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Appeared on EQ tv-showRichard Derr (June 15. 1917* - May 8. 1992)
Height: 6' 2" (1,88 m)
Hair: brown
Eyes: brown


Marriages
:
None

Brother:
Walter Rodman (b. March 1. 1910 - ), plant manager Columbia Mills, Trucksville, PA, married (aft 1930 - 1946 - ) to Alice Tindall (b.1910- Sep 30.1991).
   Children: W. Rodman Jr. b.1933  (Sep 11. 1953 to Sandra Davis)
                    Kenneth Tindall Derr  b.1937 (Sep 12. 1959 to
                    Donna Carol Mettler)

Richard LeMar Derr was born in Norristown, PA, on June 15 1917* as child of Walter Rodman Sr. and Martha Kulp (b. Nov 10. 1883). Richards' grandmother was a Mennonite. Reportedly Richard made "headline news" five hours later, when his father bought a Liberty Bond in his name. By the age of five his father had learned Richard how to make martinis: "The best in town."

Their father died around 1926. Derr's mother and 7 years older brother Rodman were left to support the household. Richard and his brother made a pact. Richard would go to work after school to earn money to help send Rodman to college. Once Rodman was established, he would return the favor. After graduating, though, Rodman got married, and "forgot" the agreement to help his brother out. (Williams)

 

When he attended Stewart Junior High, "his voice deepened and awkward lankiness gave way to square-jawed, blond good looks." Derr proved to be popular in school. He auditioned for leading roles in plays and was awarded them, edited the school newspaper, was Vice President of his Senior Class, President of the Honor Society, and "Mayor" of the school. "I was always playing George Washington in some pageant or other but before I undertook the part of George I served my apprenticeship as Robin Washington, George's half brother, until my nose got big enough to handle the leading role." He graduated two years early, at the age of 16.

 

After graduating from Norristown High School (Pennsylvania) in 1933, he held a banking position of clerk at a Norristown bank. He studied with the American Institute of Banking, completing a 4 year course in 3 years. For three years he kept on acting with "The Dramateurs," a Norristown amateur little theatre group, doing standard "little theatre" plays of the period.
 

Pursuing his goal to be a professional actor, Derr became a student of Jaspar Deeter - the director/educator of the Hedgerow Theater, a repertory theatre in nearby Moylan, Pennsylvania and honed his craft there for three years (1938-40, in the evenings. Daytimes, he still worked at the bank).

His acting career blossomed after appearing with Joe E. Brown in Elmer the Great and with Walter Hampden's Richelieu at the Maplewood, New Jersey Summer Theater. Richard Derr was appearing in the six-hour version of George Bernard Shaw's Man And Superman when he was seen by the New York agent Maynard Morris.

Morris got parts for Derr in various plays, and finally he got his "big break." He'd gone to the 20th Century Fox studios in New York to "feed cues" to an actress - it was her screen test. But when Daryl Zanuck saw this screen test in Hollywood - it was Derr whom he liked. Derr signed a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox. He boarded a train for Hollywood on Thanksgiving Day. He was met at the train station in Pasadena by studio personnel, and taken to an apartment in Westwood, near the studio. Derr soon bought a car, a new yellow Plymouth convertible, for $450, which he paid off in three months with his new salary. He was 24. It was 1942.

In "Charlie Chan in Rio" (1941) Richard Derr played opposite Mary Beth Hughes Richard Derr, bound with rope in "Man At Large" (1941).
Above left: In Charlie Chan in Rio (20th Century-Fox, Aug 21. 1941) Richard Derr played opposite Mary Beth Hughes.
Above right: Richard Derr, bound with rope in Man At Large (20th Century-Fox, Sep 26. 1941).
Derr's first movie was Charlie Chan in Rio (20th Century-Fox, Aug 21. 1941), Derr played a German spy in Man at Large (20th Century-Fox, Sep 26. 1941), which starred George Reeves, as well as a dozen other movies. He so disliked Tonight We Raid Calais (20th Century-Fox, Mar 29. 1943) (with Lee J. Cobb, Beaulah Bondi and John Sutton) that he broke his contract with 20th Century Fox.
A second Chan film role would come with Castle in the Desert (1942). (From L to R): Sidney Toler as Chan, Henry Daniell and Richard Derr. Derr as German officer in "Tonight We Raid Calais" with Annabella (1943)
Above left:  A second Chan film role would come with Castle in the Desert (20th Century-Fox, Feb 2. 1942). (From L to R): Sidney Toler as Chan, Henry Daniell and Richard Derr.
Above right: Derr as German officer in
Tonight We Raid Calais with Annabella (20th Century-Fox, Mar 29. 1943).
 

During World War II, Derr enrolled in the US Army Air Corps, and flew three years as a navigator on flights between between Miami, Brazil and Africa, for the Air Transport Command.

 

When he departed for the Air Corps Anne Baxter accompanied him as far as Arizona. Out of uniform and back in Hollywood  (Feb 1946) he took up the threads of romance with Anne where they left off.  However it was John Hodiak, the second suitor who eventually married Baxter on July 7. 1946. In December 1946, Richard Derr and Audrey Totter were mentioned in gossip columns as a "handsome couple in love." However, in September 1947, Ruth Brady was seen with her "best beau," Richard Derr, and "his former date," Audrey Totter. Derr would never marry.

