| Dick Miller | |||||
| Birth Name: | Richard Miller | ||||
| Birth Date: | 25 December 1928 | ||||
| Birth Place: | New York City, U.S. | ||||
| Occupation: | Actor | ||||
| Years Active: | 1955–2019 | ||||
| Children: | 1 | ||||
| Module: |
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Richard Miller (December 25, 1928 – January 30, 2019) was an American character actor who appeared in more than 180 films,[1] including many produced by Roger Corman. He later appeared in the films of directors who began their careers with Corman, including Joe Dante, James Cameron, and Martin Scorsese, with the distinction of appearing in every film directed by Dante. He was known for playing the beleaguered everyman, often in one-scene appearances.
Miller's main roles in films included Not of This Earth (1957), A Bucket of Blood (1959), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), Piranha (1978), The Howling (1981), Gremlins, The Terminator (both 1984), Explorers (1985), Chopping Mall, Night of the Creeps (both 1986), The 'Burbs (1989), (1990), Quake (1992), and Small Soldiers (1998).
Miller was born on Christmas Day, 1928, in The Bronx, New York, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Rita (Blucher), an opera singer, and Ira Miller, a printer.[2] He served a tour of duty in the United States Navy. Miller attended the City College of New York, Columbia University, and New York University,[3] eventually attaining a PhD in psychology.[4] [5] He was a writer before turning to acting.[6]
While working as a graduate psychologist, Miller performed on Broadway and also worked at the Bellevue Hospital Mental Hygiene Clinic and the psychiatric department of Queens General Hospital. In 1952, he moved to California seeking work as a writer. One of his earliest acting roles was in Apache Woman (1955). He played one of the townspeople and also a separate role as an Indian. In an action scene his townsperson character shoots his Indian character, as related in the documentary Corman's World.[7]
His movie roles include White Line Fever, The Terminator, All The Right Moves, Night of the Creeps, Small Soldiers, It Conquered the World, A Bucket of Blood, The Little Shop of Horrors, the Tales from the Crypt movie Demon Knight, Amazon Women on the Moon, Chopping Mall, The Howling, Piranha and I Wanna Hold Your Hand.[8] His best known role was in the movies Gremlins and as Murray Futterman. He appeared in Pulp Fiction as Monster Joe, but his scene and a few others were deleted because of the film's length. He also appeared in Rod Stewart's video for the song "Infatuation" in 1984, with Mike Mazurki and Kay Lenz.
His television credits include as a Townsman on the 1963 TV Western Gunsmoke (S9E8's "Carter Caper"), in Combat!, as a young soldier in the 5th-season episode "The Outsider"; Police Squad! (a 1980s crime spoof series with Leslie Nielsen); V: The Final Battle as Dan Pascal; three seasons as the generous bartender Lou Mackie on Fame; , in the season 1 episode "The Big Goodbye", as the newspaper stand man in the holodeck; , in the season 3 two-part episode "Past Tense", as Vin; Time of Your Life; as a prison guard in Soap (1979); and as the voice of the gangster Chuckie Sol in the animated feature film . He also directed television shows, including "The Fix", a 1986 episode of the series Miami Vice.
In 2000, Miller was featured alongside former collaborators including Roger Corman, Sam Arkoff and Peter Bogdanovich in the documentary SCHLOCK! The Secret History of American Movies, a film about the rise and fall of American exploitation cinema. In 2014 he appeared in a documentary of his life, That Guy Dick Miller. He is also credited for appearing in a Sega CD video game, Prize Fighter, as corner man for the main character.
Throughout his career, Miller would portray several fictional characters all named Walter Paisley. He once noted, "I've played Walter Paisley five times now, I think."[9] By 2011, the character name had actually appeared in Miller's acting credits six times, and twice more with other actors on stage and screen. The name first appeared in the Roger Corman film A Bucket of Blood, with a story centred on Paisley, a busboy who becomes an artist of sorts by killing his subjects and covering them in plaster.[10] In 1976, Miller again portrayed a Walter Paisley — this time, a talent agent and former actor – in another Corman production, Hollywood Boulevard, directed by Allan Arkush and Joe Dante. In one scene of the film, Miller watches himself onscreen at a drive-in theatre showing of The Terror – along with the Paisley name, this was one of several Corman/American International references and in-jokes in the finished production.
Dante cast Miller as another Walter Paisley, the owner of an occult bookshop, in the 1981 film The Howling.[11] Two years later, the name appeared again attached to another Miller role, this time as the owner of a diner in the third segment of .[12] The 1986 horror film Chopping Mall featured a janitor named Walter Paisley; and the 1994 made-for-TV remake of Shake, Rattle and Rock! had Miller playing a policeman, Officer Paisley. Officer Paisley also appeared in Night of the Creeps. Miller played a variation on the role one last time in his final, posthumously released film, Hanukkah. Two other actors have portrayed the Walter Paisley from A Bucket of Blood: Anthony Michael Hall in the 1995 television remake; and James Stanton in the musical adaptation produced by Chicago's Annoyance Theatre.
