Skip Young (actor)
Encyclopedia
Skip Young was an American
actor
best known for his decade
-long role as Wally Plumstead in the ABC
sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
. When chosen to join Ozzie Nelson
's television series, Young suggested that the last name of his character be "Plumstead". Young was in fact born Ronald Bix Plumstead in San Francisco
, California
.
Young's first acting role was uncredited—as Teddy in the 1957 Elvis Presley
film
Loving You. In 1958, he portrayed Sam the Bass Player in the picture Earth v. the Spider. In 1959, he was cast as Martin in the episode "Premonition" of the anthology series Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond. In 1960, he played George Allison in the episode "Bud Lives It Up" of NBC's Father Knows Best
with Robert Young
as Jim Anderson and Billy Gray
as his son, Bud Anderson. In 1961, he played George Collingwood in the episode "Mike in a Rush" of ABC's My Three Sons
, with Fred MacMurray
as Steve Douglas and Tim Considine
as oldest son, Mike Douglas.
and Rick
, who frequently must rescue the mischief-prone Wally from his self-created predicaments. In twenty-three episodes between 1959 and 1965, Young appears with his fictititous girlfriend, Ginger, played by Charlene Salerno, in what was virtually her only acting role. Young's first Ozzie and Harriet episode is "The Kappa Sigma
Party" (3 October 1956), in which his character was called "Wally Dippel" (as he was in his second appearance, as well). His subsequent appearances follow:
sitcom, starring Eddie Albert
and Eva Gabor
. He guest starred as a deputy district attorney
in the 1969 episode "Log 123: Courtroom" of NBC
's police
drama Adam-12
, starring Martin Milner
and Kent McCord
, who had also appeared as a friend of the Nelson brothers in twelve episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Young played a bartender
in the 1977 episode "Long Walk Down A Short Dirt Road" of the ABC crime drama Starsky and Hutch
, starring Paul Michael Glaser
and David Soul
. In 1979, he appeared in the film Smokey and the Hotwire Gang. In 1987, he hosted a special TV Turkeys: The World's Worst Television Shows. Young's last roles were in 1989: as Mr. Zip in the film Lobster Man from Mars
and as a coffee shop
regular in the episode "Mike and Julie's Wedding" of the ABC sitcom Growing Pains
.
near Victorville
in San Bernardino County
, California. In his last years, Young had been a radio
host and a judge of beauty contests. A veteran of the United States Navy
in the Korean War
, Young is interred at Riverside National Cemetery
in Riverside
, California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
best known for his decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
-long role as Wally Plumstead in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American sitcom, airing on ABC from October 3, 1952 to September 3, 1966, starring the real life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television where it continued its success, running on both radio and TV for a couple of years...
. When chosen to join Ozzie Nelson
Ozzie Nelson
Oswald George "Ozzie" Nelson was an American entertainer and band leader who originated and starred in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet radio and television series with his wife and two sons.-Early life:...
's television series, Young suggested that the last name of his character be "Plumstead". Young was in fact born Ronald Bix Plumstead in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Young's first acting role was uncredited—as Teddy in the 1957 Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Loving You. In 1958, he portrayed Sam the Bass Player in the picture Earth v. the Spider. In 1959, he was cast as Martin in the episode "Premonition" of the anthology series Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond. In 1960, he played George Allison in the episode "Bud Lives It Up" of NBC's Father Knows Best
Father Knows Best
Father Knows Best is an American radio and television comedy series which portrayed a middle class family life in the Midwest. It was created by writer Ed James in the 1940s.-Radio:...
with Robert Young
Robert Young
Robert, Rob or Bob Young may refer to:In sports:* Robert Young , American track athlete* Robert Young , British cyclist* Robert Young , American football player...
as Jim Anderson and Billy Gray
Billy Gray
William Patrick "Billy" Gray was an English professional association footballer and manager who played initially as a winger....
as his son, Bud Anderson. In 1961, he played George Collingwood in the episode "Mike in a Rush" of ABC's My Three Sons
My Three Sons
My Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
, with Fred MacMurray
Fred MacMurray
Frederick Martin "Fred" MacMurray was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 movies and a successful television series during a career that spanned nearly a half-century, from 1930 to the 1970s....
as Steve Douglas and Tim Considine
Tim Considine
Timothy Daniel "Tim" Considine is a former American child actor and young adult actor who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
as oldest son, Mike Douglas.
