Victor French (December 4, 1934 — June 4, 1989) was an American actor, who is best remembered for his roles of Isaiah Edwards on Little House on the Prairie and Mark Gordon on Highway to Heaven where he co-starred with Michael Landon, as well as played Chief Roy Mobey on the sitcom, Carter Country. He also appeared in an episode of Hogan's Heroes where he played one of a trio of Commandos.

Biography Edit

French was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of stuntman Ted French and the grandson of actor Charles A. French. His acting debut was a small part in Lassie. His first film experiences were in westerns where he normally played the bad guy. He appeared in such films as The Quick and the Dead, Spencer's Mountain, Death of a Gunfighter, Rio Lobo, The Other, The House on Skull Mountain and The Nickel Ride. During this time, he also appeared on such television shows, besides Lassie and Hogan's Heroes, Hazel, The Virginian, Mister Ed, Wild Wild West, Dr. Kildare, Batman, Get Smart, where he had a recurring role as Agent 44, The Hero, which he co-starred, Lancer, Dan August, Bonanza, The Streets of San Francisco, Kung Fu, Mannix, and Mission: Impossible.

In 1974, he began appearing on Little House on the Prairie as Isaiah Edwards. He left the show three years later to play Chief Roy Mobey on the short-lived Carter Country. After Carter Country went off the air, he returned to Little House for the rest of the series' television run. He next appeared on Highway to Heaven, being the human companion to Michael Landon's angel character. During this time, he also appeared in Petrocelli, Disneyland, An Officer and a Gentleman and Fame. In the 1980s, he declined to perform any more bad guy roles. He also directed several television shows, including Little House on the Prairie, Gunsmoke, Dallas, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Father Murphy. He also directed in LA theatres, winning a Critics Circle Award for his directing of 12 Angry Men.

He died on June 4, 1989, from lung cancer, after years of heavy smoking, in Los Angeles, California. His friend Michael Landon was so saddened by French's death that he ended the successful Highway to Heaven series.

In 1998, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Filmography Edit

• Highway to Heaven (1984) (TV)
• Little House: Bless All the Dear Children (1984) (TV)
• Little House: The Last Farewell (1984) (TV)
• Little House: Look Back to Yesterday (1983) (TV)
• An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
• The Cherokee Trail (1981) (TV)
• Choices (1981)
• The Ghosts of Buxley Hall (1980) (TV)
• The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story (1980) (TV)
• Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill (1979) (TV)
• Carter Country (1977) (TV)
• Little House on the Prairie (1974) (TV) (1974-1977, 1981-1983)
• The Tribe (1974) (TV)
• The House on Skull Mountain (1974)
• The Nickel Ride (1974)
• Little House on the Prairie (1974) (TV)
• Chato's Land (1972)
• The Other (1972)
• Wild Rovers (1971)
• Rio Lobo (1970)
• Flap (1970)
• There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
• Cutter's Trail (1970) (TV)
• Death of a Gunfighter (1969)
• Charro! (1969)
• The Hero (1966) (TV)
• Spencer's Mountain (1963)
• The Quick and the Dead (1963)
• The Clown and the Kid (1961)

