Bruce Gordon , was an American actor best known for playing Frank Nitti in the ABC television series The Untouchables died after a long illness he was , 94..(February 1, 1916 – January 20, 2011)
Born February 1, 1916 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Gordon played alongside Boris Karloff in the original cast of Arsenic and Old Lace on Broadway from 1941 to 1945 as Officer Klein. He had an "Introducing" credit in the 1949 Marx Brothers film Love Happy. On television, he appeared in numerous episodes of such programs as The Nash Airflyte Theater, Studio One, Justice, Kraft Television Theatre and Robert Montgomery Presents.In 1957, he appeared on the ABC western series Tombstone Territory, starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham, in the episode "Killer Without a Conscience". About this same time, he guest starred on Barry Sullivan's adventure/drama series, Harbormaster, set in maritime New England.
In 1958, Gordon appeared in a memorable bit role as one of Lafite's pirates in Anthony Quinn's movie spectacle "The Buccaneer" alongside a cast of stars including Yul Brynner, Charleton Heston and Claire Bloom.
In the 1958-1959 season, Gordon hosted and starred in nine of the twenty-six episodes of NBC's docudrama of the Cold War, Behind Closed Doors, based on the files and war-time experiences of Rear Admiral Ellis M. Zacharias.[1]
He appeared in the syndicated western series Man Without a Gun starring Rex Reason. In 1958, he guest starred on the NBC adventure series Northwest Passage with co-stars Keith Larsen and Buddy Ebsen. Gordon's role was that of a sadistic prison official. The program was based on the work of Major Robert Rogers and his efforts to help the British during the French and Indian War.[2]
His subsequent frequent, energetic performances as Capone-era mobster Frank ('The Enforcer') Nitti in Desilu Productions' The Untouchables (1959-1963) led to his being typecast as an often darkly humorous 'heavy' for the rest of his career. Often stealing scenes from the stolid, humourless Eliot Ness as portrayed by Robert Stack, his famous catch-phrase in The Untouchables (directed at the victims of Nitti's wrath) was "You're dead!"
In 1960-1961, Gordon appeared as "Mercer" in two episodes of NBC's Outlaws Western series starring Barton MacLane. He appeared that same time in the NBC anthology series, The Barbara Stanwyck Show.
In 1964, Gordon guest-starred in the episode "Between the Rats and the Finks" of CBS drama, Mr. Broadway, starring Craig Stevens, with fellow guest stars Larry Hagman and Dyan Cannon.
In 1965-8, Gordon appeared in several episodes of the long-running prime-time soap opera Peyton Place alongside actress Lee Grant as Gus Chernak, the alcoholic and vengeful father of Grant's character Stella Chernak. In 1966, Gordon costarred with trumpet player Jack Sheldon in the 16-segment CBS sitcom, Run, Buddy, Run, about the fictitious Buddy Overstreet who is on the run from the mob after "Buddy" overhears "Mr. D", played by Gordon, plotting the murder of a fellow gangster. In 1968 he played the security man in the "Sour Note" episode of It Takes A Thief.
In 1978, Gordon played the nasty Col. Waxman in Roger Corman's cult classic "Piranha", starring alongside the late Kevin McCarthy.
Gordon retired from acting after playing himself in the 1989 film Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain, though he was the Executive Producer of the Australian telefilm Feds: the Betrayal (1996) and Producer of the US/Chinese fantasy martial arts film Warriors of Virtue: the Return to Tao in 2002. For a time, he operated a dinner-and-show restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona called "Frank Nitti's Place".
In 2003, he was reportedly unable to attend the funeral of Untouchables co-star Robert Stack due to poor health. At the time of his death, he lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife Marla. Gordon died after a lengthy illness on January 20, 2011, two weeks shy of his 95th birthday.
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