January 23, 2018) was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Commander Chip Morton in the television series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

Biography

Dowdell was born in Park Ridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and later graduated Parker High School. He attended Wesleyan University and the University of Chicago, before enlisting in the United States Army Corps of Engineers.{{cite news |last=Bartlett |first=Rhett |title=Robert Dowdell, Actor on 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,' Dies at 85 |date=January 26, 2018 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/news/robert-dowdell-dead-voyage-bottom-sea-actor-dies-at-85-1078706 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=January 27, 2018}}

After discharging from the service, Dowdell took an interest in acting. It was suggested that he take lessons with Wynn Handman. He was cast in a play written by Leslie Stevens, who went on to create the Western television series Stoney Burke and encouraged him to audition. Dowdell was cast in the recurring role of Cody Bristol.{{cite web |url=https://www.metv.com/stories/rip-robert-dowdell-of-voyage-to-the-bottom-of-the-sea |title=R.I.P. Robert Dowdell of 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea' |date=January 25, 2018 |publisher=MeTV |access-date=July 22, 2019}} Following Stoney Burke, Dowdell was cast in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, which aired from 1964 to 1968. Over the next 30 years, he continued to act in various stage, film, and television productions before retiring in 1995.{{cite web |url=http://www.legacy.com/news/celebrity-deaths/notable-deaths/article/robert-dowdell-1932-2018-starred-on-tvs-voyage-to-the |title=Robert Dowdell (1932 – 2018), starred on TV's "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" |date=29 January 2018 |publisher=Legacy.com |access-date=July 22, 2019}}

Personal life

Dowdell was married to actress Sheila Connolly from 1965 until their divorce in 1979. He did not have any children.{{cite news |last=Hart-Harris |first=Christy |date=February 17, 2018 |title=Dowdell cares for ferals to the end |url=https://www.thedailyreporter.com/news/20180217/dowdell-cares-for-ferals-to-end |work=The Daily Reporter |access-date=July 22, 2019}}

Death

Dowdell died of natural causes on January 23, 2018, at age 85 in Coldwater, Michigan.

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1970 \| Macho Callahan \| Blind man \|
1984 \| The Initiation \| Jason Randall \|
1987 \| Assassination \| Capt. Ogilvie - Cappy \|
1989 \| Wicked Stepmother \| Judge \|
1989 \| Skin Deep \| Traffic Judge \|

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1970

| Macho Callahan

| Blind man

1984

| The Initiation

| Jason Randall

1987

| Assassination

| Capt. Ogilvie - Cappy

1989

| Wicked Stepmother

| Judge

1989

| Skin Deep

| Traffic Judge

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1956 \| Studio One \| \| Episode: "American Primitive"
1959 \| Deadline \| Beene \| Episode: "The Neon Touch"
1960 \| The Fifth Column \| \| Television film
1960 \| Buick-Electra Playhouse \| \| Episode: "The Fifth Column"
1960 \| Moment of Fear \| \| Episode: "The Accomplice"
1962 \| Surfside 6 \| Eric Hirsh \| Episode: "Masquerade"
1962–1963 \| Stoney Burke \| Cody Bristol \| 32 episodes
1964–1968 \| Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea \| Lt. Comdr. Chip Morton \| 109 episodes
1969 \| Land of the Giants \| Policeman \| Episode: "Brainwash"
1970 \| Storefront Lawyers \| Philip Evers \| Episode: "The Law Can't Touch Him"
1971 \| City Beneath the Sea \| Young Officer \| Television film
1971 \| O'Hara, U.S. Treasury \| Maj. Tony Puller USMC \| Episode: "O'Hara, U.S. Treasury"
1971 \| Terror in the Sky \| Tower Radar Operator \| Television film
1971–1972 \| Adam-12 \| Lt. Tom Ashton / Sgt. Wade / Sgt. Prescott \| 3 episodes
1972 \| McMillan & Wife \| Pilot \| Episode: "The Face of Murder"
1972 \| The F.B.I. \| Dan Bransfield \| Episode: "Arrangement with Terror"
1975 \| S.W.A.T. \| Peter Sedley \| Episode: "Strike Force"
1977 \| Most Wanted \| Dr. Andrews \| Episode: "The Ritual Killer"
1979 \| 240-Robert \| Dr. Lewis \| Episode: "Oil and Water"
1979 \| Buck Rogers in the 25th Century \| Galen \| Episode: "Planet of the Slave Girls"
1979 \| CHiPs \| Mr. Adams \| Episode: "Second Chance"
1982 \| Hart to Hart \| \| Episode: "Hart of Diamonds"
1983 \| Fame \| Air Force Major \| Episode: "Hail to the Chief"
1984 \| Masquerade \| Captain \| Episode: "Caribbean Holiday"
1984 \| The Master \| Senator Clayton \| Episode: "Hostages"
1984–1986 \| Capitol \| Sen. Joshua Harrington \| 3 episodes
1985 \| V \| Visitor Doctor \| Episode: "The Betrayal"
1985 \| Dynasty \| Butler \| Episode: "The Titans"
1986 \| Outrage! \| District Attorney Curran \| Television film
1986 \| Hotel \| Cameron Russell \| Episode: "Restless Nights"
1987 \| Max Headroom \| Doctor \| Episode: "Body Banks"
1990 \| Freddy's Nightmares \| Victor Hall \| Episode: "Funhouse"
1991 \| Hunter \| Motel Manager \| Episode: "Under Suspicion"
1995 \| American Masters \| Minister \| Episode: "Edgar Allan Poe: Terror of the Soul"

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1956

| Studio One

| Episode: "American Primitive"

1959

| Deadline

| Beene

| Episode: "The Neon Touch"