
Edward Platt
Born
February 14, 1916
Died
March 19, 1974 (58 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Staten Island, New York, USA
Forever and fondly remembered as Don Adams' foil on the popular Mel Brooks/Buck Henry spy series Get Smart (1965), character actor Ed Platt (also billed as Edward C. Platt) had been around for two decades prior to copping that rare comedy role. Born in Staten Island, New York, on Valentine's Day, 1916, he inherited an appreciation of music on his mother's side. He spent a part of his childhood in Kentucky and in upstate New York where he attended Northwood, a private school in Lake Placid, and was a member of the ski jump team. He majored in romantic languages at Princeton University but left a year later to study at the Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati after his thoughts turned to a possible operatic career. He later was accepted into Juilliard.
Instead of opera, however, Ed first became a band vocalist with Paul Whiteman and Orchestra. He then sang bass as part of the Mozart Opera Company in New York. With the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company in 1942, he appeared in the operettas "The Mikado," "The Gondoliers" and "The Pirates of Penzance".
WWII interrupted his early career. Ed served as a radio operator with the army and would find himself on radio again in the post-war years where his deep, resonant voice proved ideal. A number of musical comedy roles also came his way again. In 1947, he made it to Broadway with the musical "Allegro." Star José Ferrer took an interest in Ed while they both were appearing in "The Shrike" on Broadway in 1952.
Around 1953, Edward moved to Texas to be near his brother and began anchoring the local news and kiddie birthday party show called "Uncle Eddie's Kiddie Party." Ferrer remembered Platt and invited him to Hollywood where Ferrer was starring in the film version of The Shrike (1955). Ed recreated his stage role. He also earned fine notices as James Dean's understanding juvenile officer in the classic film Rebel Without a Cause (1955).
This led to a plethora of film and TV support offers where the balding actor made fine use of his dark, rich voice, stern intensity and pragmatic air, portraying a slew of professional and shady types in crime yarns, soap dramas and war pictures -- everything from principals and prosecutors to mobsters and murderers.
After years of playing it serious, which included stints on the daytime drama General Hospital (1963), Ed finally was able to focus on comedy as "The Chief" to Don Adams klutzy secret agent on Get Smart (1965), a show that inevitably found a cult audience. Picking up a few occasional guest spots in its aftermath, he later tried producing.
Twice married and the father of four, Platt died on March 19, 1974. Death was attributed to a massive heart attack at the time. Years later his son revealed that his father, suffering from acute depression and undergoing severe financial pressures, committed suicide at his Santa Monica, California apartment.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.ne

The Female Instinct
Julius Nero
1972
Temperatures Rising
Senator Bradley · (1 episode)
1972

Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
Caldwell · (1 episode)
1971

The Odd Couple
Bill Donnelly · (1 episode)
1970

Love, American Style
(1 episode)
1969

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self · (1 episode)
1968

Get Smart: A Man Called Smart
Chief
1967

Johnny Shiloh
Gen. Thomas
1965

The Further Adventures of Gallegher
The Judge
1965

Get Smart
Thaddeus · (138 episodes)
1965

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Morgan · (1 episode)
1964

Bullet for a Badman
Tucker
1964

Petticoat Junction
General Patterson · (1 episode)
1963

Burke's Law
Capt. Frank Metcalfe · (1 episode)
1963

Temple Houston
(1 episode)
1963

The Outer Limits
Dean Radcliffe · (1 episode)
1963

The Outer Limits
Mr. Terrence · (1 episode)
1963

The Outer Limits
David Hunt (as Edward C. Platt) · (1 episode)
1963

Arrest and Trial
Judge Kenneth W. Browne · (1 episode)
1963

Arrest and Trial
Judge Phillips · (1 episode)
1963

Arrest and Trial
Judge · (3 episodes)
1963

Arrest and Trial
Superior Court Judge · (1 episode)
1963

A Ticklish Affair
Captain Haven Hitchcock
1963

Black Zoo
Chief Rivers
1963
General Electric True
(1 episode)
1962

The Virginian
Stuart Brynmar · (1 episode)
1962

Saints and Sinners
Dr. Gates · (1 episode)
1962

Cape Fear
Judge
1962

The Explosive Generation
Mr. Morton
1961

The Dick Van Dyke Show
Lou Gregory · (1 episode)
1961

Dr. Kildare
Dr. Tom Paulson · (1 episode)
1961

Who Killed Julie Greer?
Joe Nolan
1961

Atlantis: The Lost Continent
Azor the High Priest
1961
The Fiercest Heart
Madrigo
1961

