| Dan Blocker | |
|---|---|
 Blocker as Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza |
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| Born | Bobby Don Blocker December 10, 1928 DeKalb, Texas, United States |
| Died | May 13, 1972 (aged 43) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Other name(s) | Dan Davis Blocker Don Blocker |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1953–1972 |
| Spouse(s) | Dolphia Parker |
Dan Blocker (December 10, 1928 – May 13, 1972) was an American actor best remembered for his role as Eric "Hoss" Cartwright in the NBC western television blockbuster Bonanza.
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Blocker was born Bobby Don Blocker[1] in De Kalb in East Texas, the son of Mary (née Davis) and Ora Shack Blocker. His family moved to O'Donnell, located in both Lynn and Dawson counties near Lubbock in west Texas, soon after his birth. He played football at Hardin-Simmons University in 1946. He attended Texas Military Institute and later graduated from Sul Ross State Teacher's College in Alpine, where he earned a master's degree in the dramatic arts. (Although the "Hoss" character on Bonanza was conceived initially as lovable but slow-witted, Blocker was the only cast member with an advanced degree.)
Blocker was a high school English and drama teacher in Sonora, Texas, Carlsbad, New Mexico and California. He reportedly worked as a rodeo performer and as a bouncer in a beer joint while a student. By all accounts he is remembered from his school days for his size of 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and weight of 300 pounds (136 kg), and as being good-natured despite his intimidating size.
Stanley Kubrick attempted to cast Blocker in his film Dr. Strangelove, after Peter Sellers elected not to add the role of Major T.J. "King" Kong to his multiple other roles, but according to the film's co-writer, Terry Southern, Blocker's agent rejected the script. The role subsequently went to Slim Pickens.
In 1957, Blocker appeared in a Three Stooges short, Outer Space Jitters, having portrayed the part of "The Goon," billed as "Don Blocker." He also was seen in a 1958 episode of Walt Disney's Zorro, "The Señorita Makes a Choice". Also in 1957, Blocker appeared as a bartender in an episode of the syndicated western-themed crime drama Sheriff of Cochise, starring John Bromfield.
In 1959, as Bonanza was beginning, Blocker guest-starred in an episode of the Keenan Wynn and Bob Mathias NBC series The Troubleshooters, an adventure program about unusual events surrounding an international construction company. In 1968, Blocker starred with Frank Sinatra in the "Tony Rome" film sequel Lady In Cement.
Director Robert Altman befriended Blocker while directing episodes of Bonanza. Years later, he cast Blocker as Roger Wade in The Long Goodbye. Unfortunately, Blocker died before filming commenced. The role went to Sterling Hayden and the film was dedicated to Blocker.
Blocker played the "middle son" on the long-running NBC television series, Bonanza. The actor who played his elder brother, Pernell Roberts, was born seven months before Blocker, although they were born in the same year. Blocker said he portrayed the Hoss character with a Stephen Grellet excerpt in mind: "We shall pass this way on Earth but once, if there is any kindness we can show, or good act we can do, let us do it now, for we will never pass this way again." [2]
Blocker received partial ownership in a successful chain of Ponderosa/Bonanza Steakhouse restaurants in exchange for serving (in character as Hoss) as their commercial spokesman and making personal appearances at franchises.
Blocker was drafted into the Army and served in the Korean War as a First Sergeant. He later married Dolphia Parker, whom he had met while a student at Sul Ross State. All of their four children's names begin with a 'D': actor Dirk Blocker, producer David Blocker and twin daughters Debra Lee (artist) and Danna Lynn.
Blocker once owned an authentic 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 (with the sought-after Z16 option) as Chevrolet was the commercial sponsor of the show. His Chevelle, now in private hands, is sometimes displayed in car shows. He was also the owner of a 1965 Huffaker Genie MK10 race car, nicknamed the "Vinegaroon." The car was run by Nickey Chevrolet in the 1965 and 1966 U.S. Road Racing Championship series, as well as the 1966 Can-Am championship.[3]
A Free Methodist, Blocker was among Hollywood celebrities who supported then U.S. Senator Eugene J. McCarthy for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968. McCarthy was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War. McCarthy's strong performance in the New Hampshire primary helped to persuade President Lyndon B. Johnson to abandon his reelection bid. Blocker later supported the eventual Democratic Party nominee, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey from Minnesota, for the presidency against the Republican Richard M. Nixon. Blocker so opposed the Vietnam War that he uprooted his family in 1970 and moved to Switzerland in protest. He kept a house in Inglewood, California and commuted to NBC. His 6,000-square foot Tudor style mansion in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles is currently owned by Rob Zombie.[4] On a television interview Zombie claims to have had encounters with Blocker's ghost, though he may have been joking.
On May 13, 1972, Blocker died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism following routine gall bladder surgery in Los Angeles (essentially, a post-op blood-clot to the lungs). The cast and crew of Bonanza were shaken by his death, and the writers took the then-unusual step of referencing a major character's death in the show's storyline that autumn. Bonanza lasted another season, but the final season in which Blocker did not appear is the least-requested in reruns.
Blocker is buried in a family plot in DeKalb, although he lived there only briefly. The common gravesite is marked by a plain stone with the name "BLOCKER" engraved, and three family members are buried beside him.
   | Biography by Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide - Dan Blocker - Biography - MSN Movies |
| | Biography from Handbook of Texas online - 404 NOT FOUND -- Texas State Historical Association - - Error - |
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