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Ricky Kelman
Ricky Kelman
Ricky Kelman
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Rickey William Kelman (born July 6, 1949) is a former actor. He had supporting roles in two single-season sitcoms, The Dennis O'Keefe Show (1959-1960) on CBS and Our Man Higgins (1962-1963) on ABC.

Key Information

Major roles

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On The Dennis O'Keefe Show, Kelman played 10-year-old Randy Towne, reared by a single father, Hal Towne (Dennis O'Keefe), who writes a newspaper column entitled "All Around Towne". Kelman appeared in all thirty-two episodes of the series. Hope Emerson was cast as Amelia "Sarge" Sargent, the stern housekeeper, hence her name. Emerson died fifteen days before the last new episode of the series was aired, but she had finished her commitment to the program prior to her death and acted in the final segment which aired on May 10, 1960. Eloise Hardt was another regular cast member in the role of Karen Hadley, Hal's girlfriend.[citation needed]

On Our Man Higgins, Kelman was Tommy MacRoberts, one of the three children of a suburban American couple, Duncan and Alice MacRoberts, played by Frank Maxwell and Audrey Totter. Stanley Holloway carried the title role of the MacRoberts' erudite English butler. Kelman appeared in all thirty-four episodes of Our Man Higgins, which might be loosely compared to the more successful NBC sitcom, Hazel starring Shirley Booth as a nosy housekeeper for an attorney, played by Don DeFore, his wife, and their son.[citation needed]

Child actor

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Kelman's first appearances were in 1954 and 1955 as a choirboy on The Red Skelton Hour. He had an uncredited role in the 1955 film A Man Called Peter, based on the life of Peter Marshall, the Presbyterian pastor who was twice appointed chaplain of the U.S. Senate. In 1957, he portrayed Jimmy Logan in "Bentley and the Baby Sitter" on CBS's then-new sitcom, Bachelor Father, starring John Forsythe. In 1957, Kelman played "Elmer" in the final Ma and Pa Kettle film, The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm, the last screen role for Marjorie Main. Her co-star was Parker Fennelly, however, not Percy Kilbride.[2]

On January 2, 1958, Kelman was Norman Fisher in the episode "The Big Jade" of NBC's pioneering police drama, Dragnet, starring Jack Webb. From 1958 to 1959, young Kelman played Homer Foley in three episodes of the NBC children's western series, Buckskin, with Tommy Nolan and Sally Brophy, as a son and his widowed mother living in a hotel in a small fictitious Montana community. In 1958, Kelman appeared in "The Unfamiliar" on Ronald W. Reagan's CBS anthology series, General Electric Theater.

In the 1960 season premiere of the ABC/Warner Brothers detective series, 77 Sunset Strip, the then 10-year-old Kelman appeared as Randolph in the episode "Attic", set in a remote mountain hideout. The episode stars Roger Smith as Jeff Spencer and features Kathleen Crowley, Cynthia Pepper, Lee Van Cleef, and Gary Vinson. He appeared in 1961 on NBC's Bonanza, with Lorne Greene, in the episodes "Many Faces of Gideon Flinch" and "The Infernal Machine."[3]

In 1961, Kelman was cast in conflicting roles as John and Oliver Hadley in the episodes "The Bully" and "The Sissy", respectively, of NBC's National Velvet family drama series, starring Lori Martin as the teenaged equestrian Velvet Brown. On December 7, 1961, he was cast as "Butch" in the episode "The Fabulous O'Hara" of ABC's sitcom, The Donna Reed Show. In 1961 and 1962, he appeared twice on CBS's Gunsmoke with Andy Clyde and James Arness. In 1962, he played the youthful Alex in the episode "Young Man's Fancy" of CBS's The Twilight Zone, co-starring with Phyllis Thaxter.[4]

Kelman appeared on CBS's Lassie in 1959 and twice in 1965. In 1965, he guest starred as well on the ABC sitcom The Farmer's Daughter, starring William Windom and Inger Stevens.

