He was the quintessential western sheriff, kindly, loyal and sometimes
corrupt. No other actor personified a sheriff as Mr. Teal. He was tall,
burly and rugged-looking with a weathered face, trim mustache, thinning
brown hair and a commanding, but mellow voice. He was born in Grand Rapids,
Michigan on January 12, 1902. He worked his way through college playing
the saxophone in bands. He attended the University of Texas and the University
of California in the 1920s. Soon he had formed his own small band and was
its conductor through 1936. He appeared in bit parts in "Sweetheart
of the Navy" and "Zorro Rides Again" in 1937. He made his
film acting debut in "Western Jamboree" (1938) as McCall. Although
he epitomized the role of Sheriff, he was versatile enough to try various
other more contemporary roles. His other films included: "Prairie Schooners"
(1940) as Wolf Tanner; "Kitty Foyle" (1940) uncredited as Clarinet
Player; "The Green Hornet Strikes Again" (1940) a serial, as Chief
Watchman at Steel Mill; "The Adventures of Red Ryder" (1940) a
serial, as Shark; "Northwest Passage" (1940) with Spencer Tracy,
as Bradley McNeil; "Strange Cargo" (1940) as Guard; "Cherokee
Strip" (1940) as Smokey Morrell; "They Died with Their Boots On"
(1941) uncredited, as Barfly; "Captain Midnight" (1942) as Borgman;
"Apache Trail" (1942) as Ed Cotton; "Calling Dr. Gillespie"
(1942) as Policeman; "The North Star" (1943) as German Motorcycle
Officer; "None Shall Escape" (1944) as Oremski; "Once Upon
a Time" (1944) uncredited, as Shipyard Worker; "Strange Voyage"
(1945) as Capt. Andrews; "Back to Bataan" (1945) uncredited, as
Lt. Col. Roberts; "The Bandit of Sherwood Forest" (1946) as Little
John; the film classic "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) as
Mr. Mollett, one of his best roles; "The Long Night" (1947) as
Hudson; "Dead Reckoning" (1947) with Humphrey Bogart, uncredited,
as Motorcycle Cop; "Ramrod" (1947) as Ed Burma; "Daredevils
of the Clouds" (1948) as Mitchell; "Joan of Arc" (1948) with
Ingrid Bergman, as Bertrand de Poulengy; "It Happens Every Spring"
(1949) as Mac the Cop; "Streets of Laredo" (1949) as Cantrel;
"Winchester '73" (1950) as Marshal Noonan; "The Kid from
Texas" (1950) as Sheriff Rand; "Davy Crockett, Indian Scout"
(1950) as Capt. McHale; "Our Very Own" (1950) as Mr. Lynch; "Along
the Great Divide" (1951) as Deputy Lou Gray; "Fort Worth"
(1951) as Gabe Clevenger; "Big Carnival" (1951) as Sheriff; "Lorna
Doone" (1951) as Farmer Ridd; "Distant Drums" (1951) as Pvt.
Mohair; "Cattle Town" (1952) as Judd Hastings; "Jumping Jacks"
(1952) with Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, as Gen. Timmons; "Montana
Belle" (1952) as Emmett Dalton; "The Wild One" (1954) with
Marlon Brando, as Frank Bleeker; "Run for Cover" (1955) as Sheriff;
"The Desperate Hours" (1955) as Lt. Fredericks; "The Oklahoman"
(1957) as Jason; "Band of Angels" (1957) as Mr. Calloway; "The
Guns of Fort Petticoat" (1957) as Salt Pork; "Home from the Hill"
(1960) as Dr. Reuben Carson; "One-Eyed Jacks" (1961) as Bartender;
"Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) as Judge Curtiss Ives, in a very good
performance; "Taggart" (1965) as Ralph Taggart; "Chisum"
(1970) with John Wayne, as Justice Wilson and "Run for the Roses"
(1975) his last film role. On TV he was a regular on "Bonanza"
(1961-71) as Sheriff Roy Coffee, his personal favorite role. He also appeared
in TV movies including: "The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca" (1958)
and "Gallagher Goes West" (1966). He guest starred on many TV
series including: "The Lone Ranger"; "Alfred Hitchcock Presents";
"Cheyenne"; "Broken Arrow"; "Maverick"; "Gunsmoke";
"Wanted: Dead or Alive"; "Bronco"; "Laramie";
"The Rifleman"; "Wagon Train"; "Bat Masterson";
"Rawhide"; "Twilight Zone"; "The Fugitive";
"Perry Mason"; "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Green
Acres." He died of natural causes on April 2, 1976 in Santa Monica,
California at age 74.
