Norman Fell

Norman Fell

Birth name: Norman Noah Feld
Born: March 24, 1924
Died: December 14, 1998 (at age 74)
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Popularity:
Biography

Norman Fell (March 24, 1924 - December 14, 1998), born Norman Noah Feld, was an American actor of film and television, most famous for his role as landlord Mr. Roper on the sitcom Three's Company and its spin-off, The Ropers.

Early life

Fell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 24, 1924, to a Jewish family. He attended Central High School of Philadelphia. He studied drama at Temple University after serving as a tail gunner on a B-25 Mitchell in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He later honed his craft at The Actors Studio.

Career

Aside from Fell's best-known television work, he also played minor character roles in several films, including the original Ocean's 11, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, PT 109, The Graduate, Bullitt and Catch-22 (as Sergeant Towser). He appeared alongside Ronald Reagan in Reagan's last film, The Killers.

From 1961 to 1962, he portrayed Meyer Meyer in the TV series Ed McBain's 87th Precinct.

From 1977 to 1979, he portrayed the main characters' hardnosed landlord Stanley Roper on the hit sitcom, Three's Company (a role with some similarities to Mr. McCleery in The Graduate). He continued the role as the co-lead with Audra Lindley playing his wife. Helen, on The Ropers, a spin-off which lasted a year.

He won a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Actor in a Supporting Role in 1979, for Three's Company. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his dramatic performance as the boxing trainer of Tom Jordache (Nick Nolte) in the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man. His final television appearance was a cameo as Mr. Roper on an episode of the sitcom Ellen in 1997.

Death

Fell died of cancer in Los Angeles on December 14, 1998, and was interred at the Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. He was 74.

Filmography

Year Title Role Other notes
1957 The Violators Ray
1959 Pork Chop Hill Sgt. Coleman
1960 Inherit the Wind WGN Radio Technician
The Rat Race Telephone Repairman
Ocean's 11 Peter Rheimer
1963 PT 109 Edmund Drewitch
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Detective
1964 The Killers Mickey Farmer
Quick, Before it Melts George Snell
1967 The Young Warriors Sergeant Wadley
Fitzwilly Oberblatz
The Graduate Mr. McCleery
1968 Sergeant Ryker Sgt. Max Winkler
The Secret War of Harry Frigg Capt. Stanley
The Young Runaways Mr. Donford
Bullitt Captain Baker
1969 If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium Harve Blakely
1970 Catch-22 First Sgt. Towser
The Boatniks Max
1973 The Stone Killer Lt. Les Daniels Captain of Detectives LAPD
Charley Varrick Mr. Garfinkle
1974 Airport 1975 Bill
1976 Guardian of the Wilderness
1977 The Life And Times Of Grizzly Adams- The Redemption of Ben Mitch Morgan
1978 Rabbit Test Segoynia's Father
The End Dr. Samuel Krugman
1981 On the Right Track The Mayor
Heartbreak High Jack McGuire
Crunch ?
Paternity Larry
1985 Transylvania 6-5000 Mac Turner
1989 C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. Tyler
1990 You're Driving Me Crazy Doctor 'F'
1991 The Boneyard Shepard Direct-to-Video Release
With Friends Like These... Narrator Direct-to-Video Release
For the Boys Sam Schiff
1992 The Naked Truth The Dentist
1993 Hexed Herschel Levine
1995 Beach House The Landlord
1996 The Destiny of Marty Fine Daryl