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Between 1956 and the end of the series in 1966, Young appears in 66 of the 435 episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. He portrays a friend of the Nelson brothers, DavidDavid Nelson (actor)
David Oswald Nelson was an American actor, director, producer. He was the elder son of bandleader/TV actor Ozzie Nelson and singer Harriet Hilliard and the older brother of singer Eric "Ricky" Nelson.-Career:...
and Rick
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
, who frequently must rescue the mischief-prone Wally from his self-created predicaments. In twenty-three episodes between 1959 and 1965, Young appears with his fictititous girlfriend, Ginger, played by Charlene Salerno, in what was virtually her only acting role. Young's first Ozzie and Harriet episode is "The Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
Party" (3 October 1956), in which his character was called "Wally Dippel" (as he was in his second appearance, as well). His subsequent appearances follow:
- The Duenna (6 February 1957), second appearance
- Ricky's Big Night (6 November 1957)
- Christmas Tree Lot (18 December 1957)
- David and the Stewardess 15 January 1958
- International Set (28 May 1958)
- Rick's Riding Lesson (19 November 1958)
- Rick's Dinner Guests (21 January 1959)
- The Exploding Book (4 March 1959)
- The Treasurer's Son (15 April 1959)
- Rick Gets Even (16 December 1959)
- Dave's Car Payments (20 January 1960)
- His Brother's Girl (19 October 1960)
- David Gets a Raise (26 October 1960)
- A Sweater for Rick (9 November 1960)
- David's Almost In-Laws (23 November 1960)
- David Hires a Secretary (30 November 1960)
- Girl in the Emporium (14 December 1960)
- A Piano for the Fraternity (21 December 1960)
- The Girl That Loses Things (4 January 1961)
- The Chaperones (25 January 1961)
- Dave's Golf Story (8 March 1961)
- Rick's Broken Arm (15 March 1961)
- Selling Rick's Drums (19 April 1961)
- The Fraternity Rents Out a Room (19 October 1961)
- Rick, the Milkman (14 December 1961)
- The Special Cake (18 January 1962)
- Fraternity Cook (8 February 1962)
- Operation Barry (15 February 1962)
- Making Wally Study (22 February 1962)
- Lending Money to Wally (8 March 1962)
- Lonesome Parents (15 March 1962)
- The Student Nurse (5 April 1962)
- Rick and the Maid of Honor (27 September 1962)
- Rick Sends a Picture (15 November 1962)
- Rick, the Host (22 November 1962)
- Game Inventors (27 December 1962)
- The Girl at the Ski Lodge (17 January 1963)
- Dave and the Teenager (7 February 1963)
- Any Date in a Storm (7 March 1963)
- Dave and the Fraternity Lease (18 April 1963)
- Rick's Wedding Ring (9 October 1963)
- Getting Wally in Shape (16 October 1963)
- Blue Moose (23 October 1963)
- Wally's Pen Pal (6 November 1963)
- The Dean's Birthday (12 February 1964)
- Wally's TV Set (26 February 1964)
- Rick Is Late for Dinner (25 March 1964)
- Kris Plays Cupid (2 May 1964)
- A Letter of Recommendation (14 October 1964)
- The Ballerina (4 November 1964)
- Exotic Housemother (9 December 1964)
- The Petition (6 January 1965)
- Rick Grows a Beard (20 January 1965)
- Rick's Raise (17 February 1965)
- Painting from the Past (17 March 1965)
- A Rose a Day (22 September 1965)
- Kris & the Queen (29 September 1965)
- The Nelsons Revisited (20 October 1965)
- Wally, the Author (3 November 1965)
- A Message from Kris (10 November 1965) (referring to Rick Nelson's wife, Kristin Harmon NelsonKristin NelsonKristin Nelson, also Kristin Nelson Tinker, is an American primitive painter, actor, and author. She was married to Rick Nelson.-Early life:...
