Harold Stone, one of the most prolific and dependable character actors of American Film, died at age 92 of natural causes. Stone worked in over 30 films, from Spartacus to The Harder They Fall. But his real calling was television, where he became a living room fixture with his stern, unapologetic visage in over 150 programs including the Westerns The Big Valley, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Bonanza, and The Virginian.
Not restricted to authoritative or menacing roles, Stone was hilarious as a sea captain in an episode of Get Smart. Though never rightly upfront as a lead character, Harold Stone could never be overlooked.