Donald Woods
Biography
Donald Woods was a Canadian-American film and television actor whose career in Hollywood spanned six decades. Born Ralph Lewis Zink on December 2, 1906, in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, he moved with his family to California and was raised in Burbank. His parents were William and Margaret Zink, and his younger brother, Clarence Russell Zink, also became an actor under the name Russ Conway. Donald Woods graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and made his film debut in 1928. His screen career consisted mostly of B movies, including his role as lawyer Perry Mason in the 1937 film The Case of the Stuttering Bishop. He died on March 5, 1998, at the age of 91.
Career overview
Donald Woods was a Canadian-American film and television actor whose Hollywood career spanned six decades. Born Ralph Lewis Zink on December 2, 1906, in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, he moved with his family to California and was raised in Burbank. His parents were William and Margaret Zink, and his younger brother, Clarence Russell Zink, also pursued an acting career under the name Russ Conway. Woods graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.
Having made his film debut in 1928, Woods spent the majority of his screen career appearing in B movies. Among his film roles, he portrayed lawyer Perry Mason in the 1937 film The Case of the Stuttering Bishop. Over the course of his extensive career, he amassed numerous known acting credits in both film and television.
Woods passed away on March 5, 1998, at the age of ninety-one. Throughout his long-standing presence in the entertainment industry, he established a substantial filmography encompassing a wide variety of film and television projects.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
124 titles- Police Story (1973)
- The Sandy Duncan Show (1972)
- Alias Smith and Jones (1971)
- True Grit (1969) as "Barlow"
- Istanbul Express (1969) as Shepherd
- A Time to Sing (1968) as Vernon Carter
- Ironside (1967)
- Hondo (1967)
- Tammy and the Millionaire (1967) as John Brent
- Felony Squad (1966)
- Dimension 5 (1966) as Kane
- Moment to Moment (1966) as Mr. Singer
- The Wild Wild West (1965)
- Tammy (1965) as John Brent
- Kissin' Cousins (1964) as General Alvin Donford
- Arrest and Trial (1963) as Chet Hayes
- Stoney Burke (1962)
- Sam Benedict (1962)
- Ben Casey (1961)
- Five Minutes to Live (1961) as Kenneth Wilson
- Thriller (1960) as Dr. John Carmody
- 13 Ghosts (1960) as Cyrus Zorba
- I'll Give My Life (1960)
- The Rebel (1959) as Sam Moss
- Tightrope (1959)
- Bourbon Street Beat (1959)
- Men Into Space (1959)
- Bat Masterson (1958) as Roger Purcell
- 77 Sunset Strip (1958)
- Wagon Train (1957) as Philip Ayers
- Hotel Cosmopolitan (1957)
- The Millionaire (1955) as Cobb Marley
- Damon Runyon Theater (1955)
- A Wind from the South (1955) as Robert
- Lassie (1954)
- Portia Faces Life (1954)
- Inner Sanctum (1954)
- The United States Steel Hour (1953)
- General Electric Theater (1953)
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Norman Frost Bennett
- The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) as Capt. Jackson
- The Studebaker Story (1953) as John Mohler Studebaker
- Born to the Saddle (1953) as Matt Daggett
- Tall, Dark and Dead (1952) as Craig Kennedy
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (1951) as Kirby Sinclair
- Craig Kennedy, Criminologist (1951) as Craig Kennedy
- All That I Have (1951) as Pastor William Goodwin
- Robert Montgomery Presents (1950)
- Mr. Music (1950) as Tippy Carpenter
- Johnny One-Eye (1950) as Vet
- The Lost Volcano (1950) as Paul Gordon
- Lights Out (1949)
- Scene of the Crime (1949) as Bob Herkimer
- Free For All (1949) as Roger Abernathy
- Barbary Pirate (1949) as Maj. Tom Blake
- Daughter of the West (1949) as Commissioner Ralph C. Connors
- The Philco Television Playhouse (1948)
- The Return of Rin Tin Tin (1947) as Father Matthew
- Bells of San Fernando (1947) as Michael 'Gringo' O'Brien
- Stepchild (1947) as Ken Bullock
- Goodbye, Weeds (1946) as Henry
- Night and Day (1946) as Ward Blackburn
- Never Say Goodbye (1946) as Rex DeVallon
- The Time, The Place and The Girl (1946) as Martin Drew