Television

Year Title Role Other notes
1997 Ellen Mr. Roper Episode: Roommates
1996 The Naked Truth (TV series) Himself Episode: 5 Bully for Dave
1995 Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare Grandpa Joe Dooley TV-Movie
1994 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air The Landlord Episode: What's Will Got to Do With It?
1993 Flying Blind Employer #2 Episode: Panic in Neil's Park
1990 Good Grief Slezar Episode: The Good, the Bad and the Mariachis
1989 The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Fred Van Winkle
Ted Bull
Episode: Fred Van Winkle
Episode: Texas Tea
Hooperman Pete Cosgrove, Ventriloquist Episode: Dog Day Afternoon, Morning and Night
The Boys Dave
1985, 1988 Murder, She Wrote Vince Shackman
Lt. Rupp
Episode: Dead Heat
Episode: Just Another Fish Story
1987 Sledge Hammer! Episode: They Call Me Mr. Trunk
Out of This World Dr. Hauser Episode: The Nightmare
Matlock Dr. Norman Radburn Episode: The Doctors
Magnum, P.I. David Albertson Episode: Solo Flight
1985, 1986 Crazy Like a Fox Episode: Some Day My Prints Will Come
Episode: A Fox at the Races
1986 The New Twilight Zone Eddie O'Hara Episode: The Convict's Piano
Webster Charlie Episode: Almost Home
1985 Simon & Simon Leo Nyquist Episode: Facets
1984 The Jesse Owens Story Marty Forkins TV-Movie
1983 Uncommon Valor Garvin TV-Movie
1982 Matt Houston Herman Episode: Joey's Here
Teachers Only Ben Cooper
1976-1981 Three's Company Stanley Roper Golden Globe Award (won)
1979-1980 The Ropers Stanley Roper
1980 For the Love of It Hall TV-Movie
This Year's Blonde Pat Toledo TV-Movie
Getting There Jim TV-Movie
1979 Roots: The Next Generations Bernie Raymond Mini-Series
1978 The Love Boat Mr. McCoy, Julie's Father Episode: Julie's Dilemma/Who's Who/Rocky
1974, 1977 Police Story Sgt. Dell
Lieutenant Alfred Thornwood
Episode: Wolf
Episode: One of Our Cops is Crazy
1977 Charlie's Angels Sammy Episode: Angels in Paradise
The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams Episode: The Redemption of Ben
1976 Executive Suite Bernie Episode: Re-The Sounds of Silence
Switch Episode: Gaffing the Skim
Richie Brockelman: The Missing 24 Hours Mr. Brockelman TV-Movie
The Streets of San Francisco Juror Episode: The Thrill Killers (1)
Episode: The Thrill Killers (2)
The Bionic Woman Milt Bigelow Episode: In This Corner, Jaime Sommers
Risko Max Unsold TV-Pilot
Ellery Queen Errol Keyes Episode: The Adventure of the Tyrant of Tin Pan Alley
Rich Man, Poor Man Smitty Mini-Series
Emmy Award (nominated)
1975 Starsky and Hutch Sammy Grovner Episode: Shootout
Cannon Police Lieutenant Episode: The Games Children Play
Rhoda Dr. Henry Gerber Episode: Chest Pains
Episode: Ida's Doctor
Lucas Tanner Abe Lydecker Episode: The Noise of a Quiet Weekend
McMillan & Wife Allan Kovacs Episode: Love, Honor and Swindle
Death Stalk Frank Cody TV-Movie
1974 Thursday's Game Melvin Leonard TV-Movie
Medical Center Frank Episode: The World's Balloon
1973 Griff Episode: Hammerlock
Needles and Pins Nathan Davidson
Going Places Mr. Shaw TV-Movie
Marcus Welby, M.D. Episode: Catch a Ring That Isn't There
1969, 1972 Love, American Style Segment: Love and the Good Deal
Segment: Love and the Clinic
1972 McCloud Lt. Ed Feldman Episode: The Park Avenue Rustlers
The Heist Pat Dillon TV-Movie
O'Hara, U.S. Treasury Leo Walsh Episode: Operation - Smokescreen
1970-1971 Dan August Sgt. Charles Wilentz
1971 The Partridge Family Mr. Bruner Episode: The Undergraduate
1970 Double Jeopardy Sgt. Charles Wilentz TV-Movie
1967, 1969 Ironside Capt. Lauren
Lt. Haines
Episode: An Inside Job
