Donald "Don" Porter (September 24, 1912 –February 11, 1997) was an American actor who appeared in a number of films since the 1940s, including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron. On television, he portrayed the widowed father of 15-year-old Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field) in the 1965 ABC sitcom Gidget. Besides his work in film and television, Porter was active on stage, as he acted in more than 200 plays, including The Front Page, Plaza Suite, and Any Wednesday. He appeared in various films in the 1940s before landing the role of Peter Sands, the boss of Susan Camille MacNamara (Ann Sothern), on the 1950s sitcom Private Secretary. A retooled version of the series appeared later, titled The Ann Sothern Show. It featured many of the same actors, including Porter as hotel manager James Devery in the venue of a fashionable New York City hotel. He later guest starred on episodes of Green Acres, Love, American Style, The Mod Squad, Barnaby Jones, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O, Three's Company (on which he played Jack Tripper's uncle), and Switch.
49 movies · 25 shows
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall
1980·6.5
The Last Song
1980·8.0
The Murder That Wouldn't Die
1980·4.3
Interview with Pontius Pilate
1980·0.0
Tropic of Desire
1979·6.4
The President's Mistress
1978·6.8
Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A.
1977·6.3
A Woman for All Men
1975·4.9
White Line Fever
1975·6.0
Last Hours Before Morning
1975·4.5
The Legend of Lizzie Borden
1975·6.9
Happy Anniversary and Goodbye
1974·5.2
Murder or Mercy
1974·10.0
Mame
1974·5.9
The Morning After
1974·6.7
40 Carats
1973·5.7
The Norliss Tapes
1973·6.2
The Candidate
1972·6.5
Live a Little, Love a Little
1968·5.6
Youngblood Hawke
1964·6.3
Gidget Goes to Rome
1963·5.0
Bachelor in Paradise
1961·6.3
Desk Set
1957·7.0
Our Miss Brooks
1956·6.6
Because You're Mine
1952·6.8
The Savage
1952·6.3
The Turning Point
1952·6.3
Cripple Creek
1952·6.0
The Fallbrook Story
1952·0.0
The Racket
1951·6.3
Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone
1950·7.0
711 Ocean Drive
1950·6.4
My Friend Irma Goes West
1950·6.2
Buck Privates Come Home
1947·6.4
Wild Beauty
1946·8.0
Danger Woman
1946·8.0
Cuban Pete
1946·6.0
She-Wolf of London
1946·5.6
Resisting Enemy Interrogation
1944·6.6
How to Fly the B-26 Airplane
1944·9.0
Keep 'Em Slugging
1943·5.8
Reconnaissance Pilot
1943·7.0
Madame Spy
1942·6.5
Who Done It?
1942·7.0
Night Monster
1942·6.2
Eyes of the Underworld
1942·5.6
Eagle Squadron
1942·7.0
Top Sergeant
1942·6.5
Mystery of the White Room
1939·9.0