Miller married Lainie (Sheila Elaine Halpern) on October 6, 1959, and they had one child together, Barbara.[13] [14] [15] Miller died at age 90 of a heart attack on January 30, 2019, while being treated for pneumonia in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles.[16] [17]
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Dragnet 1967 | Harry Johnson | Episode: "The Shooting" | ||
| 1979 | Taxi | Ernie the Waiter | Episode: "The Lighter Side of Angela Matusa" | ||
| 1979 | Soap | The Guard | Episode: # 2.19 | ||
| 1982 | Police Squad! | Vic | Joe Dante | Episode: "Testimony of Evil (Dead Men Don't Laugh)" | |
| 1982 | Taxi | Fergie | Episode: "Travels With My Dad" | ||
| 1984 | V: The Final Battle | Dan Pascal | Richard T. Heffron | 1 Episode | |
| 1984-1987 | Fame | Lou Mackie | Various | Recurring role (30 episodes) | |
| 1988 | News Stand Vendor | Joseph L. Scanlon | Episode: "The Big Goodbye" | ||
| 1990-1991 | The Flash | Fosnight | Various | 6 episodes | |
| 1993 | Fallen Angels | Carl | Various | 2 episodes | |
| 1994 | Rebel Highway | Roy Farrell | Joe Dante and Allan Arkush | 2 episodes | |
| 1994 | Boxy Bennett | Voice, 2 episodes[18] | |||
| 1994 | Mike Lane | Robert Singer | Episode: "Church of Metropolis" | ||
| 1995 | Vin | and | Episode: "Past Tense" | ||
| 2005 | Justice League Unlimited | Oberon | Voice, episode: "The Ties that Bind" |
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Apache Woman | Tall Tree | |||
| 1956 | The Oklahoma Woman | The Bartender | |||
| Gunslinger | Jimmy Tonto | ||||
| It Conquered the World | Sergeant Neil | ||||
| 1957 | Naked Paradise | Mitch | |||
| Not of This Earth | Joe Piper | ||||
| The Undead | The Leper | ||||
| Rock All Night | "Shorty" | ||||
| Sorority Girl | Mort | ||||
| Carnival Rock | Benny | ||||
| 1958 | War of the Satellites | Dave Boyer | |||
| 1959 | Walter Paisley | ||||
| 1960 | Burson Fouch | ||||
| 1961 | Atlas | Greek Soldier | Uncredited | ||
| Capture That Capsule | Ed Nowak | Will Zens | |||
| 1962 | Premature Burial | "Mole" | |||
| 1963 | Stefan | ||||
| Heckler | Uncredited | ||||
| 1965 | The Girls on the Beach | First Waiter | William Witney | Uncredited | |
| Ski Party | Taxi Driver | Alan Rafkin | Uncredited | ||
| Beach Ball | Cop #1 | ||||
| 1966 | Wild Wild Winter | Rilk | |||
| Rigger | |||||
| 1967 | MP At Hanging | Uncredited | |||
| The St. Valentine's Day Massacre | Gangster Dressed As A Cop | Uncredited | |||
| A Time for Killing | Zollicoffer | ||||
| Cash | |||||
| 1968 | The Wild Racers | Pit Crew Mechanic | Daniel Haller Roger Corman | ||
| The Legend of Lylah Clare | Reporter At Press Party | Robert Aldrich | Uncredited | ||
| 1972 | Night Call Nurses | Mr. Jensen | |||
| 1973 | The Student Teachers | Coach Harris | |||
| The Slams | Taxi Driver | ||||
| Executive Action | Rifleman, Team B | David Miller | |||
| The Young Nurses | Cop | ||||
| Fly Me | Taxi Driver | ||||
| 1974 | Truck Turner | Fogarty | |||
| Big Bad Mama | Bonney | ||||
| Candy Stripe Nurses | The Spectator | Alan Holleb | |||
| Summer School Teachers | Sam | ||||
| 1975 | Capone | Joe Pryor | |||
| Death Race 2000 | Chicken Gang | Paul Bartel | Uncredited | ||
| White Line Fever | "Birdie" Corman | ||||
| Darktown Strutters | Officer Hugo | ||||
| Crazy Mama | Wilbur Janeway | ||||
| 1976 | Hollywood Boulevard | Walter Paisley | |||
| Cannonball | Bennie Buckman | ||||
| Moving Violation | Mack | Charles S. Dubin | |||
| Vigilante Force | The Pianist | George Armitage | |||
| 1977 | Mr. Billion | Bernie | |||