Notable TV Guest Appearances Edit

• Fame playing "Mr. Donlan" in episode: "The Home Front" (episode # 3.23) 27 May 1984
• Disneyland playing "Scant Luther" in episode: "The Cherokee Trail" (episode # 28.10) 28 November 1981
• Disneyland playing "Sergeant Major Cheater B. Sweet" in episode: "The Ghosts of Buxley Hall: Part 2" (episode # 27.6) 28 December 1980
• Disneyland playing "Sergeant Major Cheater B. Sweet" in episode: "The Ghosts of Buxley Hall: Part 1" (episode # 27.5) 21 December 1980
• CHiPs playing "Himself" in episode: "Roller Disco: Part 2" (episode # 3.2) 22 September 1979
• Sara playing "Achille" in episode: "Episode #1.10" (episode # 1.10) 23 April 1976
• Petrocelli playing "Actor" in episode: "The Payoff" (episode # 2.20) 10 March 1976
• Gunsmoke playing "Dibble Pugh" in episode: "The Sharecroppers" (episode # 20.24) 31 March 1975
• Gunsmoke playing "Sheriff Beau Harker" in episode: "The Tarnished Bridge" (episode # 20.9) 11 November 1974
• The Waltons playing "Curtis Norton" in episode: "The Fulfillment" (episode # 2.20) 7 February 1974
• Mannix playing "Matt Brandon" in episode: "The Dark Hours" (episode # 7.16) 20 January 1974
• The Rookies playing "Crazy Marvin" in episode: "Deadly Cage"' (episode # 2.3) 24 September 1973
• Gunsmoke playing "Les Dean" in episode: "Matt's Love Story" (episode # 19.3) 24 September 1973
• Kung Fu playing "Sheriff Pool" in episode: "The Ancient Warrior" (episode # 1.15) 3 May 1973
• Gunsmoke playing "Ruxton" in episode: "This Golden Land" (episode # 18.24) 5 March 1973
• The Streets of San Francisco playing "Reggie 'Reg' Norris" in episode: "Deathwatch" (episode # 1.14) 13 January 1973
• Gunsmoke playing "Daniel Shay" in episode: "The Drummer" (episode # 18.5) 9 October 1972
• Gunsmoke playing "Jed Frazer" in episode: "Blind's man Bluff" (episode # 17.22) 21 February 1972
• O'Hara, U.S. Treasury playing "Paris Kohler" in episode: "Operation: Deadhead" (episode # 1.9) 12 November 1971
• Gunsmoke playing "Trafton" in episode: "Trafton" (episode # 17.7) 25 October 1971
• Mission: Impossible playing "Vic Hatcher" in episode: "The Tram" (episode # 6.3) 2 October 1971
• Longstreet playing "Actor" in episode: "One in a Reality Column" (episode # 1.3) 30 September 1971
• Bonanza playing "Tom Callahan" in episode: "An Earthquake Called Callahan" (episode # 12.28) 11 April 1971
• Dan August playing "Art Bowman" in episode: "When the Shouting Dies" (episode # 1.10) 25 November 1970
• Mannix playing "Carl Hastings" in episode: "Figures in a Landscape" (episode # 4.4) 10 October 1970
• Daniel Boone playing "Ess" in episode: "How to Become a Goddess" (episode # 6.25) 30 April 1970
• Bonanza playing "Jesse Potter" in episode: "The Horse Traders" (episode # 11.26) 5 April 1970
• Daniel Boone playing "Ess" in episode: "The Landlords" (episode # 6.20) 5 March 1970
• Gunsmoke playing "Ed Vail" in episode: "Kiowa" (episode # 15.21) 16 February 1970
• Bonanza playing "Jess Potter" in episode: "Meena" (episode # 11.9) 9 November 1969
• Lancer playing "Travis Caudle" in episode: "The Measure of a Man" (episode # 1.25) 8 April 1969
• The F.B.I. playing "Vincent Roger Tobias" in episode: "Moment of Truth" (episode # 4.26) 30 March 1969
• Daniel Boone playing "Ess" in episode: "Love and Equity" (episode # 5.21) 13 March 1969
• Gunsmoke playing "Waco Thompson" in episode: "Waco" (episode # 14.11) 9 December 1968
• Gunsmoke playing "Clay Tynan" in episode: "O'Quillian" (episode # 14.6) 28 October 1968
• Gunsmoke playing "Roland Daniel" in episode: "Uncle Finney" (episode # 14.4) 14 October 1968
• Mission: Impossible playing "Leduc" in episode: "Trial By Fury" (episode # 2.24) 10 March 1968
• Bonanza playing "Aaron Giles" in episode: "The Burning Sky" (episode # 9.18) 28 January 1968
• Gunsmoke playing "Roland Daniel" in episode: "Hill Girl" (episode # 13.20) 19 January 1968
• The F.B.I. playing "Lloyd Smit" in episode: "False Witness" (episode # 3.11) 10 December 1967
• The Danny Thomas Hour playing "Detective" in episode: "The Zero Man" (episode # 1.11) 27 November 1967
• The Cimarron Strip playing "Rafe Coleman" in episode: "Till the End of the Night" (episode # 1.10) 16 November 1967
• Gunsmoke playing "Sergeant Tim Spear" in episode: "Major Glory" (episode # 13.8) 30 October 1967
• Gunsmoke playing "Eben Luken" in episode: "Vengeance: Part 2" (episode # 13.5) 9 October 1967
