Simon Oakland

Description:

One of the movies' most memorable tough guys, Simon Oakland actually began his career as a concert violinist, turning to acting in the late 1940s. After a long string of roles in Broadway hits, including "Light Up the Sky," "The Shrike" and "Inherit the Wind," Oakland made his film debut as the tough but compassionate journalist who speaks up for Susan Hayward's "Barbara Graham" in I Want to Live! (1958). He would go on to play a long series of tough guy types, albeit usually on the right side of the law, in such films as The Sand Pebbles (1966), Tony Rome (1967), Psycho (1960), and, most notably, nasty Lieutenant Schrank in West Side Story (1961). He was also a frequently seen face on TV, at one point serving as a regular or semi-regular on four different series at once. Much respected by his co-workers as a total professional, he died, after a long battle with cancer, one day after his 68th birthday.

Overview

Birthday August 28, 1915
Born In Brooklyn, New York, USA
Alternative names Cy Oakland , Si Oakland , Sy Oakland
Height 183 cm
Spouse/Ex- Lois Lorraine Porta 1945 - August 29, 1983 (his death)
Parents Jacob Weiss
Children Barbara Ann Weiss

Did you know

Trivia Maintained dual residences in both New York and California so he could maintain his career in both theater (Broadway) and movies/television (Hollywood). He traveled frequently by air between the East Coast and the West Coast.
Salaries $1,000

Scores

Psycho
1h 49m
8.5
West Side Story
2h 33m
7.6
Bullitt
1h 54m
7.4
The Night Strangler
1h 14m
7.3
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