Tod Stiles
Encyclopedia
Tod Stiles was a fictional character
portrayed by actor Martin Milner
on the 1960’s American
prime-time dramatic television series Route 66
. Tod was one of three main regular characters on the program, and the only one to appear in all 116 episodes of the show's four seasons.
(although he gives his birthplace as Connecticut
on at least one occasion), the son of Lee and Martha Stiles. His father was the owner of a shipping company in New York City
. In 1960, shortly after Tod's graduation from Yale University
, the elder Stiles suffered a series of business misfortunes that left him bankrupt. He then died of a coronary thrombosis
, leaving Tod an inheritance consisting of little more than a brand new convertible Chevrolet Corvette
. With his future now in his own hands, Tod and his best friend Buz Murdock
(George Maharis
), an ex-gang member whom Tod’s father had taken under his wing, decided to hit the road in the new car, travelling across America to seek their fortune in a variety of different jobs.
After more than two years of adventuring on the road, Buz became seriously ill and was unable to travel with Tod any longer. Tod traveled by himself for a while, and then while working in Houston he encountered ex-Army Ranger and P.O.W. Lincoln Case
(Glenn Corbett
), who had just returned from a stint in Vietnam. Although circumstances of their first meeting initially drew Tod and Linc into conflict (including a fistfight), the two soon became fast friends and Linc became his new travelling partner.
After a year or so more of hopping around the country with Linc, Tod met Margo Tiffin (played by Barbara Eden
), whose father Alexander had previously known Tod, in Tampa
(where the episode was filmed). Tiffin had been so enamored of Tod that he left a stipulation in his will that required his daughter to marry him. Despite the forced circumstances of the relationship, Tod and Margo did indeed end up actually falling in love with each other and were married. After having to spend some time fending off the efforts of unscrupulous family members to claim Margo’s father’s fortune, Tod and his new bride determined to settle down, ending both Tod’s nomadic lifestyle and the series. This occurred during the two-part series finale of Route 66, both episodes of which aired in March 1964.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
portrayed by actor 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....
on the 1960’s American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prime-time dramatic television series Route 66
Route 66 (TV series)
Route 66 is an American TV series in which two young men traveled across America. The show ran weekly on CBS from 1960 to 1964. It starred Martin Milner as Tod Stiles and, for two and a half seasons, George Maharis as Buz Murdock. Maharis was ill for much of the third season, during which time Tod...
. Tod was one of three main regular characters on the program, and the only one to appear in all 116 episodes of the show's four seasons.
Character history
Tod was born March 12, 1936, in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(although he gives his birthplace as Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
on at least one occasion), the son of Lee and Martha Stiles. His father was the owner of a shipping company in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1960, shortly after Tod's graduation from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, the elder Stiles suffered a series of business misfortunes that left him bankrupt. He then died of a coronary thrombosis
Coronary thrombosis
Coronary thrombosis is a form of thrombosis affecting the coronary circulation. It is associated with stenosis subsequent to clotting. The condition is considered as a type of ischaemic heart disease.It can lead to a myocardial infarction...
, leaving Tod an inheritance consisting of little more than a brand new convertible Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
. With his future now in his own hands, Tod and his best friend Buz Murdock
Buz Murdock
Buz Murdock was a fictional character portrayed by actor George Maharis on the 1960’s American prime-time dramatic television series Route 66. Buz was one of three main regular characters on the program, and his tenure lasted for two and a half of the program’s four seasons. It ended with Maharis’...
(George Maharis
George Maharis
George Maharis is an American actor who portrayed Buz Murdock in the first three seasons of the TV series Route 66...
), an ex-gang member whom Tod’s father had taken under his wing, decided to hit the road in the new car, travelling across America to seek their fortune in a variety of different jobs.
After more than two years of adventuring on the road, Buz became seriously ill and was unable to travel with Tod any longer. Tod traveled by himself for a while, and then while working in Houston he encountered ex-Army Ranger and P.O.W. Lincoln Case
Lincoln Case
Lincoln Case was a fictional character portrayed by actor Glenn Corbett on the 1960s American prime-time drama Route 66. Linc was one of three main regular characters on the program. His tenure began midway through the show's third season, when he was written in as a replacement for the departed...
(Glenn Corbett
Glenn Corbett
Glenn Corbett was an American actor best known for his role on CBS's adventure drama Route 66.-Acting career:...
), who had just returned from a stint in Vietnam. Although circumstances of their first meeting initially drew Tod and Linc into conflict (including a fistfight), the two soon became fast friends and Linc became his new travelling partner.
After a year or so more of hopping around the country with Linc, Tod met Margo Tiffin (played by Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden is an American film and television actress and singer who is best known for her starring role in the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early years:...
), whose father Alexander had previously known Tod, in Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
(where the episode was filmed). Tiffin had been so enamored of Tod that he left a stipulation in his will that required his daughter to marry him. Despite the forced circumstances of the relationship, Tod and Margo did indeed end up actually falling in love with each other and were married. After having to spend some time fending off the efforts of unscrupulous family members to claim Margo’s father’s fortune, Tod and his new bride determined to settle down, ending both Tod’s nomadic lifestyle and the series. This occurred during the two-part series finale of Route 66, both episodes of which aired in March 1964.
Personality Traits
The boyish-faced Tod usually presents a glib, affable, extroverted front which lightly masks a deeply thoughtful, introspective nature. At heart, he is a serious and analytical personality type with a strong moral code of ethics. Although primarily a pacifist, when the occasion calls for it he demonstrates himself just as able in fisticuffs as his more streetwise companion Buz. Throughout the series Tod shows an interest in racing sports of all kinds, and in one episode even modifies the Corvette to become a race car. He is also a licensed pilot. His eventual marriage to Margo Tiffin, while it seems the result of a hurried and circumstantially forced romance, is actually very much in keeping with the tendency Tod displayed over the course of the series to fall quick and hard for whichever young female happened to be handy. In fact, on at least two previous occasions during the course of his adventures, Tod very nearly got married to women whom he had known just a brief time.External links
- Route 66 (1960) episode list on epguides.com
- Route 66 (1993) episode list on epguides.com
- Martin Milner IMDB page
- The Martin Milner Archives - fan site, with text of numerous articles about the series Site contains an extensive biography of Martin Milner with numerous references.
- http://www.tviv.org/Route_66 - Route 66 on the TV-IV wiki