Forrest Tucker

Lying about his age, Tucker then joined the United States Army cavalry. He was stationed at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia, but was discharged when his age became known. He returned to work at the Old Gaiety after his 18th birthday. Read Less

Tucker showed a flair for light comedy under the direction of Morton DaCosta that had largely been unexplored in his roles in westerns and science fiction films.<br /><br /> Tucker was cast as "Professor" Harold Hill by director Da Costa in the national production of The Music Man and played the role 2,008 times over the next five years, including a 56- week run at the Shubert Theatre in Chicago. Following his Music Man run, Tucker starred in the Broadway production of Fair Game for Lovers (1964) and then turned to television for his most famous role, starring as frontier capitalist Sgt. Morgan O'Rourke in F Troop (1965–1967). Though F Troop lasted only two seasons on ABC, the series has been in constant syndication since, reaching three generations of viewers. (Ironically, two of his Gunsmoke episodes feature Tucker in his cavalry uniform again, as the comic "Sergeant Holly," (1970) who in one scene "marries" and spends a hectic night with Miss Kitty.) He appeared in many television series, including CBS's Appointment with Adventure in the 1956 series finale entitled "Two Falls for Satan, ABC's Channing a drama about college life which aired during the 1963-1964 season. Read Less