Don Porter

Donald Don Porter was an American actor who appeared in a number of films in the 1940s including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron On television he portrayed the widowed father of 15yearold Frances Gidget Lawrence Sally Field in the 1965 ABC sitcom Gidget Besides his work in film and television Porter was active on stage as he acted in more than 200 plays including The Front Page Plaza Suite and Any Wednesday He appeared in various films in the 1940s before landing the role of Peter Sands the boss of Susan Camille MacNamara Ann Sothern on the 1950s sitcom Private Secretary A retooled version of the series appeared later titled The Ann Sothern Show It featured many of the same actors including Porter as hotel manager James Devery in the venue of a fashionable New York City hotel He later guest starred on episodes of Green Acres Love American Style The Mod Squad Barnaby Jones The Six Million Dollar Man Hawaii FiveO Threes Company on which he played Jack Trippers uncle and Switch