Biography
Lyle Talbot (born Lisle Henderson) was an American actor on stage and screen, known for his career in film from 1931 to 1960 and for his appearances on television in the 1950s and 1960s. He played Ozzie Nelson's friend and neighbor, Joe Randolph, for ten years in the ABC situation comedy The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. He began his movie career under contract with Warner Brothers in the early days of sound film. He appeared in more than 150 films, first as a young matinee idol and later as a character actor and star of many B movies. He was a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild and later served on its board. Talbot's long career as an actor is recounted in a book by his youngest daughter, The New Yorker writer Margaret Talbot, entitled The Entertainer: Movies, Magic and My Father's Twentieth Century (Riverhead Books 2012). Most notable among Talbot's film work were his appearances in Three on a Match and 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (both 1932). He played a star running back in College Coach (1933) with Pat O'Brien and Dick Powell, romanced opera singer Grace Moore in One Night of Love in 1934, and pursued Mae West in Go West, Young Man (1936). He was a gangster in Ladies They Talk About and Heat Lightning and a doctor kicking a drinking habit in Mandalay. He co-starred with Pat O'Brien in Oil for the Lamps of China (1935). He appeared opposite Ann Dvorak, Carole Lombard, Barbara Stanwyck, Mary Astor, Ginger Rogers, Loretta Young and Shirley Temple, as well as sharing the screen with Humphrey Bogart, Spencer Tracy and Tyrone Power. Overall, Talbot appeared in some 150 movies.
Acted in 248
2020s
- 2025
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Inspector Warren (archival audio) (uncredited)
1980s
- 1986
- 1985
- 1984
- 1982
The Case of Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
- 1981
Goldie Gold and Action Jack
Additional Voices (voice) · 13 episodes
1970s
- 1976
- 1974
Sonic Boom
French Representative
1960s
- 1968
- 1965
Mona McCluskey
Benson · 1 episode
- 1963
- 1962
- 1961
- 1960
Sunrise at Campobello
Mr. Brimmer
Around the World with Nellie Bly
Movie
1950s
- 1959
City of Fear
Chief Jensen
- 1958
High School Confidential!
William Remington Kane
The Notorious Mr. Monks
Leonardo, Prosecuting Attorney
- 1957
Guns Don't Argue
Dr. William Guellfe, Plastic Surgeon
God Is My Partner
Dr. Warburton, Psychiatrist
Meet McGraw
Carl Maddon · 1 episode
- 1956
The Great Man
Harry Connors
Calling Homicide
Tony Fuller
Hey, Jeannie!
Adams · 1 episode
- 1955
Sudden Danger
Harry Woodruff
Crossroads
Mr. Hodge · 1 episode
Jail Busters
Cy Bowman
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
Baylor · 12 episodes
Buffalo Bill Jr.
TV
- 1954
The Steel Cage
Square, Convict, segment "The Hostages"
Tobor the Great
An Admiral
The Desperado
Judge
Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl
Capt. Pace
Jail Bait
Inspector John
Gunfighters of the Northwest
Inspector Wheeler
Trader Tom of the China Seas
Barent
With This Ring
Miller Executive
- 1953
Six Gun Decision
Blackburn
Wings of the Hawk
Movie
Clipped Wings
Captain Blair
White Lightning
Rocky Gibraltar
Down Among the Sheltering Palms
Major Gerald Curwin
I'm the Law
TV
Star of Texas
Telegraph Operator
- 1952
Crossroad Avenger: The Adventures of the Tucson Kid
Bart Miller
The Pathfinder
British Ship Captain
Terry and the Pirates
TV
Wyoming Roundup
Franklin
Son of Geronimo
Col. Foster [Chs.5-6]
Desperadoes' Outpost
Walter Fleming
The Old West
Doc Lockwood
Feudin' Fools
Big Jim, bank robbery leader
Cowboy G-Men
TV
Montana Incident
Mooney
Sea Tiger
Mr. Williams, Insurance Man
African Treasure
Roy DeHaven, alias Pat Gilroy
Flight to the Future ...to the World of Plastics
Mr. Casey
Texas City
Captain Hamilton
- 1951
Purple Heart Diary
Maj. Green
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Fred Carlson · 1 episode
Jungle Manhunt
Dr. Mitchell Heller
Gold Raiders
Taggart
Hurricane Island
Doctor (uncredited)
The Scarf
City Detective
Man from Sonora
Sheriff Frank Casey
Mask of the Dragon
Police Lt. Ralph McLaughlin
Fury of the Congo
Grant
Fingerprints Don't Lie
Police Lt. Grayson
Abilene Trail
Dr. Martin
Blue Blood
Teasdale
One Too Many
Mr. Boyer
- 1950
Revenue Agent
Augustus 'Gus' King
The Jackpot
Fred Burns
Cherokee Uprising
Chief Marshal
Border Rangers
Ranger Captain McLain
Big Timber
Logger #1
Triple Trouble
Prison Yard Guard
Atom Man vs. Superman
Luthor, alias The Atom Man
Federal Man
Agent Johnson
Lucky Losers
Bruce McDermott
Champagne for Caesar
Executive No. 2
Johnny One-Eye
Official from District Attorney's Office
Everybody's Dancin'
Contractor
The Daltons' Women
Jim Thorne
1940s
- 1949
Wild Weed
Capt. Hayes
Ringside
Radio Announcer
Mississippi Rhythm
O'Neill
Batman and Robin
Commissioner Jim Gordon · 15 episodes
Sky Dragon
Andrew J. Barrett
The Mutineers
Capt. Jim Duncan
Fighting Fools
Blinky Harris
Joe Palooka in the Big Fight
Lt. Muldoon
- 1948
Highway 13
Company Detective
Shep Comes Home
Dr. Wilson
Quick on the Trigger
Garvey Yager
Appointment with Murder
Fred Muller
Parole, Inc.