Young adult roles

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On November 29, 1968, Kelman was cast as Donny Clement in the episode "The Fatal Hours" of the ABC police drama Felony Squad, with Howard Duff and Dennis Cole. In 1969, he played an older teenager, Josh Odam, in the episode "Mexican Honeymoon" on CBS's My Three Sons sitcom with Fred MacMurray and Beverly Garland. Three years earlier, he appeared as Frankie Martin in MacMurray's film about the Boy Scouts of America, Follow Me, Boys!.[5]

Kelman played the character Mike in the coming of age picture, The First Time, a 1969 comedy about three inexperienced teenagers pursuing a sexual encounter in what turns out to be a nonexistent bordello near Buffalo, New York. His co-stars were Gerard Parkes and Jacqueline Bisset.[6]

On December 31, 1969, Kelman played Quincy Rust in the episode "The Adversaries" of CBS's Medical Center with James Daly and Chad Everett. The episode focuses on the competition between two interns. Audrey Totter, Kelman's co-star in Our Man Higgins, later joined the Medical Center cast but did not appear in this episode. In 1970, Kelman appeared twice on ABC's high school comedy-drama, Room 222, as Dennis Joplin in "The New Boy" and as Craig in "Captain of the Team". He was cast again with John Forsythe in his CBS sitcom, To Rome with Love.

In 1971, he played Don Harper in "The Climate of Doubt" of the legal drama Men at Law, starring Robert Foxworth. In 1972, he played George Arbor in the episode "The Corruptor" on the ABC crime drama, The F.B.I. In 1972 and 1973, Kelman guest starred in episodes of CBS's Hawaii Five-O and Here's Lucy. In the latter comedy series, he played a 23-year-old "teenager" in the episode "Lucy and Andy Griffith." A decade earlier, Kelman had portrayed John Ballantine in the Lucille Ball and Bob Hope film, Critic's Choice.[7]

Kelman's last acting appearances were in 1973 and 1974 in two episodes of the syndicated anthology series, Insight.

His older brother, Terry Ross Kelman (born 1947), is a former child actor whose screen appearances occurred between 1954 and 1959, with his last work in two episodes of the NBC western series, Wagon Train, starring Ward Bond.[citation needed]

References

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Ricky Kelman

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Richard William Kelman (born July 6, 1949), known professionally as Ricky Kelman, is an American former who achieved recognition in the late and early for his supporting roles in sitcoms and feature . Kelman began his acting career as a young performer in Hollywood, , debuting with the role of Randy Towne, the son of the lead character played by , in the sitcom The Dennis O'Keefe Show (1959–1960). He followed this with the part of Tommy McRoberts in the ABC series Our Man Higgins (1962–1963), which also featured as a British to an . On the big screen, Kelman portrayed John Ballantine, the son of critics played by and , in the 1963 film Critic's Choice, directed by . His early work included guest appearances on shows such as and : The New Doctors, showcasing his versatility as a juvenile . After retiring from acting in his late teens, Kelman transitioned to a legal career, earning admission to the California State Bar in 1977 following studies at the School of Law and . He practiced in for three decades, maintaining an inactive status upon retirement in 2007 while residing in Camarillo. Kelman has largely stayed out of the public eye since leaving entertainment, though his contributions to classic television and film remain notable among fans of mid-20th-century American media.

Personal life

Early years

Richard William Kelman (known as Ricky) was born on July 6, 1949, in Hollywood, , to parents William Crawford Kelman and Thelma Louise Winegar. Kelman grew up in Hollywood during the , when the area had solidified as the central hub of the American film and industries in the years following . This post-war period saw Hollywood adapting to the rise of television while remaining a bustling center for entertainment production, offering constant exposure to the world for local children. His family's residence in the neighborhood further immersed him in this dynamic environment from an early age, with his older brother , born in Hollywood in 1947, representing an initial family tie to .

Family background

Kelman is the son of William Crawford Kelman and Thelma Louise Winegar, who were residents of the area during his early years. His parents maintained a connection to the Hollywood environment through their location and family involvement in the local scene, though they were not directly employed in the industry. Kelman has an older brother, Terry Ross Kelman (born November 9, 1947, in Hollywood), who pursued a brief career as a from 1954 to 1959. Terry appeared in several notable films and television productions during this period, including roles in (1957), (1958), Kathy O' (1958), and episodes of and The Ford Television Theatre. He also has a younger sister, Sandra, born on August 1, 1950. This familial proximity to provided Kelman with an early, normalized immersion in the world from a young age.

