Adams, Mason 1919–2005

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ADAMS, Mason 1919–2005

PERSONAL

Born February 26, 1919, in New York, NY; died April 28, 2005, in New York City; married Margot Adams (a writer), 1958; children: Betsy, Bill. Education: University of Wisconsin, B.A., 1940, M.A., 1941; trained for the stage at the Neighborhood Playhouse.

Addresses: Agent—The Kohner Agency, 9300 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 555, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Career: Actor. Appeared in productions at the Hilltop Theatre, Baltimore, MA, summer, 1940; Ensemble Studio Theatre, member; on–camera and voice spokesperson for television and radio commercials, including commercials for Mattel Aquarius Home Computer, Nuprin pain reliever, Cadbury Eggs, the Salvation Army, and Smuckers products.

Member: Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, The Players Club, Delta Sigma Rho, Phi Kappa Phi.

Awards, Honors: Emmy Award nominations, supporting actor in a drama series, 1979–81, all for Lou Grant.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Thomas Watson, Mr. Bell, 1947.

Narrator (English language), Dream No More, 1950.

Banker, The Happy Hooker, Cannon, 1975.

Voice of Grandpa, Raggedy Ann and Andy (animated), 1976.

Obstetrician, Demon (also known as God Told Me To), 1977.

President of the United States, The Final Conflict (also known as Omen III: The Final Conflict), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1981.

Colonel Mason, F/X (also known as F/X—Murder by Illusion and Murder by Illusion), Orion, 1986.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director Otis Brown, Toy Soldiers, TriStar, 1991.

Walter, Sr., Son–in–Law, Buena Vista, 1993.

Mr. Pike, Houseguest, Buena Vista, 1995.

Dr. Rochelle, Not of This Earth, 1995.

Francis, Life Among the Cannibals (also known as Thrill Kill), 1996.

Father Nestor, Touch, Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer/United Artists, 1997.

Hudson River Blues (also known as Family Blues), 1997.

Derek's father, The Lesser Evil, 1998.

Television Appearances; Series:

Love of Life, CBS, 1951.

Dr. Frank Prescott, Another World (also known as Another World: Bay City), 1976–77.

Charlie Hume, Lou Grant, CBS, 1977–82.

Gordon Blair, Morning Star, Evening Star, NBC, 1985–86.

Everett Daye, Knight and Daye, NBC, 1989.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Samuel Adams, Hugo Black, Clarence Darrow, William O. Douglas, William Allen White, and Woodrow Wilson, Freedom to Speak, 1982.

General Luther Novack, The Quiet Conspiracy, 1989.

Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer, ABC, 1997.

Clinton Anderson, From the Earth to the Moon, HBO, 1998.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Bill Cairns, The Deadliest Season, CBS, 1977.

Dr. Eliot Losen, And Baby Makes Six, NBC, 1979.

Dr. Ed Johnson, A Shining Season, CBS, 1979.

Elmo Tyson, Flamingo Road, NBC, 1980.

Willie the Wino, Murder Can Hurt You!, ABC, 1980.

Wally, The Revenge of the Stepford Wives, NBC, 1980.

Harry Tannenbaum, The Kid with the Broken Halo, NBC, 1982.

Father Ryan, Rage of Angels, 1982.

Ray Mellette, Adam, NBC, 1983.

Ford, Solomon Northup's Odyssey (also known as Half–Slave, Half–Free), 1984.

Ron Sandler, Passions, CBS, 1984.

Sumner Murdock, The Night They Saved Christmas, ABC, 1984.

Dr. Karl Janss, Northstar, ABC, 1986.

Geoffrey Wiggins, Under Siege, 1986.

Dr. Gordon, Who Is Julia?, CBS, 1986.

Father Ryan, Rage of Angels: The Story Continues, NBC, 1986.

Frank Halloran, Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster, NBC, 1991.

Judge Colbert, Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted (also known as Who Speaks for Jonathan?), NBC, 1992.

Henry Hyde, Assault at West Point (also known as Conduct Unbecoming: The Court–Martial of Johnson Whittaker and Assault at West Point: The Court–Martial of Johnson Whittaker), Showtime, 1994.