Surfside 6
(1 episode)
1960

Thriller
James Weeks · (1 episode)
1960

Pollyanna
Ben Tarbell
1960

Cash McCall
Harrison Glenn
1960

Mr. Lucky
(1 episode)
1959

Hawaiian Eye
Dr. Wallace Oliver · (1 episode)
1959

The Twilight Zone
Doctor · (1 episode)
1959

Bonanza
Harvey Buford · (1 episode)
1959

Bonanza
Wade Colly · (1 episode)
1959

The Deputy
Noah Harper · (1 episode)
1959

Bonanza
Will Flanders · (1 episode)
1959

Inside the Mafia
Dan Regent
1959

North by Northwest
Victor Larrabee
1959

The Rebel Set
Mr. Tucker / Mr. T
1959

They Came to Cordura
Col. DeRose
1959

The Lawless Years
(1 episode)
1959

One Step Beyond
Will Denning · (1 episode)
1959

Rawhide
(0 episode)
1959

Rawhide
Jason Clark · (1 episode)
1959

Destination Space
Dr. Easton (as Edward C. Platt)
1959

77 Sunset Strip
(1 episode)
1958

77 Sunset Strip
Mr. Jacobin · (1 episode)
1958

Bat Masterson
Roy Evens · (1 episode)
1958

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
(1 episode)
1958

The Rifleman
(1 episode)
1958

Bronco
(1 episode)
1958

Peter Gunn
(1 episode)
1958

Gunman's Walk
Purcell Avery
1958

The Last of the Fast Guns
Sam Grypton
1958

The High Cost of Loving
Eli Cave
1958

Summer Love
Dr. Thomas Daley
1958

Damn Citizen
Joseph Kosta (as Edward C. Platt)
1958

The Gift of Love
Dr. Jim Miller
1958

Oregon Passage
Roland Dane
1957

Trackdown
(1 episode)
1957

Trackdown
Adam Madson · (1 episode)
1957

Trackdown
George Mason · (1 episode)
1957

The Helen Morgan Story
Johnny Haggerty
1957

Alcoa Theatre
Lieutenant · (1 episode)
1957

Perry Mason
Cmdr. Driscoll · (1 episode)
1957

Perry Mason
Tom Stratton · (1 episode)
1957

Wagon Train
Spinoza de Costa · (1 episode)
1957

Wagon Train
Cyrus Bolton · (1 episode)
1957

Have Gun, Will Travel
(1 episode)
1957

House of Numbers
The Warden
1957

Omar Khayyam
Jayhan
1957

Designing Woman
Martin J. Daylor
1957

The Tattered Dress
Ralph Adams, Reporter (as Edward C. Platt)
1957

The Unguarded Moment
Attorney Briggs (as Edward C. Platt)
1956

Rock, Pretty Baby
Thomas Daley Sr.
1956

The Great Man
Dr. O'Conner (as Edward C. Platt)
1956

Reprisal!
Neil Shipley
1956

West Point
(1 episode)
1956

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Sheriff Galt · (1 episode)
1956

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Marshall Mays · (1 episode)
1956

Written on the Wind
Dr. Paul Cochrane
1956

Wire Service
Palmer · (1 episode)
1956

State Trooper
Stanley Andrews · (1 episode)
1956

State Trooper
John Wilbur Mason · (1 episode)
1956

Storm Center
Rev. Wilson
1956

The Proud Ones
Dr. Barlow
1956

Serenade
Everett Carter
1956

Backlash
Sheriff J.C. Marson
1956

The Steel Jungle
Judge Wahller
1956

The Lieutenant Wore Skirts
Major Dunning - Psychiatrist
1956

Sincerely Yours
Dr. Eubank (uncredited)
1955

Rebel Without a Cause
Ray Fremick
1955

Illegal
Ralph Ford
1955

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Mr. Henshaw · (1 episode)
1955

Gunsmoke
Mr. Burgess · (1 episode)
1955

The Shrike
Harry Downs (as Edward C. Platt)
1955

Cult of the Cobra
Lamian Threatening Death (uncredited)
1955

The Wonderful World of Disney
Judge (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1954

The Wonderful World of Disney
Lease Harris · (1 episode)
1954

The Wonderful World of Disney
General Thomas · (2 episodes)
1954

Studio 57
(1 episode)
1954

Letter to Loretta
Henry · (2 episodes)
1953

Letter to Loretta
Sutter · (1 episode)
1953

General Electric Theater
(1 episode)
1953

Cavalcade of America
Dr. Banner · (1 episode)
1952

Cavalcade of America
(1 episode)
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Freddie · (1 episode)
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Chief of Police · (1 episode)
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Dr. Fain · (1 episode)
1952

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Sparks · (1 episode)
1951

I Was a Male War Bride
Lieutenant in Gates' Office (uncredited)
1949