 

Returning to Hollywood, Derr began to appear in "A" pictures - such as The Secret Heart (MGM,  Dec 25. 1946), The Bride Goes Wild (MGM, Mar 3. 1948), Luxury Liner (MGM, Sep 9. 1948), and Ingrid Bergman's Joan of Arc (RKO Radio Pictures, Nov 11. 1948).

After 2 weeks in the hospital his mother Martha Derr died on April 9. 1947 in Los Angeles, due to pancreatic cancer.

In 1948, Derr played John in a touring production of John Loves Mary (April 1948) opposite Jan Sterling. He made his Broadway debut as Lt. Henderson in Herman Wouk 's The Traitor (48th Street Theatre, Mar 31. - May 28. 1949), receiving a Theatre World Award in 1948/49 for this performance.

Subsequently he played in series of flops on Broadway:
  The Closing Door (Empire, Dec. 1 - 17. 1949);
  A Phoenix Too Frequent (Fulton Theatre, Apr. 26 - Apr 29. 1950); and
  The Grand Tour (Martin Beck Theatre, Dec. 10. - 15. 1951).

Derr appeared on the citronella circuit in Dream Girl (Summer 1951) opposite Judy Holliday and in Happy Birthday! with Joan Blondell.
Husband and wife... Life is beautiful for Claudette Colbert and Richard Derr who have just tied the knot in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's "The Secret Heart", the romantic suspense drama of a family which constantly fear the past. Miss Colbert stars with Walter Pidgeon and June Allyson, supported by Robert Sterling, Marshall Thompson and Patricia Medina. Robert Z. Leonard directed, Edwin Knopf produced for M-G-M.Richard with Jan Sterling on the Playbill for "John Loves Mary", The Harris Theatre, Chicago, August 1948.
Above left: Husband and wife... Life is beautiful for Claudette Colbert and Richard Derr who have just tied the knot in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's The Secret Heart (MGM,  Dec 25. 1946), the romantic suspense drama of a family which constantly fear the past.
Above right: Richard with Jan Sterling on the Playbill for John Loves Mary, The Harris Theatre, Chicago, August 1948.

Derr with Francis Gifford in 1948's "Luxury Liner."Richard and Barbara Rush in a promotional photo for "When Worlds Collide" (1951)
Above left: Derr with Francis Gifford in Luxury Liner (MGM, Sep 9. 1948).

Above right: Richard and Barbara Rush in a promotional photo for When Worlds Collide (Paramount, Nov 5. 1951).

Derr alternated his time between movies and the stage in the late 40s and early 50s...and then starred in When Worlds Collide in 1951. He was staying at the Gorham Hotel in New York while he was appearing on stage on Broadway, and was sent the script for When Worlds Collide, by his agent Maynard Morris. Derr was not a fan of science fiction, he equated it with "Flash Gordon, little green men from Mars, ray guns, and flying saucers." He liked the script and, in the end, practical considerations took over and he committed to the role. The pay was good, the shooting schedule was a short one (four weeks), and he could be back in New York by the third week in January. "He wouldn't miss anything really important". It was a good decision. When Worlds Collide made Richard Derr a star, albeit a shooting one - and soon he was back on Broadway starring as Max Halliday in the play Dial "M" For Murder (Plymouth Theatre, Oct. 29. 1952 - Feb 27. 1954) which ran for a year and half.

 

In the 50s he had numerous TV roles:
   Studio One (CBS, 9 jan 1950, min. 1),
   The Silver Theatre (CBS, Feb 27. 1950, min. 1),
   The Ford Theatre Hour
(CBS, June 2. 1950, min. 1),
   Kraft Television Theatre
(NBC, April 4 . 1951, min. 1),
   Playhouse 90 (CBS, prior to 1959), and
   U.S. Steel Hour (NBC, prior to 1959).

 

Only once he played Ellery Queen in the Season 2 TV episode "Confidential Agent" (ABC, Aug 27. 1952) of The Adventures of Ellery Queen as a replacement for the lead, Lee Bowman who was on vacation...

 

On the Broadway stage he played Dan King in Plain and Fancy (Mark Hellinger Theater, Jan. 27. 1955 - Mar 3. 1956), which he repeated for his London debut (Drury Lane, Jan. 25, 1956) after closing there, he traveled throughout the Philippines and the Hawaiian Islands with the road company of The Man.

He appeared as Mark in Maybe Tuesday (Playhouse, Jan. 27. - Feb 1. 1958) in New York and as Brick in a tour of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Summer 1958).

Gusti Huber, Maurice Evans, and Richard Derr in "Dial 'M' for Murder" (Plymouth Theatre, Oct. 29. 1952 - Feb 27. 1954).Derr appeared in "Maybe Tuesday" (Playhouse, Jan. 27. - Feb 1. 1958) opposite Patricia Smith.
Above left: Gusti Huber, Maurice Evans, and Richard Derr in Dial "M" for Murder (Plymouth Theatre, Oct. 29. 1952 - Feb 27. 1954).
Above right: Derr appeared in Maybe Tuesday (Playhouse, Jan. 27. - Feb 1. 1958) opposite Patricia Smith.

