Ray Teal
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Ray Elgin Teal (January 12, 1902 – April 2, 1976) was an American actor. His most famous role was as Sheriff Roy Coffee on the television series Bonanza (1959–1972), which was only one of dozens of sheriffs on television and in movies that he played during his long and prolific career stretching from 1937 to 1970. He appeared in pictures such as Western Jamboree (1938) with Gene Autry, The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) with Fredric March and Myrna Loy, The Black Arrow (1948), Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole (1951) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) with Spencer Tracy and Burt Lancaster.
Teal was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A saxophone player, he worked his way through the University of California, Los Angeles as a bandleader before becoming an actor.
His longest-running role was as Sheriff Roy Coffee, a law-enforcing sheriff on Bonanza. Teal was one of the most senior members of the crew having a permanent role. He had also played a sheriff in the Billy Wilder film Ace in the Hole (1951). Teal co-starred in numerous TV westerns throughout his career: he appeared five times on Cheyenne, four times on The Lone Ranger, on The Alaskans, three times in different roles on another long-running western series, Wagon Train, on NBC's Tales of Wells Fargo, on the ABC western series Broken Arrow, five times on the ABC western comedy Maverick, on the CBS western series The Texan, the NBC western series The Californians, twice on Colt .45, once on Wanted: Dead or Alive, and as "Sheriff Clay" for a single 1960 episode of the NBC western series Riverboat, and four times on a western series about the rodeo titled Wide Country.
After more than 15 years performing in films and in early television, Teal secured a recurring role as a police officer in the 1953–1955 ABC sitcom with a variety-show theme, Where's Raymond?, later renamed The Ray Bolger Show.
In 1955, Teal appeared as McCanles, a ruthless cattle baron in the episode "Julesburg" of the ABC/Warner Bros. Western series, Cheyenne. Altogether, Teal appeared five times on Cheyenne. He later appeared in a guest-starring role in another ABC/WB Western series, The Alaskans. From 1957 to 1962, Teal was cast three times in different roles on the Western series, Wagon Train. He also appeared in a number of episodes of Bat Masterson, an episode of The Rifleman and later in Green Acres.
In 1957, Teal played a lawman, Captain McNelly, in the episode "Sam Bass" of NBC's Tales of Wells Fargo. Teal was cast as Fenster in "The Bounty Hunters" (1957) on the ABC Western series, Broken Arrow. In 1958, Teal guest-starred "No Tears for the Dead" on the CBS Western series, The Texan. He also later appeared in the CBS sitcom, Dennis the Menace.
In 1960, Teal was cast as Sheriff Roy Coffee in Bonanza, a role he played until 1972, appearing in 98 episodes, occasionally as the lead character. He also portrayed judge/dentist/shoe repairman H.G. Cogswell in Bat Masterson starring Gene Barry.
He died of undisclosed causes on April 2, 1976, at age 74 in Santa Monica, California. CLR
Known for
Perry Mason
Joe Downing
Bonanza
Sheriff Roy Coffee
The Twilight Zone
Mr. Franklin
Zorro
Vasquez (uncredited)
The Fugitive
Sheriff McNary
Maverick
Mart Fallon
Maverick
Sheriff Chick Tucker
The Rifleman
Wagon Train
Ray Tarback
I Dream of Jeannie
Admiral Tugwell
Cheyenne
McCanles
Cheyenne
Maj. Heffler (uncredited)
Lassie
Lassie
Jim Teal
Green Acres
Mr. Grimes
Rawhide
Hennegan
Rawhide
Sheriff
Gunsmoke
Sgt. Jones
Route 66
Thriller
Sheriff Wiley
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Police Lieutenant
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Warden Jacobs
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Sheriff Briggs
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Chief of Detectives
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Fire Chief
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Ben Tulip
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Jim Hale
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Police Detective
The Doris Day Show
Mr. Eric Ekstrom
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Nebro
Lawman
Judge Leonard Whitehall
The Lone Ranger
Doc Grayson
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
Captain Hobart
Laramie
Bat Masterson
Virgil Gardiner
Bat Masterson
H.G. Cogswell
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Bartlett
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Sheriff
Flaming Feather
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Mr. Sanders
Dennis the Menace
Mr. Phillips
Madame Curie
Driver (uncredited)
Chisum
Justice J.B. Wilson
Bad Boy
Policeman Bob
Slightly Dangerous
Pedestrian lifting Peggy up (uncredited)
Thousands Cheer
Ringmaster at Circus (uncredited)
Distant Drums
Pvt. Mohair
Bathing Beauty
Maitre d' at Adams Club (uncredited)
Sudan
Slave Trader (uncredited)
Black Bart
Pete (uncredited)
Nazi Agent
Officer Graves (uncredited)
The Texan
Sheriff Dave Travers
Inherit the Wind
Jessie H. Dunlap