, sister of actor Mark HarmonMark HarmonMark Harmon is an American actor who has been starring in American television programs and films since the mid-1970s, after a career as a collegiate football player with the UCLA Bruins. Since 2003, Harmon has starred as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the CBS series NCIS.-Early life:Harmon was born Thomas...
) - The Equestrian (24 November 1965)
- The Ghost Town (8 December 1965)
- Kris, the Little Helper (5 January 1966)
- Wally's Traffic Ticket (22 January 1966)
- Trip Trap (19 February 1966), Young's last episode
Other roles
Young had few roles after The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. He appeared as a campaign worker in the 1968 episode "The Candidate" of CBS's Green AcresGreen Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
sitcom, starring Eddie Albert
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger , known professionally as Eddie Albert, was an American actor and activist. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for his performance in Roman Holiday, and in 1973 for The Heartbreak Kid.Other well-known screen roles of his include Bing...
and Eva Gabor
Eva Gabor
Eva Gabor was a Hungarian-born socialite and actress. She was widely known for her role on Green Acres as Lisa Douglas, the wife of Eddie Albert's character, Oliver Wendell Douglas, Duchess in the 1970 Disney film The Aristocats, and Miss Bianca in Disney's The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under...
. He guest starred as a deputy district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
in the 1969 episode "Log 123: Courtroom" of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
drama Adam-12
Adam-12
Adam-12 was a television police drama which followed two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, as they patrolled the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12. Created by Jack Webb who is known for creating Dragnet, the series captured a...
, starring Martin Milner
Martin Milner
Martin Sam Milner is an American actor best known for his performances in two popular television series, Adam-12 and Route 66....
and Kent McCord
Kent McCord
Kent McCord is an American actor best known for his role as Officer Jim Reed on the television series Adam-12.- Biography :...
, who had also appeared as a friend of the Nelson brothers in twelve episodes of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Young played a bartender
Bartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
in the 1977 episode "Long Walk Down A Short Dirt Road" of the ABC crime drama Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
, starring Paul Michael Glaser
Paul Michael Glaser
Paul Michael Glaser is an American actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Detective David Starsky on the 1970s television series Starsky and Hutch; he also appeared as Captain Jack Steeper on the 1999 to 2005 NBC series Third Watch.-Early life:Glaser, the youngest of three...
and David Soul
David Soul
David Soul is an American-British actor and singer, best known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television programme Starsky and Hutch . He gained British citizenship in 2004.-Early life:...
. In 1979, he appeared in the film Smokey and the Hotwire Gang. In 1987, he hosted a special TV Turkeys: The World's Worst Television Shows. Young's last roles were in 1989: as Mr. Zip in the film Lobster Man from Mars
Lobster Man From Mars
Lobster Man From Mars is a 1989 comedy film directed by Stanley Sheff and starring Tony Curtis. The film is a spoof of B-movies of the 1950s. It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 1989.-Plot:...
and as a coffee shop
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
regular in the episode "Mike and Julie's Wedding" of the ABC sitcom Growing Pains
Growing Pains
Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...
.
Death
Young died of complications from diabetes at his residence in Apple ValleyApple Valley, California
-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was in 2002.*On average, the coolest month is December.*The lowest recorded temperature was in 1949.*The most precipitation on average occurs in February.-History:...
near Victorville
Victorville, California
Victorville is a city located in the Victor Valley of southwestern San Bernardino County, California. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 census, the city had a population of 115,903, up from 64,030 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:...
in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
, California. In his last years, Young had been a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
host and a judge of beauty contests. A veteran of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Young is interred at Riverside National Cemetery
Riverside National Cemetery
Riverside National Cemetery is a cemetery located in Riverside, California, dedicated to the interment of United States military personnel. The cemetery covers , making it the third-largest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administration...
in Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, California.