Philip Nott Ober (March 23, 1902 – September 13, 1982) was an American screen and stage actor who later retired from performing to be a foreign service diplomat.
The son of Frank Ober, he was raised in White Plains, New York. After attending The Peddie School and Princeton University, he worked in advertising before moving into acting.[1] In a 1935 interview, he claimed "I got kicked out of Princeton in sophomore year."[2]
Ober often appeared in roles as a straight man in farcical circumstances. He made his debut on stage, playing Tom Faulkner in Technique in 1931.[3] He appeared in Lawrence Riley's Broadway show Personal Appearance (1934) opposite Gladys George.
From 1954 to 1967, he frequently appeared in television series. He appeared in the episode "The Vultures" of Sugarfoot.[citation needed]
Ober was twice cast on I Love Lucy, first playing "Arnold" in episode 5, "The Quiz Show,"[4]: 244 and later portraying the Hollywood producer Dore Schary in episode 119, "Don Juan is Shelved" when Schary decided at the last minute not to play himself.[4] He made five appearances on Perry Mason, including that of defendant Peter Dawson in the 1960 episode, "The Case of the Treacherous Toupee", and the dual role of murder victim Sumner Hodge and his brother Adrian Hodge in the 1964 episode, "The Case of the Tandem Target". He also appeared in one episode of The Twilight Zone ("Spur of the Moment"), co-starring Diana Hyland, and in one episode ("Bankrupt Alibi") of Whirlybirds in which he portrayed a man who convinces his son to take the blame for a hit-and-run accident he committed. He made one guest appearance on the 1961 crime adventure-drama series The Investigators and four on the comedy series Hazel. Also in 1961, he appeared as "General Silas Guild" in the TV Western series Bat Masterson (S3E18 "The Prescott Campaign"). He played Colonel Hoey in "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" S1 E4 episode "I Saw the Whole Thing" in 1962. He had a recurring role as General Wingard Stone in the early episodes of I Dream of Jeannie,[4]: 182 appeared in two episodes of McHale's Navy as tough-as-nails Admiral "Iron Pants" Rafferty, and played the museum curator Dr. Wilkerson in episode 32 of The Munsters, "Mummy Munster," in 1965.[4]: 372
Ober continued to work as an actor in films. He played the United Nations ambassador in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest (1959) whom Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) meets, to clarify who had occupied his mansion. He also played Capt. Dana "Dynamite" Holmes, the neglectful, unsympathetic husband of Karen Holmes (Deborah Kerr), in the film version of From Here to Eternity (1953).
Although many sources report that Ober died of a heart attack in Mexico City at the age of 80, Associated Press obituaries quote a hospital spokesperson stating Ober died of lung cancer at Santa Monica Hospital in Santa Monica, California, on September 13, 1982.[5] The California Death Index and Social Security Death Index substantiate this information.[9]
^ abcdNick at Nite's Classic TV Companion, edited by Tom Hill, copyright 1996 by Viacom International, p. 281: "Phil Ober, who was married to Vivian Vance at the time, makes his second I Love Lucy appearance as Dore Schary... Schary was scheduled to appear as himself but backed out at the last minute."