The Redhead and the Cowboy
Brock (Union agent)
Rogue Cop
Patrolman Mullins
Gun Crazy
California Border Inspector (uncredited)
Northwest Rangers
Poker Player
Dangerous Business
Plainclothesman (uncredited)
The Petty Girl
Policeman #1 (uncredited)
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
Lt. Boyd
The Millionaire
Roger Willard
Michigan Kid
Sergeant
The Long Night
Mr. Hudson (uncredited)
Lucky Me
Thayer Crony (uncredited)
Brute Force
Jackson - Guard (uncredited)
Jumping Jacks
W.W. Timmons
The Men
Man at Bar
Warpath
Maj. Reno (uncredited)
Sergeant York
Marching Soldier (uncredited)
Hollywood Canteen
Army Captain (uncredited)
Judgment at Nuremberg
Curtiss Ives
The Burning Hills
Joe Sutton
The Adventures of Jim Bowie
Sheriff Carson Singletary
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Sheriff Blaney
Trackdown
Ward
Trackdown
Sheriff Michaels
Undercover Maisie
Man at Union Station
Undercover Maisie
Wolf at Union Station (Uncredited)
The Indian Fighter
Morgan
Bronco
The Oklahoman
Jason - Stableman
Desert Fury
Bus Driver (uncredited)
Posse from Hell
Banker
Studio 57
Marshal Frank
Broken Arrow
Col. McBride
Prairie Chickens
Sam
High Wall
Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Run for Cover
Sheriff
Ramrod
Ed Burma
Bristle Face
Justice Mackley
Home from the Hill
Dr. Carson
The Strange Woman
Alex Duncan (uncredited)
Cavalcade of America
Howard
Tenth Avenue Angel
Mounted Train Yard Guard (uncredited)
Shirley Temple's Storybook
Judge Thatcher
Riverboat
Sheriff Clay
Mr. Soft Touch
Squad Car Police Officer (Uncredited)
Ambush
Capt. J.R. Wolverson
The Harvey Girls
Conductor (uncredited)
Adventure
Steve - Maritime Commissioner (uncredited)
American Spoken Here
Bartender (uncredited)
Rage at Dawn
Sheriff of Seymour
One Sunday Afternoon
Policeman on bicycle
About Mrs. Leslie
Barney
Screen Director's Playhouse
Farmer Clark
None Shall Escape
Oremski
Till the Clouds Roll By
Movie Studio Orchestra Conductor (uncredited)
Bus Stop
Saddle the Wind
Brick Larson
Band of Angels
Mr. Calloway
Nothing But Trouble
Police Officer (uncredited)
The Black Arrow
Nick Appleyard
She Has What It Takes
Cop (uncredited)
Once More, My Darling
Truck Driver
The Captive City
Chief Gillette
The Lieutenant
Mr. Coolidge
Along the Great Divide
Deputy Lou Gray
The Wayward Girl
Sheriff
87th Precinct
Sam Thorpe
Streets of Laredo
Cantrel
Wire Service
Captain Gormand
It Happens Every Spring
Mac (uncredited)
The Sea of Grass
Cattleman (uncredited)
Cry of the Werewolf
Ed, a Policeman (uncredited)
Carrie
Allen - Bondsman
Walk a Crooked Mile
Police Sergeant
Fury at Furnace Creek
Sergeant (uncredited)
Convicted
Cell Block / Yard Guard (uncredited)
The Blessed Midnight
Mr. O'Hara
Public Defender
Whispering Smith
Seagrue
The Missing Lady
Interrogating Detective with Black Mustache (uncredited)
The Miracle of the Bells
Koslick, Miner
Lux Video Theatre
Chief Rowan
Cattle King
Edwin 'Ed' Winters (Teton Ranch Foreman)
The Clock
Policeman
Kitty Foyle
Clarinet Player (uncredited)
Kazan
McCready
The Monroes
The Alaskans
Home Town Story
Complaining Electrical Worker (uncredited)
The Best Years of Our Lives
Mr. Mollett
Our Very Own
Jim Lynch
The Wonderful World of Disney
Snead
The Wonderful World of Disney
Frank Oxford
The Wonderful World of Disney
Sheriff Snead
The Wonderful World of Disney
Justice Mackley
Give Me a Sailor
Sailor Playing Clarinet (uncredited)
Quicksand
Motorcycle Officer
The Hanged Man
Judge Homer Bayne
Star Reporter
Crook
Calling Dr. Gillespie
Detroit Policeman (uncredited)
Cattle Town
Judd Hastings
I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes
Death Row Guard (uncredited)
New Moon
Bondsman
The Turning Point
Clint, Police Captain
Girl on the Run
Lt. Harper
The Adventures of Gallegher
Snead
The Princess and the Pirate
Guard (uncredited)
The Wild North
Ruger
Montana Belle
Emmett Dalton
The Kid from Texas
Sheriff Rand
Gunman's Walk
Jensen Sieverts
Rusty's Birthday
Virgil Neeley
Ace in the Hole
Sheriff
Florian
Soldier
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
Chief of Police
The Phantom Stagecoach
Sheriff Ned Riorden
Decoy
Policeman (uncredited)
The Tall Stranger
Cap
Crime Doctor
Detective with Pipe (uncredited)
Frontier
Kennicut
One-Eyed Jacks
Barney
Everglades
Casey Jones
Pete Dunlap
Maisie Goes to Reno
Policeman (Uncredited)
Southside 1-1000
Detective
The Missing Juror
Chief of Detectives at Line-Up (Uncredited)
Deep Valley
Prison Official
Along Came Jones
Kriendler
Hacksaw
The Rancher
U-Boat Prisoner
C.P.O. Shaw (uncredited)
Western von gestern
Pete, 1. Bombenleger
The Bandit of Sherwood Forest
Little John
Roses Are Red
Weston
Hello Out There
The Husband
Harbor of Missing Men
Frank Leggett
Cheyenne
Gambler (uncredited)
The Young Guns
Josh
Gallegher: The Mystery of Edward Sims
Sheriff Snead
Ode to Victory
Master Sergeant - Orchestra Conductor (uncredited)
Whistling in Brooklyn
Traded Beaver Baseall Player (uncredited)
The Bugle Sounds
Sergeant
I Love You Again
Watchman (uncredited)
Driftwood
Mr. Perkins
The Wild One
Frank Bleeker
The Peanut Man
Dr. Miller
The Asphalt Jungle
Cop in Car Barn Slugged by Dix (uncredited)
Oh, You Beautiful Doll
Policeman
Taggart
Ralph Taggart
Panic!
