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William Talman is best recognized for his portrayal of Hamilton Burger, the district attorney who consistently lost to Perry Mason in the long-running series Perry Mason (1957). Talman was a skilled screenwriter and actor, appearing in numerous television roles as a character actor from the mid-1950s until his death from lung cancer in August 1968.
Born William Whitney Talman Jr. on February 4, 1915, in Detroit, Michigan, he was the eldest son of William Talman Sr. and Ada B. Talman. His father was vice-president of an electrical company producing industrial heat-measuring devices and yachts. In an April 1963 interview with TV Guide, Talman told Richard Gehman that his father earned enough money to send him to public school in a limousine daily, which meant he had to fight his way in and out. At school, Talman developed a strong interest in athletics, particularly boxing and baseball. He pursued boxing early on by competing on the local Episcopal Church parish boxing team and also played semi-professional baseball. Educated at Cranbrook School, he later attended Dartmouth College, where his passion for acting began. He left Dartmouth in his sophomore year after a car accident involving a stolen vehicle resulted in the death of a passenger. Talman was asked to resign and, although invited to return the following year, he never did.
Talman began his acting career on Broadway in the early 1940s, with roles in Beverly Hills, Yokel Boy, and Of Mice and Men. While performing in Spring Again at Henry Miller's Theatre in January 1942, he received his draft notice for U.S. Army induction. Before active duty, he married actress Lynne Carter. Entering the army as a private, Talman served 30 months in the Pacific, earning a commission and eventually reaching the rank of major. His wartime duties included managing a school that trained soldiers for stage productions and overseeing boxing and baseball teams, which won championships in the Western Pacific. After the war, he returned to Broadway, appearing notably in Dear Ruth (1946) and A Young Man's Fancy (1947). In 1949, he moved to Hollywood and began a film career, debuting as gangster Bunny Harris in Red, Hot and Blue (1949). He continued to act in movies and television, with his wife filing for divorce in 1951 on grounds of extreme cruelty, citing public criticism by Talman. The divorce was finalized in September 1952, granting custody of their three-year-old daughter, Lynda, and 24% of Talman’s income to Carter. Over his career, Talman appeared in more than 17 films, including The Racket (1951), Armored Car Robbery (1950), Smoke Signal (1955), Big House, U.S.A. (1955), One Minute to Zero (1952), and Two-Gun Lady (1955). His most famous role was as escaped killer Emmett Myers in the film noir The Hitch-Hiker (1953), directed by Ida Lupino. He also co-wrote the feature films I've Lived Before (1956) and Joe Dakota (1957).
In 1952, Talman married actress Barbara Read, and they had two children, Barbie and Billy, before separating in September 1959. Tragically, Read took her own life in December 1963 by gas asphyxiation, leaving notes attributing her actions to ill health. In March 1960, Talman was arrested during a police raid at a "wild nude party" at an acquaintance's home, an incident that led CBS to invoke a morals clause in his contract, costing him his role on Perry Mason. The charges were dropped after a widely publicized trial, with the presiding judge criticizing the police for the arrest. Talman consistently maintained his innocence. After a surge of fan support, CBS reinstated him in December 1960. He later married Margaret (Peggy) Flanigan, adopting her two children, Steve and Debbie. Following the conclusion of Perry Mason in 1966, Talman toured Vietnam for six weeks to entertain troops. Upon returning, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. His final film was The Ballad of Josie (1967), starring Doris Day.
Toward the end of his life, Talman undertook a courageous act uncommon for actors then. A longtime heavy smoker, he was motivated by an article about actors' reluctance to make anti-smoking messages due to fear of losing lucrative cigarette commercials. Determined to make a difference, Talman volunteered to film a short anti-smoking message for the American Cancer Society, which aired in late 1968 and 1969. Despite being in severe pain and heavily sedated, he delivered the message, beginning with, "Before I die I want to do what I can to leave a world free of cancer for my six children..."
William Talman passed away from cardiac arrest caused by complications of lung cancer at West Valley Community Hospital in Encino, California, on August 30, 1968, at age 53. Though his life was brief, his legacy endures through his acting, writing, heroism, and steadfast advocacy for the underdog.
