Date of birth:
3 December 1939
Brooklyn, New York, USA

Sometimes Credited As:
Lance Fladoda

Supporting actor Don Calfa has been onscreen from the late '60s.
Among Don Calfa’s roles were “Ernie Kaltenbrunner” in The Return of the Living Dead, and “Mr. Pitts" on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210. Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Ozone Park Queens, and later Westchester, Long Island, Don Calfa was originally interested in a career in the fine arts. He got the acting bug after seeing films such as Rebel Without A Cause and Vertigo. After dropping out of high school to study at Irwin Piscotor's The Dramatic Workshop, (he finished his degree in night school), Calfa spent two years in summer stock which enabled him to join Actors Equity and eventually get his SAG card. Calfa’s films include Greaser's Palace, Cinderella Liberty, and Doctor Dolittle. His stage work includes extensive off-off-Broadway work, and he appeared on Broadway in Lenny.

Don Calfa has played the cool character of Ernie Kaltenbrunner in the cult hit RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD. Till today Don has played in more than 50 movies

Actor - filmography

Lewisburg (2006) (post-production) .... Night Clerk

"Less Than Perfect" .... Uncle Nicky (1 episode, 2003

Corpses Are Forever (2003) (V) (as Lance Fladoda) .... Jack Stark

Night Creep (2003) (V) .... Mr. Blunt

The 4th Tenor (2002) .... Bum #3

Downward Angel (2001) .... Adam

Doctor Dolittle (1998) .... Patient at Hammersmith

Progeny (1998) .... Jimmy Stevens

Columbo: Strange Bedfellows (1995) (TV) .... Rudy

Mr. Payback: An Interactive Movie (1995) .... City Hall Guard

Cops n Roberts (1995)

Toughguy (1995) .... Office Worker #1

"Boy Meets World" .... Frank (1 episode, 1994)

Necronomicon (1994) .... Mr. Benedict (part 3)

"Beverly Hills, 90210" .... Mr. Pitts (3 episodes, 1993-1994)

"Murder, She Wrote" .... Clifford Coleson / ... (2 episodes, 1988-1993)

Stay Tuned (1992) .... Wetzel

Amazing Stories: Book Three (1992) (V) .... Messenger (segment "The Amazing Falsworth")

Me, Myself and I (1992) .... Irving

Bugsy (1991) .... Louie Dragna

Chopper Chicks in Zombietown (1991) .... Ralph Willum

"Twin Peaks" .... Vice Principal Greege (1 episode, 1990)

"Matlock" .... Andrew Sloan (1 episode, 1990)

Columbo: Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo (1990) (TV) .... Rudy

"Mancuso, FBI" (1 episode, 1989)

Weekend at Bernie's (1989) .... Paulie, Vito's Hit Man

The Presidio (1988) .... Howard Buckely

"Houston Knights" (1 episode, 1988)

Blue Movies (1988) .... Max

Talking Walls (1987) .... Andre

Treasure of the Moon Goddess (1987) .... Harold Grand

Private Eye (1987) (TV)

"Throb" .... Coyote Man (1 episode, 1986)

Running Scared (1986) .... Women's Room Lawyer

"Amazing Stories" .... Messenger (1 episode, 1985)

"Our Family Honor" .... Maltz (1 episode, 1985)

The Return of the Living Dead (1985) .... Ernie Kaltenbrunner

"Simon & Simon" .... Randall Deeds (1 episode, 1985)

"Night Court" .... Miles Seaver (1 episode, 1984)

"Hill Street Blues" .... Oscar Foreman (1 episode, 1984)

"Legmen" .... Oscar Armismendi (1 episode, 1984)

E. Nick: A Legend in His Own Mind (1984) .... E. 'Nick' Vanacuzzi

The Man Who Wasn't There (1983) .... Tohfo

The Star Chamber (1983) .... Lawrence Monk

Shooting Stars (1983) (TV) .... Driscoll

The Day the Bubble Burst (1982) (TV) .... Mr. Cinelli

"Barney Miller" .... Angelo Dodi / ... (7 episodes, 1977-1981)

"Benson" .... Dr. Death (1 episode, 1981)

"Park Place" (1981) TV Series .... Howie Beech (unknown episodes)

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) .... Goebel

1941 (1979) .... Telephone Operator

The Rose (1979) .... Don Frank

10 (1979) .... Neighbor

Steel Cowboy (1978) (TV) .... 'Go' Trucker

The Comedy Company (1978) (TV) .... Harry Fenner

Foul Play (1978) .... Scarface

"The Bionic Woman" .... Petie 'The Weasel' Regan (1 episode, 1978)

New York, New York (1977) .... Gilbert

"The Streets of San Francisco" .... Larry Mason / ... (3 episodes, 1974-1977)

Nickelodeon (1976) .... Waldo

"Delvecchio" (1 episode, 1976)

"Baretta" .... Corsican (1 episode, 1976)

Most Wanted (1976) (TV)

"Kojak" .... Burgess / ... (2 episodes, 1974-1975)

Peeper (1975) .... Rosie

The Law (1974) (TV) .... Rod Brainard

Shanks (1974) .... Motorcycle Gang Member

Bank Shot (1974) .... Stosh Gornik

Rhinoceros (1974) .... Waiter

Cinderella Liberty (1973) .... Lewis

The Blue Knight (1973) (TV)

The Rainbow Boys (1973) .... Mazella

"The Delphi Bureau" .... Gunjamen (1 episode, 1972)

Goodnight, My Love (1972) (TV) .... Bananas

Greaser's Palace (1972) .... Morris

Pound (1970) .... Italian Terrier

Utterly Without Redeeming Social Value (1969) .... Peter DeCola

No More Excuses (1968) .... Priest

EXTERNAL LINKS

Linnea Quigley Yahoo! Group

Beverly Randolph Official Site

THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD

Medical supply warehouse foreman Frank (James Karen) informs his new protege, Freddy (Thom Matthews) that Night of the Living Dead was a true story, based on events that occurred when a gas (2-4-5 Trioxin) was released into the morgue in the basement of a VA hospital. As a matter of fact, the warehouse was an inadvertent recipient of a few canisters of Trioxin, all complete with dead bodies sealed inside. Due to the canisters' poor durability, however, a light tap causes one to burst open. The dangerous gas leaks out of control, not only poisoning Frank and Freddy, but unleashing the now animated Tarman (Allan Trautman). Frank and Freddy awaken to discover that the various bodies and body parts in the warehouse are now alive, including disembodied hands and a dissected dog. Themselves slowly turning into zombies due to the effects of the gas, Frank and Freddy enlist the help of the warehouse owner, Burt (Clu Gulager), and his mortician friend, Ernie (Don Calfa), to cremate the cadaver and body parts. Unfortunately, the resulting smoke carries the evaporated trioxin with it, which mixes with an overhead raincloud. The rain begins to fall on the nearby cemetery, seeping into the graves causing the dead to rise. Their first victims are some of Freddy's friends, who have been partying among the graves, while the surviving friends, including Freddy's girlfriend Tina (Beverly Randolph), are sent running for their lives.

The zombies in this movie differ from those in Night of the Living Dead, in that they are fast, as strong and intelligent as they were in their previous life, and can form words despite their physical degradation. Instead of hunting humans for their flesh, they hunt for the humans' brains, stating that only the taste of brains can ease their suffering. It appears that injuries to their brains do not have any effect, and the only way to fully destroy them is to cremate their bodies, although the ensuing smoke spreads the contagious gas.