In 1958 another TV pilot was filmed for The Shadow. Several episodes were filmed but again the show didn't go to series. Republic, known for squeezing every last penny out of their productions, released this to movie theaters as a 60-minute feature titled Invisible Avenger (Republic, 2 dec 1958), and again in 1962 re-titled Bourbon Street Shadows. This one had higher production values, and wasn't bound to a stage set. It opened with the voice of "The Shadow" much like the radio series. Instead of organ music, though, viewers hear a gong being struck repeatedly in the background. Lamont Cranston was played by Richard Derr, who was a strange choice to play Cranston, because of his light hair. In all other incarnations of "The Shadow", Cranston was dark haired. (John Olsen)

 

Richard Derr was signed as host of the NBC-TV Tuesday night series, Fanfare, a film anthology which started July 7. 1959. The series was previously announced as Summertime '59.

 

At Atlantic Beach, New York he appeared in 1959 's summer stock production of Epitaph of George Dillon.

Derr spent the next several decades working on stage and in television. On the stage in the title role of a tour of Mister Roberts (Summer 1959); and on Broadway in Invitation to a March (Music Box, Oct. 28 - 29. 1960).

 

Derr has also appeared on such television series as Perry Mason (CBS, Nov 25. 1961 - Oct 1. 1963, min. 2), The Outer Limits (ABC, Mar 16. 1964, min. 1), and Mannix (CBS, Sep 30. 1967 - Oct 19. 1968, min. 2).

 

As far as science fiction is concerned, he had cameo roles in Star Trek in two different episodes, "The Alternative Factor," (NBC, Mar 30. 1967) as Commodore Barstow and "The Mark of Gideon," (NBC, Jan 17. 1969) as Admiral Fitzgerald.

Richard Derr as Admiral Fitzgerald "on screen" in Star Trek's "The Mark of Gideon".On February 20. 1974 in the "Cannon" episode "The Cure that Kills" Richard Derr played an attorney.
Above left: As Admiral Fitzgerald "on screen" in Star Trek's "The Mark of Gideon"  (NBC, Jan 17. 1969).
Above right: In the Cannon episode "The Cure that Kills" (CBS, Feb 20. 1974) Richard Derr played an attorney.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, it was mainly TV that provided him with an income:
Barnaby Jones
(CBS, Mar 25. 1973 - Mar 22. 1979, min. 6);
Starsky and Hutch (ABC, Oct 23. 1976, min. 1);
Project U.F.O. (NBC, Mar 19. 1978, min. 1);
Taxi (ABC, Mar 4. 1980, min. 1); and
Dallas
(CBS, Oct 1. 1981 - Dec 3. 1981, min.3).

Richard Derr opposite Richard Gere in "American Gigolo" (1980).Derr's last television role was a guest shot in the TV series "Automan" (1983)

Above left: Richard Derr opposite Richard Gere in American Gigolo (Paramount, Feb 1. 1980).
Above right: Derr's last television role was a guest shot in the TV series
Automan (ABC, Dec 29. 1983).

In 1983, however, Derr retired and made a new career in the real estate business, in the lucrative Beverly Hills market, although he occasionally accepted a TV role. He held a real estate broker's license, was an associate of the Beverly Hills Realty Company and a member of the Beverly Hills Realty Board.

His last television roles were guest roles in "Line of Fire" an episode of Trauma Center (ABC, Dec 15. 1983), and in the TV series Automan (ABC, Dec 29. 1983) (which starred Robert Lansing, as well as Desi Arnaz Jr. and Chuck Wagner).

Derr succumbed, just as his mother had done, to pancreatic cancer on May 8, 1992, at the age of 74.
 
Notes:

* At Arizona State University the Richard Derr papers are held. They confirm his year of birth as 1917. In contradiction to the more widely spread "1918".

All dates for movies are for the first US release.
All dates for TV programs are original first airdates.
All dates for (radio) plays are for the time span the actor was involved.

Facts in red still need confirmation.

 
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Other references
(1) IBDB
(2) Wikipedia

(3) IMDb
(4) Richard Derr Papers with special thanks to Katherine Krzys, Curator,
     Rare Books and Manuscripts

(5) "When Worlds Collide" by Wade Williams in Filmfax Dec/Jan 1992
     issue, #30
(6) Wikitree
(7) Radiogoldindex
(8) OTRRpedia
(9) Playbill

Additional video & audio sources
(1) When Worlds Collide - 1951 trailer
(2) Invisible Avenger - 1958 as Lamont Cranston/The Shadow
(3) Bourbon Street Shadows - 1962 trailer (= Invisible Avenger revamped)
(4) Tales of Tomorrow - episode "The Miraculous Serum" - 1952


This actor profile is a part of Ellery Queen a website on deduction. The actor above played Ellery Queen in an Ellery Queen TV series. Click Uncle Sam if you think you can help out...!
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Page first published on February 28. 2019 
Last updated July 8. 2024 

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