- Wonder Man (1945) as Monte Rossen
- Roughly Speaking (1945) as Rodney Crane
- Star in the Night (1945) as Hitchhiker
- Hollywood Canteen (1944) as Self
- The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1944) as Brother Juniper
- Enemy of Women (1944) as Dr. Hans Traeger, MD
- Watch on the Rhine (1943) as David Farrelly
- Hi'ya, Sailor (1943) as Bob Jackson
- So's Your Uncle (1943) as Steve Curtis aka Uncle John
- Corregidor (1943) as Dr. Michael
- Thru Different Eyes (1942) as Ted Farnsworth
- The Gay Sisters (1942) as Penn Sutherland Gaylord
- March On, America! (1942) as Francis Scott Key (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Bachelor Daddy (1941) as Edward Smith
- Sky Raiders (1941) as Captain Bob Dayton
- I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Island (1941) as Joel Grant / Joseph Elmer
- Forgotten Girls (1940) as Dan Donahue
- City of Chance (1940) as Steve Walker
- Mexican Spitfire Out West (1940) as Dennis 'Denny' Lindsay
- If I Had My Way (1940) as Fred Johnson
- Mexican Spitfire (1940) as Dennis Lindsay
- Love, Honor and Oh-Baby! (1940) as Brian McGrath
- Young America Flies (1940) as John Woodward
- Beauty for the Asking (1939) as Jeffrey Martin
- The Girl from Mexico (1939) as Dennis Lindsay
- Heritage of the Desert (1939) as John Abbott
- Danger on the Air (1938) as Benjamin Butts
- The Black Doll (1938) as Nick Halstead
- Romance on the Run (1938) as Barry Drake
- Charlie Chan on Broadway (1937) as Speed Patten, Reporter New York Bulletin
- Sea Devils (1937) as Steve Webb
- Big Town Girl (1937) as Mark Tracey
- Talent Scout (1937) as Steve Stewart
- Once a Doctor (1937) as Steven Brace
- The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (1937) as Perry Mason
- Road Gang (1936) as James 'Jim' Larrabie
- The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) as Dr. Jean Martel
- Anthony Adverse (1936) as Vincent Nolte
- Isle of Fury (1936) as Eric Blake
- The White Angel (1936) as Charles Cooper
- Breakdowns of 1936 (1936) as Self
- The Making of a Great Motion Picture (1936)
- A Son Comes Home (1936) as Denny
- The Song of a Nation (1936) as Francis Scott Key
- A Tale of Two Cities (1935) as Charles Darnay
- The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) as Carl
- A Dream Comes True (1935) as Himself (uncredited)
- Frisco Kid (1935) as Charles Ford
- The Florentine Dagger (1935) as Juan Cesare
- Things You Never See on the Screen (1935) as Self
- Stranded (1935) as John Wesley
- Hollywood Newsreel (1934) as Himself
- She Was a Lady (1934) as Tommy Traill
- Fog Over Frisco (1934) as Tony Sterling
- Merry Wives of Reno (1934) as Frank
- As the Earth Turns (1934) as Stan
- Charlie Chan's Courage (1934) as Bob Crawford
- Sweet Adeline (1934) as Sid Barnett
- Motorboat Mamas (1928) as Yacht Club Patron (uncredited)
- Motorboat Mamas (1928) as Yacht Club Patron
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Donald Woods best known for?
Donald Woods is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Police Story (1973), Alias Smith and Jones (1971), True Grit (1969), Istanbul Express (1969).
When and where was Donald Woods born?
Donald Woods was born on December 2, 1906 in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. They passed away on March 5, 1998.
How many credits does Donald Woods have?
Donald Woods has accumulated over 124 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1928 to 1973.
What is Donald Woods's background in cinema and television?
Donald Woods was a Canadian-American film and television actor whose career in Hollywood spanned six decades. Born Ralph Lewis Zink on December 2, 1906, in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, he moved with his family to California and was raised in Burbank. His parents were William and Margaret Zink, and his younger brother, Cl...
Donald Woods by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Charlie Chan's Courage (1934) as Bob Crawford — aged about 27
- Arrest and Trial (1963) as Chet Hayes — aged about 56
- Tammy (1965) as John Brent — aged about 58
- The Wild Wild West (1965) — aged about 58
- Men Into Space (1959) — aged about 52
- True Grit (1969) as "Barlow" — aged about 62
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