Dr. Frederick Rochelle, Not of This Earth (also known as Roger Corman Presents: Not of This Earth), Showtime, 1995.

Also appeared in Freedom to Speak and Buying a Landslide.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Clyde Hawthorne, Peking Encounter, syndicated, 1982.

Voice of the Cat in the Hat, The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (animated; also known as The Cat in the Hat Gets Grinched), 1982.

Narrator, Great Day, 1983.

Narrator, The Whimsical World of Oz (documentary), 1985.

Narrator, Arnold of the Ducks, 1985.

Dr. Parke, You Are the Jury, 1986.

Narrator and host, Norman Rockwell: An American Portrait (documentary), PBS, 1987.

Narrator, Challenge on the Coast (also known as Conserving America), PBS, 1989.

Narrator, American Eats: History on a Bun (documentary), History Channel, 1998.

Narrator, American Drinks: History in a Glass (documentary), History Channel, 1999.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Peter Braden, Hope Division (also known as Shades of Blue), ABC, 1987.

President Harris, Class of '96, 1993.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Conrad, "The Case of the Phantom Fire," The Man Behind the Badge, CBS, 1954.

Mr. Watkins, "A Matter of Dignity," Robert Montgomery Presents, 1955.

Richard Simmons, "Country Cousin Blues/Daddy's Little Girl/Jackpot," The Love Boat, ABC, 1981.

Announcer, Moonlighting, ABC, 1985.

Professor Lloyd Rhodes, "Paper Lion," Family Ties, NBC, 1986.

Bob Ranier, "The Heiress," Matlock, NBC, 1988.

Roger Philby, "The Search for Peter Kerry," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1989.

"A New Woman," Monsters, syndicated, 1990.

"Chute First, Ask Questions Later," Civil Wars, ABC, 1992.

Judge Vance, "Citizen's Court," Family Matters, ABC, 1997.

Sidney Pomeratz, "Chapter Thirteen, Year Two," Murder One, ABC, 1997.

Justice Joseph Crouch, "The Short List," The West Wing, NBC, 1999.

Mr. Hoyt, "Exeunt Omnes," Oz, HBO, 2003.

Stage Appearances:

(Broadway debut) Joe Rigga, Get Away Old Man, Cort Theatre, New York City, 1943.

The second interrogator, A Shadow of My Enemy, American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA), New York City, 1957.

(London debut) Playwright, bed salesman, and Herbert, I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running, New London Theatre, London, 1968.

Judge, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1971.

The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, Tall Story, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1972.

Dr. Theodor Applebaum, Checking Out, Longacre Theatre, 1976.

Andrew, Nicky Shannigan, and understudy for Ed Squall, The Shortchanged Review, New York Shakespeare Festival, New York City, 1976.

Paradise Lost, Mirror Repertory Company, Theatre at St. Peter's Church, New York City, 1984.

Time of Your Life, Mirror Repertory Company, Theatre at St. Peter's Church, 1985.

Leo, Danger: Memory!, Lincoln Center Theatre, New York City, 1987.

Budge/Arno Klein, The Day Room, Manhattan Theatre Club, City Center Stage, New York City, 1987–88.

Lou Gold, The Rose Quartet, Circle Repertory Company, New York City, 1991.

The Ryan Interview, or How It Was Around Here (part of Marathon '95), Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York City, 1995.

Andrew, Lake Hollywood, Signature Theatre Company, New York City, 1999.

Ancestral Voices, Lincoln Center Theatre, 1999.

Lewis Reavis, The Last of the Thorntons, Signature Theatre Company, 2000.

Dan Dibble, The Man Who Had All the Luck, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA, 2001, then American Airlines Theater, New York City, 2002.

Also appeared in Career Angel, Broadway production; Public Relations, Broadway production; Violet, Broadway production; Inquest, Broadway production; Foxfire, Broadway production; Meegan's Game, Off–Broadway production; The Soft Touch, Off–Broadway production; as Grandpa, You Can't Take It With You, Bay Street Theatre, New York City.

Radio Appearances:

Title role, Pepper Young's Family, 1946–60.

Performed on most major radio shows originating in New York; radio voiceovers for WPLJ–FM radio in New York City, 1995; appeared as voice of atom man, Superman, c. 1940s.