Early career

Debut and initial roles

Ricky Kelman's professional acting career began in 1954 at the age of five, with appearances as a choirboy on episodes of the CBS variety series The Red Skelton Hour, including the Christmas-themed installment "The Cop and the Anthem," where he was credited as Johnson. These non-speaking roles provided his initial exposure in television, leveraging the show's popularity as a showcase for young talent during the early days of network broadcasting. In 1955, Kelman secured his first film role, albeit uncredited, in the 20th Century Fox biographical drama , directed by and starring as preacher Peter Marshall; production stills confirm his presence on set alongside the lead actors. This minor part in a major studio release represented an early step into cinematic work, though it remained unsung in the credits. By 1957, Kelman's opportunities expanded with credited television and film roles suited to his age. He portrayed , a young boy involved in a babysitting mishap, in the episode "Bentley and the Baby Sitter" of the sitcom Bachelor Father, starring . That same year, he appeared as Elmer, one of the Kettle children, in the Universal-International comedy The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm, the final installment in the long-running series, opposite and . His next notable guest appearance came in 1958 on NBC's Dragnet, where he played Norman Fisher in the episode "The Big Jade," a procedural story involving a jade theft investigation led by Jack Webb's Sergeant . These sporadic engagements from ages five to nine helped build his resume as a versatile child performer, transitioning from background parts to character-driven supporting roles in both mediums.

Breakthrough in television

Ricky Kelman's breakthrough in television came in 1958 when, at age nine, he secured a recurring role as Homer Foley on the Western series Buckskin, appearing in three episodes during its single season from July 1958 to May 1959. In this role, Kelman portrayed a young boy in the frontier town of Buckskin, , contributing to the show's ensemble of child characters alongside stars like Tom Nolan and Sally Brophy. This opportunity marked a significant step up from his earlier sporadic and guest spots, providing him with consistent on-screen exposure and helping establish his presence as a reliable child performer in the medium. That same year, Kelman expanded his television footprint with a supporting role in the comedy film Kathy O', playing Robert "Bo" Johnson, one of the children in the suburban family that temporarily hosts the troubled child actress Kathy O' (), whose mother is played by , in a story about Hollywood publicity and family dynamics. By 1961, at age 12, he made guest appearances on NBC's , including the episode "The Many Faces of Gideon Flinch," where he played a young boy involved in a con scheme alongside the Cartwright family. This role showcased his versatility in dramatic Western settings, building on his Buckskin experience. Kelman continued his ascent in 1962 with a memorable guest spot on CBS's , appearing as the young version of Alex Walker (Alex Nicol) in the episode "Young Man's Fancy," directed by John Brahm and written by Richard Matheson. In this supernatural tale of nostalgia and regression, Kelman's portrayal of the 10-year-old Alex highlighted his ability to convey emotional depth in anthology formats. Between ages 9 and 13, these roles represented a clear progression from one-off guest appearances to a more steady television presence, solidifying his reputation and paving the way for lead supporting parts in ongoing series.

Major roles

The Dennis O'Keefe Show

The Dennis O'Keefe Show was an American sitcom that aired on from September 22, 1959, to June 14, 1960, centering on the life of Hal Towne, a widowed raising his young son while navigating professional and personal challenges. The series starred in the lead role, supported by a cast that included as the stern housekeeper Amelia "Sarge" Sargent and as Hal's secretary Karen Hadley. Ricky Kelman played the role of Randy Towne, Hal's mischievous and endearing son, appearing in all 32 episodes of the single-season production. This family-oriented highlighted everyday tribulations in a lighthearted manner, with Hal's column titled "All Around Towne" serving as a recurring . Kelman, born on July 6, 1949, was 10 years old when the series premiered, marking his first major commitment to a full television series after building experience through earlier guest roles. His portrayal of brought youthful energy and innocence to the show, often involving scenarios that explored father-son bonding and the humorous clashes between Hal's career demands and family responsibilities. As a key , Randy's interactions with Sarge and other family figures underscored the program's emphasis on domestic warmth amid comedic mishaps. The series contributed significantly to Kelman's early visibility as a child performer, showcasing his natural comedic timing in a structured family narrative that appealed to audiences seeking relatable sitcom fare. Despite positive elements in its ensemble dynamic, The Dennis O'Keefe Show lasted only one season before cancellation, reflecting the competitive landscape of 1950s-1960s network television. Kelman's steady presence across the entire run helped establish him as a promising young actor in the genre.

