- Lyle Bettger
Infobox actor
bgcolour =
name = Lyle Bettger
caption = in "The Greatest Show on Earth " (1952)
imagesize =
birthname =
birthdate = birth date|1915|2|13
location = city-state|Philadelphia|Pennsylvania
deathdate = death date and age|2003|9|24|1915|2|13
deathplace = city-state|San Luis Obispo|California
occupation =
spouse =Lyle S. Bettger (
February 13 ,1915 –September 24 ,2003 ) was a character actor known most for hisHollywood roles from the 1950s, typically portraying villains. He is perhaps most recognisable as the wrathfully jealous elephant handler Klaus from the Oscar winning film "The Greatest Show on Earth " (1952).Born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , Lyle was the son ofFrank Bettger , who was an infielder for theSt Louis Cardinals . An enthusiastic fan of cinema, Lyle left school in his late teens with the ambition of becoming an actor.Bettger graduated from the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. His theatrical debut was in "Brother Rat " at the "Biltmore Theater " in New York City in 1936. After a period languishing in small-time theatre he landed the lead role in the Broadway production of "The Flying Gerardos" in 1940. When Paramount sent a talent scout to see the show, Bettger was signed on a three-year contract.Bettger's movie career began when he was cast as the lead in the
Film noir "No Man of Her Own" (1950). After that he soon became a regular on the set of Westerns such as "Denver and Rio Grande" (1952), "The Great Sioux Uprising" (1953), "Drums Across the River" (1954), "The Lone Ranger " (1956) and "Gunfight at the OK Corral" (1957). Lyle developed a reputation for playing the bad guy and excelled in villainous roles such as the menacing Joe Beacom in "Union Station" (1950) and the cold-blooded Nazi Chief Officer Kirchner in "The Sea Chase " (1955), a role which exploited his aryan appearance.Bettger also made many appearances in dramatic roles on television, including several guest appearances in "
Hawaii Five-O " as well as roles in "Rawhide", "The Rifleman ", "Bonanza " and "The Time Tunnel."Lyle Bettger died on
September 24 , id=0079328|name=Lyle Bettger
*amg name|2:5989
*findagrave|7936523
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