| Phillips Tead | |
| Birth Date: | September 29, 1893 |
| Birth Place: | Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other Names: | Phil Tead |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1914 - 1957 |
| Notable Works: | Adventures of Superman |
Phillips Tead (September 29, 1893 - June 9, 1974) was an American character actor in film and television, sometimes billed as Phil Tead.
Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, in 1893, among his many roles, Tead might be best remembered as the semi-recurring character "Professor Pepperwinkle," an eccentric inventor, in several of the color episodes of the 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman. His appearances included the final episode, "All That Glitters." His first appearance had been as a shopkeeper named Mr. Willy, a similarly eccentric character.[1]
A visible early role is his appearance in Horse Feathers, the 1932 Marx Brothers comedy, in which he plays a radio play-by-play announcer at the film's climactic college football game.
His film career began in silent pictures in 1914 and ran some 40 years. In the early 1950s he turned his attention primarily to television, appearing in various western series as well as Superman.
Phil Tead starred in the episode "Old Bailey" of the western series The Lone Ranger in 1952 from Season 3, episode 49, where he played the title character Old Bailey along with John Hart and Jay Silverheels. In a 1955 episode “Showdown at Sand Creek”, he played the storekeeper Pop Dawson.
In 1957 Tead appeared as Young on the TV western series Cheyenne in the episode titled "Land Beyond the Law."
In 1958-1958 Tead appeared in several episodes of the TV western series The Lawman. In 1967 Tead appeared in an uncredited role as Padre on the TV western The Big Valley in the episode titled "Days of Grace."
He died in Los Angeles, California, age 80.