Episode: Seeing Is Believing
1965, 1968, 1969 The F.B.I. Ted Cullinan
Ken Haney
Victor Green
Episode: All the Streets Are Silent
Episode: The Mercenary
Episode: The Catalyst
1969 Three's a Crowd Norman, the Elevator Operator TV-Movie
The Name of the Game Winston Polk Episode: A Hard Case of the Blues
1968 Judd, for the Defense Harry Green Episode: The Sound of the Plastic Axe
That Girl Bernie Episode: Sixty-Five on the Aisle
1967 Mannix Daniel Brewer Episode: Coffin for a Clown
I Spy Karin Episode: The Medarra Block
Ghostbreakers Lt. P.J. Hartunain TV Pilot
The Invaders Neal Taft Episode: The Betrayed
1964, 1966 Twelve O'Clock High Lt. Canello Episode: An Act of War
Episode: The All-American
1966 Bewitched Dr. Freud Episode: I'd Rather Twitch Than Fight
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Eddie Carr Episode: Dear Deductible
A Man Called Shenandoah Capt. Arnold Dudley Episode: Muted Fifes, Muffled Drums
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Mark Slate Episode: The Moonglow Affair
The Wild Wild West Jeremiah Ratch Episode: The Night of the Whirring Death
1964, 1965 Ben Casey Arnold Halbert
Manny Berger
Episode: I'll Get on My Ice Floe and Wave Goodbye
Episode: Where Does the Boomerang Go?
1965 The Fugitive Lt. Germak
Lt. Green
Episode: May God Have Mercy
Episode: Stranger in the Mirror
Dr. Kildare Dr. Keith Myers
Arnold Vitnack
The Trials of O'Brien Mickey the Miser Episode: How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?
Mr. Novak Barney Sanders Episode: And Then I Wrote...
1964 The Hanged Man Gaylord Grebb TV-Movie
The Defenders George Capp Episode: Moment of Truth
1963 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Al Norman Episode: The Dividing Wall
East Side/West Side Eddie Best Episode: Not Bad for Openers
Kraft Suspense Theatre Sgt. Max Winkler Episode: The Case Against Paul Ryker (1)
Episode: The Case Against Paul Ryker (2)
The Dick Powell Show Dr. Joseph Greer Episode: The Last of the Big Spenders
The Lloyd Bridges Show Episode: Gym in January
Episode: Sheridan Square
The Eleventh Hour Lionel Episode: Five Moments Out of Time
1961, 1962 87th Precinct Det. Meyer Meyer Episode: The Floater
Episode: Man in a Jam
1962 Sam Benedict Alex McConnell Episode: Where There's a Will
1961 Cain's Hundred Driscoll Episode: Cain's Final Judgement
Checkmate Shep Stryker Episode: Hot Wind in a Cold Town
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Cole Episode: Be It Ever So Humble
The Aquanauts Oliver Pappas Episode: The Rainbow Adventure
Peter Gunn Danny Barber Episode: A Kill and a Half
The Tab Hunter Show Emory Farnsworth Episode: Me and My Shadow
The Law and Mr. Jones Fred Cook Episode: Lethal Weapons
1960 The Tom Ewell Show Episode: Salesmanship Lesson
The Untouchables Reiner Episode: The Rusty Heller Story
Perry Mason Caspar Pedley Episode: The Case of the Mythical Monkeys
Johnny Staccato Bill Lentz Episode: The Man in the Pit
1959 Hallmark Hall of Fame Wint Selby Episode: Ah, Wilderness!
1956 The United States Steel Hour Detective Episode: Hunted
Playwrights '56 Nick Zervas Episode: Nick and Letty
Star Tonight Sharp Episode: Faith and Patience
The Alcoa Hour Marvie Episode: Finkle's Comet
1955 Joe & Mabel Mike
1954 The Elgin Hour Morton Episode: Hearts and Hollywood
Westinghouse Studio One Juror #1 Episode: Twelve Angry Men
The Philco Television Playhouse Episode: Miss Look-Alike
Goodyear Television Playhouse Episode: The Huntress
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[ Source: Wikipedia ]


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