Ronnie Dapo

Ronnie Dapo
Born Ronald L. Dapo
(1952-05-08) May 8, 1952
Plattsburgh, New York, USA
Occupation Child actor
Years active 1959-1966

Ronald L. "Ronnie" Dapo (born May 8, 1952) is an American former child actor who appeared in supporting roles in such television series as the ABC/Warner Brothers situation comedy Room for One More (1962) and CBS's The New Phil Silvers Show (1964).

Acting career

Dapo began acting in 1959 at the age of seven when he played Billy Lacy in John Bromfield's syndicated series U.S. Marshal. That same year he appeared as Ronnie in The Alcoa Hour in the episode "Another Day, Another Dollar" and in "The Greenhorn Story" of NBC's western series Wagon Train starring Ward Bond. He also appeared in the movie -30- as Billy, opposite Jack Webb and Whitney Blake as their soon be adopted son. Then in 1960, he appeared as a schoolboy in the episode "A Bullet for the Teacher" on ABC's Maverick starring James Garner.[1]

In 1961, he guest starred in three ABC/WB series, The Roaring 20s (episode "Dance Marathon"), Hawaiian Eye (as Roger in "Don't Kiss Me Good-bye"), and Surfside 6 (as Little Kelly in "Little Mister Kelly"). In 1962, he appeared as Norbert Smith in Meredith Willson's The Music Man and on two ABC series, as Mike Russo in the episode "Pandora's Box" of The Detectives starring Robert Taylor and as ten-year-old Roy Barrington in "One Way Ticket" on Clint Walker's Cheyenne, with Philip Carey cast as the outlaw Cole Younger.[1]

In 1962, he was also cast as 9-year-old Flip Rose, one of the four children (two natural and two foster) of George and Anna Rose, portrayed by Andrew Duggan and Peggy McCay, in the 26-week Room for One More.[2] While on Room for One More young Dapo made two appearances on another ABC series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, having played himself in "The Tigers Go to a Dance" and "Rick Sends a Picture".[1]

In 1963, he guest starred as Danny Saunders in "The Left Field Caper" of ABC's 77 Sunset Strip[1] before he was cast as Phil Silvers's nephew, Andy, in the comedian's revised sitcom. The second Silvers series focused on the star's role of Harry Grafton as the foreman of a plant, with co-stars Stafford Repp, Herbie Faye, and Buddy Lester. Then Elena Verdugo joined the show as Andy's mother, Audrey, and Sandy Descher as Andy's older sister, Susan. Like Room for One More, The New Phil Silvers Show soon folded.[3]

Young Dapo then appeared in small roles on Lucille Ball's CBS series The Lucy Show and on Gene Barry's ABC detective series Burke's Law in the episode entitled "Who Killed Andy Zygmunt?". In 1964, he played Peter McCloud in the film Kisses for My President. From 1963 to 1965, Dapo appeared twice on CBS's Lassie and The Munsters. In 1965, he appeared on ABC's The Fugitive and The F.B.I.[1]

Between 1963 and 1966, Dapo appeared three times as Arnold Winkler, a friend of Opie Taylor (played by Ron Howard) on CBS's The Andy Griffith Show. The episodes on which Dapo appeared are "Opie and the Spoiled Kid" and "The Haunted House" (both in 1963) and "A Baby in the House" (1966). Dapo's acting career ended in 1966 with two other roles: as Jimmy in the television movie Baby Makes Three and as Virgil 'Tiger' Higgins in the Disney film Follow Me, Boys! starring Fred MacMurray and Kurt Russell.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ronnie Dapo". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
  2. ↑ Alex McNeil, Total Television, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, 4th ed., p. 706
  3. ↑ McNeil, Total Television, p. 598
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