Lyle Bettger

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Lyle Bettger From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lyle S. Bettger (February 13, 1915 – September 24, 2003) was a character actor known most for his Hollywood roles from the 1950s, typically portraying villains. He is perhaps most recognisable as the wrathfully jealous elephant handler Klaus from the Oscar winning film The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lyle was the son of Frank Bettger, who was an infielder for the St Louis Cardinals. An enthusiastic fan of cinema, Lyle left school in his late teens with the ambition of becoming an acto 5AC r. Bettger graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, and after a period languishing in small-time theatre he landed the lead role in the Broadway production of The Flying Gerardos in 1940. When Paramount sent a talent scout to see the show, Bettger was signed on a three-year contract. Bettger's movie career began when he was cast as the lead in the Film noir No Man of Her Own (1950). After that he soon became a regular on the set of Westerns such as Denver and Rio Grande (1952), The Great Sioux Uprising (1953), Drums Across the River (1954), The Lone Ranger (1956) and Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957). Lyle developed a reputation for playing the bad guy and excelled in villainous roles such as the menacing Joe Beacom in Union Station (1950) and the cold-blooded Nazi Chief Officer Kirchner in The Sea Chase (1955), a role which exploited his aryan appearance. Bettger also made many appearances in dramatic roles on television, including several guest appearances in Hawaii Five-O as well roles in Rawhide and Bonanza. Lyle Bettger died on September 24, 2003 in San Luis Obispo County, California. [edit] External links Lyle Bettger at the Internet Movie Database Photo Categories: American character actors | American film actors | American television actors | People from Philadelphia | 1915 births | 2003 deaths