Classic TV Birthdays: March 5

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First up on today’s birthday list: Michael Warren. The 68 year old actor guested on Adam-12, Mod Squad and The White Shadow. Warren co-starred on two short-lived 1970s series (Paris, Sierra), later landing his biggest role as Officer Bobby Hill on Hill Street Blues.

Also celebrating birthdays: UK actress Samantha Eggar (guested on Baretta, The Love Boat) is 75, Paul Sand (appeared on Bewitched and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, starred in 1974’s Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers) turns 79, James Sikking (guested on Combat!, The FBI, Hogan’s Heroes…later a regular on Doogie Howser M.D. and Hill Street Blues) is 80 and James Noble (Benson) turns 92.

dean-stockwell
Former child actor Dean Stockwell is 78 today. Stockwell had guest roles on a number of classic TV series, including Dr. Kildare, Police Story, The Streets of San Francisco and Wagon Train. He may be best known for his role on the time travel series Quantum Leap.

March 5 was also the birthday of some classic TV stars no longer with us. Jack Cassidy guested on shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Columbo and Love American Style. He was the father of David Cassidy and once married to Shirley Jones, who played the younger Cassidy’s mom on The Partridge Family. Rex Harrison, known for his film roles (Doctor Doolittle, My Fair Lady), also had several small screen appearances (The Ed Sullivan Show, The United States Steel Hour).

Also born this day: character actress Virginia Christine. She guested on many classic shows of the 1950s and 60s, among them Daniel Boone, Kojak and Perry Mason. Many of us remember her for her role in a long-running TV commercial campaign:

We also lost some classic TV friends on March 5. Whit Bissell guested on TV shows from the 1950s to the 80s and was a regular on The Time Tunnel. John Belushi was in the original cast of Saturday Night Live. Billy De Wolfe appeared on such programs as The Doris Day Show and That Girl.

Others passing this day: stage and film star Richard Kiley (guested on The Defenders, Gunsmoke), Gary Merrill (Branded, Cannon, The Twilight Zone) and Jay Silverheels (he played The Lone Ranger’s sidekick, Tonto).