Donald Buka

Donald Buka (August 17, 1920 – July 21, 2009) was an American actor whose career spanned Broadway, film, radio, and television. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he pursued formal training at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh, which he entered at age 17.

While studying at Carnegie Tech, Buka performed a scene for Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in an otherwise-empty theater. The celebrated acting couple extended him an immediate invitation to join their company, and he spent three years touring with them. His Broadway debut followed in 1940 with a production of the comedy Twelfth Night, launching a stage career that continued through 1983 and included such productions as Bright Boy, Helen Goes to Troy, Live Life Again, and the comedy Sophie.

Buka's entry into film came through Howard Hughes, for whom he had worked three days on a production when Hughes offered him a seven-year contract and directed the screenwriter to expand Buka's role in the remaining scenes. Buka accepted on the condition that he retain the freedom to perform on stage during the nine months of the traditional theatrical season each year. His work in mass media also included an early appearance on the CBS radio program Let's Pretend. On television, he appeared in episodes of Dragnet, Perry Mason, Ironside, and The High Chaparral, with his screen work spanning 1943 to 1971.

Buka died on July 21, 2009, in Reading, Massachusetts.