Police Commissioner Hughes
Thunder in the Pines
Nick Roulade
Joe Palooka in Winner Take All
Henerson
The Vicious Circle
Miller
Devil's Cargo
Johnny Morello
- 1947
Danger Street
Charles Johnson
The Vigilante: Fighting Hero of the West
George Pierce
- 1946
North of the Border
Sgt. Jack Craig
Chick Carter, Detective
Chick Carter
Strange Impersonation
Insp. Malloy, chief interrogator
Murder Is My Business
Buell Renslow
Gun Town
Lucky Dorgan
- 1944
Mystery of the Riverboat
Rudolph Toller
Trail to Gunsight
U. S. Marshal Bill Hollister
Dixie Jamboree
Anthony 'Tony' Sardell
Sensations of 1945
Randall
Gambler's Choice
Yellow Gloves Weldon
The Falcon Out West
Tex Irwin
- 1943
A Night for Crime
Joe Powell
The Meanest Man in the World
Bill Potts (uncredited)
Man of Courage
George Dickson
- 1942
Mexican Spitfire's Elephant
Reddy
They Raid by Night
Capt. Robert Owen
She's in the Army
Army Capt. Steve Russell
- 1940
Parole Fixer
Ross Waring
He Married His Wife
Paul Hunter
1930s
- 1939
Miracle on Main Street
Dick Porter
Torture Ship
Lt. Bob Bennett
Second Fiddle
Willie Hogger
Forged Passport
Jack Scott
- 1938
I Stand Accused
Charles Eastman
The Arkansas Traveler
Matt Collins
Gateway
Henry Porter
One Wild Night
Singer Martin
Change of Heart
Phillip Reeves
- 1937
Second Honeymoon
Bob Benton
West Bound Limited
Dave Tolliver aka Bob Kirk
What Price Vengeance
'Dynamite' Hogan / Tom Connors
Affairs of Cappy Ricks
Bill Peck
- 1936
Mind Your Own Business
Crane
Go West Young Man
Francis X. Harrigan
Trapped by Television
Fred Dennis
Murder by an Aristocrat
Allen Carick
The Law in Her Hands
Frank Gordon
The Singing Kid
Bob Carey
Boulder Dam
Mr. Harry Lacy
- 1935
Broadway Hostess
Lucky Lorimer
Page Miss Glory
Slattery
Oil for the Lamps of China
Jim
Chinatown Squad
Ted Lacey
It Happened in New York
Charley Barnes
While the Patient Slept
Ross Lonergan
Red Hot Tires
Wallace Storm
- 1934
Murder in the Clouds
"Three-Star" Bob Halsey
The Dragon Murder Case
Gale Leland
One Night of Love
Bill Houston
Return of the Terror
Dr. Leonard Goodman
Fog Over Frisco
Spencer Carlton
Registered Nurse
Dr. Greg Connolly
Heat Lightning
Jeff
Mandalay
Dr. Gregory Burton
- 1933
Havana Widows
Bob Jones
College Coach
Buck Weaver
Mary Stevens, M.D.
Don A. Andrews
She Had to Say Yes
Daniel 'Danny' Drew
The Life of Jimmy Dolan
Doc
Girl Missing
Raymond Fox
- 1932
20,000 Years in Sing Sing
Bud Saunders
No More Orchids
Tony Gage
Three on a Match
Michael Loftus
Big City Blues
Len 'Lenny' Sully (uncredited)
Klondike
Robert Cromwell
The Thirteenth Guest
Phil Winston
Stranger in Town
Ed Brice
Love is a Racket
Edward Griswold 'Eddie' Shaw
Unholy Love
Dr. Jerome Preston 'Jerry' Gregory
Appearances9
1990s
- 1996
The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Himself
- 1995
Inside the Dream Factory
Self
1980s
- 1989
Batmania: From Comics to Screen
Self / Commissioner Gordon (archive footage)
- 1985
1950s
- 1953
- 1951
Varieties on Parade
Himself
1930s
- 1935
A Dream Comes True
Himself (uncredited)
- 1934
And She Learned About Dames
Himself
- 1933
The 42nd Street Special
Self (uncredited)