Celebrity Grave: "Virginian" Actor Doug McClure 1995

Douglas Osborne "Doug" McClure (May 11, 1935 – February 5, 1995) was an American actor whose career in film and television extended from the 1950s to the 1990s. Born in Glendale, California, to Donald Reed McClure and the former Clara Clapp, he is best known for his appearances as Trampas in the NBC western series The Virginian.

Career

McClure's The Virginian co-stars were James Drury, Roberta Shore, Lee J. Cobb, Randy Boone, Gary Clarke, and Tim Matheson in the later seasons. Before The Virginian, McClure costarred in two other series: (1) as Frank "Flip" Flippen on NBC's western, Overland Trail (1960), with co-star William Bendix, and (2) as Jed Sills on the CBS detective series Checkmate (1960–1962) opposite Anthony George as Don Corey and Sebastian Cabot as Dr. Carl Hyatt. In 1958 and 1959, McClure appeared in three episodes of the syndicated western series 26 Men, stories of the Arizona Rangers. He appeared as Adam Davis in 1959 in the episode "The Court Martial of Trooper Davis" of the syndicated series Mackenzie's Raiders starring Richard Carlson. He was in the third episode of The Twilight Zone, "Mr. Denton on Doomsday."

He starred in science fiction films such as At the Earth's Core, The Land That Time Forgot and The People That Time Forgot, all three based on the novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs. In 1967, he played the Errol Flynn role in a re-make of Against All Flags titled The King's Pirate. He played the lead in two World War II adventures, The Longest Hundred Miles and The Birdmen, set in the Philippines and at Colditz Castle respectively.

He co-starred on the sitcom Out of This World later in his career.

In the 1970s and 80s McClure appeared in commercials for Hamms Beer.[1]

On February 5, 1995, McClure died from lung cancer in Sherman Oaks, California. He was 59 and is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery. In addition to his fifth wife, he was survived by three daughters, including Valerie and Tane McClure (below), who is an actress.

McClure has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television at 7065 Hollywood Blvd. That star was unveiled in what proved to be his final public appearance in 1994.

The character of Troy McClure on The Simpsons was designed after him along with Troy Donahue. Mike Reiss, executive producer of The Simpsons, said that Doug McClure's daughter informed him that Doug was a big fan of The Simpsons. She said that while watching an episode Doug saw the character Troy McClure on the show and said, "Are they making fun of me?" Doug said he thought the parody was funny and his kids would call him Troy McClure behind his back as a joke.[2]

Filmography

The Enemy Below (1957)
Gidget (1959)
The Unforgiven (1960)
Because They're Young (1960)
The Lively Set! (1964)
Shenandoah (1965)
Beau Geste (1966)
The King's Pirate (1967)
Nobody's Perfect (1968)
Backtrack (1969)
Terror in the Sky (1971)
Playmates (1972)
The Judge and Jake Wyler (1972)
"Die blutigen Geier von Alaska" (Germany, 1973)
The Land That Time Forgot (1975)
At the Earth's Core (1976)
The People That Time Forgot (1977)
Warlords of Atlantis (1978)
Wild and Wooly (1978)
The Rebels - Pt. 2 of the Kent Family Chronicles (1979)
Humanoids from the Deep (1980)
Firebird 2015 A.D. (1981)
The House Where Evil Dwells (1982)
Cannonball Run II (1984)
52 Pick-Up (1986)
Omega Syndrome (1986)
Prime Suspect (1988)
Tapeheads (1988)
Dark Before Dawn (1988)
Battling for Baby (1992)
Dead Man's Revenge (1993)
Maverick (1994)
Riders in the Storm (1995)

Television

Twilight zone "mr denton on doomsday" (1959)
COronado 9 - Jimmy Hoke in "The Widow of Kill Cove" (1960)
Johnny Midnight - Rice in "Mother's Boy" (1960)
Overland Trail - Frank Flippin (1960)
Checkmate - Jed Stills (1960–1962)
The Virginian - Trampas (1962–1971)
The Longest Hundred Miles (1967)
The Birdmen (1971)
Barbary Coast - Cash Conover (1975)
Satan's Triangle - Lt. J. Haig (1975)
Search - C. R. Grover (1972–1973)
Roots - Jimmy Brent (1977)
Out of This World - Mayor Kyle Applegate (1987–1991)
In The Heat Of The Night:Time's Long Shadow (1994)
The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1994)

References

1.^ Doug McClure Played Trampas and commercial Dick Kleiner syndicated column, Ocala Star-Banner, Oct 29, 1982.
2.^ The Simpsons Season 2 DVD, Episode: Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment