John Ericson (born Joachim Alexander Ottokar Meibes; September 25, 1926 – May 3, 2020) was a German-born American actor. He was known primarily for his television work, notably as private detective Sam Bolt on the ABC series Honey West (1965–66), and his roles in several MGM films of the 1950s.
Early life
Ericson's parents were Ellen Wilson, a Swedish[1] actress and operatic star, and Carl F. Meibes, who later became president of a New York food extract corporation.[2] The family went to the United States from Belgium when he was three.[2] After serving in the United States Army during the latter part of World War II, he enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where his classmates included Grace Kelly and Don Rickles.[3]
Career
Ericson gained early acting experience with stock companies at the Gateway Theatre in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia.[2] On Broadway, he played the lead role of JJ Sefton in the original 1951 production of Stalag 17, directed by José Ferrer.[4] The success of the play led him to be offered a contract by MGM.[3]
For the next 30 years, his career continued mostly on television. He appeared in the lead role in "The Peter Bartley Story" of the CBS drama The Millionaire. He appeared with Dorothy Malone in the episode "Mutiny" of CBS's Appointment with Adventure (which aired on January 1, 1956). He made guest appearances in The Restless Gun (1958) and Target: The Corruptors! (1961). Ericson also guest starred twice on Bonanza: he played Vince Dagen in the 1960 episode "Breed of Violence" and he portrayed Wade Hollister in the 1967 episode "Journey to Terror". From 1965 to 1966, he co-starred as the partner of Anne Francis on Honey West. (He and Francis had played brother and sister in Bad Day at Black Rock.)[6] In 1971, he appeared as Jack Bonham on The Men From Shiloh in the episode "The Political".
In the mid-1990s, Ericson retired from acting and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife. He briefly came out of retirement to appear in the film The Far Side of Jericho (2006) and an episode of Crash. He also appeared on local stage productions in Santa Fe.[3]
Personal life and death
Ericson was engaged to Anne Bancroft in 1951.[8] He married twice and had a son and a daughter from his first marriage to Milly Coury. He was married to his second wife Karen Huston Ericson for 46 years.[9]
Death
Ericson died of pneumonia on May 3, 2020, aged 93.[4][3]
