Ted Donaldson
American child actor (1933–2023)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ted Donaldson (August 20, 1933 – March 1, 2023) was an American actor.
Ted Donaldson | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | August 20, 1933 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 1, 2023 (aged 89) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1937–1976 |
Early years
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Donaldson was the son of singer-composer Will Donaldson and Josephine M. Donaldson née Plant. His mother died when he was 4+1⁄2 months old.[1] His stepmother was radio organist and composer Muriel Pollock.[2] He attended the Professional Children's School in New York City.[3]
Career
Donaldson began his acting career in December 1937 when he appeared in an NBC radio show.[3] In 1941, he played Tiny Tim in a week-long serialized version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol that was presented on Wheatena Playhouse.[4]
As an 8-year-old, Donaldson portrayed Harlan in the Broadway stage production of Life With Father.[5] In 1943, he performed alongside Gregory Peck in the play Sons and Soldiers.[2]
The performance led to a starring role as Arthur "Pinky" Thompson in his first movie, Once Upon a Time (1944), opposite Cary Grant and Janet Blair. Columbia Pictures put him under contract after the film was finished. In 1945, Donaldson was cast in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which marked the directorial debut of Elia Kazan.[2] Donaldson also starred as Danny Mitchell in the 1940s Rusty series of eight films about a German Shepherd dog.[2]
From 1949 to 1954, he played Bud, the son of Robert Young's character in the radio version of Father Knows Best.[6] He was offered the same role on the television version of the series, but turned it down, saying, "I didn't want to be typed. I didn't want to be a 21-year-old playing a 15- or 16-year-old kid. I wanted to do other things."[2] As an adult, he recalled that as "one of the two or three most stupid things I have not done because not only would the salary have been very nice for five years, but the residuals would have also."[2]
He retired from acting in 1976.
As an adult, Donaldson worked as an acting teacher and a bookseller.[7] In his later years, Donaldson gave a number of interviews about his film career.[8]
In January 2023, Donaldson suffered a fall in his Echo Park apartment. He died of complications from the fall on March 1, 2023, at the age of 89.[7]
Filmography
- Once Upon a Time (1944) as Arthur "Pinky" Thompson
- Mr. Winkle Goes to War (1944) as Barry
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) as Neeley Nolan
- A Guy, a Gal and a Pal (1945)
- Adventures of Rusty (1945) as Danny Mitchell
- The Return of Rusty (1946)
- Personality Kid (1946)
- For the Love of Rusty (1947) as Danny Mitchell
- The Son of Rusty (1947)
- The Red Stallion (1947) as Joel Curtis
- My Pal (1947)
- Pal's Adventure (1948)
- My Dog Rusty (1948)
- Rusty Leads the Way (1948)
- The Decision of Christopher Blake (1948)
- Rusty Saves a Life (1949)
- The Green Promise (1949) as Phineas Matthews
- Rusty's Birthday (1949)
- Phone Call from a Stranger (1952)
- Flight Nurse (1953) (uncredited)
- Wiggle Your Ears (1956) (uncredited)
