Danny Dayton

Danny Dayton, born Daniel David Segall on November 20, 1923, in Jersey City, New Jersey, was an American actor and television director whose career spanned stage, screen, and television from the 1950s through the 1990s. Raised in a Jewish family, Dayton studied journalism at New York University, where he also founded the institution's first dramatic society before shifting his focus to acting. Following his time at NYU, he served in the Army, entertaining troops through Special Services.

Dayton's Broadway career ran from 1950 to 1964 and included three notable productions. He appeared in Guys and Dolls in 1950, returned to the stage for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in 1962 — at one point stepping in to replace star Zero Mostel — and rounded out his Broadway work with I Had a Ball in 1964. His sharp features and hawk-nosed appearance made him a natural fit for Runyonesque roles, frequently casting him as gangsters and sharpies in comedic productions.

His television work began in the 1950s alongside Milton Berle on Texaco Star Theater and extended across a wide range of New York-based productions. Dayton performed on The Phil Silvers Show, served as a panelist on the game show Keep Talking, worked as associate producer on Masquerade Party, and appeared as a straight-man foil to comedians Joey Faye and Mickey Deems on Mack and Myer for Hire. Behind the camera, he directed episodes of Occasional Wife, Here's Lucy, and Good Morning World. His most recognized television role was the recurring character Hank Pivnik on All in the Family, and he made guest appearances on M*A*S*H, Charlie's Angels, The Incredible Hulk, and The Love Boat. Dayton remained active as an actor into the 1980s and 1990s, with credits including Police Squad, The Nanny, and Friends.

In addition to his on-screen work, Dayton directed television commercials, earning three Clio Awards, the Cannes Film Festival Award, a placement in McMahon's Best 100, and the Addy Award for Excellence.

In his personal life, Dayton married actress Dagmar in Las Vegas in May 1951; the marriage ended in divorce in 1961. His second marriage, to Arlene Allinson in 1963, lasted the remainder of his life, and the couple had four children. On August 17, 1960, a vehicle Dayton was driving struck and killed a four-year-old girl in Connecticut. He died of emphysema on February 6, 1999, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.