John Doucette
John Doucette (January 21, 1921 – August 16, 1994) was an American film character actor. He was a balding, husky man remembered for playing mob muscle and western bad guys in movies. According to the Internet Movie Data Base, between 1943 and 1987, Doucette appeared in some 260 movies and television programs, with about 60 early roles uncredited.
Life and career
Doucette was born in Brockton, Massachusetts. Doucette served in the United States Army during World War II. He progressed to dramatic roles including a small part as an architect in The Fountainhead in (1949) and the 1970 epic Patton when he played 3rd Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott. His other notable performances included bit parts in High Noon, The Robe, Sierra, and the mega-budget Cleopatra. More familiarly, Doucette appeared in the John Wayne films The Sea Chase, The Sons of Katie Elder, True Grit, and Big Jake.
Many baby boomers first saw John Doucette as the bad guy in several episodes of The Lone Ranger, a natural role considering his rough looks, commanding presence, and skill with a gun. He was considered by many to be one of the fastest draws in Hollywood. His roles, however, went well beyond that stereotype. He appeared on a variety of television shows, including The Range Rider, The Roy Rogers Show, The Fugitive, The Adventures of Kit Carson, The Cisco Kid, City Detective, Annie Oakley, The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial, My Friend Flicka, Sky King, The Californians, Broken Arrow, The People's Choice, Sheriff of Cochise, Behind Closed Doors, The Texan, Lawman, The Everglades, Mackenzie's Raiders, Bonanza, The Wild Wild West, The Virginian, Have Gun - Will Travel, Kung Fu, The Rat Patrol, Hogan's Heroes, Lock Up, Adventures of Superman, Sea Hunt, Science Fiction Theater, Walt Disney Presents, and "Tales of Wells Fargo" (as Boone Helm in "Alder Gulch" and as Lemuel "Shorty" Bostwick in "Renegade").