| New York, New York | The Palm Club Owner | ||||
| Game Show Models | The Game Show Host | David N. Gottlieb | |||
| 1978 | Starhops | Jerry | |||
| I Wanna Hold Your Hand | Sergeant Brenner | ||||
| Corvette Summer | "Mr. Lucky" | ||||
| Piranha | Buck Gardner | ||||
| 1979 | The Lady in Red | Patek | |||
| Rock 'n' Roll High School | Police Chief | ||||
| 11th Victim | Ned, Investigator | TV movie | |||
| 1941 | Officer Miller | ||||
| 1980 | New York Cop | ||||
| Used Cars | Man In Bed | ||||
| Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype | Irsil / Orson | Charles B. Griffith | |||
| 1981 | Walter Paisley | ||||
| Smokey Bites the Dust | Glen Wilson | Charles B. Griffith | |||
| Heartbeeps | Factory Watchman | ||||
| 1982 | National Lampoon's Movie Madness | Dr. Hans Kleiner | Segment: "Success Wanters" | ||
| White Dog | Animal Trainer | Samuel Fuller | |||
| Vortex | Bit Part | Beth B Scott B | |||
| The Aftermath | Broadcaster | Steve Barkett Ted V. Mikels | Voice | ||
| 1983 | Heart Like a Wheel | Mickey White | |||
| Walter, The Bar Owner | Segment: "It's a Good Life" | ||||
| Space Raiders | Mel "Crazy Mel" | Howard R. Cohen | |||
| Get Crazy | Susie's Dad | ||||
| All the Right Moves | Teacher In Auditorium | ||||
| Lies | The Producer | Jim Wheat Ken Wheat | |||
| 1984 | Swing Shift | Wallflower At The Swing Shift Jamboree | Jonathan Demme | Uncredited | |
| Gremlins | Murray Futterman | ||||
| Gun Shop Clerk | |||||
| 1985 | Explorers | Charlie Drake | |||
| After Hours | Pete, Diner Waiter | ||||
| 1986 | Chopping Mall | Walter Paisley | |||
| Night of the Creeps | Walt | ||||
| Armed Response | Steve | ||||
| 1987 | Project X | Max King | |||
| Face Like a Frog | Max | ||||
| Innerspace | Cab Driver | ||||
| Amazon Women on the Moon | Danny Clayton | Various | Segment: "The French Ventiloquist's Dummy" (TV cut & DVD only) Uncredited | ||
| 1988 | Under the Boardwalk | Official | Fritz Kiersch | ||
| Nick Pellegrini | Tom DeSimone | ||||
| Dead Heat | Cemetery Security Guard | Uncredited | |||
| 1989 | Vic, The Garbageman | ||||
| Far from Home | Sheriff Bill Childers | Meiert Avis | |||
| Ghost Writer | Club Manager | Kenneth J. Hall | |||
| 1990 | Murray Futterman | ||||
| Mob Boss | Mike | ||||
| 1991 | Motorama | Horseshoe Player | Barry Shils | ||
| 1992 | Evil Toons | Burt | |||
| Body Waves | Mr. Matthews | P.J. Pesce | |||
| Unlawful Entry | Impound Clerk | ||||
| 1992 | Quake | The Storekeeper | |||
| 1993 | Matinee | Herb Denning | |||
| 1993 | Chuckie Sol | Voice | |||
| 1994 | Pulp Fiction | Joe "Monster Joe" | (scenes deleted) | ||
| Mona Must Die | Father Stilicato | Donald Reiker | |||
| 1995 | Demon Knight | Uncle Willy | |||
| Number One Fan | The Night Manager | Jane Simpson | |||
| 1997 | The Second Civil War | Eddie O'Neill | Television film | ||
| 1998 | The Peddler | ||||
| Small Soldiers | Joe, The Truck Driver | ||||
| 2001 | Route 666 | The Bartender | William Wesley | ||
| 2003 | Security Chief | ||||
| 2006 | Trapped Ashes | Max | Segments: "Wraparound" | ||
| 2007 | Trail of the Screaming Forehead | Eddie | Larry Blamire | ||
| 2009 | Pizza Delivery Guy | Uncredited | |||
| 3rd Shift: Michael's Lament | The Sculptor | Christopher D. Grace | |||
| 2014 | Burying the Ex | Grumpy Cop | |||
| That Guy Dick Miller | Himself | Elijah Drenner | Documentary | ||
| 2015 | The Adventures of Biffle and Shooster | Walter | Michael Schlesinger | ||
| Schmo Boat | Michael Schlesinger | Short | |||
| 2019 | Hanukkah | Rabbi Walter Paisley | Eben McGarr | Posthumous release; Final film role |
United States