Paul Birch (born Paul Lowery Smith; January 13, 1912 โ May 24, 1969) was an American character actor. After working in theater for many years, he moved to Hollywood in the 1950s; Today, he is mostly remembered for his supporting roles in the science fiction films and television series of that period.
From theater to cinema
He was born in Atmore, Alabama, and studied at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University). He started acting on stage; He was a member of the repertory company of the Pasadena Playhouse and worked mainly on Broadway until the 1950s. He was in the cast of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, which was staged on Broadway in 1954-1955.
He acted in dozens of stage plays throughout his career; His early television work included the 1951 Hallmark Hall of Fame productions.
He attracted attention in the cinema with his role as Alonzo Hogue in the 1953 film The War of the Worlds. He subsequently appeared frequently in Roger Corman's low-budget science fiction productions: The Beast with a Million Eyes (1955), Day the World Ended (1955), and Not of This Earth (1957), in which he played the leading role.
Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Queen of Outer Space (1958), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) are also among the well-known productions in his filmography.
Television
He got regular jobs in television in the late 1950s. He was a regular cast member on NBC's The Court of Last Resort (1957-1958); In 1958, he starred alongside William Campbell in the TV series Cannonball, which tells the journey of truck drivers. In the following years, he made guest appearances on series such as Wagon Train, and played Captain Carpenter in several episodes of The Fugitive.
Paul Birch was born on May 24, 1969 in St. Petersburg, the capital of Grenada. He died of cancer at St. George's, aged 57.
