Phillips Tead

Phillips Tead (September 29, 1893 – June 9, 1974) was an American actor who worked across stage, film, and television. Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, Tead built a career spanning more than five decades, appearing under both his full name and the billing Phil Tead.

His stage career placed him on Broadway between 1917 and 1921, with credits including The Children's Tragedy, The Tavern, and Exit the King. His work in film began earlier, with his screen career launching in silent pictures in 1914 and continuing for roughly forty years. A notable early film appearance came in the 1932 Marx Brothers comedy Horse Feathers, in which Tead portrayed a radio announcer calling the play-by-play of the climactic college football game.

In the early 1950s, Tead shifted his focus primarily to television, taking on roles in a number of western series. He appeared in the 1952 episode "Old Bailey" of The Lone Ranger, Season 3, episode 49, playing the title character alongside John Hart and Jay Silverheels. A 1955 episode of the same series, "Showdown at Sand Creek," featured him as a storekeeper named Pop Dawson. In 1957 he appeared as a character named Young in the Cheyenne episode "Land Beyond the Law," and in 1958 he took on several episodes of The Lawman. His final television credit noted here came in 1967, when he appeared in an uncredited role as Padre in the Big Valley episode "Days of Grace."

Among his television work, Tead became particularly associated with the 1950s color episodes of Adventures of Superman, where he recurred as Professor Pepperwinkle, an eccentric inventor. His first appearance on that series had been in a different role, a shopkeeper named Mr. Willy. He was present for the series finale, "All That Glitters." Tead died in Los Angeles, California at the age of 80.