• The Beverly Hillbillies playing "Tony" in episode: "Robin Hood and the Sheriff" (episode # 6.5) 4 October 1967
• Gunsmoke playing "Eben Luken" in episode: "Vengeance: Part 1" (episode #13.4) 2 October 1967
• Daniel Boone playing "Blue Belly Sangster" in episode: "The Ballad of the Sidewinder and the Cherokee" (episode # 4.1) 14 September 1967
• Captain Nice playing "Anthony" in episode: "The Week They Stole Payday" (episode # 1.11) 3 April 1967
• The Iron Horse playing "Cleary" in episode: "Decision at Sundown" (episode # 1.25) 27 February 1967
• F Troop playing "Matt Delaney" in episode: "The Day They Shot Agarn" (episode # 2.24) 16 February 1967
• Tarzan playing "Cotonasos" in episode: "A Pride of Assassins" (episode # 1.20) 27 January 1967
• Gunsmoke playing "C.K. Ross" in episode: "Saturday Night" (episode # 12.16) 7 January 1967
• Gunsmoke playing "Joe Smith" in episode: "Prime of Life" (episode # 11.32) 7 May 1966
• Get Smart playing "Agent 44" in episode: "Ship of Fools: Part 2" (episode # 1.28) 9 April 1966
• Get Smart playing "Agent 44" in episode: "Ship of Fools: Part 1" (episode # 1.27) 2 April 1966
• Death Valley Days playing "Louis Baptiste" in episode: "Hugh Glass Meets the Bear" (episode # 14.21) 24 March 1966
• Get Smart playing "Agent 44" in episode: "Hubert's Unfinished Symphony" (episode # 1.26) 19 March 1966
• Get Smart playing "Agent 44" in episode: "Stakeout on Blue Mist Mountain" (episode # 1.24) 5 March 1966
• Gunsmoke playing "Travers" in episode: "Wishbone" (episode # 11.22) 19 February 1966
• Batman playing "Hood No 1" in episode: "A Death Worse Than Fate" (episode # 1.10) 10 February 1966
• Get Smart playing "Agent 44" in episode: "Back to the Old Drawing Board" (episode # 1.19) 29 January 1966
• My Favorite Martian playing "Mugs Carson" in episode: "Loralee Brown vs. Everybody" (episode # 3.14) 12 December 1965
• Get Smart playing "Agent 44" in episode: "Aboard the Orient Express" (episode # 1.13) 11 December 1965
• Ben Casey playing "Actor" in episode: "The Man from Quasilia" (episode # 5.12) 29 November 1965
• Get Smart playing "Insurance Man" in episode: "Too Many Chiefs" (episode # 1.11) 27 November 1965
• Dr. Kildare playing "Charlie" in episode: "Welcome Home, Dear Anna" (episode # 5.16) 8 November 1965
• Slattery's People playing "Peter Lindler" in episode: "The Hero" (episode # 2.7) 5 November 1965
• The Wild Wild West playing "Arnold" in episode: "The Night of a Thousand Eyes" (episode # 1.6) 22 October 1965
• Mister Ed playing "Murphy" in episode: "Anybody Got a Zebra?" (episode # 6.6) 17 October 1965
• Lassie playing "Joe" in episode: "Charlie Banana" (episode # 12.5) 10 October 1965
• Hogan's Heroes playing "Commando #2" in episode: "Kommandant of The Year" (episode # 1.3) 1 October 1965
• No Time for Sergeants playing "Leonard" in episode: "The $100,000 Canteen" (episode # 1.12) 30 November 1964
• The Virginian playing "Michael" in episode: "The Secret of Brynmar Hall" (episode # 2.26) 1 April 1964
• Temple Houston playing "William Harrod" in episode: "Letter of the Law" (episode # 1.3) 3 October 1963
• 77 Sunset Strip playing "Deputy Collins" in episode: "Stranger from the Sea" (episode # 5.23) 15 March 1963
• The Dakotas playing "Larrimore" in episode: "Fargo" (episode # 1.8) 25 February 1963
• Hawaiian Eye playing "Floyd Dillon" in episode: "The Long Way Home" (episode # 4.19) 19 February 1963
• The Virginian playing "Roy" in episode: "The Accomplice" (episode # 1.13) 19 December 1962
• Bonanza playing "Actor" in episode: "Gallagher's Sons" (episode # 4.11) 9 December 1962
• Hazel playing "Bailiff" in episode: "A Matter of Principle" (episode # 1.4) 19 October 1961
• Two Faces West playing "Actor" in episode: "The Noose" (episode # 1.29) 15 May 1961

Director Edit

• Little House on the Prairie (1974) (TV) (1974-1977;1982-1983)
• Gunsmoke (1955) (TV) (1974-1975)
• The Fantastic Journey (1977) (TV)
• Dallas (1978) (TV)
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) (TV)
• Father Murphy (1981) (TV)
• Fame (1982) (TV)
• Little House: Look Back to Yesterday (1983) (TV)
• Highway to Heaven (1984) (TV)
• Little House: Bless All the Dear Children (1984) (TV)

External links Edit

• Wikipedia Biography
• WouldYouBelieve.com
• Hogan's Heroes Fanclub
• Webstalag 13
• The Hofbrau
• Victor French at the Internet Movie Database