Our Man Higgins

Our Man Higgins was an American sitcom that aired on ABC from October 3, 1962, to May 17, 1963, consisting of 34 half-hour episodes broadcast on Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. EST. The series centered on a suburban American family, the MacRoberts, who inherit a British butler named Higgins from a relative in , who arrives to serve as their lifelong manservant and brings his refined English customs into their everyday life. Created by Paul Harrison, the show blended cultural clashes with lighthearted family dynamics, featuring as Alice MacRoberts, as Duncan MacRoberts, and the children: Regina Groves as Joanie, K.C. Butts as Dinghy, and Ricky Kelman as Tommy MacRoberts. Ricky Kelman portrayed Tommy MacRoberts, the middle son in the , appearing in every one of the 34 episodes and contributing to the family's interactions with the titular . As Tommy, Kelman depicted a typical pre-teen boy navigating the humorous disruptions caused by Higgins's old-world in a modern American household, often highlighting generational and cultural contrasts through family-oriented scenarios. This role placed Kelman in a supportive position, where his character's youthful perspective added to the comedic exploration of domestic adjustments. At the age of 13 during the show's production—having been born on July 6, 1949—Kelman demonstrated reliability as a child actor by committing to a full season, following his earlier experience on The Dennis O'Keefe Show. This engagement further established his presence in family sitcoms during the early 1960s. The series was characterized as a slick and likeable sitcom of its era, though it concluded after a single season, reflecting modest viewership amid competition in prime time. Kelman's performance as Tommy contributed to the ensemble's portrayal of relatable family humor, earning the show an average audience rating of 6.6 out of 10 based on contemporary viewer feedback.

Later career

Guest appearances

Throughout his career, particularly during transitional periods from to young adult between ages 14 and 25, Ricky Kelman made numerous guest appearances on , showcasing his range across drama, crime procedurals, sitcoms, and . These one-off roles often filled gaps between his more sustained series commitments, allowing him to portray diverse characters from troubled youths to comedic side figures. With approximately 48 credits overall, many of which were non-recurring guest spots, Kelman's episodic work highlighted his adaptability in both serious and lighthearted narratives. One of his notable early guest roles came in 1968 at age 19, when he appeared as Don Clement, a young boy entangled in a tense criminal plot, in the episode "The Fatal Hours" of the ABC police drama Felony Squad. This dramatic turn demonstrated his ability to handle suspenseful material amid high-stakes investigations. The following year, Kelman shifted to comedy, playing the older teenager Josh Odam in the "Mexican Honeymoon" episode of CBS's family sitcom , where his character added youthful energy to a honeymoon mishap storyline involving cultural clashes. In the early , Kelman continued building versatility through varied guest spots. He portrayed Lance, a friend and accomplice linked to a member, in the 1972 episode "'V' for Vashon: The Son" of CBS's Hawaii Five-O, contributing to the show's signature action-driven crime narrative. That same year, he appeared as Tony Savo, a involved in a mystery decoded through music, in the "His Fiddlers Three" episode of NBC's Ironside, blending drama with investigative elements. Transitioning to comedy, Kelman played a wayward teenager in the 1973 "Lucy and " episode of CBS's , where his role supported a plot about charity work and youthful , humorously contrasting his age of 24 with the character's persona. Kelman also made multiple appearances on the syndicated Insight from 1973 to 1974, taking on varied dramatic roles such as Bill in "Celebration in Fresh Powder," Ken in "Ginny," and Jim in "King of the Penny Arcade." These performances in morally complex, faith-themed stories underscored his skill in introspective character work during a phase of sporadic opportunities. Overall, these guest roles across genres—from police dramas like Felony Squad and Hawaii Five-O to family comedies like and —illustrated Kelman's flexibility, helping sustain his presence on screen through his early twenties.

Final television and film roles

As Ricky Kelman matured into young adulthood, his roles shifted from child characters to more age-appropriate parts, reflecting the natural progression away from juvenile leads in an industry often challenging for . In 1969, at age 20, he starred as Mike in the coming-of-age The First Time, directed by James Neilson, where he portrayed one of three high school friends embarking on a summer adventure involving romance and self-discovery alongside co-stars , Wes Stern, and Wink Roberts. Kelman continued with sporadic television work in the early 1970s, but his final on-screen appearances came in the syndicated Insight, produced by Paulist Productions. He appeared in three episodes between 1973 and 1974, playing Bill in "Celebration in Fresh Powder" (1973), Ken in "Ginny" (1974), and Jim in "King of the " (1974), often in stories exploring moral and personal dilemmas. These Insight episodes marked Kelman's last known professional acting roles in 1974, when he was 25 years old, concluding a two-decade career that began in the mid-1950s. Following this, he left acting entirely to attend law school at UCLA and , passing the bar in 1977 and practicing law until his retirement from that field in 2007.
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