Brian James Davis (August 5, 1914 – July 15, 1993), better known as David Brian, was an American actor. He is best known for his role in Intruder in the Dust (1949), for which he received critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination. Brian's other notable film roles were in The Damned Don't Cry (1950), This Woman Is Dangerous (1952), Springfield Rifle (1952), Dawn at Socorro (1954), and The High and the Mighty (1954).
On February 8, 1960, Brian was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.
Early years Brian was born Brian Davis in New York City. After school at City College, he found work as a doorman, then entered show business with a song-and-dance routine in vaudeville and in night clubs. He did a wartime stint with the United States Coast Guard during World War II and returned to acting on the New York stage after the war.
Film Persuaded by Joan Crawford to try his hand at film acting, Brian joined her in Hollywood and, in 1949, signed a contract with Warner Bros. The New York City native appeared in such films as Flamingo Road (1949) and The Damned Don't Cry! (1950) with Joan Crawford, and Beyond the Forest (1949) with Bette Davis. He also had a role in the film Springfield Rifle (1952), which starred Gary Cooper, and in the John Wayne movie The High and the Mighty (1954) as Ken Childs.
Brian was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role in Intruder in the Dust (1949).
Television In the 1950s and 1960s, Brian was active in television with guest roles in dozens of shows ranging from dramatic to comedic, from Rawhide to I Dream of Jeannie. In 1954 and 1955, he portrayed the lead character on the TV show Mr. District Attorney, a role he originated on radio.
Brian has a star in the television section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.
Personal life Brian was married to Bonita Fiedler; they divorced in 1948. In 1950, she filed a paternity suit against him, seeking his support for a son born to her. The suit claimed that Brian had admitted to being the baby's father. Brian's attorney, on the other hand, said that Brian did not think he was the child's father. At the time of the suit, Brian was married to Adrian Booth, an actress known as Lorna Gray. On August 11, 1951, a jury found in Brian's favor after another man testified to having been intimate with the mother "several times during the year before the child was born".
Brian's marriage to Booth also had legal problems. In 1949, columnist Jimmie Fidler reported that Booth's "recent marriage to actor David Brian has been set aside by an L.A. judge because of illegalities in his divorce from a former mate".
Death Brian died July 15, 1993, of heart disease and cancer in Sherman Oaks, California.Aaker, Everett (2006). Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters. McFarland & Company, Inc. . pp. 68–70.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1935'G' MenThe Chief1949 reissue scene; uncredited1949Flamingo RoadDan Reynolds1949Intruder in the DustJohn Gavin Stevens1949Beyond the ForestNeil Latimer1950The Damned Don't CryGeorge Castleman1950The Great Jewel RobberGerard Graham Dennis1950BreakthroughCaptain Tom Hale1951Inside StraightRip MacCool1951Inside the Walls of Folsom PrisonMark Benson1951Fort WorthBlair Lunsford1952This Woman is DangerousMatt Jackson1952Springfield RifleAustin McCool1952Million Dollar MermaidAlfred Harper1953A Perilous JourneyMonty Breed1953Ambush at Tomahawk GapEgan1954The High and the MightyKen Childs1954Dawn at SocorroDick Braden1955TimberjackCroft Brunner1955No Place to HideDr. Dobson1956Fury at Gunsight PassWhitey Turner1956The First Traveling SalesladyJames Carter1956Accused of MurderPolice Lt. Roy Hargis1956The White SquawSigrod Swanson1958Ghost of the China SeaMartin French1959The Rabbit TrapEverett Spellman1961Pocketful of MiraclesGovernor1962How the West Was WonLilith's Attorney1966The Rare BreedEllsworth1966Castle of EvilRobert Hawley1968The DestructorsHogan1969Childish ThingsDad Jennings1969The Girl Who Knew Too MuchHad Dixon1971The Seven MinutesCardinal McManus
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1953The Revlon Mirror TheaterEpisode: "Flight from Home"1953–1956Schlitz PlayhousePhil Derringer / Philip Gordon3 episodes1954The Ford Television TheatreWinnie DriscollEpisode: "The Taming of the Shrewd"1954Your Play TimeEpisode: "Flight from Home"1954–1955Mr. District AttorneyD.A. Paul Garrett15 episodes1954–1961General Electric TheaterFrank Freeman / David2 episodes1956Celebrity PlayhouseEpisode: "The Twelve Year Secret"1956–1957CrossroadsMinister / Reverend Richard Farrell3 episodes1958TargetFosterEpisode: "The Tattoo Artist"1959Alcoa TheatreBard KangerEpisode: "Shadow of Evil"1959RawhideJacob Calvin1960Westinghouse Desilu PlayhouseBleeckEpisode: "Murder Is a Private Affair"1960–1961The UntouchablesBrian O'Malley / Dink Conway2 episodes1961Cain's HundredFrank AndreotisEpisode: "Degrees of Guilt"1961 Rawhide Thad Clemens S3:E26, "Incident of the Painted Lady"1962Target: The Corruptors!Chairman TremaineEpisode: "One for the Road"1963LaramieWalt DouglasEpisode: "Protective Custody"1963The DakotasFargoEpisode: "Fargo"1963Death Valley DaysJacob HamblinEpisode: "The Peacemaker"1964Kraft Suspense TheatreMark NelsonEpisode: "Who Is Jennifer?"1964Daniel BooneMajor HortonEpisode: "The Choosing"1965Profiles in CourageCharltonEpisode: "Judge Benjamin Barr Lindsey"1965LaredoTheo HendersonEpisode: "Three's Company"1965I Dream of JeannieP.J. FergusonEpisode: "The Yacht Murder Case"1966Honey WestStore Manager C.C. RockwellEpisode: "The Perfect Un-crime"1966BrandedGregory Hazin3 episodes1966Please Don't Eat the DaisiesRoland CunninghamEpisode: "A-Hunting We Will Go"1966Iron HorseCharlie FarrowEpisode: "No Wedding Bells for Tony"1967Love on a RooftopWilloughbyEpisode: "Going Home to Daughter"1967The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.Logan PetrieEpisode: "The High and the Deadly Affair"1967HondoBen DowEpisode: "Hondo and the Ghost of Ed Dow"1968Star Trek: The Original SeriesJohn GillEpisode: "Patterns of Force"1968Cimarron StripTurnerEpisode: "The Greeners"1968MannixClifton Ross Sr.Episode: "Night Out of Time"1968–1974GunsmokeTait Cavanaugh / Clay White / Branch Nelson3 episodes1969–1970The Name of the GameChancellor Archer / Elton Wakefield2 episodes1970The ImmortalArthur Maitland2 episodes1971O'Hara, U.S. TreasuryThe Big GuyEpisode: "Operation: Spread"1972The ManhunterWalter SinclairTV movie1972Mission: ImpossibleBenjamin DaneEpisode: "Movie"1972SearchJ.R. DevlinEpisode: "In Search of Midas"1973Hec RamseyHenry T. MaddenEpisode: "Mystery of the Yellow Rose"1973Police StoryBorensonEpisode: "Death on Credit"1975ArcherEpisode: "Shades of Blue"1983–1984Father's DayUnion Spokesman / Starter2 episodes
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