Bart Burns, 89; Broadway, film and TV actor had long-lasting career

Bart Burns, 89, an actor who appeared on Broadway, in movies and on TV shows for five decades, died of natural causes July 11 at his home in West Hills, his son Brendan Burns told the Associated Press

Burns made several Broadway appearances, including in a production of “Mr. Roberts” with Henry Fonda. On television, he played Pat Chambers on the “Mike Hammer” series in the 1950s and made hundreds of guest appearances on such shows as “Gunsmoke” and “The Rockford Files.”

His movie roles included Ernest Farmer in the 1982 Jessica Lange feature “Frances.” He had small roles in many other films, including “Seven Days in May” and “Legal Eagles.”

Burns was born George Joseph Burns in New York City. To avoid confusion with comedian George Burns, he took the name Bart when he began his acting career in 1947.

During World War II, Burns was a Marine captain in the Pacific, where he was wounded twice. He won a Silver Star for leading a tank through a minefield to destroy a Japanese pillbox on Iwo Jima.