Dead Reckoning
Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)
They Died with Their Boots On
Barfly (uncredited)
The Desperate Hours
State Police Lt. Fredericks
Radio Patrol
Perkins
Joan of Arc
Bertrand de Poulengy, a squire
Anchors Aweigh
Assistant Movie Director (uncredited)
The Soul of a Monster
Truck Driver (uncredited)
Ziegfeld Girl
Pawnbroker (uncredited)
Winchester '73
Marshall Noonan (uncredited)
Back to Bataan
Lt. Col. Roberts (uncredited)
Daredevils of the Clouds
Jim Mitchell
Viva Cisco Kid
Josh - Stage Holdup Man
Klondike
Augie Teege
Main Street Today
Ed a Citizen at Committee Meeting (uncredited)
The Secret of Convict Lake
Sheriff Cromwell (uncredited)
The Man from Colorado
Bartender
The Man from Colorado
Bartender (uncredited)
Blonde Alibi
Detective Jones (Uncredited)
The Guns of Fort Petticoat
Salt Pork
Frank Sinatra Show
Self
No Way Out
Day Deputy in Hospital Prison Ward (uncredited)
The Countess of Monte Cristo
Charlie
Bullet for a Badman
Townsman
Northwest Passage
Bradley McNeil
Decision at Sundown
Morley Chase
My Favorite Brunette
State Trooper Sergeant (uncredited)
Shadow of the Thin Man
Cab Driver (uncredited)
Woman of the Year
Married Sports Reporter (uncredited)
Utah Blaine
Russ Nevers
Fort Worth
Gabe Clevenger
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Capt. Donovan
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Linc Johnson
Billy the Kid
Sammy Axel (uncredited)
Canyon Passage
Neal Howison (uncredited)
Trail of the Vigilantes
Deputy Sheriff
Raw Deal
(uncredited)
Captain Kidd
Michael O'Shawn (uncredited)
Where Danger Lives
Sheriff Joe Borden (uncredited)
Road House
Policeman
Strange Cargo
Guard (uncredited)
Edge of Doom
Ned Moore
The Chance of a Lifetime
Policeman Joe (Uncredited)
Honky Tonk
Poker Player on Train (uncredited)
The Command
Dr. Trent
The Man from Bitter Ridge
Shep Bascom
Keep Your Powder Dry
Army Captain/Camouflage Leader (uncredited)
Circumstantial Evidence
Policeman
Ambush at Tomahawk Gap
Doc
Tomorrow Is Another Day
Mr. Dawson
Strange Affair
Truck Driver (Uncredited)
The Green Hornet Strikes Again!
Chief Guard at Steel Mill
Adventures of Red Ryder
Shark
Dangerous Blondes
Detective Charlie Temple (uncredited)
A Gun in His Hand
Police Lt. O'Neill (uncredited)
Davy Crockett, Indian Scout
Captain McHale
Fingers at the Window
Police Car #12 Driver (uncredited)
Apache Ambush
Sgt. Tim O'Roarke
When You're Smiling
Steve
Main Street After Dark
Cop at Finale (uncredited)
The Lion and the Horse
Dave Tracy
Hangman's Knot
Quincey
Apache Trail
Ed Cotton
Escape from Crime
Gangster
Third Finger, Left Hand
Cameraman in Ohio (uncredited)
Western Jamboree
McCall
Secret Command
Shipyard Worker (uncredited)
Deadline for Murder
Frank (uncredited)
Strange Voyage
Capt. Andrews
Melody Ranch
Henchman
Wild Bill Hickok Rides
Jack Handley
Don Winslow of the Navy
Gang Radioman Barker
Hazard
Plain Clothes Policeman in L.A. (uncredited)
Secret Enemies
Casey (uncredited)
Outlaws of the Panhandle
Walt Burnett
Gallegher Goes West
Snead
Overland Mail
Phony Indian
Pony Post
Claud Richards
Prairie Schooners
Wolf Tanner