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Arch Johnson

At 6'4" tall, Minnesota-born Arch Johnson was a natural to play hulking heavies on many crime and western TV series during the 1960s and '70s. A graduate of the Actors Studio, he saw his first success playing detective Schrank in the original Broadway production of "West Side Story" in 1957. Branching off into television shortly thereafter, he developed a fruitful career as a character actor, often portraying cops on gritty crime dramas such as "Perry Mason" and "The Asphalt Jungle." Most of his onscreen work, however, was in the western genre, gathering recurring roles on such enduringly popular oaters as "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke," and "Rawhide." A shot at series stardom eluded him when his lead role on the rollicking "Camp Runamuck" was cut short after only one season in the mid-'60s. He continued to work on the stage throughout his career and had notable film roles in the classic con-man comedy "The Sting," the lusty Elvis Presley musical "G.I. Blues," and the electric 1978 biopic "The Buddy Holly Story," in which he portrayed the father of legendary rock pioneer Buddy Holly. He worked sparingly in film and TV after the '70s, returning to the stage occasionally until his death from cancer in 1997.